Associated Press stories, Page 2284
Pirates affiliate 1 of 42 minor league teams in danger of being dropped
WASHINGTON — Nearly one-quarter of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives asked MLB to reconsider its proposal for a restructuring of the minor leagues after the 2020 season that would lead to 42 teams — including those in Erie, Williamsport, State College as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates’...
Underperforming Maple Leafs fire coach Mike Babcock
TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs fired coach Mike Babcock and replaced him with Sheldon Keefe. Babcock had a record of 9-10-4 in 2019-20 for the struggling Leafs, who are 0-5-1 in their last six games, including five straight losses in regulation. Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan flew to Arizona...
Defense Official: Ukraine asked about aid on day of Trump callVideo
WASHINGTON — In a blow to GOP defenses of President Donald Trump, a Defense Department official said Wednesday the Ukrainian government asked “what was going on” with U.S. military aid as early as July 25 — the very day that Trump asked Ukraine’s president to investigate Democrats. Testifying in an...
Senate sends fight over Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to House
HARRISBURG — Legislation to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage for the first time since 2009 passed the state Senate on Wednesday against a deadline to stall Gov. Tom Wolf’s move to substantially expand overtime pay eligibility. The Republican-controlled Senate approved the bill, 42-7, to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage in four steps...
AP source: FBI has asked for interview with whistleblower
WASHINGTON — The FBI last month requested an interview with the whistleblower whose complaint fueled the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump and Ukraine, a person familiar with the situation said Wednesday. An agent from the FBI’s Washington field office reached out to the whistleblower’s lawyers last month to seek...
West Virginia’s Gabe Osabuohien cleared to play by NCAA
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The NCAA cleared forward Gabe Osabuohien to play at West Virginia this season. The Mountaineers said in a release the NCAA approved the junior’s waiver request for immediately eligibility Wednesday. Osabuohien transferred to West Virginia from Arkansas in August, when he was dismissed by Razorbacks coach Eric...
NCAA gives Memphis freshman James Wiseman 11-game ban
The NCAA cleared heralded freshman James Wiseman to return to the basketball court Jan. 12. Wiseman will sit out a total of 12 games under a decision announced by the NCAA. The sports governing body also announced Wednesday that Wiseman must donate $11,500 to charity of his choice to regain...
Court ponders discipline against Penn State case prosecutor Frank Fina
HARRISBURG — A lawyer for the agency that investigates misconduct by Pennsylvania lawyers says a yearlong law license suspension is justified against one of the primary prosecutors in Jerry Sandusky’s 2012 child molestation trial. Amelia Kittredge with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel argued Wednesday in favor of the punishment against...
Browns’ Myles Garrett attends appeal hearing for NFL suspensionVideo
CLEVELAND — Myles Garrett looked composed and casual, a stark contrast to the last time he was seen in public. Dressed in a bright blue suit and black turtleneck, the Cleveland Browns star defensive end met Wednesday with an appeals officer in New York in hopes of getting a reduction...
Jewish group condemns Nazi auction in GermanyVideo
BERLIN — A Jewish group condemned an auction of Nazi memorabilia in Germany on Wednesday that included items such as Adolf Hitler’s top hat, a silver-plated edition of his book “Mein Kampf” and a black cocktail dress owned by his long-time partner Eva Braun. “It’s wrong to make money off...
7-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson to retire after 2020
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson sat down next to Jeff Gordon at a 2001 driver meeting and asked the champion if he had time to offer any career advice. Gordon was so impressed with the fellow California native that he encouraged Rick Hendrick to start a team built specifically for...
Jets’ Le’Veon Bell rips NFL for ‘random’ 5th HGH test
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Former Pittsburgh Steeler Le’Veon Bell is throwing a flag on the NFL’s drug testing policy. The New York Jets running back said Wednesday he has been unfairly targeted by the league after taking a fifth test this season for performance enhancers and criticizes the NFL’s policy....
Flying this Thanksgiving? Expect record crowds at airports
Record throngs of travelers are expected to jam into airports over the Thanksgiving break and airlines are adding hundreds of flights a day in response. The Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday that it expects to screen more than 26.8 million passengers and airline crew members between Nov. 22 and Dec....
Prince Andrew to step back from public dutiesVideo
LONDON — Britain’s Prince Andrew said Wednesday he is stepping back from public duties with the queen’s permission. Andrew said it has become clear to him in recent days that his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has become a “major distraction” to the royal family’s work....
Pence aide denies discussion of link in Ukraine aid holdupVideo
WASHINGTON — A top aide to Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that a conversation described by EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland about a link between military aid for Ukraine and investigations “never happened.” Sondland testified Wednesday that he spoke with Pence before a Sept. 1 meeting with Ukrainian officials “that...
GM sues Fiat Chrysler over union bribes
DETROIT — General Motors is suing Fiat Chrysler, alleging that its crosstown rival got an unfair business advantage by bribing officials of the United Auto Workers union. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, alleges that FCA was involved in racketeering by paying millions in bribes to...
Jussie Smollett: Chicago prosecution was malicious
Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett says his $10,000 payment after the close of a criminal case should prevent Chicago from seeking reimbursement for a police investigation of his claim that he was a victim of a racist and homophobic attack. Smollett’s attorneys filed a response Tuesday to Chicago’s lawsuit in...
Trump directed Ukraine quid pro quo, key witness Ambassador Sondland saysVideo
WASHINGTON — Ambassador Gordon Sondland declared to impeachment investigators Wednesday that President Donald Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani explicitly sought a “quid pro quo” with Ukraine, leveraging an Oval Office visit for political investigations of Democrats. But he also came to believe the trade involved much more. Besides the...
Police: Girl had knives in plot to attack black churchgoers
GAINESVILLE — A Georgia police chief says a white 16-year-old girl had collected several kitchen knives and scouted out a mostly black congregation as part of a methodically planned attack on worshippers there. Police say the plot came to light when Gainesville High School students told administrators the girl had...
Good Samaritan killed, 2 others injured at crash scene
LYNN, Pa. — Pennsylvania state police say a good Samaritan who stopped to help people involved in a traffic accident was killed and two others were hurt when they were struck by a passing vehicle. The crash on Route 309 in Lynn was reported around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. A car...
Andy Murray wins in his return to the Davis CupVideo
MADRID — Andy Murray had been in a similar position before, struggling and needing a big comeback to pull off an important victory. And like he’s done so many times in his career, he again came through with a big rally, this time to give Britain a point in his...
Police: Mom removed daughter from nursing home, killed her
FENTON, Mo. — A 78-year-old woman removed her 51-year-old daughter from a nursing home, then fatally stabbed her in a suburban St. Louis hotel before attempting to kill herself, police say. Marjorie Theleman was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of her daughter, Sharon...
State Department approves $1 billion weapons sale to India
WASHINGTON — The State Department says it has approved the sale of naval guns and related equipment to India in a deal worth more than $1 billion. The department says it provided the legally required notification to Congress of the proposed sale of up to 13 of the naval guns...
New Belgium Brewing sold to international beverage company
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The Colorado brewery responsible for making Fat Tire beer, among many others, is being sold to an international beverage company after nearly 30 years in business, officials said. New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins is being sold to Lion Little World Beverages, The Coloradoan reports....
Arrest made in shooting death of Pa. man found dead in trunk
CHAMBERSBURG — Authorities have made an arrest in the shooting death of a man whose body was found in the trunk of his car. Justin Hockenberry will face counts of criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and drug possession. It’s not known if he’s retained an attorney....
