Associated Press stories, Page 942
Surfing gator seen relaxing at Alabama beach amid the wavesVideo
There are plenty of alligators in Alabama. But how many enjoy a day at the beach? One such unlikely critter was spotted riding the waves recently on Dauphin Island, bobbing calmly near the human beachgoers sunbathing and wading. Matt Harvill, a 27-year-old Mobile resident, came across the lengthy gator on...
Marlene Hagge-Vossler, last surviving LPGA founder, dies at 89
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Marlene Hagge-Vossler, a Hall of Fame player and the last surviving founder of the LPGA Tour, died Tuesday morning, her family said. She was 89. Hagge-Vossler won 26 times on the LPGA Tour, including the 1952 LPGA Championship, and she was inducted into the World Golf...
The Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes and draft lottery has a winner: It’s the Spurs
CHICAGO — Victor Wembanyama is now set to begin his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs, after they won the NBA Draft lottery and the No. 1 overall pick Tuesday night. The Spurs were one of three teams with the best odds — 14% — to land the No....
Trump-backed Daniel Cameron to face Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in November
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Daniel Cameron won the Republican primary for Kentucky governor on Tuesday, becoming the first major-party Black nominee for governor in the state’s history and setting up a November showdown with Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear. Cameron, the state’s attorney general who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump,...
IRS moves forward with free e-filing system in pilot program to launch in 2024
NEW YORK — Most taxpayers are interested in filing their taxes directly to the IRS for free, a new report says, and that option will be tested next year. The IRS has spent the past nine months studying whether U.S. taxpayers want to see a free, e-filing system run by...
‘Taco Tuesday’ trademark tiff flares anew between fast food competitors
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Declaring a mission to liberate “Taco Tuesday” for all, Taco Bell is asking U.S. regulators to force Wyoming-based Taco John’s to abandon its longstanding claim to the trademark. Too many businesses and others refer to “Taco Tuesday” for Taco John’s to be able to have exclusive rights...
Authorities say New Mexico gunman who killed 3 was local high school student; motive soughtVideo
FARMINGTON, N.M. — The gunman who killed three people and wounded six others while roaming through his northwestern New Mexico neighborhood and apparently firing at random targets was a local 18-year-old high school student, authorities said Tuesday, noting they were still trying to determine a motive for the attack. Beau...
Man and 12-year-old boy arrested after fatal shooting at Sonic restaurant in TexasVideo
KEENE, Texas — A 12-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man have been arrested on a murder warrant in the fatal shooting of a Sonic Drive-In employee in Texas, police said. Matthew Davis, 32, was shot and killed Saturday night as he fought with Angel Gomez, 20, in the parking lot...
Mountain Valley Pipeline gets new permit to build in Appalachian national forest
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A controversial and long-delayed natural gas pipeline got the green light for construction on national forest land in Virginia and West Virginia after the U.S. Forest Service reissued its approval for a permit, despite past federal appeals court rulings determining developers had “inadequately considered” the project’s environmental...
Fate of Arizona Coyotes arena project in the hands of voters
The Arizona Coyotes are about to learn the fate of a proposed entertainment district that would include a new home for the team, which has crisscrossed the city searching for a permanent place to play. Residents in Tempe are voting Tuesday on a referendum that will determine whether plans for...
Danny Masterson used drugging, Scientology to get away with rape, prosecutor says
LOS ANGELES — Danny Masterson drugged women’s drinks so he could rape them, then relied on his prominence in the Church of Scientology to avoid consequences for years, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday in closing arguments at the actor’s trial. “The defendant drugs his victims to gain control. He does...
Putin, Zelenskyy agree to meet with ‘African leaders peace mission’
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have agreed to separate meetings with a delegation of leaders from six African countries to discuss a possible plan to end the war in Ukraine, South Africa’s president said Tuesday. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said...
76ers fire coach Doc Rivers after 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA — Doc Rivers’ penchant for playoff collapses and second-round exits cost him his coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers fired Rivers on Tuesday following a third straight exit in the second round of the playoffs, and the second time over that span he lost a series lead...
Prince Harry seeks to challenge denial of request to pay for own U.K. police protection
LONDON — A lawyer for Prince Harry argued in a London court Tuesday that he should be allowed to challenge a government decision that denied him the right to pay for police protection when he visits the U.K. The case is one of six the Duke of Sussex has pending...
4 more ex-U.S. soccer players diagnosed with CTE
English soccer star Jimmy Fryatt was known for his ability to head the ball, and the proof of his prowess may be in the damage it did to his brain. Still physically fit in his late 70s, Fryatt played tennis but couldn’t keep score or remember which side of the...
Authorities: Mentally ill man who attacked congressional staffers has violent history
FAIRFAX, Va. — A mentally ill man threatened a woman with a metal baseball bat, chasing her through a northern Virginia neighborhood, before attacking U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly’s office, shattering windows and striking two women, including an intern on her first day on the job, authorities said. Staffers then managed...
Skeletons found in Pompeii ruins reveal deaths by earthquake
MILAN — The discovery of two skeletons buried beneath a collapsed wall in the Pompeii archaeological site point to deaths by powerful earthquakes that accompanied the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the first century, experts said Tuesday, in addition to the victims of volcanic ash and gas. The two...
ChatGPT chief says artificial intelligence should be regulated by a U.S. or global agencyVideo
The head of the artificial intelligence company that makes ChatGPT told Congress on Tuesday that government intervention will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful AI systems. “As this technology advances, we understand that people are anxious about how it could change the way we live. We are...
Pence allies launching super PAC to back former VP’s expected 2024 candidacy
NEW YORK — Allies of former Vice President Mike Pence are launching a new super PAC to support his expected candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. “Committed to America,” the Pence-sanctioned group, publicly launches Tuesday, according to people familiar with the project, who spoke on condition of anonymity to...
As NBA coaching changes mount, some lament the lack of job security
MIAMI — Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Denver’s Michael Malone are two of the four NBA coaches to have spent at least eight years with their current team. They know how rare that is. Spoelstra and Malone both spoke out Monday following the recent dismissals of three coaches who aren’t far...
Duchess of Sussex set to receive Ms. Foundation’s Woman of Vision Award
NEW YORK — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will be in New York Tuesday night, along with Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown, to receive the Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision Award, as the nation’s oldest women’s foundation marks its 50th anniversary. The appearance is set to be her first...
Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday concerts getting a theatrical release
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — If you missed out on Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday concerts last month in Los Angeles, you can see all the special performances honoring the 12-time Grammy winner in a limited theatrical run. “Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90” will be shown in theaters on June 11, with...
Beijing LGBT Center shuttered as crackdown grows in China
TAIPEI, Taiwan — An advocacy group that also served as a safe space for the LGBTQ community in Beijing became the latest organization to close under a crackdown by Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government. “We very regretfully announce, due to forces beyond our control, the Beijing LGBT Center will stop...
Cannes Film Festival readies a blockbuster editionVideo
The Cannes Film Festival, which will kick off Tuesday, is such a colossal extravaganza that taking measure of its ups and downs is notoriously difficult. It’s a showcase of the world’s best cinema. It’s a red-carpet spectacular. It’s a French Riviera hive of dealmaking. But by at least some metrics,...
Retail sales up 0.4% in April, buoyed by solid job market, easing inflationary pressure
NEW YORK — Consumers picked up their spending modestly in April from March, buoyed by a solid job market and easing inflationary pressures. A bump up in demand for new cars also helped results, according to the Commerce Department report issued Tuesday. Retail sales increased 0.4% in April from March...
