7 convicted of blocking access to abortion clinic in suburban Detroit (2024)

New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., a 14-term incumbent and a fixture in his hometown of Paterson for more than four decades, has died. News of his death on Wednesday was announced on his social media account. Pascrell, who was 87, had been in and out of the hospital with an illness recently. A lifelong resident of Paterson, Pascrell served in the Army and Army Reserve after college and graduate school. He worked as a teacher in Paterson and served on the Board of Education there from 1979 to 1982 before going on to the state Legislature .He was Paterson’s mayor from 1990 to 1996, when he ran for Congress.

Donald Trump is holding his first outdoor rally since narrowly surviving an attempted assassination last month. Trump’s podium at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame is surrounded by panes of bulletproof glass that form a protective wall across the stage. Storage containers have also been stacked around the perimeter of the space to create additional walls and block sight lines at the venue, where old aircraft have been positioned behind the podium and a large American flag is suspended from cranes. He is scheduled to deliver remarks on national security Wednesday afternoon as part of his counterprogramming efforts during the Democratic National Convention.

Parents accused of locking the door to their refrigerator as they made their seven kids live in “nightmarish conditions” are now prison-bound, Pennsylvania authorities say.

A federal judge has rejected Republican legislators' calls to give counselors at Wisconsin's youth prison more leeway in controlling inmates after a counselor was killed in a fight at the facility this summer. Lincoln Hills-Copper Lakes Schools has operated under a federal consent decree since 2018 that prohibits punitive confinement, limits the use of mechanical restraints and prohibits pepper spray. Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Corrections Secretary Jared Hoy on Thursday asking him to ask U.S. District Judge James Peterson to reconsider the consent decree's conditions. Peterson said in a letter Tuesday that he won't do anything unless someone files a formal motion and can show the consent decree doesn't protect the staff or inmates.

Georgia counties are asking the state's Election Board to stop changing the rules ahead of the November election. They're concerned about creating unnecessary confusion for poll workers and voters. The state board has been considering a slew of rule proposals in recent months and has adopted several of them. Board members indicated Monday that they'll consider more rules at a meeting on Sept. 20. The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials said in a statement Tuesday that its members are “gravely concerned” that any additional changes will disrupt the poll worker preparation and training they're doing.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Republican lawmakers who sponsored anti-DEI bills earlier this year are praising the University of Kentucky for deciding to eliminate its Office of Institutional Diversity.

BLINK TWICE

Have you heard the one about the cantor who can’t sing and the retired music teacher who walk into a bar? In Nathan Silver’s thoroughly charming comedy “Between the Temples,” the only punchline to this setup is that these two find a singular kind of connection with each other. It’s a good th…

Seven anti-abortion activists have been convicted of crimes related to blocking a health clinic in suburban Detroit in 2020. The government says the seven sat or stood in front of the entrance to a clinic in Sterling Heights so that patients and employees could not enter. The seven were found guilty Tuesday of conspiracy against rights and a second charge related to blocking clinic access. Despite the convictions, a judge says he’ll still decide whether to dismiss the conspiracy charge in the months ahead.

A Kansas mother whose 2-year-old son fatally shot his 4-year-old sister has been sentenced to life in prison. Twenty-four-year-old Mariann Belair won’t be eligible for parole until she’s served 25 years under the sentence imposed Tuesday. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that jurors found her guilty in May of first-degree murder in the commission of a felony and aggravated child endangerment. Belair testified at her trial that she removed a loaded handgun from her diaper bag in October and placed it on the couch. She said the 4-year-old then “distracted” her by asking her to shoot a cellphone photo of them together. Prosecutors said the gun sat on the couch about 12 minutes before the 2-year-old shot his sister.

ATLANTA — As Vice President Kamala Harris continues her quest to become the nation’s first person of Asian descent to be elected president, her campaign is increasing its focus on voters in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in Georgia and other swing states.

The United States will face Mexico, Italy and Britain in Group B of the first round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which will be based at Houston’s Minute Maid Park. Puerto Rico will play Cuba, Panama and Canada in Group A at San Juan’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Defending champion Japan will meet Australia, South Korea and the Czech Republic in Group C at the Tokyo Dome from March 5-10. The Dominican Republic will face Venezuela, the Netherlands and Israel in Group D at Miami’s loan Depot park. The final will be at Miami on March 17.

A bank bribery scandal involving members of Haiti’s ruling transitional government, which threatens efforts to stabilize the country through presidential elections next year, could not come at a worse time, according to an eminent group of former Caribbean leaders who recently visited the tr…

BALTIMORE — A former Gilman School teacher set to face trial Wednesday on charges that he sexually abused a teenage student refused to leave his detention facility and report for court, the judge handling the case said.

The United Arab Emirates has accepted the credentials of the Taliban's ambassador to the oil-rich Gulf state. It's a major diplomatic coup for the Taliban, who aren't officially recognized as Afghanistan's government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul confirmed Wednesday the news about Badruddin Haqqani in a post on social media platform X. The ministry did not respond to requests for information about Haqqani, who was previously the Taliban's envoy to the UAE. Haqqani is not related to the Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who in June met the UAE leader, but he is from his team.

Brazil's Federal police says it has carried out search warrants against the governor of Tocantins state as part of an investigation into fraud and graft related to COVID-19 funds. 41 other people in the state were also targeted. Police said Wednesday that suppliers of the pandemic-related services delivered only part of the contract to the state, despite receiving full payment. A police source told The Associated Press that the governor, Wanderlei Barbosa, is a target of a probe into companies that supplied social assistance services with food kits between 2020 and 2021. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the confidential nature of the investigation. Gov. Barbosa didn’t immediately respond to an AP request for comment

Online fast-fashion giant Shein is suing its competitor Temu once again, accusing the China-founded shopping platform of stealing its designs, product images and engaging in other types of fraud. The complaint was filed in a Washington federal court this week. It alleges that Temu, which has grown in popularity in the U.S. for its low-cost products, has been subsidizing those products by encouraging its sellers to offer counterfeited items, stolen designs and sub-standard products. The allegations come as Shein itself is facing lawsuits from other brands and designers for intellectual property infringements. A spokesperson for Temu accused Shein of fabricating the accusations against the company.

In sports, there’s a mantra that everyone falls back on when there’s the inevitable injury. Next man up. Only one problem for the Atlanta Braves. They're having a hard time finding the next man up. An unrelenting series of breaks, tears and strains have left the six-time reigning NL champions scrambling to cobble together a lineup, putting their hopes of making it back to the postseason in serious jeopardy. Third baseman Austin Riley was the latest to go down, but hardly the first. The Braves already lost MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and ace Spencer Strider to season-ending injuries. Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, Sean Murphy and A.J. Minter have also been sidelined.

CHICAGO — On the second night of the convention, which featured former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as the headliners, fact-based claims took a back seat to hopeful pronouncements about the future. We still found some political spin:

The impact of the NCAA ruling granting an extra year of eligibility as a result of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season remains apparent four years later as players extend their college careers into their mid-20s.Hundreds of Football Bowl Subdivision players are in their sixth season of eligibility and dozens are in their seventh year or later. Miami tight end Cam McCormick is entering his ninth season of eligibility at the age of 26. No. 17 Oklahoma State has two seventh-year players in quarterback Alan Bowman and linebacker Justin Wright. Fourteen other Oklahoma State players are entering their sixth seasons.

Does legalized online sports betting strain family finances? A recent study, “Gambling Away Stability: Sports Betting's Impact on Vulnerable Households,” argues yes, but the conclusion reflects the moral assumptions of the authors rather than the statistical evidence.

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

Manchester City and Ilkay Gundogan look set to be reunited. The former Germany midfielder has been pictured at the airport and is reportedly catching a flight from Barcelona to Manchester to wrap up his return to City on a one-year deal, with the option of another 12 months. Neither City nor Barcelona have commented publicly on any deal for the 33-year-old Gundogan. Gundogan left City after the 2022-23 season during which he was captain of the team that won the Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble. He spent seven years at the English club but decided to move to Barcelona for a new challenge.

Greek authorities say they have rescued nearly 150 migrants trying to reach the country by sea in small boats over a 24-hour period, including one that had 115 people crammed into it. A coast guard statement says Wednesday the small vessel was located in distress Tuesday off the eastern Aegean Sea island of Lesbos that’s close to the Turkish coast. It was carrying 67 men, 27 women and 21 children. And some 30 nautical miles (35 miles) south of Crete, the coast guard rescued 25 men and seven boys from a boat that had been three days at sea after leaving from eastern Libya.

Divers searching sunken superyacht wreckage have found at least two bodies, according to Sicily civil protection chief.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Chinese premier Li Qiang. He hailed growing trade relations as Moscow becomes increasingly dependent on Beijing for political and economic support. The Kremlin meeting took place as Russia struggled to push back an incursion by Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region that began more than two weeks ago. Soon after Moscow saw overnight drone attacks that officials said were one of the largest wave of drones on the Russian capital since the start of the Ukraine conflict. Russian news reports did not indicate whether Putin and Li discussed Ukraine. China has tried to position itself as neutral in the Ukraine conflict, but it shares with Russia high animosity toward the West.

Federal officials affirmed this month that the pain people might feel when getting an IUD can be more than doctors’ promises of “just a pinch.” The local anesthetic lidocaine “might be useful for reducing patient pain” when inserting intrauterine devices. That's according to new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also encourages doctors to have a conversation with patients about pain management. Complaints of pain are not limited to the small, long-lasting birth control device. Gynecologists and patients say there need to be more conversations about options for local anesthetics — as well as other pain-relief options for relatively quick outpatient procedures.

How well do you know the U.S. Open? The year's last Grand Slam tennis tournament begins Monday on the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. The AP has written a quiz to test your tennis knowledge. Who was the last player to win at least two titles in a row at the U.S. Open? Who was the last man to win a year's last three Grand Slam titles? When did the U.S. Tennis Association introduce equal prize money for men and women at the U.S. Open?

Jet lag is a problem for many travelers but there are some easy ways to adjust your body clock. It might take planning ahead and getting exposure to sunlight after you land. Scientists define jet lag as the effect on the human body of traveling across different time zones. When we travel to another time zone, it can take our bodies awhile to reset our internal clocks. It's during that adjustment period that we feel tired and sleepy. One expert says to avoid overnight flights if you can and fly during the daytime.

Key mediator Egypt is expressing skepticism as more details emerge of the proposal meant to bridge gaps in cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas. It comes a day before negotiations are expected to resume in Cairo. The challenges around the so-called bridging proposal appear to undermine the optimism for an imminent agreement that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken carried into his latest Mideast visit this week. Diplomatic efforts had redoubled amid fears of a wider regional war after the recent targeted killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, both blamed on Israel, and threats of retaliation.

A former babysitter is scheduled to accept a plea deal for the 2019 death of a man she was accused of disabling as an infant by severe shaking 40 years ago. Terry McKirchy is scheduled to appear in a Florida court Wednesday. She has been facing a murder charge for the death of Benjamin Dowling. He died at 35 after a life with severe disabilities caused by a brain hemorrhage he suffered in 1984 when he was 5 months old while at McKirchy’s home. Investigators believed she caused it by shaking him. McKirchy was indicted three years ago after a 2019 autopsy concluded Dowling died from his decades-old injuries. McKirchy has always insisted she never hurt Dowling.

DENVER — Amid a yearlong delay, Denver’s voter-approved sidewalk construction and repair program took a key step forward Tuesday when a City Council committee gave preliminary approval to a plan to charge most property owners a flat rate of $150 a year starting in 2025.

Officials in Ancient Olympia are protesting the decision to hold the next International Olympic Committee session in a neighboring region of southern Greece, rather than at the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The IOC session in March next year will be held in Greece to appoint a successor to Thomas Bach, who is stepping down after serving as president since 2013. Greek Olympic officials say that while Ancient Olympia lacks the facilities large enough to host the event, they still hope to include the ancient site in the four-day meetings.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said Wednesday he is retiring from the national team after 15 years and 124 games. He will keep playing club soccer for Bayern Munich. The 38-year-old Neuer made his debut for Germany in 2009 and won the World Cup in 2014. His last national team game was the 2-1 extra-time loss to eventual champion Spain in the quarterfinals as Germany hosted Euro 2024. Neuer's departure could open the door for Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen to take over as Germany’s starting goalkeeper.

CHICAGO — The last time Chicago hosted the Democratic National Convention, Joe Biden was a U.S. senator who gave a nine-minute speech praising President Bill Clinton’s leadership in securing a tough new anti-crime law.

Nelly Korda was playing such good golf in the first half of 2024 that her rivals were starting to hope she wouldn’t turn up for tournaments. It's all changed for the world's top-ranked player heading into the Women's British Open at St. Andrews. Korda went on a run of five straight victories from January to April amid a tear of six wins in seven starts on the LPGA Tour. However Korda missed the cut in three successive events including in two majors for the first time in her career and was outside the top 20 at both the Evian Championship and the Olympic Games in Paris. The home of golf is staging the Women’s British Open for the third time.

This Date in Baseball, August 22 - Nolan Ryan becomes the first pitcher to strike out 5,000 batters

Today in Sports, August 22 - Nolan Ryan becomes the first pitcher to strike out 5,000 batters

Divers searching the wreck of a superyacht that sank off Sicily have recovered at least one body as the search for more missing passengers persisted and questions intensified about why the sailboat sank so quickly. Divers and rescue crews unloaded a body bag Wednesday from one of the rescue vessels that pulled into port at Porticello. The discovery confirmed that the operation to search the wreckage on the seabed 50 meters underwater was a recovery one, not a rescue. The Bayesian, a 56-meter British-flagged yacht, went down in a storm early Monday as it was moored about a kilometer offshore. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Rescue crews are seen unloading a body bag from one of the ships searching the remains of a sunken superyacht off Sicily.