Associated Press stories, Page 618
Federal judge temporarily halts Biden plan to lower credit card late fees to $8
LOS ANGELES — A federal judge in Texas temporarily halted a plan by the Biden administration to lower late fees on credit cards to $8 that was slated to go into effect next week. The temporary nationwide injunction imposed by Judge Mark Pittman in the Northern District of Texas is...
Billy Graham statue for U.S. Capitol to be unveiled next week
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A statue of the late Rev. Billy Graham set to stand inside the U.S. Capitol to represent North Carolina will be unveiled next week in a ceremony. House Speaker Mike Johnson, other congressional members and the family of the Charlotte-born evangelist are expected to attend unveiling of...
Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. says he’s ‘super blessed’ to learn from Kirk Cousins
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Michael Penix Jr. insists he’ll have no difficulty adjusting to his role as the backup to new Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. Before taking the field Friday for rookie minicamp, Penix was greeted by Cousins at the team’s practice facility. Others have speculated there could...
WABC Radio suspends Rudy Giuliani for flouting ban on discussing discredited 2020 election claims
NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani was suspended Friday from WABC Radio and his daily show was canceled over what the station called his repeated violation of a ban on discussing discredited 2020 election claims. Giuliani said the station’s ban is overly broad and “a clear violation of free speech.” Giuliani...
Bears coach Matt Eberflus says top pick Caleb Williams will open season as No. 1 QB
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Caleb Williams is the Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback. Just in case there was a shred of doubt the No. 1 overall draft pick is the team’s No. 1 QB, coach Matt Eberflus erased it on Friday. “No conversation. He’s the starter,” he said. Eberflus’ comment was...
49ers counting on new defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers’ experiment of bringing in a defensive coordinator from the outside didn’t work out, with the team firing Steve Wilks after just one season. Now they’re counting on the internal promotion of Nick Sorensen into that role — with a dose of outside...
Civil War General William T. Sherman’s sword, other relics to be auctioned in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Bidders will fight with their dollars next week at an Ohio auction house for the sword of the Civil War Union general who led a scorched-earth campaign across Georgia and coined the phrase, “War is hell.” General William Tecumseh Sherman’s wartime sword, likely used between 1861 and...
Man pleads guilty in theft of bronze Jackie Robinson statue from Kansas park
WICHITA, Kan. — A 45-year-old man has pleaded guilty in the theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue that was cut off at the ankles and found days later smoldering in a trash can in a city park in Kansas. Ricky Alderete entered the plea during his arraignment Thursday. A...
Xander Schauffele shoots 67, leads by 4 over Rory McIlroy, Jason Day at Wells Fargo ChampionshipVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Xander Schauffele has been a mainstay near the top of the leaderboard most of the year. Now he’s hoping to close the door. Schauffele shot a 4-under-par 67 on Friday after opening with a 64, leaving him at 11-under 131 and four shots ahead of Rory McIlroy...
Michigan’s Edwards, Texas’ Ewers, Colorado’s Hunter among 6 on college football video game cover
Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter are among the six players displayed on the cover of EA Sports College Football 25, which is set to return after being discontinued 11 years ago. The cover for the deluxe edition of the popular...
U.S. to impose tariffs on EVs, other Chinese green energy imports, sources say
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration plans to impose major new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the plan. Tariffs on electric vehicles, in particular, could quadruple — from 25% to 100%. The plan...
U.S. says Israel’s use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence incomplete
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Friday that Israel’s use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law, but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes. The administration’s finding of “reasonable” evidence to conclude its ally breached international law in its conduct...
U.S. announces new $400 million package of weapons for Ukraine to try to hold off Russian advances
WASHINGTON — The U.S. announced a new $400 million package of military aid for Ukraine on Friday, as Kyiv struggles to hold off advances by Russian troops in the northeast Kharkiv region. This is the third tranche of aid for Ukraine since Congress passed supplemental funding in late April after...
Missouri State moves up to Conference USA in 2025 from FCS, becoming 12th football member
Missouri State will move up to the highest tier of Division I college football and join Conference USA in 2025, the league announced Friday. Missouri State will become the 12th full member of CUSA and the third school to move up from the Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision and...
Third week of testimony in Trump’s hush money trial draws to a close, with Michael Cohen yet to come
NEW YORK — In the wake of salacious testimony from porn actor Stormy Daniels, prosecutors in Donald Trump’s hush money trial narrowed their focus to checks and phone records Friday as they laid the groundwork for jurors to hear from their star witness: Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney. With the...
Target to reduce number of stores carrying Pride-themed merchandise after last year’s backlash
NEW YORK — Target confirmed Friday that it won’t carry Pride Month merchandise at all stories this spring after the discount retailer experienced backlash and lower sales over its collection honoring LGBTQ+ communities. Target, which operates roughly 2,000 stores, said decisions about where to stock Pride-themed products, including adult apparel,...
U.S. consumer sentiment drops to 6-month low on inflation, unemployment fears
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer sentiment fell sharply in May to the lowest level in six months as Americans cited stubbornly high inflation and interest rates, as well as fears that unemployment could rise. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index, released Friday in a preliminary version, dropped to 67.4 this...
Biden White House highlights a coming showdown with GOP over 2017 tax cuts that are due to expire
WASHINGTON — The winner of November’s presidential election will face an epic challenge next year with the coming expiration of nearly $4 trillion in tax cuts — an issue that the Biden White House is highlighting in the runup to November. Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic...
Biden administration won’t conclude Israel violated terms of U.S. weapons agreement, AP sources say
WASHINGTON — A soon-to-be released Biden administration report does not conclude that Israel has violated the terms for its use of U.S. weapons, according three people who have been briefed on the matter. The report is expected to be sharply critical of Israel even though it didn’t conclude that Israel...
Technology crushing human creativity? Apple’s new iPad ad has struck a nerve onlineVideo
NEW YORK — A newly released ad promoting Apple’s new iPad Pro has struck quite a nerve online. The ad, which was released by the tech giant Tuesday, shows a hydraulic press crushing just about every creative instrument artists and consumers have used over the years — from a piano...
Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber are expecting a baby, renew their vows
NEW YORK — Cue up his 2010 megahit “Baby.” Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber (nee Baldwin) are expecting their first child together — and have renewed their vows. A representative for Hailey Bieber confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that the model is just over six months pregnant. The...
Education board in Virginia votes to restore Confederate names to 2 schools
WOODSTOCK, Va. — A Virginia school board voted Friday to restore the names of Confederate military leaders to a high school and an elementary school, four years after the names had been removed. Shenandoah County’s school board voted 5-1 to rename Mountain View High School as Stonewall Jackson High School,...
Scottie Scheffler takes aim at another major at Valhalla course favorable to No. 1
Only 31 days separate that moment from when Scottie Scheffler slipped on the Masters green jacket to when the world’s No. 1 player embarks on the second leg of the Grand Slam at the PGA Championship. And yet it seems so much has transpired in such a short period of...
One man was a Capitol Police officer. The other rioted on Jan. 6. They’re both running for Congress
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — For Derrick Evans, being part of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol wasn’t enough. The former West Virginia lawmaker wants to make his path to the halls of Congress permanent. On the other side of the metal barricades that day, Police Officer Harry Dunn couldn’t stand...
WNBA set to tip off with spotlight on rookie class led by Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Aces’ quest for 3-peat
While conversations about the WNBA’s growth may start with Caitlin Clark, any talk about the 2024 championship begins with the star-studded Las Vegas Aces led by A’ja Wilson and their quest to three-peat. The Aces have been dominant on the court the past two seasons, becoming the first team to...
