Associated Press stories, Page 1442
Police: Nurse in Italy caught faking shots, ditching vaccine
ROME — Police in Italy have arrested a nurse on charges that he faked giving coronavirus vaccinations to at least 45 people so they could get a health pass fraudulently, ditching vaccines in a bin and even putting bandages on his “patients” so no one would suspect the scam. Police...
Oklahoma death row inmates offer firing squad as alternative
OKLAHOMA CITY — Two men on Oklahoma’s death row — at the prodding of a federal judge — agreed to choose execution by firing squad as a way to delay their upcoming lethal injections, one of their attorneys told the judge. The two inmates, Donald Grant and Gilbert Postelle, want...
Justice Department creating unit focused on domestic terrorism
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is establishing a specialized unit focused on domestic terrorism, the department’s top national security official told lawmakers Tuesday as he described an “elevated” threat from violent extremists in the United States. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, testifying just days after the nation observed the one-year...
How fleeting choices, circumstances doomed 17 in Bronx fire
NEW YORK — It started as just another January morning, the damp chill prompting a family on the third floor of a drafty Bronx apartment tower to run a space heater for extra warmth, as residents had done countless times before. In the moment, that decision hardly deserved a second...
Tarnished Gold: Aircraft, fuel key to illegal Amazon mining
BOA VISTA, Brazil — The scorching Amazon sun beats down as a group of agents inspect the body of a black helicopter. Nearby, in the backyard of the federal police headquarters in the city of Boa Vista, sit more than twenty aircraft — all seized. Some bear signs of violent...
Georgia finishes No. 1 in AP poll for only 2nd time
INDIANAPOLIS — Georgia is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll, earning their second national title by beating Alabama on Monday night. The Bulldogs received all 61 first-place votes to be a unanimous No. 1 for the ninth time this season. Georgia’s only other time finishing No. 1...
Bank of America slashes fees for account overdrafts
NEW YORK — Bank of America is slashing the amount it charges customers when they spend more than they have in their accounts and plans to eliminate entirely its fees for bounced checks. It’s the latest move by the nation’s biggest banks to roll back the overdraft fees they long...
U.S. announces $308 million in aid for Afghans as crisis grows
WASHINGTON — The White House has announced $308 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan, offering new aid to the country as it edges toward a humanitarian crisis since the Taliban takeover nearly five months ago. White House spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement Tuesday that the new aid...
Biden on voting rights passage: ‘I’m tired of being quiet!’Video
WASHINGTON — Pounding his fist for emphasis, President Joe Biden challenged senators on Tuesday to “stand against voter suppression,” urging them to change Senate rules in order to pass voting rights legislation that Republicans are blocking from debate and votes. Biden told a crowd in Atlanta that he’d been having...
Court won’t block entire election ‘investigation’ subpoena
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania court declined Monday to block an entire subpoena to state election officials in what Republican state lawmakers call a “forensic investigation” of 2020’s presidential election, fueled by former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that Democrats stole the election. But the statewide Commonwealth Court that issued the...
Georgia snaps 41-year title drought with win over AlabamaVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Stetson Bennett delivered the biggest throws of his storybook career and Georgia’s defense sealed the sweetest victory in program history, vanquishing rival Alabama 33-18 in the College Football Playoff title Monday night for its first national title in 41 years. Bennett connected with Adonai Mitchell on a 40-yard...
Trump attorneys cite immunity, want Jan. 6 lawsuits tossedVideo
WASHINGTON — Attorneys for former President Donald Trump and his associates argued Monday that incendiary statements by Trump and others last Jan. 6 prior to the Capitol riot were protected speech and in line with their official duties. In response to civil suits running parallel to Congress’ own Jan. 6...
Some health officials letting covid-infected staff stay on the job
Health authorities around the United States are increasingly taking the extraordinary step of allowing nurses and other workers infected with coronavirus to stay on the job if they have mild symptoms or none at all. The move is a reaction to the severe hospital staffing shortages and crushing caseloads that...
U.S. Mint begins shipping quarters honoring Maya Angelou
WASHINGTON — The United States Mint said Monday it has begun shipping quarters featuring the image of poet Maya Angelou, the first coins in its American Women Quarters Program. Angelou, an American author, poet and Civil Rights activist, rose to prominence with the publication of “I Know Why the Caged...
Injury-plagued Ravens couldn’t hold on after strong start
BALTIMORE — Lamar Jackson described his ankle problem as day to day, even though there are no more games for the Baltimore Ravens to prepare for. At least the weekly injury reports can stop now. From start to finish this season, the Ravens practiced and played under a cloud of...
North Carolina agency asked to look into shooting by deputy
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said Monday that its agents have been asked to look into a fatal shooting involving an off-duty sheriff’s deputy that sparked a local protest. A news release said Fayetteville police Chief Gina Hawkins and the Cumberland County district attorney asked the NCSBI to...
Home covid tests to be covered by insurers starting SaturdayVideo
WASHINGTON — Starting Saturday, private health insurers will be required to cover up to eight home covid-19 tests per month for people on their plans. The Biden administration announced the change Monday as it looks to lower costs and make testing for the virus more convenient amid rising frustrations. Under...
Stocks end modestly lower after recouping most of early loss
Stocks on Wall Street fell again Monday, though the market ended up bouncing nearly all the way back from an early slide led by technology companies. A broad wave of selling pulled had the S&P 500 down by 2% in the early going, but a late-afternoon burst of buying left...
U.S. hospitals letting infected staff members stay on the job
Hospitals around the U.S. are increasingly taking the extraordinary step of allowing nurses and other workers infected with the coronavirus to stay on the job if they have mild symptoms or none at all. The move is a reaction to the severe hospital staffing shortages and crushing caseloads that the...
College Football Playoff talks stall, dimming hopes of expansion before 2026
INDIANAPOLIS — College Football Playoff expansion talks remain stalled and the possibility of implementing a new format by the 2024 season dimmed Monday after three days of meetings failed to produce an agreement. “We have entrenched issues that are no closer to be resolved, ” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby...
Pilot rescued from wreckage in L.A. moments before train hitsVideo
The pilot of a small plane averted death twice in a span of minutes on Sunday, first when he crash-landed onto railroad tracks, then when Los Angeles police rescued him just before a commuter train smashed into the aircraft. Bodycam video showed the officers working furiously to disentangle the bloodied...
After regulars rest, playoff-bound Bengals prep for Raiders
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals wanted to be rested and ready for the first round of the playoffs so they didn’t play many of their key starters in the regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns. Star quarterback Joe Burrow watched Sunday’s game from home, and many starters either got a...
Hall of Fame receiver Don Maynard dead at age 86
Don Maynard, a Hall of Fame receiver who made his biggest impact catching passes from Joe Namath in the wide-open AFL, has died. He was 86. The Pro Football Hall of Fame confirmed Maynard’s death on Monday through his family. Maynard was the main target for Namath with the New...
Jaguars earn top overall selection for April’s NFL draft
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 3-14 record this season earned them the top spot in April’s NFL draft, the second consecutive year they will pick first. The tentative order of the first round, not including teams in the playoffs, was announced Monday by the NFL. Playoff results will determine where the 14...
Rare snowy owl soars over Washington, thrills crowds
A snowy owl apparently touring iconic buildings of the nation’s capital is captivating birdwatchers who manage to get a glimpse of the rare, resplendent visitor from the Arctic. Far from its summer breeding grounds in Canada, the snowy owl was first seen on January 3, the day a winter storm...
