Associated Press stories, Page 303

DENVER — Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert announced Wednesday she is switching congressional districts, avoiding a likely rematch against a Democrat who has far outraised her and following an embarrassing moment of groping and vaping that shook even loyal supporters. In a Facebook video Wednesday evening, Boebert announced she would enter...

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Before settling in New York City like thousands of other migrants this year, Abdoul, a 32-year-old from West Africa, took an unexpected detour: Weeks in a remote Texas jail on local trespassing charges after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. “I spent a lot of hours without sleeping,...

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for bolstered war readiness to repel what he said were unprecedented United States-led confrontational moves, state media reported Thursday, as rival South Korea vowed a stern retaliation against any provocations by the North. Kim’s comments during the key political...

KYIV, Ukraine — A civilian cargo ship struck a Russian mine in the Black Sea near Ukraine’s Danube ports Thursday, injuring two sailors, officials and analysts said, in an incident that underscored the dangers faced by those exporting Ukrainian grain during the war. The Panama-flagged vessel struck the floating mine...

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli forces bombarded cities, towns and refugee camps across Gaza overnight and into Thursday, killing dozens of people in an air and ground offensive against Hamas that has widened to most of the territory and forced thousands more to flee from homes and shelters. The...

HOUSTON — Rashod Owens had a career-high 164 yards receiving with two touchdowns and Brennan Presley tied a school record with 16 receptions and had 152 yards receiving in No. 22 Oklahoma State’s 31-23 victory over Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night. Ollie Gordon II, the Doak...

SAN DIEGO — With Caleb Williams watching from the sideline, Miller Moss threw a Holiday Bowl-record six touchdown passes in his first college start and Southern California ended a frustrating season by beating No. 16 Louisville, 42-28, Wednesday night. Moss took full advantage of the opportunity he was given when...

Herb Kohl, a former Democratic U.S. senator from Wisconsin and former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, has died. He was 88. His death Wednesday was announced by Herb Kohl Philanthropies, which did not give a cause but said he died after a brief illness. “More than anything, Herb...

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent will be out for at least two more months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The Lakers announced Vincent had the surgery Wednesday. He will be re-evaluated by team doctors in eight weeks. Vincent has appeared in only...

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander has been suspended by the team for Sunday night’s must-win showdown against Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings. The decision stems from, but wasn’t limited to, Alexander appointing himself a captain for the Packers’ 33-30 Christmas Eve win at Carolina....

CLEBURNE, Texas — A pickup slammed head-on into a minivan on a north Texas highway, killing six people and critically injuring three, Texas authorities said Wednesday. The deadly crash happened Tuesday near Cleburne, about 33 miles south of Fort Worth, according to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. A preliminary investigation...

DENVER — The Colorado Republican Party on Wednesday appealed the state’s supreme court decision that found former President Donald Trump is ineligible for the presidency, the potential first step to a showdown at the nation’s highest court over the meaning of a 155-year-old constitutional provision that bans from office those...

PORTAGE, Ind. — A 27-year-old man survived for six days on only rainwater while pinned tightly inside his crashed pickup beneath a highway bridge in northwest Indiana, police said. His ordeal ended when two men scouting for fishing spots Tuesday afternoon noticed the badly damaged vehicle, its white airbag deployed,...

DELANO, Calif. — “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson has been sent to a California state prison to serve his sentence for two rape convictions. Authorities said Wednesday the 47-year-old Masterson has been admitted to North Kern State Prison, and they released his first prison mug shot. The photo shows...

CHICAGO — The mayors of Chicago, New York City and Denver renewed pleas Wednesday for more federal help and coordination with Texas over the growing number of asylum-seekers arriving in their cities by bus and plane. The mayors’ requests come as U.S. cities have struggled to manage the increasing number...

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Kyron Drones ran for 176 yards and a touchdown and also threw for two TDs as Virginia Tech withstood a second-half downpour to beat No. 23 Tulane 41-20 in the Military Bowl on Wednesday. Drones fumbled three times in the slippery conditions, but the Hokies (7-6) lost...

LOS ANGELES — It’s official: Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a Dodger. The team announced the signing of the Japanese right-hander to a 12-year, $325-million contract on Wednesday. Two weeks after securing two-way star Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700-million deal, the Dodgers beat out at least a dozen other clubs that...

NEW YORK — Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly blocked entrance roads Wednesday to airports in New York and Los Angeles, forcing some travelers to set off on foot to bypass the jammed roadway. As U.S. airlines contended with a rush of holiday travel, the demonstrations snarled traffic on the outskirts of New...

Social media companies collectively made over $11 billion in U.S. advertising revenue from minors last year, according to a study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published on Wednesday. The researchers say the findings show a need for government regulation of social media since the companies that...

PHILADELPHIA — A man accused of slashing people with a large knife in recent weeks while riding a bicycle on a trail in Philadelphia and then charged in the cold-case rape and slaying of a medical student has now been charged in several other high-profile unsolved sexual assaults. Elias Diaz,...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — At his suburban St. Louis home, Brett Koenig can pull out his smartphone and open a sports betting app. But he can’t place a bet. He is blocked by a pop-up message noting he is not in a legal location. Missouri is one of a dozen...