Uncategorized

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Commercial casinos in the United States won more than $60 billion from gamblers in 2022, the best year in the industry’s history. Figures released Wednesday by the American Gaming Association, the gambling industry’s national trade group, show that in-person gambling remains the bread-and-butter of the industry, accounting for more than 80% of its revenue. Online betting provided nearly a fifth of the industry’s revenue. The […]

The chancellor at New Mexico State expressed his confidence in athletic director Mario Moccia on Wednesday, less than a week after the school’s most high-profile sports program — the men’s basketball team — was shut down for what the chancellor said was a culture of bad behavior, egregious violations of the student code of conduct and other “despicable acts.” In addition to backing Moccia, chancellor Dan Arvizu said at a […]

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil’s Federal Police on Wednesday were carrying out a court order to seize more than 2 billion reais ($384 million) related to about 13 tons of gold mined illegally in the Amazon rainforest, then exported through an unnamed U.S.-based company. Police said in a statement they were also executing 27 search warrants and three arrest warrants in seven states and the Federal District related to the […]

VIENNA (AP) — Ukraine has informed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that it won’t attend the next meeting of its parliamentary assembly if sanctioned Russian lawmakers are allowed to participate. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Vienna on Feb. 23-24, during the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, the head of the Ukrainian delegation […]

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Adam Kellogg was a nerdy 16-year-old preparing to board a flight from Kansas City to Florida for a space and science camp trip to Cape Canaveral when security held him up for 30 minutes because his driver’s license identified him as female. Three years later, the University of Kansas student’s driver’s license identifies him as male, but legislative proposals in at least eight states could prevent […]

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — The financially troubled parent company of regional sports networks that own the broadcast rights to 42 U.S. professional sports teams skipped about $140 million in interest payments due Wednesday. The missed payments by Diamond Sports Group started a 30-day grace period that could be the prelude to a bankruptcy filing, which could lead to changes in how televised games are made available to viewers. “The company […]

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Hospitals in Bolivia’s eastern Santa Cruz region struggled Wednesday to keep up with an outbreak of dengue that has killed at least 26 people. It marks the largest outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease since the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the almost 7,000 cases detected since January have been in Santa Cruz, the country’s most populous region, where two of the most lethal variants of the […]

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin says his father, Mikhail, has died at age 71. Ovechkin delivered the news Wednesday on social media along with family photos and video. “Today my father passed away,” Ovechkin posted in Russian on his Instagram account. “I thank everyone for their support but ask that you be understanding and not disturb my family at such a hard time for us! Thank you.” Ovechkin left the […]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Nevada Athletic Commission is scheduled Wednesday to discuss potential rules changes for slap fighting competitions, including those backed by the UFC, the top mixed martials arts promotion in the United States. The commission in October unanimously approved sanctioning slap fighting, in which competitors take turns forcefully slapping each other in the face. The commission, which regulates boxing and other combat sports in the state, asserted […]