Associated Press stories, Page 811
House approves $14.5 billion in assistance for Israel as Biden vows to veto the GOP’s approach
WASHINGTON — The House approved $14.5 billion in military aid Thursday for Israel, a muscular U.S. response to the war with Hamas but also a partisan approach by new Speaker Mike Johnson that poses a direct challenge to Democrats and President Joe Biden. In a departure from norms, Johnson’s package...
Prosecutor: Former Memphis officer pleads guilty to state and federal charges in Tyre Nichols’ death
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A former Memphis police officer changed his plea to guilty Thursday in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, becoming the first of five officers charged to reverse course, with prosecutors recommending up to 15 years in prison. Desmond Mills Jr. entered his plea during a hearing at...
Senate confirms 3 military officers as Sen. Tuberville holds up hundreds more
WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed three top military officers on Thursday — including the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — as bipartisan frustration swirled around Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville for blocking hundreds more nominees. Republican senators plan to hold a closed-door meeting next week to discuss...
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slips to 7.76% in first drop after climbing 7 weeks in a row
LOS ANGELES — The average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan fell slightly this week, ending a seven-week climb — modest relief for prospective homebuyers grappling with an increasingly unaffordable housing market. The average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan fell to 7.76% from 7.79% last week, mortgage...
Listen to the last new Beatles song with John, Paul, George, Ringo and AI tech: ‘Now and Then’Video
LOS ANGELES — The final Beatles recording is here. Titled “Now and Then,” the almost impossible-to-believe track is four minutes and eight seconds of the first and only original Beatles recording of the 21st century. There’s a countdown, then acoustic guitar strumming and piano bleed into the unmistakable vocal tone...
American Ballet Theater returns to China after a decade, shows signs of improving U.S.-China ties
SHANGHAI, China— America’s national ballet company returned to China on Thursday for the first time in a decade in the latest sign that the strained U.S.-China relations are beginning to improve. The American Ballet Theater’s 85 dancers prepared for opening night at the Shanghai Grand Theater, where they were to...
Pennsylvania partners with natural gas driller on air and water monitoring amid new regulatory push
The state of Pennsylvania will work with a major natural gas producer to collect in-depth data on air emissions and water quality at well sites, enhance public disclosure of drilling chemicals and expand buffer zones, the governor announced Thursday, touting the collaboration as the first of its kind. CNX Resources...
The U.S. imposes new sanctions on people and firms alleged to boost Russia’s Ukraine war supplies
WASHINGTON — The United States on Thursday imposed a new round of sanctions on 130 firms and people from Turkey, China and the United Arab Emirates in an effort to choke off Russia’s access to tools and equipment that support its invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions imposed by Treasury Department’s...
Uber and Lyft to pay $328M in New York wage theft settlement
ALBANY, N.Y. — Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft will pay a combined $328 million to settle wage theft claims in New York, Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday. James said the settlements resolve investigations into the companies improperly charging drivers sales taxes and other fees when customers should have paid...
Corey Seager earns 2nd World Series MVP, joining Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson
PHOENIX — Corey Seager knows the illustrious names he’s next to: Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson. “I don’t think you can ever fathom that,” he said. “It’s a pretty special group to be part of. “ Seager joined those three Hall of Famers as a two-time World Series...
Bills’ Damar Hamlin expects to be excited, emotional in return to Cincinnati
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Whether he plays or not, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin says he has nothing to worry about in preparing to return to Cincinnati for a game against the Bengals on Sunday night so long as he stays true to himself. Cincinnati might be where Hamlin nearly...
‘A curse to be a parent in Gaza’: More than 3,600 Palestinian children killed in just 3 weeks of war
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — More than 3,600 Palestinian children were killed in the first 25 days of the war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry. They were hit by airstrikes, smashed by misfired rockets, burned by blasts and crushed by buildings, and among them were...
Minnesota justices appear skeptical that states should decide Trump’s eligibility for the ballot
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical Thursday that states have the authority to block former President Donald Trump from the ballot, with some suggesting that Congress is best positioned to decide whether his role in the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack should prevent him from running. Justices...
Biden calls for humanitarian ‘pause’ in Israel-Hamas war
MINNEAPOLIS — President Joe Biden said he thought there should be a humanitarian “pause” in the Israel-Hamas war, after his campaign speech Wednesday evening was interrupted by a protester calling for a cease-fire. “I think we need a pause,” Biden said. The call was a subtle departure for Biden and...
Ornithological society to rename dozens of birds — and stop naming them after people
Birds in North America will no longer be named after people, the American Ornithological Society announced Wednesday. Next year, the organization will begin to rename around 80 species found in the U.S. and Canada. “There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past...
Pressure rises on Israel to pause fighting and ease siege as battles intensify near Gaza City
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli troops battling Hamas militants encircled Gaza City on Thursday, the military said, as the Palestinian death toll rose above 9,000. U.S. and Arab leaders raised pressure on Israel to ease its siege of Gaza and at least briefly halt its attacks in order to...
Republicans confront Tommy Tuberville over military holds in extraordinary showdown on Senate floorVideo
WASHINGTON — Republican senators angrily challenged Sen. Tommy Tuberville on his blockade of almost 400 military officers Wednesday evening, taking over the Senate floor for more than four hours to call for individual confirmation votes after a monthslong stalemate. Tuberville, R-Ala., stood and objected to each nominee — 61 times...
Texas Rangers win 1st World Series title with 5-0 win over Diamondbacks in Game 5Video
PHOENIX — Corey Seager took a mighty hack and barely connected, sending a dribbler through an open area on the left side of the infield for his team’s first hit in the seventh inning. The Texas Rangers shortstop and World Series MVP provided plenty of power throughout a stellar October...
Big 12 releases 4 years of football opponents for 16-team conference, with annual BYU-Utah gameVideo
The Big 12 on Wednesday released four years of football opponents for its newly expanded 16-team conference, including a yearly BYU-Utah game and an emphasis on other in-state rivalries. The Big 12 adds Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah from the Pac-12 in 2024 while saying goodbye to Oklahoma and...
House rejects effort to censure Rashida Tlaib over the Palestinian-American’s rhetoric about Israel
WASHINGTON — The House late Wednesday rejected an effort to censure Democratic Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, scrapping a Republican attempt to condemn the only Palestinian-American in Congress over her recent rhetoric around the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. A measure to move forward with a censure resolution of Tlaib, a punishment one...
Longtime dirt rivals Larson and Bell at last go head-to-head for NASCAR championshipVideo
AVONDALE, Ariz. — The rivalry hardly reaches the heights of Petty versus Pearson or Earnhardt against Gordon as one of NASCAR’s great competitions. But there is no doubt that dozens of dirt track battles between Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell have created an interesting dynamic ahead of Sunday’s championship. Larson...
Bob Knight, Indiana’s combustible coaching giant, dies at 83
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Bob Knight, the brilliant and combustible coach who won three NCAA titles at Indiana and for years was the scowling face of college basketball, has died. He was 83. Knight’s family made the announcement on social media Wednesday night. “It is with heavy hearts that we share...
Florida judge indicates she may delay Trump trial on charges he hid classified documents at Mar-a-Lago
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A federal judge in Florida indicated Wednesday that she may delay the start of the classified documents trial of Donald Trump, pointing to the other criminal cases the former president is facing as well as the mounds of evidence his attorneys need to review. Trump’s trial...
3 students found stabbed inside Los Angeles high school, suspect remains at large
LOS ANGELES — Three students were found stabbed inside a Los Angeles high school Wednesday morning and the suspect remained on the loose, authorities said. The stabbings were reported shortly before 11 a.m. and prompted a lockdown at Van Nuys High School in the city’s San Fernando Valley, authorities said....
It’s time to buy health insurance through the marketplace. Experts suggest doing your research first
It’s time to pick health coverage for next year on the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces, and experts caution against focusing your choice on price alone. In order to prevent thousands of dollars in financial surprises, buyers should know what a plan covers, how it works and what costs you...
