Kalinina rallies to end Wozniacki’s Miami Open early; Haddad Maia also overcomes slow start

MIAMI GARDENS — Anhelina Kalinina was down and almost out Thursday with former top-ranked player Caroline Wozniacki one point away from winning in straight sets at the Miami Open. But the Ukrainian saved that match point and won the last five games of the second set before taking the third in a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 victory in the second round. Wozniacki, who won the Australian in 2018 and retired from tennis at the same tournament two years later, returned to the sport last year. She had two... Read More

Vice President Harris, rapper Fat Joe team up for discussion on easing marijuana penalties

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and rapper Fat Joe led a White House discussion Friday on easing marijuana penalties, with Harris saying it’s “absurd” that the federal government classifies marijuana as more dangerous than fentanyl, the synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of deaths annually the United States. Harris, a former state prosecutor in California, also criticized the federal classification of cannabis as... Read More

Republicans push back on new federal court policy aimed at ‘judge shopping’ in national cases

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans took aim Thursday at a new federal courts policy trying to curb “judge shopping,” a practice that gained national attention in a major abortion medication case. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke out against it on the Senate floor and joined with two other GOP senators to send letters to a dozen chief judges around the country suggesting they don’t have to follow it. The courts’ policy calls for cases... Read More

Florida primary could reveal any lingering anti-Trump feeling among Republicans

The Republican presidential primary in Florida on Tuesday could reveal the strength of the GOP protest vote against former President Donald Trump, and it could also hurt Democrats in municipal elections since their party isn’t participating. “If Trump has a relatively weak performance in Florida, that could make Democrats prioritize Florida a bit more … and keep investing there on the Democratic side,” said J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the... Read More

Hunter Biden gun case could go to trial as soon as June — if judge refuses motions to dismiss

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden could face trial in Delaware on federal firearms charges as soon as June, in the midst of his father’s reelection campaign. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika set the tentative date during a short telephonic hearing Wednesday, though she is still weighing several defense motions to toss out the case against the president’s son that could yet derail any potential trial. The trial is slated to begin June 3 and... Read More

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering Aaron Rodgers or Jesse Ventura for a 2024 running mate

By JONATHAN J. COOPER (Associated Press) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is having conversations with vice presidential candidates as he gets closer to announcing his running mate for his independent presidential bid. Kennedy told The New York Times that NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura are at the top of his list. Stefanie Spear, a campaign spokesperson, confirmed the Times report and said there are other names on Kennedy’s short list. Kennedy, a scion of one of... Read More

OpenAI has ‘full confidence’ in CEO Sam Altman after investigation, reinstates him to board

By MATT O’BRIEN and HALELUYA HADERO (AP Business Writers) OpenAI is reinstating CEO Sam Altman to its board of directors and said it has “full confidence” in his leadership after an outside investigation into the turmoil that led the company to abruptly fire and rehire him in November. OpenAI said the investigation by the law firm WilmerHale concluded that Altman’s ouster was a “consequence of a breakdown in the relationship and loss of trust” between Altman and the prior... Read More

Earth Wind & Fire ‘alumni’ band promoter says he’ll wait for judge’s ruling before changing act name

Despite a federal judge’s ruling that an “alumni” band infringed on Earth Wind & Fire’s trademark, the promoter behind the “legacy reunion” act says he’ll wait for a future ruling before deciding on a name change. Richard Smith, founder of Substantial Music Group, lost a year-long copyright infringement battle when U.S. District Judge Frederick A. Moreno on Monday filed his ruling supporting Earth Wind & Fire’s claim that promotions for an act comprised of former... Read More

Tinder, Hinge and other dating apps encourage ‘compulsive’ use, lawsuit claims

By BARBARA ORTUTAY (AP Technology Writer) Stuck in dating app loop with no date in sight? A lawsuit filed Wednesday against Match Group claims that is by design. Tinder, Hinge and other Match dating apps are filled with addictive features that encourage “compulsive” use, the proposed class-action lawsuit claims. The lawsuit filed in federal court in the Northern District of California on Wednesday — Valentine’s Day — says Match intentionally designs its dating platforms with... Read More

Illegal border crossings from Mexico plunge after a record-high December, with fewer from Venezuela

By REBECCA SANTANA and ELLIOT SPAGAT (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Arrests for illegal crossings on the U.S. border with Mexico fell by half in January from record highs in December to the third lowest month of Joe Biden’s presidency, authorities said Tuesday. The sharp drop is welcome news for the White House, even if it proves temporary, as immigration becomes one of the biggest issues in this year’s presidential election, with exit polls showing it is the top concern among... Read More