AP

By Associated Press For much of Lee Allen Jr.’s childhood, baseball seemed quite far from him. Major League Baseball’s Royals played in his hometown Kansas City, Missouri, but Allen — who is Black and lived in the inner city — didn’t come across many baseball opportunities until late in his high school years. In January

By Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles decided Saquon Barkley was the rare running back they were willing to make a financial splash on — a move made even more rewarding by prying him away from the NFC East rival Giants. The Eagles agreed to contracts with Barkley — long the face of the

By Associated Press Kirk Cousins is leaving Minnesota for Atlanta, landing another big contract with a well-timed foray into free agency. Cousins agreed Monday to a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed with the Falcons, according to a person with knowledge of the terms, speaking on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press

By Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs finalized a five-year, $158.75 million contract with Chris Jones on Monday, keeping the All-Pro tackle in the middle of their defensive line as they chase a record-setting third consecutive Super Bowl title. Jones will make $95 million guaranteed over the first three year, a

By Meredith Oyen University of Maryland, Baltimore County The Conversation via AP The brief closure of the Darien Gap – a perilous 66-mile jungle journey linking South American and Central America – in February 2024 temporarily halted one of the Western Hemisphere’s busiest migration routes. It also highlighted its importance to a small but growing

By Associated Press Virginia high school teacher Joe Clement keeps track of the text messages parents have sent students sitting in his economics and government classes: — “What did you get on your test?” — “Did you get the field trip form signed?” — “Do you want chicken or hamburgers for dinner tonight?” Clement has

By Metro Creative Applying for a job can be an exciting experience, and many applicants get their hopes up about landing interviews and eventually job offers. It’s important to note that early action is key when filling out applications. Chegg CareerMatchª indicates competitive roles at major companies may garner hundreds of applications, and most employers

By Associated Press AMSTERDAM | The Netherlands opened the National Holocaust Museum on Sunday with a ceremony presided over by the Dutch king as well as Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose presence prompted protest because of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The museum in Amsterdam tells the stories of some of the 102,000 Jews who

By Associated Press LA GRULLA, Texas | A National Guard soldier from New York who was seriously injured in the crash of a helicopter flying over the U.S.-Mexico border remained hospitalized Sunday while authorities released the names of the two National Guard soldiers and a Border Patrol agent onboard who were killed. The three killed

By Associated Press RACINE, Wis. — Michigan Tech University biologists have been observing a remote Lake Superior island’s fragile wolf population every winter since 1958, but they had to cut this season’s planned seven-week survey short after just two weeks. The ski plane they study the wolves from uses the frozen lake as a landing

By Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary Japanese filmmaker whose anime classics have enchanted fans around the world for decades, has won his second career Oscar. At 83, Miyazaki won for helming the best animated film, “The Boy and the Heron,” the long-awaited fantasy from the director of “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor

By Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. — Scottie Scheffler figured the simple solution to his putting struggles was to quit trying so hard. That’s what he did at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and it wasn’t a fair fight. The best in the world from tee to green, Scheffler didn’t miss a putt inside 15 feet on

By Associated Press CHISINAU, Moldova — The past two years have been the hardest and most tumultuous for European Union candidate Moldova in more than three decades as it faces threats from Russia in multiple spheres of public life, the country’s foreign minister says. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, its neighbor Moldova has faced

By Associated Press HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Dana Holladay-Hollifield has worked as a nurse in Alabama for years, but never was her pay as low as it was at Huntsville Hospital. She wondered what executives at the not-for-profit facility were making, so she filed a public records request to find out. The hospital is governed by

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Just before dawn one summer day in Washington, the president of the United States stripped naked on a rock by the river, plunged in and saw a dead man float to the surface. We know this about John Quincy Adams because he kept a diary for the ages. So have

By Associated Press KURIGA, Nigeria — Rashidat Hamza is in despair. All but one of her six children are among the nearly 300 students abducted from their school in Nigeria’s northwest, riddled with Islamic extremists and armed gangs. It has been more than two days after her children — ages 7 to 18 — went

By Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — A U.S. Army vessel carrying equipment to build a temporary pier in Gaza was heading to the Mediterranean on Sunday, after U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans to increase aid deliveries by sea to the besieged enclave where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are going hungry. The

By Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Celebrities, artists and tens of thousands of fans proud to call themselves nerds are converging in Kansas City for the Missouri city’s 25th annual Planet Comicon this weekend. Devotees ranging from “Potterheads” — lovers of the popular Harry Potter series — to “furries” — people dressed as cartoonish

By Associated Press HOUSTON — The Biden administration can keep operating a program that allows a limited number of migrants from four countries to enter the U.S. on humanitarian grounds after a federal judge on Friday dismissed a challenge from Republican-led states. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton said Texas and 20 other states had

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Reproductive freedom took center stage during Biden’s State of the Union address, but abortion rights advocates had mixed reactions, raising concerns about the president trying to capitalize on what will be a central campaign issue while avoiding using the word “abortion.” Abortion rights have proved to be a potent issue

By Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The U.S. military said Sunday that it had flown in forces to beef up security at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and allow nonessential personnel to leave. The aircraft flew to the embassy compound, the U.S. Southern Command said, meaning that the effort involved helicopters. It was careful to

By Associated Press Former U.N. diplomat Giandomenico Picco, whose negotiating skills helped resolve some of the thorniest crises of the 1980s and 1990s, including the Iran-Iraq war and the kidnappings of Westerners by Hezbollah in Lebanon, has died. Picco passed away peacefully Sunday after a long illness, his son, Giacomo Picco, said. He was 75.

By Associated Press SEATTLE — The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the Boeing jetliner blowout that left a gaping hole on an Alaska Airlines plane this January, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Citing documents and people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said investigators have contacted some passengers and

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has stepped up public pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, warning he’s “hurting Israel” and speaking candidly about “come to Jesus” conversations with the leader over the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Despite Biden’s increased displays of frustration, Israeli officials and Middle East analysts say