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Wins in local races will disrupt Michigan, Pennsylvania Democrats’ full control of state government

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:39 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan and Pennsylvania will emerge from the Tuesday elections with House legislative chambers evenly split between Republicans and Democrats in yet another sign of how narrowly divided the two swing states have become. The change will be at least temporary after House members in the states were elected to other offices and will need to resign from the legislatures.Michigan Democrats who have controlled the governor’s office and slim majorities in both chambers of the Legislature will lose their full control after two state representatives won mayoral races. Democrats who have clung to a one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania House will soon see the chamber return to a 101-101 tie after a suburban Philadelphia incumbent was elected district judge.Democrats have been able to push through a number of key pieces of legislation in Michigan since they flipped both chambers in the Legislature while holding onto the governor’s office in last year’s midterms, giving t...

NC State QB MJ Morris won’t play again this season, opting to redshirt, his father says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:39 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The father of North Carolina State starting quarterback MJ Morris says his son will not play the rest of this season and take a redshirt year while staying with the Wolfpack.Eddie Morris told WRAL-TV of the decision on Tuesday. He said his son, a sophomore, had plenty of options had he decided to transfer but would have done that already if that was his desire.Under NCAA rules, a player is allowed to participate in four games while preserving the option to take a redshirt year.Morris was elevated to the starting role on Oct. 2, after the Wolfpack struggled offensively with Virginia transfer Brennan Armstrong at quarterback.He’s guided N.C. State (6-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) to three wins in four starts — including wins against Clemson and Miami — while throwing seven touchdown passes and five interceptions.Coach Dave Doeren said when making the change he hoped Morris would provide an offensive spark, and he did, leading the Wolfpack to a 48-41 vict...

Pakistan says nearly 25,000 Afghans waiting for visas to US won’t be deported as part of clampdown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:39 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s prime minister on Wednesday sought to reassure thousands of Afghans waiting in Pakistan for resettlement in the United States that they won’t be deported as part of his government’s widely criticized crackdown on undocumented migrants in the country.Islamabad has launched a crackdown on illegal migration, saying any unregistered foreign national and migrant lacking proper documentation would face arrest and deportation. The drive mostly affects Afghans because they are the majority of foreigners living in Pakistan, although the government says it’s targeting all who are in the country illegally. At least 25,000 Afghans — who had worked for the American military or government, international organizations and aid agencies, as well as media and human rights groups — escaped the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 to Pakistan and are waiting to be processed to relocate to the U.S.Pakistani authorities said they have received a list with ...

Ben Stokes’ first Cricket World Cup century helps England end losing streak with win vs. Netherlands

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:39 GMT

PUNE, India (AP) — Ben Stokes scored his first World Cup century to help England finally end a five-game losing streak by beating the Netherlands by 160 runs on Wednesday.Stokes reached his hundred off just 78 balls and finished on 108 to help England reach 339-9 after his team opted to bat first. Pace all-rounder Chris Woakes also scored 51 off 45 balls, and he and Stokes put on 129 runs to rescue England from a precarious 192-6.In reply, the Netherlands was all out for 179 in 37.2 overs. Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali took three wickets each for England, which climbed off the bottom of the table with a second win from eight games.The defending champions had already been eliminated from semifinal contention, but can still clinch a spot in the 2025 Champions Trophy with a win over Pakistan in its final game on Saturday. The Netherlands’ slim chances of advancing to the last four of the tournament officially ended with the loss. The Dutch can still finish eighth or higher to qualify...

Colorado funeral home owner, wife arrested on charges linked to mishandling of at least 189 bodies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:39 GMT

DENVER (AP) — The owner of a Colorado funeral home and his wife were arrested Wednesday after the decaying remains of at least 189 people were recently found at his facility. Jon and Carrie Hallford were arrested in Wagoner, Oklahoma, on suspicion of four felonies: abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering and forgery, District Attorney Michael Allen said in a news release after at least some of the aggrieved families were told.Jon Hallford was being held at the Muskogee County, Oklahoma, jail, though there aren’t any records showing that his wife might also be there, according to a man who answered a call to the jail but refused to give his name.The Hallfords couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. Neither has a listed personal phone number and the funeral home’s number no longer works.Jon Hallford owns Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, a small town about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Denver. The remains were found Oct. 4 by authoriti...

NCAA putting renewed emphasis on sportsmanship in women’s hoops after technical fouls soar last year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:39 GMT

After a season that saw over a 33% increase in technical fouls, women’s college basketball is putting a renewed emphasis on sportsmanship this year.Last season, there were 830 total technical fouls called, up from 606 the season before, according to the NCAA. That included a 77% increase on techs given to head coaches and a whopping 193% increase on technical fouls assessed to personnel on the bench.Fighting was also a problem last year, including incidents in a game between George Washington and TCU as well one between Georgia and VCU. There was a 400% increase in bench personnel ejections as a result.The Associated Press obtained a copy of an email sent out to coaches, officials and coordinators last week that reiterates longstanding rules on bench decorum and the coaching box rule. “We have a mutual responsibility to serve as leaders and role models in this regard. Basketball is a competitive game, which, by its very nature, may lead to adversarial relationships between opp...

The officiating in the title game between LSU and Iowa was below expectations, NCAA review finds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:39 GMT

The national championship game in women’s basketball last spring was unforgettable for a lot of good reasons. LSU beating Iowa for its first title. A record television audience of nearly 10 million viewers. The spicy intensity between star players Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.The game will also be remembered for its controversial officiating and The Associated Press has learned that an NCAA review concluded the refereeing did not meet expectations.The organization had planned a review of NCAA Tournament officiating after the 2024 championship concludes next April, but it was sped up by a year after criticism of the LSU-Iowa showdown. NCAA vice president for women’s basketball Lynn Holzman said the officials were graded on the accuracy of their calls and the overall accuracy number fell short.“In the championship game itself, for example, we typically have a performance that I think is 91% historically,” she said. “In that game, the percentage of correct calls was ...

Local Md. election unofficial results: Rockville selects new mayor, Greenbelt approves votes for noncitizens

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:39 GMT

All eyes were on Virginia races during Election Day; but in Maryland, voters also headed to the polls to decide several important issues, including allowing noncitizens and young residents to vote in local elections.Here are some of the unofficial results in Maryland races WTOP has been monitoring. Leading candidates and results are in bold.More election newsVirginia general election resultsVirginia local general election resultsPHOTOS: Virginia Election Day 2023Voters in Virginia cast ballots in pivotal state electionMajor races to watch in the USRockvilleVoters in the City of Rockville decided on whether to allow noncitizens and residents as young as 16 to vote in local elections, among other referendums.In the unofficial results, on the question, “should Rockville allow 16-17-year-olds to vote in city elections,” the answer “No” received 69.39% of votes, while “Yes” received 28.6% of votes.On the question, “should Rockville allow resident...

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts again in mixed trading as oil prices stay weighed down

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:39 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are still largely stuck in place Wednesday as Wall Street continues to recalibrate following its sharp recent swings.The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged and on track for a third straight day of quiet, mixed trading. Its movements have become much calmer after the index screamed to its best week of the year last week, which itself came after months of painful losses.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 29 points, or 0.1%, as of 10:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% lower.American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were all flying at least 3% higher at the front of the market as oil prices continue to drop and ease the pressure on fuel costs. Warner Brothers Discovery tumbled 16% after it reported a worse loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also lost more streaming subscribers than forecast. The reporting season for summertime profits is winding down, and the majority of companies has been topping Wa...

Texas officials issue shelter-in-place order after chemical plant explosion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:39 GMT

SHEPHERD, TEXAS (AP) — Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for Texas residents within a one-mile radius of a chemical plant fire Wednesday.A large plume of smoke could be seen in video captured by residents as the plant caught fire in Shepherd, Texas.San Jacinto County Office of Emergency Management said in a statement that a private school in the area had been evacuated and that Highway 59 was closed due to the fire.Shepherd is a mainly rural area about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Houston.Local authorities warned residents to shelter in place and to shut off their HVAC air conditioning systems. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office shared on Facebook that the plume could be heading toward the Livingston area.“At this time, the effects of the chemical in the air are unknown,” the Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.