Associated Press stories, Page 9
Miami freshman Malachi Toney redeems himself with winning TD in College Football Playoff
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Malachi Toney’s tiebreaking 11-yard touchdown reception with less than two minutes left lifted No. 10 seed Miami to a 10-3 win over No. 7 Texas A&M on Saturday in the College Football Playoff. Mark Fletcher Jr. had a career-high 172 yards rushing to help the Hurricanes...
Epstein files offer scant new insight into his crimes or how he avoided serious prosecution
NEW YORK — The Justice Department’s much-anticipated release of records tied to Jeffrey Epstein arrived in a flood of documents that did little to quell the long-simmering intrigue, largely because some of the most consequential records were nowhere to be found. The initial disclosures, spanning tens of thousands of pages,...
U.S. forces stop a second merchant vessel off the coast of Venezuela, American officials say
WASHINGTON — U.S. forces on Saturday stopped a vessel off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The move, which was confirmed by two U.S. officials familiar with matter, comes...
Paraplegic engineer becomes the first wheelchair user to blast into space
A paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers Saturday, leaving her wheelchair behind to float in space while beholding Earth from on high. Severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, Michaela Benthaus became the first wheelchair user in space,...
Everything you need to know about Christmas, and how it has evolved into a global holiday
Christmas is a Christian holiday that observes the birth of Jesus. But did you know that the earliest followers of Jesus did not annually commemorate his birth? Or that Santa Claus is inspired by the acts of kindness of a fourth-century Christian saint? And have you heard about the modern-day...
You finally got a doctor’s appointment. Here’s how to get the most out of it
WASHINGTON — It’s not unusual for a 20-something to text Mom in a panic from the doctor’s office, seeking help answering a question. And patients of any age can struggle to recall all their medicines — or forget to mention a concern. Getting the most out of a doctor’s visit...
Trump’s ‘A+++++’ economy collides with reality in Allentown, a city critical to the midterms
ALLENTOWN — When Idalia Bisbal moved to this Pennsylvania city synonymous with America’s working class, she hoped for a cheaper, easier life than the one she was leaving behind in her hometown of New York City. About three years later, she is deeply disappointed. “It’s worse than ever,” the 67-year-old...
Alabama rallies from 17 points down to beat Oklahoma in College Football Playoff
NORMAN, Okla. — Ty Simpson passed for 232 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 9 seed Alabama rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat No. 8 Oklahoma, 34-24, on Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Alabama freshman Lotzeir Brooks, who did not score a touchdown...
Takeaways from the Justice Department’s initial release of Epstein files, mandated by Congress
NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday published thousands of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, a release long anticipated for its potential to reveal new details about the late sex offender and his connections to powerful people. But it was clear soon after the release that it...
NORAD continues decades-long tradition of tracking Santa’s trip around the world
PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. — Sometimes kids drop the phone after hearing Santa won’t show up if they’re not asleep. Others who call the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline wonder if St. Nick will be able to find them. Adults who also remain devoted to the jolly figure said to...
A brief encounter, two attacks and then a break in investigations into the Brown and MIT shootings
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Just before Thanksgiving, Claudio Neves Valente checked into a Boston hotel and traveled to Brown University, where he had studied physics 25 years earlier. The drive to Providence was short, and in the days that followed, the 48-year-old Portuguese national returned to the campus again and again....
U.S. military launches strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State fighters after American deaths
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration launched military strikes Friday in Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter almost a week ago. A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that...
Photos of Bill Clinton included in newly released Epstein files
WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton featured prominently in the first batch of files released Friday by the Justice Department stemming from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the White House sought to move the focus of the highly anticipated documents from President Donald Trump. There were...
A timeline of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and the fight to make the government’s files public
Two decades after Jeffrey Epstein was first reported to police, the Justice Department has started to release its investigative files on the late millionaire, who was accused of repeatedly sexually abusing underage girls. Enacted last month, the Epstein Files Transparency Act requires disclosure of government records on Epstein and his...
Justice Department begins releasing long-awaited files tied to Epstein sex trafficking investigation
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department released thousands of files Friday from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein even as it acknowledged that its documents disclosure about the wealthy financier, known for his connections to President Donald Trump and other influential people, was incomplete. The records arrived with public...
Life ring, lifeboat piece from Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck sell at auction for $150,000
DETROIT — A life ring and a piece of a lifeboat from the Edmund Fitzgerald were sold at auction Friday for $150,000, a month after the 50th anniversary of the famous ship’s sinking in Lake Superior with 29 men aboard. The relics were discovered by a carpenter in 1975 along...
N.C. State cruises by Memphis in Gasparilla Bowl
TAMPA, Fla. — CJ Bailey threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns and scored another on the ground as NC State took down Memphis, 31-7, in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday. The Wolfpack concluded their season at 8-5 (4-4 ACC) and won a bowl game for the first time since...
U.S. awards no-bid contract to Denmark scientists studying hepatitis B vaccine in African babies
NEW YORK — The Trump administration has awarded a $1.6 million, no-bid contract to a Danish university to study hepatitis B vaccinations on newborns in Africa that is raising ethical concerns. The unusual contract was awarded to scientists who have been cited by anti-vaccine activists and whose work has been...
Los Angeles Angels settles lawsuit with family of pitcher Tyler Skaggs over fatal overdose
SANTA ANA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels reached a confidential settlement Friday in a lawsuit over the drug overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. The decision to settle was reached after a two-month civil trial in Southern California over whether the Angels should be held responsible for Skaggs’ 2019...
Rep. Elise Stefanik ends her campaign for New York governor and won’t seek reelection to House
ALBANY, N.Y. — Rep. Elise Stefanik suspended her campaign for New York governor on Friday and said she will not seek reelection to Congress, bowing out of what was expected to be a bruising Republican primary and ending a once-promising tenure in the House. Stefanik, an ally of President Donald...
A California fisherman may have broken records by catching a 10.25-pound canary rockfish
SAN FRANCISCO — A Northern California man caught a plump canary rockfish he says weighed in at 10.25 pounds, likely setting state and world records. Mendocino County fisherman Brendan Walsh, 26, said he caught the fish Tuesday off the coast of Albion, about 150 miles north of San Francisco. Walsh...
Western Michigan rolls Kennesaw State in a Myrtle Beach Bowl matchup of conference champs
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Jalen Buckley ran for 174 yards, and Western Michigan scored on a fumble recovery and a pick-6 on its way to rolling Kennesaw State, 41-6, in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Friday. The Broncos finished their season at 10-4 and became the first team in program...
Ole Miss bracing for a better Tulane team in College Football Playoff opener
At first glance, Tulane’s visit to Ole Miss for a first-round College Football Playoff game looks like a mismatch of a rematch. Circumstances have changed, however, since the Rebels routed the Green Wave, 45-10, back on Sept. 20. The 11th-seeded Green Wave (11-2) have evolved into a more cohesive squad...
Oregon vs. James Madison a study in contrasts as high-profile Ducks host a newcomer to the playoffs
The College Football Playoff is pretty much business as usual for Oregon, which is more accustomed to playing at this level. The story is different in several ways for James Madison, a newcomer to the playoff. James Madison coach Bob Chesney will lead the Dukes in Saturday’s first-round game —...
Texas A&M is not happy just to be here. Aggies plan to beat Miami, and win it all in their CFP debut
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M coach Mike Elko had to take a moment to compose himself when he was asked if this season was championship or bust or if his Aggies were simply happy to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time as they prepared for Saturday’s...
