Associated Press stories, Page 770
2 attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels strike container ships in vital Red Sea corridor
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels slammed into a cargo ship Friday in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, following another attack only hours earlier that struck a separate vessel, authorities said. The missile attack on the MSC Palatium III...
EU struggles to unify around a Gaza cease-fire call but work on peace moves continues
BRUSSELS — As the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to mount, a number of European Union leaders sought on Friday to use growing concern about Israel’s military offensive against Hamas to convince their partners to rally around a united call for a ceasefire. “The killing of innocent civilians really...
Raiders set franchise scoring record in rout of hapless Chargers
LAS VEGAS — Four days after losing 3-0, the Las Vegas Raiders scored 42 points by halftime, didn’t let the Los Angeles Chargers cross midfield until the third quarter and rolled to a record-setting 63-21 victory on Thursday night. The Raiders set a franchise scoring record, topping the team’s 59-14...
Ravens, Jaguars square off in matchup of AFC division leaders
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t fared very well against the NFL’s elite defenses this season. They’re 0-3 against Cleveland (ranked first), San Francisco (seventh) and Kansas City (sixth), and they’ve failed to top 300 yards against any of them. It’s a hurdle the Jaguars (8-5) need to overcome...
Myles Garrett, Browns continue playoff chase with home game against Bears
CLEVELAND — Two years ago, Justin Fields made his NFL start on the road. It was far more miserable than memorable. Blame Myles Garrett. Chicago’s quarterback remembers nearly everything about his first game with the Bears in 2021 — the excitement, playing again in Ohio, the bruises. “And then of...
Bengals will try to stay in playoff picture vs. Vikings in matchup of 7-6 teams
CINCINNATI — The winner of Saturday’s game between the Vikings and Bengals will stay in the crowded playoff picture — at least for now. The loser could be in trouble. The matchup of the 7-6 teams — both relying on backup quarterbacks to get them to the playoffs — is...
U.S., Israel discuss when to scale back Gaza combat, agree fight will take months, envoy says
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The U.S. and Israel have discussed a timetable for scaling back intense combat operations in the war against Hamas, even though they agree the overall fight will take months, an envoy said Friday, amid growing American unease about the mounting death toll in Gaza. U.S. national...
Man, daughter find remains of what could be a ship that ran aground during Peshtigo Fire in 1800s
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Wisconsin archaeologists are crediting a man and daughter with discovering the remains of what could be a ship that ran aground during the deadly Peshtigo Fire more than 150 years ago. Tim Wollak and his 6-year-old daughter, Henley, of Peshtigo, were fishing on Lake Michigan in...
Jurors deciding how much Rudy Giuliani must pay for lies in a Georgia election workers’ case
WASHINGTON — Jurors began deliberating Thursday to decide how much Rudy Giuliani must pay two former Georgia election workers for spreading lies about them that led to a barrage of racist threats and upended their lives. The jury left for the day without announcing a decision and were expected to...
Shohei Ohtani dodges Tommy John questions in 1st Dodgers news conference
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani opened his first news conference with the Los Angeles Dodgers by dodging questions about whether he had a second Tommy John surgery. “It was a procedure. I’m not sure what it was called,” Ohtani said Thursday. Speaking to media for the first time since Aug....
Former Michigan GOP spokesperson testifies fake elector defendants were misled
A former communications director for the Michigan GOP testified Thursday that he believes an attorney for then-President Donald Trump’s campaign “took advantage” of some of the 15 Republicans who face forgery and another charges for allegedly serving as false electors. Anthony Zammit testified during the second day of a preliminary...
Pennsylvania passes laws to overhaul probation system, allow courts to seal more criminal records
HARRISBURG — More criminal records in Pennsylvania can be sealed from public view and fewer people might be kept on probation or in county jails, under legislation signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro on Thursday. Both bills passed the House and Senate with large majorities Wednesday amid a flurry of end-of-year...
Students treated after eating gummies from bag with fentanyl residue, sheriff’s office says
AMHERST, Va. — A group of Virginia elementary school students sought medical attention this week after eating gummy bears from a bag that contained residue that tested positive for fentanyl, according to the county sheriff’s office. Seven students at Central Elementary School experienced a reaction after eating the gummy bears...
QB Joe Flacco signs 1-year, $4.05M deal with Browns
BEREA, Ohio — Joe Flacco is officially signed and sealed with Cleveland. He has already delivered. Flacco got a one-year, $4.05 million contract — loaded with incentives — on Thursday from the Browns, who brought in the veteran quarterback last month while in emergency mode after losing starter Deshaun Watson...
Against the odds, European Union agrees to open membership negotiations with Ukraine
BRUSSELS — The European Union decided Thursday to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, a momentous moment and stunning reversal for a country at war that had struggled to find the backing for its membership aspirations and long faced obstinate opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. European Council President Charles...
Ohio boy, 13, charged after allegedly planning mass shooting in a synagogue
CANTON, Ohio — A 13-year old boy from Canton, Ohio, has been charged with allegedly planning a mass shooting of a local Jewish synagogue. The teenager, who is unnamed in court documents because he is a minor, is charged with inducing panic and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. He’s accused of...
Pennsylvania House back to a 101-101 partisan divide with the resignation of a Democratic lawmaker
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is back to a 101-101 partisan split with the resignation of a Democratic lawmaker Thursday, teeing up another special election to determine the chamber’s majority early next year. The resignation of Rep. John Galloway, of Bucks County, had been expected for months after...
Men charged with killing 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles, to sell on black market
Two men killed about 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles, during a “killing spree” on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere, then sold eagle parts on a black market that has been a long-running problem for U.S. wildlife officials, a federal grand jury indictment says. The men worked with...
EPA begins formal review of vinyl chloride, toxic chemical that burned in Ohio train derailment
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has initiated a formal evaluation of risks posed by vinyl chloride, the cancer-causing chemical that burned in a towering plume of toxic black smoke following a fiery train derailment earlier this year in eastern Ohio. The Environmental Protection Agency said it will review risks posed...
The Republican leading the probe of Hunter Biden has his own shell company and complicated friends
WASHINGTON — Rep. James Comer boasts of being one of the largest landholders near his rural Kentucky hometown, and he has meticulously documented nearly all of his holdings on congressional financial disclosure documents — roughly 1,600 acres in all. But there are 6 acres that he bought in 2015 and...
Bull on tracks disrupts trains between Newark and New YorkVideo
NEWARK, N.J. — A loose bull in New Jersey’s largest city found its way onto train tracks, snarling rail traffic for a while Thursday before it was captured, authorities said. The ruddy brown bull with long, dark-tipped horns stood on the tracks at Newark Penn Station, prompting a police response...
Ex-FBI counterintelligence official gets over 4 years in prison for aiding Russian oligarch
NEW YORK — A former top FBI counterintelligence official was ordered Thursday to spend over four years in prison for violating sanctions on Russia by going to work for a Russian oligarch seeking dirt on a wealthy rival after he finished his government career. Charles McGonigal, 55, was sentenced to...
Retail sales rise 0.3% in November as Americans hit gas rather than brakes on spending
NEW YORK — Americans picked up their spending from October to November unexpectedly as the unofficial holiday season kicked off, underscoring the power of shoppers despite elevated prices. Retail sales rose 0.3%, in November from October, when sales were down a revised 0.2% according to the Commerce Department on Thursday....
Dak Prescott, Maxx Crosby, Khalil Mack among 8 finalists for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award
NEW YORK — Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Los Angeles Chargers three-time All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack and Las Vegas Raiders two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby are among the eight finalists for the ninth annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. Each NFL team nominated one of its players for...
Amazon won’t have to pay hundreds of millions in back taxes after winning EU case
LONDON — Amazon won’t have to pay about 250 million euros ($273 million) in back taxes after European Union judges ruled in favor of the U.S. e-commerce giant Thursday, dealing a defeat to the 27-nation bloc in its efforts to tackle corporate tax avoidance. The ruling by the EU’s top...
