Associated Press stories, Page 966
First image of a black hole gets a makeover with AI
NEW YORK — The first image of a black hole captured four years ago revealed a fuzzy, fiery doughnut-shaped object. Now, researchers have used artificial intelligence to give that cosmic beauty shot a touch-up. The updated picture, published Thursday in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, keeps the original shape, but with...
HARDY, Lainey Wilson lead ACM Awards nomineesVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country artist HARDY drove the success of his hit song “Wait in the Truck” with Lainey Wilson all the way to the Academy of Country Music Awards, where he is the leading nominee. And his duet partner was not far behind, as “Yellowstone” actor and singer-songwriter Wilson...
Peter Skoronski stands apart in NFL draft class of legacy players
INDIANAPOLIS — Peter Skoronski looks like a custom-built NFL offensive lineman. He stands 6-foot-4, weighs 313 pounds and has 10-inch hands. He earned all-Big Ten honors three straight years at Northwestern, was named the league’s top lineman last season and honed his skills by working against defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore,...
Women’s tennis tour ends Peng Shuai-inspired China boycott
The women’s professional tennis tour will bring its events back to China later this year, announcing on Thursday the end of a boycott instituted in late 2021 over concerns about the safety of former player Peng Shuai after she accused a high-ranking government official there of sexual assault. WTA Chairman...
Expelled to reinstated: Pearson to return to Tennessee House
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The second of two Black Democrats expelled from the Republican-led Tennessee House will follow his colleague in returning to work at the Capitol on Thursday, a week after their banishments for a gun control protest on the House floor that propelled them into the national spotlight. Justin...
Trump answers questions for 7 hours in New York fraud lawsuit
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump answered questions for nearly seven hours Thursday during his second deposition in a legal battle with New York’s attorney general over his company’s business practices, reversing an earlier decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and remain silent. The Republican met...
Look who’s back: Donald Trump’s big return to Fox News
NEW YORK — For several months, Fox News treated Donald Trump like yesterday’s news. But now the former president has come roaring back at the popular network for conservative viewers, most notably since his indictment in New York on hush-money charges. The Trump revival was on display Tuesday night, when...
Holy Land Christians say attacks rising in far-right Israel
JERUSALEM — The head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land has warned in an interview that the rise of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government has made life worse for Christians in the birthplace of Christianity. The influential Vatican-appointed Latin Patriarch, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told The Associated Press...
DOJ to ask Supreme Court to put abortion pill limits on hold
AUSTIN, Texas — The Justice Department said Thursday that it will again go to the Supreme Court over abortion after a lower court ruling allowed the abortion pill mifepristone to remain available in the U.S. but reimposed past restrictions on getting and using the drug. At stake in the accelerating...
Torrential storms batter South Florida, close key airportVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE — Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale — causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service for the Broward County region. The city of Fort Lauderdale released a statement Wednesday evening...
Mock draft predicts Steelers will take Georgia offensive tackleVideo
The Carolina Panthers have been on the clock since making a blockbuster trade last month to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and get their choice of potential franchise quarterbacks. There’s still no general consensus on which QB will go first. Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud?...
Masters champ Rahm ready to keep going at RBC Heritage
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — An exhausted, jubilant Jon Rahm wondered if he’d earned a break. The Masters’ champion, worn out from his four-shot victory last week, thought hard about passing up the RBC Heritage and taking some well-deserved rest. In the end, Rahm honored his commitment — and will...
Browns DT Perrion Winfrey arrested on misdemeanor assault charge
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns second-year defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey was arrested in Texas on a misdemeanor assault charge earlier this week for allegedly causing bodily harm to a woman he was dating. According to Harris County court records, Winfrey was arrested at 7 p.m. Monday and charged with one count...
Your tax refund could be smaller than last year. Here’s why
NEW YORK — Expecting a tax refund? It could be smaller than last year. And with inflation still high, that money won’t go as far as it did a year ago. The 90 million taxpayers who have filed as of March 31 got refunds that were an average of nearly...
Trump sues ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, key witness in criminal case
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump sued the key witness in his criminal case on Wednesday, accusing onetime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen of “vast reputational harm” for talking publicly about the hush-money payments at the heart of the case. The lawsuit, filed in Miami, offered a preview of...
After calls to resign, Feinstein seeks Judiciary replacement
LOS ANGELES — Recuperating U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California asked Wednesday to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee, shortly after two House Democrats called on her to resign after her extended absence from Washington. In a statement, the long-serving Democratic senator said her recovery from a case of...
Stocks dip after inflation data, Fed economists’ warningVideo
NEW YORK — Stocks dipped to close an up-and-down Wednesday on Wall Street as a result of the latest update on inflation and the latest warning of a possible recession. The S&P 500 fell 16.99, or 0.4%, to 4,091.95 after drifting between small gains and losses through the day. The...
Umpire hospitalized after being hit in head by relay throw
CLEVELAND — Umpire Larry Vanover is being evaluated for a concussion and other injuries at a hospital after being struck in the head with a relay throw during Wednesday’s game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians. The 67-year-old Vanover was knocked down by the throw from Guardians All-Star...
Rangers SS Seager out at least 4 weeks with hamstring strain
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager will miss at least four weeks after being placed on the injured list Wednesday with a left hamstring strain after getting hurt running the bases. General manager Chris Young said Seager had an MRI that showed a Grade 2 strain. Seager, who...
Salt Lake City group seeks MLB expansion team
SALT LAKE CITY — While Major League Baseball has no current plans to add teams, the family that used to own the NBA’s Utah Jazz says it wants an expansion franchise. The Miller family and the Larry H. Miller Company said Wednesday a coalition calling itself Big League Utah has...
Missing woman rescued from submerged Jeep, Texas police say
JEFFERSON, Texas — A missing woman was rescued from a submerged vehicle, and taken to a nearby hospital, according to east Texas law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement agencies have said little about the woman, or how she ended up in the sinking Jeep. The woman was found alive Friday in...
New streaming app to ‘Max’ programming from HBO, Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled a streaming service Wednesday combining iconic HBO programming such as “The Sopranos” with a mix of unscripted TV series in a push to reap more subscribers from what so far has been a muddled media merger. The $16-per-month service, called Max, will be released May 23...
Montgomery County mother charged in son’s death after SUV found at New Jersey beach
HORSHAM — A mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 11-year-old son in southeastern Pennsylvania and is awaiting extradition from New Jersey, where she was arrested after her SUV was found in the surf on a beach at the Jersey shore. Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, 50, of Horsham,...
Mt. Lebanon native Ian Happ, Cubs agree to $61 million, 3-year contract for 2024-26
CHICAGO — All-Star outfielder Ian Happ and the Chicago Cubs agreed Wednesday to a $61 million, three-year contract covering 2024-26. Happ, a Mt. Lebanon native, agreed in January to a $10.85 million, one-year contract. His new deal calls for a $3 million signing bonus payable June 1 and salaries of...
AP source: ACC reaches 3-year extension deal with commissioner Jim Phillips
The Atlantic Coast Conference has reached a three-year extension agreement with commissioner Jim Phillips, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t publicly announced the agreement. The extension, first reported by ESPN, would keep...
