Associated Press stories, Page 53
Judge appears skeptical of Trump’s latest bid to nix his hush money conviction
NEW YORK — A federal judge appeared poised to again reject President Donald Trump’s bid to erase his hush money conviction, slamming his lawyers Wednesday for legal maneuvers he said amounted to taking “two bites at the apple.” Directed by an appeals court to take a fresh look at the...
Man who tried to shoot Trump at a Florida golf course gets life in prison
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A man convicted of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in 2024 was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison after a federal prosecutor said his crime was unacceptable “in this country or anywhere.” U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon pronounced Ryan Routh’s...
Free from ‘sports prison,’ Winter Games athletes get chance to enjoy Olympics without a covid lockdown
In some ways, the goals Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris set for the Milan Cortina Olympics are the same ones he set in his three previous appearances at the Games. “Landing when it matters, landing how I want to, landing my hardest tricks and walking away with some hardware,” he said....
Government lawyer yanked from immigration detail in Minnesota after telling judge ‘this job sucks’
WASHINGTON — A government lawyer who told a judge that her job “sucks” during a court hearing stemming from the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota has been removed from her Justice Department post, according to a person familiar with the matter. Julie Le had been working for the...
New Orleans police say recruit detained by ICE had been verified through agency’s system
NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Police Department is denying wrongdoing after one of its recruits was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which accused the city of violating federal immigration laws. Federal agents last month arrested New Orleans police recruit Larry Temah, a 46-year-old Cameroonian national who had...
Trump’s border czar Tom Homan pulling 700 immigration officers out of Minnesota immediately
MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration is reducing the number of immigration officers in Minnesota but will continue its enforcement operation that has sparked weeks of tensions and deadly confrontations, border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday. About 700 federal officers — roughly a quarter of the total deployed to Minnesota —...
Washington Post says one-third of its staff across all departments is being laid off
The Washington Post is laying off one-third of its staff in the newsroom and other departments, a brutal blow at one of journalism’s most legendary brands. The troubled Post began implementing large-scale cutbacks on Wednesday, including eliminating its sports department and shrinking the number of journalists it stations overseas. The...
Trump says Washington has waited 200 years for the arch he wants to build. Not quite
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says history is on his side. He wants to build a towering arch near the Lincoln Memorial and argues that the nation’s capital first clamored for such a monument two centuries ago — even going so far as to erect four eagle statues as part...
Vance says U.S. seeks to create a critical minerals trading bloc with its allies to counter China
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration wants to create a critical minerals trading bloc with its allies that will use tariffs to maintain price floors and defend against China’s tactic of flooding the market to undermine any potential competitors. Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that the trade war over the...
Democrats demand ‘dramatic changes’ for ICE, including masks, cameras and judicial warrants
WASHINGTON — Democrats are threatening to block funding for the Homeland Security Department when it expires in two weeks unless there are “dramatic changes” and “real accountability” for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies who are carrying out President Donald Trump’s campaign of federal immigration enforcement...
Minnesota athletes head into Olympics with concerns about turmoil back homeVideo
ST. PAUL, Minn. — As excitement has built and focus has sharpened in preparation for the Winter Olympics, biathlete and Minnesota native Luci Anderson has been jarred at times by thoughts of home. One day last week, while Anderson watched from Italy, her family members marched among thousands of people...
Judge: Deal reached to protect identities of Epstein victims in documents release
NEW YORK — A deal was reached between lawyers for victims of Jeffrey Epstein and the Justice Department to protect the identities of nearly 100 women whose lives were allegedly harmed after the government began releasing millions of documents last week, a lawyer told a federal judge on Tuesday. Judge...
Doberman pinscher named Penny wins best in show at the 150th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
NEW YORK — The dog was Penny. The win was priceless. A Doberman pinscher named Penny won best in show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, netting U.S. show dogs’ most coveted prize — and giving veteran Andy Linton another win after nearly four decades. Linton got...
Macdonald’s focus on defense a perfect fit for Seahawks heading into Super Bowl
SEATTLE — Long before the Seattle Seahawks reached their fourth Super Bowl, coach Mike Macdonald donned a blue, gas station attendant-style shirt with a team logo on the chest. He made the fashion statement after the Seahawks put the finishing touches on their 2025 draft, just as he and president...
James Harden goes to Cavaliers, Darius Garland to Clippers in deal of All-Star guards
James Harden is headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the Los Angeles Clippers agreeing to send the 11-time All-Star back to the Eastern Conference during his highest-scoring season in six years, according to multiple reports Tuesday night. ESPN was first to report the deal was finalized. The Cavaliers are giving...
Don Lemon says a dozen agents came to arrest him even though he offered to turn himself in
Independent journalist Don Lemon said about a dozen federal agents came to his Los Angeles hotel to arrest him last week, even though his attorney had told authorities he would turn himself in to face federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a...
Trump demands $1 billion from Harvard as prolonged standoff appears to deepen
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is demanding a $1 billion payment from Harvard University to end his prolonged standoff with the Ivy League campus, doubling the amount he sought previously as both sides appear to move further from reaching a deal. The president raised the stakes on social media Monday...
Sam Darnold’s season as a backup with the 49ers helped him reach the Super Bowl
SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Darnold’s NFL career had hit rock bottom when he arrived in San Francisco in 2023 after failing at two spots to live up to his high draft billing. Less than three years later, he’s ready to step on football’s biggest stage as the starting quarterback...
Todd Monken gives passionate outline of his vision as he’s introduced as the Browns’ coach
BEREA, Ohio — Todd Monken was a surprise choice to become the Cleveland Browns’ head coach. In his introductory news conference Tuesday, Monken tried to reassure those unfamiliar with his background by delivering an emotionally charged outline of his vision and philosophy. “There’s something that I’ve kind of always lived...
The wealthy ramp up spending while other Americans tread water, study finds
WASHINGTON — Higher-income Americans and those with college degrees have ramped up their spending more quickly in the past three years than other consumers, according to data released Tuesday, evidence of worsening inequality that may explain some of the growing pessimism about the economy. The data, released by the Federal...
Florida congresswoman accused of stealing covid-19 funds pleads not guilty 3 months after indictment
MIAMI — A Florida congresswoman charged with conspiring to steal $5 million in federal covid-19 disaster funds formally pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, nearly three months after her indictment. U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was not present for the arraignment in Miami federal court, but her attorney, William Barzee, entered the...
Trial of ex-FirstEnergy executives charged in $60M Ohio bribery scheme begins
COLUMBUS — The $4.3 million payment that Ohio-based FirstEnergy made to veteran lawyer and lobbyist Sam Randazzo in 2019, shortly before he was appointed as the state’s top utility regulator, is at the center of the latest criminal trial to get underway in a sweeping $60 million bribery scandal. Prosecutors...
Immigration agents draw guns, arrest activists following them in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested activists who were trailing their vehicles on Tuesday in Minneapolis, while education leaders described anxiety and fear in Minnesota schools from the ongoing federal sweeps. Both are signs that tension remains in the Minneapolis area after the departure of high-profile commander Greg...
Defense seeks to block videos of Charlie Kirk’s killing in murder case, claims bias
Graphic videos showing the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk while he spoke to a crowd on a Utah college campus quickly went viral, drawing millions of views. Now, attorneys for the man charged in Kirk’s killing want a state judge to block such videos from being shown during a...
Clintons finalize agreement to testify in House Epstein probe, bowing to threat of contempt vote
WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finalized an agreement with House Republicans Tuesday to testify in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein this month, bowing to the threat of a contempt of Congress vote against them. Hillary Clinton will testify before the House...
