By Associated Press
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — An Ecuadorian presidential candidate known for speaking up against corruption was shot and killed Wednesday at a political rally in the capital, an attack that comes amid a wave of startling violence in the South American country.
President Guillermo Lasso confirmed the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio and suggested organized crime was behind his slaying. Villavicencio was one of eight candidates in the Aug. 20 presidential vote, though not the frontrunner.
“I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished,” Lasso said in a statement. “Organized...
Revenue is up for Walt Disney Co.’s theme parks globally, but down at Walt Disney World, according to third-quarter financial results released by the company Wednesday.
CEO Robert Iger pointed to a flattening of attendance after the end of Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration and other contributors for the dip.
“Also, as post-COVID pent-up demand continues to level off in Florida, local tax data shows evidence of some softening in several major Florida tourism markets, and the strong dollar is expected to continue tamping down international visitation to the state,” Iger said.
The company...
By JULIE CARR SMYTH and SAMANTHA HENDRICKSON (Associated Press)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio voters on Tuesday resoundingly rejected a Republican-backed measure that would have made it more difficult to change the state’s constitution, setting up a fall campaign that will become the nation’s latest referendum on abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned nationwide protections last year.
The defeat of Issue 1 keeps in place a simple majority threshold for passing future constitutional amendments. It would have raised that to a 60% supermajority, which supporters said would protect...
By MITCH STACY
CINCINNATI — Jorge Soler hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Miami Marlins rallied for a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds in a matchup of NL wild-card contenders on Tuesday night.
Soler connected on a four-seam fastball from reliever Lucas Sims (3-3), sending it just out of the reach of leaping center fielder TJ Friedl. The Marlins held on to snap a five-game skid and move within one-half game of the Reds for the final wild-card spot. Cincinnati has lost seven of eight.
Miami starter Braxton Garrett (6-3) gave up two runs and six hits in six innings with three strikeouts.
Pinch-hitter...
An effort by the Broward School Board to honor its diverse communities over the next year turned into more of a feud than a celebration Tuesday.
In past years, resolutions recognizing certain events or groups have passed with little notice. But this year, resolutions to support the LGBTQ community and the instruction of African American history fueled the same angry culture war debates that have become increasingly common statewide.
By the time the 3½-hour discussion was over, the left-leaning majority on the School Board prevailed in passing 98 resolutions, including three in support of the...
By ASHRAF KHALIL and JEFFREY COLLINS (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of U.S. flights were canceled or delayed, and more than 1.1 million homes and businesses lost power Monday as destructively strong storms, including potential tornadoes, hail and lightning, moved through the eastern U.S.
Rain began falling in the Washington area shortly after 5 p.m., and the skies gradually turned an ominous dark gray, a precursor to the severe weather and mass power outages that were predicted.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for the greater D.C. area, lasting until 9 p.m.,...
UCF continues to build on one of its best recruiting classes in program history with the verbal commitment of Texas running back Frankie Arthur Monday.
The Oak Ridge (Texas) High product is the 15th player to pledge to the Knights’ 2024 class.
All verbal commitments are non-binding but can become official during the early signing period in December.
Arthur is the No. 111 overall player in the class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, and the fifth-best running back in the country. His commitment, along with that of Stacy Gage (23), gives UCF two top-25 running backs in their 2024 class.
UCF...
By JEFF WALLNER
CINCINNATI — Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Joey Votto homered on consecutive pitches by Eury Pérez in the fourth inning, and the Cincinnati Reds stopped a six-game slide by holding off the Miami Marlins for a 5-2 victory on Monday night.
TJ Friedl had two hits and two RBIs as Cincinnati improved to 10-14 since the All-Star break. The six-game slide matched the season high for the Reds (60-55), who remain in the thick of the playoff race.
“We’ve got less than two months to go,” Votto said. “Everybody is going to contribute. We’re going to need everybody to contribute. I’d like...
In the past week, the future of college athletics changed in a quick and dramatic direction.
Pac-12 members Oregon and Washington announced their plans to join the Big Ten next year while Arizona, Utah and Arizona State finalized their move with Colorado to the Big 12 Conference.
For UCF coach Gus Malzahn, it was just another week of football practice.
“I’m coaching my team,” Malzahn said Sunday when asked about the recent additions to the Big 12. “You wake up and there’s something new.”
It’s unclear what the future holds for the remaining Pac-12 schools — Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford...
By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP Sports Writer)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The United States played its best game of this Women’s World Cup and it wasn’t good enough to stop the two-time reigning champions from being eliminated in the round of 16.
The Americans’ bid to win an unprecedented third consecutive title ended Sunday on penalty kicks. It is the earliest exit in tournament history for the United States, four-time winners of the World Cup.
Megan Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelley O’Hara missed with kicks from the penalty spot before Lina Hurtig converted to clinch the shootout 5-4 as Sweden knocked...