Associated Press stories, Page 239
Top vaccine official resigns from FDA, criticizes RFK Jr. for promoting ‘misinformation and lies’
WASHINGTON — The top vaccine official with the Food and Drug Administration has resigned and criticized the nation’s top health official for allowing “misinformation and lies” to guide his thinking behind the safety of vaccinations. Dr. Peter Marks sent a letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner on Friday saying...
Trump increasingly asks the Supreme Court to overrule judges blocking key parts of his agenda
WASHINGTON — As losses mount in lower federal courts, President Donald Trump has returned to a tactic that he employed at the Supreme Court with remarkable success in his first term. Three times in the past week, and six since Trump took office a little more than two months ago,...
Tennessee’s Jordan Gainey is a sixth man in name only. His coach and teammates consider him a starVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — When the public address announcer turns to Tennessee’s starting lineup during pregame introductions on the road, the team stays in its huddle while the five names are read rather than have the starters step onto the court individually. The Volunteers don’t mean to be rude. They just consider...
Wood Brothers Racing makes triumphant return to MartinsvilleVideo
Wood Brothers Racing returned to a spirited welcome this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. The pedestrian tunnel leading into the infield and garage area was lined with two dozen life-size images saluting the longtime connection between NASCAR’s oldest track and its oldest team. “Seeing all the photos in the tunnel walking...
Doctor cites the pope’s ‘surprising improvement’ after surviving life-threatening crises
ROME — Pope Francis has shown ”a truly surprising improvement” since returning to the Vatican to convalesce after surviving a life-threatening bout with double-pneumonia, the doctor who coordinated the pontiff’s five-week hospitalization said Saturday. “I find him very lively,” Dr. Sergio Alfieri said, after visiting the pope at his apartment...
Steph Curry scores a 3-book deal, starting with a “personal reflection” on his life and career
NEW YORK — Steph Curry has a deal with a Random House Publishing Group imprint that you could call a 3-point play. The NBA superstar has agreed to release three books through One World, beginning Sept. 9 with “Shot Ready,” which Curry is calling a “personal reflection” on his life...
Wisconsin judge won’t stop Musk’s $1 million payments to voters. Attorney general appeals
MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge on Saturday declined to stop billionaire Elon Musk from handing over $1 million checks to two voters in the state at a planned rally days before the closely contested Supreme Court election. The state attorney general, who argues that the offer violates the law,...
Houston scores in final second to fend off Purdue in Sweet 16
INDIANAPOLIS — Milos Uzan soared for an uncontested layup on a beautifully executed inbound play with 0.9 seconds left, and No. 1 seed Houston survived a late collapse to beat fourth-seeded Purdue, 62-60, on Friday night in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Houston led 56-46 with just under...
Top-seeded Auburn comes alive in 2nd half to beat Michigan, move into Elite 8
ATLANTA — With Auburn’s season on the brink, Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones suddenly became unstoppable. On to the Elite Eight for the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Pettitford and Jones scored 20 points apiece to lead a second-half barrage that rallied the Tigers to a 78-65 victory...
Tennessee heading back to Elite Eight as defense clamps down on Kentucky
INDIANAPOLIS — Zakai Zeigler had 18 points and 10 assists, and Tennessee outhustled and outplayed Kentucky on both ends of the court in a 78-65 victory Friday night that sent the Volunteers to a second consecutive Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The second-seeded Vols (30-7) beat their border rival...
Michigan State’s 2nd-half rally sends Spartans past Ole Miss
ATLANTA — Jace Richardson scored 24 points, and Michigan State surged past Mississippi in the second half for a 73-70 victory Friday night in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Ole Miss (24-12) was denied in its bid for its first Elite Eight appearance despite leading by 10 points in the...
U.S. Naval Academy ends affirmative action in admissions
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The U.S. Naval Academy will no longer consider race, ethnicity or sex as a factor for admission to the service institution, a response to an executive order by President Donald Trump, according to federal court documents made public Friday. The change in policy was made in February...
Ravens extend coach John Harbaugh by 3 years, taking him through 2028 season
OWING MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens extended coach John Harbaugh’s contract by three years, taking him through the 2028 season. The 62-year-old Harbaugh is the Ravens’ all-time winningest coach with a 172-104 record over 17 seasons, not including going 13-11 in the playoffs. He is the second-longest tenured active...
3s, wide-open offense take center stage when Duke faces Alabama for a trip to the Final Four
NEWARK, N.J. — When Alabama faces Duke for a trip to the Final Four on Saturday, hoops fans will witness what some say is the future of college basketball, what others call a byproduct of nobody putting up a good enough fight on defense or some combination of both. The...
Deion Sanders’ contract at Colorado extended through the 2029 season
Colorado coach Deion Sanders has received a contract extension through the 2029 season after turning around a downtrodden program in just two seasons. The school said the extension increases Sanders’ yearly base salary to $10 million this year, making him the highest-paid football coach in the Big 12. The deal...
March Maddening? Timing of transfer portal opening can be tough on coaches still in the tourney
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Coaches still playing in the NCAA Tournament are having to split their time between preparing their teams for the Sweet 16 and talking to potential transfers who have entered the portal. Such is life in college basketball. Dawn Staley is one of those coaches, and she said...
Vance and wife tour U.S. military base in Greenland after diplomatic spat over uninvited visit
NUUK, Greenland — Vice President JD Vance, his wife and other senior U.S. officials visited an American military base in Greenland on Friday in a trip that was scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were irked that the original itinerary was planned without consulting them. The...
2nd South Carolina death row inmate chooses execution by firing squad
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina death row inmate on Friday chose execution by firing squad, just five weeks after the state carried out its first death by bullets. Mikal Mahdi, who pleaded guilty to murder for killing a police officer in 2004, is scheduled to be executed April 11....
Noted economist honored by Trump warns that 25% tariffs risk ‘irreparable damage’ to U.S. automakers
WASHINGTON — Noted economist Arthur Laffer warns in a new analysis that President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on auto imports could add $4,711 to the cost of a vehicle and says the proposed taxes could weaken the ability of U.S. automakers to compete with their foreign counterparts. In the 21-page...
Fewer Americans now see Canada as a close U.S. ally as Trump strains a longtime partnership
WASHINGTON — Americans are less likely to see Canada and the U.S. as close allies than they were two years ago, the latest indication that President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and talk of taking over a neighboring ally are souring a critical economic and military relationship. The U.S. shift in...
2 law firms targeted by Trump sue over executive orders that sought to punish them
WASHINGTON — Two prominent law firms targeted by the White House sued Friday over virtually identical executive orders, pushing back over edicts meant to punish them over their association with attorneys who have previously investigated President Donald Trump. The federal complaints filed by Jenner & Block and WilmerHale urge judges...
More journalists detained by Turkey in dawn raids after covering anti-government protests
ISTANBUL — Two journalists were detained in dawn raids in Istanbul early Friday as part of a crackdown on media workers covering Turkey’s largest protests in more than a decade, their outlets reported. Elif Bayburt, who works for the Etkin News Agency, and Nisa Suda Demirel, from the Evrensel news...
Alex Ovechkin leads entire Capitals team in tribute to Wild’s Marc-Andre Fleury with special postgame handshake line
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Alex Ovechkin didn’t score for Washington, staying at 889 career goals and six away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. Ovechkin did initiate a memorable moment on the ice in Minnesota on Thursday night, though. The three-time NHL MVP, who has been in the spotlight for...
U.S. inflation remained elevated in February as consumer spending rose slightly
WASHINGTON — An inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve remained high in February even before the impact of most tariffs has been felt. Americans’ spending increased after a steep fall last month but remained weak, suggesting consumers have turned more cautious this year. Friday’s report from the Commerce...
Musk deletes post promising he’d go to Wisconsin to deliver $2 million to Supreme Court race voters
MADISON, Wis. — Billionaire Elon Musk on Friday deleted a social media post in which he had announced plans to hold a rally in Wisconsin to “personally hand over” $2 million to a pair of voters who have already cast their ballots in the state’s hotly contested Supreme Court race....
