Associated Press stories, Page 953
Disney sues Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling park takeover ‘retaliation’Video
TALLAHASSEE — Disney sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday over the Republican’s takeover of its theme park district, alleging the governor waged a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” after the company opposed a law critics call “Don’t Say Gay.” The lawsuit was filed in Tallahassee minutes after a Disney...
Kansas City ready for NFL draft spotlight on Union Station
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bryce Young had been catching grief from Alabama teammate Will Anderson Jr. all morning after dragging a blanket out of his hotel room, wrapping up in it and trying to fight off a brisk wind as the sun rose over Union Station. “You can call me...
North Dakota limits bathroom use for transgender people
North Dakota’s Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill that limits access to bathrooms, locker rooms and shower rooms for transgender and gender-nonconforming people in several state facilities, his office announced Wednesday. This includes dorms and living facilities controlled by the state board of higher education, penitentiaries and correctional facilities...
Writer tells jury in lawsuit trial: ‘Donald Trump raped me’
At first, she thought helping Donald Trump shop for a women’s lingerie gift at a luxury department store would simply be “a funny New York thing.” Even when, according to E. Jean Carroll, the then-businessman motioned her to a dressing room as they dared each other to try on a...
Company seeks restart of shuttered nuclear plant
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A company that tears down closed nuclear power plants wants to do in Michigan what has never been done in the U.S.: restore a dead one to life. Holtec Decommissioning International bought the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station last June for the stated purpose of dismantling it,...
U.S. to dock nuclear subs in South Korea for 1st time in 40 years
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol announced Wednesday the two nations will bolster the response to North Korea’s persistent nuclear threat with an agreement that includes plans to dock U.S. nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in over 40 years, bolster training...
Blue states help trans health coverage
PORTLAND, Ore. — For most of her life in New Mexico, Christina Wood felt like she had to hide her identity as a transgender woman. So six years ago she moved to Oregon, where she had readier access to the gender-affirming health care she needed to live as her authentic...
Chernobyl anniversary rouses specter of Ukraine nuke threatVideo
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday used the 37th anniversary of the world’s worst nuclear disaster to repeat his warnings about the potential threat of a new atomic catastrophe in Ukraine amid his country’s war with Russia. Zelenskyy drew a parallel between the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986,...
From Sanders to Sauce, NFL draft fashion evolves over time
HOUSTON — Deion Sanders became the NFL draft’s first fashion icon by accessorizing a black and white tracksuit with loads of sparkling gold jewelry and dark shades when he took the call from the Atlanta Falcons before they selected him fifth overall in 1989. As memorable as Sanders’ draft swag...
Norfolk Southern estimates that Ohio derailment cost $387M
OMAHA, Neb. — Norfolk Southern expects February’s fiery Ohio derailment to cost it $387 million, but that total will likely increase over time and that doesn’t reflect how much the railroad’s insurance companies will eventually cover. The railroad provided a detailed estimate of the cost of Feb. 3 derailment outside...
China tries to act as mediator in Russia’s war with Ukraine
BEIJING — Chinese leader Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that Beijing will send an envoy to Ukraine to discuss a possible “political settlement” to Russia’s war with the country. Beijing has previously avoided involvement in conflicts between other countries but appears to be trying to assert itself as a global...
AP NFL mock draft: Panthers take Alabama’s Bryce Young No. 1; Steelers take Ohio State tackle
It took the Carolina Panthers until this week to decide which quarterback they’ll select with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night. They’re not saying, but oddsmakers believe it’ll be Alabama’s Bryce Young. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner is an overwhelming favorite to go first,...
Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr barred from 2023 sessionVideo
HELENA, Mont. — Transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr was barred from participating on the House floor as Republican leaders voted Wednesday to silence her for the rest of 2023 session after she protested GOP leaders’ decision earlier in the week to silence her. The punishment of the freshman lawmaker caps a...
Trial opens in E. Jean Carroll’s rape lawsuit against Trump
NEW YORK — A nearly 30-year-old rape claim against Donald Trump went to trial Tuesday as jurors in the federal civil case heard a former advice columnist’s allegation of being attacked in a luxury department store dressing room. The former president says nothing happened between them. E. Jean Carroll will...
House Republicans pass U.S. debt bill, push Biden on spending
WASHINGTON — House Republicans passed sweeping legislation Wednesday that would raise the government’s legal debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion in exchange for steep spending restrictions, a tactical victory for Speaker Kevin McCarthy as he challenges President Joe Biden to negotiate and prevent a catastrophic federal default this summer. The bill...
Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops’ meeting
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, an unprecedented change that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church. Francis approved changes to the norms...
Mattel introduces first Barbie with Down syndrome
WASHINGTON — Toy company Mattel revealed its first Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome on Tuesday. Mattel collaborated with the National Down Syndrome Society to create the Barbie and “ensure the doll accurately represents a person with Down syndrome,” the company said. Design features of the new Barbie...
2024 race won’t be like 2020. That’s good and bad for Biden
WASHINGTON — No honking geese are likely to interrupt his speeches this time. As President Joe Biden seeks a second term, he won’t have to depend on glitchy Zoom connections, or deliver remarks in largely vacant theaters with attendees in chairs ringed by circle markings on the floor to ensure...
No one is driving this taxi. What possibly could go wrong?
SAN FRANCISCO — I won’t forget the first time I took a ride in a car without anyone sitting in the driver’s seat. It happened one night last September when a Chevy Bolt named Peaches picked me up outside a San Francisco bar. Our ensuing half-hour ride together produced, at...
Bud Light fumbles, but experts say inclusive ads will stay
Bud Light may have fumbled its attempt to broaden its customer base by partnering with a transgender influencer. But experts say inclusive marketing is simply good business — and it’s here to stay. “A few years from now, we will look back on this ‘controversy’ with the same embarrassment that...
Jets GM: Getting Aaron Rodgers is ‘historic’ trade for franchiseVideo
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — General manager Joe Douglas kicked off the New York Jets’ pre-draft news conference by having a young fan answer the first few questions from reporters. Kyle Stickles, a Make-A-Wish recipient from Ghent, N.Y., was sitting between Douglas and assistant GM Rex Hogan when he was asked...
Bryce Young? C.J. Stroud? Panthers reach consensus on No. 1 draft pickVideo
CHARLOTTE. N.C. — Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich says he and general manager Scott Fitterer have agreed on which quarterback the team will select with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. But Reich says the team won’t announce who that is until Thursday night, when the draft begins....
Rangers suddenly looking for answers after 2 close losses to DevilsVideo
NEW YORK — After a pair of easy wins in their first two games across the Hudson River in New Jersey, the New York Rangers appeared to be cruising along to another postseason series win. Not so fast. Two tight losses at home later, the Rangers’ stagnant offense can’t seem...
Chief Justice John Roberts declines Senate request to testify on court ethics
WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts has declined a request from the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify at a hearing next week on ethical standards at the court, instead providing the panel with a statement of ethics reaffirmed by the court’s nine justices. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill.,...
Jury to deliberate in major Jan. 6 case against Proud Boys
WASHINGTON — The seditious conspiracy case against former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four lieutenants went to the jury on Tuesday after dozens of witnesses over more than three months in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol....
