Associated Press stories, Page 98
Umpire Jen Pawol emotional as she prepares to break big-league gender barrierVideo
NEW YORK — Jen Pawol was in her hotel room in Nashville, Tenn., when she got the call she had awaited for a decade. She was going to make her major-league debut this weekend, becoming the first female umpire in a century and a half of big-league baseball. “I was...
Trump opens door for private equity and crypto as 401(k) retirement plan options
NEW YORK — Millions of Americans saving for retirement through 401(k) accounts could have the option of putting their money in higher-risk private equity and cryptocurrency investments, according to an executive order signed Thursday by President Donald Trump that could give those financial players long-sought access to a pool of...
Judge orders temporary halt to construction at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center
MIAMI — A federal judge on Thursday ordered a two-week halt to construction at an immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” as she considers whether it violates environmental laws. The facility was quickly built two months ago at a lightly used, single-runway training airport and can...
Trump honors Purple Heart recipients, including 3 who sent him medals after attempt on his life
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump recognized nearly 100 recipients of the Purple Heart at the White House on Thursday, including three service members who gave him their own medals after an attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania campaign rally. Trump opened the event marking National Purple Heart Day by...
Dak Prescott is upbeat Micah Parsons will remain with Cowboys
OXNARD, Calif. — Having dealt with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in multiple rounds of high-profile contract negotiations, quarterback Dak Prescott has played the proverbial game and lived to tell about it. His own experience is why Prescott remains confident star defensive end Micah Parsons will be a Cowboy for...
Intel’s stock tumbles after Trump says its CEO must resign
Shares of Intel slumped Thursday after President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the chipmaker’s CEO needs to resign. “The CEO of Intel is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your...
Akshay Bhatia shoots career-best 62 to lead in PGA playoffs
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Akshay Bhatia had a blazing finish to get his PGA Tour postseason off to a good start, closing eagle-birdie-birdie for an 8-under-par 62 to post his career low and take a one-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Scottie Scheffler, playing for the...
Texans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffers leg injury at practice
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Houston Texans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson appeared to suffer a significant leg injury Thursday during practice at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. According to reports, Gardner-Johnson tried to tackle receiver John Metchie and after making contact fell to ground and began writhing in pain....
Trump orders colleges to prove they don’t consider race in admissions
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order requiring colleges to submit data to prove they do not consider race in admissions. In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled against the use of affirmative action in admissions but said colleges may still consider how race has shaped students’...
Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater out for season
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Los Angeles Chargers tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a torn patellar tendon in practice Thursday and will miss the upcoming season. He’ll undergo surgery and be placed on injured reserve, the team said. Slater was hurt less than two weeks after signing a multi-year contract extension last...
Rams’ Jared Verse helped off field after apparent knee injury
LOS ANGELES — Jared Verse had to be helped off the field during practice with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday after bumping knees with teammate Braden Fiske. Coach Sean McVay wasn’t immediately certain of the severity of the injury for Verse, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year last...
Trump to nominate top economic aide Stephen Miran to Federal Reserve board
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday he will nominate a top economic adviser to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors for four months, temporarily filling a vacancy while continuing his search for a longer-term appointment. Trump said he has named Stephen Miran, the chair of the White House’s Council...
FBI forces out more leaders, including ex-director who fought Trump demand for Jan. 6 agents’ names
WASHINGTON — The FBI is forcing out more senior officials, including a former acting director who resisted Trump administration demands to turn over the names of agents who participated in Jan. 6 Capitol riot investigations and the head of the bureau’s Washington field office, according to people familiar with the...
EPA cancels $7 billion Biden-era grant program to boost solar energy
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday terminated a $7 billion grant program intended to help pay for residential solar projects for more than 900,000 lower-income U.S. households, in the latest Trump administration move hindering the nation’s shift to cleaner energy. The funding, part of the Biden-era’s Solar for...
Air Force to deny retirement pay to transgender service members being separated from the service
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits. The move means that transgender service members will now be faced with the choice...
Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband and former manager, dies at 48
Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband and talent manager, has died of cancer, his family said Thursday. He was 48. “Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years,” a representative for the Blackstock family shared in a statement to The Associated Press. “He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by...
Jaguars to play starters, including Travis Hunter, vs. Steelers
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter will make his professional debut playing both sides of the ball. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen said Thursday that Hunter and most of the team’s other starters will play in their preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. “Everybody’s going...
Woman killed by neighbor before responding state troopers were ambushed by gunfire, police say
THOMPSON — A 61-year-old man fatally shot a neighbor Thursday in rural Pennsylvania and then ambushed responding state troopers, wounding two while firing dozens of rounds from a semiautomatic weapon, police said. Lori Wasko’s boyfriend called 911 after 11 a.m. from their home near Thompson to report shots fired, state...
Average rate on 30-year mortgage drops to lowest level since April
The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage has fallen to its lowest level in four months, welcome news for prospective homebuyers who have been held back by stubbornly high home financing costs. The long-term rate fell to 6.63% from 6.72% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A...
Here’s what you need to know about ESPN’s new steaming service and its deals with the NFL and WWE
ESPN’s much-discussed streaming service finally has its launch date. The network announced Wednesday that its direct-to-consumer service and enhanced app will debut Aug. 21. The announcement coincided with Disney’s quarterly earning report. This week’s expanded deals with the NFL and a new partnership with WWE provides ESPN with more inventory...
Israel announces plan to retake Gaza City in another escalation of the war
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel said early Friday that it plans to take over Gaza City in another escalation of its 22-month war with Hamas. The decision, taken after a late-night meeting of top officials, came despite mounting international calls to end the war and protests by many in Israel...
Haiti prepares for new leadership as gunfire erupts and gangs threaten to overthrow government
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A wealthy businessman was slated to become president of Haiti’s transitional presidential council on Thursday, marking the first time that the private sector is in control of the country’s two executive branches. The change in command further threatened to destabilize the country as a powerful gang federation...
Harvard scientists say research could be set back years after funding freeze
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Harvard University professor Alberto Ascherio’s research is literally frozen. Collected from millions of U.S. soldiers over two decades using millions of dollars from taxpayers, the epidemiology and nutrition scientist has blood samples stored in liquid nitrogen freezers within the university’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The...
Czech zoo welcomes 4 rare Barbary lion cubs whose population is extinct in the wild
DVUR KRALOVE, Czech Republic — Four Barbary lion cubs were born recently in a Czech zoo, a vital contribution for a small surviving population of the rare lion that is extinct in the wild. The three females and one male were seen playing in their outdoor enclosure at Dvůr Králové...
Trump to meet Putin soon, the Kremlin says as White House deadline looms on Ukraine
A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump has been agreed upon, a Kremlin official said Thursday, the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress toward ending the 3-year-old war in Ukraine. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said a summit could...
