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Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 03:06:15+00:00 | [
"Nico Hoerner",
"Chicago Cubs",
"Miami Marlins",
"Javier Sanoja",
"Connor Norby",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"Carson Kelly",
"Justin Turner",
"MLB baseball",
"Jesus Tinoco",
"Kyle Stowers",
"Sports",
"Pete Crow-Armstrong",
"Chris Flexen",
"Ryan Weather",
"Jesus Sanchez"
] | # Hoerner, Turner deliver run-scoring hits in the 9th inning to rally Cubs past Marlins 5-4
By Gavin Dorsey
May 14th, 2025 03:06 AM
---
CHICAGO (AP) β Nico Hoerner had an RBI single and Justin Turner followed with a two-run double, all in the ninth inning, as the Chicago Cubs rallied to beat the Miami Marlins 5-4 on Tuesday night.
Kyle Stowers hit a solo homer in the second and Connor Norby went deep in the seventh for the Marlins. Javier Sanoja knocked in a run with a ground out and Jesus Sanchez added an RBI single for Miami, which carried a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Chicago's comeback started when Hoerner hit a line drive to center that cut the deficit to one run. Two pitches later, pinch-hitter Turner doubled into the left field corner, scoring Vidal BrujΓ‘n and Hoerner.
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Carson Kelly each had two hits for Chicago. Crow-Armstrong hit his 11th homer in the third inning.
Chris Flexen (1-0) allowed one hit over the final two innings and earned his first victory.
Miami's Jesus Tinoco (2-1) blew the save opportunity, allowing two hits, three runs β two earned β and a walk while recording just one out in the ninth.
## Key moment
Turner's line-drive two-RBI double into left field for the walk-off win.
## Key stat
The Cubs struggled with runners in scoring position before taking advantage in the ninth inning. Chicago was 0 for 4 in the first eight innings, but 2 for 2 with runners on second or third in the ninth.
## Up next
The Marlins will send LHP Ryan Weather (0-0) against Chicago RHP Jameson Taillon (2-2, 4.53) in the series final on Wednesday night.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 02:46:01+00:00 | [
"Colorado Rockies",
"Texas Rangers",
"Jack Leiter",
"Bud Black",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"Wyatt Langford",
"Hunter Goodman",
"Sports",
"Luke Jackson",
"Shawn Armstrong",
"Kyle Freeland",
"MLB baseball",
"Warren Schaeffer",
"Sam Haggerty",
"Patrick Corbin",
"Josh Jung",
"Chris Martin"
] | # Jung's 2 homers back Leiter's solid start as Rangers beat struggling Rockies 4-1
May 14th, 2025 02:46 AM
---
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) β Josh Jung hit a first-inning three-run home run and an eighth-inning solo shot while Jack Leiter allowed only one run on two singles over a career-high six innings as the Texas Rangers beat the struggling Colorado Rockies 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Jung's first homer followed singles by Sam Haggerty and Wyatt Langford for the Rangers (22-21), who have won four consecutive games to move above .500 for the first time since April 30. His second homer gave him his fifth career multihomer game and was his third homer in three games.
Leiter (3-2) didn't allow a hit after two of the first four Rockies singled, Hunter Goodman scoring Jordan Beck. He won for the first time since April 2.
Shawn Armstrong earned his first save of the season following Chris Martin, who left with elbow tightness after allowing a first-pitch single in the ninth.
Luke Jackson, Texas' closer, was unavailable after his pitching hand was struck by a comeback liner Monday.
Kyle Freeland (0-6) gave up three runs on his first five pitches for the Rockies (7-35), who have the worst record through 42 games of the divisional era (beginning in 1961). They've lost their first two games under interim manager Warren Schaeffer, who took over Sunday evening following the firing of Bud Black.
Colorado's 2-19 road record matches four other clubs as the worst through 21 games during the modern era (since 1900).
## Key moment
Armstrong, Texas' third pitcher in the ninth, entered with runners on the corners and none out. He struck out the next three batters β all looking.
## Key stat
Jung gave Leiter three runs' backing just three batters in after Leiter received no run support in his previous two starts.
## Up next
Wednesday's series finale will match Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-6, 5.77 ERA) against Rangers LHP Patrick Corbin (2-2, 3.13).
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:35:04+00:00 | [
"Willie Eugene Sims",
"San Jose",
"California",
"Jeanette Allen Ralston",
"Crime",
"Homicide",
"Ohio",
"Jeff Rosen",
"Lara Wallman",
"William Weigel",
"Law enforcement",
"Allen Ralston"
] | # Thumbprint on cigarette carton leads to arrest in 1977 death of young woman
May 13th, 2025 10:35 PM
---
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) β Nearly half a century after a young California woman was strangled to death, officials say a thumbprint on a carton of cigarettes has led to an arrest.
Willie Eugene Sims was arrested in Jefferson, Ohio, in connection with the death of Jeanette Ralston, according to a Friday statement from the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
Sims, 69, has been charged with murder and was arraigned on Friday in Ashtabula County Court before being sent to California.
Ralston was found dead in the back seat of her Volkswagen Beetle on Feb. 1, 1977, in San Jose, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office. Her body was found in the carport area of an apartment complex near the bar where friends say she was last seen.
She had been strangled with a long-sleeve dress shirt, and evidence appeared to show she was sexually assaulted, according to prosecutors. Her car showed signs of having been unsuccessfully set on fire.
Her friends said at the time that they saw her leave the bar with an unknown man the evening before, saying she would be back in 10 minutes, but she never returned. Police interviewed the friends and other witnesses and created a suspect sketch. But the investigation went cold.
A thumbprint found on Ralston's cigarette carton in her car was found to match Sims last fall after law enforcement had asked to run the print through the FBI's updated system, prosecutors said.
Earlier this year, officials from the District Attorney's office and San Jose police went to Ohio to collect DNA from Sims. Prosecutors say it matched the DNA found on Ralston's fingernails and the shirt used to strangle her.
"Every day, forensic science grows better, and every day criminals are closer to being caught," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. "Cases may grow old and be forgotten by the public. We don't forget and we don't give up."
William Weigel, homicide team supervisor for the Santa Clara county public defender's office, confirmed Monday that Lara Wallman had been assigned the case. He said their office can't comment on the evidence yet because they haven't seen it but cautioned the public from jumping to conclusions.
"It is kind of important that we let the system play itself out and allow our side to conduct our own independent review and investigation of the case before we rush to judgment as it were," he said.
Back in 1977, Sims was an army private assigned to a facility about 68 miles (109 kilometers) south of San Jose, prosecutors said.
The year after Ralston's death, a jury in a separate case convicted Sims of an assault to commit murder in Monterey County and sentenced him to four years in prison, court records show.
Ralston's son, Allen Ralston, was 6 when she died. He told WOIO-TV that he is grateful and relieved an arrest was finally made.
"I'm just glad that somebody cared," he said about the case. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 01:26:17+00:00 | [
"South Australia",
"Rohan Dennis",
"Melissa Hoskins",
"2024 Paris Olympic Games",
"Cycling",
"Indictments",
"Amanda Hoskins",
"Law enforcement",
"Jane Abbey",
"Sports",
"Legal proceedings"
] | # Former Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis receives suspended sentence over wife's death
May 14th, 2025 01:26 AM
---
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) β Former Olympic cyclist and world champion Rohan Dennis received a suspended sentence on Wednesday over what was termed a "tragic accident" that led to the death of his wife, fellow Olympian Melissa Hoskins.
The 34-year-old Dennis appeared in South Australia District Court after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of committing an aggravated act likely to cause harm.
Dennis was arrested after Hoskins, 32, was struck by his vehicle in front of their home at Medindie in Adelaide's north on Dec. 30, 2023. Hoskins suffered serious injuries in the crash and died at Royal Adelaide Hospital.
The court was told that the couple had argued over kitchen renovations before Dennis left their home and drove away. The court also heard that Hoskins had jumped onto the hood of the car during the incident.
Dennis on Wednesday was sentenced to one year, four months and 28 days in jail, to be suspended for two years. The sentence was reduced from two years and two months because of his guilty plea and he's been placed on a two-year good behavior bond.
His licence was also suspended for five years.
"I accept you have a sense of responsibility for all that occurred, I accept you have anguished over what could have been different if you had acted in some other way," Judge Ian Press said Wednesday.
Dennis showed little emotion when Press sentenced him.
"Given your plea of guilty, your remorse, that you are the sole carer for your young children, and given all your other personal circumstances and the circumstances of the offending, I am satisfied that good reason exists to suspend that sentence," the judge said.
The offense carried a maximum sentence of seven years in jail but lawyer Jane Abbey asked that her client receive a suspended sentence, which was not opposed by the prosecution.
During sentencing submissions in in April, Amanda Hoskins said her daughter had loved Dennis "and I know that you would never intentionally hurt her."
"I believe this is a tragic accident. Your temper is your downfall and needs to be addressed," she said.
Hoskins' funeral was held in her home city of Perth, Western Australia and a public memorial service was held in Adelaide in February 2024. Dennis attended the service with their two children.
Hoskins competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics on the track in the team pursuit and was in the squad that won the 2015 world title. Dennis won two world titles in the road time trial, as well as silver in the team pursuit at the 2012 Olympics and bronze in the road time trial at the Tokyo Olympics.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:07:27+00:00 | [
"Missouri",
"Kansas City",
"Mary Elizabeth Coleman",
"Mike Kehoe",
"Missouri Tigers",
"Legislation",
"DC Wire",
"Sports",
"Politics",
"NFL football",
"John Sherman",
"Stocks and bonds",
"Chris Brown"
] | # Missouri House backs new stadium aid for Chiefs and Royals
By David A. Lieb
May 13th, 2025 09:07 PM
---
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) β The Missouri House on Tuesday endorsed a new framework of financial incentives to try to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals from possibly leaving the state by helping fund new or renovated stadiums for them.
The legislation, which has the backing of Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, would authorize the state to issue bonds valued at up to half the cost of the stadium projects and allow tax credits of up to $50 million. But the plan doesn't list a total cost or a location for the stadiums, leaving those details to be negotiated later.
Missouri lawmakers are scrambling to try to counter an offer from neighboring Kansas, which authorized its own package of incentives last year after voters in Jackson County, Missouri, turned down a sales tax extension that would have helped finance a $2 billion ballpark district for the Royals in downtown Kansas City and an $800 million renovation of the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium.
The clock is ticking for Missouri lawmakers. The state Senate would still need to approve the plan before a Friday deadline to wrap up work in the annual legislative session.
But the legislation encountered immediate resistance when it was brought up later Tuesday in Senate. Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman denounced it as "special interests for billionaires" and foreshadowed a lengthy debate that ended without a vote Tuesday night.
The Chiefs and Royals have played for more than 50 years in side-by-side football and baseball stadiums built in eastern Kansas City, drawing fans from both states in the split metropolitan area. Their stadium leases run until 2031, but Royals owner John Sherman has said the team won't play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season.
Kansas amended its laws last year to allow bonds that would cover up to 70% of the costs of new stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals.
Materials distributed Tuesday by the Missouri governor's office said, "Kansas is aggressively negotiating with both teams." Some lawmakers said they felt pressure to act now or potentially miss their chance to retain teams that generate thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of tax revenue annually.
"I can't imagine the economic landscape without the Chiefs and the Royals in Missouri," said Republican state Rep. Chris Brown, of Kansas City, who presented the plan to colleagues. But more than that, "the Chiefs and the Royals literally are a part of us to some degree, they are a fabric woven within the state of Missouri."
A provision in Missouri's legislation would require team owners to repay the state if they relocate to another state before the end of the financing agreement.
Missouri has experience with losing professional sports teams. The National Football League's Rams were the most recent to depart, leaving a publicly financed domed stadium that had lured the team to St. Louis to return to a gleaming new stadium in Los Angeles that opened in 2020.
But many economists contend that public funding for stadiums isn't worth it, because sports tend to divert discretionary spending away from other forms of entertainment rather than generate new income.
State Rep. Del Taylor, a Democrat from St. Louis, denounced "fearmongering" suggestions that the Chiefs and Royals might also leave, calling it "unfair" and "conniving" to come to lawmakers with a plan so late in the session.
"I don't like making decisions because someone has put my back against the wall," Taylor said.
Kehoe has been working for months with team representatives, lawmakers and community leaders to develop "a competitive package" for the Chiefs and Royals, said Gabby Picard, a spokesperson for the governor. The state aid ultimately also must be accompanied by local support.
"Choosing a location is a business decision that must be made by the teams, and any proposed tools put forward by the state will work in whatever Missouri location they select," she said.
Sports teams have been pushing a new wave of stadium construction across the U.S., going beyond basic repairs to derive fresh revenue from luxury suites, dining, shopping and other developments surrounding their stadiums.
The Washington Commanders and the District of Columbia announced a deal two weeks ago for a new stadium complex, with the football team contributing $2.7 billion and the city investing roughly $1.1 billion. Last month, the Ohio House endorsed a plan for $600 million of bonds to help build a new $2.4 billion football stadium complex for the Cleveland Browns. But that plan also must pass the Senate and has led the Cincinnati Bengals to re-up a request for $350 million of aid for their own stadium. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 23:48:17+00:00 | [
"Ian Happ",
"Moises Ballesteros",
"New York Mets",
"Baseball",
"Chicago",
"MLB",
"Illinois",
"Sports",
"MLB baseball",
"Sports transactions"
] | # Cubs put Ian Happ on IL with oblique strain and call up prospect Moises Ballesteros
May 13th, 2025 11:48 PM
---
CHICAGO (AP) β One of the Cubs' best hitters this season is heading to the injured list.
Chicago announced before Tuesday night's game against Miami that outfielder Ian Happ has been placed on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain. In a corresponding move, the Cubs selected the contract of catcher Moises Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa.
Happ suffered the injury on May 9 against the New York Mets and has missed the last three games. The 30-year-old is hitting .269 on the season, his best since he was an All-Star in 2022, and has three homers. Happ's designation is retroactive to May 10.
The 21-year-old Ballesteros is the Cubs' No. 4-ranked prospect. The Venezuelan signed with Chicago as an international free agent in 2021 and made his major league debut against the Marlins, going 0 for 4 as the designated hitter in the Cubs' 5-4 win.
In five seasons in the Cubs' farm system, Ballesteros is batting .288 in 386 games. He's hitting. 368 with four homers in 34 games for Triple-A Iowa this season.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 00:49:14+00:00 | [
"Megan Thee Stallion",
"Crime",
"Tory Lanez",
"Prisons",
"Legal proceedings",
"Kylie Jenner",
"Santino Casio",
"Homicide",
"California",
"Los Angeles",
"Assault",
"Criminal punishment",
"Entertainment",
"Pedro Calderon Michel",
"Sexual assault"
] | # Rapper Tory Lanez's alleged prison attacker is man with previous conviction for assault on inmate
By Andrew Dalton
May 14th, 2025 12:49 AM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) β Authorities said Tuesday that a man who attacked rapper Tory Lanez in a California prison is an inmate serving a life sentence for second-degree murder who was previously convicted for an in-prison assault with a deadly weapon.
Lanez was in fair condition a day after the attack in a housing unit at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, where he's serving a 10-year sentence for shooting hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the feet, Pedro Calderon Michel, spokesman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said in an email.
Authorities did not specify how Lanez was attacked, but a message posted on the rapper's Instagram account Monday evening said Lanez was stabbed 14 times and both his lungs collapsed.
Prison officials identified the alleged attacker as Santino Casio, 42. He has been put in restricted housing pending an investigation by the prison and the Kern County District Attorney's Office.
Casio has been in the facility since 2004, after he was sentenced to life, with parole possible, for convictions of second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. In 2008, he was sentenced to six more years for assault by a prisoner with a deadly weapon, and in 2018 he was sentenced to two more years for possession and manufacture of a deadly weapon by a prisoner.
An email seeking comment sent to an attorney who previously represented Casio was not immediately answered.
The prison is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Los Angeles in the mountains of the Mojave Desert and houses about 1,700 medium- and maximum-security inmates.
In December 2022, Lanez was convicted of three felonies: assault with a semiautomatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
Megan, whose legal name is Megan Pete, testified during the trial that in July 2020, after they left a party at Kylie Jenner's Hollywood Hills home, Lanez fired the gun at the back of her feet and shouted for her to dance as she walked away from an SUV in which they had been riding.
She had bullet fragments in both feet that had to be surgically removed. It wasn't until months after the incident that she publicly identified Lanez as the person who had fired the gun.
A judge rejected a motion for a new trial from Lanez's lawyers, who are appealing his conviction. They had no immediate comment after the attack.
Megan recently alleged that Lanez was harassing her from prison through surrogates, and in January a judge issued a protective order through 2030 ordering him to stop any such harassment or any other contact.
The 32-year-old Canadian Lanez began releasing mixtapes in 2009 and saw a steady rise in popularity, moving on to major label albums, two of which reached the top 10 on Billboard's charts.
The Monday Instagram post on Lanez's status said he was "talking normally, in good spirits, and deeply thankful to God that he is pulling through." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 23:25:54+00:00 | [
"Pete Rose",
"Rob Manfred",
"Baseball",
"Aaron Boone",
"Bruce Bochy",
"MLB",
"Marcus Giamatti",
"Cincinnati Reds",
"Sports",
"Bob Castellini",
"Mike Schmidt",
"MLB baseball",
"Bart Giamatti",
"Charlie Hustle",
"Bud Selig",
"Texas Rangers",
"Philadelphia Phillies",
"Gary Sheffield Jr.",
"New York Yankees",
"John Rocker"
] | # Reaction to Pete Rose being reinstated by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred
By The Associated Press
May 13th, 2025 11:25 PM
---
Reaction to Pete Rose being reinstated along with Shoeless Joe Jackson by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday, making them eligible for the Hall of Fame:
___
"The Veterans Committee, that's their decision and I think that's fair. Nobody played the game harder. Nobody. He was all-out, full throttle. That was Pete. Charlie Hustle β that's how you get that name. Switch-hitter, amazing player. He was just a complete ballplayer. He played all over the field - outfield, infield. First base, third base. He was a winner. His team won. And I think that's a credit to him, how he played, how he set the tone. Amazing player." β- Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy.
___
"It's a great day for baseball as Commissioner Manfred has reinstated Pete Rose, making him eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The ongoing question of whether Pete Rose should or shouldn't in the Hall will be answered by a secret panel in the next Classic Baseball Era Committee. Congratulations to Pete's family, his teammates, as well as his supporters who have waited many years for this opportunity for consideration." β- Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt.
___
"I've always maintained I think he should have been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago. Again, not discounting what went on and how serious that I think that is, and maybe how that should have affected being with the club and all those things. But when it came to the Hall of Fame, it felt pretty simple to me that he always should have been in there." β New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
___
"I understand and respect Commissioner Rob Manfred's decision regarding the removal of Pete Rose and 16 other deceased individuals from the ineligible list. Given my affection for my friend, the late Bart Giamatti, MLB's seventh Commissioner who disciplined Mr. Rose for gambling on his own team all those years ago, I believe Bart would understand and respect the decision as well." -- former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.
___
"That just because someone is dead dies not at all change the facts nor the behavior. Permanent means permanent. I am incredibly disappointed in the Commissioner's decision. I am also disappointed that my family was not consulted prior to this decision. The Commissioner's decision makes this a very dark day for baseball, the country and the fans. My father's mission by banning Rose was to uphold the integrity of the game. Therefore, reinstating Rose in this manner puts that integrity, Rule 21 and everything that my father fought to uphold in peril. My father believed that no one person is above the game, and were he here today, he would maintain that the institution of baseball must stand up to outside influences, political influences, and influences that are not in the best interest of baseball. Without integrity, the game of baseball will cease to exist. Without integrity, how will fans ever trust the purity of the game itself ever again? A purity built on the principle of fair play. Baseball is woven into the genetic and generational code of so many communities across this county, making it an integral part of the American experience. β Marcus Giamatti, son of former baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, who signed a permanent ban agreement with Rose in 1989.
___
"On behalf of the Reds and our generations of loyal fans, we are thankful for the decision of Commissioner Manfred and Major League Baseball regarding the removal of Pete Rose from the permanently ineligible list. Pete is one of the greatest players in baseball and Reds Country will continue to celebrate him as we always have. We are especially happy for the Rose family to receiver this news and what this could mean for them and all of Pete's fans." β- Cincinnati Reds principal owner and managing partner Bob Castellini.
___
"Absolutely pathetic they waited for Pete Rose to pass away before giving him his day in the sun. Reprehensible." former big league outfielder Gary Sheffield Jr.
___
"Pete Rose deserved to see his name in the Hall of Fame." β former big league pitcher John Rocker.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 20:07:42+00:00 | [
"Pete Rose",
"Donald Trump",
"Baseball",
"Cincinnati Reds",
"Rob Manfred",
"Cincinnati",
"Voting",
"MLB",
"New York City Wire",
"Albert Pujols",
"Jackson",
"Marcus Giamatti",
"Sports",
"MLB baseball",
"Ty Cobb",
"Benny Kauff",
"Yadier Molina",
"Jeffrey Lenkov",
"Philadelphia Phillies",
"Joe Jackson",
"San Francisco Giants",
"Bud Selig",
"Jane Forbes Clark",
"Ray Liotta"
] | # MLB reinstates Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson
By Ronald Blum
May 13th, 2025 08:07 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) β Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson were reinstated by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday, making both eligible for the sport's Hall of Fame after their careers were tarnished by gambling scandals.
Rose's permanent ban was lifted eight months after his death and came a day before the Cincinnati Reds will honor baseball's career hits leader with Pete Rose Night.
Manfred announced Tuesday he was changing the league's policy on permanent ineligibility, saying bans would expire at death. MLB said 17 individuals had their status changed by the decision, including all eight banned members of the 1919 Chicago Black Sox, former Philadelphia Phillies president Williams D. Cox and former New York Giants outfielder Benny Kauff.
Under the Hall of Fame's current rules, the earliest Rose or Jackson could be inducted would be in 2028.
Rose agreed with then-Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti to a permanent ban on Aug. 23, 1989, following an investigation commissioned by Major League Baseball concluded Rose repeatedly bet on the Reds as a player and manager of the team from 1985-87, a violation of a long-standing MLB rule.
Rose first applied for reinstatement in September 1997, but Commissioner Bud Selig never ruled on the request. Manfred in 2015 rejected a petition for reinstatement, saying "Rose has not presented credible evidence of a reconfigured life."
Rose died Sept. 30 at age 83, and a new petition was filed Jan. 8 by Jeffrey Lenkov, a lawyer who represented Rose. Lenkov and Rose's daughter Fawn had met with Manfred on Dec. 17.
Rose's supporters have included U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he intends to pardon Rose posthumously. Manfred discussed Rose with Trump when the pair met in April, but he hasn't disclosed specifics of their conversation.
In a letter to Lenkov, Manfred wrote, "In my view, a determination must be made regarding how the phrase 'permanently ineligible' should be interpreted in light of the purposes and policies behind Rule 21, which are to: (1) protect the game from individuals who pose a risk to the integrity of the sport by prohibiting the participation of such individuals; and (2) create a deterrent effect that reduces the likelihood of future violations by others.
"In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served."
Marcus Giamatti, son of the former commissioner who signed the agreement banning Rose, said in a statement he was "incredibly disappointed" in Manfred's decision.
"I am also disappointed that my family was not consulted prior to this decision," he said. "The Commissioner's decision makes this a very dark day for baseball, the country and the fans.
"My father's mission by banning Rose was to uphold the integrity of the game. Therefore, reinstating Rose in this manner puts that integrity, Rule 21 and everything that my father fought to uphold in peril."
A 17-time All-Star during a playing career from 1963-86, Rose holds record for hits (4,256), games (3,562), at-bats (14,053), plate appearances (15,890) and singles (3,215). He was the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, 1973 MVP and 1975 World Series MVP. A three-time NL batting champion, he broke the prior hits record of 4,191 set by Ty Cobb from 1905-28.
Jackson was a .356 career hitter who was among the eight Black Sox banned for throwing the 1919 World Series. He died in 1951, but he remains one of baseball's most recognizable names in part for his depiction by Ray Liotta in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams.
## What else needs to happen for Rose or Jackson to reach the Hall of Fame?
Under a rule adopted by the Hall's board of directors in 1991, anyone on the permanently ineligible list can't be considered for election to the Hall. Jackson was twice considered on ballots by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, but received just 0.9% in 1936 and 1% of a nominating vote in 1940.
Rose's reinstatement occurred too late for him to be considered for the BBWAA ballot. If not on the permanently banned list, Rose would have been eligible on the ballots each from 1992 through 2006. He was written in on 41 votes in 1992 and on 243 of 7,232 ballots (3.4%) over the 15 years, votes that were not counted.
Without the ban, both players are eligible for the Hall's Classic Baseball Era, which next meets to consider players in December 2027 and considers those whose greatest contributions to the sport were before 1980.
A 10-person historical overview committee selects eight ballot candidates with the approval of the Hall's board, and the ballot is considered by 16 members at the winter meetings, with a 75% or higher vote needed. The committee members include Hall of Fame members, team executives and media/historians.
Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark confirmed in a statement that players affected by Manfred's ruling Tuesday would be considered.
"The National Baseball Hall of Fame has always maintained that anyone removed from Baseball's permanently ineligible list will become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration," she said. "Major League Baseball's decision to remove deceased individuals from the permanently ineligible list will allow for the Hall of Fame candidacy of such individuals to now be considered."
Among the players in the 2028 class eligible for the BBWAA ballot are Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.
## Did Trump help get Rose reinstated?
Trump has said he would pardon Rose, but it's not clear what a presidential pardon for Rose would entail.
Rose entered guilty pleas on April 20, 1990, to two counts of filing false tax returns, admitting he failed to report $354,968 during a four-year period. Rose was sentenced on July 19, 1990, by U.S. District Judge S. Arthur Spiegel in Cincinnati to five months in prison. He also was fined $50,000 and ordered to perform 1,000 hours of community service as a gym teacher's assistant with inner-city youths in Cincinnati as part of a one-year probation period. The first three months of the probation were to be spent at the halfway house. Rose repaid the Internal Revenue Service $366,042.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 02:42:18+00:00 | [
"Vladimir Guerrero Jr.",
"Toronto Blue Jays",
"Tampa Bay Rays",
"Coco Montes",
"Chris Bassitt",
"Jeff Hoffman",
"Toronto",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"Sports",
"Edwin Uceta",
"Daulton Varsho",
"Ryan Pepiot",
"MLB baseball",
"Jonathan Aranda",
"Junior Caminero",
"Travis Jankowski",
"Bo Bichette",
"Ernie Clement",
"Danny Jansen"
] | # Junior Caminero's 9th-inning grand slam powers Rays to 11-9 win over Blue Jays
May 14th, 2025 02:42 AM
---
TORONTO (AP) β Junior Caminero hit a tiebreaking grand slam during a five-run ninth inning, Danny Jansen homered against his former team, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-9 on Tuesday night.
Daulton Varsho homered twice for the Blue Jays, and his three-run shot in the eighth against Edwin Uceta (3-1) put Toronto ahead 7-6. After Chandler Simpson's RBI single and Caminero's 419-foot shot to the upper deck in left made it 11-7 in the ninth, the Rays survived run-scoring doubles by Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the bottom half.
Mason Montgomery came in to get the final out, retiring Varsho on a flyball for his first save of the season.
Jeff Hoffman (3-2) gave up Caminero's eighth homer this season and blew his second save.
Jansen was drafted by Toronto in 2013 and played for the Blue Jays beginning in 2018 before being traded to the Red Sox last July. In August, he played for the Red Sox in the resumption of a suspended game from earlier in the season, becoming the first major leaguer to play for both teams in the same game. He signed a one-year deal with the Rays in the offseason.
Jonathan Aranda and Ernie Clement homered for Toronto, which had a four-game win streak snapped.
Rays designated hitter Yandy DΓaz was placed on the restricted list and will miss the series because of a passport issue. Infielder Coco Montes was called up from Triple-A Durham.
## Key moment
Simpson drove in Travis Jankowski with a bases-loaded single to tie the game and set up Caminero's grand slam.
## Key stats
The Rays have won eight of their last nine away games. Jansen extended his career-best on-base streak to 18 games.
## Up next
Ryan Pepiot (2-4, 3.86 ERA) pitches for the Rays on Wednesday against the Blue Jays' Chris Bassitt (3-2, 3.35).
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:56:27+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Indictments",
"Hannah Dugan",
"Wisconsin",
"Juries",
"Immigration",
"Courts",
"United States government",
"Kenneth Gales",
"Eduardo Flores-Ruiz",
"U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation"
] | # Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan is indicted on accusations she helped a man evade immigration agents
By Todd Richmond
May 13th, 2025 10:56 PM
---
MADISON, Wis. (AP) β A federal grand jury indicted a Wisconsin judge Tuesday on charges she helped a man in the country illegally evade U.S. immigration authorities looking to arrest him as he appeared before her in a local domestic abuse case.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest and ensuing indictment has escalated a clash between President Donald Trump's administration and local authorities over the Republican's sweeping immigration crackdown. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of trying to make a national example of Dugan to chill judicial opposition to the crackdown.
Prosecutors charged Dugan in April via complaint with concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstruction. In the federal criminal justice system, prosecutors can initiate charges against a defendant directly by filing a complaint or present evidence to a grand jury and let that body decide whether to issue charges.
A grand jury still reviews charges brought by complaint to determine whether enough probable cause exists to continue the case as a check on prosecutors' power. If the grand jury determines there's probable cause, it issues a written statement of the charges known as an indictment. That's what happened in Dugan's case.
Dugan faces up to six years in prison if she's convicted on both counts. Her team of defense attorneys responded to the indictment with a one-sentence statement saying that she maintains her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court. She was scheduled to enter a plea on Thursday.
Kenneth Gales, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office in Milwaukee, declined to comment on the indictment Tuesday evening.
Dugan's case is similar to one brought during the first Trump administration against a Massachusetts judge, who was accused of helping a man sneak out a courthouse back door to evade a waiting immigration enforcement agent. That case was eventually dismissed.
Prosecutors say Dugan escorted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer out of her courtroom through a back jury door on April 18 after learning that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were in the courthouse seeking his arrest.
According to court documents, Flores-Ruiz illegally reentered the U.S. after being deported in 2013. Online state court records show he was charged with three counts of misdemeanor domestic abuse in Milwaukee County in March. He was in Dugan's courtroom that morning of April 18 for a hearing.
Court documents suggest Dugan was alerted to the agents' presence by her clerk, who was informed by an attorney that the agents appeared to be in the hallway. An affidavit says Dugan was visibly angry over the agents' arrival and called the situation "absurd" before leaving the bench and retreating to her chambers. She and another judge later approached members of the arrest team in the courthouse with what witnesses described as a "confrontational, angry demeanor."
After a back-and-forth with the agents over the warrant for Flores-Ruiz, Dugan demanded they speak with the chief judge and led them away from the courtroom, according to the affidavit.
She then returned to the courtroom and was heard saying words to the effect of "wait, come with me" and ushered Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out through a back jury door typically used only by deputies, jurors, court staff and in-custody defendants, according to the affidavit. Flores-Ruiz was free on a signature bond in the abuse case at the time, according to online state court records.
Federal agents ultimately captured him outside the courthouse after a foot chase.
The state Supreme Court suspended Dugan from the bench in late April, saying the move was necessary to preserve public confidence in the judiciary. A reserve judge is filling in for her. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 04:06:19+00:00 | [
"Legal proceedings",
"Homicide",
"Kitty Menendez",
"California",
"Los Angeles",
"Courts",
"Erik Menendez",
"Juries",
"California state government",
"Nathan Hochman",
"Criminal punishment",
"George Gascn",
"Michael Jesic",
"Jose Menendez"
] | # A timeline of the Menendez brothers' double-murder case
May 13th, 2025 04:06 AM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) β Erik and Lyle Menendez will be eligible for parole after a judge on Tuesday reduced the brothers' sentences for murdering their parents from life without parole to 50 years to life.
The brothers were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering their father Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. Their case reached a major turning point last year when then- Los Angeles District Attorney George GascΓ³n said he was reviewing new evidence in the case.
The brothers would still need approval from the state's parole board to get out of prison. They could potentially go free on time served after spending nearly 30 years in prison for the murders. The state parole board will ultimately rule on whether to release them from prison.
Here's a look at their case over the last three decades:
___
## 1990s
March 1990: Lyle Menendez, then 21, is arrested. A few days later, Erik Menendez, 18, turns himself in. They are charged with first-degree murder.
July 1993: The Menendez brothers go on trial, each with a separate jury. Prosecutors argued that they killed their parents for financial gain. The brothers' attorneys don't dispute the pair killed their parents, but argued that they acted out of self-defense after years of emotional and sexual abuse by their father.
Jan. 1994: Both juries deadlock.
Oct. 1995: The brothers' retrial begins, this time with a single jury. Much of the defense evidence about alleged sexual abuse is excluded during the second trial.
March 1996: Jurors convict both brothers of first-degree murder.
July 1996: The brothers are sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
February 1998: A California appeals court upholds the brothers' conviction, and three months later, the state Supreme Court agrees.
October 1998: The brothers file habeas corpus petitions with the California Supreme Court. After they are denied the next year, they file petitions in federal district court, which are also denied.
September 2005: The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denies their habeas corpus appeal.
## 2023
May 3: Attorneys for the Menendez brothers ask the court to reconsider the convictions and life sentences in light of new evidence from a former member of the boy band Menudo, who said he was raped by Jose Menendez when he was 14. In addition, they submit a letter that Erik wrote to his cousin before the killings about his father's abuse.
## 2024
Sep. 19: Netflix releases the crime drama " Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, " a nine-episode series about the killings.
Oct. 4: GascΓ³n says his office is reviewing new evidence in the case.
Oct. 16: Multiple generations of family members of the Menendez brothers hold a news conference pleading for their release from prison. The relatives say the jurors who sentenced them to life without parole in 1996 were part of a society that was not ready to hear that boys could be raped.
Oct. 24: Prosecutors say they will petition the court to resentence the brothers, and that it could lead to their release.
Nov. 18: California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he would not decide on granting the brothers clemency until after the newly elected district attorney has a chance to review the case.
Nov. 25: A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge holds a hearing regarding the request for resentencing but says he needs more time to make a decision, delaying the resentencing hearings.
Dec. 3: Nathan Hochman is sworn into office as the new district attorney of LA County.
## 2025
Feb. 21: Hochman says his office will oppose a new trial for the Menendez brothers. He cast doubt on the evidence of sexual abuse. The following week, Newsom orders the state parole board to conduct a "comprehensive risk assessment" to determine whether the brothers have been rehabilitated and if they would pose a danger to the public if released.
March 10: Hochman says his office won't support resentencing the brothers because they have repeatedly lied about why they killed their parents.
April 11: Judge denies prosecutors' request to withdraw their resentencing petition. The following week, resentencing hearings scheduled are delayed due to disputes among prosecutors and the brothers' lawyers, who say they will ask to remove Hochman's office from the case.
May 9: Hochman's office remains on the case as the judge again denies prosecutors' request to withdraw their resentencing petition.
May 13: Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic reduces the brothers' sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life. They are immediately eligible for parole because they committed the crime under the age of 26. The state parole board must still decide whether to release them from prison. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 02:38:02+00:00 | [
"Greg Weissert",
"Boston Red Sox",
"Alex Bregman",
"Kristian Campbell",
"Detroit Tigers",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"Sports",
"Spencer Torkelson",
"Boston",
"Beau Brieske",
"Rafael Devers",
"MLB baseball",
"Ceddanne Rafaela",
"Jace Jung",
"Javier Baez",
"Tommy Kahnle"
] | # Javier Baez hits a pair of 3-run HRs, including one in 11th, to lift Tigers to 10-9 win over Red Sox
By Larry Lage
May 14th, 2025 02:38 AM
---
DETROIT (AP) β Javier Baez hit his second go-ahead, three-run homer in the 11th inning for his first multi-homer game in Detroit, lifting the Tigers to a 10-9 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
The AL-leading Tigers were ahead in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings and lost the lead each time.
After falling behind in each of the two extra innings, they came back to win a second straight game against Boston and 10th in 13 games.
Kristian Campbell hit a two-run homer in the 11th and Greg Weissert (1-1) failed to keep a two-run lead. He allowed Jace Jung to hit a leadoff single and Baez to turn on a no-doubt shot to left.
Beau Brieske (1-1) picked up the win after giving up two runs β one earned β and one hit in the 11th.
Boston went up by a run in the 10th on Ceddanne Rafaela's RBI groundout and Trey Sweeney's two-out single in the home half of the inning made it 7-all.
Baez, who has revived his career this season after struggling the previous three seasons in Detroit, also had a three-run homer in the sixth.
Hamilton's two-run blast off Tommy Kahnle pulled the Red Sox into a 6-all tie in the eighth. Boston had a chance to take the lead later in the inning with runners in scoring position, but Kahnle struck out Rafael Devers.
Boston's Alex Bregman, who was booed during each at-bat because he turned down an offer to sign with the Tigers in the offseason, hit a solo home run in the fourth.
## Key moment
Baez put both his hands in the air in the moment after he sent the game-winning home run to left and the crowd chanted "Ja-vy! Ja-vy!" for a player they previously jeered.
## Key stat
Spencer Torkelson has 11 homers in 43 games, a season after hitting just 10 in 92 games.
## Up next
Detroit LHP Tarik Skubal (4-2, 2.08 ERA) and Boston RHP Hunter Dobbins (2-1, 2.78) are scheduled to pitch Wednesday night in the series finale.
β
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 02:36:38+00:00 | [
"Houston Astros",
"Cam Smith",
"Kansas City Royals",
"Jose Altuve",
"Jonathan India",
"Jeremy Pea",
"Bobby Witt Jr.",
"Baseball",
"Kansas City",
"MLB",
"Sports",
"Brendan Rodgers",
"Hunter Renfroe",
"Isaac Paredes",
"Bryan Abreu",
"Freddy Fermin",
"Lucas Erceg",
"Vinnie Pasquantino",
"Kris Bubic",
"Framber Valdez",
"Maikel Garcia",
"Jake Meyers",
"Michael Lorenzen",
"John Schreiber",
"MLB baseball"
] | # Isaac Paredes homers in bottom of the 9th inning to lift Astros to 2-1 win over Royals
By Kristie Rieken
May 14th, 2025 02:36 AM
---
HOUSTON (AP) β Isaac Paredes hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the ninth inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
The game was tied at 1 after a home run by Jeremy PeΓ±a in the sixth inning when Paredes led off the bottom of the ninth against John Schreiber (1-2). He sent his second pitch to left-center field for his fifth homer this season, giving Houston the win after Kansas City took the series opener Monday.
Both teams got strong outings from their starters. Houston's Framber Valdez allowed six hits and a run with seven strikeouts in eight innings. Kris Bubic yielded six hits and a run and tied a career high with nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Bryan Abreu (1-1) struck out one in a scoreless ninth for the win.
Hunter Renfroe doubled off the wall in left-center field with one out in the eighth. Valdez plunked Jonathan India on the foot with two outs, but he induced a groundout by Bobby Witt Jr. to end his night.
Maikel Garcia walked to open the fifth before a single by Vinnie Pasquantino sent him to third. The Royals took a 1-0 lead when Freddy Fermin singled on a ground ball to right field that scored Garcia.
PeΓ±a's home run to left field tied it with no outs in the sixth. Jose Altuve followed with a double on a grounder down the third base line, but Bubic retired the next three batters, with two strikeouts, to leave him stranded.
Jake Meyers singled to start Houston's seventh, but was out at second when Cam Smith grounded into a force out. Bubic was replaced by Lucas Erceg and he picked off Smith at first before striking out Brendan Rodgers to end the inning.
## Key moment
The home run by Paredes.
## Key stat
PeΓ±a has three homers, four doubles, 24 hits and 13 RBIs in 15 games since moving to the leadoff spot.
## Up next
Kansas City RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-3, 3.57 ERA) opposes LHP Colton Gordon in the series finale Wednesday night. Gordon will be recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to make his major league debut.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 04:13:39+00:00 | [
"Hawaii",
"Access to health care",
"Gerhardt Konig",
"Hiking",
"Honolulu",
"Thomas Otake",
"Paul Wong",
"Indictments",
"Law enforcement",
"Joel Garner",
"Crime",
"Health"
] | # Hawaii doctor accused of trying to kill his wife on a hiking trail denied bail
By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher
May 13th, 2025 04:13 AM
---
A judge on Tuesday denied a Maui anesthesiologist's request to be released on bail while he fights an attempted murder charge on allegations that he tried to kill his wife on a Honolulu hiking trail.
Gerhardt Konig previously pleaded not guilty. His wife wrote in a petition for a temporary restraining order against him that they were hiking in Honolulu in March when he grabbed her, pushed her toward the edge of a cliff, attempted to inject her with a syringe and then bashed her head with a rock. Konig suggested they go on the hike while the couple were on a trip to celebrate the wife's birthday, the petition said.
In denying the motion for bail, Judge Paul Wong said there's evidence that Konig hid from police, presents a serious flight risk and is a danger to the victim.
She has since filed for divorce. An attorney representing her is asking a judge to withhold the divorce case, filed earlier this month, from the public to protect the privacy of the couple's young children and because of the "significant and arguably intrusive media coverage regarding the underlying events which precipitated this divorce."
The Associated Press does not name people who are victims of domestic violence unless they consent to be identified or decide to tell their stories publicly.
What is known as "Pali Puka" trail is closed because the route is unsafe, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said. Hikers often enter through a small clearing near a popular lookout point that offers stunning views despite a warning: "Area Closed! Do not go beyond this sign."
At one point, Konig grabbed her by her upper arms and started pushing her toward the cliff's edge while yelling that he was sick of her, she said.
They began wrestling, and she screamed and pleaded for him to stop, fearing for her life, the petition said. During the struggle, she said he took a syringe from his bag and tried to inject her with something.
She said that she bit his arm in an attempt to defend herself.
He appeared to calm down, but then grabbed a nearby rock and "began bashing me repeatedly on the head with it," she said.
Konig's wife suffered major cuts to her head β from the jagged, softball-sized lava rock β and required surgery, prosecutors said.
While the couple were in Oahu, the two young sons stayed home on Maui with a nanny and family, according to the wife's petition filed in family court. A judge signed an order saying Konig must stay away from her and their children.
Prosecutors, in opposing the bail request, said Konig "faces a realistic prospect of life imprisonment." He tried to flee after the attack and called his adult son, who he told he "tried to kill your stepmom" and told him he would turn off his phone so that police could not locate him, prosecutors said in a court filing.
He also hid in the bushes until nightfall, even though the attack happened in the morning, and led police on a search, prosecutors said.
When he was apprehended, he said, "Wait, she's not dead?" according to prosecutors.
Defense attorney Thomas Otake called it a "very small rock" and argued doctors said there wasn't a substantial risk of death or a concussion from the wife's injuries.
During Tuesday's hearing, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joel Garner said Konig was stashing lethal drugs at home, tried three different ways to kill his wife and has ties to South Africa, where he was born.
The petition for a restraining order said that in December, Konig accused his wife of having an affair.
In a court document filed Monday, prosecutors said Konig was storing at home syringes, needles and vials labeled anesthesia medication. On March 27, a few days after the alleged attack and when his wife was preparing to fly back to Honolulu for his grand jury proceedings, she discovered a fanny pack belonging to her husband that contained several syringes and several vials of what appeared to be drugs, the filing said.
"That's not unusual that a doctor who practices medicine would have drugs," Otake said, noting that none of the drugs were found on Oahu where the attack took place.
Konig has been held without bail since his indictment on March 28. In a motion seeking "bail at a reasonable amount," his defense attorneys said Konig, 46, has no prior criminal convictions.
In court, Otake suggested bail between $100,000 and $200,000, arguing that while the divorce is pending he doesn't have access to marital assets.
Otake said his client intends to go to trial: "This is going to be a 'he said, she said' trial."
___
This version corrects the date the wife found syringes and vials at home. Prosecutors say she found them on March 27, not May 27.
___
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story includes discussion of domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the national domestic violence hotline: 1-800-799-7233 in the U.S. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 02:14:37+00:00 | [
"ArDarius Washington",
"Baltimore Ravens",
"District of Columbia",
"Washington",
"NFL",
"Sports",
"National Football League",
"Malaki Starks",
"NFL football"
] | # Ravens S Ar'Darius Washington tears his Achilles tendon during offseason conditioning, reports say
May 14th, 2025 02:14 AM
---
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) β Baltimore Ravens safety Ar'Darius Washington reportedly tore his Achilles tendon during offseason conditioning.
NFL Network and The Baltimore Sun, both citing unidentified sources Wednesday, reported Washington's injury, which could impact the team's defense this coming season. Washington started from late October on last season, and his presence helped the Ravens' pass defense turn its season around after a shaky start.
Washington signed his restricted free agent tender with the Ravens last month. He's played all four of his NFL seasons with Baltimore.
The Ravens did use their first-round draft pick this year on another safety, taking Malaki Starks out of Georgia.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 19:01:57+00:00 | [
"Harvey Weinstein",
"Michael Cibella",
"Kaja Sokola",
"Assault",
"New York City Wire",
"Curtis Farber",
"Entertainment",
"Legal proceedings",
"Crime",
"Indictments",
"Sexual assault",
"Juries"
] | # Ex-model testifying that Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her questioned about private journal
By Philip Marcelo
May 13th, 2025 07:01 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) β A former fashion model testifying in Harvey Weinstein 's retrial on sexual assault charges was confronted on the stand Tuesday with a private journal in which she wrote about people who sexually abused her, but notably left out the disgraced former Hollywood mogul.
Michael Cibella, a lawyer for Weinstein, noted that the journal by Kaja Sokola names at least two people who had sexually assaulted her. Neither one of them, she acknowledged to the jury in Manhattan, was Weinstein.
Instead, the "Pulp Fiction" producer is mentioned in the writings for altogether different reasons. Under an entry for "Harvey W" Sokola wrote that he was "promising me help," but "nothing came out of it."
"The trauma that Harvey Weinstein inflicted on you was that he made promises that he didn't keep, even as you accused two other men of sexually assaulting you," Cibella said.
The Polish model, now a 39-year-old psychotherapist, pushed back at the characterization.
"That's your interpretation and I'll leave that with you," Sokola responded from the witness stand. "Harvey made promises he didn't keep -- and he sexually assaulted me."
Earlier in the day, Sokola had argued that the journal, which she wrote in Polish in 2015, shouldn't be discussed in open court at all.
She said the writing has been part of her treatment for substance abuse. One of the steps of the program, she explained, was to list all the people and things with which she held resentment.
"This is very inappropriate," Sokola pleaded as one of Weinstein's attorneys began to cite portions of the text to the jury. "Please don't read that. This is my personal things. I'm not on trial here."
Judge Curtis Farber assured Sokola that he would only permit limited questioning around the document. He also said he had concerns about the journal's completeness and authenticity and wondering how defense lawyers had obtained what appeared to be private medical records.
"This might backfire tremendously" for the defense, Farber said at one point, as prosecutors also strongly opposed inclusion of the journal as evidence in the trial. "That's the risk they're willing to take."
Weinstein's lawyers, in their cross-examination of Sokola that began Friday, have sought to cast Sokola as a wannabe actor who tried to leverage her consensual relations with the former studio boss.
Cibella, to that end, quizzed Sokola on Tuesday about what she told prosecutors during a 2020 interview.
He contended that a prosecutor's handwritten notes from the meeting don't include any mention of Weinstein using force or tearing off her clothes, as she's described the incident to jurors in her testimony.
"Is it a fact that you never made an allegation in 2020 that Mr. Weinstein used force?" Cibella asked.
"That is a lie," Sokola fired back.
Cibella also questioned Sokola about her communications with Weinstein in the years after she claimed he had sexually assaulted her in 2006.
Among them were phone messages, text messages and emails in which she tried to meet up in person with the co-founder of the production company Miramax or asked him for help on various movie industry opportunities.
Sokola, who is expected to return to the stand on Wednesday, testified last week that Weinstein exploited her dreams of an acting career to subject her to unwanted sexual advances, starting days after they met in 2002, while she was a 16-year-old on a modeling trip to New York.
Some of those allegations are beyond the legal time limit for criminal charges, but Weinstein faces a criminal sex act charge over Sokola's claim that he forced oral sex on her in 2006.
Prosecutors added the charge to the landmark #MeToo case last year, after an appeals court overturned Weinstein's 2020 conviction. The guilty verdict pertained to allegations from two other women, who also have testified or are expected to testify at the retrial.
Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty and denies ever sexually assaulting anyone.
The Associated Press generally does not name people who allege they have been sexually assaulted, but Sokola has given her permission to be identified.
___
Associated Press reporter Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this story.
___
Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 09:25:49+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy",
"Vladimir Putin",
"Friedrich Merz",
"Recep Tayyip Erdogan",
"Ukraine",
"Marco Rubio",
"Steve Witkoff",
"Istanbul",
"District of Columbia",
"Russia",
"Kyiv",
"Turkey government",
"War and unrest",
"Europe",
"Russia-Ukraine war",
"Dmitry Peskov",
"Politics",
"Ukraine government",
"Mykhailo Podolyak",
"Russia government",
"Germany government",
"Russia Ukraine war"
] | # Zelenskyy says he will be waiting for Putin in Ankara for talks
By Illia Novikov and Samya Kullab
May 13th, 2025 09:25 AM
---
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) β Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he will be waiting for his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in the Turkish capital this week to conduct face-to-face talks about the more than 3-year war, amid heavy pressure from the U.S. and European leaders to reach a settlement.
Putin hasn't yet said whether he will be at the talks, which U.S. President Donald Trump has urged the two sides to attend as part of Washington's efforts to stop the fighting.
Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that he will be in Ankara on Thursday to conduct the negotiations. He will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the two will wait for Putin to arrive, he said.
Zelenskyy said he would "do everything to agree on a ceasefire, because it is with (Putin) that I must negotiate a ceasefire, as only he can decide on it."
Zelenskyy said that if Putin chooses Istanbul to hold the meeting, then both leaders will travel there from Ankara.
"If Putin does not arrive and plays games, it is the final point that he does not want to end the war," Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader added that if Putin doesn't show up, European and U.S. leaders should follow through with threats of additional and heavy sanctions against Russia.
Trump, who is on a four-day Middle East trip, said Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would attend the talks. Special envoy Steve Witkoff also is set to take part, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview plans that have not been made public.
Washington has been applying strong pressure on both sides to come to the table since Trump took office in January with a promise to end the war.
Military analysts say that both sides are preparing a spring-summer campaign on the battlefield, where a war of attrition has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Monday that Russia is "quickly replenishing front-line units with new recruits to maintain the battlefield initiative."
## German leader says ball is in Putin's court
International pressure has been growing to push Ukraine and Russia into finding a settlement.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pressed again for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire as he met his Greek counterpart in Berlin on Tuesday.
"We are waiting for Putin's agreement," he said.
"We agree that, in case there is no real progress this week, we then want to push at European level for a significant tightening of sanctions," Merz added. He said that "we will focus on further areas, such as the energy sector and the financial market."
Merz welcomed Zelenskyy's readiness to travel personally to Turkey, "but now it is really up to Putin to accept this offer of negotiations and agree to a ceasefire. The ball is exclusively in Russia."
## Russia isn't saying whether Putin will attend talks
Overnight, Russia launched 10 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine, the Ukrainian air force said. It was Russia's smallest drone bombardment this year.
The Kremlin hasn't directly responded to Zelenskyy's challenge for Putin to meet him in person at the negotiating table.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined for the second straight day Tuesday to tell reporters whether Putin will travel to Istanbul and who else will represent Russia at the potential talks.
"As soon as the president considers it necessary, we will make an announcement," Peskov said.
Russia has said that it will send a delegation to Istanbul without preconditions.
## European leaders say Putin is dragging his feet
Zelenskyy won't be meeting with any Russian officials in Istanbul other than Putin, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy, said Tuesday on a YouTube show run by prominent Russian journalists in exile.
Lower-level talks would amount to simply "dragging out" any peace process, Podolyak said.
European leaders have recently accused Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts, while he attempts to press his bigger army's battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land.
Russia effectively rejected an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, starting Monday, that was demanded by Ukraine and Western European leaders, when it fired more than 100 drones at Ukraine. Putin instead offered direct peace talks.
But the wrangling over whether a ceasefire should come before the talks begin has continued.
"Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations with Russia, but a ceasefire must come first," Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential office, said Tuesday.
Negotiations are impossible while "the Ukrainian people are under attack by Russian missiles and drones around the clock," Yermak said in a video address to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2025.
Putin has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government, especially Zelenskyy himself, saying his term expired last year. Under Ukraine's constitution, it's illegal for the country to hold a national election while it's under martial law, as it now is.
Zelenskyy dismissed claims that a decree enacted by him in 2022 prohibited him from meeting Putin, saying that the claim was Russian propaganda.
Putin and Zelenskyy have only met once, in 2019.
In the war's early months, Zelenskyy repeatedly called for a personal meeting with Putin but was rebuffed. After the Kremlin's decision in September 2022 to illegally annex four regions of Ukraine β Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia β Zelenskyy issued the decree declaring that holding negotiations with Putin had become impossible.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that this decree affected other Ukrainian officials who were directly negotiating with the Russian leader.
___
AP writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Matthew Lee in Antalya, Turkey, contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 04:02:07+00:00 | [
"Sean Diddy Combs",
"Crime",
"New York City Wire",
"Mary J. Blige",
"Alex Fine",
"Los Angeles",
"Sex and sexuality",
"Usher",
"Emily Johnson",
"Human trafficking",
"Entertainment",
"Sexual misconduct",
"Sexual assault"
] | # Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie testifies at his trial about abuse and 'freak offs'
By Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister
May 13th, 2025 04:02 AM
---
NEW YORK (AP) β Cassie, the R&B singer and former girlfriend of Sean "Diddy" Combs, testified Tuesday that the mercurial music mogul β powerful, abusive and controlling β beat her mercilessly and ordered her to have "disgusting" sex with strangers during drug-fueled, multi-day marathons he called "freak offs."
Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, sniffled and dabbed her eyes with a tissue, sighed heavily and paused to compose herself through about five hours of testimony at Combs' sex trafficking trial.
In humiliating detail, she recounted a turbulent 10-year relationship with Combs that she said was consumed by violence and his obsession with a form of voyeurism where "he was controlling the whole situation." That included directing her encounters with male sex workers right down to the copious amounts of baby oil she applied to maintain the "glistening" look he desired.
The "Me & U" singer told jurors that his demands for her to engage in sometimes-revolting sex acts β sometimes as he watched from another room via FaceTime β left her feeling "heavily objectified." But, she said, she endured them because she was in love with Combs.
At the same time, Cassie said, Combs controlled every aspect of her life, from her career to her living arrangements, and she didn't feel like she could tell him "no."
When she did try to leave, she said, Combs punished her β most notably in a 2016 assault captured on a security camera at a Los Angeles hotel. In the video, played in court for a fifth time, Combs is seen hitting, kicking and attempting to drag her back to their room. After the footage was leaked last year, Combs apologized.
Asked how many other times Combs had knocked her to the ground, Cassie replied: "Too many to count."
Due to give birth soon to her third child, Cassie occasionally rested her hands on her pregnant belly as she testified. Her supporters in the courtroom included her husband, Alex Fine.
She is scheduled to return to the witness stand Wednesday. After prosecutors are done questioning her, Combs' lawyers will get their turn.
Prosecutors allege the three-time Grammy winner used his fame and fortune to orchestrate a deviant empire of exploitation, coercing women into abusive sex parties. His lawyers argue that, although he could be violent, he never veered into sex trafficking and racketeering. They contend all sexual acts were consensual.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. He interacted with his lawyers but remained largely stoic as Cassie testified. During a break, he made a heart shape with his hands and mouthed "thank you" to one of his twin daughters. He also blew a kiss to his mother.
Jailed since his arrest last September, he could get at least 15 years and up to life in prison if convicted.
## Cassie testifies about violence and abuse
Cassie sued Combs in 2023 alleging years of abuse. He settled within hours, but dozens of similar lawsuits followed.
Cassie testified Tuesday that she met Combs in 2005, when she was 19 and he was 37. Combs signed her to a 10-year contract with his Bad Boy Records label. Within a few years, they started dating, Cassie said.
Her 2006 single, "Me & U," reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and was the signature song on her first studio album. She was working on a follow up, but Combs "chose what was next for me" and didn't release any others, she said.
Cassie told jurors she was "sexually inexperienced" when she met Combs and that he introduced her to various sex acts before asking her to engaged in her first "freak off" when she was barely 22. Cassie said she was "confused, nervous, but also loved him very much" and "wanted to make him happy."
Cassie, now 38, said her relationship with Combs ran the gamut from good times to arguments and physical altercations. She said the abuse happened "too frequently" and sometimes came after the smallest perceived slights.
Cassie said Combs ordered her to recruit male sex workers for "freak offs" and that he would pay them thousands of dollars to have sex with her. The encounters, fueled by ecstasy and other drugs, would go on for 36 or 48 hours, and she said the longest lasted four days. They took place in private, often in dark hotel rooms, unlike Combs' very public White Parties in the Hamptons that attracted A-list celebrities.
## Cassie felt she couldn't refuse Combs' demands
Cassie said her first "freak off" occurred in Combs' Los Angeles home with a male stripper from Las Vegas. She told jurors she felt dirty and confused afterward, but also relieved that Combs was happy.
Still, she said she felt obligated to go along with future "freak offs."
"I just didn't want to make him upset," she said. "I just didn't want to make him angry and regret telling me about this experience that was so personal."
Cassie began crying when asked if she liked any aspect of the "freak offs." She said she enjoyed "time spent with him."
She said she used drugs at every "freak off" to numb herself during "emotionless sex with a stranger that I didn't really want to have sex with."
The Associated Press doesn't generally identify people who say they are victims of sexual abuse unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie has done.
## 'Freak offs' became a 'job'
Soon, she said, she was doing "freak offs" weekly. They went on for a decade, with the final one in 2017 or 2018, she said. Each time, she said, she had to recuperate from lack of sleep, alcohol, drugs and "having sex with a stranger for days."
She described the situation as: "'Freak offs' became a job where there was no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again."
During her opening statement, prosecutor Emily Johnson told the jury that Cassie was not the only woman Combs beat and sexually exploited.
Combs was among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades, working with artists including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige and Usher. He also created the fashion clothing line Sean John and produced the reality show "Making the Band."
___
Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 16:01:56+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"India government",
"Pakistan",
"India",
"Narendra Modi",
"Kashmir",
"United States government",
"International agreements",
"United States",
"South Asia",
"War and unrest",
"Politics",
"Randhir Jaiswal",
"JD Vance",
"Marco Rubio"
] | # India disputes Trump's claim that trade incentives led to the India-Pakistan ceasefire
By Rajesh Roy
May 13th, 2025 04:01 PM
---
NEW DELHI (AP) β The Indian government on Tuesday disputed U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that the U.S.-mediated ceasefire between India and Pakistan came about in part because he had offered possible trade concessions.
Addressing a weekly news conference, Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesman for India's foreign ministry, said top leaders in New Delhi and Washington were in touch last week following the Indian military's intense standoff with Pakistan, but that there was no conversation on trade.
"The issue of trade didn't come up in any of these discussions," Jaiswal said, referring to the conversations held between U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar.
Following Saturday's understanding between India and Pakistan to stop military action on land, in the air and at sea, Trump told reporters on Monday that he had offered to help both nations with trade if they agreed to de-escalate.
"I said, come on, we're going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let's stop it. Let's stop it. If you stop it, we'll do a trade. If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade,'" Trump said.
"And all of a sudden, they said, I think we're going to stop," Trump said, crediting trade leverage for influencing both the nations' decision. "For a lot of reasons, but trade is a big one," he said.
The militaries of India and Pakistan had been engaged in one of their most serious confrontations in decades since last Wednesday, when India struck targets inside Pakistan it said were affiliated with militants responsible for the massacre of 26 tourists last month in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any links to the attackers.
After India's strikes in Pakistan, the two sides exchanged heavy fire along their de facto borders, followed by missile and drone strikes into each other's territories, mainly targeting military installations and airbases.
The escalating hostilities between the nuclear-armed rivals threatened regional peace, leading to calls by world leaders to cool down tempers.
Trump said he not only helped mediate the ceasefire, but also offered mediation over the simmering dispute in Kashmir, a Himalayan region that both India and Pakistan claim in entirety but administer in parts. The two nations have fought two wars over Kashmir, which has long been described as the regional nuclear flashpoint.
New Delhi also declined Trump's offer for mediation on Tuesday.
"We have a longstanding national position that any issues related to the federally controlled union territory of Jammu and Kashmir must be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. There has been no change to the stated policy," Jaiswal said.
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late Tuesday that Pakistan was expelling a staff member of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, accusing him of unspecified inappropriate activity and giving him 24 hours to leave the country.
In a tit-for-tat move last month, India and Pakistan reduced each other's diplomatic presence in Islamabad and New Delhi. So far, none of the expelled diplomats have returned. Pakistan and India routinely expel each other's diplomats over allegations of espionage.
___
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 00:50:37+00:00 | [
"Los Angeles Dodgers",
"Dave Roberts",
"Los Angeles Angels",
"Tyler Glasnow",
"Blake Snell",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"Sports",
"MLB baseball",
"Clayton Kershaw"
] | # Clayton Kershaw to make season debut for the Dodgers on Saturday against the Angels
By Beth Harris
May 14th, 2025 12:50 AM
---
LOS ANGELES (AP) β Clayton Kershaw will make his season debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels.
The 37-year-old left-hander began his 18th season with the team on the injured list while recovering from toe and knee surgeries. His return comes at a critical time for the Dodgers, with starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and rookie Roki Sasaki on the injured list.
"It's a big shot in the arm," manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. "Clayton has worked really hard to get healthy and the bar is high for him. He doesn't want to just come back to be active. He wants to be come back and help us win baseball games and be good. I know he's excited to contribute."
Kershaw struck out two and allowed a pair of runs on two hits and two walks in his final rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday. He threw 57 pitches over four innings.
"It felt good to be focused on pitching," he told KLAC-AM before Tuesday's game. "The last few times I pitched last year I just focused on how much my foot was hurting. Just focusing on the next pitch as opposed to what hurts. It's been a hard road but I'm feeling good."
Roberts said Kershaw's imminent return "adds an element of certainty and performance."
The three-time Cy Young Award winner will tie Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most years with the Dodgers franchise when he starts this weekend. He and Russell are the only players to log 18 seasons since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958. Kershaw is the longest-tenured player on the current roster.
"I'm tired of taking up space," Kershaw said. "I want to contribute and help the team out."
Kershaw is 32 strikeouts from reaching 3,000 to go with his 212 career wins.
He remains determined to eventually retire on his terms rather than let circumstances dictate his plans. His family is "a huge motivating factor as well," he said.
"If I go out there and get shelled and I'm not good anymore that's one thing," Kershaw said. "If another hitter gets the best of me that's one thing, but I'm not going to let it do it to myself."
He made just seven starts last year before his season ended in August due to pain in his left big toe. He watched from the sidelines as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees to win their eighth World Series title.
Kershaw has been following his teammates on TV.
"It's a great team. Forty games in you can see a lot of things that are going really well," he said. "I just want to be a part of it."
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 16:16:10+00:00 | [
"Sean Diddy Combs",
"Casandra Ventura",
"Legal proceedings",
"Crime",
"Celebrity",
"Lawsuits",
"Music",
"RB",
"New York City Wire",
"Entertainment",
"Wiz Khalifa",
"Sexual misconduct",
"Human trafficking",
"Mario Barrett",
"Ryan Leslie",
"Sexual assault",
"Daniel Phillip",
"Frankie Stone Fine",
"Kid Cudi",
"Suge Knight",
"Alex Fine",
"Lil Wayne",
"Akon"
] | # Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial: Who is Cassie?
By Maria Sherman
May 13th, 2025 04:16 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) β Casandra Ventura, the R&B singer and actor known simply as Cassie, began testifying Tuesday in Sean "Diddy" Combs ' sex trafficking trial. She is expected to return to the stand on Wednesday.
The music mogul is charged with leveraging his status to coerce women β including Cassie β into abusive sexual encounters and using violence if they refused. He has pleaded not guilty. Cassie sued Combs in 2023 alleging years of rape and abuse. The suit was settled within hours, but was followed by dozens of similar legal claims and touched off a criminal investigation.
Here's what you need to know about the 38-year-old star witness:
## A talented performer
A singer, actor, dancer and model, Cassie's professional ambitions began in adolescence, when she signed to the top-tier talent and modeling agency Wilhelmina. Her music career launched shortly thereafter, when she left her home state of Connecticut for New York, where she signed with manager Tony Mottola and first met Combs.
Cassie is perhaps best known for the 2006 hit single "Me & U," which secured the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 all genres chart. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song was the lead single of her only studio album, released by Combs' Bad Boy Records, and was self-titled. She left the label in 2019.
As an actor, she appeared in several television and film projects including Fox's "Empire," "The Perfect Match" and "Spenser Confidential." She made her acting debut in 2008 in "Step Up 2: The Streets" and contributed the song "Is It You" to its soundtrack.
She appeared in a number of music videos as well, including Wiz Khalifa's "Roll Up" and Mario's "Just A Friend 2002."
Although she never released her long-teased sophomore album, at one point tentatively titled "Electro Love," she did drop a few tracks: the R&B-pop "Official Girl" with Lil Wayne, "Must Be Love" with Combs, and "Let's Get Crazy" with Akon. And in 2012, Nicki Minaj tapped her for a feature on "The Boys" from Minaj's "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded β The Re-Up."
Cassie is also a wife and a mother. She married personal trainer Alex Fine in September 2019. Their first daughter, Frankie Stone Fine, was born that same year and they welcomed their second daughter, Sunny Cinco Fine, in 2021. She is currently pregnant with their third child, a son.
## The Combs connection
Cassie met Combs in 2005 when she was 19 and he was 37. He signed her to his Bad Boy Records label and, within a few years, they started dating.
In her 2023 civil lawsuit, Cassie alleges Combs trapped her in a "cycle of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking" for more than a decade, including raping her and forcing her to engage in sex acts with male sex workers. Combs settled the lawsuit the next day.
In May 2024, CNN aired video that showed Combs attacking Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016. The video closely mirrored an assault described in her lawsuit, which said Combs had already punched her that night, and she was trying to leave the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles when he woke and came after her. In the footage, a man who appears to be Diddy, wearing only a towel, punches Cassie, kicks her, and throws her on to the floor. The lawsuit alleges Combs paid $50,000 to bury the video at the time.
Later, Combs apologized for the assault on Cassie in his first real acknowledgment of wrongdoing since the stream of allegations began.
Among other things, Cassie alleges Combs raped her when she tried to leave him and often punched, kicked and beat her, causing injuries including bruises, burst lips, black eyes and bleeding.
She also alleges that Combs was involved in blowing up rival rapper Kid Cudi's car when he learned that Cudi was romantically interested in her, and she alleges that Combs ran out of his home with guns when he learned that Suge Knight, a rival producer, was eating at a nearby diner.
On the first day of Combs' sex trafficking trial, a witness, Daniel Phillip, said he was a professional stripper who was paid $700 to $6,000 to have sex with Cassie while Combs watched and gave instructions, with the first encounter in 2012.
Phillip told jurors that he stopped meeting with the couple after he saw Combs throw a bottle at her and then drag her by her hair into a bedroom as she screamed.
___
AP writer Mike Sisak contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:49:40+00:00 | [
"Kim Kardashian",
"Crime",
"Paris",
"Theft",
"France",
"Legal proceedings",
"Entertainment",
"Simone Harouche"
] | # Kim Kardashian testifies about trauma of Paris jewelry robbery
By Thomas Adamson, John Leicester, and Nicolas Vaux-Montagny
May 13th, 2025 10:49 PM
---
PARIS (AP) β Defiant in diamonds, Kim Kardashian appeared in a Paris courtroom Tuesday to testify in the trial over the 2016 armed robbery that upended her life. The reality star and business mogul gave emotional, at times harrowing, testimony about the night masked men tied her up at gunpoint and stole more than $6 million in jewelry.
Here's what she revealed β and what's still to come.
## A night that changed everything
Kardashian said she was starting to doze off in bed in the early hours when she heard stomping on the stairs. She assumed it was her sister Kourtney returning from a night out. "Hello? Hello? Who is it?" she called.
Moments later, two masked men burst in. They dragged the concierge in handcuffs. They were dressed as police.
"I thought it was some sort of terrorist attack," she said.
She grabbed her phone but froze β "I didn't know what 911 was (in France)." She tried to call her sister and her bodyguard, but one man grabbed her hand to stop her. They threw her on the bed, bound her hands and held a gun to her back.
"I have babies," she recalled telling the robbers. "I have to make it home. They can take everything. I just have to make it home."
Her robe fell open β she said she was naked underneath β as one man pulled her toward him. "I was certain that was the moment that he was going to rape me," Kardashian said.
One attacker leaned in and told her, in English, she'd be OK if she stayed quiet. He taped her mouth shut, and took her to the bathroom.
Kardashian later managed to free her hands by rubbing the tape against the bathroom sink. She hopped downstairs, ankles still bound, and found her friend and stylist, Simone Harouche. Fearing the men might return, the women climbed onto the balcony and hid in bushes. While lying there, Kardashian called her mother.
The men took a diamond ring she'd worn that night to a Givenchy show and rifled through her jewelry box. They took items including a watch her late father had given her when she graduated high school. "It wasn't just jewelry. It was so many memories," she said.
## A changed life and constant fear
Investigators believe the attackers followed Kardashian's digital breadcrumbs β images, timestamps, geotags β and exploited them with old-school criminal methods.
The robbery reshaped Kardashian's sense of safety and freedom. "This experience really changed everything for us," she said. "I started to get this phobia of going out."
She often rents adjoining hotel rooms for protection and no longer stores jewelry at home, and now has up to six security guards at home.
"I can't even sleep at night" otherwise, she said.
She also said she no longer makes social media posts in real time unless at a public event. Her Los Angeles home was robbed shortly after the Paris heist in what she believes was a copycat attack.
## A letter and an unexpected moment of grace
In a powerful courtroom moment, the chief judge read aloud a letter from one of the accused, who is too ill to testify. The letter said he had seen Kardashian's tears on television and expressed regret. Kardashian was visibly moved.
"I'm obviously emotional," she said in response.
"I do appreciate the letter, for sure," she added. "I forgive you for what had taken place. But it doesn't change the emotion, the trauma, and the way my life is forever changed."
Kardashian, who is studying to become a lawyer, added that she regularly visits prisons. "I've always believed in second chances," she said.
## Diamonds, defiance and public image
Kardashian made a fashion statement in court, wearing a $1.5 million necklace by Samer Halimeh New York. The jeweler's press release for the necklace came out even as she was on the witness stand, a reminder that visibility remains currency, even if the rules have grown more complicated.
The choice reflected defiance and the reclaiming of the image and luxury once used against her.
Kardashian said Paris had once been a sanctuary, a place where she would walk at 3 or 4 a.m., window shopping, sometimes stopping for hot chocolate. It "always felt really safe," she said. "It was always a magical place."
## What's next
Twelve suspects were originally charged. One has died. One was excused due to illness. The French press dubbed the group les papys braqueurs β "the grandpa robbers" β but prosecutors say they were no harmless retirees.
The defendants face charges including armed robbery, kidnapping and gang association. If convicted, they could face life in prison.
Kardashian said she was grateful for the opportunity to "tell my truth" in the packed Paris courtroom.
"This is my closure," she said. "This is me putting this, hopefully, to rest."
The trial is expected to conclude May 23. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 01:53:14+00:00 | [
"Atlanta Braves",
"Washington Nationals",
"Pierce Johnson",
"Baseball",
"DC Wire",
"MLB",
"CJ Abrams",
"Ozhaino Albies",
"Dylan Lee",
"Sports",
"Bryce Elder",
"Amed Rosario",
"MLB baseball",
"Brad Lord",
"Austin Riley",
"Mike Soroka",
"Mitchell Parker"
] | # Drake Baldwin helps Braves reach .500 for first time in 2025 with 5-2 win over skidding Nats
By Bill Trocchi
May 14th, 2025 01:53 AM
---
ATLANTA (AP) β Drake Baldwin hit a two-run homer, Spencer Schwellenbach pitched seven strong innings and the Atlanta Braves improved to .500 for the first time this season with a 5-2 win over the skidding Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.
The Braves (21-21), who began the season 0-7, handed the Nationals their seventh straight loss.
Baldwin was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Austin Riley was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Atlanta native CJ Abrams homered on the first pitch of the game from Schwellenbach (2-3), who kept the Nationals in check from there. He gave up two runs, four hits and two walks while striking out three.
Dylan Lee pitched a scoreless eighth and Pierce Johnson worked the ninth for his first save of the season.
Amed Rosario was 2 for 3 with an RBI for the Nats, who have scored just 15 runs during the skid.
Washington starter Michael Soroka, an All-Star for Atlanta as a rookie in 2019, went four innings in his first appearance against his former team, giving up four hits and two runs while striking out four. Brad Lord (2-5) gave up two runs in two innings of relief.
## Key moment
With the Braves trailing 2-0 in the fourth inning, Baldwin tied it when he drove a hanging 3-2 slider from Soroka over the right-field wall for his fourth homer of the season.
## Key stat
Atlanta's Ozzie Albies ended an 0-for-28 drought with a one-out RBI single to right field in the sixth inning. It was the longest hitless streak of the nine-year veteran's career and the longest active streak in the majors.
## Up next
Bryce Elder (2-2, 4.97 ERA) will start for the Braves against the Nationals' Mitchell Parker (3-3, 3.97) on Wednesday night.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 15:09:14+00:00 | [
"Justin Trudeau",
"Donald Trump",
"Dominic LeBlanc",
"Canada government",
"Canada",
"Anita Anand",
"Franois Philippe Champagne",
"Bill Blair",
"Mlanie Joly",
"David McGuinty",
"International",
"The Goldman Sachs Group",
"Inc.",
"Royalty",
"Evan Solomon",
"King Charles III",
"Politics",
"Mark Carney",
"Business",
"Tim Hodgson"
] | # Canadian Prime Minister Carney names a new foreign minister in a Cabinet shake-up
By Rob Gillies
May 13th, 2025 03:09 PM
---
TORONTO (AP) β Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a major Cabinet shakeup, including a new foreign minister, Tuesday as he shapes a newly reelected Liberal government.
Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau earlier this year and won election last month, named Anita Anand foreign minister, replacing MΓ©lanie Joly, who becomes the minister of industry. Anand's previous roles include defense minister.
François-Philippe Champagne retains his job as finance minister, while Dominic LeBlanc remains minister of U.S. trade at a time of a trade war between Canada and the United States.
Carney won the job of prime minister by promising to confront the aggression toward Canada shown by U.S. President Donald Trump, while preserving the calm demeanor of an economist who has led the central banks of both Canada and the United Kingdom.
"Canadians elected this new government with a strong mandate to define a new economic and security relationship with the United States and to build a stronger economy for all Canadians," Carney said.
Carney noted that King Charles III will deliver a speech outlining the Canadian government's priorities on May 27, when Parliament resumes. Charles is the head of state in Canada, which is a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies.
Carney has emphasized Canada's founding nations, the United Kingdom and France, and has said the old relationship with the U.S. based on steadily increasing integration is over.
More than 10 people were dropped from the new Cabinet, including former defense minister Bill Blair. David McGuinty goes from public safety to defense.
Carney named former Goldman Sachs Canada CEO Tim Hodgson as natural resources minister. Carney, who worked for 14 years at Goldman Sachs, has said he wants to build Canada into an energy "superpower" and prioritize big, "nation building" projects.
Former journalist Evan Solomon is among the new ministers, serving in the new post of minister of artificial intelligence.
Women make up half of the Cabinet, as they did in Trudeau's Cabinet.
Carney said the new Cabinet is built to deliver the change Canadians want and need. The Liberal government is in its fourth term. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 15:23:57+00:00 | [
"Jensen Huang",
"NVIDIA Corp.",
"Saudi Arabia",
"Semiconductor manufacturing",
"Artificial intelligence",
"Technology",
"Data management and storage",
"Cloud computing",
"Business"
] | # Nvidia to send 18,000 AI chips to Saudi Arabia
By The Associated Press
May 13th, 2025 03:23 PM
---
U.S. chip maker Nvidia will partner with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund-owned AI startup Humain and will ship 18,000 chips to the Middle Eastern nation to help power a new data center project.
The partnership was revealed Tuesday as part of a White House trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has been working to develop its artificial intelligence capacity and strengthen its cloud computing infrastructure with the help of foreign investment.
"AI, like electricity and internet, is essential infrastructure for every nation," said Jensen Huang, founder of Nvidia. "Together with Humain, we are building AI infrastructure for the people and companies of Saudi Arabia to realize the bold vision of the Kingdom."
The cutting-edge Blackwell chips will be used in a 500 megawatt data center in Saudi Arabia, according to remarks at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. The California company said its first deployment will use its GB300 Blackwell chips, which are among Nvidia's most advanced AI chips at the moment, and which were only officially announced earlier this year. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 20:35:36+00:00 | [
"Pope Leo XIV",
"Pope Francis",
"Vatican City",
"Social media",
"Catholic Church",
"Papal conclave",
"Religion",
"Pope Benedict XVI",
"Donald Trump",
"Technology",
"JD Vance"
] | # Pope Leo XIV is back on social media, with a message of peace
May 13th, 2025 08:35 PM
---
VATICAN CITY (AP) β Pope Leo XIV has taken over the Vatican's official social media handles, with a first Instagram post on Tuesday repeating the first words he said to the world as pope: "Peace be with you all!"
The @Pontifex β Pope Leo XIV post featured some of the photos that have documented the first days of history's first American pope.
The Vatican said it was archiving the posts from Pope Francis ' 12-year papacy. On X, the new account didn't appear to be active Tuesday.
The Vatican launched the @Pontifex handle in 2012 during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. It now comes in nine languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Polish, Arabic, and Latin -- and counts a combined 52 million followers.
Past popes didn't actually send the posts, which were curated by the Vatican.
The former Cardinal Robert Prevost occasionally posted on X in an account started in 2011. It had been dormant since July 2023 but came back to life earlier this year to share criticism of Trump administration migration policies and comments by Vice President JD Vance.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 01:05:09+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Philippines",
"Joe Biden",
"Jeanine Pirro",
"Lawsuits",
"Philippines government",
"Courts",
"Legal proceedings",
"Bribery",
"Corporate crime",
"Voting",
"New York City Wire",
"Erik Connolly",
"Rudolph Giuliani",
"Fraud",
"Indictments",
"Corruption",
"Sidney Powell",
"Elections"
] | # Fox News can get Smartmatic records about Philippines bribery case, court rules
By Jennifer Peltz
May 14th, 2025 01:05 AM
---
NEW YORK (AP) β Fox News can get access to some internal documents at the voting-technology company Smartmatic as part of its effort to defend itself against a $2.7 billion civil defamation lawsuit over its coverage of claims of voting fraud during the 2020 presidential election, a New York appeals court ruled Tuesday.
The documents concern a U.S. corruption case about Smartmatic's dealings in the Philippines.
The opinion reversed a lower-court judge's repeated denials of Fox requests to peer into the company's records about the federal inquiry, which led to criminal charges against Smartmatic co-founder Roger PiΓ±ate and two other executives.
Smartmatic says the suit is a world away from the criminal case, which alleges the executives conspired to pay over $1 million in bribes to a Filipino official between 2015 and 2018 to secure business there.
PiΓ±ate and at least one co-defendant have pleaded not guilty. It's unclear from court records whether the third executive has entered a plea or has an attorney who can comment on the charges. Smartmatic itself isn't charged and put the defendants on leave.
Florida-based Smartmatic says its business was decimated when Fox aired false claims that the election-tech company helped rig the 2020 voting. Under pressure from Smartmatic, Fox eventually interviewed an election technology expert who refuted the allegations.
The network says it simply reported on newsworthy allegations made by President Donald Trump and his allies, and that Smartmatic is vastly overstating its purported losses.
A five-judge state Appellate Division panel said Fox can get some documents about how the Philippines corruption indictment affected Smartmatic's business, reasoning that the information is "plainly relevant to its current and future lost profits."
In court filings and a recent hearing, lawyers for Fox News and Smartmatic disputed how much relevant material already was turned over.
Hailing Tuesday's ruling, the network said in a statement that evidence "shows that Smartmatic's business and reputation were badly suffering long before any claims by President Trump's lawyers on Fox News."
Smartmatic lawyer Erik Connolly said Fox's "campaign of lies was the number-one cause of Smartmatic's injuries."
Smartmatic is suing the network and some current and former on-air hosts, including Jeanine Pirro, newly tapped as top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital. The lawsuit involves shows in which Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell portrayed Smartmatic as part of a broad conspiracy to steal the 2020 vote from Trump. The Republican was then in his first term.
Federal and state election officials, exhaustive reviews in battleground states and Trump's own then-attorney general found no widespread fraud that could have changed the outcome of the election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden. Nor did they uncover any credible evidence that the vote was tainted. Dozens of judges, including some whom Trump had appointed, rejected his fraud claims. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 01:26:31+00:00 | [
"Mens college basketball",
"Illinois Fighting Illini",
"Brad Underwood",
"College sports",
"Illinois",
"Illinois Fighting Illini mens basketball",
"Lou Henson",
"Sports",
"Josh Whitman",
"Rose Bowls"
] | # Illinois rewards football coach Bret Bielema and hoops coach Brad Underwood with 6-year extensions
By Andrew Seligman
May 14th, 2025 01:26 AM
---
Illinois has locked in its football and men's basketball coaches for the long term, agreeing to six-year contracts with Bret Bielema and Brad Underwood.
Illinois rewarded Bielema for turning around its struggling football program, and Underwood for an eight-year run that includes five NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the Elite Eight. Both deals were announced Tuesday.
Bielema's deal runs through 2030, while Underwood is locked in through the 2030-31 season. The contracts are pending approval by the university's board of trustees on May 22.
Bielema's annual salary would begin at $7.7 million, while Underwood's would start at $4.4 million. Both coaches would be eligible for four one-year extensions if performance benchmarks are met, as well as annual retention incentives starting next July 1.
For Bielema, the retention incentives would start at $700,000 and increase each year. For Underwood, they would begin at $1.15 million.
In four seasons in Champaign, Bielema has led Illinois to a 28-22 record and an 18-18 mark in Big Ten play. The Illini matched a school record for wins in 2024 when they went 10-3. They beat South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl and became just the fifth team in the program's 133 years to reach double-digit victories.
"Over the last four seasons, our program has been built on tough, smart, dependable people in every facet: from our players, to our coaches and staff, to our administration," Bielema said in a statement. "I am fortunate to work every day with an athletic director that fully believes in our football program and a coaching staff that fully believes in our players."
Underwood praised his program's "alignment" with athletic director Josh Whitman, the administration and trustees.
"That foundation created the environment where β led by all the tremendous players we've had along with a group of talented assistant coaches and a dedicated staff β we have been able to achieve success," he said.
Bielema, who led Wisconsin to three Rose Bowls before a disappointing run at Arkansas, replaced the fired Lovie Smith after the 2020 season. He got a six-year contract at the time with a salary starting at $4.2 million to return to the Big Ten and his home state.
Illinois had nine straight losing seasons before Bielema was hired. The Illini went 5-7 in his first year before winning eight games in 2022. They went 5-7 in 2023 before bouncing back last year.
Illinois won 10 games for the first time since 2001. The Illini were ranked by the College Football Playoff selection committee a program-record four straight weeks and appeared in the AP poll 11 times, finishing at No. 16.
Underwood is 165-101 overall at Illinois and 92-66 in Big Ten play, with three league championships. He and Lou Henson are the only Illini coaches with at least five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Illinois was also on track to make the 2020 tournament that was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Illini won 22 games last season after losing five starters and the top eight scorers from a team that reached the Elite Eight in 2024.
Underwood has a 274-128 record in 12 seasons as a head coach, including three at Stephen F. Austin and one at Oklahoma State.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 01:05:06+00:00 | [
"Connecticut Sun",
"Connecticut",
"Tina Charles",
"Jen Rizzotti",
"WNBA",
"Sports",
"NBA basketball",
"WNBA basketball",
"Caitlin Clark",
"Orlando",
"Michael Carter Williams"
] | # Connecticut Sun exploring all options, including sale of franchise according to team president
By Doug Feinberg
May 14th, 2025 01:05 AM
---
The Connecticut Sun are looking at all options for the franchise's future, including a potential sale, team president Jen Rizzotti said Tuesday.
The team is owned by the Mohegan Tribe, which runs the casino where the team has played since 2003. The Tribe bought the franchise for $10 million and relocated it from Orlando that year. The Connecticut franchise was the first in the league to be run by a non-NBA owner and also became the first to turn a profit.
Rizzotti, who took over in her current role four years ago, said that Mohegan's decision was the move of "responsible business owners" and that "it's more about being consistent about how they're evaluating all of their businesses, the Connecticut Sun being one of them."
The news was first reported Monday by Sportico, which said the team had hired investment bank Allen & Co to conduct the probe.
Rizzotti said that no decision has been made and that no timeline has been set. The team could be sold to an outside group or the franchise could bring on a minority owner.
"They want to make sure they're doing what's best for the organization as well as the WNBA," she said.
Rizzotti went on to say that the ownership group has done a great job over the years.
"They do everything first class. They pride themselves on guest experience and attention to detail and true investment in the right ways. If the tribe decides they want to own this team, they're as competitive, I think, as any ownership group in the league."
The WNBA has experienced rapid growth the last few seasons and ownerships groups have been investing more into their teams, including player experiences. That has come in the way of practice facilities. The Sun are one of the few teams in the league that haven't announced any plans for a new training facility.
Connecticut practices either at the arena in the casino or a local community center.
Despite the lack of facilities, the Sun have been one of the most successful teams in the league, making the postseason in 16 seasons, including a run of six straight semifinal appearances. But the team was hit hard this offseason with the entire starting five from last season leaving either via free agency or trade.
"We're going to pour into this franchise as long as it's here," Rizzotti said. "And if it ends up not being the case, then we'll worry about that when the time comes."
Rizzotti met with the players and coaches Tuesday morning and asked them to stay focused on this season, which begins Sunday against Washington.
"They have their job, and our job is to put the best product on the floor," said Tina Charles, who returned to the franchise this offseason after leaving in 2014. "We trust that they're gonna do their jobs and make the right decision that will benefit the organization and the players and the coaches and the staff moving forward."
The WNBA added a 13th franchise this year with the Golden State Valkyries beginning play. Toronto and Portland will enter the league next season as expansion teams. A 16th team will also be awarded to a city at some point soon.
The league hasn't had a team relocate since 2017, when the San Antonio franchise moved to Las Vegas and became the Aces. The Sun played a regular-season game last year in Boston and will again play one there in July against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
A group that includes former NBA player Michael Carter Williams expressed interest in February about bringing a franchise to Boston.
___
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 19:08:32+00:00 | [
"Aaron Boone",
"Oswaldo Cabrera",
"Athlete injuries",
"Aaron Judge",
"New York Yankees",
"Injuries",
"Softball",
"Seattle Mariners",
"MLB",
"New York City Wire",
"Oswald Peraza",
"Sports",
"Pablo Reyes",
"New York",
"MLB baseball",
"Justin Greisberg",
"DJ LeMahieu",
"Jorbit Vivas"
] | # Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera placed on 10-day injured list with left ankle fracture
By Andrew Destin
May 13th, 2025 07:08 PM
---
SEATTLE (AP) β New York Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle fracture ahead of Tuesday night's game against the Seattle Mariners.
In a corresponding move, infielder DJ LeMahieu completed his rehab assignment and was reinstated from the 10-day injured list.
In the ninth inning of New York's 11-5 victory over Seattle on Monday night, Cabrera fractured his left ankle on an awkward slide when he reached back for the plate and scored the Yankees' final run on Aaron Judge's sacrifice fly.
Manager Aaron Boone said Cabrera avoided emergency surgery and was discharged from the hospital early Tuesday morning before taking a flight back to New York. Cabrera is expected to meet with Dr. Justin Greisberg, an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon, in New York on Wednesday.
"He'll see Dr. Greisberg tomorrow and then kind of get the plan of action, surgery in play potentially the next day," Boone said. "But, we'll have a better idea here (in) the next 24 hours, 48 hours, just exactly what they're dealing with."
Boone visited Cabrera in the hospital Monday night, as did numerous Yankees teammates β two at a time β throughout the evening, as well as in the team hotel lobby Tuesday morning.
Upon leaving Seattle, Cabrera did so without a hard cast, nor a clear idea as to whether he had sustained any ligament damage in his left ankle. As a result, Boone was noncommittal about whether Cabrera could return later this year, or if his 2025 season ended with the injury.
"I have no idea," Boone said. "We'll see, we'll see. Again, that's one of those things that if and when they do surgery, they'll go in there and you'll get a better idea when you're in there of what exactly is needed and then we'll see."
Cabrera had become a regular in the Yankees' lineup this season. The clubhouse favorite is hitting .243 this season with one home run and 11 RBIs.
There are a number of internal options to fill Cabrera's spot in the lineup in the meantime, Boone said. The since-activated LeMahieu could get time there, as well as Pablo Reyes and Jorbit Vivas. Oswald Peraza got the start at third base on Tuesday night.
Primarily, LeMahieu will play second base, the position the 36-year-old utilityman has spent the majority of his MLB career.
"It feels natural. I played there for 12 years," LeMahieu said. "So, yeah, I feel really good over there. But yeah, kind of see how it checks out."
LeMahieu was flying to Seattle during the middle of Monday night's game, and learned of Cabrera's injury when checking the score. Like his Yankees teammates, LeMahieu was devastated by the news.
"Obviously it's one of the dark sides of the game," LeMahieu said. "Super unfortunate. He's a great guy, great player and just really unfortunate."
While Cabrera's season hangs in the balance and the Yankees attempt to move forward for however long he's sidelined, Boone hardly could have gathered the fourth-year big leaguer was going through a challenging time from their Tuesday morning interaction.
"He was smiling, happy," Boone said. "Trust he's in good hands."
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 20:52:07+00:00 | [
"Maryland",
"Wes Moore",
"West Virginia",
"Schools",
"Evacuations",
"Climate and environment",
"Aaron Stallings",
"Education",
"Deval Patrick",
"Judy Hamilton",
"Floods",
"Climate"
] | # Flash flooding forces evacuation of elementary school in western Maryland
By Lea Skene
May 13th, 2025 08:52 PM
---
BALTIMORE (AP) β Flooding in rural western Maryland forced the evacuation of an elementary school Tuesday afternoon as water began to breach the second floor, according to local officials.
Homes and businesses in downtown Westernport were also inundated with floodwaters after hours of heavy rain.
Officials reassured the public that students and staff were safe as concerned parents and other community members posted on social media wondering how long the emergency situation would last at Westernport Elementary School.
Allegany County spokesperson Kati Kenney said responders used rescue boats to safely evacuate the school. About 150 students and 50 adults were evacuated during 15 boat trips.
Kenney said additional evacuations were underway in nearby areas, with reports of people trapped in cars and houses, but no injuries had been reported as of late Tuesday afternoon. She said emergency crews from surrounding counties were helping with the response in the small community near the West Virginia line.
Another elementary school was also evacuated, and students at a middle school were sheltering in place, the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services said Tuesday evening. Officials said three emergency shelters had been opened across the county.
Aaron Stallings, rushed to Westernport Elementary to pick up his little sister earlier Tuesday afternoon, but he soon realized his car wouldn't make it. Stallings said he hopped a fence and made his way on foot through the shin-deep water.
"I knew my car was not going to get through, so I had to find an alternate route," he said.
Stallings said children were being kept on the second and third floors when he made his way inside. Minutes after he located his sister with the help of the principal, the water level on the first floor had already risen again to his knees and was rushing under the school doors.
Once he waded back outside with his sister, Stallings turned around to capture video of the scene, where parked cars and a dumpster were floating through the school's parking lot.
Alley Wade also left work early when she heard about flooding downtown. She and her husband hoped to pick up their two sons, ages 8 and 10, but they couldn't get to the school because roads were already closed. Instead, they spent most of the afternoon standing around in the rain anxiously watching the floodwaters rise.
"It was stressful because I felt so helpless," Wade said.
The family was finally reunited after the students had been evacuated. Wade said there were a lot of crying kids, but thankfully everyone was safe.
Roads throughout the area were closed due to flooding, including major arteries, according to the Allegany County Sheriff's Office.
Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton said the town has been prone to severe flooding in the past, but they weren't expecting it today.
"It just seemed to happen all at once," she said. "My heart is breaking."
She said the evacuated students were taken to higher ground and sheltered in a church building, where they would be kept safe by teachers and staff until their parents could pick them up.
With a population under 2,000 people, Westernport is located in the far corner of western Maryland. Its downtown took shape in a valley where Georges Creek flows into the North Branch Potomac River.
The National Weather Service reported widespread flash flooding in the area Tuesday afternoon.
"We are closely monitoring the flood conditions that are present across Western Maryland due to heavy rainfall, especially in Allegany County," Gov. Wes Moore said in a social media post, adding that the state and local authorities were actively responding to the inundation.
Hamilton said the last time Westernport suffered from devastating floods was in 1996.
"But we're strong and we always build back," she said.
In West Virginia, Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency Tuesday night in Mineral County, along the Maryland border, due to severe storms and heavy rains that resulted in flash flooding. The declaration allows the state to mobilize personnel and resources to the area.
___
Associated Press newsgathering producer Beatrice Dupuy in New York and reporter John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to this story. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 01:10:37+00:00 | [
"Emmanuel Clase",
"Steven Kwan",
"Milwaukee Brewers",
"Cleveland Guardians",
"Carlos Santana",
"Kyle Manzardo",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"Logan Allen",
"Sports",
"Gavin Williams",
"Hunter Gaddis",
"MLB baseball",
"Diving",
"Jackson Chourio",
"Quinn Priester",
"Christian Yelich",
"Matt Festa",
"Jose Ramirez"
] | # RamΓrez homers, Allen pitches 6 sharp innings as Guardians blank Brewers for 2nd straight night, 2-0
May 14th, 2025 01:10 AM
---
CLEVELAND (AP) β JosΓ© RamΓrez hit his seventh homer, Logan Allen allowed three hits in six innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat Milwaukee 2-0 on Tuesday night, their second consecutive shutout of the Brewers.
Kyle Manzardo drove in the Guardians' other run with his second triple this season, a short flyball that got past a diving Jackson Chourio in center field to score RamΓrez in the eighth inning.
Allen (2-2) walked one and struck out six. Matt Festa, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase completed the shutout. Clase got his ninth save.
The Guardians have six shutouts this season, including Monday night's 5-0 win over the Brewers. They have won five of seven overall.
RamΓrez went deep in the first inning off Quinn Priester (1-2), who allowed three hits in five innings.
RamΓrez and Steven Kwan each had two hits, including Kwan's ninth double. Carlos Santana walked twice to extend his on-base streak to 16 games.
Chourio had two of Milwaukee's three hits, including his 14th double, and stole his seventh and eighth bases of the season. The Brewers have lost five of six.
## Key moment
Chourio doubled to open the sixth but Allen then retired the 2-3-4 hitters, striking out Christian Yelich to end the inning.
## Key stat
Guardians starters have a 2.16 ERA over their last 14 games. They had a 5.24 ERA over the prior 28 games this season.
## Up next
Milwaukee hadn't announced a starter for Wednesday's series finale. Gavin Williams (3-2, 4.38) will pitch for the Guardians.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 01:06:55+00:00 | [
"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.",
"West Virginia",
"Irene Berger",
"Morgantown",
"Lung disease",
"Lawsuits",
"Richard Nixon",
"Sam Brown Petsonk",
"Health",
"Legal proceedings",
"Harry Wiley"
] | # Judge orders restoration of jobs in health program for West Virginia coal miners
By John Raby
May 14th, 2025 01:06 AM
---
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) β A judge on Tuesday ordered the restoration of a health monitoring program for coal miners in West Virginia and rescinded layoffs the federal government implemented in a unit of a small U.S. health agency.
U.S. District Judge Irene Berger issued a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed against Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by a coal miner who was diagnosed with a respiratory ailment commonly known as black lung disease.
Nearly 200 workers at a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health facility in Morgantown were told last month that their jobs were being terminated as part of restructuring within Health and Human Services. Berger ordered that jobs be restored within NIOSH's respiratory health division in Morgantown, although her ruling didn't specify a number. The division is responsible for screening and reviewing medical exams to determine whether there is evidence that miners have developed black lung.
Federal law mandates that regular health screenings be made available to coal miners. Those diagnosed with black lung also are given the option to transfer to other positions in a mine to protect them from continued dust exposure without a pay reduction.
Berger said the defendants "lack the authority to unilaterally cancel" the Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program within NIOSH. She ordered both the surveillance and job transfer programs to be restored, saying that "there be no pause, stoppage or gap in the protections and services" mandated by the federal Mine Safety and Health Act.
Poisonous silica dust has contributed to the premature deaths of thousands of mine workers from black lung disease. Plaintiff Harry Wiley, a West Virginia mine electrician who has worked in coal mines for 38 years, was diagnosed with early-stage black lung last November.
Canceling the health surveillance program would "cost lives," Berger wrote. "Remaining in a dusty job may reduce the years in which Mr. Wiley can walk and breathe unassisted, in addition to hastening his death. It is difficult to imagine a clearer case of irreparable harm."
The judge gave Kennedy 20 days to show the federal government is complying with her order.
An email seeking comment from Health and Human Services wasn't immediately returned Tuesday night.
Wiley's attorney, Sam Brown Petsonk, said the preliminary injunction "had to happen, and the public, I think, understands the absolute necessity of this program. It cannot be hindered. It cannot be whittled away. It's essential because it saves the lives of some of he hardest-working people in this entire world."
NIOSH was created under a 1970 law signed by President Richard Nixon. It started operations the following year and grew to have offices and labs in eight cities, including Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Morgantown, and Spokane, Washington. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:33:48+00:00 | [
"Arizona",
"Katie Hobbs",
"New Mexico",
"Arizona state government",
"Emily Pike",
"North Dakota",
"Michelle Lujan Grisham",
"Legislation",
"Indigenous people",
"Teresa Martinez",
"Politics",
"Amber Alerts",
"Teens",
"Activism",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Kelly Armstrong",
"Race and Ethnicity"
] | # Arizona governor signs 'Emily's Law' to alert when Native Americans go missing
By Sejal Govindarao and Susan Montoya Bryan
May 13th, 2025 10:33 PM
---
PHOENIX (AP) β Arizona's governor on Tuesday signed legislation to create an alert system for Native Americans who have gone missing in the state, a measure that won unanimous approval from lawmakers in the wake of the disappearance and death of a San Carlos Apache teen.
With Gov. Katie Hobbs' signature, Arizona becomes the latest state to join a movement that began in 2022 in Washington state to use alert systems to quickly share information about cases involving Native Americans.
Colorado, California and other states have adopted their own versions of such systems. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently signed what is known as "turquoise alert" legislation, and North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong approved a "feather alert." The alerts take their names from items that hold spiritual and cultural significance to Native Americans.
Arizona's "turquoise alert" legislation is also referred to as "Emily's Law" to honor Emily Pike, whose remains were found Feb. 14 more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) from a group home she left in Mesa, Arizona, in late January. Pike's death spurred a resurgence of activism aimed at bringing more awareness to the disproportionate number of disappearances and violent deaths that have gripped Native American communities for decades, and prompted lawmakers to amend the bill to recognize her.
"It breaks my heart that we, the state of Arizona, didn't even go looking for this little girl. No one looked for her," said bill sponsor Rep. Teresa Martinez while on the House floor last week. "We cannot let children go missing without somebody being alerted."
Martinez's great niece is a member of the Gila River Indian Community.
The Federal Communications Commission voted last year to establish a new national alert code for delivering messages to the public via television, radio and wireless phones about missing and endangered persons cases.
The commission reported that in 2023, more than 188,000 people who fall outside of the criteria for Amber Alerts went missing, noting that the new code will be particularly beneficial to Native American, Alaska Native and Black communities. Those groups constitute 40% of missing people in the U.S. despite each making up much smaller percentages of the overall population, according to the commission.
States have various alert programs that cover cases that can include children, specific minorities, people with disabilities and older adults. California in 2024 rolled out "ebony alerts" to inform the public about missing Black youths. Supporters say there have been successful outcomes with that system but that law enforcement could be issuing more alerts for those cases that meet the requirements.
The Arizona legislation creates a rapid response system for issuing and coordinating alerts for people reported missing under the age of 65, including those who are members of federally recognized tribes, if law enforcement finds the individual could be in danger or missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.
"Like my sister says, even though she's not here with us, she's still making a difference," Pike's uncle, Allred Pike Jr., said in an interview Friday.
Pike's mother, Steff Dosela, has told reporters that it took a week for her to hear about her daughter's disappearance from the group home. Lawmakers in the Arizona Senate are looking into Arizona Department of Child Services' group home regulations.
The FBI announced last week that it was offering a $75,000 reward for information that would identify the person or people responsible for the disappearance and killing of Pike, whose remains were recovered by Gila County sheriff's deputies on state land near the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. The reward is in addition to the $75,000 already being offered by the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
___
Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 17:08:56+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Karoline Leavitt",
"District of Columbia",
"Josh Hawley",
"John Thune",
"Richard Blumenthal",
"Rand Paul",
"James Lankford",
"Shelley Capito",
"U.S. Department of Justice",
"Qatar",
"United States",
"New York City Wire",
"Qatar government",
"Corruption",
"Politics",
"Tommy Tuberville",
"United States government",
"National security",
"Sean Hannity",
"Markwayne Mullin",
"Pam Bondi"
] | # Schumer vows to hold up Justice Department nominees over luxury plane from Qatar
By Mary Clare Jalonick
May 13th, 2025 05:08 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) β Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that he will hold up all Justice Department nominations on the Senate floor until he gets more answers about the free Air Force One replacement that President Donald Trump says would be donated by Qatar.
Trump said this week that he wants to accept the $400 million plane, and that it would later be donated to a presidential library. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday that the details of the donation are still being worked out.
The plan, Schumer said, "is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat."
Schumer said he wants answers from Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Trump administration about whether it is investigating activities inside the United States by Qatari foreign agents that could benefit Trump or his business. He also wants to know if Qatar will be responsible for adding security measures to the plane and how it will be built and paid for.
"The Attorney General must testify before both the House and Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the emoluments clause β which requires congressional approval β or any other ethics laws," Schumer said.
The Constitution prohibits federal officials from accepting things of value, or "emoluments," from foreign governments without congressional approval.
In a post on his social media site on Tuesday night, Trump said the plane "is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME! It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years."
Democrats have expressed uniform outrage about the potential foreign gift and many Republicans are uneasy about the plan, as well. Returning to Washington on Monday evening, senators in both parties questioned how the deal would work and stressed the importance of following federal laws that govern how a U.S. president can accept gifts from foreign countries.
"We need to look at the constitutionality of it," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who said she'd be concerned about possible spying devices installed on the plane. Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said that Trump had said he would follow the law, and "that's the right answer."
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said Trump shouldn't accept the jet. "I don't think it looks good or smells good," Paul said. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he'd prefer "a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America."
On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., declined to give a direct opinion on the possible deal, but said that if it happens, "I can assure you there will be plenty of scrutiny."
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma defended the idea. "Why would we care if another country wanted to give the United States a gift?" he asked.
In an excerpt of an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity airing Tuesday night, Trump also questioned the criticism. "My attitude is, why wouldn't I accept a gift?" Trump said. He said the United States "should have the most impressive plane."
Schumer's holds mean that the Senate can't quickly confirm any of Trump's Justice Department nominees. Many lower-level nominations, such as U.S. attorneys, are often approved in groups by voice vote.
Democratic Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Richard Blumenthal of Hawaii went to the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon and tried to force a vote on a resolution disapproving of the Qatari gift. But it was blocked by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who said Democrats are "losing their mind over the situation" and the gift is not a done deal. If the Qatari government does donate the plane, "the only thing we should say is thank you," Tuberville said.
Schatz said that "it really should go without saying, but no president should be accepting a $400 million gift from a foreign country. It is gross, it is reckless, it is corrupt, and the outrage and condemnation especially on the Republican side should be universal."
___
Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Leah Askarinam and Chris Megerian contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 16:08:07+00:00 | [
"Israel government",
"Benjamin Netanyahu",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Donald Trump",
"Israel",
"Steve Witkoff",
"Hamas",
"Gaza Strip",
"Middle East",
"Hostage situations",
"War and unrest",
"International agreements",
"Humanitarian crises",
"Water shortages",
"Adam Boehler",
"Military and defense",
"Religion",
"Edan Alexander"
] | # Netanyahu says 'no way' war in Gaza ends until defeat of Hamas
By Melanie Lidman and Elena Becatoros
May 13th, 2025 04:08 PM
---
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) β Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is "no way" Israel will halt its war in Gaza β where airstrikes on two hospitals Tuesday killed at least eight and wounded dozens β even if a deal is reached to release more hostages.
Netanyahu's comments are likely to complicate talks on a new ceasefire that had seemed to gain momentum after Hamas released the last living American hostage on Monday in a gesture to U.S. President Donald Trump, who is visiting the region but skipping Israel.
They pointed to a potentially widening rift between Netanyahu and Trump, who had expressed hope that the release of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander would be a step toward ending the 19-month war.
The Israeli military on Tuesday struck what it said was a Hamas "command and control center" located beneath a hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The strike on the European hospital was the day's second strike on a hospital, and left at least six people dead and 40 wounded, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The dead were taken to Nasser hospital, which Israel struck earlier in the day, saying militants were operating inside it, without identifying them. Two people were killed in that strike.
In comments released by Netanyahu's office Tuesday from a visit to wounded soldiers the previous day, the prime minister said Israeli forces were just days away from a promised escalation of force and would enter Gaza "with great strength to complete the mission. ... It means destroying Hamas."
Any ceasefire deal reached would be temporary, the prime minister said. If Hamas were to say they would release more hostages, "we'll take them, and then we'll go in. But there will be no way we will stop the war," Netanyahu said. "We can make a ceasefire for a certain period of time, but we're going to the end."
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The dispute over whether to end the conflict has been the main obstacle in negotiations going back more than a year.
Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with as many as 23 of them said to be alive, although authorities have expressed concern about the condition of three of them. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that started the war were freed in ceasefire deals.
## Comments come after hostage release
Monday's release of 21-year-old Alexander resulted from negotiations between Hamas and the Trump administration that appeared to have largely bypassed Israel, which made no concessions for his release.
Alexander, who was 19 when he was taken from an Israeli army base during the 2023 attack, was the first hostage released since Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas in March and unleashed fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds of Palestinians.
Israel has promised to intensify its offensive, including by seizing Gaza and displacing much of the territory's population again. Days before the ceasefire ended in March, Israel blocked all imports from entering the Palestinian enclave, deepening a humanitarian crisis and sparking warnings about the risk of famine. Israel says the steps are meant to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel's terms.
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that according to Gaza's Health Ministry, 57 children had died from the effects of malnutrition since the blockade began on March 2.
A WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, said that if the situation persists, nearly 71,000 children under the age of five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition over the next 11 months.
"This is one of the world's worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time," Peeperkorn said.
## Netanyahu faces criticism
Alexander's release created a backlash against Netanyahu, who critics accuse of putting the lives of the hostages in danger by continuing the war. Netanyahu says he is committed to returning all the hostages, destroying Hamas and resettling much of Gaza's population through what he refers to as "voluntary emigration."
During a nearly two-hour meeting in Tel Aviv with the families of hostages on Tuesday, the United States' special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Adam Boehler, the Trump administration's envoy for hostage affairs, said they would do what was needed to bring the remaining hostages home.
Witkoff said everyone would prefer a diplomatic solution and that most hostages had been released through diplomacy. The officials headed to Doha, Qatar, after their meeting to join Trump. Qatar has been a key mediator between Israel and Hamas.
Witkoff said they wouldn't be traveling to Qatar if they didn't think there was a genuine chance for progress in negotiations.
## Alexander's parents say he told of 'unimaginable difficulty' in captivity
Alexander's parents said in a statement on Tuesday that their son described enduring a harsh captivity that included hunger, lack of water, and "appalling sanitary conditions."
His mother, Yael, said he feared for his life every day, "but the most terrible sound that Edan feared was the sound of the war going on above their heads. Deafening explosions, the whistles of missiles, the sounds of collapse, collapse, and the earth shaking."
Alexander's parents called on Netanyahu to listen to "the vast majority of the Israeli public" and prioritize the return of the remaining hostage. They thanked Trump and his envoys for "their tireless efforts on Edan's behalf."
## Israel seeking to move Palestinians out of Gaza
Netanyahu has voiced support for a plan proposed by Trump for Palestinians to be moved out of the Gaza Strip after the war - a proposal that has infuriated Palestinians and Arab nations.
"We have put together an administration that will allow them to leave, but the problem with us is one thing β we need receptive countries," Netanyahu said during his visit to the wounded soldiers Monday. "That's what we're working on right now. If you give them the go-ahead, I tell you that more than 50% will leave, and I think much more."
Israel and the US have been seeking countries willing to take Palestinians who would potentially move out of the territory.
Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in the 2023 attack. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,800 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants or civilians.
Israel's offensive has obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape and displaced 90% of the population, often multiple times.
___
Becatoros contributed from Athens, Greece. AP reporters Ibrahim Hazboun in Jerusalem, Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Natalie Melzer in Tel Aviv contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 19:35:45+00:00 | [
"Uruguay",
"Jos Mujica",
"Claudia Sheinbaum",
"Gustavo Petro",
"Gabriel Boric",
"Notable Deaths",
"Fernando Pereira",
"Cancer",
"Luca Topolansky",
"X Corp.",
"Rebellions and uprisings",
"Democracy",
"Politics",
"Evo Morales"
] | # JosΓ© Mujica, Uruguay's humble president who changed his country and charmed the world, dies at 89
By Matilde CampodΓ³nico and Isabel Debre
May 13th, 2025 07:35 PM
---
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) β Former Uruguayan President JosΓ© Mujica, a onetime Marxist guerilla and flower farmer whose radical brand of democracy, plain-spoken philosophy and simple lifestyle fascinated people around the world, has died. He was 89.
Uruguay's left-wing president, YamandΓΊ Orsi, announced his death, which came four months after Mujica decided to forgo further medical treatment for esophageal cancer and enter hospice care at his three-room ranch house on the outskirts of Montevideo, Uruguay's capital.
"President, activist, guide and leader," Orsi wrote of his longtime political mentor before heading to Mujica's home to pay his respects. "Thank you for everything you gave us."
Mujica had been under treatment for cancer of the esophagus since his diagnosis last spring. Radiation eliminated much of the tumor but soon Mujica's autoimmune disease complicated his recovery.
In January, Mujica's doctor announced that the cancer in his esophagus had returned and spread to his liver. In recent days, "he knew that he was in his final hours," said Fernando Pereira, the president of Mujica's left-wing Broad Front party who visited the ailing ex-leader last week.
## A colorful history and simple philosophy
As leader of a violent leftist guerrilla group in the 1960s known as the Tupamaros, Mujica robbed banks, planted bombs and abducted businessmen and politicians on Montevideo's streets in hopes of provoking a popular uprising that would lead to a Cuban-style socialist Uruguay.
A brutal counterinsurgency and ensuing right-wing military dictatorship that ruled Uruguay between 1973 and 1985 sent him to prison for nearly 15 years, 10 of which he spent in solitary confinement.
During his 2010-2015 presidency, Mujica, widely known as "Pepe," oversaw the transformation of his small South American nation into one of the world's healthiest and most socially liberal democracies. He earned admiration at home and cult status abroad for legalizing marijuana and same-sex marriage, enacting the region's first sweeping abortion rights law and establishing Uruguay as a leader in alternative energy.
Rejecting the pomp and circumstance of the presidency, he drove a light blue beat-up 1987 Volkswagen Beetle, wore rumpled cardigan sweaters and sandals with socks and lived in a tin-roof house outside Montevideo, where for decades he tended to chrysanthemums for sale in local markets.
"This is the tragedy of life, on the one hand it's beautiful, but it ends," Mujica told The Associated Press in a wide-ranging Oct. 2023 interview from his farmhouse. "Therefore, paradise is here. As is hell."
As the Uruguayan government declared three days of national mourning, tributes poured in from presidents and ordinary people around the world. The first to share remembrances were allied leaders who recalled not only Mujica's accomplishments but also his hallowed status as one of the last surviving lions of the now-receding Latin American left that peaked two decades ago.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro praised Mujica as a "great revolutionary." Bolivia's former socialist president, Evo Morales said that he "and all of Latin America" are in mourning. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called Mujica "an example for Latin America and the entire world." Brazil's Foreign Ministry described him as "one of the most important humanists of our time."
Chile's leftist President Gabriel Boric paid tribute to Mujica's efforts to combat social inequality.
"If you left us anything, it was the unquenchable hope that things can be done better," he wrote. "The unwavering conviction that as long as our hearts beat and there is injustice in the world, it's worth continuing to fight."
## From robbing banks to running Uruguay
Mujica never attended university and didn't finish high school. But politics piqued his interest as early as adolescence, when the young flower farmer joined the progressive wing of the conservative National Party, one of the two main parties in Uruguay. His pivot to urban guerrilla warfare came in the 1960s, as leftist struggles swept the region in the wake of the Cuban Revolution.
He and other student and labor radicals launched the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement, which quickly gained notoriety for its Robin Hood-style exploits aimed at installing a revolutionary government.
By 1970 the government cracked down, and the Tupamaros responded with violence, planting bombs in upscale neighborhoods and attacking casinos and other civilian targets, killing more than 30 people.
Mujica was shot six times in a firefight with police in a bar. He helped stage a prison break and twice escaped custody. But in 1973 the military seized power, unleashing a reign of terror upon the population that resulted in the forced disappearance of some 200 Uruguayans and the imprisonment of thousands.
During his time in prison, he endured torture and long stretches in solitary confinement, often in a hole in the ground.
After power returned to civilians in 1985, Mujica left prison under an amnesty that covered the crimes of the dictators and their guerrilla opponents. He entered mainstream politics with the Broad Front, a coalition of radical leftists and centrist social democrats.
Rapidly rising through the party ranks, Mujica charmed the country with his low-key way of living and penchant for speaking his mind. In 2005 he entered government with the Broad Front as an agricultural minister. Just four years later he was Uruguay's 40th president, elected with 52% of the vote.
His wife, LucΓa Topolansky, a former co-revolutionary guerrilla member who was also imprisoned before becoming a prominent politician, bestowed the presidential sash on Mujica at his inauguration β as is custom for the senator who had received the most votes. They married in 2005 and had no children.
"I've been with him for over 40 years, and I'll be with him until the end," she told a local radio station Sunday as Mujica's condition deteriorated.
## A folksy president who fascinated the world
Pepe's bracingly modest and spontaneous style as president β distributing pamphlets in the streets against machismo culture, lunching in Montevideo bars β made him a populist folk hero and token of global fascination.
"They made me seem like some impoverished president, but they were the poor ones ... imagine if you have to live in that four-story government house just to have tea," he told the AP of his decision to shun the presidential palace.
Over his years in power, Mujica presided over comfortable economic growth, rising wages and falling poverty. In speeches, he pushed Uruguayans to reject consumerism and embrace their nation's tradition of simplicity.
Under his watch, the small nation became known worldwide for the strength of its institutions and the civility of its politics β rare features most recently on display during Uruguay's 2024 presidential vote that vaulted Orsi, Mujica's moderate protΓ©gΓ©, to power.
Mujica's greatest innovations came on social issues. During his term, Uruguay became the first country in South America to legalize abortion for the first trimester and the first in the world to legalize the production, distribution and sale of marijuana. His government also legalized same-sex marriage, burnishing Uruguay's progressive image in the predominantly Catholic region.
Mujica's government also powered a green energy revolution that transformed Uruguay into one of the world's most environmentally friendly nations. Today the country generates 98% of its electricity from biomass, solar and wind energy.
His tenure was also not without controversy. The opposition complained of rising crime and a swollen fiscal deficit that forced his successor to raise taxes.
Some world leaders disapproved of his disdain for the established order. Conservative Uruguayans voiced outrage over his progressive policies.
Still, Mujica ended his tenure with a 60% approval rating. Ineligible to seek re-election because of a ban on consecutive terms, he continued to wield influence at home as an elected senator and abroad as a trailblazer and sage.
Even so, his humility defined him until the end.
"They ask you: 'How do you want to be remembered?' Vanity of vanities!" he exclaimed to the AP. "Memory is a historical thing. ... Years go by. Not even the dust remains."
___
DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Associated Press writers Leonardo Haberkorn in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Nayara Batschke in Santiago, Chile, contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:00:23+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Mike Johnson",
"Hakeem Jeffries",
"Joe Biden",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"Government programs",
"Legislation",
"United States House of Representatives",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"Education costs",
"Congress",
"Border security",
"Mexico",
"Personal finance",
"Energy industry",
"Politics",
"Taxes",
"Asylum",
"Business",
"Jobs and careers",
"Labor"
] | # What's in Trump's big bill? Trillions in tax cuts, Medicaid changes and more
By Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro
May 13th, 2025 09:00 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) β Republicans in Congress are moving with rapid speed to advance President Donald Trump's big bill of tax breaks, spending cuts and beefed-up border security funding as leaders work to enact many of his campaign promises.
House committees have been laboring for months to draft the legislation, which Republicans have labeled "THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL,'' a nod to Trump himself. Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing to approve the package and send it to the Senate by Memorial Day.
Democrats say they will fight what House party leader Hakeem Jeffries calls "this extreme and toxic bill."
Here's a look at what's in and out of the legislative package so far:
## Tax cuts for individuals and businesses
The tax portion of the GOP legislation contains more than $5 trillion in tax cuts, according to an estimate from the Joint Committee on Taxation β costs that are partially offset by spending cuts elsewhere and other changes in the tax code.
Republicans look to make permanent the individual income tax cuts passed in President Donald Trump's first term, plus enact some of the promises he made on the campaign trail to not tax tips, overtime and interest on auto loans. Republicans partially offset the tax breaks by rolling back the clean energy tax credits passed during Joe Biden's presidency, such as a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles, bringing the overall cost of the tax cuts down to about $3.7 trillion.
The bill is expected to undergo further changes in the coming weeks. Lawmakers from New York are leading an effort to boost the state and local tax deduction, which the bill would already increase from $10,000 to $30,000 for families making less than $400,000 per year.
The legislation provides a deduction for those workers in service industry and other jobs that have traditionally relied on tips.
The package provides tax relief for automobile shoppers with a temporary deduction of up to $10,000 on car loan interest, applying the benefit only for those vehicles where the final assembly occurred in the United States. The tax break would expire at the end of Trump's term.
For seniors, there would be a bolstered $4,000 deduction on Social Security wages for those with adjusted incomes no higher than $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples.
## States to pick up more of the tab for food assistance
House Republicans are looking to shift some of the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, known as SNAP, to the states. States would shoulder 5% of benefit costs under the bill beginning in fiscal year 2028. The share could also go higher for those states with high rates of overpayments and underpayments. The bill would also require states to pick up 75% of the administrative costs.
Currently, states shoulder none of the benefit costs and half of the administration costs.
Republicans argue that states have minimal incentive to control costs as a result of the current cost-sharing arrangement. But the changes would give them the incentive to enhance efficiencies and improve outcomes for recipients.
Republicans also are expanding work requirements for food aid recipients, which under current law applies to individuals without dependents aged 18-54. The bill expands the work requirement through age 64 and exempts only those caring for a dependent child under the age of 7.
At the same time, the legislation would invest $60 billion in new money for agriculture programs, sending aid to farmers.
## New work requirements for Medicaid
A centerpiece of the package is more than $900 billion in reduced spending, most of that coming through the Medicaid program.
Republicans insist they are simply rooting out "waste, fraud and abuse" to generate savings with new work and eligibility requirements. But Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage. In the 15 years since Obamacare became law, Medicaid has only expanded as most states have tapped into federal funds.
An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by at least 7.6 million from the Medicaid changes, and possibly more with other changes to the Affordable Care Act.
To be eligible for Medicaid, there would be new "community engagement requirements" of at least 80 hours per month of work, education or service for able-bodied adults without dependents. The new requirement would not kick in until Jan. 1, 2029. People would also have to verify their eligibility to be in the program twice a year, rather than just once.
Applicants could not qualify for Medicaid if they have a home that is valued at more than $1 million.
## Funding for 1 million migrant deportations, 20,000 new officers and the border wall
The legislation would provide $46.5 billion to revive construction of Trump's wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and more money for the deportation agenda.
There's $4 billion to hire an additional 3,000 new Border Patrol agents as well as 5,000 new customs officers, and $2.1 billion for signing and retention bonuses, for a total of $69 billion in new spending.
It includes major changes to immigration policy, imposing a $1,000 fee on migrants seeking asylum β something the nation has never done, putting it on par with few others, including Australia and Iran.
Overall, the plan is to remove 1 million immigrants annually and house 100,000 people in detention centers. It calls for 10,000 more Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and investigators.
## More money for the Pentagon and Trump's 'Golden Dome'
The House Armed Services Committee was tasked with drafting legislation with $100 billion in new spending. But they did that and more, passing a bill with $150 billion for the Defense Department and national security.
Among the highlights, it would provide $25 billion for Trump's "Golden Dome for America," a long-envisioned missile defense shield, $21 billion to restock the nation's ammunition arsenal, $34 billion to expand the naval fleet with more shipbuilding and some $5 billion for border security.
It also includes $9 billion for servicemember quality of life-related issues, including housing, health care and special pay.
## Tax on university endowments and overhaul of student loans
A wholesale revamping of the student loan program is key to the legislation, providing $330 billion in budget cuts and savings.
The proposal would replace all existing student loan repayment plans with just two: a standard option with monthly payments spread out over 10 to 25 years and a "repayment assistance" plan that is generally less generous than those it would replace.
Among other changes, the bill would repeal Biden-era regulations that made it easier for borrowers to get loans canceled if their colleges defrauded them or closed suddenly.
There would be a tax increase, up to 21%, on some university endowments.
## Federal employee pension cuts
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform targeted federal workers' pensions for a projected $50.9 billion in deficit savings over 10 years.
Most of the savings would come from requiring federal workers hired before 2014 to pay more into the retirement system. They would have to match the 4.4% salary rate paid by federal workers hired since 2014.
## More drilling, mining on public lands
One section of the bill would allow increased leasing of public lands for drilling, mining and logging while clearing the path for more development by speeding up government approvals. Royalty rates paid by companies to extract oil, gas and coal would be cut, reversing former President Joe Biden's attempts to curb fossil fuels to help address climate change.
Oil and gas royalty rates would drop from 16.7% on public lands and 18.75% offshore to a uniform 12.5%. Royalties for coal would drop from 12.5% to 7%.
The measure calls for four oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge over the next decade. It also seeks to boost the ailing coal industry with a mandate to make available for leasing 6,250 square miles of public lands β an area greater in size than Connecticut.
Republican supporters say the lost revenue would be offset by increased development. It's uncertain if companies would have an appetite for leases given the industry's precipitous decline in recent years as utilities switched to cleaner burning fuels and renewable energy.
In a last-minute add, Republicans also included a provision authorizing sales of hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in Nevada and Utah, prompting outrage from Democrats and environmentalists.
___
Associated Press writers Collin Binkley in Washington and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 18:42:21+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Sean Duffy",
"Kristi Noem",
"Lawsuits",
"Rhode Island",
"U.S. Department of Homeland Security",
"United States government",
"Legal proceedings",
"California",
"Colorado",
"Connecticut",
"Immigration",
"Government budgets",
"United States",
"Peter Neronha",
"Politics",
"Matthew Platkin",
"Tricia McLaughlin",
"Rob Bonta"
] | # 20 Democratic attorneys general sue Trump administration over conditions placed on federal funds
By Kimberlee Kruesi
May 13th, 2025 06:42 PM
---
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) β A coalition of 20 state Democratic attorneys general filed two federal lawsuits on Tuesday, claiming that the Trump administration is threatening to withhold billions of dollars in transportation and disaster-relief funds unless states agree to certain immigration enforcement actions.
According to the complaints, both Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have threatened to cut off funding to states that refuse to comply with President Donald Trump's immigration agenda.
While no federal funding is currently being withheld, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said during a news conference on Tuesday that the threat was "imminent."
"President Donald Trump can't use these funds as a bargaining chip as his way of ensuring states abide by his preferred policies," Bonta added.
Department of Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the lawsuit will not stop the Trump Administration from "restoring the rule of law."
"Cities and states who break the law and prevent us from arresting criminal illegal aliens should not receive federal funding. The President has been clear on that," she said.
Duffy said in a statement that the 20 states have filed the lawsuit because "their officials want to continue breaking federal law and putting the needs of illegal aliens above their own citizens."
Both lawsuits say that the Trump administration is violating the U.S. Constitution by trying to dictate federal spending when Congress has that power β not the executive branch.
On April 24, states received letters from the Department of Transportation stating that they must cooperate on immigration efforts and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs or risk losing funds.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin criticized the timing of Duffy's letter when Newark's airport struggles with radar outages and other issues.
"I wish the administration would stop playing politics with people's lives," Platkin said. "I wish Secretary Duffy would do his damn job, which is to make sure planes land on time, not to direct immigration enforcement."
Meanwhile, on Feb. 24, states received letters from the Department of Homeland Security declaring that states that "refuse to cooperate with, refuse to share information with, or even actively obstruct federal immigration enforcement reject these ideals and the history we share in common as Americans."
"If any government entity chooses to thumb its nose at the Department of Homeland Security's national security and public safety mission, it should not receive a single dollar of the Department's money unless Congress has specifically required it," Noem wrote in her letter.
Attorneys general behind the lawsuits include the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin and Vermont.
The cases are being spearheaded by California and Illinois, but they were filed in federal court in Rhode Island, a detail that the attorneys general defended by saying they filed in "any court that is going to be fair and objective and consider our factual presentation and legal analysis."
The lawsuits are the latest legal actions that Democratic-led states have taken against Trump since he took office earlier this year. Bonta noted that California has filed more than 20 lawsuits against the administration, while Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said his state has launched more than a dozen.
While the lawsuits have challenged policies on tariffs, federal employee firings and health care research, Trump's focus on immigration enforcement and the mass deportation of immigrants in the United States illegally have received the most attention.
This has included the president's promise to mass deport people and the start of a registry required for all those who are in the country illegally.
"What we're seeing is a creeping authoritarianism," Neronha said. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 00:05:03+00:00 | [
"Rory McIlroy",
"Melbourne",
"Gary Player",
"Australian Open Tennis Championships",
"Australia",
"Golf",
"Australian Open",
"Sports",
"Tennis",
"Brisbane",
"Jack Nicklaus",
"Greg Norman"
] | # Rory McIlroy to play the Australian Open for the next 2 years on Melbourne's sandbelt
May 14th, 2025 12:05 AM
---
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) β Masters champion Rory McIlroy is heading Down Under for the first time in more than a decade to play the Australian Open on Melbourne's famed sandbelt courses for the next two years.
Golf Australia said Wednesday that McIlroy, who completed his career Grand Slam with his win at Augusta in April would play on the Royal Melbourne composite course from Dec. 4-7 and at nearby Kingston Heath in 2026.
Kingston Heath will host the Presidents Cup in 2028, the fourth time it has been played in Australia, with the previous three times at Royal Melbourne.
McIlroy will attempt to win his second Stonehaven Cup. He won the Australian Open in 2013 at Royal Sydney and returned the following year when it was played at another Sydney course, The Australian, but hasn't played in Australia since.
"I'm proud to be committing to the Australian Open for the next two years, especially with it being played on the world-class Melbourne sandbelt, somewhere I've always wanted to play professionally" McIlroy said. "The success of the Australian Open is important for the global game."
Royal Melbourne has hosted the Australian Open 17 times but not since 1991. First played in 1904, Gary Player has won the tournament seven times, Jack Nicklaus six and Greg Norman five times.
Golf Australia decided earlier this year to move away from its previous combined event. The dates and venue of the Women's Australian Open will be confirmed at a later date.
The men's Australian Open will follow the Australian PGA Championship (Nov. 27-30 at Royal Queensland in Brisbane), with both events again co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-14 00:07:44+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Troy Meink",
"Military and defense",
"U.S. Air Force",
"Pete Hegseth",
"District of Columbia",
"Daniel Driscoll",
"John Phelan"
] | # Senate confirms Troy Meink as the new Air Force secretary
By Lolita C. Baldor
May 14th, 2025 12:07 AM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) β The Senate on Tuesday easily confirmed Troy Meink as the secretary of the Air Force, putting a former KC-135 tanker aircraft navigator and space expert in charge of the service.
The vote was 74-25.
Meink has almost four decades of experience in the military and in government, including managing some of the nation's most sensitive satellite intelligence capabilities and the military's space portfolio.
He previously served as a deputy of the National Reconnaissance Office. While he is the last of the military's three service secretaries to get confirmed, Meink is the one with the most extensive national security and military experience.
"Your leadership is exactly what we need to refocus the Department of Defense on its core missionβlethality, readiness, and putting the warfighter first," said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media post.
Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll served a short stint in the Army, but worked largely as a lawyer and investment banker. Navy Secretary John Phelan had been a private investment executive and businessman, and is the first leader of the sea service since 2006 not to have been a veteran.
Meink assumes control of both the Air Force and U.S. Space Force, which was established by President Donald Trump during his first term and just hit its fifth year in existence. And his confirmation comes as the Trump administration is working to reshape the nation's space capabilities, including the development of the "Golden Dome" missile defense system.
The futuristic system was ordered by Trump during his first week in office. If successful, it would for the first time enable the U.S. to place weapons in space that are meant to destroy ground-based missiles within seconds of launch.
Many countries, including Russia, China, North Korea and the U.S., are developing new ways to disable of defend the tens of thousands of satellites that ring the Earth as a way to cripple a potential adversary without fighting a traditional land-based war.
Meink is from Lemmon, South Dakota, and joined the Air Force as an ROTC cadet at South Dakota State University in 1988. In his previous position at the National Reconnaissance Office, Meink oversaw a more than $15 billion budget to acquire new satellite capabilities. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:06:40+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Pennsylvania",
"Stephanie Haines",
"Immigration",
"El Paso",
"David Briones",
"United States government",
"Alabama Education Association",
"Government and politics",
"Legal proceedings",
"Texas",
"Politics"
] | # Federal judge OKs use of Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans who are labeled gang members
By Rebecca Boone
May 13th, 2025 10:06 PM
---
A federal judge says President Donald Trump can use the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan citizens who are shown to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
The ruling Tuesday from U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines in Pennsylvania appears to be the first time a federal judge has signed off on Trump's proclamation calling Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization and invoking the 18th century wartime law to deport people labeled as being members of the gang.
Also Tuesday, another federal judge in the western district of Texas temporarily barred the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport people in that region. At least three other federal judges have said Trump was improperly using the AEA to speed deportations of people the administration says are Venezuelan gang members.
Haines, a Trump appointee, also said the administration hasn't been giving enough notice to people facing removal under the AEA. She ordered the administration to provide at least 21 days notice β far longer than the 12 hours that some deportees have been given.
"This case poses significant issues that are deeply interwoven with the constitutional principles upon which this Nation's government is founded," Haines wrote. "In approaching these issues, the Court begins by stressing the questions that it is not resolving at this time."
The ruling doesn't address whether the administration can remove people under other immigration laws, nor does it address whether Trump can invoke the Alien Enemies Act to deport people who simply migrated to the U.S. and who aren't members of a foreign terrorist organization, Haines wrote. She also did not weigh in on whether people suspected of being members of other gangs could be removed under the act.
But she did say the Act can be used to remove Venezuelan citizens who are at least 14 years old, who are in the U.S. without legal immigration status, and who are members of Tren de Aragua.
"Having done its job, the Court now leaves it to the Political Branches of the government, and ultimately to the people who elect those individuals, to decide whether the laws and those executing them continue to reflect their will," Haines wrote.
Trump issued a proclamation in March claiming that Tren de Aragua was invading the U.S. He said he had special powers to deport immigrants, identified by his administration as gang members, without the usual court proceedings. After the proclamation, the administration began deporting people designated as Tren de Aragua members to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
The proclamation and deporations sparked a flurry of lawsuits in multiple states β including the one that led to Haines' ruling Tuesday. That case was brought a Venezuelan national who says he fled to the U.S. with his wife and children in 2023 after facing extortion in his own country. He was arrested in February after a neighbor reported that he is a member of Tren de Aragua β a claim the man vehemently denies.
Haines initially approved the case as a class action, temporarily blocking the Trump administration from using the AEA to deport any migrants in her district. But she lifted that designation Tuesday, clearing the way for deportations to resume as long as the people being removed are given at least 21 days notice in English and Spanish as well as an "opportunity to be heard" on any objections they might have.
In the Texas case, a woman said she fled Venezuela after she was subjected to repeated harassment, assault and intimidation as a form of political persecution. She came to the U.S. in 2023 and was granted temporary protected status, and is currently seeking asylum.
But last month she was arrested in Ohio and accused of being a gang member, which she denies. She is currently being held in El Paso, and asked Senior U.S. District Judge David Briones to stop the Trump administration from deporting her and other detainees in the region because, she said, the president's proclamation violates the due process rights of people facing removal and wrongly equates Tren de Aragua as an invasion by a foreign government.
Briones said she was likely to succeed on the merits, and temporarily barred the administration from transferring the woman or other people in the region accused of being Tren de Aragua members into other districts or deporting them under the Alien Enemies Act. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 17:09:26+00:00 | [
"Gulf of Mexico",
"Texas",
"Heat waves",
"Cameron Self",
"Weather",
"Sylvia Dee",
"John Nielsen-Gammon",
"Climate and environment",
"Brian Galvin",
"Climate"
] | # Extreme heat will make it feel more like August than May for Texas, parts of southeastern US
By Juan A. Lozano
May 13th, 2025 05:09 PM
---
HOUSTON (AP) β Sweltering heat more commonly seen in the throes of summer than in the spring was making an unwelcome visit this week to a large portion of the U.S. β from the Dakotas to Texas and other parts of the South β and putting millions of Americans on alert for potentially dangerous temperatures.
In Austin, forecasters warned that the early heat wave could break a century-old record for May of 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).
"Definitely more like August this week than May," said Cameron Self, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's office in the Houston and Galveston area.
It is not unusual to have temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) in May in Houston and other parts of Texas.
"But getting long stretches of temperatures well in the 90s that usually holds off till June," Self said.
This week's extreme heat was predicted to have some Texas cities experiencing the longest string of triple-digit days they have ever had before in June, said John Nielsen-Gammon, the Texas state climatologist.
Several cities around North Dakota set record high temperatures in recent days, with some shattering highs that stood for well over 100 years.
While cooler air is expected to provide some relief for the northern part of the country, Texas and states in the southeastern part of the U.S. were likely to suffer through this heat for at least the next week or so.
## What's causing the unseasonably high temperatures?
A very strong ridge of high pressure over the south-central United States that is centered over the Gulf of Mexico is responsible for the extreme heat. For the next six to 10 days, much of south central and the southeastern United States will be warmer than normal, with the highest temperatures occurring over parts of Texas and Florida, Self said.
The same weather system heating up Texas and other southern states was also the same one that helped spike temperatures in the Dakotas, Minnesota and parts of the Midwest, Nielsen-Gammon said.
## Heat in the Dakotas, Minnesota breaks records, boosts wildfire conditions
In the last few days, the Dakotas, Minnesota and southern parts of Canada have seen unusually warm temperatures for this time of year, as much as 30 degrees above normal, said Mindy Beerends, meteorologist-in-charge for the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
"This is very early for this type of heat," she said.
Fargo on Sunday hit 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), surpassing the previous high of 93 degrees Fahrenheit (33.89 degrees Celsius) set in 1887. Bismarck on Monday reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36.11 degrees Celsius), breaking the record of 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33.33 degrees Celsius) set in 1880.
The unseasonably high temperatures, along with very low humidity and spreading drought conditions have created unusually dangerous fire conditions in northern Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials said at a briefing Tuesday.
Weather conditions were expected to improve Thursday when rain and cooler temperatures should give firefighters a break, the officials said.
"But this is going to be an ongoing battle, probably throughout most of the summer," Walz said.
Minnesota usually experiences a little over 1,100 wildfires covering about 12,000 acres per year but the state is already up to 970, covering more than 37,000 acres, including over 80 since Sunday, the officials said.
Fires have been explosive in nature due to the dry conditions, said Brian Galvin, fire chief of the Goodrich Rural Fire Department in central North Dakota. About 50 to 60 firefighters, farmers and other people responded on Saturday to a fast-moving fire near Lincoln Valley that burned 200 acres.
## Parts of Texas could see triple digit temperature for days
Areas like Houston that are closer to the Gulf of Mexico could have their temperatures "modified somewhat" because water temperatures are still cool enough, but parts of Texas farther west of the Gulf are going to see temperatures well over 100 degrees, Self said.
In San Antonio, the National Weather Service said high temperatures were expected to rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) through the weekend.
The Texas Department of Public Safety asked residents to follow various safety tips, including staying hydrated and limiting outdoor activities, to stay safe.
Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. The order only carries authority within the U.S. Other countries and international institutions continue to use the name the Gulf of Mexico.
## Hotter temperatures earlier in the year is the "new normal"
Sylvia Dee, an assistant professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Rice University in Houston, said with temperature records being broken "somewhere every month and every year," heat waves like the one impacting Texas and other parts of the country should not be seen as out of the ordinary.
Climate change is likely expanding the summer season, meaning that hotter temperatures will start earlier and end later, Dee said.
"I think that this is our new normal, for sure. I think we should be prepared as Texans, but also across the country, for these changes - higher temperatures, more persistent heat events," Dee said.
___
Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, contributed to this report.
___
Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 23:44:59+00:00 | [
"Tom Holmoe",
"Brian Santiago",
"Fresno",
"High school basketball",
"Brigham Young Cougars",
"Basketball",
"Sports",
"College sports"
] | # BYU promotes Brian Santiago to replace longtime athletic director Tom Holmoe
May 13th, 2025 11:44 PM
---
PROVO, Utah (AP) β BYU has promoted Brian Santiago to replace longtime athletic director Tom Holmoe.
The school announced on Tuesday that Santiago will be elevated from deputy athletic director after working under Holmoe, who retired after 20 years earlier this year.
"We are excited to build on the forward momentum and legacy of Tom Holmoe, who is retiring, with the appointment of Brian Santiago as BYU's next director of athletics," BYU President C. Shane Reese said in a statement. "Brian has a track record of leadership and an ability to lead BYU Athletics as we navigate the complex and rapidly evolving waters of college athletics. It's become clear to me throughout this search process that Brian will seek to strengthen BYU's academic and spiritual mission, and he understands how it blesses the lives of our student-athletes."
Santiago has served as BYU's deputy athletic director since 2017 after spending the previous nine years as a senior associate athletic director. He started at BYU as an assistant basketball coach in 1997 before moving into athletic administration.
Santiago graduated from Provo High School and played basketball at Utah Valley and Fresno State. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 20:44:08+00:00 | [
"Pete Rose",
"Rob Manfred",
"Baseball",
"Softball",
"MLB",
"New York City Wire",
"Philadelphia Phillies",
"MLB baseball",
"Leslie Mann",
"St. Louis Cardinals",
"Sports",
"Joe Gedeon",
"Chicago White Sox",
"Fred McMullen",
"Pittsburgh Pirates"
] | # A full list of the players permanently banned by MLB
May 13th, 2025 08:44 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) β Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson and other players permanently banned by the sport would have their statuses restored at death.
The ruling opens a path for Rose and Jackson to be considered for the Hall of Fame. Here are all of the players and other figures who have been permanently banned:
## Chicago Black Sox
March 12, 1921 β Chicago White Sox pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude "Lefty" Williams, first baseman Chick Gandil, shortstop Charles "Swede" Risberg, third baseman Buck Weaver, outfielders Jackson and Happy Felsch and infielder Fred McMullen were suspended by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis. (The players were suspended by the team on Sept. 28, 1920, following their indictment on charges of throwing the 1919 World Series. Gandil at that time already was already on suspension in a salary dispute).
The players were acquitted on Aug. 3, 1921, but banned for life by Landis the following day. St. Louis Browns pitcher Joe Gedeon was also banned for his connections to the betting plot.
"Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player who throws a ballgame, no player that entertains proposals or promises to throw a game, no player that sits in conference with a bunch of crooked players and gamblers where the ways and means of throwing games are discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball," Landis wrote.
## Philadelphia Phillies infielder Gene Paulette
March 24, 1921 β Paulette was banned indefinitely by Landis for allegedly accepting a loan from Elmer Farrar of St. Louis that was tied to a gambling scheme. Paulette never was reinstated.
## New York Giants outfielder Benny Kauff
April 7, 1921 β Kauff was suspended indefinitely by Landis following his indictment on charges of auto theft and possession of a stolen car.
"An indictment charging felonious misconduct by a player certainly charges conduct detrimental to the good repute of baseball," he said.
Kauff was acquitted on May 13, but Landis refused to reinstate him. A lawsuit filed by Kauff against the commissioner for reinstatement was dismissed.
## New York Giants pitcher "Shufflin'" Phil Douglas
Aug. 18, 1922 β Douglas was banned for life by the club for writing a letter to St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Leslie Mann asking him to throw a game. Mann gave the letter to Branch Rickey, who sent it to Landis. The commissioner backed the ban, saying Douglas' letter was "tragic and deplorable."
## New York Giants outfielder Jimmy O'Connell and coach Cozy Dolan
Oct. 1, 1924 β Both were banned for life by Landis for offering a $500 bribe to Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Heinie Sand to throw game on Sept. 27, 1924. Sand told Phillies manager Art Fletcher, who told Landis.
## Philadelphia Phillies president William D. Cox
Nov. 23, 1943 β Cox was banned for life by Landis for making "approximately 15 or 20 bets" of "from $25 to $100 per game on Philadelphia to win." Cox was forced to sell his share of the team to Ruly M. Carpenter Jr.
## Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose
Aug. 23, 1989 β Rose agreed to a lifetime ban with Commissioner A. Barlett Giammati for gambling on Reds games.
## San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano
June 3, 2024 β Marcano was banned for life by Commissioner Rob Manfred for making 387 baseball bets, including 231 related to MLB, from Oct. 16-23, 2022, and July 12, 2023, through Nov. 1, 2023, while on the roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 18:16:53+00:00 | [
"Stephen Curry",
"Damian Lillard",
"LeBron James",
"Jayson Tatum",
"Steve Kerr",
"Jalen Brunson",
"Boston Celtics",
"NBA Playoffs",
"Tom Thibodeau",
"Doc Rivers",
"Joel Embiid",
"Donovan Mitchell",
"Steve Nash",
"Los Angeles Lakers",
"Moritz Wagner",
"Michael Porter Jr.",
"Victor Wembanyama",
"Injuries",
"Athlete injuries",
"NBA",
"New York City Wire",
"Zion Williamson",
"Donte DiVincenzo",
"Sports",
"Kyrie Irving",
"Milwaukee",
"Kawhi Leonard",
"Draymond Green",
"Temetrius Morant",
"Giannis Antetokounmpo",
"Cleveland",
"Dejounte Murray",
"NBA basketball"
] | # In the NBA playoffs, injuries are becoming the story
By Tim Reynolds
May 13th, 2025 06:16 PM
---
These are the NBA playoffs of survival, where not even the stars are safe.
The latest blow to this postseason: Jayson Tatum was wheeled off Monday night, his season with the defending champion Boston Celtics over because of a right Achilles tendon tear that surely will mean he misses at least some of next season as well.
Golden State's Stephen Curry may run out of time before his injured hamstring allows him to play again. Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell is dealing with an ankle issue. If the Los Angeles Lakers' season had gone any deeper, LeBron James would have been sidelined with a knee sprain. And Milwaukee's Damian Lillard tore his Achilles, putting next season in some doubt and raising questions about Giannis Antetokounmpo's future as well.
The star power is gone in some cases, aching in others, and there's no question that injuries are becoming the story of this postseason. For Lillard β and now Tatum, too β the issues will linger into next season or rob of them of the chance to play in 2025-26 entirely.
"Obviously we want to go out there and compete, but when a player of his caliber goes down and he's rolling in pain like that, you know something's wrong," New York guard Jalen Brunson said after seeing Tatum's injury on Monday night. "So, that's why I just gave my thoughts and prayers β because you never want to see something like that, ever."
Injuries are a constant, and the regular season saw some big-name players forced to shut down much earlier than they wanted. Philadelphia's Joel Embiid wasn't right for basically the entire season because of knee issues, Dallas' Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in March, San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama developed a blood clot that forced his season to end in February, New Orleans' Dejounte Murray tore his Achilles in January, Orlando's Moritz Wagner tore his ACL in December and two stars with long injury histories β the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard and New Orleans' Zion Williamson β both were inactive for more than half the season.
Overcoming injuries is just part of NBA life, Bucks coach Doc Rivers said.
"The human spirit is amazing," Rivers said. "It really is."
And in the playoffs, the hits keep coming. Stars are hurting, most of Cleveland's starting lineup has been banged-up in these playoffs, Denver's Michael Porter Jr. is playing through a shoulder issue that typically needs weeks to deal with, and Memphis' Ja Morant had a hip problem that kept him from being on the floor at the end of the Grizzlies' season. Even teams that are winning aren't doing so at anywhere near 100% β case in point, Brunson has been dealing with an ankle issue and it somehow isn't slowing him down.
"Every year, playoffs are about adapting, whether it's a game plan, or an injury, or a lineup," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said shortly after Curry got hurt in the Warriors' second-round series against Minnesota. "So, we just have to adapt."
Down 3-1 in the series and facing a win-or-else game Wednesday, the Warriors are running out of time to adapt. There will be an update on Curry's status Wednesday, Kerr said. It wouldn't seem likely that Curry plays in Game 5.
"We're not going to Superman this thing," Warriors forward Draymond Green said. "If he's in a place where he can play, I'm sure he will. ... But we don't need Superman. I play the long game. If he can, we know he will, but there's no pressure. We've got to figure out how to win, whether he plays or not."
James got hurt in a collision with Minnesota's Donte DiVincenzo late in what became the Lakers' final game of the season, a loss in Game 5 of an opening-round matchup. James later revealed that he probably couldn't have continued even if the Lakers won that game because of a knee sprain that won't need surgery but will need weeks to heal.
"Even if we would have won Game 5 at home, I probably would have missed 6 and 7 and even further," James said on his "Mind the Game" podcast with Steve Nash. "I have some time, though. I have some time to get it right."
Tatum was having an absolutely monster game for Boston on Monday: 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocked shots β numbers that nobody in Celtics history, at least since each of those stats started being charted, had ever finished a game with.
Those stats were largely forgotten by night's end, given the gravity of the injury and what it now means for the Celtics β a team that is in the process of being sold for a record figure exceeding $6 billion, is on track to face a potential record salary and luxury tax bill that could exceed $500 million next season and now has a franchise cornerstone in Tatum facing a long road back to the court.
Tatum has logged nearly 25,000 minutes in his eight seasons with the Celtics, more than any other player in the NBA over that span when counting both regular-season and playoff games. He's been an All-Star in six consecutive seasons, won two Olympic gold medals and likely will be All-NBA for a fourth consecutive season when that team is revealed in the coming weeks.
And in the blink of an eye Monday, his story drastically changed.
"He's been a great player," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "And he's a great guy, too."
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:11:52+00:00 | [
"Jayson Tatum",
"Athlete injuries",
"Damian Lillard",
"Kevin Durant",
"Achilles Injuries",
"Aaron Rodgers",
"Boston Celtics",
"Indiana Pacers",
"Milwaukee Bucks",
"NBA Playoffs",
"New York Knicks",
"Brandon Graham",
"Leonard Floyd",
"NBA",
"New York City Wire",
"Sports",
"NBA basketball",
"Ryan Howard",
"Dominique Wilkins"
] | # Celtics' Jayson Tatum is the latest of many star athletes who've torn an Achilles tendon
By The Associated Press
May 13th, 2025 09:11 PM
---
The diagnosis of a torn Achilles tendon for All-Star forward Jayson Tatum is a devastating blow to the defending champion Boston Celtics and the second injury of its kind during the NBA playoffs.
Seven-time all-NBA guard Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks tore his left Achilles tendon during a loss to the Indiana Pacers on April 28.
The 27-year-old Tatum tore his right Achilles tendon on Monday night against the New York Knicks when he lunged toward a loose ball and his leg gave out. He buried his face in a towel in obvious pain while grabbing at his leg above the ankle after the non-contact injury.
The Knicks won 121-113 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals. The series resumes Wednesday in Boston with the Celtics needing to win to stay alive in the playoffs.
Other notable athletes who have come back from a torn Achilles tendon:
## Aaron Rodgers
The four-time NFL MVP tore his left Achilles tendon on Sept. 11, 2023, four snaps into his first year with the New York Jets. He was hurt as he tried to avoid a rushing Leonard Floyd, who wrapped up the quarterback and spun him down to the MetLife Stadium turf. Rodgers, 39 at the time, returned to practice in an astonishing 77 days after surgery but did not play again until Sept. 9, 2024. The Jets released him in March, and he's undecided on playing in 2025.
## Kobe Bryant
The late Basketball Hall of Famer tore an Achilles tendon on April 12, 2013, had surgery the next day and returned to the court with the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 8, 2013, at age 35. Bryant played only six games before a knee injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. Bryant averaged 22.3 points in only 35 games in 2014-15 and 17.6 points in 66 games in his last season in 2015-16.
## Kevin Durant
The two-time NBA Finals MVP tore an Achilles tendon on June 13, 2019, playing for Golden State in Game 4 of the championship round. He missed a full season and came back with the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 22, 2020, at age 32. Durant hasn't played more than 55 games in any season since his return but he's been elite, averaging 28.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists in three seasons since the injury.
## Dominique Wilkins
The Basketball Hall of Famer tore an Achilles tendon on Jan. 28, 1992. He returned to the court with the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 6, 1992, just two months shy of turning 33. Wilkins averaged 29.9 points in his first season back and played seven more years, including two stints overseas.
## Brandon Graham
The Philadelphia Eagles defensive end tore an Achilles tendon on Sept. 19, 2021, and returned for the season opener Sept. 11, 2022, at age 34. Graham had his best season as a pro last year, posting a career-high 11 sacks.
## Ryan Howard
The 2006 NL MVP tore an Achilles tendon on the final swing of a postseason series on Oct. 7, 2011. Howard returned to the lineup with the Philadelphia Phillies on July 6, 2012, at age 32. The big slugger was never the same, however. Howard averaged 44 homers and 133 RBIs in a six-year span before the injury. He averaged 19/66 over the next five.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 23:39:39+00:00 | [
"California",
"Los Angeles",
"Karl Frederic Seligman",
"Ricardo Lara",
"Wildfires",
"Financial services",
"Los Angeles Area wildfires",
"Climate and environment",
"Business",
"Inflation",
"Carmen Balber",
"Climate"
] | # California approves State Farm's request for 17% premium increase for homeowners
By TrΓ’n Nguyα»
n
May 13th, 2025 11:39 PM
---
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) β California's top insurance regulator said Tuesday that State Farm can soon start raising premiums by 17% for all of its home insurance customers in the state to help the insurer rebuild its capital following the Los Angeles wildfires.
State Farm has argued the emergency rate hikes are necessary to help the company avoid a "dire" financial crisis that could force them to drop more California policies. The state's largest home insurer said it was already struggling financially before this year but the LA fires, which destroyed more than 16,000 buildings in January, have made things worse.
The increase will apply to all of the roughly 1 million homeowners State Farm insures in the state.
The decision comes as California is undergoing a yearslong effort to entice insurers to continue doing business in the state as wildfires increasingly destroy entire neighborhoods. In 2023, several major companies, including State Farm, stopped issuing residential policies because of high fire risk. Last year, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara unveiled a slate of regulations aimed at giving insurers more latitude to raise premiums in exchange for more policies in high-risk areas. Those rules kick in this year.
State Farm initially asked for a 22% rate increase for homeowners but revised it to 17% during a recent hearing before an administrative judge. The request also includes a 38% hike for rental owners and 15% for tenants. The new rates will take effect in June. In exchange, State Farm will get a $400 million cash infusion from its parent company and agree to halt some nonrenewals through the end of this year.
On Tuesday, administrative Judge Karl Frederic Seligman ordered a ruling supporting State Farm's request, calling it "a rescue mission to stabilize State Farm's financial condition while safeguarding policyholders."
Lara adopted the recommendation the same day. The new rates are temporary until the state has a chance to consider State Farm's request from last year for a 30% rate increase for homeowners. The hearings for that request are set for October.
"I expect State Farm provide the highest level of service to its California customers and to fulfill its promises. State Farm must now justify its financial condition and detail its recovery plan in a full rate hearing before a neutral judge and my Department's experts," Lara said in a statement.
State Farm said in a statement that the approval "is a critical first step for State Farm General's (SFG) ability to continue serving our California customers." The company received a financial rating downgrade last year and has seen a decline of $5 billion in its surplus account over the last decade.
The company said it has paid more than $3.51 billion and is handling more than 12,600 claims as of this week.
"Today's decision that would make consumers pay now but allow State Farm to wait months before having to show its math is a great disappointment for consumers," Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, said of the ruling. The group opposes State Farm's request for higher premiums.
State Farm said it plans to refund the emergency rates if California later approves lower rates. The insurer last received state approval for a 20% rate increase in December 2023. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 15:15:47+00:00 | [
"Sean Diddy Combs",
"Juries",
"Bronx",
"Music",
"Manhattan",
"Classical music",
"New York City Wire",
"Entertainment",
"National Public Radio",
"Technology"
] | # A closer look at the jurors in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial
May 13th, 2025 03:15 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) β A jury of 12 New Yorkers, plus a half-dozen alternates, is hearing testimony at the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.
The group tilts male and middle-aged or older. Only three jurors are under 40. Five are over 60. Classical music listeners outnumber people who identified as hip-hop fans.
Their identities are known to the judge and lawyers but won't be made public. The jurors revealed a little about themselves as they were selected for the trial.
Here's what we know about the regular jurors:
## Eight men
β Investment analyst, age 31
β Social worker, 39
β Communications clerk at a prison system facility, 41
β Scientist, 51
β Retired worker in finance, 68
β Retired telecommunications company field technician, 68
β Logistics analyst for a bank, 67
β Massage therapist and actor, 69
## Four women
β Deli clerk, 30
β Nursing home dietary aide, 42
β Physician assistant, 43
β Former treatment coordinator at a charity for blind people, 74
## Their homes, families and educations
Eight are from New York City, including five from Manhattan and three from the Bronx. Four are from Westchester County, north of the city.
Nine are single, but some live with domestic partners and at least three are engaged. Six have children.
Nearly all have significant college experience and most are college graduates. A few have masters degrees and one, the scientist, has a Ph.D. in molecular biology and neuroscience.
## Their taste in music
At a trial where the defendant is one of the biggest stars in the history of hip-hop, three jurors said they were hip-hop fans, with one specifying the rap music of the 1990s. Two said they listen to reggaeton and two mentioned R&B.
Nearly half said they listen to classical music, including the 31-year-old investment analyst, who said he also listens to scores from video games. A couple of older jurors said they listen to rock 'n' roll and one of the retirees said he listens primarily to Indian music.
## Their taste in news
Several jurors said they go to the New York Times and NPR for their news.
One of the retirees said his main sources are CNN, Fox News and local TV stations. Another retiree said he mainly listens to New York news radio and occasionally reads local papers such as the Journal News of Westchester. The prison-system employee said he gets his news from the New York Post.
Others eschew formal news sources altogether.
The 30-year-old deli clerk said "I don't really get news. I get word of mouth." The 42-year-old dietary aide echoed that, saying, "I'm not really a fan of the news."
The physician assistant said, "I get my news primarily from just pop-ups, honestly, on my phone," which come from "CNN, Washington Post, and other things that aren't necessarily reputable."
## Their hobbies and habits
The 31-year-old investment analyst said he's a member of Connecticut country club and a regular Catholic church goer.
The nursing home worker said she is a fan of "Harry Potter," "The Chronicles of Narnia" and the offerings of Disney and Marvel. She's one of two jurors who said they were union members, along with the massage therapist, who is a member of the Actors' Equity Association.
One of the retirees said he plays cricket and volleyball.
Several said they were big sports fans.
Finally, all agreed that nothing in their experience would keep them from being fair and impartial. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 14:37:37+00:00 | [
"Soccer",
"Carlo Ancelotti",
"Real Madrid",
"Madrid",
"Sports",
"Diego Fernandes",
"Brazil",
"Pep Guardiola",
"James Robson",
"Pele"
] | # How Carlo Ancelotti's move from Real Madrid to Brazil got awkward
By James Robson
May 13th, 2025 02:37 PM
---
Carlo Ancelotti is swapping Real Madrid for Brazil in one of the biggest moves in world soccer. The problem is, neither he, nor Madrid, want to talk about it.
As coaching switches go, they don't come any bigger than this.
But when news broke Monday that Ancelotti was leaving the sport's most successful and iconic club team to take charge of its most successful and iconic national team, there was an awkward silence.
Madrid chose to ignore the announcement by the Brazilian soccer federation and was still to publicly acknowledge it 24 hours later.
There was silence, too, from Ancelotti, who didn't even provide a quote for his new employer when it published its official statement.
That left an uncomfortable vacuum until Ancelotti finally confirmed his departure during a scheduled news conference on Tuesday, which he only took part in because he was supposed to preview Madrid's upcoming match against Mallorca.
"If I didn't have this news conference today it would have been a fantastic day. But in this news conference I have to explain things that I don't want to explain," the Italian coach said.
## Bad timing?
Becoming coach of record five-time world champion Brazil should be among the proudest moments of Ancelotti's career. He will be the first foreign coach of Brazil at a World Cup β taking charge of the team of Pele, Ronaldo and Neymar; and the most iconic yellow jersey in soccer.
But even for Ancelotti β who is famed for his cool demeanor on the sideline, cigar smoking and the odd raised eyebrow β his reaction has been understated.
The 65-year-old Ancelotti β who has won a record five Champions League titles as a coach β begins his new job later this month with a view to leading Brazil to next year's World Cup.
With three more rounds of the Spanish season to go, Ancelotti said he did not want "anybody asking me about other things, because I respect this jersey a lot and I want to respect it until the last day."
## Muted Madrid
The announcement came after Madrid's 4-3 loss to Barcelona over the weekend all but confirmed the defending Spanish champion would surrender its league title.
Barcelona needs just two points to be crowned champion and can complete the job against Espanyol on Thursday.
Ancelotti's exit has been long-trailed, with departing Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso widely expected to replace him. So news of the deal will not have come as a surprise to Madrid, which was involved in the negotiations to release Ancelotti early from a contract that had another year to run.
But its silence has been notable, with no messages of congratulations or thanks to a coach that won two Champions League titles and the Spanish title in his second spell at the club.
Ancelotti also coached Madrid from 2013-15, which saw him win another Champions League.
Despite Ancelotti's future being confirmed, Madrid has not been pushed into responding with an announcement of its own succession plans.
"Real Madrid will release the statement when they want. There's no problem whatsoever. They'll do it at the appropriate time for Real Madrid and there's nothing further to add," Ancelotti said.
## Brazil boost
While Madrid is doing things in its own time, Brazil was coming under increasing pressure to announce a successor to Dorival JΓΊnior, who was fired in March after a humbling 4-1 loss to bitter rival Argentina in Buenos Aires.
The Brazilian federation enlisted the help of Brazilian businessman Diego Fernandes, a CEO of a banking firm, to facilitate negotiations over arguably the best active coach in soccer.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has previously been linked with the job but signed a contract extension with the Premier League club this season.
The appointment of Ancelotti is a major coup for a country that hasn't lifted the World Cup since 2002 and is desperate to return to the summit of the sport next year.
By securing Ancelotti this month, it means he can get to work straight away with World Cup qualifying matches against Ecuador and Paraguay coming up in June.
It was possible Ancelotti could have stayed on to lead Madrid at the expanded Club World Cup in the United States in June and July. That would have served as a fitting parting, with a chance for him to add to his decorated career.
Instead, Ancelotti's focus will be on Brazil's attempts to challenge Argentina, which was crowned world champion in 2022.
## What next for Madrid?
The record 15-time European Cup winner was knocked out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals and is on the verge of being usurped by Barcelona in the league.
At a club with the most demanding standards, a change was bound to come.
Alonso β a Champions League winner with Madrid as a player β is considered one of the most exciting young coaches in the game and led Leverkusen to the German league and cup double in his first full season in charge last year.
That success saw him linked with Madrid and Liverpool last season, but he decided to stay on for another year in Germany.
He confirmed this month that he will be leaving Leverkusen at the end of the season, with a move to Madrid widely tipped.
On Tuesday, Ancelotti did little dampen speculation about Alonso's expected arrival.
"I like Alonso a lot," he said. "I don't have any advice for him because he already has all the tools needed to become a great coach in the future."
___
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 23:24:21+00:00 | [
"Stephen Vogt",
"Cleveland Guardians",
"Milwaukee Brewers",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"MLB baseball",
"Zak Kent",
"Sports",
"Ben Lively"
] | # Guardians place right-hander Ben Lively on the 15-day injured list
May 13th, 2025 11:24 PM
---
CLEVELAND (AP) β Right-hander Ben Lively was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday due to a strained right flexor tendon.
Lively exited Monday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers after three innings.
Manager Stephen Vogt said that Lively felt some discomfort after his start at Washington on May 6, but that he didn't experience it again until he threw a couple of warm up pitches before the fourth inning on Monday night.
"He felt like he could keep pitching. We took that away from him, much to his dismay. So that gives me a little bit of hope that it's something that he felt that he could pitch through. We just have to wait to hear the report," Vogt said before Tuesday's game.
Lively is 2-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 10 starts this season. He has allowed only one run in 14 innings in three May starts.
The Guardians have called up right-hander Zak Kent from Triple-A Columbus.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 04:02:48+00:00 | [
"Robert De Niro",
"Cannes Film Festival",
"Quentin Tarantino",
"Jeremy Strong",
"Juliette Binoche",
"Halle Berry",
"Movies",
"Mark Ruffalo",
"Javier Bardem",
"Kelly Reichardt",
"Martin Scorsese",
"Sean Baker",
"Richard Linklater",
"Donald Trump",
"Richard Gere",
"Pedro Almodovar",
"Ari Aster",
"Kristen Stewart",
"Tom Cruise",
"Scarlett Johansson",
"Europe",
"Ukraine",
"Bernard-Henri Levy",
"Fatma Hassona",
"George Sherman",
"Julia Ducournau",
"Thierry Frmaux",
"Entertainment",
"Oliver Hermanus",
"Spike Lee",
"Leonardo Dicaprio",
"Amlie Bonnin",
"Joachim Trier",
"Charlie Chaplin",
"Harris Dickinson",
"Viggo Mortensen",
"Lynne Ramsay",
"Jake Coyle",
"Wes Anderson",
"Grard Depardieu",
"Jafar Panahi"
] | # At Cannes opening, Robert De Niro calls Trump 'America's philistine president'
By Jake Coyle
May 13th, 2025 04:02 AM
---
CANNES, France (AP) β Much of the cinema world, including Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio and Quentin Tarantino, descended on the Cannes Film Festival as the French Riviera extravaganza got its 78th edition underway Tuesday.
Expectations are running high for a potentially banner Cannes. All of the ingredients β loads of stars, top-tier filmmakers, political intrigue β seem to be lined up. Over the next 12 days, Cannes will play host to megawatt premieres including those of "Mission: Impossible β The Final Reckoning," Spike Lee's "Highest 2 Lowest" and Ari Aster's "Eddington."
DiCaprio skirted the red carpet but drew a standing ovation when he presented De Niro with an honorary Palme d'Or. The moment, which brought together two of Martin Scorsese's most regular stars, came 49 years after "Taxi Driver" was crowned with the Palme d'Or.
DiCaprio praised De Niro as "the archetype" actor, while also praising the 81-year-old performer β a fierce critic of U.S. President Donald Trump β for "fighting for our democracy." When the crowd rose to its feet for a lengthy ovation for De Niro, DiCaprio handed him the Palme. "Thanks, kiddo," said De Niro.
After thanking the festival, De Niro quickly turned to speaking about Trump, who recently said he wants to enact a tariff on films made outside the country.
"Art is the truth. Art embraces diversity. And that's why art is a threat to the autocrats and the fascists of the world," said De Niro. "America's philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of America's premier cultural institutions. He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities and education. And now he announced a 100% tariff on films made outside the United States. You can't put a price on connectivity."
## A busy opening day
The opening ceremony, which preceded the premiere of AmΓ©lie Bonnin's French romance "Leave One Day," was attended by Tarantino, who emerged to grandly declare the festival open, and then promptly dropped the mic and walked off stage. On Wednesday, Tarantino will pay tribute to Western filmmaker George Sherman. Also in attendance: Sean Baker, the "Anora" director and last year's Palme d'Or winner.
The ceremony capped a busy day at Cannes that included a three-film salute to Ukraine, the introduction of the jury that will decide the Palme d'Or, headed by Juliette Binoche, and the debut of a restoration of Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush" for its 100th anniversary.
Cannes is coming off a 2024 festival that produced a number of eventual Oscar contenders, including "Emilia Pérez," "The Substance," "Flow" and the best picture winner, "Anora. " Asked Monday if he's feeling the pressure this time around, festival director Thierry Frémaux said the only kind of pressure he believes in is in beer. (Beer on tap in France is "bière à la pression.")
Cannes launched the same day GΓ©rard Depardieu, one of France's most famous actors, was found guilty of having sexually assaulted two women on a 2021 film set. In one of France's most prominent #MeToo cases, Depardieu was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence. The 76-year-old has long been a regular presence at Cannes.
## The introduction of Binoche's jury
This year's Cannes Film Festival, the premier international cinematic gathering, is also unspooling following Trump's call for tariffs on movies made overseas. Confusion over the still-unformed plans characterized most responses.
"I don't know what to say, really, about that," Binoche told reporters Tuesday. "We can see that he's fighting and trying in many different ways to save America and save his ass."
Along with Binoche, the other eight jurors include Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong, who was unable to attend Cannes last year for the premiere of his Trump film "The Apprentice." Strong referenced that film, which led to his first Oscar nomination, in his comments on the American president Tuesday.
"Truth is under assault," said Strong. "Specifically at this temple of film, the role of film is increasingly critical because it can combat those forces in the entropy of truth, and can communicate truths, individual truths, human truths, societal truths, and affirm and celebrate our shared humanity."
Berry, responding to Cannes' new protocols on attire for the red carpet, said she had "an amazing dress" with a long train for the opening ceremony but wore something else instead. Cannes has outlawed nudity and dresses with long trains for its evening premieres at the Palais.
"I had to make a pivot," said Berry. "But the nudity part, I do think is probably also a good rule."
## A starry lineup, with geopolitics playing a co-starring role
Cannes will follow up Tuesday's festivities with the return Wednesday of Tom Cruise. Three years after he brought "Top Gun: Maverick" to the festival, he's back with the latest "Mission: Impossible" movie.
Twenty-two films will vie for Cannes' top prize, the Palme d'Or, to be presented May 24. Those films include Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme," Richard Linklater's "Nouvelle Vague," Lynne Ramsay's "Die, My Love," Joachim Trier's "Sentimental Value," Kelly Reichardt's "The Mastermind," Oliver Hermanus' "The History of Sound," Julia Ducournau's "Alpha" and Jafar Panahi's "A Simple Accident."
In Cannes' Un Certain Regard section, three prominent actors are making their directorial debuts: Harris Dickinson ("Urchin"), Kristen Stewart ("The Chronology of Water") and Scarlett Johansson ("Eleanor the Great").
Geopolitics are likely to play a starring role at Cannes, which began by screening three 2025 Ukraine documentaries: "Zelensky," Bernard-Henri LΓ©vy's "Notre Guerre" and The Associated Press-Frontline coproduction "2000 Meters to Andriivka," by "20 Days in Mariupol" Oscar winner Mstyslav Chernov.
"This 'Ukraine Day' is a reminder of the commitment of artists, authors and journalists to tell the story of this conflict in the heart of Europe," the festival said in a statement.
On Tuesday, more than 350 filmmakers, actors and others in the film industry β including Richard Gere, Pedro Almodovar, Javier Bardem, Viggo Mortensen and Mark Ruffalo, published an open letter in the French newspaper LibΓ©ration and in Variety calling on cinema institutions to more forcefully respond to what they called "genocide in Gaza."
ACID, a Cannes parallel section, includes the documentary "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk." It's about Fatma Hassona, a 25-year-old Palestinian photojournalist who was killed the day after the selection of the documentary was announced in April.
"Why is it that cinema, a breeding ground for socially committed works, seems to be so indifferent to the horror of reality and the oppression suffered by our sisters and brothers?" the letter read.
___
Jake Coyle has covered the Cannes Film Festival since 2012. To prepare for this year, he practiced eating crepes on the run and interviewed filmmakers on three continents who are in competition for Cannes' top honor, the Palme d'Or.
___
For more coverage of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, visit https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 23:12:09+00:00 | [
"Coco Montes",
"Toronto",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"MLB baseball",
"Sports",
"Kevin Cash",
"Detroit"
] | # Rays slugger Yandy DΓaz to miss series at Toronto because of passport renewal issue
May 13th, 2025 11:12 PM
---
TORONTO (AP) β The Tampa Bays Rays placed designated hitter Yandy DΓaz on the restricted list Tuesday due to a passport renewal issue.
Tampa Bay made the move before Tuesday's game at Toronto. DΓaz isn't expected to play in the three-game series, Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
DΓaz played the first three games of the Rays' six-game trip. He's expected to rejoin the team for a home series against Detroit starting on Friday.
"Certainly disappointed that he's not here because he's such a big part of our team and offense, but look forward to getting him back in Miami," Cash told reporters on Tuesday.
Tampa Bay recalled infielder Coco Montes from Triple-A Durham to take DΓaz's spot on the active roster.
DΓaz is hitting .238 with six homers and 20 RBIs in 40 games this season.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 23:02:48+00:00 | [
"Everton FC",
"Soccer",
"Megan Finnigan",
"Sports"
] | # Goodison Park to become home of Everton's women's team from next season
May 13th, 2025 11:02 PM
---
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) β Goodison Park will become the home of Everton's women's team from next season, the English club said Tuesday.
Everton's men's team is preparing to bid an emotional farewell to its long-time stadium ahead of a move to the newly built, 53,000-seat venue at Bramley-Moore Dock ahead of the start of next season.
Instead of Goodison Park being demolished, it will host Women's Super League matches, with the women's side moving from its nearby current home in Walton Hall Park.
"This move is a testament to where the women's game is right now and, more importantly, where it is heading," Everton captain Megan Finnigan said. "Goodison is a magical stadium with a deep heritage and close ties to the local community.
"Leading the team out for that first home match of next season will be nothing short of a career highlight β and the prospect of what Everton Women can become with such an iconic ground to call our home is hugely exciting."
The decision follows a review of the Goodison Legacy project β launched in 2020 β by the Friedkin Group following its takeover of the club in December.
Goodison Park will also stage some academy matches, while there will be a program of stadium upgrades ahead of the new season.
It has been the home of the men's team since 1892.
Southampton will be the visitor for the team's final match there on Sunday.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 15:49:38+00:00 | [
"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.",
"U.S. Food and Drug Administration",
"Ken Paxton",
"Public health",
"Water quality",
"Utah",
"Children",
"Health",
"Oral health",
"Government programs",
"Marty Makary",
"Donald Trump",
"Financial markets",
"Colgate-Palmolive Co.",
"Medication",
"Brett Kessler"
] | # FDA and RFK Jr. aim to remove ingestible fluoride products used to protect kids' teeth
By Matthew Perrone
May 13th, 2025 03:49 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) β U.S. health regulators announced an effort Tuesday to phase out ingestible fluoride supplements sometimes used to strengthen children's teeth, opening a new front in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s effort against a mainstay of dental care.
The Food and Drug Administration said it will conduct a scientific review of the children's products by late October with the aim of removing them from the market. Formally withdrawing medical products requires a lengthy rulemaking process that can take years. Instead, the FDA will ask manufacturers to voluntarily pull their products, according to an administration official.
Fluoride tablets and lozenges are sometimes recommended for children and teens at increased risk of tooth decay or cavities because of low fluoride in their local drinking water. Companies also sell drops for babies.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the products pose a risk when swallowed because they may interfere with healthy gut bacteria that are critical to digestion, immunity and other key bodily functions. He also referenced studies showing possible associations between excess fluoride intake and other problems, including decreased IQ.
The nation's leading dental group said Tuesday the studies "do not in fact demonstrate any harmful effects" from fluoride at the levels used by dentists.
"Proposals like this stand to hurt rural America, not make them healthier," American Dental Association President Dr. Brett Kessler said. "More than ever, at this critical time in American health care policy, it is vital that we slow down to properly study the full implications of actions like this on the health of the nation."
Officials in Utah β the first U.S. state to ban fluoride from drinking water β recently made fluoride supplements available without a prescription. As more state and local governments begin removing fluoride from their water, the need for supplemental fluoride is expected to grow.
Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1962, the agency set guidelines for how much should be added to water.
Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, has called fluoride a "dangerous neurotoxin" tied to a range of health dangers. Last month, he announced a task force to scrutinize fluoride's use, while at the same time saying he would order the CDC to stop recommending that it be added to tap water.
A report last year by the federal government's National Toxicology Program concluded that drinking water with more than twice the CDC's recommended level was associated with lower IQs in kids. The study was based on research conducted in Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico.
"Ending the use of ingestible fluoride is long overdue," Kennedy said in a statement Tuesday. "This decision brings us one step closer to delivering on President Trump's promise to Make America Healthy Again."
An influential government health panel recommends fluoride supplements for children between the ages of six months and 5 years if they live in areas with low fluoridation levels. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Forces judged the recommendation to have "high certainty," based on the available evidence.
A 2010 paper from the ADA recommended supplemental fluoride for children up to 16 years old who are at high risk of cavities. The recommendation was based on a review of studies across different age groups. The most common side effect associated with the products is spotting or discoloration of the teeth, caused by extra fluoride.
ADA's Kessler said the FDA's plan "will be particularly harmful to the most vulnerable and those who lack access to care."
The FDA regulates most dental products, including fluoride-containing toothpastes, supplements, mouthwashes and rinses. But in Tuesday's press release, the FDA said the ingestible products targeted by the agency have "never been approved." The agency's plan wouldn't affect toothpastes, mouthwash or fluoride treatments used by adults or those offered in dentists' offices.
In recent weeks fluoride-containing products have increasingly been targeted with lawsuits and legal actions.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation early this month into the marketing of fluoride toothpastes by Colgate-Palmolive and Proctor and Gamble. A press release from his office described the companies' promotions as "misleading, deceptive and dangerous."
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:53:40+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Margo Martin",
"Riyadh",
"Saudi Arabia",
"U.S. Air Force",
"Saudi Arabia government",
"Politics"
] | # How to impress a US president? Spin up a fighter jet escort for Air Force One
May 13th, 2025 09:53 PM
---
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) β Saudi Arabia didn't even wait for U.S. President Donald Trump to land there before it set out to impress him in a sky-high way.
As Trump flew in to Riyadh on Tuesday, he got a ceremonial escort from six Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s as his plane approached the kingdom's capital β an exceptionally rare sight.
Margo Martin, a White House official, posted video of the escort online, declaring, "Saudi F-15's providing honorary escort for Air Force One!"
The Royal Saudi Air Force has the world's largest fleet of F-15s after the U.S. Air Force. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:31:27+00:00 | [
"Bruce Bochy",
"Corey Seager",
"Texas Rangers",
"Illinois",
"Baseball",
"Athlete injuries",
"Medical diagnostic technology",
"MLB",
"Sports",
"Kyle Higashioka",
"Ryan McMahon",
"Luke Jackson",
"MLB baseball"
] | # Rangers place Corey Seager on 10-day injured list with right hamstring strain
By Stephen Hawkins
May 13th, 2025 09:31 PM
---
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) β Corey Seager was placed on the 10-day injured list again Tuesday by the Texas Rangers after the two-time World Series MVP shortstop had already missed four of their previous five games because of right hamstring soreness.
Seager is on the IL for the second time this season, with the latest move retroactive to Sunday. He had played in only five games since being activated May 3 after missing 10 games with a right hamstring strain. He homered twice Saturday at Detroit.
"Obviously it's frustrating, but at the same time we know he'll be back," manager Bruce Bochy said, then acknowledging it could be longer than just a 10-day IL stint this time. "We're going to make sure this thing is healed up. We don't want him playing at 75, 80%."
There was no immediate move for right-handed closer Luke Jackson, who was struck on his pitching hand by a 111-mph comebacker liner on the only pitch he threw after coming into the ninth inning of their 2-1 win over Colorado on Monday night.
Jackson still had some swelling Tuesday, but X-rays and a CT scan showed no broken bones. He was in the clubhouse squeezing a squishy stress ball in his right hand in an effort to help relieve what swelling remained on the top of his hand and the wrist area where the ball struck him.
Bochy said Jackson would be evaluated Wednesday.
"He could be ready four or five days, we think," Bochy said. "If it doesn't look like that's happening, then we'll make a move."
The Rangers activated catcher Kyle Higashioka from the 10-day IL after he missed 12 games because of a mild left intercostal strain.
Seager, in the fourth season of his $325 million, 10-year contract with the Rangers, is hitting .300 with six homers and 12 RBIs in 26 games this season.
The five-time All-Star missed the end of last season after his second hernia surgery in less than eight months. That operation in September was a right sports hernia repair, on the opposite side of his abdomen from a procedure the previous January.
He dealt with the left hernia issue at the end of 2023, when he still hit .318 with six homers, 12 RBIs and 15 walks in 17 postseason games as the Rangers won their first World Series title. He was on the IL twice that season (left hamstring issue and right thumb sprain).
Ryan McMahon was leading off the ninth for Colorado in the series opener when his sharp liner struck Jackson's hand and popped up in the air before falling to the ground for an infield single.
Jackson, 0-3 with eight saves and a 5.54 ERA since signing with the Rangers as a free agent in February, said that had "to be the hardest ball" to ever hit him.
"The second it hit my hand. I didn't know, like, how bad it was. You know, adrenaline," he said. "Then my hand swelled up so fast I couldn't even, like, think about holding the ball ... It wasn't comfortable last night. But this morning I woke up, felt pretty good."
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 15:45:10+00:00 | [
"Paul Skenes",
"Don Kelly",
"Pittsburgh Pirates",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"MLB Spring Training",
"Sports",
"MLB baseball",
"Houston"
] | # Pirates ace Paul Skenes is joining Team USA for the World Baseball Classic
May 13th, 2025 03:45 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) β Paul Skenes is ready to take on the world.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace announced Tuesday that he will join Team USA when the World Baseball Classic returns next March.
"Being around the best players in the game for three, four weeks, however long it is β unbelievable opportunity," Skenes said at Citi Field before the Pirates played the New York Mets. "And I just can't wait to learn."
The reigning National League Rookie of the Year β who spent two years at the Air Force Academy before transferring to LSU β is expected to be near the top of the rotation for the Americans, who are coming off a runner-up finish to Japan at the 2023 WBC.
Skenes is confident the U.S. will have another good team and he's willing to help recruit other major league stars.
"I'll do whatever I have to do to win gold," he said.
Asked if he thinks his commitment to Team USA could convince other elite pitchers to participate, Skenes said: "That's the goal." But he added he's "not too worried about any of that stuff."
Pirates manager Don Kelly said the club isn't overly concerned about Skenes risking injury by ramping up intensity on the mound earlier than usual, at a time in the year when most big league players are gearing up gradually at spring training.
"I think anytime these pitchers go out there, there's always concern and health risk and whatever," Kelly said. "But you get to see the way that he works and the way that he prepares, and how diligent he is in that β he's going to do everything that he can to be prepared to go out there and stay as healthy as he can."
Skenes, who turns 23 this month, was the top pick in the 2023 amateur draft. The 6-foot-6 right-hander is 14-7 with a 2.16 ERA in 32 career starts β the lowest ERA in the majors since his debut on May 11, 2024. He is 3-4 with a 2.63 ERA this season.
Skenes gave up one run in six innings Monday night against the Mets and exited with the lead before Pittsburgh's bullpen gave it away late in a 4-3 loss.
The 2026 WBC will be held from March 5-17 in Tokyo, Houston, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Skenes and the rest of Team USA begin pool play in Houston from March 6-11.
Skenes has already spoken a little bit to Pirates teammates who have played in the WBC.
"Basically, (they) said it's the coolest thing they've ever experienced. So, looking forward to it and looking forward to having my own experiences," he said.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:43:13+00:00 | [
"Stuart Skinner",
"William Nylander",
"Calvin Pickard",
"Anthony Stolarz",
"Florida Panthers",
"Edmonton Oilers",
"Toronto Maple Leafs",
"Evan Rodrigues",
"Matthew Tkachuk",
"Ryan Reaves",
"Max Domi",
"Aleksander Barkov",
"Sergei Bobrovsky",
"Vegas Golden Knights",
"Stanley Cup",
"NHL",
"Sports",
"Pain management",
"NHL hockey",
"Kris Knoblauch",
"National Hockey League",
"Craig Berube",
"Evander Kane",
"Toronto",
"Oliver Ekman-Larsson",
"Stanley Cup Playoffs"
] | # Evander Kane's physicality helps Oilers push Golden Knights to brink of elimination
By Mark Anderson
May 13th, 2025 10:43 PM
---
This isn't the first time Evander Kane has been a pain to the Golden Knights, and he has helped bring a physicality to the Edmonton Oilers that has them one game from eliminating Vegas.
It's similar in the Florida-Toronto series, where the heat is rising as the stakes get higher.
In other words, it's the NHL playoffs.
For the Golden Knights, this is like a throwback β but not in a good way. Former Vegas enforcer Ryan Reaves had a long-running feud with Kane when the latter played for San Jose, which helped bleed into contempt between the teams.
The fact they were Pacific Division rivals that also met in the playoffs in 2018 and 2019 took their games up a level. The Golden Knights won the 2018 series and the Sharks got revenge in a memorable seven-game victory the following year.
So, of course, Kane is playing another big role role against the Golden Knights. He has two goals and two assists and has helped bring a key physical element to the Oilers, especially in Monday night's 3-0 Game 4 victory.
"It wears other teams down and it keeps guys on their toes," Kane said of the physicality. "We got some turnovers off of that. I thought we were able to create some offensive opportunities. We didn't take our foot off the gas."
Kane missed the entire regular season because of two surgeries to repair a number of issues, but hasn't needed much time to transition his way back into the lineup.
"He likes the competition," Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. "He likes the level of intensity, and the game means more this time of the year. He rises to that occasion where you see other guys maybe wilt."
The Florida-Toronto series is tied β and heated.
The Maple Leafs won Games 1 and 2 on their home ice, the Panthers won Games 3 and 4 on their home ice, and that span has seen both good play and bad blood. The Panthers are waiting to see if forward Evan Rodrigues β the recipient of a high hit from former teammate Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Game 4 β will be cleared to play in Game 5.
That wasn't the end of the Game 4 shenanigans, either. Toronto's Max Domi appeared to blindside the Panthers' Aleksander Barkov with a hit at the end of regulation that led to four misconduct penalties, along with a suggestion from Florida's Matthew Tkachuk to the Leafs' William Nylander that a response would be coming from the defending Cup champions on Wednesday.
"He probably didn't even hear him," Leafs coach Craig Berube said of Nylander. "He doesn't hear me."
## Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights
When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
Series: Oilers leads 3-1
Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner was benched after the first two games in the opening round series against Los Angeles before Calvin Pickard came to rescue before reeling off six consecutive victories.
That included the first two games of this series.
But with Pickard day to day with a lower-body injury, it's Skinner's turn to play hero. He recorded a 23-save shutout on Monday to put the Oilers on the brink of advancing to the Western Conference final.
"Stuart made some big saves, especially early in the game when there were some times Vegas had the opportunity to get back in the game," Knoblauch said. "He has a lot of pride. He puts pressure on himself to have success, and it was nice to see him get that shutout."
## Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs
When/Where to Watch: Game 5, Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
Series: Series tied 2-2.
The series is tied. Games, 2-2. Goals, Florida leads 14-13. The Panthers are delivering more hits, the Maple Leafs are blocking more shots. Add hits and blocks up, and it comes out basically even β 60 a game for Toronto, 59 a game for Florida.
"It's a best-of-three now," Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said.
Welcome to the swing game. In NHL history, when a best-of-seven series is tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner has gone on to prevail 79% of the time.
That goes up to 100% so far this postseason; four series were tied 2-2, and the Game 5 winner has won them all β all in Round 1 in the Western Conference. The Vegas-Minnesota, Edmonton-Los Angeles, Winnipeg-St. Louis and Dallas-Colorado series were all tied 2-2; Vegas, Edmonton and Dallas all won Game 5 and closed those matchups out in six games, while Winnipeg won Game 5 and went on to win Game 7 in an overtime thriller.
Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz, who was injured in Game 1 of the series, returned to practice Tuesday. Berube, however, said he didn't know when Stolarz would play again.
___
AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
___
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:26:09+00:00 | [
"Israel",
"Gaza Strip",
"United Nations",
"Foreign aid",
"Israel government",
"War and unrest",
"Israel-Hamas war",
"2024-2025 Mideast Wars",
"Hamas",
"Famine",
"Humanitarian crises",
"Tommy Pigott",
"Politics",
"United Nations Security Council",
"Antoine Renard",
"Riyad Mansour"
] | # UN humanitarian chief blasts Israel for blocking aid to Gaza
By Farnoush Amiri and Edith M. Lederer
May 13th, 2025 09:26 PM
---
UNITED NATIONS (AP) β The United Nations' top humanitarian official blasted Israel on Tuesday for "deliberately and unashamedly" imposing inhumane conditions on Palestinians, including the risk of famine β one of the strongest condemnations by a high-ranking U.N. official during the war in Gaza.
Tom Fletcher, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, briefed the Security Council, describing this work as a "grim undertaking" since Israel began blocking all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza more than 10 weeks ago.
He went as far as saying that the council must "act now" to "prevent genocide," a claim that Israel vehemently denied.
"I ask you to reflect β for a moment β on what action we will tell future generations we each took to stop the 21st century atrocity to which we bear daily witness in Gaza," said Fletcher, a longtime British diplomat who took up the U.N. post in November. "It is a question we will hear, sometimes incredulous, sometimes furious β but always there β for the rest of our lives."
In response to Fletcher's remarks, the Israeli mission to the U.N. said that "Israel will not accept a humanitarian mechanism that props up the Hamas terror organization that butchered our people in their homes and communities." Before the blockade, the U.N. and other international aid agencies handled moving aid into the enclave.
The U.N. World Food Program's director for Gaza, Antoine Renard, told The Associated Press that a quarter of Gaza's population is at risk of famine. That's despite all the food needed to feed the territory's population sitting in warehouses in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan β and most of it is not even 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, he said.
Renard said WFP warehouses in Gaza are empty, and the agency has gone from providing meals for 1 million people at the end of April to producing only 250,000 meals daily. The meals they can serve are "meaningless, compared to people's requirements," he said.
"Soon, we're going to speak about the fact that people don't even have access to a meal," Renard warned. "Is that where we need to go to actually raise the alarm? It's now that we need to act."
The warnings come after food security experts said Monday that Gaza will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation, living in "catastrophic" levels of hunger, and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises.
"Israel has been openly and brazenly blocking humanitarian aid for over two months now β this is engineered starvation," Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, told the Security Council. "It is the most inhumane form of torture and killing."
Amid Israel's blockade, AP obtained a proposal from a newly created group backed by the U.S., the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, to implement a new aid distribution system based on plans similar to those designed by Israel.
Israel has cited aid diversions by Hamas as reason for a new plan. The U.N. and aid groups have rejected Israel's moves to control aid distribution.
"It is a cynical sideshow. A deliberate distraction. A fig leaf for further violence and displacement," Fletcher said about the proposal, adding that it would exclude the disabled, women, children and the elderly.
Asked Tuesday when aid would get into Gaza, a spokesperson for the State Department repeated Israeli rhetoric that Hamas "bears responsibility" for the humanitarian conditions in Gaza. It's a claim that aid officials have continuously disputed.
"I will reiterate that we are supportive of creative solutions to get aid in there but also in a way that the aid is not falling into the hands of Hamas, that it actually reaches the people that need it," deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott told reporters.
Renard said "criminal gangs," not Hamas, had stripped WFP trucks of supplies between October and early January. He said some taking of food recently was not by gangs but people with nothing to eat.
Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in a surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,800 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants or civilians.
Israel says it has killed thousands of militants, without giving evidence. The Israeli military on Tuesday struck what it said was a Hamas "command and control center" located beneath a hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
"I can tell you from having visited what's left of Gaza's medical system, that death on this scale has a sound and a smell that does not leave you," the U.N.'s Fletcher said. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 10:56:27+00:00 | [
"Nuno Espirito Santo",
"Soccer",
"Elliot Anderson",
"Surgery",
"Nigeria",
"Sports",
"Premier League",
"Taiwo Awoniyi",
"Nottingham",
"United Kingdom"
] | # Forest striker Awoniyi reportedly placed in induced coma after urgent surgery
May 13th, 2025 10:56 AM
---
NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) β Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has reportedly been placed in an induced coma after undergoing "urgent" surgery on an abdominal injury that was the subject of a heavily debated on-field discussion between the club's manager and owner following a Premier League game over the weekend.
The Nigeria international was injured when he collided with the goal frame after coming on as a second-half substitute during the 2-2 draw against Leicester on Sunday.
Awoniyi was placed in an induced coma to aid his recovery from Monday's operation, Britain's PA news agency reported Tuesday, saying it will help restrict his movement and regulate his heart rate.
Forest had released a statement after Awoniyi's surgery, saying he was "recovering well." The team has two games left in the Premier League β at West Ham and at home to Chelsea β as it seeks to qualify for the Champions League.
After the game against Leicester, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis entered the field and remonstrated with manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Espirito Santo said Marinakis was frustrated because of a miscommunication between the bench and medical staff after the injury to Awoniyi.
After receiving treatment, the 27-year-old striker signaled he was OK to continue so Espirito Santo left him on and immediately made his final substitution, taking off Elliot Anderson for Jota Silva in the first minute of stoppage time.
However, Awoniyi was in discomfort for the rest of the game, effectively leaving Forest down to 10 players and hampering its hopes of a winner.
In its statement, Forest said Marinakis' post-match reaction "was one of deep care, responsibility, and emotional investment in one of our own."
"In moments like that, he demonstrates his leadership, not just through words, but through action and presence," the statement read. "In the final 10 minutes of the game, when he saw our player clearly in discomfort, struggling through visible pain, it became increasingly difficult for him to stay on the sidelines.
"His deep frustration at seeing our player lying on the ground in severe pain β something no one with genuine care could ignore β triggered him to go onto the pitch. It was instinctive, human, and a reflection of just how much this team and its people mean to him."
Marinakis relinquished his position as a person with significant control of Forest in recent weeks as the club closed in on unlikely Champions League qualification.
UEFA has rules to bar clubs from its competitions in any season if owners have "decisive influence" over two clubs which qualify. Marinakis is also president of Olympiakos, which has qualified as Greek champion.
With two rounds of the season to go, Forest is seventh β one point behind fifth-placed Chelsea. The top five will qualify for the Champions League.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 20:43:57+00:00 | [
"Baltimore Orioles",
"Minnesota Twins",
"San Francisco Giants",
"Baseball",
"DC Wire",
"MLB",
"Sports",
"Simeon Woods Richardson",
"Bailey Ober",
"MLB baseball",
"Dean Kremer"
] | # Twins and Orioles to play Wednesday doubleheader after weather postpones Tuesday's game
May 13th, 2025 08:43 PM
---
BALTIMORE (AP) β The opener of a three-game series between the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday was postponed because of rain.
The game will be made up as a traditional doubleheader on Wednesday with the first game starting at 12:05 p.m. EDT.
Minnesota right-hander Bailey Ober will face Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer in the opener. Twins right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, who was scheduled to pitch Tuesday, is expected to start the second game Wednesday. The Orioles hadn't announced a starter for that one.
The Twins have won eight straight after beating the San Francisco Giants 7-6 on Sunday. The Orioles are last in the AL East.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 15:33:28+00:00 | [
"North Carolina",
"Raleigh",
"Voting",
"Allison Riggs",
"Donald Trump",
"Roy Cooper",
"Courts",
"2024 United States presidential election",
"Voting rights",
"Richard Myers",
"Legal proceedings",
"U.S. Republican Party",
"North Carolina state government",
"Anita Earls",
"Politics",
"Isaac Jenkins",
"Elections"
] | # North Carolina justice sworn in after long battle over result
By Gary D. Robertson
May 13th, 2025 03:33 PM
---
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) β North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs was sworn in to a new term on Tuesday after the Democrat won a monthslong fight against her Republican rival's challenges to thousands of ballots.
The State Board of Elections earlier Tuesday issued an election certificate to Riggs based on the incumbent's 734-vote victory over GOP candidate Jefferson Griffin from over 5.5 million ballots cast. The board was complying with a federal judge's order last week against Griffin, who conceded rather than appeal.
The Associated Press declared over 4,800 winners in the 2024 general election, but the Supreme Court election was the last nationally that was undecided.
"Thank you for your trust and unwavering support," Riggs told family and supporters after she was sworn in to an eight-year term in the old House chamber. "You chose a path forward where power stays in the hands of people, not politicians. You demanded accountability and used your voices to speak out for our constitutional rights."
The victory builds Democratic hopes that they can take over the highest court in the ninth-largest state later this decade. Associate Justice Anita Earls β the other Democrat on the seven-member court β delivered the oath to Riggs and is seeking reelection in 2026. The conservative majority in place since early 2023 has issued opinions favoring Republicans on redistricting, photo voter identification and even this race.
After two recounts, the result remained in the air for months, as Griffin protested the eligibility of over 65,000 ballots. Court decisions whittled the potential ballots at issue down to no more than roughly 7,000.
Riggs' Democratic allies said Griffin and the state Republican Party were trying to overturn a fair and legal election by removing ballots that legally should be counted. Some of Griffin's challenges only applied to a handful of Democratic-leaning counties.
There was "immeasurable damage done to our democracy" as a result of the challenge, Riggs said. "Voters should not have to fight tooth and nail to have their lawful votes counted."
The State Board of Elections dismissed Griffin's protests in December. But by April state appeals courts β including the high court β ruled against counting votes from people who never lived in North Carolina but whose parents had. And they declared ballots ineligible if they were cast by military and overseas voters who didn't provide copies of photo identification or an ID exception form.
A Republican majority of justices also agreed that those people who cast ballots without an ID or form β perhaps several thousand β should have 30 days to provide additional information so their choices could still count.
Riggs, who recused herself from her court's deliberations, went to federal court to block the removal of votes. U.S. District Judge Richard Myers, an appointee of President Donald Trump, sided with Riggs on May 5, agreeing the "retroactive invalidation" of ballots cast by military and overseas voters would violate the due process rights of voters. And Myers wrote the lack of a process for people mistakenly declared nonresidents also was unconstitutional.
Griffin's challenges in part had been about "making sure that every legal vote in an election is counted," he said last Wednesday as he announced he wouldn't appeal.
Republican officials contend the six-month challenge brought to light errors by the State Board of Elections that threatened election integrity and will be addressed by a newly appointed Republican-majority board. But many voters whose ballots were challenged described Griffin's efforts as a disturbing attempt to steal an election and lamented the rulings of other Republican state judges over the ballot protests.
"It's very distasteful that he did challenge," said Isaac Jenkins, 76, of Aberdeen, who was on the list of those who cast ballots questioned by Griffin, which also included Riggs' parents. "It put a bad spotlight on the Republican Party and on the courts."
Myers' order, however, did not invalidate for future North Carolina elections the state courts' decisions on military and overseas voters who don't provide ID information as well as those who have never been residents in the state. They can vote in North Carolina elections for federal offices only, the elections board said this week.
Riggs, who was appointed to the court in September 2023 by then-Gov. Roy Cooper, now serves in a full associate justice's term that lasts through late 2032. Griffin remains a state Court of Appeals judge.
__
Associated Press writer Makiya Seminera contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:34:53+00:00 | [
"Sevilla FC",
"Soccer",
"Cristhian Stuani",
"Alvaro Garcia",
"Sports transactions",
"Sports",
"Francisco Garca Pimienta"
] | # Forward who was playing in US college last year puts Sevilla on verge of escaping demotion
By Tales Azzoni
May 13th, 2025 10:34 PM
---
MADRID (AP) β Γlvaro GarcΓa Pascual, who last year was playing college soccer in the United States, gave Sevilla a 1-0 home win over Las Palmas and moved the traditional Spanish club on the verge of escaping relegation in the Spanish league on Tuesday.
GarcΓa Pascual scored the winning goal with a header in the 52nd minute to move Sevilla seven points clear of the relegation zone with two games remaining. Some teams can cut that gap as the mid-week round continues on Wednesday and Thursday.
The 22-year-old GarcΓa Pascual was playing at Marshall University until last year, and before that he was at Coastal Carolina University. The forward joined Sevilla's B team in 2024, and made his first-team debut as a substitute in a game against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in December.
Tuesday's victory ended an eight-game winless streak for Sevilla, which a few days ago faced a protest by a large group of angry fans who forced their way onto the premises of the club's training grounds following another loss.
Sevilla fired coach Francisco GarcΓa Pimienta in April, and former coach JoaquΓn CaparrΓ³s replaced him in a caretaker role. The club has been hit by financial plight and poor results ever since winning its seventh and last Europa League title in 2023.
It was the fourth-straight defeat for Las Palmas, which stayed in second-to-last-place, three points from salvation.
## Other results
In other results, 13th-place Girona won 1-0 at already relegated Valladolid, which has lost 10 games in a row. Cristhian Stuani scored Girona's winner in the 80th.
Seventh-place Celta Vigo strengthened its hold in the European qualification spots by winning 1-0 at 12th-place Real Sociedad, which is winless in six consecutive matches. Celta has won three of its last four matches.
Real Madrid needs to beat Mallorca at home on Wednesday to keep Barcelona from winning the league title in advance. Even if Madrid wins, the Catalan club can lift the trophy with a victory at Espanyol on Thursday.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 20:24:40+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Honduras",
"United States government",
"Lawsuits",
"Immigration",
"Louisiana",
"New Orleans",
"United States",
"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement",
"Politics",
"Terry Doughty",
"Gracie Willis",
"Legal proceedings"
] | # Family of 2-year-old US citizen deported to Honduras drops lawsuit against Trump administration
By Megan Janetsky
May 13th, 2025 08:24 PM
---
MEXICO CITY (AP) β Lawyers for a 2-year-old U.S. citizen who was deported with her mother to Honduras confirmed on Tuesday that the family was dropping its lawsuit against the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The girl -β one of three U.S.-born children who were deported alongside their Honduran-born mothers -β had been at the heart of one of the mounting legal battles playing out in the United States weighing if the Trump administration broke the law in implementing its new deportation policies.
"Given the traumatizing experiences the families have been through, they are taking a step back to have full discussions about all their options, the safety and well-being of their children, and the best ways to proceed so the harms they have suffered can be fully addressed," said Gracie Willis, one of the family's lawyers.
The lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, National Immigration Project and several other allied groups, which said the deportations were a "shocking β although increasingly common β abuse of power."
Willis and the group of lawyers had argued that the families did not have a fair opportunity to decide whether they wanted the children to stay in the United States. Willis said the family of the 2-year-old girl and their lawyers jointly decided to dismiss the case to give the family "space and time to consider all the options that are available to them."
A federal judge in Louisiana had raised questions about the girl's deportation, saying the government did not prove it had done so properly.
The Honduran-born mother β who is pregnant β was arrested in April on an outstanding deportation order along with the girl and her 11-year-old Honduran-born sister during a check-in appointment at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in New Orleans, lawyers said. The family lived in Baton Rouge.
Lawyers for the girl's father insisted he wanted the girl to remain with him in the U.S., while ICE said the mother had wanted the girl to be deported with her to Honduras.
In a court filing, lawyers for the father said ICE indicated that it was holding the girl in a bid to induce the father to turn himself in.
U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Louisiana had scheduled a hearing for the case later this week, saying it was "in the interest of dispelling our strong suspicion that the Government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process."
____
Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 20:26:29+00:00 | [
"Matt Quatraro",
"Kansas City Royals",
"Houston",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"Sports",
"MLB baseball",
"Sports transactions",
"Edwin Jackson",
"Boston Red Sox",
"Rich Hill"
] | # The Royals signed veteran Rich Hill to a minor league deal. They would be his 14th team if called up
May 13th, 2025 08:26 PM
---
HOUSTON (AP) β The Kansas City Royals are giving Rich Hill another chance to pitch in the big leagues.
The Royals signed the 45-year-old left-hander to a minor league deal Tuesday, and he will report soon to the club's spring training facility in Surprise, Arizona. Once he gets up to speed, Hill likely will head to Triple-A Omaha and try to prove he can still help a major league ballclub with designs on contending for the postseason.
Kansas City entered Tuesday night's game in Houston tied for second in the AL Central.
"I love Rich," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "I was with him for a year in Tampa. It's remarkable that he's still pitching, that he still has the drive to want to do it and go to Triple-A and continue to compete. That's one thing that stands out about him is he is the ultimate competitor. Nobody wants to win more than that guy. Nobody's more fiery than he is. So, I think it's tremendous that he still has that drive and he can continue to compete."
Hill made his big league debut with the Cubs in 2005, and he has made 248 starts and appeared in 386 games over the past two decades. He has a 4.01 ERA with 1,428 strikeouts while pitching for 13 different franchises; the Royals would be the 14th should he get called up, joining Edwin Jackson as the only players to play for that many clubs.
Hill made four appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen last season before he was designated for assignment in September. His best season was in 2016, when he went 12-5 with a 2.12 ERA while pitching for the Athletics and the Dodgers.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:23:40+00:00 | [
"Bryson DeChambeau",
"Jon Rahm",
"Luke Donald",
"Golf",
"Xander Schauffele",
"Keegan Bradley",
"Brooks Koepka",
"Justin Thomas",
"Scottie Scheffler",
"Rory McIlroy",
"Tiger Woods",
"Gary Player",
"Will Zalatoris",
"PGA Championship",
"Ryder Cup",
"Europe",
"Nick Price",
"Oklahoma Sooners",
"Marco Simone",
"Nick Faldo",
"Sports",
"Dave Stockton",
"Raymond Floyd"
] | # Keegan Bradley invites LIV golfers to Ryder Cup dinner despite PGA Tour-LIV tensions
By Doug Ferguson
May 13th, 2025 10:23 PM
---
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley hosted a dinner in Philadelphia last week for prospective players high on the points list. Most of them were in the field for the Truist Championship. Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau were not.
Both players from Saudi-funded LIV Golf were invited to Philadelphia to join the informal dinner. DeChambeau's flight was delayed by weather, and he joined remotely. But it was another strong indication Bradley cares only about fielding the best team.
"They were in there on points and they played on previous teams. It was great to have them there," Bradley said Tuesday. "This Ryder Cup and what comes with this, no one cares about what's going on in this PGA Tour-LIV. We're trying to put the best team together. It could mean there's one LIV guy, two LIV guys, it doesn't matter. We'll see how this year shakes out.
"It was really great to have them together with all the guys," he said. "It's been a while since we've been able to do that."
Koepka played in the 2023 matches at Marco Simone, while DeChambeau played in 2021.
"Look, I've got to keep playing good golf and ... hopefully I can make it on points alone," DeChambeau said.
He and Koepka can only earn points in the majors.
Jon Rahm, meanwhile, can earn points for the European team through the majors and European tour events he chooses to play. Rahm had not yet joined LIV Golf when Europe beat the Americans in Italy with Luke Donald as the captain.
He would seem to be a lock for Europe.
"That's a question for Luke," Rahm said. "It's his team. Hopefully I can qualify, and we don't have to question it. I would like to think that personally I am, but it's not up to me."
## Southern Hills gets another PGA
Justin Thomas is back at Quail Hollow, where he won his first PGA Championship. He learned on Tuesday he will be going back to where he won his second Wanamaker Trophy.
The PGA Championship is returning to Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2032.
It will be the sixth time Southern Hills has held the PGA, the most of any course, to go along with three U.S. Opens. The Perry Maxwell design β restored by Gil Hanse for the 2022 PGA Championship β has proven a strong test over the years.
Only 45 players in eight major championships at Southern Hills have finished under par.
Thomas tied a PGA Championship record in 2022 when he rallied from seven shots behind in the final round β including a shank on the par-3 sixth hole β and drove the par-4 17th green during a three-hole playoff he won over Will Zalatoris.
Other PGA champions at Southern Hills were Tiger Woods (2007), Nick Price (1994), Raymond Floyd (1982) and Dave Stockton (1970). All but Stockton are in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
## Steak and cigars ready
While it's a tradition that doesn't get nearly as much attention as the Masters Club dinner at Augusta National, the PGA Championship also has a dinner for past champions.
Defending champion Xander Schauffele was in charge of Tuesday night's menu, which was set to include smoked goat cheese dates, pickled watermelon, clams casino shooters and steak and bleu cheese crostini as appetizers. The main course was Wagyu New York strip steak, served with blackened jumbo shrimp, whipped sweet potatoes and a bourbon bone marrow reduction. Banana split and strawberry shortcake were for dessert.
Schauffele placed full trust in the chefs at Quail Hollow while choosing the menu, saying they haven't let him down in his previous trips to Charlotte.
"The only thing I said was sort of steak," Schauffele said. "I saw a lot of bleu cheese on there. I think we're kind of tweaking it a little bit, from the last of my knowledge, or making it a little bit more customized; you can have some on or not because it's sort of a really strong, you either like it or you don't thing."
As part of the tradition, Schauffele planned to give his fellow past PGA champions cigars and a humidor.
"The cigars I had input on," Schauffele said.
## Rahm and the Grand Slam
Jon Rahm would love nothing more than to get a career Grand Slam. He's still two majors away β the PGA Championship and the British Open. Until he gets the third leg, his mind is more occupied with total majors instead of the collection of all four.
"I think obviously it would be a lot more on my mind if I were to win a third different one, kind of like Jordan (Spieth) has been able to do," Rahm said. "But right now, if I ever had a thought, I'll focus more on quantity of majors rather than which ones.
"Let's say I never achieve it," he said. "I'd rather have a situation like Sir Nick Faldo where he has six of two of them instead of having maybe three different ones, if that makes sense."
Faldo won the Masters and the British Open three times each. He has the most majors of anyone who has two legs of the Grand Slam in the last 100 years.
Xander Schauffele, who won the PGA Championship and British Open last year, is on the same page.
"If I win another double major, the Open and the PGA, I'm not going to cry about it," he said. "I'm trying to win as many as possible. The Grand Slam is obviously on the list of goals. But I'm not picky."
Scottie Scheffler thought it was "wild" that Rory McIlroy could win the Grand Slam with five majors. Tiger Woods, however, completed the slam by winning one of each (and then 11 more), as did Gary Player, who finished with nine majors.
___
AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed to this report.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:51:23+00:00 | [
"Soccer",
"Premier League",
"Frank Lampard",
"Dan Ballard",
"Sports",
"Bristol",
"Sheffield United"
] | # Sunderland to meet Sheffield United for a place in the Premier League
By Steve Douglas
May 13th, 2025 09:51 PM
---
Sunderland has booked a showdown with Sheffield United for a place in the Premier League.
Dan Ballard bundled in a dramatic goal in stoppage time of extra time to earn Sunderland a 1-1 draw with Coventry and a 3-2 victory on aggregate in the Championship playoff semifinals on Tuesday.
"It's what dreams are made of, really," said Ballard, whose mistimed header from a corner went in off the underside of the crossbar. "I can't remember what happened ... It's some feeling, that."
Sheffield United had already reached the playoff final at Wembley Stadium by completing a 6-0 aggregate win over Bristol City on Monday.
While Sheffield United is looking to return to the top flight after an absence of just one year, Sunderland hasn't played in the Premier League since 2017 and has since been the subject of a Netflix series documenting the club's struggles.
The playoff final is the most lucrative one-off match in world soccer, with Sunderland in line to get an estimated revenue uplift of around 200 million pounds ($260 million) in projected matchday, broadcast and commercial revenue β and much more if the team was to survive the first season back in the top flight.
For Sheffield United, the uplift would be an estimated $180 million as the club is still benefitting from parachute payments from the last time the team was in the Premier League β in the 2023-24 season.
Coventry, managed by Frank Lampard, last played in the Premier League in 2001 and suffered more heartache, having lost to Luton in a penalty shootout in the playoff final in 2023.
Sheffield United and Sunderland finished third and fourth, respectively, at the end of the regular season behind Leeds and Burnley, who secured the two automatic promotion spots.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:14:56+00:00 | [
"China",
"Beijing",
"Donald Trump",
"E-commerce",
"International trade",
"Tariffs and global trade",
"John Lash",
"China government",
"Business",
"United States government",
"Transportation and shipping"
] | # US-China deal to slash tariffs also eases burden on cheap packages
By Didi Tang
May 13th, 2025 10:14 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) β Online shoppers in the U.S. will see a price break on their purchases valued at less than $800 and shipped from China after the Trump administration reached a truce with Beijing over sky-high tariffs.
An executive order Monday from President Donald Trump said the tariffs on low-value parcels originating from China and coming through the U.S. Postal Service will be lowered to 54%, down from 120%.
It also says a per-package flat rate β as an alternative to the value-based tariff β will be kept at $100, rather than being raised to $200 on June 1 as previously decreed. Packages shipped by commercial carriers are subject to the general tariff, which also has been cut.
The new rules go into effect Wednesday.
They are part of a broader agreement by the Trump administration to drastically lower import taxes on all Chinese goods from 145% to 30% following weekend talks in Switzerland with Chinese officials. China issued a public notice on Tuesday lowering its own tariffs on U.S. goods to 10%, down from 125%.
However, the reductions are temporary, allowing the two sides to negotiate a longer-term deal in the next 90 days.
Izzy Rosenzweig, founder and CEO of the logistic company Portless, said U.S. brands are "very excited" about the broader tariff cut. The import tax is still high, but not as prohibitive as when it was 145%, which amounted to a trade embargo.
On the low-value shipments, online purchases had been coming into the U.S. duty-free for several years under the de minimis rule, which exempted them from the import tax.
Popular shopping sites such as Shein and Temu that offer ultra-low prices took advantage of the duty-free rule by shipping directly from China to U.S. buyers, bypassing more cumbersome customs paperwork.
President Donald Trump terminated the exemption on such parcels originating from China and Hong Kong on May 2, following criticism that it not only resulted in lost tariff revenue but also allowed illicit drugs and unsafe products to flow into the U.S. without adequate scrutiny.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said as many as 4 million low-value parcels were coming into the U.S. every day β many of which originated from China.
Shortly before the exemption ended on May 2, prices on many items sold by Shein rose. Temu apparently halted shipments from China and tapped its existing inventory in the U.S.
John Lash, group vice president of product strategy at the supply chain platform e2open, said he expected the volume of low-value packages would now rise but not back to previous levels. The $100 flat rate, he said, means that higher-value packages could get less of a hit, because the effective duty rate could be as low as 13%.
Neither Shein nor Temu immediately responded to requests for comment Tuesday about the lower tariffs. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 15:50:15+00:00 | [
"Microsoft Corp.",
"Labor",
"Meta Platforms",
"Inc.",
"Mark Zuckerberg",
"Satya Nadella",
"Artificial intelligence",
"Engineering",
"Technology",
"Cory Stahle",
"Daniel Zhao",
"Business",
"Amy Hood",
"Scott Hanselman",
"Donald Trump"
] | # Microsoft lays off about 3% of its workforce in what one executive calls a 'day with a lot of tears'
By Matt O'Brien
May 13th, 2025 03:50 PM
---
Microsoft began laying off about 6,000 workers Tuesday, nearly 3% of its entire workforce and its largest job cuts in more than two years as the company spends heavily on artificial intelligence.
Hard hit was the tech giant's home state of Washington, where Microsoft informed state officials it was cutting 1,985 workers tied to its Redmond headquarters, many of them in software engineering and product management roles.
Microsoft said the layoffs will be across all levels, teams and geographies but the cuts will focus on reducing the number of managers. Notices to employees began going out on Tuesday.
The mass layoffs come just weeks after Microsoft reported strong sales and profits that beat Wall Street expectations for the January-March quarter, which investors took as a dose of relief during a turbulent time for the tech sector and U.S. economy.
"I think many people have this conception of layoffs as something that struggling companies have to do to save themselves, which is one reason for layoffs but it's not the only reason," said Daniel Zhao, lead economist at workplace reviews site Glassdoor. "Big tech companies have trimmed their workforces as they rearrange their strategies and pull back from the more aggressive hiring that they did during the early post-pandemic years."
Microsoft employed 228,000 full-time workers as of last June, the last time it reported its annual headcount. About 55% of those workers were in the U.S.
Microsoft announced a smaller round of performance-based layoffs in January. But the 3% cuts will be Microsoft's biggest since early 2023, when the company cut 10,000 workers, almost 5% of its workforce, joining other tech companies that were scaling back their pandemic-era expansions.
Microsoft's chief financial officer, Amy Hood, said on an April earnings call that the company was focused on "building high-performing teams and increasing our agility by reducing layers with fewer managers." She also said the headcount in March was 2% higher than a year earlier, and down slightly compared to the end of last year.
The layoffs are hitting all parts of Microsoft's business, including the video game platform Xbox and the career networking site LinkedIn. Some laid-off workers and the executives who made the cuts took to LinkedIn to talk about them.
"This is the first time I've had to lay people off to support business goals that aren't my own," wrote Scott Hanselman, a vice president of Microsoft's developer community. "I often have trouble separating my beliefs with the system that I participate in and am complicit in. These are people with dreams and rent and I love them and I want them to be OK."
He added: "This is a day with a lot of tears."
The company didn't give a specific reason for the layoffs, only that they were part of "organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace."
Microsoft has said it has been spending $80 billion in the fiscal year that ends in June on building data centers and other infrastructure it needs to develop its artificial intelligence technology, though it has also scaled back some of those projects. Those AI tools have been pitched as changing the way people work, including in Microsoft's own workplaces.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at an AI event last month at Meta's headquarters that "maybe 20, 30% of the code" for some of Microsoft's coding projects "are probably all written by software."
Even if AI is increasingly helping Microsoft software engineers, however, doesn't necessarily mean it's a chief reason for laying them off.
"When these big tech companies say that they're trimming management layers, that doesn't really sound like it's being driven by AI," Zhao said. "You're not expecting ChatGPT to replace the manager."
Instead, cutting management ranks can often reflect a broader strategy.
"As companies grow quickly, you need to add managers who can coordinate across teams or within teams," Zhao said. "But it's not until things start to slow down that people start asking questions about how necessary those roles are."
Of the laid-off employees in Washington, about 1,500 worked in person at Microsoft's offices and 475 worked remotely, according to the notice the company sent to the state employment agency. Their official last day will be in July.
After hiring sprees that started when the COVID-19 pandemic spiked demand for online services, many tech companies are still in a process of "coming back to Earth and trying to kind of rebalance some things," said Cory Stahle, an economist at Indeed, the job listings website.
And while Microsoft isn't as directly affected by President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs as some of its peers, it must also think more broadly about economic conditions that could play out over the coming months and years.
"This could be an effort to think more long term," Stahle said. "If you have to go out and buy groceries and spend more on groceries and produce that are more expensive due to tariffs, you maybe don't have as much discretionary income to spend on electronics or video game systems." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:02:51+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Joe Biden",
"Law and order",
"District of Columbia",
"Robert Mueller",
"Anthony Fauci",
"Pam Bondi",
"Charles Kushner",
"Jared Kushner",
"U.S. Department of Justice",
"DC Wire",
"Ed Martin",
"Jack Smith",
"Jeanine Pirro",
"Government and politics",
"United States government",
"Politics"
] | # Trump's new pardon attorney says he will scrutinize Biden's final pardons
By Michael Kunzelman
May 13th, 2025 10:02 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) β Ed Martin Jr., who will be the Justice Department's new pardon attorney after President Donald Trump pulled his nomination to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, said Tuesday that he plans to scrutinize pardons that former President Joe Biden issued on his way out of the White House.
"These are big moments, and so they have to be able to withstand scrutiny," Martin told reporters on Tuesday, his last full day as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Biden pardoned his siblings and their spouses in January on his last day in office. He also pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
None of them had been charged with any crime. The pardons were designed to guard against possible retribution by President Donald Trump.
Trump pulled Martin's nomination last week amid bipartisan opposition and replaced him with Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who is expected to be sworn into office on Wednesday.
Instead, Martin will serve as an associate deputy attorney general and pardon attorney. In his new role, Martin also will be director of the "weaponization working group" at the Justice Department.
Attorney General Pam Bondi called for creating that group in February to investigate the work of former special counsel Jack Smith, who led two federal prosecutions of Trump that were ultimately abandoned, and other examples of what Republicans claim to be unfair targeting of conservatives during Biden's administration.
In announcing his last-minute pardons, Biden said his family had been "subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me β the worst kind of partisan politics."
"Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end," he said on the day of Trump's second inauguration.
Martin told reporters that he believes Biden's pardons "need some scrutiny."
"They need scrutiny because we want pardons to matter and to be accepted and to be something that's used correctly. So I do think we're going to take a hard look at how they went and what they did," he said.
The Constitution grants broad pardon powers to presidents and their clemency actions cannot be undone by courts or other officials. It's not clear what action, if any, Martin believes he would be able to take regarding Biden's pardons.
Martin said the U.S. Attorney's office under his leadership already had been "taking a look at some of the conduct surrounding the pardons and the Biden White House."
Trump also has used the president's sweeping pardon powers to benefit those close to him. In his final weeks of his first term, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner, as well as multiple allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.
On the first day of his second term, Trump pardoned nearly all of the 1,500 people charged with crimes in the Capitol riot, freeing from prison dozens of people convicted of assaulting police.
Trump appointed Martin as acting U.S. Attorney during his first week back in the White House. Martin oversaw the dismissal of hundreds of Capitol riot cases after Trump's Jan. 6 pardons.
But his hopes of keeping the job faded amid questions about his lack of prosecutorial experience and his divisive politics. Trump yanked Martin's nomination two days after a key Republican senator said he could not support Martin for the job due to his defense of Capitol rioters.
"Ultimately, the president decided we didn't want to keep going forward," Martin said. "The president of the United States said we have other battles to do, and so I'm excited about that."
___
Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 15:25:04+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"United States government",
"Education funding",
"Antisemitism",
"Discrimination",
"United States",
"Race and ethnicity",
"Politics",
"Racism",
"Colleges and universities",
"District of Columbia",
"Education",
"Alan Garber"
] | # Trump administration cuts another $450 million in grants to Harvard
By Collin Binkley
May 13th, 2025 03:25 PM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) β President Donald Trump's administration is cutting another $450 million in grants to Harvard University a day after the Ivy League school pushed back against government allegations that it's a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism.
In a letter to Harvard on Tuesday, a federal antisemitism task force said Harvard will lose grants from eight federal agencies in addition to $2.2 billion that was previously frozen by the Trump administration.
The letter said Harvard has become a "breeding ground for virtue signaling and discrimination" and faces a "steep, uphill battle" to reclaim its legacy as a place of academic excellence.
"There is a dark problem on Harvard's campus, and by prioritizing appeasement over accountability, institutional leaders have forfeited the school's claim to taxpayer support," the letter said.
It was signed by officials at the Education Department, Health and Human Services and the General Services Administration.
Hours after the latest cuts Tuesday, Harvard filed a legal challenge to several sanctions imposed by the Trump administration in recent weeks. It was filed as an update to the university's April lawsuit seeking to block the initial $2.2 billion freeze.
Harvard has faced escalating sanctions from the White House after becoming the first U.S. university to openly defy the government's demands to limit pro-Palestinian activism and end diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
Trump, a Republican, has said he wants Harvard to lose its tax-exempt status, and the Department of Homeland Security has threatened to revoke the school's eligibility to host foreign students.
Last week, the Education Department said Harvard will receive no new federal grants until it meets the government's demands.
The Trump administration has demanded Harvard make broad leadership changes, revise its admissions policies and audit its faculty and student body to ensure the campus is home to many viewpoints.
The demands are part of a pressure campaign targeting several other high-profile universities. The administration has cut off money to colleges including Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University, seeking compliance with Trump's agenda.
In its amended lawsuit, Harvard said much of the funding that was initially frozen has now been terminated, apparently with no hope to restore it.
A May 6 letter from the National Institute of Health notified Harvard that grants were being cut over allegations of campus antisemitism. It said grants are typically suspended pending an opportunity to take corrective action, but "no corrective action is possible here," according to the lawsuit.
Harvard later received similar letters from the Defense Department, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture and other agencies, according to the suit. It's seeking to have those cuts overturned.
Harvard President Alan Garber disputed the government's allegations in a Monday letter, saying Harvard is nonpartisan and has taken steps to root out antisemitism on campus. He insisted that Harvard is in compliance with the law, calling the federal sanctions an "unlawful attempt to control fundamental aspects of our university's operations."
The government's letter on Tuesday said Harvard has repeatedly failed to address racial discrimination and antisemitism on campus. It cited the Supreme Court's 2023 decision striking down Harvard's use of race in the admissions process, along with a recent internal report at Harvard detailing cases of antisemitic harassment.
___ Collin Binkley has covered Harvard for nearly a decade β most of the time living half a mile from its campus.
___
The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:56:06+00:00 | [
"Torres",
"Boston",
"Massachusetts",
"Indictments",
"Law enforcement",
"Mental health",
"Assault",
"Legal proceedings",
"Judith Dein",
"Airport security"
] | # Massachusetts man pleads guilty to attacking a flight attendant with a broken spoon
May 13th, 2025 09:56 PM
---
BOSTON (AP) β A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty Tuesday to attacking a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon and attempting to open an airliner's emergency door on a cross-country flight.
Francisco Severo Torres, of Leominster, pleaded guilty to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon in the March 2023 disturbance on United Airlines Flight 2609 from Los Angeles to Boston.
According to prosecutor and witness accounts, Torres went on a midair rant and tried to stab a crew member with a modified metal spoon.
The plane was about 45 minutes from Boston when the crew received an alarm that a side door on the aircraft was disarmed, according to court documents. One flight attendant noticed the door's locking handle had been moved. Another saw Torres near the door and believed he had moved the handle. Cabin pressure during flight prevents airplane doors from opening.
Torres started loudly rambling that his father was Dracula, that he wanted to be shot so he could be reincarnated and that he would kill everyone on board, another passenger said. He punched a male flight attendant, who felt the metal spoon in Torres' hand hit him on his shirt collar and tie three times, according to court documents. No one was injured.
Torres was eventually subdued and restrained by other passengers. He was arrested when the flight landed at Boston Logan International Airport, authorities said.
Torres could be sentenced up to life in prison.
A lawyer for Torres could not be reached for comment.
Torres has spent time in mental health facilities, according to court records. The police chief in his hometown said officers have dealt with him several times since 2014, mostly over family issues and mental health episodes.
During one court appearance after his arrest, a federal judge ruled that Torres was not competent to stand trial and that he needed additional treatment. Magistrate Judge Judith Dein based her decision on a mental health evaluation of Torres and her own observations. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:55:15+00:00 | [
"Scottie Scheffler",
"Rory McIlroy",
"Golf",
"Xander Schauffele",
"PGA Championship",
"Masters Golf Tournament",
"The Masters",
"Sports",
"Ted Scott"
] | # Scottie Scheffler is trending going into the PGA and inspired by Rory McIlroy's win at the Masters
By Doug Ferguson
May 13th, 2025 09:55 PM
---
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Scottie Scheffler practically had the course to himself when he arrived a day early at the PGA Championship, a time to get reacquainted with Quail Hollow. He had played it only at the Presidents Cup in 2022 when the holes were a little out of order because of the format.
Looking for a line off the tee at the par-5 seventh, caddie Ted Scott pointed to a small, black box beyond the bunkers. Scheffler delivered another beauty.
An onlooker peered down the fairway, unable to see the target where they were aiming.
"Just follow the ball, and you'll see the black box," Scott replied with a laugh.
Scheffler is starting to look like the No. 1 player he has been for the last two years, off to a slow start by his standards after missing nearly two months because of a freak hand injury suffered while making ravioli on Christmas.
In his last start he picked up his first win of the year in a big way β an eight-shot victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the largest margin on the PGA Tour in nearly five years.
For a guy who tries not to look too far ahead or behind, there was no denying his game was in a good spot going into the PGA Championship.
"I'm showing up coming off of a tournament that I won, and that's always a good feeling," Scheffler said Tuesday. "You can definitely ride some of that momentum. When I look back at my career, it would be silly to say that I don't ride some of the momentum from those wins."
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy was on a tear that took him to victories at Pebble Beach, The Players Championship and then the crown jewel β a Masters green jacket to finally claim his place in history with the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy had said before starting that run he drew inspiration for Scheffler's dominance, his nine-win season from 2024 that included a Masters green jacket and Olympic gold medal and all the biggest tournaments in between.
"I'm a big admirer of Scottie for a lot of different reasons," McIlroy said after winning at Pebble Beach. "But every time I play with him and I watch how he plays and how disciplined he is, it's a really cool thing to watch. ... Just trying to take a little bit of a leaf out of his book."
Now it might be Scheffler's turn to be inspired. He got the best seat on the 18th green at Augusta National to see McIlroy's joy since Scheffler helped him into the green jacket.
"It was really cool to see Rory be able to finish that off and to be there for that moment," Scheffler said. "He's a good buddy of mine out here, so I was very happy for him. That tournament and having to answer each year β for a guy that's had one of the best careers in the history of the game β for him to sit in here week in, week out and have to be asked about one single golf tournament I'm sure can be a bit frustrating. And I'm sure that's why there was so much emotion coming out of him.
"It takes a lifetime of work to be able to even have a chance to win major championships, let alone win all four of them."
As for motivation? Scheffler gets that no matter who wins.
"It's always motivating when you just get beat, and in golf you tend to get beat a lot," Scheffler said. "You don't really get to win that many tournaments. Rory has been off to a great start this year, and he's definitely improved and made some changes in his game from last year.
"Golf is kind of an endless pursuit of getting the best out of yourself, and I'm looking forward to continuing to do that as the year goes on."
They are the star attractions at soggy Quail Hollow and will be grouped together when the 107th PGA Championship starts Thursday, joined by defending champion Xander Schauffele.
It's a good thing Scheffler arrived early for nine holes on Sunday β he was not at the PGA Tour event that week β because Quail Hollow has been inundated by more than 3 inches of rain since Friday, with downpours each of the two days of official practice.
Scheffler meant to play nine holes on Tuesday. He got in only five holes before the sun disappeared, dark clouds moved in and thunder claps arrived, with heavy rain not far behind.
McIlroy was supposed to meet with the media Tuesday afternoon and moved it back to Wednesday because of the weather.
That figures to make a 7,626-yard course even longer for a course where the strategy is the same for most players off the tee β grab driver and try to keep it in the short grass. The exceptions are the eighth and 14th holes, both par 4s that are reachable depending on the tees.
"Off the tee, you're just trying to get the ball in the fairway, really, and get the ball in the fairway probably as far as you can down there, just so you can have a shorter club into the firm greens," Scheffler said. "I think there will be a lot of strategy going into the greens, just not as much off the tee."
One such moment was the eighth hole when he practiced on Sunday. His caddie told him driver off tee to a back left pin might be a problem if the tee shot went into the left rough. Scheffler went over to the left rough and threw a few balls in the grass.
The first shot skipped off the fringe and checked to a stop 2 inches short of the target.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:30:17+00:00 | [
"Plane crashes",
"Virginia",
"DC Wire",
"Transportation",
"Adina Azarian",
"Tennessee",
"Jeff Hefner",
"New York",
"National Transportation Safety Board",
"District of Columbia"
] | # A lack of oxygen likely incapacitated the pilot of a private jet that crashed in Virginia in 2023
By Travis Loller
May 13th, 2025 09:30 PM
---
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) β A lack of oxygen that incapacitated the pilot and three passengers is likely what caused a private jet to become unresponsive before flying over the nation's capital and prompting the military to scramble fighter jets in 2023, according to a final report from the National Transportation Safety Board released on Tuesday.
The oxygen problem was likely caused by a loss of cabin pressure, according to the report. Investigators could not determine the exact reason for the pressure loss, but they noted that the Cessna Citation had a number of maintenance issues. They included no pilot-side oxygen mask and supplemental oxygen at its minimum serviceable level.
"At that level, oxygen would not have been available to the airplane occupants and passenger oxygen masks would not have deployed in the event of a loss of pressurization," according to the report. It concluded that, "Contributing to the accident was the pilot's and owner/operator's decision to operate the airplane without supplemental oxygen."
Four people died in the June 4, 2023 accident. They were pilot Jeff Hefner, 69; New York real estate broker Adina Azarian, 49; Azarian's 2-year-old daughter Aria; and Evadnie Smith, 56, who worked as live-in nanny for Aria. Prior to the crash, Azarian, Aria and Smith were in North Carolina to visit Azarian's adoptive parents.
Hefner stopped responding to air traffic control instructions within minutes of taking off from Elizabethton, Tennessee, at 1:13 p.m. The plane flew to New York, near its destination at Long Island's MacArthur Airport, then turned around and flew a straight path over D.C. Fighter jets sent after it caused a loud sonic boom that was heard across the capital region as they raced to catch up. The plane then plunged almost straight down in into a mountain near Montebello, Virginia, and burst into flames at 3:23 p.m.
Fighter pilots tasked with intercepting the wayward flight said Hefner "was laying and slumped completely over into the right seat and remained motionless throughout their observations," according to NTSB records. They did not observe any movement within the cabin area nor any shapes that resembled a person.
Once Hefner lost consciousness, the plane likely was directed along its path by autopilot "until a point at which it was no longer able to maintain control," according to the report.
Lack of oxygen, called hypoxia, can affect people differently, but it is known to cause confusion, disorientation and diminished judgment and reactions, according to the report. A pilot would likely have between 30 seconds and 2 minutes to take corrective action. That time could be less if the depressurization is rapid.
"However, gradual depressurization can be as dangerous or more dangerous than rapid depressurization because of its potential to insidiously impair a pilot's ability to recognize and respond to the developing emergency," according to the report. "Cognitive impairment from hypoxia makes it harder for affected individuals to recognize their own impairment."
The report noted that Hefner had several health issues and had been prescribed at least one medication that was potentially impairing but did not list those issues as contributing to the accident. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:16:55+00:00 | [
"WNBA",
"Womens National Basketball Association",
"Sandy Brondello",
"Oregon Ducks",
"Portland",
"Oregon",
"Nyara Sabally",
"Scott Rueck",
"Sports",
"WNBA basketball"
] | # Oregon gets a taste of a WNBA future via preseason Liberty game
By Anne M. Peterson
May 13th, 2025 10:16 PM
---
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) β There was no shortage of "WNBA Portland" T-shirts among the fans at the New York Liberty's preseason game at the University of Oregon.
The sellout crowd, which welcomed former Ducks Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally back to Eugene for a WNBA exhibition against the Toyota Antelopes, exemplified the popularity in Oregon of women's basketball, and of women's sports in general.
And that's a harbinger of what could come when Portland's expansion team joins the WNBA next year.
"Hell yeah, I'm excited," said basketball fan Lynn Manuel, who was at Monday's game.
Portland was awarded an expansion team last September. RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, own and operate the team. They paid $125 million for the franchise.
"I'm so excited. Understanding the fan base that is built here in Eugene, but in Oregon as a whole, and knowing they're going to come out and support," Ionescu said. "And knowing us being from here, and knowing that fans are going to travel, and there's a lot of Ducks fans in Portland, so super excited to see how they support that team there, but also support us every time we come to play."
Ionescu drew big crowds in Eugene during her playing days for the Ducks. She set the NCAA record, among women and men, for triple-doubles. A highlight of her four-year career came when the U.S. team played Oregon in November 2019 and the Ducks won, 93-86. Ionescu had 30 points.
After going to the Final Four in 2019 when she was a junior, Oregon won the 2020 Pac-12 championship and was headed back to the NCAA Tournament when the event was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ducks are not alone in cultivating an enthusiastic fan base. The Oregon State women have had success in recent years, at times outdrawing the men. Under coach Scott Rueck, the Beavers reached the Final Four in 2016 and have been to the Elite Eight twice since then.
And Portland has certainly embraced women's sports. The Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League routinely draw upwards of 17,000 fans to games. The city is also home to the nation's first bar exclusively for women's sports, the Sports Bra, which opened in 2022.
Portland is the third expansion franchise the WNBA has announced in recent years. The Golden State Valkyries will begin play in the San Francisco Bay Area this season and Toronto will join Portland in 2026.
"I think it's great. We've got Golden State this year and we're excited to go there, but also the Toronto Tempo and the Portland team," said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. "I played when there was a Portland team here, the Portland Fire, and I loved coming to Portland."
The Fire played in Portland from 2000 until 2002 and averaged more than 8,000 fans before folding.
___
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:12:18+00:00 | [
"Alaska",
"Notable Deaths",
"Sports",
"Minnesota",
"Sled dog racing",
"Mitch Seavey"
] | # Dan Seavey, patriarch of Alaska mushing family who raced in the first Iditarod, dies
By Becky Bohrer
May 13th, 2025 09:12 PM
---
Dan Seavey, who helped organize the first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and whose son and grandson have each won the famous Alaska race multiple times, has died. He was 87.
The Minnesota native, who competed in the first two Iditarod races in 1973 and 1974, was out helping tend to his dogs shortly before he died last Thursday, his son Mitch Seavey said. Dan Seavey had been adamant in his later years about remaining at the south-central Alaska home in Seward he had moved his family to decades earlier, the younger Seavey said.
"It's hard, and everybody will miss him. But he lived a great life and passed away in his own fashion," Mitch Seavey said.
The Iditarod race organization called Dan Seavey a "true pioneer and cherished figure" in the race's 53-year history and said he was instrumental in the establishment of the Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail in 1978. He also wrote a book, "The First Great Race," which his son said drew on notes Seavey recorded during the first edition of the Iditarod.
Dan Seavey in total ran the Iditarod five times. His last, in 2012, was aimed at celebrating and drawing attention to the trail's history.
That year featured three generations of Seaveys, with Mitch's son Dallas winning the first of his record-breaking six titles. Mitch, a three-time Iditarod champ, that year finished seventh.
Dan Seavey moved with his family to Alaska in 1963 to teach in Seward, a community about 125 miles (201 kilometers) south of Anchorage. In an interview for Project Jukebox, a University of Alaska Fairbanks oral history project, he recalled being inspired as a kid by a radio program centered on a character who was with a Canadian mounted police force and his trusty sled dog, Yukon King, who took on bad guys during the Gold Rush era.
Seavey said finding time to train to race was difficult.
"Having to make a living, it kind of interfered with my dog mushing," Seavey, a longtime history teacher, said. He trained on nights and weekends, and around the first two years of the Iditarod he petitioned the school board for time off, he said.
Seavey didn't have competitive aspirations past those first two Iditarod races, his son said, but he continued to mush recreationally. Seavey at one point thought about letting Mitch have his dogs but couldn't bear the thought of not having dogs around, Mitch Seavey said.
___
Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 22:01:25+00:00 | [
"Alex Palou",
"Josef Newgarden",
"Will Power",
"Marco Andretti",
"Indianapolis",
"Sports",
"Scott Dixon",
"Indianapolis 500",
"Scott McLaughlin",
"Benjamin Kenneth",
"Marcus Armstrong",
"Helio Castroneves",
"Alexander Rossi",
"Marcus Ericsson"
] | # Rain and lightning cut short Indy 500 practice, but Team Penske still shines
By Jenna Fryer
May 13th, 2025 10:01 PM
---
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Team Penske was fastest on opening day of practice for the Indianapolis 500, a day shortened at the front and back end because of weather.
Will Power and two-time defending Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden went 1-2 in Chevrolets for Penske in Tuesday's abbreviated session. Cars ran only about three hours, first because of morning rain and then a lightning strike ended the session with about 30 minutes remaining.
Power turned a lap at 227.026 mph around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while Newgarden went 226.971 mph.
Alex Palou, winner of four of the first five races this season and the current IndyCar points leader, was third fastest for Chip Ganassi Racing. The Honda driver is the two-time reigning IndyCar champion and has won three of the last four series titles. He went 226.673 mph.
He was followed by Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon and then Scott McLaughlin, another Penske driver. Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves was sixth fastest for Meyer Shank Racing, and new father Alexander Rossi, who welcomed his first baby last week, was seventh fastest.
The birth of Rossi's son was a surprise to many in the industry as he and wife, Kelly, deliberately did not reveal her pregnancy to many people.
"Because why would we?" he asked. The boy, named Benjamin Kenneth, was born last Wednesday. His first name was the only name they could decide on, and his middle name is after her late father.
Marcus Armstrong of Meyer-Shank was eighth fastest, Marcus Ericsson, a former Indianapolis 500 winner, was ninth, and Marco Andretti, in his only scheduled IndyCar race of the season, was 10th for Andretti Global.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:34:01+00:00 | [
"North Carolina Tar Heels",
"College sports",
"North Carolina",
"Atlantic Coast Conference",
"Notable Deaths",
"Lew Alcindor",
"Wes Unseld",
"Sports",
"Elvin Hayes",
"Pennsylvania",
"Larry Miller"
] | # Larry Miller, star on North Carolina's ACC championship teams in 1967-68, dies at age 79
May 13th, 2025 09:34 PM
---
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) β Larry Miller, a two-time ACC player of the year for North Carolina and 2022 inductee in the College Basketball Hall of Fame, has died. He was 79.
The UNC athletic department said Miller died Sunday in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. No cause of death was given. An athletic department spokesman said Miller was in hospice care and dealing with medical issues for some time.
Miller, a native of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, was a star forward on coach Dean Smith's first two Atlantic Coast Conference championship and Final Four teams in 1967 and 1968. He earned first-team All-America honors both seasons and was a consensus pick in 1968 along with UCLA's Lew Alcindor, Houston's Elvin Hayes, LSU's Pete Maravich and Louisville's Wes Unseld.
Miller scored in double figures in 64 consecutive games, still a UNC record. Miller scored 1,982 points in three seasons and averaged 21.8 points, the fifth-highest by a Tar Heel. In one of his most memorable performances, he scored 32 points on 13-of-14 shooting from the field in an 82-73 victory over Duke in the 1967 ACC championship game. Led by Miller, Carolina went 70-21, including 32-10 in ACC regular-season play, from 1965-68. The Tar Heels were No. 4 in the final Associated Press polls his last two seasons, the first time Carolina was ranked in the top 10 in the final poll in consecutive seasons. Miller played seven years in the ABA and set the league's all-time single-game record with 67 points.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:51:01+00:00 | [
"Michigan",
"Abortion",
"Gretchen Whitmer",
"Michigan state government",
"Health"
] | # Judge overturns Michigan's 24-hour waiting period before an abortion
By Ed White
May 13th, 2025 09:51 PM
---
DETROIT (AP) β A judge on Tuesday struck down Michigan's 24-hour waiting period before an abortion, saying it conflicts with a voter-approved amendment that locked abortion rights in the state constitution in 2022.
"Michiganders have the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the right to abortion care, and the state cannot deny, burden or infringe upon this freedom barring a compelling state interest to protect the health of the individual seeking care," Judge Sima Patel said.
The waiting period had been in place for years, though Patel temporarily blocked it earlier in litigation in 2024.
The judge said a mandatory 24-hour delay "exacerbates the burdens that patients experience seeking abortion care."
Patel also overturned a regulation that required abortion providers to provide a fetal development chart and information about alternatives, declaring them "coercive and stigmatizing." The judge stopped a requirement that only a physician, not other health professionals, can perform an abortion.
The lawsuit was filed by Northland Family Planning Centers and a group called Medical Students for Choice.
Michigan's attorney general and health director agreed that the challenged regulations were unconstitutional, though state attorneys were assigned to defend them in court.
Abortion rights were added to the state constitution by nearly 57% of voters in 2022, months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Patel's ruling "reaffirms that Michigan is a state where you can make your own decisions about your own body with a trusted health care provider, without political interference," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 20:56:24+00:00 | [
"Boston Celtics",
"Jayson Tatum",
"New York Knicks",
"Kristaps Porzingis",
"Kevin Durant",
"NBA Playoffs",
"Surgery",
"Injuries",
"Athlete injuries",
"NBA",
"New York City Wire",
"Sports",
"NBA basketball"
] | # Tatum to miss remainder of playoffs after Achilles surgery
By Kyle Hightower
May 13th, 2025 08:56 PM
---
BOSTON (AP) β When Jayson Tatum toppled to the court, writhing in pain and grabbing at his right foot late in the Celtics' Eastern Conference semifinals Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks, it looked like a potentially season-altering injury.
Boston's worst fears are now confirmed.
Tatum had surgery Tuesday to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon that will sideline him for the remainder of the playoffs, the team announced.
The Celtics provided details on the extent of Tatum's injury and announced news of the surgery a day after the six-time All-Star went down in the Celtics' 121-113 Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks. It puts the hopes of the defending champions repeating and Tatum's playing status for next season in doubt.
They did not give a timetable for his return, but said a full recovery was expected.
When Kevin Durant tore his Achilles tendon during the 2019 NBA Finals, he wound up missing the entire 2019-2020 season.
The 27-year-old Tatum is leading the Celtics in points (28.1), rebounds (11.5) and assists (5.4) per game for the second straight postseason.
The Knicks lead the Celtics 3-1 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series. Game 5 is in Boston on Wednesday night.
Tatum was carried off the court with 2:58 remaining in Monday night's game. The Celtics had just turned the ball over and as Tatum moved for the loose ball, his leg gave out and he went down. He buried his face in a towel in obvious pain while grabbing at his leg above the ankle after the noncontact injury.
Tatum scored 42 points, his highest total during these playoffs and one of the best all-round postseason performances of his career, before he was hurt.
The injury was Tatum's second this postseason. He missed Game 2 of Boston's 4-1 first-round series win over Orlando with a bone bruise in his right wrist. It was the first time he'd missed a playoff game in his career.
Now, Tatum's teammates will face a daunting task that few teams before them have pulled off if they want to break an NBA record six-season drought without a repeat champion.
Teams holding a 3-1 lead in the NBA playoffs have gone on to win 95.6% of the time, with only 13 teams in 293 tries ever coming back from the deficit to win the series.
"Obviously, we all realize in our heads what this could mean. This part of the sport β it's tough," Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis said Monday. "We have to move forward. He don't want us to be over here sad and not play our best basketball."
To become the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit, the Celtics will need big performances from a roster that has several players who have dealt with injuries this postseason.
All-Star Jaylen Brown entered the playoffs dealing with a right knee issue that has slowed him at times. Porzingis also has been slowed at times by the lingering effects of a viral illness that sidelined him for stretches in the second half of the regular season.
Brown said Monday that his confidence remains high.
"Get ready for the next one. Get ready to fight. Get ready to come out on our home floor and do what we need to do," Brown said. "That's the goal. Still the goal. We've got enough in this locker room. So, I believe in my guys."
Regardless of how this series or the rest of the playoffs play out for Boston, Tatum's injury likely will alter how the franchise confronts this coming offseason.
Including this year, the Celtics' payroll will be over the salary cap and make them a luxury-tax team for the third straight season. That means they will be hit with the "repeater tax" for being over the cap threshold in three out of four seasons.
Their current payroll for next season is on track to come in around $225 million, which would mean a tax bill next year of almost $280 million. The combined potential $500 total price tag would be a league record.
It is unclear whether the team's incoming new ownership will want to keep paying those hefty taxes to maintain the current roster after agreeing to a purchase in March that is expected to have a final price of a minimum of $6.1 billion.
Tatum signed an NBA-record five-year, $314 contract last July that will begin next season. Brown is playing under a five-year, $304 million deal that kicked in this season.
That means that trimming player salary is a possibility ownership could explore this summer.
And with Tatum possibly missing all of next season, it could accelerate the front office's timeline for reworking the current roster with an eye toward the future.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-12 16:45:31+00:00 | [
"Donald Trump",
"Sean Rowe",
"Desmond Tutu",
"United States government",
"Anglicanism",
"South Africa",
"U.S. government shutdown",
"District of Columbia",
"Racism",
"Afghanistan",
"Iraq",
"Discrimination",
"National",
"United States",
"DC Wire",
"Politics",
"Mariann Budde",
"Religion",
"Rick Santos",
"Political refugees"
] | # Episcopal refugee agency won't help resettle white South Africans in US
By Peter Smith
May 12th, 2025 04:45 PM
---
The Episcopal Church's migration service is refusing a directive from the federal government to help resettle white South Africans granted refugee status, citing the church's longstanding "commitment to racial justice and reconciliation."
Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe announced the step Monday, shortly before 59 South Africans arrived at Dulles International Airport outside Washington on a private charter plane and were greeted by a government delegation.
Episcopal Migration Ministries instead will halt its decades-long partnership with the government, Rowe said.
President Donald Trump opened a fast-tracked refugee status to white South Africans, accusing their government of discrimination, even as his administration abruptly shut down the overall U.S. refugee program. The South Africans jumped ahead of thousands of would-be refugees overseas who had been undergoing years of vetting and processing.
Episcopal Migration Ministries has long resettled refugees under federal grants. Rowe said that about two weeks ago, the government contacted it and said it expected the ministry to resettle some of the South Africans under terms of its grant.
"In light of our church's steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step," Rowe said. "Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government."
Another faith-based group, Church World Service, said it is open to helping resettle the Afrikaners.
South Africa's government has vehemently denied allegations of discriminatory treatment of its white minority residents.
"It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years," Rowe said. "I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country."
He also said many refugees, including Christians, are victims of religious persecution and are now denied entry.
He said the church would find other ways to serve immigrants, such as those already in this country and those stranded overseas.
The move marks the end of a ministry-government partnership that, for nearly four decades, has served nearly 110,000 refugees from countries, including Ukraine, Myanmar and Congo, Rowe said.
It's not the first high-profile friction between the Episcopal Church and the Trump administration. Bishop Mariann Budde of Washington drew Trump's anger in January at an inaugural prayer service in which she urged "mercy" on those fearing his actions, including migrants and LGBTQ+ children.
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa includes churches in South Africa and neighboring countries. It was a potent force in the campaign against apartheid in the 1980s and 1990s, an effort for which the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
Another faith-based refugee agency, Church World Service, says it is open to serving the South African arrivals.
"We are concerned that the U.S. Government has chosen to fast-track the admission of Afrikaners, while actively fighting court orders to provide life-saving resettlement to other refugee populations who are in desperate need of resettlement," Rick Santos, CWS president and CEO, said in a statement.
He added that the action proves the government knows how to screen and process refugees quickly.
"Despite the Administration's actions, CWS remains committed to serving all eligible refugee populations seeking safety in the United States, including Afrikaners who are eligible for services," he said. "Our faith compels us to serve each person in our care with dignity and compassion."
The Episcopal ministry and CWS are among 10 national groups, most of them faith-based, that have partnered with the government for refugee resettlement.
___
Associated Press writer Tiffany Stanley contributed reporting.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:44:34+00:00 | [
"Law enforcement",
"Lawsuits",
"Texas",
"Legal proceedings",
"Shootings",
"Border security",
"School shootings",
"Gun violence",
"Adrian Gonzales",
"Christina Mitchell",
"Paul Looney",
"Pete Arredondo"
] | # Texas prosecutor sues to compel Border Patrol testimony in trial of Uvalde police officer
By Jim Vertuno
May 13th, 2025 09:44 PM
---
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) β A Texas prosecutor filed a federal lawsuit seeking to force three U.S. Border Patrol agents who responded to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting to testify in the prosecution of the former school police chief, who is facing criminal charges over the slow law enforcement action at the massacre.
The lawsuit from Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell filed on May 9 claims the testimony from the three officers, two of whom were part of the tactical team that eventually broke into a classroom and killed the gunman, is vital to the case against former school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo, who faces multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment.
According to the lawsuit, the agents gave written statements early in the state investigation into the shooting and the response from nearly 400 local, state and federal officers who waited more than an hour to breach the classroom where the gunman was located. Nineteen fourth-grade students and two teachers were killed, and 18 more people were injured, in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history.
But U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have since then denied multiple requests to make the agents available for testimony about the law enforcement response, their tactical training, equipment and other topics.
The information sought "is extraordinarily significant" because the agents are "uniquely qualified to clarify how Arredondo's actions, omissions, and orders as incident commander influenced their actions," the lawsuit said.
Customs and Border Protection officials did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment.
The lawsuit seeks federal court help because a state court cannot compel the agents to testify on matters that relate to their official duties.
The testimony could also be valuable to Arredondo if the agents' accounts present mitigating information for his actions that day, the lawsuit said. And it noted that Mitchell has offered to seek a court order granting the agents immunity for their cooperation and testimony.
The lawsuit does not name the three agents but identifies one of them as the "tactical commander who directed and participated in the entry" of the classroom by officers.
The lawsuit said Border Patrol officials have claimed prosecutors can find the information they want from other responding law enforcement agencies. Border Patrol has also said the agents' testimony could reveal classified information or confidential sources, disclose law enforcement techniques or "interfere with the orderly conduct of CBP business."
Arredondo and former Uvalde schools officer Adrian Gonzales are the only two responding law enforcement officers that day to be charged and are scheduled for trial in October. Both men have pleaded not guilty.
According to the lawsuit, because Gonzales was indicted over his conduct prior to the arrival of the Border Patrol, the request to compel testimony from the agents is not part of his case.
Multiple investigations into the response have laid bare cascading problems in law enforcement training, communication, leadership and technology, and questioned whether officers prioritized their own lives over those of children and teachers.
Paul Looney, an attorney for Arredondo, said he also has been frustrated by Border Patrol's refusal to let its agents testify, and questioned why prosecutors aren't demanding to speak to more of them. The lawsuit said prosecutors initially wanted to speak with 18 agents, but narrowed it down to try to get Border Patrol's cooperation.
"We want all of them. We want to know what they saw, what they heard," Looney said. "One level of government is completely frustrating our ability to know what happened in there." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:39:33+00:00 | [
"Crime",
"Rio de Janeiro",
"Thiago da Silva Folly",
"Brazil government",
"Law enforcement",
"Assassinations",
"Homicide",
"Drug crimes"
] | # Brazil's military police kill leader of a drug trafficking group in a Rio favela
By Associated Press
May 13th, 2025 09:39 PM
---
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) β Brazilian military police on Tuesday killed the main leader of a drug trafficking group in a Rio de Janeiro favela as well as two other suspected criminals, authorities said.
A fierce shootout broke out after Rio's military police found Thiago da Silva Folly in a bunker in the Mare complex of low-income neighborhoods, police said. Folly was killed, while another two were wounded and taken to a hospital, but later died from their injuries.
Folly was the main leader of the Pure Third Command faction in Mare, police said.
"The objective was to arrest the leader of the faction, but he chose to engage in confrontation," Gov. ClΓ‘udio Castro was quoted as saying in the statement. "Once again, we demonstrate that there will be no truce for these extremely violent criminals."
Police said Folly had 227 criminal charges against him and 17 outstanding arrest warrants. One of the warrants was related to the killing of two military police officers during an operation in Mare in June.
Folly was also under investigation for his involvement in the death of a soldier in 2014 and for attacks on members of the National Public Security Force in 2016, police added. The organ also said he also coordinated paramilitary training within the community.
The operation, launched early Tuesday, shut down main roads and rerouted bus lines. Local news outlet G1 reported that at least two schools were closed.
____
Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:38:21+00:00 | [
"South Carolina",
"Crime",
"Mikal Mahdi",
"Henry McMaster",
"Neal Collins",
"Prisons",
"Capital punishment",
"Legal proceedings",
"Law enforcement",
"Theft",
"Brandon Charochak",
"Shootings",
"Jonathan Arden",
"Jonathan Groner",
"Brad Sigmon",
"James Myers",
"Stephen Stanko",
"U.S. Democratic Party"
] | # Lawmakers seek investigation into South Carolina's firing squad execution
By Jeffrey Collins
May 13th, 2025 09:38 PM
---
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) β Two South Carolina legislators have requested an investigation into the state's firing squad execution last month after lawyers for the inmate said his autopsy showed the shots nearly missed his heart and left him in extreme pain for up to a minute.
The Democratic and Republican representatives asked the governor, the prison system and leaders in the state House and Senate for an independent and comprehensive review of the April 11 execution of Mikal Mahdi.
They also want the firing squad removed from the methods of execution that an inmate can choose until an investigation is complete. Condemned prisoners in South Carolina can also choose lethal injection or the electric chair.
Reps. Justin Bamberg and Neal Collins wrote in their letter that the request doesn't diminish the crimes Mahdi was convicted of, nor was it rooted in sympathy for the 42-year-old inmate. Mahdi was put to death for the 2004 shooting of an off-duty police officer during a robbery.
"This independent investigation is to preserve the integrity of South Carolina's justice system and public confidence in our state's administration of executions under the rule of law," they wrote.
Bamberg, a Democrat, and Coillins, a Republican, are deskmates in the South Carolina House.
## Prison officials say the execution was conducted properly
Prison officials said they thought the execution was properly conducted. House and Senate leaders did not respond. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster said he sees no need to investigate.
"The governor has high confidence in the leadership of the Department of Corrections. He believes the sentence of death for Mr. Mahdi was properly and lawfully carried out," wrote spokesman Brandon Charochak in an email.
Even without an investigation, what happened at Mahdi's execution may get hashed out in court soon. A possible execution date for Stephen Stanko, who has two death sentences for murders in Horry County and Georgetown County, could be set as soon as Friday. He would have to decide two weeks later how he wants to die.
Mahdi had admitted he killed Orangeburg Public Safety officer James Myers in 2004, shooting him at least eight times before burning his body. Myers' wife found him in the couple's Calhoun County shed, which had been the backdrop to their wedding 15 months earlier.
## Just one autopsy photo
The autopsy conducted after Mahdi's execution raised several questions that the lawmakers repeated in their letter.
The only photo of Mahdi's body taken at his autopsy showed just two distinct wounds in his torso. A pathologist who reviewed the results for Mahdi's lawyers said that showed one of the three shots from the three prison employee volunteers on the firing squad missed.
The pathologist who conducted the autopsy concluded that two bullets entered the body in the same place after consulting with an unnamed prison official who said that had happened before in training. Prison officials said all three guns fired and no bullets or fragments were found in the death chamber.
"Both bullets traveling on the exact same trajectory both before and after hitting a target through the same exact entrance point is contrary to the law of physics," Bamberg and Collins wrote.
## Shots appeared to have hit low
In the state's first firing squad execution of Brad Sigmon on March 7, three distinct wounds were found on his chest and his heart was heavily damaged, according to his autopsy report.
The shots barely hit one of the four chambers of Mahdi's heart and extensively damaged his liver and lungs. Where it likely takes someone 15 seconds to lose consciousness when the heart is directly hit, Mahdi likely was aware and in extreme pain for 30 seconds to a minute, said Dr. Jonathan Arden, the pathologist who reviewed the autopsy for the inmate's lawyers.
Witnesses said Mahdi cried out as the shots were fired at his execution, groaned again some 45 seconds later and let out one last low moan just before he appeared to draw his final breath at 75 seconds.
## Little documentation at the autopsy
Bamberg and Collins said Mahdi's autopsy itself was problematic.
The official autopsy did not include X-rays to allow the results to be independently verified; only one photo was taken of Mahdi's body, and no close-ups of the wounds; and his clothing was not examined to determine where the target was placed and how it aligned with the damage the bullets caused to his shirt and his body.
"I think it is really stretching the truth to say that Mikal Mahdi had an autopsy. I think most pathologists would say that he had 'an external examination of the body,'" said Jonathan Groner, an expert in lethal injection and other capital punishments and a surgeon who teaches at Ohio State University.
Sigmon's autopsy included X-rays, several photos and a cursory examination of his clothes
Prison officials have used the same company, Professional Pathology Services, for all its execution autopsies, Corrections Department spokeswoman Chrysti Shain said.
They provide no instructions or restrictions to the firm for any autopsy, she said.
The pathologist who conducted the autopsy refused to answer questions from The Associated Press.
Bamberg and Collins also want the state to allow at least one legislator to attend executions as witnesses.
State law is specific about who can be in the small witness room: prison staff, two representatives for the inmate, three relatives of the victim, a law enforcement officer, the prosecutor where the crime took place, and three members of the media. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 20:58:15+00:00 | [
"Detroit Tigers",
"Baseball",
"MLB",
"Will Vest",
"Jason Foley",
"Toledo Rockets",
"MLB baseball",
"A.J. Hinch",
"Sports"
] | # Tigers RHP Jason Foley has season-ending surgery after leading team, ranking 5th in AL with 28 saves
May 13th, 2025 08:58 PM
---
DETROIT (AP) β Detroit Tigers right-hander Jason Foley, who had a team-high 28 saves last season, has had season-ending shoulder surgery.
"He's going to want to forget 2025 because he very much was going to be a part of this season," manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday. "I love him as a competitor and know he will attack this rehab."
The 29-year-old Foley was optioned to Triple-A Toledo after spring training, a season after trailing just four AL pitchers in saves.
Foley went on the injured list last month a right shoulder strain.
He was 3-6 with a 3.15 ERA in 69 appearances last year, tying Will Vest for the team lead, and had at least 20 more saves than any other Tiger. In three-plus seasons, he is 7-9 with a 3.16 ERA in 210 games.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 17:20:28+00:00 | [
"Will Cuylle",
"Sidney Crosby",
"Jordan Binnington",
"Bo Horvat",
"Brandon Montour",
"Adam Fantilli",
"Hockey",
"Canada",
"Stockholm",
"Sports",
"Germany",
"Jacob Berglund",
"Marc Michaelis",
"Austria",
"New York Islanders"
] | # Hat tricks: Canada and Germany earn third straight wins at ice hockey worlds
May 13th, 2025 05:20 PM
---
STOCKHOLM (AP) β Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of the tournament as Canada dominated France 5-0 for its third straight win at the ice hockey world championship on Tuesday.
Bo Horvat scored two goals, Brandon Montour scored one and added an assist and Will Cuylle also scored. Jordan Binnington stopped 15 shots for the shutout.
"We've been trying to come out hard every game and sticking to our game," forward Adam Fantilli said. "It's been great so far."
Horvat netted the opening goal with a backhand 6:32 into game and Cuylle doubled the advantage on a snap shot from the left circle with 7:49 to go in the frame.
Crosby turned around at the boards and skated toward the goal from the right before roofing a shot to make it 3-0 on a power play with 2:29 remaining in the middle period.
It is the third worlds for Crosby and the first since he captained Canada to gold in 1995.
Horvat added his second on a power play 3:57 into the final period from the right circle. The New York Islanders forward tops the goal scoring table with four goals.
Montour's slap shot finished the scoring with 8:55 left.
Canada is tied atop Group A in Stockholm with co-host Sweden on nine points. It next plays Austria on Thursday. France has one point.
In Herning, Denmark, newcomer Hungary claimed its first victory, 4-2 over Kazakhstan. Hungary's Janos Hari scored the fastest goal of the tournament 15 seconds into the game.
Earlier, Germany defeated Norway 5-2 for its third straight victory to lead Group B with nine points.
Marc Michaelis and Yasin Ehliz had a goal and an assist each and Wojciech Stachowiak, Joshua Samanski and Frederik Tiffels also scored a goal apiece in Herning.
Andreas Martinsen and Jacob Berglund scored for Norway, which remained without a point.
In Stockholm, Latvia beat Slovenia 5-2 for its second win in Group A. Slovenia is still looking for its first points.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:34:51+00:00 | [
"Jayson Tatum",
"NBA Playoffs",
"Jalen Brunson",
"Anthony Edwards",
"Stephen Curry",
"New York Knicks",
"Boston Celtics",
"Steve Kerr",
"Julius Randle",
"Minnesota Timberwolves",
"Athlete injuries",
"Jimmy Butler",
"Mikal Bridges",
"NBA",
"New York City Wire",
"Sports",
"NBA basketball",
"New York",
"Draymond Green"
] | # Knicks look to close out defending champion Celtics in Game 5. Timberwolves can do same to Warriors
By Kyle Hightower
May 13th, 2025 09:34 PM
---
BOSTON (AP) β Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves are on the brink of their second straight trip to the Western Conference finals. In the East, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks are a win away from reaching the conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
New York wasn't given much of a shot entering its semifinal matchup against a Boston Celtics team it went 0-4 against during the regular season.
There aren't a lot of Knicks doubters now.
New York rode huge fourth-quarter performances from Brunson and Mikal Bridges to overcome a double-digit deficit for the third time in the series and defeat the defending champions 121-113 in Game 4.
Brunson believes the Knicks brought a sense of urgency and desperation into the matchup.
"We're playing a really good team, and I don't even think we're playing our best basketball yet," Brunson said. "And we have a team that's fairly new this year and we still have a long way to go to be the best team we can be and it's always time to learn for us so we got to make sure we're never satisfied."
New York took a 3-1 series lead, and Boston suffered a devastating blow when star Jayson Tatum went down in the fourth quarter with a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Players from both teams walked over to offer support to Tatum as he writhed in pain on the court at Madison Square Garden. He had surgery Tuesday.
Teams leading 3-1 in the NBA playoffs have won 95.6% of the time, with only 13 teams in 293 tries coming back to win three straight games.
And that's the same tough spot the Golden State Warriors are in after the Timberwolves' 117-110 win on Monday.
Julius Randle led the way with 31 points, followed by Edwards with 30. Edwards got off to a sluggish start, but he scored 11 points during a 17-0 third-quarter run.
"I didn't like how we were playing overall, and I didn't like how I was playing individually," Edwards said. "I know I had to pick it up."
The Warriors opened the series with a win at Minnesota and will have to win there again to keep their season alive. They'll still be without star Stephen Curry, who missed his third consecutive game and was set to have his strained left hamstring re-evaluated Wednesday.
Jimmy Butler didn't feel well before or during Game 4 but coach Steve Kerr is counting on "Playoff Jimmy" showing up with the season on the line Wednesday.
"He does whatever is necessary to win," Kerr said. "And I'm confident that Game 5, he's the ultimate competitor. He'll be ready to roll."
## New York Knicks at Boston Celtics
When/where to watch: Game 5, 7 p.m. EDT (TNT).
Series: Knicks lead 3-1.
BetMGM Sportsbook: Celtics by 4.5.
What to know: The Celtics' reign as NBA champions is in peril as they return home trailing the Knicks 3-1. Boston surrendered a double-digit, second-half lead for the third time in the series and lost Tatum to the torn Achilles tendon late in the fourth quarter. The Celtics hit a series-best 18 3-pointers in Game 4, but were just of 6 of 24 after halftime. They'll have to contend with a Knicks team that got another strong night from Brunson, who continued to show why he was named the NBA's clutch player of the year. He finished with 39 points and 12 assists β his sixth game this postseason scoring 30 or more β to help New York get within a victory of advancing to its first conference finals appearance since 2000.
## Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves
When/where to watch: Game 5, 8:30 p.m. EDT (TNT).
Series: Timberwolves lead 3-1.
BetMGM Sportsbook: Timberwolves by 11.5.
What to know: The Timberwolves' 1-2 punch of Edwards and Randle has been too much for Golden State, and without Curry, the Warriors don't have the scoring power to stay with Minnesota. With Curry set for a re-evaluation of the hamstring he hurt in Game 1 last Tuesday, it would seem highly unlikely he would be thrust right back into action, even in an elimination game. The Warriors regularly put rehabbing players through on-court work before they return to game action. "We don't need Superman. I play the long game," longtime teammate Draymond Green said. Curry wouldn't even get a chance to return if the Warriors don't stave off elimination and force a Game 6 back home at Chase Center on Sunday. The Wolves knocked down 16 of 32 3-pointers Monday night while the Warriors were cold from long range again. After they managed only five 3-point attempts in the first half of Game 3 β missing them all β and finished 10 for 23 from deep, they were even worse in Game 4 at 8 of 27.
___
AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in New York and AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco contributed to this report.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 18:01:55+00:00 | [
"Indianapolis",
"IndyCar",
"Auto Racing",
"International trade",
"Sports",
"United Parcel Service",
"Inc.",
"Patricio OWard",
"Germany",
"Business"
] | # Pato O'Ward battles customs delay for special helmet ahead of Indianapolis 500
By Jenna Fryer
May 13th, 2025 06:01 PM
---
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Pato O'Ward's special Indianapolis 500 helmet was finally released from customs after it was withheld from delivery over a dispute in fees the driver apparently owed in customs fees.
A rain delay at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday bought O'Ward additional time to sort the issue concerning the helmet he had designed and shipped from Germany for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
O'Ward at one point claimed the helmet was being held "ransom" as he insisted he'd already paid the customs fees. O'Ward argued had he not paid the fees, the helmet never would have cleared customs. He was willing to pay a second time, he said, as he impatiently awaited the information needed to disperse the funds.
"I've been on the phone 48 minutes and they won't send me a link to pay the customs," he grumbled.
He initially thought the delivery delay was because the package required a signature, but insisted there were people at his house awaiting the helmet.
"I kept telling the driver to ring the bell! There's people there!" he said. "But then they said it is a customs fee and they won't deliver it until it's been paid."
O'Ward was adamant it was a mix-up and was willing to pay twice. Drivers often unveil special helmet designs for the Indianapolis 500 to replace the ones they wear the rest of the season. The idea is to showcase meaningful and fun designs that represent their culture, personality or other things that have personal meaning.
When he got on track Tuesday he was wearing his normal helmet.
A woman on the Arrow McLaren team is married to a high-ranking UPS official who helped him sort the issue and the Indy 500 helmet has been delivered to his house.
O'Ward will debut the helmet Friday.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:10:01+00:00 | [
"Bryson DeChambeau",
"Golf",
"Rory McIlroy",
"PGA Championship",
"Jon Rahm",
"Justin Thomas",
"Masters Golf Tournament",
"Mexico",
"South Korea",
"The Masters",
"Justin Rose",
"Mexico City",
"Sports",
"Brooks Koepka"
] | # Over his Masters meltdown, DeChambeau looks to continue strong play in majors at PGA Championship
By Steve Reed
May 13th, 2025 09:10 PM
---
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Bryson DeChambeau left Augusta National last month frustrated over his final-round meltdown at the Masters and perplexed by his poor iron play.
The burly 6-foot-1, 220-pound DeChambeau has put that disappointing loss behind him and feels he's fixed the iron issue β or at least put a Band-Aid on it β heading into this week's PGA Championship. He enters Quail Hollow confident after following up a second-place finish at the LIV Tour's Mexico City event with a win two weeks ago in South Korea.
Now he looks to continue his recent run of success at major championships, where he has replaced Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm as LIV's best chance to win.
In 2024, DeChambeau finished tied for sixth at the Masters, then second at the PGA Championship at Valhalla before winning his second U.S. Open at Pinehurst. Despite shooting a final-round 75 at this year's Masters, he still finished tied for fifth, giving him six top-10 finishes in his past 10 majors.
"I feel like I've always had the capacity to play well in major championships and contend consistently," DeChambeau said. "A lot of things have to go right in majors for you to play well. Your whole game has to be on. So I felt like at Valhalla, especially after Augusta last year, that was the second time (in a row) that I played well in a major, and it kind of gave me that confidence that I could just keep moving forward with that at every major and keep hammering down on majors."
The second-place finish at Valhalla last year proved huge for his confidence.
"It was more of an assurance of saying, hey, I can do this, and I can do this for a long time, God willing," DeChambeau said. "Valhalla definitely gave me some confidence for the rest of the majors, last year and even this year."
Now comes another test at Quail Hollow, a course where DeChambeau has limited experience compared to many PGA Tour players.
He's only played here once in the past six years, finishing tied for eighth at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship before leaving for the LIV Tour. His best finish at Wells Fargo was fourth in 2018. When Justin Thomas won the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, DeChambeau finished tied for 33rd.
The long course certainly plays to DeChambeau's strength off the tee.
"I feel like I'm moving in the right direction with giving myself a lot of multiple chances to win these major championships," he said.
Despite his success this past month on the LIV Tour, which included shooting 30 on the back nine of the final round at South Korea to win the tournament, DeChambeau still plans to switch irons once they have been produced and delivered.
As of Tuesday, he had not received them.
"My irons weren't that great, but I played better in Mexico. My irons were really good in Korea. I feel like it's moving in the right direction," DeChambeau said. "Let's hopefully keep it more of the same. If I can do that, I'll give myself a good chance this week."
And maybe, just maybe, have a chance to beat Rory McIlroy, who got the best of him in the final pairing at the Masters en route to winning the career Grand Slam.
Early on in the final round, it looked as if it might be DeChambeau's day at Augusta National. But after grabbing sole possession of the lead after two holes, DeChambeau faded fast and shot 75, leaving him four shots behind McIlroy and Justin Rose.
"Hopefully we can have another go at it again like the Masters," DeChambeau said of McIlroy.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 18:41:07+00:00 | [
"John Barnett",
"Lawsuits",
"South Carolina",
"Business",
"Charleston",
"Courts",
"Legal proceedings",
"Suicide",
"The Boeing Co."
] | # Family of Boeing whistleblower settles lawsuit with aircraft maker over his death
May 13th, 2025 06:41 PM
---
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) β The family of a former Boeing quality control manager who killed himself after lawyers questioned him about his whistleblowing on alleged jumbo jet defects has settled a lawsuit against the aircraft maker.
Details of the settlement over John Barnett's death were not disclosed in a court filing Monday.
Barnett, a longtime Boeing employee, shared his safety concerns with journalists after he retired in 2017. He said he once saw discarded metal shavings near wiring for the flight controls that could have cut the wiring and caused a catastrophe. He also noted problems with up to a quarter of the oxygen systems on Boeing's 787 planes.
Barnett shared his concerns with his supervisors and others before leaving Boeing, but according to the lawsuit they responded by ignoring him and then harassing him.
Barnett, 62, shot himself on March 9, 2024, in Charleston after answering questions from attorneys for several days. He lived in Louisiana.
The document announcing the settlement and closing the case in federal court in South Carolina was one page and the only detail was that either side can reopen the lawsuit if the settlement is not finalized in 60 days.
Boeing did not answer the lawsuit in court papers before the settlement.
"We are saddened by John Barnett's death and extend our condolences to his family. Boeing took actions several years ago to review and address the issues that Mr. Barnett raised," the company said in a statement Tuesday.
___
EDITOR'S NOTE β This story includes discussion of suicide. The national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 15:05:04+00:00 | [
"Television",
"Stanley Tucci",
"Italy",
"Zac Efron",
"Eugene Levy",
"JWD-evergreen",
"Lifestyle",
"Macaulay Culkin",
"Entertainment",
"Jose Andres",
"Ewan McGregor",
"Rainn Wilson",
"Chris Hemsworth",
"Will Smith"
] | # Stanley Tucci returns to Italy in new travel series
By Mark Kennedy
May 13th, 2025 03:05 PM
---
NEW YORK (AP) β You can't keep Stanley Tucci from his beloved Italy just like you can't keep cheese from lasagna.
The Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning actor is once again elegantly roaming through the land of his heritage in National Geographic's new food-travel series "Tucci in Italy," less than three years after a similar show was axed.
"I think that visually it's more interesting this time around, and I think that we try to go more in depth into the stories as much as you can, given the format," he says.
Tucci goes from a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Milan where the staff grow their own vegetables β "Stop it!" he half-heartedly begs a chef adding salmon eggs to a pesto risotto β to cooking fish for anglers on the banks of the Sarca River.
"I'm exploring the complex connections between the land, the people and the food they eat in order to discover the essence of each region in the country I love β Italy," the "Conclave" and "The Devil Wears Prada" star tells viewers in each installment.
## 'The people are great'
Each episode of the first season of "Tucci in Italy" explores a different region β from Tuscany to Trentino-Alto Adige, Lombardy, Abruzzo and Lazio. It was shot over six months, from January to July in 2024.
"It's a lot of planning, it is a lot logistics. But ultimately, once you get to where you're supposed to be, which isn't always easy in Italy, especially in the mountainous areas, it's great," says Tucci. "The people are great, extraordinary."
In Tuscany, the cradle of the Renaissance, Tucci eats lampredotto, a sandwich made with the cow's fourth stomach, and a beef tongue stew. In the Alpine region of Trentino-Alto Adige, he skis and munches on beef goulash and polenta near the Austrian border.
National Geographic greenlit Tucci's new docuseries a year after CNN canceled his "Searching for Italy" despite winning Emmys for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special.
Much of the same production staff and crew transferred over with Tucci to his new TV home, and they embraced the use of the latest drones, giving the series a sweep and majesty.
Executive producer Lottie Birmingham, who worked on "Searching for Italy" and jumped aboard "Tucci in Italy," says the new series pushes viewers into new parts of the European nation.
"I think before we did focus quite a lot on the major cities, whereas this time we've kind of gone out into the wider regions," she says. "In Lazio, for example, we haven't just focused on Rome or in Tuscany we haven't just focused on Florence."
## Deeper issues under the surface
The series also stops to look at some of the social issues roiling Italy, like immigration and gay rights. Tucci and his team spotlight Punjabi migrants, particularly Sikhs, who have a significant presence in the nation's dairy industry, and the impact that Ethiopian immigrants have had despite facing racism and being treated as "other."
"Every country does it, and it's never a helpful thing," says Tucci. "And after people assimilate, then they often find others to become 'others.' So it's just this sort of weird, vicious circle."
The new series β produced by Salt Productions and BBC Studios β in many ways is more true to Tucci's initial vision, which was to look carefully at trends below the surface of what appears to be a happy, sun-blasted land.
"The original idea of the show that I had almost 20 years ago, at this point, was to show the diversity of Italy. But also to, in a weird way, dispel the myth that it's sunny all the time and everybody's eating pizza and pasta and everybody is happy and smiling all the time. Yeah, that exists, but that's not everything."
It was Tucci who suggested a stop in Lombardy after reading an article about a gay couple who haven't been able to legally adopt their baby boy since the government doesn't recognize adoptions by same-sex couples.
"There's a darker side, as there are with every country," says Birmingham. "Italians are so focused on food and family, but what does family mean? That was what we wanted to look at in that story."
## Tucci's special touch
Tucci is part of a crowded field of celeb travel hosts, which includes Rainn Wilson, Eugene Levy, Zac Efron, JosΓ© AndrΓ©s, Chris Hemsworth, Will Smith, Macaulay Culkin and Ewan McGregor. Birmingham believes her host has something special to offer.
"I think he's particularly good at putting people at ease," she says. "He is genuinely interested, and it is a real passion for him. He's not hosting this series just to host it. He loves Italy more than any of us, and I think that's really apparent."
One of the series' highlights is when Tucci visits Siena, a city in central Italy's Tuscany region, and watches its medieval-era horse race run around the Piazza del Campo. Afterward, each city ward hosts a dinner party in the streets where thousands sing and toast their neighborhood.
"I didn't know about that and I just think it's incredible," says Tucci, who first visited Siena when he was about 12. "Italy was a very different place and yet still is very much the same."
It's that push and pull of modernity and tradition that the show highlights, like a restaurant in Florence that caused a stir when traditional regional delicacies were done with Japanese styles and ingredients.
Tucci found the food delicious and worried that Italians must embrace change. "They maintain their traditions, they maintain the quality. But it also stops them from growing," says Tucci. "There's no reason why you can't have both." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:06:49+00:00 | [
"Scottie Scheffler",
"Xander Schauffele",
"Jordan Spieth",
"Patrick Reed",
"Rory McIlroy",
"Justin Thomas",
"Golf",
"PGA Championship",
"Adam Scott",
"Ludvig Aberg",
"Viktor Hovland",
"Jim Furyk",
"Tiger Woods",
"Bryson DeChambeau",
"Sports",
"Gary Woodland",
"Dustin Johnson",
"Phil Mickelson",
"Collin Morikawa"
] | # McIlroy and Scheffler in a group of Big Three at the PGA Championship
By Doug Ferguson
May 13th, 2025 09:06 PM
---
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Masters champion Rory McIlroy and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will be playing together in the opening two rounds of the PGA Championship, joined by defending champion Xander Schauffele in another group of the top three players in the world.
It's the first time since 2022 the PGA Championship has grouped together Nos. 1-2-3 in the world ranking for the start of the tournament.
It first was done at the U.S. Open in 2008 when Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott were grouped at Torrey Pines.
"I'm playing with two guys that are playing some of the best golf in the world," Scheffler said. "Xander won two majors last year, and Rory already won The Players and the Masters this year, so he's playing some fantastic golf. Yeah, it should be a lot of fun.
"I've seen that pairing before, and we have a good time out there, and it's competitive."
Another compelling draw: Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, joined by Ludvig Aberg.
Spieth needs only the PGA Championship to complete the career Grand Slam and join an exclusive group that now includes McIlroy, who won the Masters for the final leg of the slam.
Spieth and Reed formed a formidable partnership in the Ryder Cup in 2014 and 2016. That ended in 2018 when Spieth played with Justin Thomas, while Reed was partnered by Woods.
Reed spoke to The New York Times after the Paris matches and blamed Spieth for them not playing together and U.S. captain Jim Furyk for twice leaving Reed on the bench. Reed, who joined LIV Golf in 2022, has not played in the Ryder Cup since then.
What made them successful was that both were so competitive they tried to beat each other and wound up playing some of their best golf. This will be the first time they play together since the final round of The Players Championship four years ago.
Spieth hasn't posted the better score the last eight times they have played together. They tied on two occasions.
Justin Thomas, who won the PGA Championship the last time it was at Quail Hollow in 2017, is playing alongside Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa. Bryson DeChambeau is grouped with Gary Woodland and Viktor Hovland.
The power group of Scheffler, McIlroy and Schauffele start on the 10th hole Thursday at 8:22 a.m., and on the first hole at 1:47 p.m. Friday.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 11:50:21+00:00 | [
"Sara Errani",
"Karen Khachanov",
"Tennis",
"Jasmine Paolini",
"Jannik Sinner",
"Carlos Alcaraz",
"Lorenzo Musetti",
"Serena Williams",
"Daniil Medvedev",
"Rome",
"Madrid",
"Sports",
"Jack Draper",
"Adriano Panatta",
"Corentin Moutet",
"Casper Ruud",
"Diana Shnaider",
"Jaume Munar",
"Francisco Cerundolo",
"Raffaella Reggi"
] | # Sinner passes big test in return from doping ban, Alcaraz sets up rematch with Draper in Rome
By Andrew Dampf
May 13th, 2025 11:50 AM
---
ROME (AP) β Top-ranked Jannik Sinner passed a big test in his return from a three-month doping ban, beating accomplished clay-court player Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (2), 6-3 on Tuesday to reach the Italian Open quarterfinals.
The 18th-ranked Cerundolo has a tour-best 18 wins on clay this year and was coming off a run to the Madrid Open semifinals.
Also, Cerundolo beat Sinner when they last met on the same court β and in the same round β two years ago.
It's Sinner's first tournament since he won his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and he hasn't dropped a set in three matches.
"Today I felt that I raised my level," Sinner said. "It was a very long day β¦ But I need this. I'm happy to be back. I was three months out, so every situation for me, I feel very fortunate to be here, very lucky."
Sinner extended his winning streak to 24 matches, dating back to October, and he said that reaching the quarterfinals was "a great result," adding that "for the first tournament, I'm very, very happy."
In February, Sinner agreed to a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency that raised some questions, since the three-month suspension conveniently allowed him not to miss any Grand Slams and come back at his home tournament.
Rome is the last big warmup before the French Open starts on May 25.
The start of the match was delayed for several hours due to rain, turning it into a night match. But ticket-holders for the day session at the Foro Italico hung around to see their home player and serenaded him with chants of "Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner" at all of the big moments.
A sign in the crowd read, "We are all Sinners."
Sinner hung on during long rallies with Cerundolo and eventually found the range on his drop shot when it mattered most β during the tiebreaker.
When Sinner produced a stop-volley winner early in the second set he gestured with the fingers for the crowd to cheer louder.
Sinner then required a medical timeout for treatment of apparent blisters on his right foot. But he broke Cerundolo in the next game to take a 3-1 lead in the second set to take control for good.
Sinner will next face either freshly crowned Madrid champion Casper Ruud or Jaume Munar.
Sinner is attempting to become the first Italian man to win the Rome title since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
## Alcaraz overcomes fatigue
In the other half of the draw, Carlos Alcaraz was made to work for a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Karen Khachanov that earned him a rematch with Jack Draper β who beat him earlier this year.
Alcaraz improved to 5-0 in his career against the 24th-ranked Khachanov.
"Physically I was struggling a little bit," Alcaraz said. "Not any pain in any part of the body. I was just tired. I had to run a lot. I was really proud the way I fought (for) every ball."
The third-ranked Alcaraz wore a long black brace that covered the upper portion of his right leg and stretched down to just below his knee.
Alcaraz withdrew from Madrid due to an upper right leg ailment that bothered him during the Barcelona Open final. He also had a left leg injury.
Alcaraz, who won the Monte Carlo Masters in April, improved to 12-1 on clay this season. The four-time Grand Slam champion will next face No. 5 Draper, who rallied past Corentin Moutet 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
While Alcaraz holds a 3-2 career edge over Draper, the British player won their most recent meeting in the semifinals at Indian Wells, California, in March.
## Match point delay
Lorenzo Musetti had set up a match point against Daniil Medvedev when their match was interrupted by rain.
The contest was suspended for nearly three hours before the players finally came back out and Musetti closed it out by producing an inside-out forehand winner on the first point of the resumption.
Musetti, a new entrant in the top 10 of the rankings at No. 9, won 7-5, 6-4.
## Paolini into semifinals
In the women's tournament, Jasmine Paolini rallied past Diana Shnaider 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2 to become the first Italian woman to reach the semifinals in Rome since her doubles partner, Sara Errani, lost the 2014 final to Serena Williams.
Paolini was trailing 3-0 in the second set when the match was briefly stopped due to rain. Shnaider went on to hold serve and go ahead 4-0 after the suspension but then Paolini won six straight games to take the set.
"It was a good thing that it rained for five minutes. I got some coaching from Sara," Paolini said of Errani, who was watching from the stands.
The last Italian woman to win the Italian Open was Raffaella Reggi, who took the 1985 title in Taranto.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:03:27+00:00 | [
"Mali",
"Bamako",
"Campaign finance",
"Democracy",
"Activism",
"Politics",
"Mali government",
"Moussa Mara",
"Protests and demonstrations"
] | # Mali's leader dissolves political parties and bans meetings of their members
By Baba Ahmed
May 13th, 2025 09:03 PM
---
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) β The president of Mali's transitional government signed a decree Tuesday dissolving political parties amid a backdrop of pro-democracy opposition, a minister in the government announced.
The decision by Gen. Assimi Goita comes amid a surge in kidnappings of pro-democracy activists in the capital Bamako and just days after a demonstration by several hundred pro-democracy activists.
"Political parties and organizations of a political nature are dissolved throughout the national territory," announced Mamani Nassire, the minister delegate to the prime minister in charge of political reforms and support for the electoral process.
Nassire was reading from a decree signed by Goita on national TV. The decree was announced after an extraordinary council of ministers meeting Tuesday.
The decree reads: "It is forbidden for members of dissolved political parties and political organizations to hold any meetings."
For almost two weeks, political parties and pro-democracy activists have been demonstrating against the military government to prevent the signing of the decree. However, on Monday, the National Transition Council, Mali's transitional legislative body, voted in favor of the decree, which was adopted by the Council of Ministers last week.
"This decision deals a severe blow to the reconciliation process that began last year," wrote Mali's former prime minister, Moussa Mara, on his X account.
Mali has been under military rule since a 2021 coup d'Γ©tat led by Goita. In recent days, arrests of pro-democracy activists have multiplied in response to demonstrations. However, some political figures are planning to appeal to the Constitutional Court to overturn the transition chief's decision.
"Political parties are recognized by the Malian constitution, so we're going to take our case to the Constitutional Court to ensure our rights are upheld. In the meantime, we're going to continue our fight as a civil society and as citizens of this country for the country to run smoothly," said Nouhoum Togo, president of the Union for the Safeguard of the Republic party, which ceased to exist after the law dissolving political parties. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 18:59:23+00:00 | [
"Womens college basketball",
"Kevin McGuff",
"Ohio State Buckeyes",
"College sports",
"Columbus",
"Ohio State Buckeyes womens basketball",
"Womens sports",
"Richard Piatt",
"Sports",
"Big Ten Conference",
"Ohio",
"Dublin"
] | # Ohio State women's basketball coach charged with driving while impaired
May 13th, 2025 06:59 PM
---
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) β Ohio State women's basketball coach Kevin McGuff, the Big Ten's 2024 coach of the year, was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired last week, police said.
A witness told police McGuff hit several curbs and drove partially into a yard, where he was found behind the wheel on May 6 in the Columbus suburb of Dublin, according to an arrest report. McGuff refused to give a breath sample, police said.
The coach's attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during a hearing Tuesday. McGuff's attorney, Richard Piatt, said some of the details that have been reported were not true.
"Please understand that Kevin McGuff is presumed innocent and like everyone else charged with an offense, deserves to have this case resolved on the merits and the facts that actually occurred," Piatt said in a statement.
McGuff has led Ohio State to eight NCAA tournament appearances in 12 seasons and a Big Ten title in the 2023-2024 season. He previously coached at Washington and Xavier and has a career record of 479-212.
Ohio State issued a statement saying it was aware of the charge.
"The department is in communication with Coach McGuff and monitoring the situation closely," the statement said. "This is an ongoing, personal legal matter, and the department will share additional information at the appropriate time." |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 21:01:24+00:00 | [
"Kate Woodworth",
"Climate change",
"Harry Richardson",
"Books and literature",
"Celebrity",
"Animals",
"Book Reviews",
"Entertainment",
"Tom Estabrook",
"Anita Snow",
"Lobsters",
"Climate and environment",
"Maine",
"Climate"
] | # 'Little Great Island' review: A town struggles with environmental change
By Anita Snow
May 13th, 2025 09:01 PM
---
Mari McGavin is on the run from a powerful religious cult and her controlling husband, fleeing with her young son back to the tiny island in Maine where she grew up.
On Little Great Island, she crosses paths with an old friend from her childhood, Harry Richardson, who is fleeing his own demons, in his case grief and painful memories after his wife's death. Harry is so bereft he can barely function as he returns to sell the home where his family spent summers when he was kid.
In her novel "Little Great Island," author Kate Woodworth explores the relationship between the two as they navigate pain and loss, as well as their connections to an island being reshaped by global warming.
Harry reluctantly allows Mari, who lived for years in a religious farming community in South Carolina, to plant a vegetable garden on his family's property while he clears out its contents and readies it for sale. They grow closer as Harry helps Mari and her 6-year-old son, Levi, with gardening chores and he slowly starts absorbing his loss.
Distinguished retired diplomat Tom Estabrook, who knew Mari and Harry as children, is also a key character in the book released this month by Sybilline Press.
Estabook, who spent many summers on Little Great Island, worries over its future as the ocean around it heats up, lobsters and clams die from shell disease and monarch butterflies on land largely disappear. Mari's father bemoans that his daily lobster catch is now just around 60, down from an average of 400 or 500.
In Woodworth's skillful hands, Little Great Island itself emerges as a leading character, with vibrant mentions of the natural world that range from an osprey's hunting sound to lobster mating habits.
As Little Great Island and its way of life are increasingly threatened, year-round and summer residents are struggling over the future.
Some permanent residents are considering whether to move to the mainland and get a regular job in an office or shop. Others can't decide if a developer should be allowed to build an executive retreat center that could harm the environment and forever change the island's character.
Mari believes organic farming could provide a sustainable way to save the island and its character. But in the end, as tension builds over a decisive vote, it's up to the permanent islanders to decide their path forward.
___
AP book reviews: https://apnews.com/hub/book-reviews |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 04:01:36+00:00 | [
"China",
"Inflation",
"Donald Trump",
"International trade",
"Economic policy",
"Public health",
"Federal Reserve System",
"Government policy",
"Tariffs and global trade",
"Stanley Black Decker",
"Inc.",
"Consumer products and services",
"Mattel",
"Rick Woldenberg",
"U.S. Department of Labor",
"Alan Detmeister",
"Business",
"Laura Rosner-Warburton",
"Cars",
"Procter Gamble Co."
] | # Inflation cooled again even as some tariffs took effect. But economists don't expect that to last
By Christopher Rugaber
May 13th, 2025 04:01 AM
---
WASHINGTON (AP) β Inflation cooled for the third straight month in April even after some of President Donald Trump's tariffs took effect, though economists and many business owners expect inflation will climb by this summer.
Consumer prices rose 2.3% in April from a year ago, the Labor Department said Tuesday, down from 2.4% in March and the smallest increase in more than four years. On a monthly basis, prices rose modestly, increasing 0.2% from March to April after falling 0.1% the previous month, the first drop in five years.
Grocery prices dipped 0.4% from March to April in what will come as a relief to many people stretching family budgets for the basics. It was the biggest decline in food costs at home since September 2020, the government said. Egg prices fell sharply, declining 12.7%, the most in 41 years. Yet they are still 49% higher than a year ago.
Overall, the report suggests tariffs haven't yet impacted prices for many items. Economists say the impact will more likely be seen by June or July. The 10% tariff on all goods that took effect April 5 could take two to three months to feed into the inflation data. And many companies built stockpiles of products earlier this year, enabling them to delay price hikes in hopes that the trade war will cool.
The cost of clothing, which is mostly imported, declined 0.2% from March to April, Tuesday's report said. New car prices were unchanged. And grocery prices fell despite fears that tariffs on some goods from Mexico would boost food costs.
"It's early days for tariff effects," said Laura Rosner-Warburton, co-founder of MacroPolicy Perspectives and formerly an economist at the Federal Reserve's New York branch. "More will come in May, June, and July. There are plenty of price increases already scheduled and on the way."
And there were some early signs that the duties are having an impact. Computer prices rose 0.3% from March to April, a category that is heavily imported from China and usually sees mild price declines. Sporting goods and toys, where many products are imported, also saw increases. And a category that includes baby strollers and car seats also got more expensive.
Still, excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices were also muted, rising 2.8% in April compared with a year ago, the same as in March. On a monthly basis, they increased a mild 0.2%. Economists watch core prices because they typically provide a better read on where inflation is headed.
Rosner-Warburton noted that some prices fell as business weakened, particularly in travel. Air fares and hotel prices dropped noticeably last month, contributing to lower inflation, but that may have been driven by a decline in foreign visitors to the U.S.
Some companies have raised prices and others have said they plan to do so as a result of the duties. Mattel Inc., the maker of Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars, said earlier this month it would have to raise prices on some products. The company makes 40% of its products in China.
Tool maker Stanley Black & Decker said it raised prices in April and plans to do so again in the July-September quarter because of higher tariffs. And executives at Procter & Gamble, the consumer products giant that makes household name brands such as Crest toothpaste, Tide detergent, and Charmin toilet paper, said last month it will likely have to pass on higher prices to consumers as soon as July.
Only some early tariffs imposed by Trump were in effect in April, including 25% duties on steel and aluminum and 25% on some imports from Canada and Mexico. Trump's initial 20% import taxes on goods from China were also in place. The steel and aluminum duties will take time to feed through into consumer products, such as cars, and may not affect retail prices for months.
Trump's huge 145% import taxes on Chinese goods were reduced to 30% in a deal announced Monday, with some of the higher tariffs on pause for 90 days. Retailers and importers had largely stopped shipping shoes, clothes, toys, and other items when the duties were so high, but many will now resume importing from China, which should reduce the chances of empty shelves this fall.
Yet the additional 30% duties, on top of other import taxes, will likely affect prices. The Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, a trade group, says children's shoes from China will now pay a nearly 100% tariff, because the latest duties are on top of previous import taxes.
Matt Priest, president and CEO of the FDRA, said that the cost of shipping goods from China will likely rise as many companies scramble to get orders to the U.S. during the 90-day window.
"We're not out of the inflationary cost woods yet," he said.
And economists say average tariffs are now at about 18%, roughly six times higher than before Trump took office and the highest in about 90 years.
Consumer prices cooled noticeably in February and March, prompting Trump to claim repeatedly on social media that there is "NO INFLATION." Inflation has fallen to nearly the 2% target set by the Federal Reserve, the agency charged with fighting higher prices.
The Fed would have likely been gearing up to restart interest rate cuts in the absence of tariffs because inflation is down. It reduced its benchmark rate three times last year. However, it has since frozen rates while it awaits further evidence of how the tariffs β and other policy changes, such as immigration restrictions and potential tax cuts β affect the economy.
The smaller import taxes on Chinese goods will limit the damage to the U.S. economy, but combined with all the other tariffs, economists forecast they will still slow growth this year and worsen inflation.
The Yale Budget Lab, for example, estimates the tariffs will lift prices 1.7% and cost the average household about $2,800 this year.
"This is still a very, very substantial tariff hike, but it will take awhile" to show up in the inflation data, Alan Detmeister, an economist at UBS, said.
Many small businesses are relieved that the U.S. has cut its tariffs on goods from China but say they still aren't sure what their costs will be for the remainder of this year, or whether they can avoid raising prices themselves.
Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, an educational toy company, said that the 145% tariffs would have pushed his tariff bill to $100.2 million from $2.3 million last year.
He paused shipments and production but is now strategizing how to work with the lower tariffs. He has 13 containers stored in warehouses in Los Angeles, which allows importers to defer duty payments for up to five years. And he may bring $11 million of goods from China and pay the 30% tariffs, but he's not sure how to price them.
"We just don't know what our costs are," he said. "We do not know what our tariff costs are. We do not know what our freight costs are."
__
AP Retail Writer Anne D'Innocenzio contributed to this report from New York. |
Associated Press News | 2025-05-13 20:47:56+00:00 | [
"Pennsylvania",
"Voting",
"Legislation",
"Josh Shapiro",
"Manuel Bonder",
"Politics",
"Joanna McClinton",
"U.S. Democratic Party",
"Elections",
"U.S. Republican Party"
] | # Democrats endorse set of changes to Pennsylvania election rules, sending bill to state Senate
By Mark Scolforo and Marc Levy
May 13th, 2025 08:47 PM
---
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) β Pennsylvania voters would get more than a week of early voting and county election officials would have more time to start processing mail-in ballots under an election law proposal that advanced out of the state House on Tuesday by a single vote, with all Republicans opposed.
The wide-ranging bill sponsored by Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, addresses an array of election-related matters, including rules for ballot drop boxes, electronic lists of registered voters for election workers to consult, in-person early voting and voter registration.
It passed on a vote of 102 to 101 and was sent to the Republican majority state Senate, adding a potent political issue to the mix as lawmakers and the governor head into the homestretch of the annual state budget season's dealmaking.
"This bill will make sure we have less ambiguities in the law," McClinton said in an interview before the vote. "It also accounts for the changes in how voters want to cast their ballot by providing options for early voting, increased access to ballot drop boxes and allowing them to correct small errors on mail-in ballots."
Its prospects in the Republican majority state Senate are unclear. The communications director for the GOP caucus released a statement saying simply that the House-passed bill will be reviewed by a committee.
It would require counties to pay their elections officials at least $175 per election and change the rules for recounts and contested elections. Every county would have to have at least two ballot drop boxes to return mail-in ballots, with more in larger counties.
In-person early voting would start 11 days before an election and end the Sunday before the election. All counties would have at least one in-person early voting site, and larger counties would have to add one for every 100,000 registered voters.
The early in-person voting proposal would replace a clumsy and time-consuming alternative that led to hourslong lines and claims of disenfranchisement last fall in the nation's biggest presidential battleground state. That alternative allows voters to go to their election office, register for a mail-in ballot, fill it out on the spot and hand it in. Some county election offices found themselves swamped and unprepared for the influx.
Establishing rules for drop boxes would settle a gray area in state law that led to partisan court battles over whether drop boxes were legal and, if so, what sort of security measures are required. Democratic-controlled counties have embraced the use of drop boxes for mail-in voters, while Republican-controlled counties have generally eschewed them as illegal.
Under the bill, the state would provide $2 million for the Department of State to identify electronic poll books that are compatible with other election software. The state would borrow up to $60 million more to help counties purchase them. Electronic poll books β with lists of eligible, registered voters for election workers to use β would replace paper poll lists with a digital system.
Voters using mail-in ballots would no longer have to provide an accurate, handwritten date on the return envelope, a requirement that has spawned years of litigation. But the voter would still have to sign the envelope for their ballot to count. Household members and others close to a voter would be permitted to return their mail-in ballots β current law requires most voters to return their own ballots.
County workers could begin to process mail-in ballots a week before the election, taking ballots out of envelopes and scanning them if the scanner is able to scan the ballot without tabulating or recording the vote until Election Day. Many counties have long hoped for more time to begin to process the ballots in advance as a way to lessen the Election Day workload.
Asked if Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro supports McClinton's proposal, his press secretary, Manuel Bonder, said the governor wants to improve the safety and security of elections "while enfranchising voters" and that his team "will continue working with both legislative chambers toward bipartisan reforms that protect our democratic process for all eligible Pennsylvanians." |
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