Associated Press stories, Page 791
FBI ends investigation of car wreck at Niagara Falls bridge, no indication of terrorism
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The FBI has ended its investigation of a fiery car wreck that killed two people at a border checkpoint in Niagara Falls after finding no evidence that it was a terror attack, easing a period of high tensions as Americans headed into the Thanksgiving holiday. The...
Quarterback Drew Allar expected to play when No. 11 Penn State faces Michigan State
DETROIT — Quarterback Drew Allar is expected to be ready, and backup Beau Pribula will be part of the game plan Friday when No. 11 Penn State visits Michigan State in the regular-season finale at Ford Field in Detroit. Allar was knocked out of the game against Rutgers early in...
Ryan Dunn, Reece Beekman power No. 24 Virginia past West Virginia at Fort Myers Tip-Off
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Ryan Dunn scored 13 points and grabbed a rebound off teammate Reece Beekman’s missed free throw with 2.3 seconds left to secure No. 24 Virginia’s 56-54 victory over West Virginia in the third-place game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Wednesday night. Beekman hit the first...
Hezbollah fires rockets at north Israel after an airstrike kills 5 of the group’s senior fighters
BEIRUT — The militant Hezbollah group fired more than 50 rockets at military posts in northern Israel on Thursday, a day after an Israeli airstrike on a home in southern Lebanon killed five of the group’s senior fighters. The waves of rockets sent over the border represented one of the...
Retailers offer big deals for Black Friday, but will shoppers spend?
NEW YORK — Expect big discounts and other enticements to lure shoppers to stores for Black Friday. But retailers worry those may not be enough. Consumers are coming under pressure as their savings dwindle and their credit card debt grows. And although they have gotten some relief from easing inflation,...
Qatar says Gaza cease-fire will begin at 7 a.m. Friday, with aid to follow ‘as soon as possible’
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Qatar said Thursday that a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war will begin at 7 a.m. Friday, with aid “going in as soon as possible.” Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, made the announcement in a news conference in Doha, Qatar. The cease-fire had...
OxyContin maker’s settlement plan divides victims of opioid crisis. Now it’s up to the Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — The agreement by the maker of OxyContin to settle thousands of lawsuits over the harm done by opioids could help combat the overdose epidemic that the painkiller triggered. But that does not mean all the victims are satisfied. In exchange for giving up ownership of drug manufacturer Purdue...
More Americans are expected to ‘buy now, pay later’ for the holidays. Analysts see a growing risk
NEW YORK — Consumers are expected to use “buy now, pay later” payment plans heavily this holiday season, a forecast that bodes well for retailers but that has credit experts again sounding alarm bells. The short-term loans often come with consumer-friendly interest rates and allow shoppers to make an initial...
U.S. unemployment claims drop by 24,000 to 209,000, another sign of labor market resiliency
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week, a sign that U.S. job market remains resilient despite higher interest rates. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that jobless claims dropped by 24,000 to 209,000. The previous week’s total — 233,000 — had been the highest...
Walmart shooter who injured 4 in Ohio may have been motivated by racial extremism, FBI says
A white gunman who opened fire inside a Walmart in Ohio and wounded four people before killing himself may have been motivated by racist extremism, the FBI said Wednesday. Four shoppers — two Black women, a white woman and a white man — were wounded in the attack at the...
Police say some 70 bullets fired in North Philadelphia shooting that left 2 dead, 5 woundedVideo
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia police investigation into the shooting of seven men, including two who died, continued Wednesday but authorities said no arrests have been made. Several guns were recovered from the scene and police said at least 70 rounds were fired around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, leaving bullet holes in...
U.S. egg producers conspired to fix prices from 2004 to 2008, a federal jury ruled
INDIANAPOLIS — An Illinois jury ruled this week that several major egg producers conspired to limit the U.S.’s supply of eggs in order to raise prices in a case stemming from a federal lawsuit originally filed 12 years ago. Several large food manufacturing companies including Kraft Foods Global, Inc. and...
Sign-stealing accusations ramp up bitterness in Michigan-Ohio State rivalry
The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry has always been a bubbling cauldron of antagonism, bitterness and dislike — maybe even hate. The Game’s iconic and enduring moments include but certainly are not limited to Ohio State pulling down Michigan’s beloved “Go Blue” banner in 1973, a shoving match between David Boston and...
Automatic pay raise pays dividends, again, for top state officials in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania law that delivers automatic pay raises for state officials will pay dividends next year for lawmakers, judges and top executive branch officials. The law will give more than 1,300 officials — including Gov. Josh Shapiro, 253 lawmakers and seven state Supreme Court justices — a...
Fiery crash kills 2 at Niagara Falls’ Rainbow border bridge. Officials say no sign of terrorismVideo
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A vehicle speeding toward a U.S.-Canada bridge from the American side crashed and exploded at a checkpoint in Niagara Falls on Wednesday, killing two people and prompting the closing of multiple border crossings for hours. Authorities weren’t sure what spurred the wreck but said there were...
Susan Sarandon dropped from Hollywood company after comments on Israel-Hamas war
NEW YORK — Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and “Scream” star Melissa Barrera were each dropped by Hollywood companies after making comments on the Israel-Hamas war that some deemed antisemitic. Spyglass Media Group, the production company behind the upcoming “Scream VII,” acknowledged Barrera’s exit from the horror franchise. “The Mexican-born actress,...
LIV Golf to play in Las Vegas during Super Bowl week
LIV Golf released a 2024 schedule on Wednesday that includes a trip to Las Vegas the same weekend as the Super Bowl and three U.S. events held the same week as the PGA Tour’s signature $20 million stops. The Saudi-funded league announced 12 sites on its 14-tournament schedule, leaving out...
Pope meets relatives of Israeli hostages and Palestinians in Gaza and sets off firestorm over words
Pope Francis met separately Wednesday with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians living through the war and set off a firestorm by using words that Vatican diplomats usually avoid: “terrorism” and, according to the Palestinians, “genocide.” Francis spoke about the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians after his...
Wall Street gains ground, led by travel-related companies
NEW YORK — Stocks rose on Wall Street Wednesday, led by big gains in travel-related companies as energy prices drop. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% and remains on track for a modest gain in a holiday-shortened week ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. The Dow Jones Industrial Average...
NBA, NHL and MLB unveil a 30-second ad promoting responsible sports bettingVideo
NEW YORK — The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball have joined forces to produce a 30-second ad promoting responsible sports betting. The “Never Know What’s Next” commercial unveiled Tuesday is a coordination of the three leagues, sportsbook operators DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, PENN Entertainment and the National Council on Problem...
Democrats who swept Moms For Liberty off school board fight superintendent’s $700,000 exit deal
PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania school board that banned books, Pride flags and transgender athletes slipped a last-minute item into their final meeting before leaving office, hastily awarding a $700,000 exit package to the superintendent who supported their agenda. But the Democratic majority that swept the conservative Moms For Liberty slate...
NFL disability program leaves retired Saints tight end hurting and angryVideo
Boo Williams wakes up each morning not knowing how the pain will hit. It could be debilitating headaches that make it impossible to get out of bed. Sometimes the pain shoots down his neck. Through all of it, he’s angry. Williams, who played tight end for the Saints from 2001-05,...
Turkey rules the table. But a poll finds disagreement over other Thanksgiving classics
Thanksgiving may be a time for Americans to come together, but opinion is divided over what’s on the crowded dinner table. We mostly agree on the deliciousness of pumpkin pie, say, but are split over the eternal turkey question of dark meat versus white meat. And don’t even ask if...
Biden’s plan would raise salaries for Head Start teachers but could leave fewer spots for kids
WASHINGTON — A new plan from the Biden administration could significantly increase salaries for thousands of low-paid early childhood teachers caring for the country’s poorest children but might force some centers to reduce their enrollment. The Health and Human Services agency’s proposed federal rule would require Head Start programs, which...
If you haven’t started your Thanksgiving trip, you’re not alone. The busiest days are still to come
The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive to Thanksgiving celebrations. Airline officials say they are confident that they can avoid the kind of massive disruptions that have marred past holiday...

