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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson disembark from their plane as they arrive for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in Kigali, Rwanda, Thursday, June 23, 2022.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson disembark from their plane as they arrive for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in Kigali, Rwanda, Thursday, June 23, 2022.

LONDON (AP) — Polls opened Thursday in Britain for two special elections that could deliver a new blow to scandal-tainted Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Wakefield in northern England and the southwestern constituency of Tiverton and Honiton are both electing replacements for Conservative lawmakers who resigned in disgrace. One was convicted of sexual assault; the other was caught looking at pornography in the House of Commons chamber — an episode he explained by saying he was searching for pictures of tractors on his phone.

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MINNEAPOLIS — With their offseason trade for Rudy Gobert, a massive extension for franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns and the projected continued ascendance of Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves could be poised for big things in years to come.

DETROIT — The Rocket is almost ready for liftoff.

Allyson Felix hasn’t run her last race after all. The most decorated sprinter in U.S. history will return to the world championships to run in the prelims of the women’s 4x400 relay this weekend. She says team officials coaxed her out of her brief retirement after she helped the mixed relay team win a bronze medal last Friday in what she had said was her last major race. At the Tokyo Olympics last year, she was on the gold-medal women’s 4x400 relay along with Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad and Athing Mu.

The Cleveland Guardians expect right-hander Aaron Civale to rejoin them in August after doctors confirmed he has a sprained ligament and inflammation in his pitching wrist. Civale was examined this week by Drs. Thomas Graham and Jason Genin. The team says he is responding well to an anti-inflammatory injection and is expected to resume throwing this week. Cleveland will have a better idea of his return date as he goes through his rehab program. Civale was injured throwing a curveball against the Chicago White Sox on July 13. He pitched just one inning in Cleveland’s 2-1 loss at home.

BALTIMORE — Defense attorney Ivan Bates has won the Democratic primary for Baltimore’s top prosecutor, defeating incumbent State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who will leave the office after two terms.

Two-time All-Star Whit Merrifield of the Kansas City Royals has apologized for what he called his “poorly articulated” comments about the COVID-19 vaccine after missing the team’s trip to Canada. Merrifield was among 10 Royals players who didn’t travel to Toronto because of their vaccination status for a four-game series against the Blue Jays before the All-Star break last week. The 33-year-old outfielder/second baseman has been a fan favorite in Kansas City. But backlash came quickly and harshly after Merrifield tried to explain his reasoning. Royals manager Mike Matheny said Merrifield has spoken to the team about his comments.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Republicans launched the latest round of California vs. Florida Friday, warning Gov. Gavin Newsom that comparing his state’s economy to Florida’s — and, by extension, his leadership to that of Gov. Ron DeSantis — is a “comparison Newsom is likely going to regret.”

The first-place New York Mets have added some much-needed punch at designated hitter, acquiring Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade for rookie reliever Colin Holderman. The burly Vogelbach is a left-handed hitter and was an All-Star in 2019 with Seattle. He was batting .228 with 12 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .769 OPS in 75 games with the struggling Pirates. New York, which began the day with a 2 1/2-game lead in the NL East over defending World Series champion Atlanta, has gotten little production at DH from J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith.

A Colorado man who had been charged in the presumed death of his missing wife has pleaded guilty to forgery for casting her 2020 election ballot for then-President Donald Trump. The Denver Post reports Barry Morphew pleaded guilty Thursday and was fined and assessed court costs of $600. He avoids  jail time as part of a plea agreement. Suzanne Morphew was reported missing on Mother’s Day 2020 after she didn't return from a bike ride near her home in the Salida area. Barry Morphew was charged in her death but prosecutors dropped their case after the judge barred them from presenting most of their key witnesses.

Brisbane 2032 Olympic officials have staged an event that not many other previous host cities have had the opportunity to celebrate: 10 years out until their Games begin. The east coast Australian city was awarded the 2032 Games a year ago after the International Olympic Committee rubber-stamped an earlier recommendation from its Executive Board.  Brisbane was the first city to be awarded a Games under the IOC's revamped procedure for choosing host cities which saw a small group of IOC members identify and propose host cities to the board. Previously Games had been awarded to both Summer and Winter Games hosts seven years out from them being held.

The Chicago White Sox have placed center fielder Luis Robert on the 10-day injured list because of blurred vision. General manager Rick Hahn says the team is “cautiously optimistic” the slugger and Gold Glove winner will be ready to return when the White Sox open a three-game series against Oakland on July 29. Chicago also reinstated catcher Yasmani Grandal prior to the opener of their four-game, three-day series against AL Central rival Cleveland. He was placed on the 10-day IL on June 13 because of lower back spasms.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said he feels well despite a cough and hoarse voice from COVID-19, as he held a videoconference with economic advisers that the White House let reporters briefly observe.

He’s throwing in the towel.

Sentencing set for 2 ex-officers who violated Floyd's civil rights

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One in five Americans believes that political violence is at least sometimes justifiable, and over half believe that the country is headed toward civil war.

CHICAGO — It’s been almost 20 days since 8-year-old boy Cooper Roberts was hospitalized after being critically wounded at the Independence Day parade shooting in Highland Park. The bullet caused injuries that left the boy paralyzed from the waist down and despite some progress, he remains in…

A judge in Virginia has denied efforts to keep documents sealed in the case against a man with alleged neo-Nazi sympathies who is accused of killing his girlfriend’s parents. Friday's ruling follows motions by The Washington Post and The Associated Press to access the records. Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Brett Kassabian said in court that his order won’t take effect for 10 days. He wants to give the defense and prosecution time to appeal. The judge is expected to issue a written ruling later. The release of the documents is expected to reveal more details from the yearslong prosecution of Nicholas Giampa. He was 17 when authorities charged him in the December 2017 killings of Scott Fricker and Buckley Kuhn-Fricker in Herndon.

Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has lost a Democratic primary to defense attorney Ivan Bates. Mosby is facing federal charges of perjury and making false statements on loan applications to purchase properties in Florida. Baltimore is heavily Democratic, and there is no Republican candidate in the race for state’s attorney. Bates is managing partner of the Baltimore law firm Bates and Garcia. He campaigned on his experience, emphasizing a need for a change in leadership and more ethical, transparent and effective prosecution. Also running in the November election is Roya Hanna, an unaffiliated candidate.

A federal judge has declared a mistrial in the case of a former Iowa state trooper who was charged with using unreasonable force against a motorcyclist. The judge declared the mistrial Friday after jurors said they couldn't reach a unanimous verdict on the charges against Robert James Smith. Smith was charged with deprivation of rights under color of law — use of unreasonable force that causes bodily injury after a 2017 traffic stop of a motorcyclist who had been speeding in eastern Iowa. Dash camera video showed Smith knocking the motorcyclist to the ground and briefly putting his knee on the motorcyclist's neck. Court records don’t indicate whether federal prosecutors will retry Smith.

The Los Angeles Rams threw the last of their lavish offseason parties so they could hand out their massive Super Bowl championship rings to their current and former players. Coach Sean McVay sees the morning after that soirée as the dividing line between the success of last season and the formidable task in front of the Rams this fall as they attempt to become the NFL’s first repeat champions in 18 years. The Rams hold their first practice at UC Irvine on Sunday. McVay and general manager Les Snead are finalizing contract extensions with the team and McVay is optimistic they'll be announced before the season starts.

Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows

Federal prosecutors say a movie producer has pleaded guilty to several counts of fraud and money laundering arising from his fraudulent promotion of two cryptocurrency investment schemes. Ryan Felton entered the plea on the fourth day of his jury trial in Atlanta on Thursday. Prosecutors say the defendant used 21st century technology to perpetrate an age-old fraud: lying to investors to steal their money and fund his own lavish lifestyle. Investigators said Felton promoted an initial coin offering in 2017 for an entertainment streaming platform called FLiK, and diverted about $2.4 million from investors. They say he also raised more than $200,000 in 2018 while promoting a second company.

Marilyn Mosby, Baltimore prosecutor who rose with Gray case and faces fraud charges, defeated by Ivan Bates in primary.

LONDON — COVID-19 infections are continuing to rise in England and have reached their highest level for three months, but the trend in the rest of the United Kingdom is uncertain, figures show.

Candidates qualified this week for Louisiana's upcoming congressional races and a U.S. Senate race. Among the candidates are incumbents for each seat. In a state that is reliably red, Democratic challengers will face a major uphill battle. One of the prominent races is for the U.S. Senate. Twelve challengers are hoping to unseat first-term GOP Sen. John Kennedy, who has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. As candidates submitted their political filings this week, Kennedy appeared undeterred, stating that he expects to raise up to $40 million during his campaign. Additionally, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, was reelected without opposition after no other candidate signed up before qualifying closed Friday.

Fire crews are working to extend and strengthen fire lines as diminished winds and higher humidity slowed the advance of North Texas wildfires. The biggest fire, the Chalk Mountain Fire, hadn't grown Friday after blackening 10 1/2 square miles. Despite 10% containment, firefighting team officials say crews continue to make progress clearing a fire line along the northern head of the fire, linking the eastern and western flanks where fire lines are completed. But the brush in the area remains tinder dry and highly flammable. Little to no fire remains of the Possum Kingdon Lake fire, but dry conditions remain highly volatile.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will miss next month’s Fancy Farm picnic for the second straight year. Beshear said in a social media post Friday that he and his wife, first lady Britainy Beshear, are visiting Israel in August. The governor said the trip will conflict with the rowdy annual political picnic in far western Kentucky, which this year falls on Aug. 6. Democrats are expected be scarce at this year’s picnic, with Republicans dominating most state and federal offices. So far, only Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker is expected to attend.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government is considering supplying Ukraine with U.S. fighter jets, communications director of the National Security Council, John Kirby, said on Friday.

The sister of a man who died hiking in the Badlands says that he was camping as part of a trip to celebrate his college graduation when he became lost and ran out of water. The Pennington County Sheriff's Office tweeted that Maxwell Right died in the park on Wednesday. Right's sister, Lucille, says her brother and a friend had broken camp in the park but got lost. Right called his parents, who called the National Park Service for help. Authorities said Thursday that Right and his friend were hiking a trail featured in a social media challenge. Lucille Right said her brother and his friend weren't taking part in any challenge. The park service didn't immediately return messages Friday.

A small plane has crashed in the ocean just off Huntington Beach during a lifeguarding competition. A Coast Guard spokesperson says the pilot was rescued after the plane went into the ocean about 30 yards from shore on Friday. He was the only person aboard. Video posted online shows the plane was towing a banner as it fell. People carrying surfboards immediately rushed toward the aircraft moments after it hit. The crash occurred during events for the 2022 California Surf Lifesaving Association Junior Lifeguard Championship. Federal Aviation Administration records show that the plane is a fixed-wing single-engine aircraft registered to Van Wagner Aerial Media, a national airplane advertising company.

Kodak Black was placed under house arrest Thursday after appearing Wednesday before Southern District of Florida Judge Jonathan Goodman via teleconference and paying bond.

Authorities say a car driving on the wrong side of a two-lane highway in East Texas early Friday collided with an SUV, killing all five people in the vehicles. The Texas Department of Public Safety says the collision happened around 5 a.m. Friday on Texas highway 110 about 6 1/2 miles northwest of Tyler and 85 miles east of Dallas. Sgt. Jason Bundy says a Dodge Charger was on the wrong side of the unlit highway and erupted into flames after rounding a curve and slamming head-on into a Chevrolet Tahoe. Gerardo Lopez, who lives nearby, told Tyler television station KLTV that he tried to extinguish a fire in the car but couldn't and that a man was screaming.

Yosemite National Park officials plan to reopen the park's south entrance at 6 a.m. Pacific time on Saturday.

A shooting at a state park in eastern Iowa early Friday morning left three people plus the suspect dead, authorities said.

Miami Marlins All-Star second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. likely will be out through the end of August. The Marlins said Friday that tests revealed Chisholm has a stress reaction in his lower back. He is expected to miss six weeks. The 24-year-old Chisholm was selected to the National League All-Star team for the first time in his career. However, he was forced to miss Tuesday’s game at Los Angeles. Chisholm has been on the injured list since June 29 with what was called a right lower back strain.

World Wrestling Entertainment impresario Vince McMahon says he is retiring. In a brief statement issued by the company Friday, McMahon said he is retiring as WWE's chairman and CEO. He noted that he remains its majority shareholder. McMahon stepped down temporarily as CEO and chairman of WWE in mid-June during an an investigation into alleged misconduct. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported McMahon agreed to pay more than $12 million over the past 16 years to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity.

Kentucky Treasurer Allison Ball has announced that she will run for state auditor next year. The Republican is finishing a second term as state treasurer. Ball said in a campaign release Friday that she has delivered on her “promise to serve as a watchdog of taxpayer dollars.” Ball says as treasurer, her office returned $142 million in unclaimed property to Kentuckians. Kentucky Auditor Mike Harmon, also finishing his second term, is running for governor next year.

CHICAGO — Filming on the Chicago set of “Justified: City Primeval” starring Timothy Olyphant has been halted until Monday after “two cars whose occupants were engaged in a gunfight smashed through the show’s barricades” earlier this week, according to reporting by Deadline.

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