Associated Press stories, Page 341
Winning ticket for $1.22B lottery jackpot sold in California, Mega Millions says
At least one Mega Millions player has plenty of dough to ring in the New Year after drawing the winning number. After three months without anyone winning the top prize in the lottery, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion was sold in California for the drawing Friday night, according...
Justin Herbert tosses 3 TDs, Chargers clinch a playoff spot
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes, and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots on Saturday. The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach,...
Nebraska holds on to beat Boston College in Pinstripe Bowl for 1st bowl victory since 2015Video
NEW YORK — Dylan Raiola passed for 228 yards and a touchdown as Nebraska built an 18-point lead through three quarters and hung on to beat Boston College, 20-15, in the Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday for its first bowl victory since 2015. After Nebraska built a 13-2 lead in the...
Trump appears to side with Musk, tech allies in debate over foreign workers roiling his supporters
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump appears to be siding with Elon Musk and his other backers in the tech industry as a dispute over immigration visas has divided his supporters. Trump, in an interview with the New York Post on Saturday, praised the use of visas to...
Georgia QB Carson Beck to enter NFL Draft after season-ending elbow injuryVideo
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck on Saturday announced his plans to enter the NFL Draft, five days after having season-ending elbow surgery. Beck, a fifth-year senior, made his NFL plans official on social media. He suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over...
Will New Year’s Eve be loud or quiet? What are the top 2025 resolutions? AP-NORC poll has answers
NEW YORK — If you’re planning on ringing in the new year quietly at home, you’re not alone. A majority of U.S adults intend to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. “As I’ve gotten older over...
New York correctional officers pummeled handcuffed man before death, footage shows
NEW YORK — Newly released video of a fatal New York prison beating shows correctional officers repeatedly pummeling a handcuffed man, striking him in the chest with a shoe, and lifting him by the neck and dropping him. Body camera footage of the Dec. 9 assault on Robert Brooks was...
Putin apologizes for ‘tragic incident’ but stops short of saying Azerbaijani plane was shot down
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible. Putin’s apology came as allegations mounted that the...
Big Lots reaches deal to keep hundreds of U.S. stores open
The discount chain Big Lots, which filed for bankruptcy protection in September, has reached a deal that will keep hundreds of its stores and distribution centers open. Big Lots said Friday it will be sold to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, a firm that specializes in distressed companies. Gordon Brothers will...
Abortions are up in the U.S. It’s a complicated picture as women turn to pills, travel
Abortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It’s now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for...
Israel detains the director of one of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals during a raid
DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s army detained the director of one of northern Gaza ‘s last functioning hospitals as overnight strikes elsewhere in the territory killed nine people, including children, Palestinian medical officials said Saturday. Israel’s military alleged that Hamas militants were using the facility and said over...
Olivia Hussey, star of the 1968 film ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ dies at 73
LONDON — Olivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet,” has died, her family said on social media Saturday. She was 73. Hussey died on Friday, “peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones,” a statement posted to her Instagram account...
Corbin Burnes, Arizona Diamondbacks agree to $210 million, 6-year deal, AP source says
PHOENIX — Corbin Burnes and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a $210 million, six-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press late Friday night. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a successful physical. The 30-year-old Burnes...
Southern California overcomes 17-point deficit to beat Texas A&M in Las Vegas Bowl
LAS VEGAS — The Southern California Trojans ended their season the way they started it. On Sept. 1 at Allegiant Stadium in the opener, the Trojans overcame a third-quarter deficit and scored with eight seconds left to beat LSU, 27-20. On Friday night back at Allegiant, Jayden Maiava threw a...
Kyle McCord throws for 453 yards, 5 TDs in No. 22 Syracuse’s Holiday Bowl win over Washington State
SAN DIEGO — Kyle McCord threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns to break Deshaun Watson’s Atlantic Coast Conference season passing record and lead No. 22 Syracuse to a 52-35 victory over depleted-yet-scrappy Washington State in the Holiday Bowl on Friday night. LeQuint Allen rushed for 120 yards and two...
Latvia stuns Canada in world junior hockey, winning 3-2 on lone shootout goalVideo
OTTAWA, Ontario — Eriks Mateiko scored the lone goal of a shootout in the eighth round to give Latvia a 3-2 victory over Canada on Friday night in the world junior hockey championship. Mateiko beat Jack Ivankovic to the blocker side to end the tiebreaker after the first 15 shooters...
Taylen Green leads Arkansas to 39-26 victory over Texas Tech in the Liberty BowlVideo
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Taylen Green threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 81 yards in Arkansas’ 39-26 victory over Texas Tech on Friday night in the Liberty Bowl. Green completed 11 of 21 passes, and Arkansas (7-6) had 573 yards of total offense. J’Koby Williams rushed for...
Appeals court overturns ex-49er Dana Stubblefield’s rape conviction
LOS ANGELES — A California appeals court has overturned the rape conviction of former San Francisco 49er Dana Stubblefield after determining prosecutors made racially discriminatory statements during the Black man’s trial. The retired football player was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison in October 2020 after being convicted...
Vanderbilt beats Georgia Tech 35-27 in Birmingham Bowl for first postseason win in 11 yearsVideo
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Diego Pavia threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more scores, and Vanderbilt secured its first winning season since 2013 with a 35-27 victory over Georgia Tech on Friday in the Birmingham Bowl. The Commodores (7-6) capped the season with yet another big win led by...
Judge signals contempt hearing for Rudy Giuliani over assets might not go well for him
NEW YORK — A federal judge is signaling Rudy Giuliani’s contempt hearing next Friday might not end so well for the former New York City mayor and onetime personal lawyer for President-elect Donald Trump as two Georgia election poll workers try to collect a $148 million defamation award they won...
Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78Video
NEW YORK — Greg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster, has died from cancer, according to a statement from family released by CBS on Friday. He was 78. “He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic...
Customs agents seize 22K fake Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers shipped from Israel
HARRISBURG — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said it has seized more than 20,000 counterfeit Pennsylvania vehicle inspection stickers that were shipped from Israel to an address in Philadelphia. Customs officers found the stickers in two shipments that arrived on two different days, Nov. 26 and Dec. 9,...
Nebraska returns to the bowl season at a familiar place (but only to its oldest fans)Video
The last time Nebraska sat out the bowl season for seven years in a row, the Big 12 was still the Big 8, the 10 schools in the Big Ten didn’t include the Cornhuskers and Yankee Stadium was still the House that Ruth Built. That slump ended with an appearance...
Tigers sign former Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres to a $15 million, 1-year dealVideo
DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers signed former New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres to a $15 million, one-year contract Friday. The two-time All-Star gets a slight raise from his $14.2 million salary with the Yankees. His agreement includes a one-time assignment bonus of $500,000. Torres hit .265 with 138...
Depleted Notre Dame defense hopes to make an impact against Georgia in CFP quarterfinalsVideo
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame’s defense set a dominating tone early in its College Football Playoff opener against Indiana. The Fighting Irish stuffed the highest-scoring team in the CFP field for a 14-3 halftime lead, but then Notre Dame suffered a gut punch. Defensive lineman Rylie Mills sacked Indiana...

