Associated Press stories, Page 1363

HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania judge who recently conducted a hearing on more than a dozen competing proposals for a redrawn map of the state’s congressional districts told the state Supreme Court on Tuesday her decision will be ready in a few days — if they do not yank the case...

WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin declared Tuesday that President Biden’s vast social and environment bill is “dead,” using his strongest language to date to underscore that any revival of Democrats’ top domestic priorities would have to arise from negotiations that are now moribund. The remarks by the West Virginia Democrat...

WASHINGTON — The number of U.S. traffic deaths surged in the first nine months of 2021 to 31,720, the government reported Tuesday, keeping up a record pace of increased dangerous driving during the coronavirus pandemic. The estimated figure of people dying in motor vehicle crashes from January to September 2021...

NEW YORK — Whoopi Goldberg expressed regret Tuesday for saying on “The View” a day earlier that race was not a factor in the Holocaust, saying she was “deeply, deeply grateful” for getting an education on the topic. “The View” brought on Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League and...

“What the Fireflies Knew” by Kai Harris (Tiny Reparations Books) One of the joys of reviewing books is reading things you otherwise never would. So let me disclose up front that I chose this book because the title sounded cool. I didn’t know what it was about, didn’t know it...

Electric vehicles driving in Detroit could increase their charge by using an in-road charging system by 2023, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office announced Tuesday. In 2021, Whitmer announced the state’s plan to build the first electric vehicle charging road in the U.S. The contract to build it was awarded to...

Easter has lilies. Thanksgiving has gourds. Christmas has poinsettias. And Valentine’s Day should have amaryllis. For the uninitiated, amaryllises are big bulbs that can produce among the biggest and showiest flowers a gardener can grow indoors (maybe outdoors too). Best of all, water and a bit of light is all...

In the coldest months, we all look for bright spots, and football fans this winter have had plenty. The Super Bowl (on Feb. 13) is always a dead-of-winter highlight. And while gatherings might be smaller than in pre-pandemic years, we can still pull out the stops with snacks and food....

If you are Black or Hispanic in a conservative state that already limits access to abortions, you are far more likely than a white woman to have one. And if the U.S. Supreme Court allows states to further restrict or even ban abortions, minority women will bear the brunt of...

Alpine skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin was paying attention when gymnastics superstar Simone Biles opened up about being burdened by “the weight of the world” and sat out a string of finals at the Tokyo Olympics six months ago. Shiffrin was listening, too, when swimming superstar Caeleb Dressel revealed, after finishing...

The transfer portal remains packed as college football’s second signing period arrives, a glut that has the sports’ leaders pondering ways to clean up a roster management mess. According to Rivals.com, about 48% of the more than 1,250 scholarship players from Division I’s Bowl Subdivision who have entered the portal...

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has said it will not reopen the federal investigation into the 2014 death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot to death by Cleveland police, notifying Tamir’s mother after she had participated in a federal training event for state prosecutors on investigating police misconduct cases....

NEW YORK — Michael Avenatti said Tuesday that he will not testify at his trial on charges that he cheated porn actor Stormy Daniels out of nearly $300,000 in book proceeds. Avenatti announced his decision in Manhattan federal court after telling Judge Jesse M. Furman he had no witnesses in...

A rain-weakened hillside collapsed in Ecuador’s capital, sweeping over homes and a sports field and killing at least 22 people, city officials said Tuesday. The Quito Security Department also said 32 people were injured and eight houses had collapsed, while others were damaged. Neighbors had joined rescue workers in hunting...

TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady walked away from the NFL on his own terms, still at the top of his game. Brady, the most successful quarterback in league history and one of the greatest champions in professional sports, officially retired after winning seven Super Bowls and setting numerous passing records...

WACO, Texas — James Akinjo scored 25 points and Matthew Mayer came up big with all nine of his points late for eighth-ranked Baylor. West Virginia had to get through the final minutes without standout guard Taz Sherman. Mayer didn’t score until his tiebreaking layup with 3:27 left put the...

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — An uncontrolled fire raging at a North Carolina fertilizer plant forced the evacuations of thousands of people as firefighters warned early Tuesday that chemicals at the site could cause a large explosion. Authorities drove through neighborhoods and knocked on doors asking residents to leave within a one-mile...

HARRISBURG — Cash is pouring in to Pennsylvania’s hotly contested race for U.S. Senate, as wealthy and well-connected candidates moved in from out of state, followed by millions of dollars going into TV ads and super PACs. Filings posted online by the Federal Election Commission before Monday night’s deadline showed...

WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators are urging drugmaker Pfizer to apply for emergency authorization for a two-dose regimen of its covid-19 vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old while awaiting data on a three-dose course, aiming to clear the way for the shots as soon as late February, a...