Associated Press stories, Page 929
Heaviest animal ever may be this ancient whale found in Peruvian desert
NEW YORK — There could be a new contender for heaviest animal to ever live. While today’s blue whale has long held the title, scientists have dug up fossils from an ancient giant that could tip the scales. Researchers described the new species — named Perucetus colossus, or “the colossal...
Mega Millions jackpot has soared to $1.25 billion. Here’s how hard it is to win
NEW YORK — There’s no shaking it. Your chances of winning the lottery are extremely slim. After no big winner Tuesday night, the Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.25 billion. If someone wins it all on Friday, when the next Mega Millions drawing takes place, the prize would...
Astros’ Framber Valdez throws no-hitter vs. Guardians on 93 pitches
HOUSTON — Framber Valdez was determined to improve this month after a subpar July where he posted a 7.29 ERA. On the first day of August he certainly did that. Valdez threw the 16th no-hitter in Houston Astros history in a 2-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night....
Lawsuit by former dancers accuses Lizzo of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment
LOS ANGELES — Lizzo has been sued by three former dancers who accuse the Grammy winner of sexual harassment and allege the singer and her production company created a hostile work environment. The civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court claims Lizzo pressured the dancers to engage...
X marks the lawsuit: Elon Musk’s social media company sues nonprofit highlighting site’s hate speech
WASHINGTON — X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has sued a group of researchers — alleging their work highlighting an increase in hate speech on the platform cost the company millions of dollars of advertising revenue. The suit, filed late Monday night in U.S. District Court in...
More teachers are quitting their jobs. Educators of color often are more likely to leave
HARRISBURG — Rhonda Hicks could have kept working into her 60s. She loved teaching and loved her students in Philadelphia’s public schools. As a Black woman, she took pride in being a role model for many children of color. But other aspects of the job deteriorated, such as growing demands...
Mega Millions winner could net $1.25 billion as top lottery prize is still up for grabs
The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $1.25 billion after no one beat the odds Tuesday night and won the massive lottery prize. The winning numbers drawn were: 8, 24, 30, 45, 61 and the yellow ball: 12. No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18,...
Prosecutors in Gilgo Beach killings are giving Rex Heuermann’s defense a vast trove of evidenceVideo
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Weeks after charging a Long Island architect in a string of killings known as the Gilgo Beach murders, prosecutors said Tuesday that they’ve begun providing his lawyer with reams of evidence including autopsy findings, DNA reports and crime scene photos. Suffolk County prosecutors said at a brief...
Numerous MLB contenders load up at trade deadlineVideo
CHICAGO — In a matter of days, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer went from teammates on the New York Mets to opposite sides of a Lone Star rivalry. That’s how it goes this time of year. Verlander was shipped from New York to Houston ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, returning...
The election-meddling indictment against Trump is sprawling. Here’s a breakdown of the case
Donald Trump for years has promoted baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. In truth, Trump was the one who tried to steal the election, federal prosecutors said Tuesday in a sprawling indictment that paints the former president as desperate to cling to power he knew had...
Fitch downgrades U.S. credit rating, citing mounting debt and political divisions
WASHINGTON — Fitch Ratings has downgraded the United States government’s credit rating, citing rising debt at the federal, state, and local levels and a “steady deterioration in standards of governance” over the past two decades. The rating was cut Tuesday one notch to AA+ from AAA, the highest possible rating....
Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers accused of betting on Cyclone sportsVideo
AMES, Iowa — Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers has been accused of gambling on Cyclones sports events, including a football game, and was charged Tuesday with tampering with records related to an Iowa Criminal Division investigation into sports gambling. The criminal complaint said Dekkers placed 366 online bets worth more...
Falcons’ Bijan Robinson hopes to carve new, more profitable path for NFL running backsVideo
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Bijan Robinson is all of a week into his first NFL training camp. He knows better than anyone he’s got an awful lot to learn. Yet before he ever takes a handoff for the Atlanta Falcons, Robinson recognizes that he’s in a unique position to help...
U.S. lacking magic of 2019 team thus far at Women’s World CupVideo
The United States clearly is not the dominant team that won the 2019 Women’s World Cup. The Americans have advanced to the knockout stage at this edition of the tournament, but just barely after a 0-0 draw with Portugal in their final group match. After the final whistle Tuesday night,...
Trump indicted for efforts to overturn 2020 election, block transfer of powerVideo
Donald Trump was indicted on felony charges Tuesday for working to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol, with the Justice Department moving to hold him accountable for an unprecedented effort to block the peaceful transfer...
Joe Klecko ends 35-year Hall of Fame wait after Jets career marked by toughness
Joe Klecko was tangled up with an offensive lineman during a New York Jets game when fists, elbows and cusses started flying. The scrum came to an abrupt end when Marty Lyons, Klecko’s concerned teammate, ran up behind the big defensive lineman, put him in a bear hug and pulled...
Jets’ Nathaniel Hackett says Broncos’ Sean Payton broke coaches’ code with commentsVideo
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Nathaniel Hackett isn’t expecting a phone call from an apologetic Sean Payton any time soon. The New York Jets offensive coordinator was disappointed by disparaging comments made by the Denver coach last week in a story published by USA Today in which he called Hackett’s 15-game...
Elliott among drivers looking to claim 1 of 4 remaining spots in NASCAR playoffsVideo
Chase Elliott has four races remaining to save his season. The 2020 NASCAR champion has raced for the title each of the last three years but has yet to claim a spot in the 16-driver playoff field for 2023. NASCAR’s most popular driver missed six races early after breaking his...
Bond denied for South Carolina woman accused of killing newlywed bride in drunken crash
A judge has denied bond for a woman accused of killing a newlywed bride when she drunkenly slammed her Toyota Camry into a golf cart along a South Carolina beach road. Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, will remain behind bars awaiting trial after officials say she drove over twice the speed...
Michigan prosecutors charge Trump allies in felonies involving voting machines, illegal ‘testing’
LANSING, Mich. — A former Republican attorney general candidate and another supporter of former President Donald Trump have been criminally charged in Michigan in connection with accessing and tampering with voting machines after the 2020 election, according to court records. Matthew DePerno, a Republican lawyer who was endorsed by Trump...
Mets trading 3-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to AstrosVideo
HOUSTON — The Astros are bringing back Justin Verlander, acquiring the three-time Cy Young Award winner from the New York Mets in a trade deadline blockbuster Tuesday, Houston owner Jim Crane told the Associated Press. The Astros are sending top outfield prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford to New York....
$1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot drawing offers shot at 6th largest prize ever
An estimated $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot will be up for grabs Tuesday night, giving lottery players a chance to snap an unlucky streak that has stretched on for months. No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18, allowing it to roll over again and again until...
DeSantis-controlled Disney World district abolishes diversity, equity initiatives
ORLANDO, Fla. — Diversity, equity and inclusion programs were abolished Tuesday from Walt Disney World’s governing district, now controlled by appointees of Gov. Ron DeSantis, in an echo of the Florida governor’s agenda which has championed curtailing such programs in higher education and elsewhere. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District...
Stewart Cink is a new American face for the Ryder Cup back room
The Ryder Cup task force that sought continuity has occasionally run the risk of being a closed shop with so many repeat faces in golf carts. Stewart Cink is a new addition to the club. Zach Johnson appointed him his fifth and final assistant captain for this year’s matches at...
Vintage computer that helped launch the Apple empire is being sold at auction
BOSTON — A vintage Apple computer signed by company co-founder Steve Wozniak is being sold at auction. The Apple-1 set in motion the company that in June became the first publicly traded business to close a trading day with a $3 trillion market value, according to RR Auction in Boston....
