Associated Press stories, Page 1553
Stocks end with miniscule gains, enough to nudge Nasdaq to record
Stocks inched mostly higher on Wednesday, enough to nudge the Nasdaq composite index to an all-time high. Markets continue to remain quiet ahead of Friday’s jobs report and the Labor Day holiday in the United States on Monday. The S&P 500 index rose 1.41 points, less than 0.1%, to close...
France starts covid-19 booster shot campaign for the elderly
PARIS — France on Wednesday started administering booster shots of covid-19 vaccine to people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions as the delta variant spreads in the country. France is the first big EU country to introduce widespread booster shots, and several other European countries are expected to...
Post-Trump, Ukraine’s leader to push Biden for U.S. support
WASHINGTON — The Ukrainian leader who found himself ensnarled in Donald Trump’s first impeachment is in Washington on Wednesday to see a new U.S. president, seeking increased military aid and backing for his country’s bid for NATO membership. The White House says the meeting between President Joe Biden and President...
NFLPA investigating Urban Meyer’s comments on vaccine status
The NFL Players Association has launched an investigation following Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer’s admission that vaccination status factored into the team’s roster decisions. NFLPA spokesman George Atallah confirmed the union’s action in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday night, hours after Meyer told reporters: “Everyone was considered....
Alicia Keys adapts ‘Girl On Fire’ into young adult novel
For Alicia Keys, “Girl On Fire” isn’t just a million-selling single, but the title and inspiration for a young adult graphic novel scheduled for next year. HarperCollins Publishers announced Tuesday that “Girl On Fire,” the story of 14-year-old Lolo Wright and her telekinetic powers, will come out March 1. The...
This date in sports history: Sept. 1Video
1923 — The United States wins its fourth consecutive Davis Cup by beating Australia, 4-1. 1946 — Patty Berg wins the U.S. Women’s Open golf title by beating Betty Jameson in the final round. 1971 — John Newcombe becomes the first top-seeded man to lose in the first round of...
Texas 6-week abortion ban takes effect, with high court mum
A Texas law banning most abortions in the state took effect at midnight, but the Supreme Court has yet to act on an emergency appeal to put the law on hold. If allowed to remain in force, the law would be the most dramatic restriction on abortion rights in the...
Vatican exonerates Brooklyn Bishop accused of sexual abuse
NEW YORK — The Vatican has concluded that allegations of sexual abuse dating back a half century against the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn do “not have the semblance of truth,” but an attorney for the accusers said they will continue to pursue their civil cases. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the...
Novak Djokovic far from perfect, still wins in 1st round of U.S. OpenVideo
NEW YORK — If the last-name chorus of “Ruuuuuune!” in support of his relatively unknown teenage opponent at the U.S. Open bothered Novak Djokovic, he never let anyone know. Nor was there any visible evidence Djokovic was shaken by the shaky patches he went through while dropping a set Tuesday...
As Florida mask fight rages, more children being hospitalizedVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Pediatricians from several Florida hospitals all had the same message Tuesday: the covid-19 delta variant is infecting more children than previous strains, putting more in the hospital and until it abates, schools should require masks in the classroom — an assertion Gov. Ron DeSantis disputes as...
House committee asks companies to save Jan. 6 phone, computer records
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is asking social media and telecommunications companies to preserve phone or computer records for hundreds of people who were potentially involved with efforts to “challenge, delay or interfere” with the certification that day of President Joe...
No resolution to Deshaun Watson dilemma as he stays on Texans rosterVideo
HOUSTON — Quarterback Deshaun Watson remained on the active roster Tuesday as the Houston Texans made cuts to reduce their roster to 53 players. Watson’s future with the team is in question after 22 women filed lawsuits alleging he sexually assaulted or harassed them. Houston police and the NFL are...
Cardinals place former Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler on reserve/retired listVideo
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals placed cornerback Malcolm Butler on the reserve/retired list on Tuesday, potentially signaling the end of his seven-year career. NFL Network reported Monday that Butler was mulling retirement because of a “personal situation.” The 31-year-old Butler signed a $6 million, one-year deal with the Cardinals...
Texas Legislature sends broad GOP elections bill to governor
AUSTIN — The GOP-controlled Texas Legislature passed a broad overhaul of the state’s election laws Tuesday, tightening already strict voting rules and dealing a bruising defeat to Democrats after a monthslong, bitter fight over voting rights. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said he will sign the bill, the latest in a...
Doug Ferguson: Soft courses, low scores and the PGA Tour’s need for more varietyVideo
ATLANTA — Kevin Kisner was one spot out of the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings going into the tournament that determines who makes it to Tour Championship at East Lake. All it took was one shot for him to realize it probably wasn’t going to be him. “The...
WVU QB Jarret Doege ready to put rough 2020 season in pastVideo
West Virginia’s Jarret Doege knew he had some work to do after a poor finish to the 2020 season. The quarterback needed the offseason to improve in several areas, among them awareness in the pocket, arm strength, footwork and foot speed. He also reduced his body fat. With that effort...
Heavy rain from Ida forces Bonnaroo music fest to cancel
NASHVILLE — Heavy rain from Hurricane Ida have forced Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee to cancel as organizers say the waterlogged festival grounds are unsafe for driving or camping. The annual festival was scheduled to start Thursday on the site of a former farm in Manchester, about an...
‘AntiVaxMomma’ accused of selling bogus vaccination cards
NEW YORK — A New Jersey woman calling herself the AntiVaxMomma on Instagram sold several hundred fake covid-19 vaccination cards at $200 a pop to New York City-area jab dodgers, including people working in hospitals and nursing homes, prosecutors said Tuesday. For an extra $250, a second scammer would then...
S&P 500 ends August higher, its 7th straight monthly gain
A wobbly day on Wall Street ended Tuesday with major indexes slipping just below recent record highs, but the S&P 500 closed out August solidly in the green with its seventh straight monthly gain. Investors are busy trying to figure out just how much of an impact rising covid-19 cases...
Ida’s sweltering aftermath: No power, no water, no gasolineVideo
NEW ORLEANS — Hundreds of thousands of Louisianans sweltered in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida on Tuesday with no electricity, no tap water, precious little gasoline and no clear idea of when things might improve. Long lines that wrapped around the block formed at the few gas stations that had...
President Biden praises airlift, defends departure from ‘forever war’Video
WASHINGTON — Addressing the nation, a defensive President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the U.S. military airlift to extract more than 120,000 Afghans, Americans and other allies to end a 20 year war an “extraordinary success,” though more than 100 Americans and thousands of Afghans looking to leave remain. Twenty-four...
Report: Louisiana man attacked by alligator in Ida’s floodwaters
SLIDELL, La. — A man had his arm ripped off by a large alligator while walking through floodwaters from Hurricane Ida and is now missing, a Louisiana sheriff said. The 71-year-old man’s wife told sheriff’s deputies that she heard a commotion around noon on Monday, then walked outside to see...
Big Ten wastes no time getting down to business with openers
There will be no easing into the season for most Big Ten teams. Four conference games — and good ones, too — are on the schedule in Week 1. A fifth was played in Week Zero. The usual games against Group of Five or FCS opponents will come just a...
Báez, Lindor apologize for thumbs-down jab at Mets fans
NEW YORK — Javier Báez and Francisco Lindor have apologized to Mets fans after Báez revealed that a thumbs-down celebration gesture adopted by players was in part a dig at New York fans who have booed the underperforming ballclub. Báez and Lindor took turns saying they were sorry less than...
Victorious Taliban focus on governing after U.S. withdrawal
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban reveled in their victory after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, reiterating their pledge Tuesday to bring peace and security to the country after decades of war. Their anxious citizens, meanwhile, are waiting to see what the new order looks like. Having humbled the world’s most...
