Associated Press stories, Page 745
No. 7 Texas seeks title, CFP chance in Big 12 farewell vs. No. 19 Oklahoma State
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas won the championship game in the Big 12’s inaugural 1996 season and now will try to bid farewell to the conference with a bookend title. On the way out, the seventh-ranked Longhorns (11-1, No. 7 CFP) are the league’s last hope for the four-team College Football...
No. 1 Georgia hopes to stay on top vs. No. 8 Alabama in SEC championship game
ATLANTA — When Kirby Smart returned to his alma mater as head coach, Alabama was the top dog. Now, the roles are reversed. The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs are the two-time defending national champions and haven’t lost a game in nearly two years. Everyone is chasing them. Alabama included. “To...
Strong final kick for Pac-12 as Oregon, Washington meet for potential playoff spot
LAS VEGAS — For a conference just about on its last legs, the Pac-12 is having a heck of a final kick. No. 3 Washington (12-0) and No. 5 Oregon (11-1), two of the four conference teams ranked in the AP Top 25, meet Friday for an almost certain spot...
No. 16 Iowa embraces underdog role vs. No. 2 Michigan in Big Ten title game
INDIANAPOLIS — Iowa defensive end Joe Evans spent six years defying the odds. After one season as a walk-on linebacker, he switched positions, earned a scholarship in 2020, shared the team lead for sacks in 2021 and 2022, returned this year as a team captain and wound up earning third-team...
Congressmen ask DOJ to investigate water utility hack, warning it could happen anywhere
HARRISBURG — Three members of Congress have asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate how foreign hackers breached a water authority near Pittsburgh, prompting the nation’s top cyberdefense agency to warn other water and sewage-treatment utilities that they may be vulnerable. In a letter released Thursday, U.S. Sens. John Fetterman...
GOP Rep. George Santos refuses to resign, warns his expulsion from Congress would set a precedent
WASHINGTON — In his closing arguments for remaining a member of the House, a defiant Rep. George Santos depicted himself as a victim of a smear campaign by some of his colleagues and made clear that he would not resign before a vote Friday on whether he should be expelled....
Browns QB Joe Flacco takes starter’s snaps for second day in practice, likely to play against RamsVideo
LOS ANGELES — Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson remained in concussion protocol Thursday, making it even more likely Joe Flacco will start Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. The 38-year-old Flacco signed as a free agent with Cleveland last week as an insurance policy in case Thompson-Robinson struggled...
Florida’s GOP chairman a subject in a rape investigation
TALLAHASSEE — The chairman of Florida’s Republican Party is the subject of a rape investigation, though no charges have been filed and his lawyer said he will be exonerated. Still, the investigation into Christian Ziegler comes at a critical time for the Republican Party of Florida: Two Florida Republicans —...
Penn State to hire Kansas’ Andy Kotelnicki as offensive coordinator, AP source saysVideo
No. 10 Penn State is hiring Kansas’ Andy Kotelnicki as its offensive coordinator, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told the Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details were being finalized, and the hire still needed university approval. However, Kansas announced it...
Florida State focuses on ACC title game vs. Louisville, not playoffs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Florida State wasn’t dominant against its archrival, but the No. 4 Seminoles were effective enough to remain unbeaten — and to pop back into the College Football Playoff’s top four. The No. 4 Seminoles are tabling those playoff talks for now with No. 15 Louisville on the...
Indiana Hoosiers agree to deal with Curt Cignetti as new football coach
Pittsburgh native Curt Cignetti learned the coaching profession from his College Football Hall of Fame father. Now, like his father, he’s about to get his chance on the big stage. The Indiana Hoosiers hired Curt Cignetti as their new coach, school officials announced Thursday. Shortly after the announcement, James Madison...
Cities must replace harmful lead pipes within 10 years under new Biden administration plan
WASHINGTON — Most U.S. cities would have to replace lead water pipes within 10 years under strict new rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency as the Biden administration moves to reduce lead in drinking water and prevent public health crises like the ones in Flint, Michigan and Washington, D.C....
Drivers would pay $15 to enter busiest part of NYC under plan to raise funds for mass transit
NEW YORK — Most drivers would pay $15 to enter Manhattan’s central business district under a plan released by New York officials Thursday. The congestion pricing plan, which neighboring New Jersey has filed a lawsuit over, will be the first such program in the United States if it is approved...
Bills linebacker Von Miller turns himself in on felony domestic violence charge
DALLAS — Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller turned himself in to police in a Dallas suburb on Thursday after he was charged in a warrant with domestic violence against the mother of his children, who is pregnant, police said. Dallas police confirmed that the 34-year-old Miller surrendered to police in...
Bubba Wallace hit by depression following best friend Ryan Blaney’s NASCAR championship
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It was 3:42 a.m. in North Carolina as Bubba Wallace’s best friend celebrated winning his first NASCAR championship across the country in Arizona. Wallace could have stuck around and partied with Ryan Blaney, but he instead flew directly home to sit alone in the dark. Wallace was...
Review: Violent Femmes debut, a cult favorite, turns 40 with an expanded new editionVideo
In 1983, Milwaukee trio Violent Femmes released their self-titled debut, an album that would quickly enter the college-rock pantheon for its spirited acoustic punk. Forty years later, Craft Recordings has released a deluxe edition of the record, in which the cult band turns back the clock to a moment of...
Appeals court reinstates gag order that barred Trump from maligning court staff in NY fraud trial
NEW YORK — A New York appeals court Thursday reinstated a gag order that barred Donald Trump from commenting about court personnel after the former president repeatedly disparaged a law clerk in his New York civil fraud trial. The one-sentence decision came two weeks after an individual appellate judge put...
Will an earlier Oscars broadcast attract more viewers? ABC plans to try the 7 p.m. slot in 2024
Academy Awards enthusiasts won’t have to stay up quite as late to hear the best picture winner in March. The 96th Oscars will begin one hour early, with the official show starting at 7 p.m. Eastern for the first time, ABC said Thursday. The official pre-show will also begin earlier,...
Global leaders pay tribute to Henry Kissinger, but his record also draws criticism
TOKYO — Global leaders paid tribute to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Thursday, but there was also sharp criticism of the man who remained an influential figure decades after his official service as one of the most powerful diplomats in American history. Kissinger, who died Wednesday at...
GOP Rep. George Santos warns his expulsion from Congress before conviction would set a precedentVideo
WASHINGTON — A defiant Rep. George Santos is refusing to resign and warned on Thursday that his expulsion from Congress before being convicted in a court of law would establish a precedent that “is going to be the undoing of a lot of members of this body.” The first-term Republican...
Sanders wins Sportsperson of Year award from Sports Illustrated for starting turnaround at Colorado
DENVER — Deion Sanders reinvigorated a fanbase and put a downtrodden football program back on the map in his first season at Colorado. For that, the Buffaloes coach was named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated. It was a roller-coaster inaugural season as Sanders took over a 1-11 Colorado...
Shane MacGowan, lead singer of The Pogues and a laureate of booze and beauty, dies at age 65
LONDON — Shane MacGowan, the boozy, rabble-rousing singer and chief songwriter of The Pogues, who infused traditional Irish music with the energy and spirit of punk, died Thursday, his family said. He was 65. MacGowan’s songwriting and persona made him an iconic figure in contemporary Irish culture, and some of...
Biden administration proposes biggest changes to lead pipe rules in more than 3 decades
Most U.S. cities would have to replace lead water pipes within 10 years under strict new rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency as the Biden administration moves to reduce lead in drinking water and prevent public health crises like the ones in Flint, Michigan and Washington, D.C. Millions of...
DeSantis and Newsom will face off in a Fox News event featuring 2 governors with White House hopes
WASHINGTON — California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis are meeting in a nationally televised event on Thursday night that will feature two young, high-profile leaders with presidential aspirations who may have to wait for future cycles to realize them. Newsom, 56, has talked about eventually...
Study says U.S. is ill-prepared to ensure housing for growing number of older people
PHOENIX — Michael Genaldi’s road to homelessness began early this year when a car slammed into the rear of his motorcycle, crushed three of his ribs, and left him in a coma for over a month. The 58-year-old lost his job as a machine operator, then his home, and he...
