Associated Press stories, Page 2288
Trump expected to tap loyalist Richard Grenell as intel officialVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany, will become acting director of national intelligence, a move that puts a staunch Trump ally in charge of the nation’s 17 spy agencies, which the president has only tepidly embraced. “Rick has represented our...
Court: Florida can’t bar felons from vote over fines, fees
TALLAHASSEE — Florida cannot, for now, bar felons who served their time from registering to vote simply because they have failed to pay all fines and fees stemming from their cases, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a...
Padres beef up bullpen with Drew Pomeranz, Emilio PaganVideo
PEORIA, Ariz. — The San Diego Padres are not taking their long tradition of bullpen excellence for granted this season. Newcomers Drew Pomeranz and Emilio Pagan were added to join defending major league saves leader Kirby Yates and reigning NL holds leader Craig Stammen after Padres’ relievers had an uncharacteristic...
Wilder-Fury II a fight so big it takes 2 TV networks to showVideo
LAS VEGAS — To hear the fighters talk, the heavyweight title fight Saturday night between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury is so big it took two TV networks to make it happen. That’s only partially true, though it might be forgiven. This is boxing, after all, and a bit of...
Lawyer: Julian Assange was offered U.S. pardon if he cleared Russia of link to hacking
LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange plans to claim during an extradition hearing that the Trump administration offered him a pardon if he agreed to say Russia was not involved in leaking Democratic National Committee emails during the 2016 U.S. election campaign, a lawyer for Assange said Wednesday. Assange is...
IRS to pay visits to high-income taxpayers who fail to fileVideo
If you earn six figures and haven’t been filing your taxes, the IRS may come knocking. The agency said Wednesday that it is stepping up its efforts to visit high-income taxpayers who failed in prior years to file their tax returns on time. Revenue officers across the country will increase...
Ryan Newman released from hospital after Daytona 500 crashVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ryan Newman was released from a Florida hospital on Wednesday, two days after his frightening crash on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Roush Fenway Racing released a photo of Newman leaving a Daytona Beach hospital holding the hands of his two young daughters. The announcement...
Another Catholic diocese seeks bankruptcy after abuse deals
HARRISBURG — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, six months after disclosing it had paid millions of dollars to people sexually abused as children by its clerics. The diocese joins at least 20 others across the United States in seeking protection from creditors through the...
First lady Melania Trump honored by Christian college
PALM BEACH, Fla. — First lady Melania Trump touted her “Be Best” program and the Trump administration’s battle against the opioid crisis as she accept an award Wednesday from a Florida Christian college. The first lady told the 550 attendees at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s “Women of Distinction” luncheon that...
Jerry Sandusky prosecutor and former Penn State lawyer disciplined
HARRISBURG — A lawyer who led the child molestation investigation and prosecution of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky lost his law license for a year Wednesday over his handling of a grand jury witness in the case, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled. The justices issued a 5-1...
Father sues airline over boy’s sexual assault during layover
ORLANDO, Fla. — A man in Florida is suing one of Latin America’s largest airlines, claiming his 6-year-old son was sexually assaulted by an airline employee while traveling as an unaccompanied minor from Brazil to the United States. The father filed the negligence lawsuit Monday against LATAM Airlines in federal...
GM gets tax break for new plant in Lordstown next to factory it closed
LORDSTOWN, Ohio — General Motors Co. will receive a tax break to build a new electric battery cell factory in Ohio next to the site of a much larger assembly plant it shut down last year. Village leaders in Lordstown approved a 75% tax abatement that will extend over 15...
U.S. medical schools boost LGBTQ students, doctor training
Aliya Feroe recalls the flustered OB-GYN who referred her to another physician after learning she identified as queer. For Rhi Ledgerwood, who was designated female at birth, identifies as trans and doesn’t have sex with men, it was a doctor advising about condoms and pregnancy prevention. For Tim Keyes, who...
Agency ordered to pay fees in ‘IM GOD’ license plate case in Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has to pay more than $150,000 in legal fees for a man who won a lawsuit allowing him to put “IM GOD” on his license plate. A judge ruled this week that the state agency must pay $150,715.50 in attorneys’ fees and an...
3 charged after 11-year-old gives birth in Missouri bathtub
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Three relatives of an 11-year-old girl who gave birth in the bathtub of her suburban St. Louis home are facing criminal charges. An adult female and adult male are charged with child endangerment. A 17-year-old male is charged with incest as well as statutory rape and...
Burger King risks it with moldy Whopper ad campaignVideo
Burger King is breaking the mold in its new advertising campaign. The burger chain is portraying its Whopper covered in mold in print and TV ads running in Europe and the United States. The message: Burger King is removing artificial preservatives from its signature burger. The company, already known for...
Reports: Rapper Pop Smoke slain in Hollywood Hills shooting
LOS ANGELES — An up-and-coming rapper known as Pop Smoke was fatally shot during a break-in early Wednesday at a Hollywood Hills home, his label said. “We are devastated by the unexpected and tragic loss of Pop Smoke,” Republic Records said in a statement. “Our prayers and thoughts go out...
5 questions for next Democratic debate, Mike Bloomberg’s 1st
LAS VEGAS — There’s a new kid in town for the ninth Democratic debate, Mike Bloomberg, the self-funding billionaire presidential candidate. Five questions ahead of the faceoff Wednesday night in Las Vegas: How does Bloomberg stack up? No candidate has the potential to upend the race for the Democratic presidential...
Pa. mail carrier sues U.S. Postal Service over Sunday work shifts
LANCASTER, Pa. — A former Pennsylvania mail carrier says the U.S. Postal Service violated his rights by requiring him to work Sundays. Gerald Groff, who says he is an evangelical Christian, filed a lawsuit Friday against the federal agency, claiming he was let go from his position after refusing to...
AP source: Barr tells people he might quit over Trump tweets
WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr has told people close to him he’s considering quitting his post after President Donald Trump wouldn’t heed his warning to stop tweeting about Justice Department cases, an administration official told The Associated Press. The revelation came days after Barr took a public swipe at...
Pitt struggles at No. 8 Florida State, loses for 6th time in 8 games
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Patrick Williams scored 16 points, Anthony Polite had 10 points and six rebounds and No. 8 Florida State pulled away in the second half, beating Pitt, 82-67, on Tuesday night. Williams, a freshman forward, scored in double figures for the 10th time this season as the Seminoles...
Bob Huggins ties Dean Smith on wins list as No. 17 West Virginia beats Oklahoma StateVideo
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Miles McBride had 11 points in his first start, Sean McNeil also scored 11 and No. 17 West Virginia took over early in the second half to beat Oklahoma State, 65-47, on Tuesday night, giving coach Bob Huggins another milestone win. Huggins earned his 879th career victory...
DOJ taps U.S. attorneys to coordinate Ukraine investigations
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has appointed U.S. attorneys in New York and Pennsylvania to coordinate federal investigations into Ukraine-related matters, including new information collected by President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. In a letter sent Tuesday to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and obtained by The Associated...
Penn State’s 8-game winning streak snapped in loss to IllinoisVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK — Ayo Dosunmu scored 24 points, and Illinois snapped a four-game losing streak with a 62-56 victory over No. 9 Penn State on Tuesday night. Kofi Cockburn added 14 points for the Fighting Illini (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten), who led most of the way and ended Penn State’s...
Tennessee House Republicans advance ‘fake news’ resolution
NASHVILLE — A small group of Tennessee lawmakers advanced a proposal for a non-binding resolution Tuesday stating that the state recognizes CNN and The Washington Post as “fake news.” Republican Rep. Micah Van Huss, the sponsor, said the measure is needed because his constituents are “tired of these elitists in...
