Associated Press stories, Page 974
Torrential storms batter South Florida, close key airportVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE — Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale — causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service for the Broward County region. The city of Fort Lauderdale released a statement Wednesday evening...
Mock draft predicts Steelers will take Georgia offensive tackleVideo
The Carolina Panthers have been on the clock since making a blockbuster trade last month to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and get their choice of potential franchise quarterbacks. There’s still no general consensus on which QB will go first. Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud?...
Masters champ Rahm ready to keep going at RBC Heritage
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — An exhausted, jubilant Jon Rahm wondered if he’d earned a break. The Masters’ champion, worn out from his four-shot victory last week, thought hard about passing up the RBC Heritage and taking some well-deserved rest. In the end, Rahm honored his commitment — and will...
Browns DT Perrion Winfrey arrested on misdemeanor assault charge
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns second-year defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey was arrested in Texas on a misdemeanor assault charge earlier this week for allegedly causing bodily harm to a woman he was dating. According to Harris County court records, Winfrey was arrested at 7 p.m. Monday and charged with one count...
Your tax refund could be smaller than last year. Here’s why
NEW YORK — Expecting a tax refund? It could be smaller than last year. And with inflation still high, that money won’t go as far as it did a year ago. The 90 million taxpayers who have filed as of March 31 got refunds that were an average of nearly...
Trump sues ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, key witness in criminal case
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump sued the key witness in his criminal case on Wednesday, accusing onetime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen of “vast reputational harm” for talking publicly about the hush-money payments at the heart of the case. The lawsuit, filed in Miami, offered a preview of...
After calls to resign, Feinstein seeks Judiciary replacement
LOS ANGELES — Recuperating U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California asked Wednesday to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee, shortly after two House Democrats called on her to resign after her extended absence from Washington. In a statement, the long-serving Democratic senator said her recovery from a case of...
Stocks dip after inflation data, Fed economists’ warningVideo
NEW YORK — Stocks dipped to close an up-and-down Wednesday on Wall Street as a result of the latest update on inflation and the latest warning of a possible recession. The S&P 500 fell 16.99, or 0.4%, to 4,091.95 after drifting between small gains and losses through the day. The...
Umpire hospitalized after being hit in head by relay throw
CLEVELAND — Umpire Larry Vanover is being evaluated for a concussion and other injuries at a hospital after being struck in the head with a relay throw during Wednesday’s game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians. The 67-year-old Vanover was knocked down by the throw from Guardians All-Star...
Rangers SS Seager out at least 4 weeks with hamstring strain
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager will miss at least four weeks after being placed on the injured list Wednesday with a left hamstring strain after getting hurt running the bases. General manager Chris Young said Seager had an MRI that showed a Grade 2 strain. Seager, who...
Salt Lake City group seeks MLB expansion team
SALT LAKE CITY — While Major League Baseball has no current plans to add teams, the family that used to own the NBA’s Utah Jazz says it wants an expansion franchise. The Miller family and the Larry H. Miller Company said Wednesday a coalition calling itself Big League Utah has...
Missing woman rescued from submerged Jeep, Texas police say
JEFFERSON, Texas — A missing woman was rescued from a submerged vehicle, and taken to a nearby hospital, according to east Texas law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement agencies have said little about the woman, or how she ended up in the sinking Jeep. The woman was found alive Friday in...
New streaming app to ‘Max’ programming from HBO, Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled a streaming service Wednesday combining iconic HBO programming such as “The Sopranos” with a mix of unscripted TV series in a push to reap more subscribers from what so far has been a muddled media merger. The $16-per-month service, called Max, will be released May 23...
Montgomery County mother charged in son’s death after SUV found at New Jersey beach
HORSHAM — A mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 11-year-old son in southeastern Pennsylvania and is awaiting extradition from New Jersey, where she was arrested after her SUV was found in the surf on a beach at the Jersey shore. Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, 50, of Horsham,...
Mt. Lebanon native Ian Happ, Cubs agree to $61 million, 3-year contract for 2024-26
CHICAGO — All-Star outfielder Ian Happ and the Chicago Cubs agreed Wednesday to a $61 million, three-year contract covering 2024-26. Happ, a Mt. Lebanon native, agreed in January to a $10.85 million, one-year contract. His new deal calls for a $3 million signing bonus payable June 1 and salaries of...
AP source: ACC reaches 3-year extension deal with commissioner Jim Phillips
The Atlantic Coast Conference has reached a three-year extension agreement with commissioner Jim Phillips, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t publicly announced the agreement. The extension, first reported by ESPN, would keep...
AP source: Big Ten taps ex-MLB exec Tony Petitti as commissioner
The Big Ten is hiring former Major League Baseball executive Tony Petitti to be its next commissioner, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because a deal was still being finalized. An announcement is expected from...
Confident Rays not surprised by 11-0 start to season
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The streaking Tampa Bay Rays are running out of superlatives to describe baseball’s best start in more than three decades. Remarkable, incredible, unbelievable — even crazy — are words players have used to describe the dominant, all-around team effort that has carried them to an 11-0...
Fed up by L.A. pothole, Arnold Schwarzenegger fills it himself
LOS ANGELES — Fed up by an enormous pothole in his Los Angeles neighborhood, Arnold Schwarzenegger picked up a shovel and filled it himself. The actor and former California governor tweeted a video Tuesday of him and a helper using packaged concrete to repair the road in the Brentwood area....
Bottoms up! Some MLB teams extend beer sales to 8th inning
PHOENIX — Thanks to the pitch clock, the action is moving much faster at Major League Baseball games. It also means a little less time for fans to enjoy a frosty adult beverage. To combat that time crunch, at least four teams — the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins...
Cheaper gas and food provide some relief from U.S. inflation
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer inflation eased in March, with less expensive gas and food providing some relief to households that have struggled under the weight of surging prices. Yet prices are still rising fast enough to keep the Federal Reserve on track to raise interest rates at least once more,...
EPA pollution limits aim to boost U.S. electric vehicle sales
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is proposing strict new automobile pollution limits that would require as many as two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032, a nearly tenfold increase over current electric vehicle sales. The proposed regulation, announced Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Agency,...
Expelled Black lawmaker Justin Pearson to return to Tennessee HouseVideo
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The second of two Black Democrats expelled from the Republican-led Tennessee House will return to the Legislature after a Memphis commission voted to reinstate him Wednesday, nearly a week after his banishment for supporting gun control protesters propelled him into the national spotlight. Hundreds of supporters marched...
Buffett says people shouldn’t worry about Berkshire, banks
OMAHA, Neb. — Billionaire Warren Buffett assured investors Wednesday that Berkshire Hathaway will be fine when he’s no longer around to lead the conglomerate. Buffett said shareholders shouldn’t worry about the future of the company after Vice Chairman Greg Abel takes over because he will do a great job and...
Robotic dog rejoins New York police
NEW YORK — New York City officials unveiled three new high-tech policing devices Tuesday, including a robotic dog that critics called creepy when it first joined the police pack 2½ years ago. The new devices, which also include a GPS tracker for stolen cars and a cone-shaped security robot, will...

