Associated Press stories, Page 588
Charges revealed against former Trump chief of staff in Arizona fake elector case
PHOENIX — The chief of staff for former President Donald Trump faces the same conspiracy, fraud and forgery charges as the other named defendants in Arizona’s fake elector case, the state attorney general’s office said Wednesday. Mark Meadows wasn’t named in a grand jury indictment last week because he hadn’t...
Democrats advance election bill in Pennsylvania long sought by counties to process ballots faster
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill long sought by counties seeking help to manage huge influxes of mail-in ballots during elections in the presidential battleground state and to avoid a repeat of 2020’s drawn-out vote count. The bill comes barely six months before Pennsylvania could...
National 3-point shooting leader Koby Brea transfers from Dayton to Kentucky
Koby Brea, who led the nation in 3-point shooting for Dayton, will play his final season at Kentucky. Brea announced his decision on social media Wednesday and is the fifth player this week and sixth overall to be signed out of the transfer portal by new coach Mark Pope. Brea...
All-American RJ Davis returning to North Carolina for 5th season
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — First-team Associated Press All-American RJ Davis is returning to North Carolina to play his fifth season of eligibility, which could have him ultimately contending for the school and ACC career scoring record. The school and Davis announced the decision in social media posts Wednesday. The 6-foot,...
4 suspended for roles in Brewers-Rays brawlVideo
Milwaukee reliever Abner Uribe was suspended for six games and starter Freddy Peralta for five Wednesday for their roles in a brawl during a Brewers’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Rays outfielder Jose Siri was suspended for three games, a penalty later cut to two, and Milwaukee manager Pat...
‘A step back in time’: America’s Catholic Church sees an immense shift toward the old ways
MADISON, Wis. — It was the music that changed first. Or maybe that’s just when many people at the pale brick Catholic church in the quiet Wisconsin neighborhood finally began to realize what was happening. The choir director, a fixture at St. Maria Goretti for nearly 40 years, was suddenly...
Wall Street holds steady after the Federal Reserve says it will keep rates high
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are holding relatively steady after the Federal Reserve said Wednesday it would keep its main interest rate at the highest level since 2001, just as markets expected. The S&P 500 was down 0.1% in afternoon trading, roughly where it was before the Fed’s announcement. The...
Prosecutors seek September retrial for Harvey Weinstein after rape conviction was tossed
NEW YORK — Prosecutors asked for a September retrial for Harvey Weinstein during a hearing at a Manhattan courthouse Wednesday, the disgraced movie mogul’s first appearance since his 2020 rape conviction was overturned by an appeals court last week. Weinstein, wearing a navy blue suit, was seated in a wheelchair...
Florida’s 6-week abortion ban takes effect as doctors worry women will lose access to health care
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Florida’s ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant, went into effect Wednesday, and some doctors are concerned that women in the state will no longer have access to needed health care. Dr. Leah Roberts, a reproductive...
Rollout of transgender bathroom law sows confusion among Utah public school families
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah public schools have been rushing to prepare students and teachers as the state starts cracking down Wednesday on any school found not enforcing new bathroom restrictions for transgender people. Residents and visitors are required under state law to use bathrooms and changing rooms in government-owned...
Tennis legend Boris Becker discharged from bankruptcy court in England
LONDON — German tennis legend Boris Becker was discharged from bankruptcy court in London after a judge found Wednesday he had done “all that he reasonably could do” to repay creditors tens of millions of pounds. Becker fell far short of repaying his creditors nearly 50 million pounds ($62.5 million)...
Hurricanes’ depth proves critical to secure 2nd-round playoff matchup against the Rangers
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes are getting production throughout their lineup to start the NHL playoffs. They’ll need it going forward if they’re going to take down the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers. The Hurricanes closed out the New York Islanders in a first-round series on Tuesday night. The...
George W. Bush’s portraits of veterans are heading to Disney WorldVideo
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.— Walt Disney World will host dozens of portraits of service members and veterans from the nation’s Painter-in-Chief. The George W. Bush Institute will loan the 60 color portraits by the former U.S. president to the Florida theme park resort. The paintings of service members and veterans...
Maryland approves more than $3M for a man wrongly imprisoned for murder for 3 decades
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland officials on Wednesday approved more than $3 million in compensation for a Baltimore man who spent 31 years in prison on a wrongful murder conviction. Gov. Wes Moore apologized to Gary Washington during a Board of Public Works meeting where the compensation was approved. “On the...
Northwestern University’s deal with student protesters offers example of successful negotiations
CHICAGO — For five days, the shouts of student protesters and supporters rang out from Northwestern University’s Deering Meadow as they joined demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war unfolding on college campuses nationwide. But the meadow on the suburban Chicago campus fell silent hours after student organizers and the school announced...
So, you’ve lost weight using Wegovy. Does that mean you can stop taking it?
Millions of Americans who have dropped pounds and boosted their health using popular obesity drugs like Wegovy are facing a new dilemma: What happens if they stop taking them? Many worry that they’ll regain weight and revert to old habits. In studies, people who paused the drugs put back on...
Paul Auster, prolific and experimental man of letters and filmmaker, dies at 77Video
NEW YORK — Paul Auster, a prolific, prize-winning man of letters and filmmaker known for such inventive narratives and meta-narratives as “The New York Trilogy” and “4 3 2 1,” has died at age 77. Auster’s death was confirmed Wednesday by his literary representatives, the Carol Mann Agency, which did...
U.S. job openings fall to 8.5 million in March, the lowest level in over 3 years
WASHINGTON — U.S. jobs openings slid in March to the lowest level in more than three years, but stayed at historically high levels in a sign that the job market remains resilient in the face of higher interest rates. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that employers posted 8.5 million vacancies...
30 people are injured when a trailer overturns in southwestern Germany
BERLIN — An accident involving a trailer in southwestern Germany on Wednesday left 30 people injured, 10 of them seriously, police and local media reports said. According to the German news agency dpa, the accident happened near the city of Freiburg. Police say it took place in the village of...
Trump awarded 36 million more Trump Media shares worth $1.8 billion after hitting price benchmarks
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump has secured an additional $1.8 billion worth of shares in Trump Media, according to a regulatory filing this week. Based on the company’s stock hitting certain price benchmarks, Trump was awarded an additional 36 million shares in the company that owns his social media...
United Methodists repeal longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — United Methodist delegates repealed their church’s longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy with no debate Wednesday, removing a rule forbidding “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed as ministers. Delegates voted 692-51 at their General Conference — the first such legislative gathering in five years. That overwhelming...
Explainer: What marijuana reclassification means for the U.S.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The Justice Department proposal would recognize the medical uses of cannabis, but wouldn’t legalize it for recreational use. The proposal would move marijuana from the “Schedule I” group to the less tightly regulated...
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene vows to force a vote next week on ousting House Speaker Mike JohnsonVideo
WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Wednesday she would call a vote next week on ousting House Speaker Mike Johnson, forcing her colleagues to choose sides in a difficult showdown after Democratic leaders announced they would provide the votes to save the Republican speaker’s job. Speaking outside the...
Workers, activists around the world hold May Day rallies urging greater rights, more pay
ISTANBUL — Workers, activists and others around the world took to the streets on Wednesday to mark May Day with protests over the pressure of rising prices and calls for greater labor rights. Pro-Palestinian sentiments were also on display. Police in Istanbul used tear gas and fired rubber bullets to...
Kremlin parades Western equipment captured from Ukrainian army at Moscow exhibition
MOSCOW — An exhibition of Western military equipment captured from Kyiv forces during the fighting in Ukraine opened Wednesday in the Russian capital. The exhibit organized by the Russian Defense Ministry features more than 30 pieces of Western-made heavy equipment, including a U.S.-made M1 Abrams battle tank and a Bradley...
