Associated Press stories, Page 1569
Limited production close for Lordstown, future still hazy
Lordstown Motors expects to begin limited production of its electric pickup truck next month, yet the future of the Ohio start-up remains hazy. In addition to this week’s announcement that the company, based just outside of Youngstown, aims to begin production in September, Executive Chairwoman Angela Strand said Lordstown also...
Biden eyes tougher vaccine rules without provoking backlash
WASHINGTON — When the pace of vaccinations in the U.S. first began to slow, President Joe Biden backed incentives like million-dollar cash lotteries if that’s what it took to get shots in arms. But as new coronavirus infections soar, he’s testing a tougher approach. In just the past two weeks,...
Youth movement for Little League World Series broadcasters
ESPN will be using young broadcasters as part of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The first of two KidsCast presentations will be the MLB Little League Classic between the Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Indians on Aug. 22. The ESPN2 broadcast will complement the main feed on...
Biden made ‘Obamacare’ cheaper, now sign-up deadline is here
With the Obama health care law undergoing a revival under President Joe Biden, this Sunday is the deadline for consumers to take advantage of a special sign-up period for private coverage made more affordable by his covid-19 relief law. A strong close would bolster Biden’s case that Congress needs to...
U.S. stocks eke out gains, leaving S&P 500 higher for the week
Stocks managed to eke out tiny gains after another day of wobbly trading, leaving the S&P 500 higher for the second week in a row. The benchmark index added 0.2% Friday, its fourth straight gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq edged up less than 0.1%. Small-company stocks...
Man kills 5, himself in UK’s first mass shooting in decade
Police investigating Britain’s first mass shooting in more than a decade — which left six dead, including the gunman — said Friday the motive was unclear but there were no immediate signs that the crime was an act of terrorism, or connected to right-wing groups. Police identified the shooter as...
Moderate Democrats demand quick passage of infrastructure bill
Moderate House Democrats say they would sink a crucial fiscal blueprint outlining $3.5 trillion in social and environment spending unless a separate infrastructure bill is approved first, a new complication for the divided party’s drive to enact President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda. The centrists’ threat directly defies House Speaker Nancy...
27 people aboard Carnival cruise test positive for covid-19
Twenty-seven people aboard a Carnival cruise tested positive for covid-19 just before the ship made a stop in Belize City this week, according to the Belize Tourism Board. The positive cases were among 26 crew members and one passenger on the Carnival Vista, which is carrying over 1,400 crew and...
Census data sets up redistricting fight over growing suburbs
The once-a-decade battle over redistricting is set to be a showdown over the suburbs, as new census data showed rapid growth around some of the nation’s largest cities and shrinking population in many rural counties. From Texas to Florida, some of the biggest gains reported Thursday came in states where...
U.S. sending 3,000 troops for partial Afghan embassy evacuation
WASHINGTON — Just weeks before the U.S. is scheduled to end its war in Afghanistan, the Biden administration is rushing 3,000 fresh troops to the Kabul airport to help with a partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy. The move highlights the stunning speed of a Taliban takeover of much of...
White Sox walk off Yankees in Field of Dreams game
DYERSVILLE, Iowa — Tim Anderson hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning into the cornfield to end the Field of Dreams game in cinematic fashion, as the Chicago White Sox outslugged the New York Yankees 9-8 Thursday night in the first Major League Baseball game in Iowa. Anderson, who...
Extra covid vaccine OK’d for those with weak immune systems
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators on Thursday said transplant recipients and others with weakened immune systems can get an extra dose of the covid-19 vaccine to better protect them as the delta variant continues to surge. The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration applies to millions of Americans who are...
Baylor infractions decision comes amid scrutiny of NCAA roleVideo
The NCAA infractions committee’s decision against punishing Baylor for its mishandling of sexual assault allegations in a sprawling scandal involving football players was jarring — even to the committee. Joel Maturi, the chief hearing officer and a member of the committee for eight years, said the case was troubling for...
Pac-12: Covid-19 issues can result in forfeits this seasonVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — Pac-12 teams that cannot play because of covid-19 issues will likely be forced to forfeit games this season. The conference announced Thursday it is reinstituting its forfeiture policy after it modified its rules last season because of the pandemic. Last season, a game that could not be...
Supreme Court justice won’t block Indiana University vaccine mandate
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Thursday refused to block a plan by Indiana University to require students and employees to get vaccinated against covid-19. Barrett’s action came in response to an emergency request from eight students, and it marked the first time the high court has...
Britney Spears’ father to step down from conservatorship
LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears’ father agreed Thursday to step down from the conservatorship that has controlled her life and money for 13 years, according to reports. Several outlets including celebrity website TMZ and CNN reported that James Spears filed legal documents saying that while there are no grounds for...
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul failed to disclose wife’s stock in company behind covid treatment
WASHINGTON — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul waited more than a year to disclose that his wife purchased stock in a company that makes a covid-19 treatment, an investment made after Congress was briefed on the threat of the virus but before the public was largely aware of its danger. The...
Mormon leaders urge members to mask up, get covid-19 vaccine
SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints renewed its prior calls to members to get a covid-19 vaccine and to wear face masks in public gatherings Thursday. Church leaders said in a statement that available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective and...
Census shows U.S. is diversifying, white population shrinking
The United States became more diverse and more urban over the past decade, and the white population dropped for the first time on record, the Census Bureau said Thursday as it released a trove of demographic data that will be used to redraw the nation’s political maps. The new figures...
Cubs release former ace Jake Arrieta after rough return to teamVideo
CHICAGO — Jake Arrieta, who won a Cy Young Award and helped the Chicago Cubs capture a drought-busting World Series championship in his first stint with the club, was released Thursday after struggling in his second go-round. Arrieta was informed Wednesday after getting tagged for eight runs in a 10-0...
OxyContin-maker Purdue goes to judge to confirm settlement
NEW YORK — Purdue Pharma’s quest to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of OxyContin and its other prescription opioid painkillers entered its final phase Thursday with the grudging support of many of those who have claims against the company. Nearly two years after seeking bankruptcy protection, the company...
U.S. jobless claims near pandemic low
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell for a third straight time last week, the latest sign that employers are laying off fewer people as they struggle to fill a record number of open jobs and meet a surge in consumer demand. Thursday’s report from the Labor...
State prison guards union warns Wolf of legal action over vaccine mandate
HARRISBURG — The union that represents about 10,000 guards in Pennsylvania’s state prisons told Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday it plans legal action to stop his effort to force them to get covid-19 vaccines over the next month. The president of the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association sent a letter...
Senate panel interviews former U.S. attorney in Trump probe
WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee met privately Wednesday with a former U.S. attorney in Georgia who resigned in January as then-President Donald Trump waged a pressure campaign on state and federal officials to overturn his presidential defeat — part of a larger probe into Trump’s actions after the November...
Warrants served to Texas Democrats, but holdout continues
AUSTIN, Texas — Officers of the Texas House of Representatives delivered civil arrest warrants for more than 50 absent Democrats on Wednesday as frustrated Republicans ratcheted up efforts to end a standoff over a sweeping elections bill that stretched into its 31st day. But after sergeants-at-arms finished making the rounds...
