AP Texas

AP National Writer PARIS (AP) — Sunisa Lee called coach Jess Graba not long ago and told him it was over. The process of trying to navigate two kidney diseases that made the 2020 Olympic gymnastics champion’s weight yo-yo had become too much. The uncertainty. The frustration. All of it. Come to the gym, Graba

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Miami quarterback Cam Ward was the preseason pick to be Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, the conference announced Thursday. Ward transferred from Washington State and threw for 6,963 yards with 48 touchdowns in two seasons with the Cougars. He was the top choice on 71 ballots of 170 attendees

Associated Press TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey officials are defending proposed building rules designed to limit damage from future storms and steadily rising seas in coastal areas, countering criticism that the state aims to force people away from the Jersey Shore by making it harder and more expensive to build or rebuild there.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A powerful Mexican drug cartel leader on Thursday made his second appearance in federal court in Texas after being taken into U.S. custody last week. Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, 76, used a wheelchair for the hearing before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso. Zambada, the longtime leader of

AP Sports Writer NANTERRE, France (AP) — American coach Bob Bowman keeps cranking out Olympic gold-medal winners, swimmers trained in the United States but flying flags of other nations. Frenchman Léon Marchand — home-country hero of the Paris Olympics — has already won three gold medals this week under Bowman’s tutelage. He’ll be the favorite

Associated Press/Report for America AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Youth lockups in Texas remain beset by sexual abuse, excessive use of pepper spray and other mistreatment including the prolonged isolation of children in their cells, the Justice Department said Thursday in a scathing report that accused the state of violating the constitutional rights of hundreds in

The Texas Tribune When a spate of wildfires tore across the Texas Panhandle in February and scorched 20,000 acres of Craig Cowden’s ranch near Skellytown, he decided he had had enough. Cowden took on a second unofficial job: looking for possible fire hazards on his family land, including checking on the electric lines that power

AP National Writer NANTERRE, France (AP) — It wasn’t the medal Katie Ledecky would’ve preferred. Still, it was good enough for the record books. On a night when Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh romped to another victory and Kate Douglass claimed a gold for the Americans, Ledecky collected the 13th medal of her stellar career to

AP National Writer PARIS (AP) — Simone Biles huddled with Sunisa Lee. She looked to her husband Jonathan Owens in the stands. Lost in the moment. And maybe a touch frantic. The American gymnastics star knew she was trailing Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade and Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour through two rotations during the Olympic all-around final Thursday.

AP Sports Writer BATON ROUGE, LA (AP) — LSU projected starting cornerback Javien Toviano has been reinstated to the football program while he navigates legal issues stemming from his arrest on charges of video voyeurism. Toviano was present at the Tigers’ opening practice on Thursday for the upcoming season, after which coach Brian Kelly provided

AP Pro Football Writer CANTON, Ohio (AP) — The first two kickoffs under the NFL’s radical new rule were both returned a yard farther than the old touchback. Houston’s Steven Sims fielded Cairo Santos’ kickoff at the 5 and ran 21 yards before he was tackled at the 26 to open Thursday night’s preseason game

Associated Press LITTLETON, Colo. (AP) — A wildfire burning in Colorado’s heavily populated Front Range region has burned dozens of homes and outbuildings, while a second fire crept within a quarter-mile of evacuated homes near Denver on Thursday. Authorities said they were hopeful that hundreds of threatened homes could be saved. But firefighters working in

AP National Writer NANTERRE, France (AP) — If there’s anyone who can appreciate the magnitude of what Léon Marchand has done at the Paris Olympics, it’s Bob Bowman. The longtime coach was on deck for Michael Phelps’ entire career, which gave him a front-row seat for improbable feats such as breaking world records in two

Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday eulogized longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee as a “force of nature” as memorials for the longtime Democratic lawmaker drew to a close. Harris took time away from her presidential campaign to describe Jackson Lee, who represented Houston in Congress, as a coalition builder

Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Mauricio Dubón hit a two-run homer, Framber Valdez struck out 10 in six innings and the Houston Astros came from behind to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 on Wednesday night. “It was pretty big, it felt pretty good to help the team win,” Dubón said. Dubón came in to pinch

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday that former President Donald Trump’s false assertions about her race were the “same old show” as she emphasized the need for Black women to organize for his defeat this November. Addressing the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. — one of “Divine Nine” historically Black

AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has agreed to a three-year, $91 million contract extension with Cleveland, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Allen, who has become indispensable for the Cavs as well as one of the Eastern Conference’s top big men, will be guaranteed

Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — Tommy Pham started in left field for St. Louis, getting three hits and two RBIs, and Michael McGreevy pitched seven innings in his MLB debut to lift the Cardinals to a 10-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Pham returned to St. Louis on Tuesday and debuted with

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Reigning champion Florida State is the preseason pick to win the expanded Atlantic Coast Conference football race. The Seminoles received 81 of 170 first-place votes from attendees at last week’s “ACC Kickoff” preseason media days, followed by Clemson in second with 55 votes. Those two were separated by 51 points in

Associated Press The interim police chief of Houston said Wednesday that poor communication by department leaders is to blame for the continuation of a “bad” policy that allowed officers to drop more than 264,000 cases, including more than 4,000 sexual assault cases and at least two homicides. Interim Chief Larry Satterwhite told the Houston City

Associated Press/Report for America TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Crystal Ripolio had tears in her eyes as she walked the produce line at the Good News Outreach food bank in Tallahassee. It was the bags of ripe peaches that did her in. “We don’t have anything in our fridge,” Ripolio said. Ripolio and her 8-year-old daughter,

AP Sports Writer IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Recent changes made by New Orleans Saints third-year coach Dennis Allen reflect the urgency surrounding his employment situation. Training camp was moved to Southern California with an eye toward improving weather conditions and lessening outside distractions. Before that, there were staff changes highlighted by a new offensive coordinator,

Associated Press LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) — A person was killed in one of several wildfires threatening heavily populated areas of the Colorado foothills, authorities said Wednesday, as almost 100 large blazes burned across the western U.S. The death came in a fire near the town of Lyons that blackened more than two square miles (six

AP National Writer Every few years when the Olympics would roll around, the unmistakable pangs Jen Castellano knew were coming but was powerless to stop would hit. Of chalk on her hands. The beam underneath her feet. The sounds and smell of a packed gym. The intoxicating mix of frustration, determination and joy while trying

AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Andre Johnson knows his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame isn’t simply about him. As the first Houston Texan to become a member of the esteemed group, the receiver is representing so much more. “This was for the whole city of Houston. It’s for the whole organization,”

The Texas Tribune LIVINGSTON, Texas (AP) — In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, Marilyn Mayville wasn’t sure where to get help. The 72-year-old East Texan was without power and reliable cell service. Her phone was quickly running out of power. A heat wave had settled in. A nephew in Dallas eventually reached the widow

Associated Press SAN DIEGO (AP) — Arrests of migrants for illegally crossing the border to the United States from Mexico plummeted about 30% in July to a new low for Joe Biden’s presidency, U.S. authorities said, raising prospects that a temporary ban on asylum may be lifted soon. The U.S. Border Patrol continued making arrests

AP National Writer SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Jasmine Moore always loved jumping. For a while when she was a kid, she thought all those leaps, with a few twirls mixed in, might make her part of America’s Team — as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. How’s this for a backup plan: She’s on America’s team in

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A floating barrier in the Rio Grande meant to discourage migrants from trying to cross from Mexico into Texas can stay for now, a full federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a previous decision by a panel of the court. The