Associated Press stories, Page 919
Britney Spears says Victor Wembanyama’s security struck her; Spurs rookie says he was grabbed
LAS VEGA — San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama said Thursday he believes Britney Spears grabbed him from behind as he was walking into a restaurant at a Las Vegas casino, and that the security detail he was with pushed the pop star away. Wembanyama said he wasn’t told Spears...
Pennsylvania governor calls on divided Legislature to finalize budget past deadline
HARRISBURG — Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro called on the Republican-controlled Senate on Thursday to return to the Pennsylvania Capitol to finalize a state spending plan, as the state government neared a week without full spending authority. He disputed Republican accusations that he went back on his word about the $45...
OceanGate suspends operations after its Titan submersible imploded on its way to the TitanicVideo
The company that owned a submersible that imploded on its way to explore the wreck of the Titanic, killing all five onboard, said Thursday it has suspended operations. OceanGate announced the action in a brief statement posted atop its website. Contacted for additional information, a spokesperson declined to comment further....
Trump valet Walt Nauta pleads not guilty in classified documents caseVideo
MIAMI — Donald Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he helped the former president hide classified documents from federal authorities, appearing with a new Florida-based lawyer to represent him as the case moves forward. Nauta was charged alongside Trump in June in a 38-count indictment...
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts: ‘There’s a thrill in not being satisfied’
Jalen Hurts has no time to be satisfied. After a breakout season in which he earned him a record-setting contract and nearly led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory, Hurts is working like a “madman” to be even better. “Everybody aspires to be the best and works to...
Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi has full FDA approval now and that means Medicare will pay for it
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials granted full approval to a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug on Thursday, clearing the way for Medicare and other insurance plans to begin covering the treatment for people with the brain-robbing disease. The Food and Drug Administration endorsed the IV drug, Leqembi, for patients with mild dementia...
Study: Drinking water from nearly half of U.S. faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Drinking water from nearly half of U.S. faucets likely contains “forever chemicals” that may cause cancer and other health problems, according to a government study released Wednesday. The synthetic compounds known collectively as PFAS are contaminating drinking water to varying extents in large cities and small...
What is Threads? All your questions about Meta’s new Twitter rival, answeredVideo
NEW YORK — Threads, a text-based app built by Meta to rival Twitter, is live. The app, billed as the text version of Meta’s photo-sharing platform Instagram, became available Wednesday night to users in more than 100 countries — including the U.S., Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan. Despite some early...
TikTok, 5 content creators ask federal judge to block Montana from banning appVideo
TikTok Inc. and a group of five content creators who are suing the state of Montana over its first-in-the-nation law to ban the video sharing app are now asking a federal judge to block implementation of the law while the case moves through the courts and before it takes effect...
No more free coffee on your birthday? Companies rein in customer rewards programs — here’s why
WASHINGTON — Reward programs, including birthday freebies and discounts, have long been a way for brands to build loyalty and incentivize spending. But now some companies are becoming a bit more stingy — and customers are taking notice. Last fall, for example, many balked at Dunkin’s decision to stop offering...
Belarus says Wagner chief who staged mutiny is in Russia, raising questions about Kremlin’s strategy
MINSK, Belarus — The mercenary leader who led a short-lived mutiny against the Kremlin is in Russia and his troops are in their field camps, the president of Belarus said Thursday, raising new questions about the deal that ended the extraordinary challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s rule. Belarusian President Alexander...
Wembymania set to hit Las Vegas, as Spurs rookie ‘can’t wait’ for his NBA debut at Summer League
LAS VEGAS — There are just some tickets that are hard to get in Las Vegas. Like Adele, for example. Or Garth Brooks. Or U2, which starts a residency there this fall. And now, add Wemby to that list. Victor Wembanyama’s debut at NBA Summer League is Friday night —...
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi club Al-Nassr hires Portuguese coach Luís Castro
FARO, Portugal — Cristiano Ronaldo got a new club coach on Thursday when Al-Nassr announced it hired his fellow Portuguese Luís Castro. The Saudi Arabian club confirmed the appointment from a preseason training camp in Portugal. The length of the coach’s contract was not disclosed. Castro is the latest coaching...
Real Madrid signs young Turkey midfielder Arda Güler
MADRID — Real Madrid reached a deal to sign Arda Güler on Thursday, adding another young player to its midfield. The 18-year-old Turkey international arrives from Fenerbahce on a six-year contract. He will be officially introduced by Madrid on Friday. Spanish media said the talented youngster arrives on a transfer...
U.S. releases video of Russian fighter jets harassing American drones over Syria
WASHINGTON — Russian fighter jets flew dangerously close to several U.S. drone aircraft over Syria, setting off flares and forcing the MQ-9 Reapers to take evasive maneuvers, the Air Force said. U.S. Air Forces Central released a video of Wednesday’s encounter showing a Russian SU-35 fighter closing in on a...
U.S. job openings dip to 9.8 million but remain high, showing resilience in labor market
WASHINGTON — U.S. job openings slipped in May but remained at levels high enough to illustrate that the American labor market remains resilient in the face of sharply higher interest rates. Employers posted 9.8 million job vacancies, down from 10.3 million in April, the Labor Department said Thursday. But layoffs...
Slovakia defender Milan Skriniar, Spain striker Asensio join PSG on 5-year deal
PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain added some firepower to its squad with the arrival Thursday of Marco Asensio and bolstered its defense by signing Milan Skriniar on a five-year deal. PSG announced its first two recruits of the summer a day after unveiling new coach Luis Enrique. Asensio joined on a...
Wimbledon is finally dry as organizers try to catch up following 3 days of rain
WIMBLEDON, England — The courts are finally dry at Wimbledon and the sun is even shining through the clouds at times, giving organizers hope of fitting in a full day of tennis on Thursday for the first time at this year’s tournament. The first three days of action at the...
Is MLB’s pitch clock leading to better defense? Some players and coaches think so
MILWAUKEE — The pitch clock may be bothering players as they step to the plate, but they like it a whole lot better once they put on their gloves and take the field. While the rule changes put in place this year to speed up the pace of play have...
Thousands party as firework blast begins Spain’s San Fermin bull-running festival
PAMPLONA, Spain — Tens of thousands of people packed the town hall square in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona on Thursday to celebrate the traditional “chupinazo” firework blast that starts the San Fermín bull-running festival. Nearly everyone, including many tourists, was dressed in the traditional garb of white trousers...
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits China as part of efforts to soothe strained relations
BEIJING — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to tell Chinese officials that Washington wants healthy economic competition but will defend trade curbs imposed by the U.S. on security grounds and express concern about Beijing’s export controls on metals used in semiconductors and solar panels, a senior Treasury official said Thursday....
Meta’s new Twitter rival app Threads gets tens of millions of sign-ups in its first dayVideo
Tens of millions of people have quickly signed up to Meta’s new app, Threads, as it aims to compete with Twitter — a sign that users are looking for an alternative to the social media platform that has undergone a series of unpopular changes since Elon Musk bought it. Meta...
1 in 5 United Methodist congregations in U.S. have left denomination over LGBTQ conflicts
More than 6,000 United Methodist congregations — a fifth of the U.S. total — have now received permission to leave the denomination amid a schism over theology and the role of LGBTQ people in the nation’s second-largest Protestant denomination. Those figures emerge following the close of regular meetings in June...
Pence says Trump and DeSantis do not understand importance of U.S. military aid to Ukraine
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis do not grasp the broader implications of their call for limited military assistance to Ukraine, former Vice President Mike Pence told The Associated Press in Iowa Wednesday. “With all due respect, I think the former president and...
U.S. House control could hinge on district battles in famously liberal state
LOS ANGELES — In 2024, control of the U.S. House could hinge on congressional districts in one famously liberal state: California. Command of the narrowly divided chamber will again be in play next year, and leaders in both parties agree on this much: The outcome in a string of contested...
