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College Football Playoff rankings: Washington and Oregon hold steady as Arizona makes an appearance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:17 GMT

Washington and Oregon held their ground in the second College Football Playoff rankings as five Pac-12 teams made the cut — none of them from Los Angeles.The Huskies were No. 5 for the second consecutive week, followed immediately by the Ducks in the No. 6 spot. Oregon State moved up four positions to No. 12, and Utah held steady at No. 18.Meanwhile, Arizona made its first appearance in the CFP rankings since 2017, landing in the No. 21 spot after beating UCLA for its third consecutive win.“The three straight wins, two of their losses coming in overtime, a seven-point loss to Washington and the job that Coach (Jedd) Fisch has done out there is really something,” selection committee chair Boo Corrigan, the N.C. State athletic director, said on a media teleconference.USC and UCLA dropped out of the rankings following losses to Washington and Arizona, respectively.Washington was the lowest-ranked of the five undefeated teams in the major conferences, behind Ohio State...

Ohio voters enshrine abortion access in constitution in latest statewide win for reproductive rights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:17 GMT

People gather in the parking lot of the Hamilton County Board of Elections as people arrive for early in-person voting in Cincinnati, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. They urge a vote for or against the measure known as Issue 1. Issue 1 is the only abortion question on any state ballot this year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)(AP/Carolyn Kaster) People gather in the parking lot of the Hamilton County Board of Elections as people arrive for early in-person voting in Cincinnati, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. They urge a vote for or against the measure known as Issue 1. Issue 1 is the only abortion question on any state ballot this year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)(AP/Carolyn Kaster) COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio voters approved a constituti...

Kentucky Gov. Beshear wins reelection. Ohio passes amendment on abortion rights. Follow live updates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:17 GMT

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection on Tuesday, while Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to an abortion and other forms of reproductive health care. In other races, Mississippi voters were weighing whether to reelect their Republican governor, while legislative control in Virginia was up for grabs.What to knowDemocratic Gov. Andy Beshear elected to second term in KentuckyOhio voters enshrine abortion rights in their state’s constitutionMississippi voters weigh whether to replace the GOP governor with Elvis’ cousinVirginia’s governor calls the state’s legislative races the ‘most important elections in America’ All in the (Beshear) familyIt’s officially a two-term trend for the Beshear family.Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has joined his father, Steve Beshear, as a twice-elected top Democratic leader of the state.The younger Beshear won his second term Tuesday by defeating Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Wi...

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear reelected to second term in Kentucky, overcoming state’s GOP dominance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:17 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection to a second term Tuesday, notching another significant statewide victory in an increasingly red state that could serve as a model for other Democrats on how to thrive politically heading into next year’s defining presidential election.Beshear, 45, rode his stewardship over record economic growth and his handling of multiple disasters, from tornadoes and floods to the COVID-19 pandemic, to victory over Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a protege of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. In what could be a preview of how Democrats campaign in 2024, Beshear hammered Cameron throughout the campaign for his support of the state’s sweeping abortion ban, which makes no exceptions for victims of rape or incest.Beshear withstood relentless attempts to connect him to Democratic President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy amid a post-pandemic surge in inflation. Beshear insulated himself from the attacks by foc...

Pro-casino effort concedes defeat in second referendum in Richmond, Virginia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:17 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The developers of a proposed resort casino in Virginia’s capital city conceded a loss Tuesday night in their second shot at winning voters’ approval for the project. “We are proud to have run a community-centered campaign to create more opportunities for residents of this great city to rise into the middle class. We are grateful to the thousands of Richmonders who voted for good jobs and a stronger city, especially those in Southside who poured their hearts into this project,” a statement from the Richmond Wins, Vote Yes referendum committee said. The Associated Press has not yet made a call on the ballot measure, which came before voters again after the city narrowly voted down a similar project in 2021. The developers returned with a retooled proposal and invested around $10 million into a pro-casino campaign aimed at building support for the project, which had the backing of Mayor Levar Stoney and major area business groups. The proposal als...

No. 11 Tennessee routs Florida A&M, spoiling homecoming for new Rattlers coach Bridgette Gordon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:17 GMT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jewel Spear and Karoline Striplin each scored 20 points and No. 11 Tennessee opened its season with a 93-64 victory over Florida A&M on Tuesday night to spoil a homecoming for new Rattlers head coach Bridgette Gordon.Spear made five 3-pointers and Striplin was 8-of-9 shooting, including three baskets in the final 4:13. Rickea Jackson added 13 points and Kaiya Wynn had 12 for Tennessee. Jillian Hollingshead grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to help the Lady Vols hold a 47-25 advantage on the glass.Spear sank a wide open 3-pointer from the corner, off a nice drive and assist from Destinee Wells, just before the halftime buzzer to extend Tennessee’s lead to 47-30 at halftime. Spear was 5 of 9 from 3-point range in the first half and scored 16 points. Florida A&M committed 11 turnovers in the first half.Ahriahna Grizzle scored 16 points, Hailee Brennen added 13 points and Ivet Subirats had 12 for Florida A&M. No. 23 ILLINOIS 81, MOREHEAD STATE 61CHAMPAI...

Bryant’s career-high 32 points jumpstarts No. 23 Illini women past Moorehead State 81-61

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:17 GMT

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Senior guard Genesis Bryant scored a career-high 32 points, Kendall Bostic had a double-double and 23rd-ranked Illinois beat Moorehead State 81-61 in a season opening matchup on Tuesday night.Illinois established a 13-2 lead when Bostic made a pair of layups, Bryant and Adalia McKenzie each had one, Jada Peebles made a jump shot and Brynn Shoup-Hill made a 3-pointer.Illinois finished the first quarter up 20-11 after shooting 9 for 18 and never trailed.The Illini’s 24-point second quarter matched Moorehead State’s first-half total and they led 44-24 at halftime.The 5-foot-6 Bryant, in her second year at Illinois following two seasons at North Carolina State, finished 12-for-16 shooting, including 2 for 5 from 3 and 6 for 7 from the foul line. Bostic had 15 points and 13 rebounds.Veronica Charles scored 16 points for Moorehead State.It was only the second contest between the two teams, with Morehead State winning 89-72 at a neutral site in the 1978-7...

Exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ member Yusef Salaam wins New York City Council seat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:17 GMT

Exonerated “Central Park Five” member Yusef Salaam won a seat Tuesday on the New York City Council, marking a stunning reversal of fortune for a political newcomer who was wrongly imprisoned as a teenager in the infamous rape case.Salaam, a Democrat, will represent a central Harlem district on the City Council, having run unopposed for the seat in one of many local elections happening across New York state on Tuesday. He won his primary election in a landslide.The victory comes more than two decades after DNA evidence was used to overturn the convictions of Salaam and four other Black and Latino men in the 1989 rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park. Salaam was imprisoned for almost seven years.“For me, this means that we can really become our ancestors’ wildest dreams,” Salaam said in an interview before the election. Elsewhere in New York City, voters will decide whether to reelect the Queens district attorney and cast ballots in other City Council races. The council, ...

Unification Church in Japan offers to set aside up to $67 million in a compensation fund

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:17 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — The Unification Church’s Japanese branch announced plans Tuesday to set aside a fund up to 10 billion yen ($67 million) to cover possible compensation for those seeking damages they say were caused by the group’s manipulative fundraising tactics.The move is seen as an attempt to allay any suspicion that the group would try to avoid later payouts by hiding assets overseas while a government-requested dissolution order is pending.The announcement by head of the church’s Japanese branch, Tomihiro Tanaka, came a month after Japan’s Education Ministry asked the Tokyo District Court to revoke the legal status of the group. The ministry investigation concluded that the South Korean-headquartered group for decades has systematically manipulated its followers into donating money, sowing fear and harming their family ties. The investigation followed public outrage and questions about the group’s fundraising and recruitment tactics that surfaced after former Prime Mini...

5 hostages of Hamas are free, offering some hope to families of those still captive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:24:17 GMT

Five hostages of Hamas are free, offering some hope to the families of others snatched in southern Israel during the militants’ deadly rampage on Oct. 7. But the families of those still in captivity have questions, such as why progress has been so slow, why some and not others are being released and whether Israel’s punishing bombardment of the Gaza Strip puts their loved ones in danger. Israel on Oct. 30 announced its first hostage rescue — that of army Pvt. Ori Megidish. Hamas had earlier released Americans Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie, 18. Also let go were Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, along with Nurit Cooper, 79. Their husbands remain in captivity. Hamas has said it would let the others go in return for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, which has dismissed the offer. Here are stories of some of the 242 hostages still being held.Alex DancygAlex Dancyg left Poland at age 9, sailing by ship to a new life in Israel in 1957. But Poland never left him. ...