Associated Press stories, Page 52
U.K.’s Starmer didn’t know Jeffrey Epstein. But the PM’s job is under threatVideo
LONDON — Keir Starmer never met Jeffrey Epstein. But the British prime minister’s job is under threat because of the fallout from the late sex offender’s global web of relationships. Friendship with Epstein has already brought down a British royal — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew — and...
Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crash kills pilot and trooper during shooter responseVideo
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crashed in an accident, killing the pilot and a trooper who was on board, after responding to a gun battle between police and a suspect who fired on officers from rooftops, authorities said Thursday. The confrontation began when law enforcement...
Nigeria sets up new military command to slow spread of Islamic militants after deadly attack
LAGOS, Nigeria — The Nigerian government has announced a new military operation to tackle Islamic militants following the killing of more than 160 people in western Kwara state, many of them reportedly for resisting extremist ideology. Local officials said 162 people were killed during the Tuesday attack in the villages...
U.S. applications for jobless benefits jump by 22K to 231K last week, the most in 2 months
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped last week but remains in the same historically low range of the past few years. Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Jan. 31 rose by 22,000 to 231,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday....
Famine spreads to more towns in Sudan’s Darfur region, hunger experts warn as war rages on
CAIRO — Famine is spreading in war-torn Sudan’s western Darfur region and has now engulfed two more towns there, a global hunger monitoring group said Thursday. The announcement came after the group said last year that people in Darfur’s major city of el-Fasher, overrun by the paramilitary forces after an...
Emergency crews evacuate patients and battle blaze at Pennsylvania hospitalVideo
A fire tore through a northeastern Pennsylvania hospital, sending smoke billowing into the air as dozens of patients were evacuated and emergency medical crews were rushed in from across the region, authorities said. No one was reported injured by the Wednesday night blaze at the Lehigh Valley Hospital campus in...
Homeland Security shutdown grows more likely as Republicans rebuff Democrats’ ICE demands
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday that demands made by Democrats for new restrictions on federal immigration officers are “unrealistic” and warned that the Department of Homeland Security will shut down next week if they do not work with Republicans and the White House. Democrats say they...
The last U.S.-Russia nuclear pact expires, prompting fears of a new arms race
MOSCOW — The last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States expires Thursday, removing any caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century. The termination of the New START Treaty could set the stage for what many fear could...
A newborn’s death likely linked to the mom drinking raw milk while pregnant
A newborn baby died from a listeria infection likely linked to the child’s mother drinking raw milk during pregnancy, health officials said. New Mexico officials this week warned people to avoid consuming unpasteurized dairy products following the death. Interest in and sales of raw milk have been rising in recent...
Tigers and pitcher Framber Valdez agree to $115 million, 3-year deal, AP source says
Free agent pitcher Framber Valdez and the Detroit Tigers agreed to a $115 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on Wednesday night. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. Valdez became one of...
Ryan Preece wins The Clash in sleet and near-freezing temperatures
Ryan Preece outlasted sleet, a wet track and a record number of cautions to win The Clash in near-freezing temperatures at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Wednesday night exhibition was the first victory at the top Cup Series level for Preece, who drives a Ford for RFK Racing....
Savannah Guthrie posts message to her mother’s kidnapper asking to provide proof she is aliveVideo
TUCSON, Ariz. — NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie said Wednesday that her family is ready to talk to people holding their mother, but they want to see proof that she is alive. Guthrie said in a recorded video posted on social media that her family has heard about a...
On Capitol Hill, Treasury Secretary Bessent’s testimony descends into insults, shouting matches
WASHINGTON — A hearing about oversight of the U.S. financial system devolved into insults several times Wednesday as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clashed with Democratic lawmakers over fiscal policy, the business dealings of the Trump family and other issues. Appearances by treasury secretaries on Capitol Hill are more typically known...
Patriots’ Stefon Diggs has helped fuel Super Bowl run with his fire
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Left back pylon. One knee. Head bowed. Eyes closed. That is how Stefon Diggs will spend some of his final moments prior to kickoff of the first Super Bowl of his career. It’s been a staple of the wide receiver’s routine before each game he’s played...
Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler ready to embrace the chaos at the wild Phoenix Open
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Brooks Koepka felt comfortable in his return to the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines last week, despite his putter not always cooperating. The five-time major champion’s second start should be even cozier, even as up to 200,000 fans cram onto TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course. Success at the...
Georgia Republican Barry Loudermilk won’t seek reelection to U.S. House
ATLANTA — Georgia Republican U.S. House member Barry Loudermilk, who has been active in efforts to discredit Democratic-led investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, announced Wednesday that he won’t seek reelection this year. Loudermilk has served in Congress since 2015. He is part of a wave of incumbents...
Epstein files rife with uncensored nudes and victims’ names, despite redaction efforts
NEW YORK — Nude photos. The names and faces of sexual abuse victims. Bank account and Social Security numbers in full view. All of these things appeared in the mountain of documents released publicly by the U.S. Justice Department as part of its effort to comply with a law requiring...
Trump taking steps toward installing Columbus statue near the White House
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — President Donald Trump is taking steps toward installing near the White House a replica of a statue of famed explorer Christopher Columbus that had been tossed into Baltimore’s harbor during his first term amid protests against institutional racism. John Pica, a Maryland lobbyist and president of the...
Penn State’s Gavin McKenna charged with felony aggravated assault
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna, a freshman center and the presumptive top pick in this summer’s NHL draft, has been charged with felony assault following an incident on Jan. 31. McKenna, 18, struck a 21-year-old male in the face during the altercation, according to the incident...
Curling opens competition at 2026 Winter Olympics as brief power outage pauses play, luge training
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — The 2026 Winter Olympics opened competition Wednesday night with the first curling matches on the schedule in Cortina only for the action to come to a brief halt because of a power outage. Officials paused the matches at the historic curling stadium when the lights dimmed...
Washington Post cuts a 3rd of its staff in a blow to legendary news brandVideo
The Washington Post laid off one-third of its staff Wednesday, eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage in a widespread purge that represented a brutal blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands. The Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, called the move painful but...
College football’s February signing period is quiet for most schools. Penn State is an exception
College football’s February signing period is pretty much an afterthought for most schools nowadays, but it meant plenty to new Penn State coach Matt Campbell. Penn State signed only two high school recruits during the December signing period because the Nittany Lions hadn’t yet hired Campbell away from Iowa State....
The former Prince Andrew moves to King Charles III’s private estate after Epstein document uproar
LONDON — The former Prince Andrew has moved out of his longtime home on crown-owned land near Windsor Castle earlier than expected after the latest release of documents from the U.S. investigation of Jeffrey Epstein revived questions about his friendship with the convicted sex offender. The 65-year-old brother of King...
Supreme Court allows new California congressional districts that favor Democrats
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed California to use a new voter-approved congressional map that is favorable to Democrats in this year’s elections, rejecting a last-ditch plea from state Republicans and the Trump administration. No justices dissented from the brief order denying the appeal without explanation, which is...
Former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton, leader of Sept. 11 panel, dies
INDIANAPOLIS — Former Rep. Lee Hamilton, a crewcut-wearing Indiana Democrat who was a leading foreign affairs voice during three decades in Congress and helped oversee investigations of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, died Tuesday. He was 94. Hamilton, who also led a congressional probe of the Reagan administration’s Iran-Contra affair...
