Associated Press stories, Page 1573
Arkansas reports new record for covid-19 hospitalizations
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas on Monday set a new record for the number of people in the state hospitalized because of covid-19 as its coronavirus surge continued. The state reported its covid-19 hospitalizations rose by 103, its biggest one-day increase, to 1,376. The state’s previous record during the pandemic for...
Florida capital schools go against Gov. Ron DeSantis, require masksVideo
MIAMI — The superintendent of the school district in Florida’s capital said Monday that he will require students to wear masks amid an increase in covid-19 hospitalizations fueled by the delta variant, defying the governor’s attempts to block schools from imposing such a mandate. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office responded by...
Coronavirus cases resurge in West Virginia as school year starts
CHARLESTON — Active coronavirus cases in West Virginia continued to resurge at an alarming rate as public school students in some counties returned Monday for the start of fall classes. The number of active cases statewide has reached at least 4,010, a startling jump since bottoming out at 882 cases...
Prosecutors offer plea deal to Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin
SANTA FE, N.M. — Federal prosecutors have offered a confidential plea agreement to Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin that might resolve misdemeanor criminal charges against him linked to the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol, according to discussions at a Monday court hearing in Washington. The county commissioner...
Michigan police cuff Black real estate agent, client at homeVideo
WYOMING, Mich. — Police in west Michigan handcuffed a real estate agent, his client and that man’s 15-year-old son after a neighbor wrongly reported that the three Black people were breaking into a home. The agent, Eric Brown, told WOOD-TV that the police response Aug. 1 in Wyoming, including two...
Time’s Up leader resigns after criticism about Cuomo ties
The leader of Time’s Up, the #MeToo-era organization devoted to fighting sexual harassment, resigned under fire Monday for advising Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration in its effort to discredit one of Cuomo’s accusers. Time’s Up said in a tweet that it agreed with Roberta Kaplan that stepping down as chair of...
London’s Tower Bridge stuck open due to a technical fault
London’s Tower Bridge was stuck with its roadway arms raised Monday afternoon, snarling traffic on both sides of the River Thames. Images of the 127-year-old drawbridge, one of several spans that connect the northern and southern parts of the British capital, show the two halves of the roadway pointing skyward...
Pentagon to require covid vaccine for all troops by Sept. 15
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will require members of the U.S. military to get the covid-19 vaccine by Sept. 15, according to a memo obtained by the Associated Press. That deadline could be pushed up if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise. “I will seek...
Jury selection starts in R. Kelly sex trafficking case
NEW YORK — After several delays, the first phase of the sex trafficking trial of R&B hitmaker R. Kelly started Monday with jury selection in New York City. U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly began questioning potential jurors about whether they can keep an open mind about Kelly two years after...
Fake covid vaccine cards online worry college officials
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — As the delta variant of the coronavirus sweeps across the United States, a growing number of colleges and universities are requiring proof of covid-19 vaccination for students to attend in-person classes. But the mandatory requirement has opened the door for those opposed to getting the...
Markie Post, TV veteran actor of ‘Night Court,’ dead at 70
Markie Post, who played the public defender in the 1980s sitcom “Night Court” and was a regular presence on television for four decades, has died. She was 70. Post’s manager, Ellen Lubin Sanitsky, said Post died Saturday in Los Angeles after a years-long battle with cancer. Post was a longtime...
Senate Dems unveil $3.5T budget for social, climate efforts
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats unveiled a budget resolution Monday that maps $3.5 trillion in spending boosts and tax breaks aimed at strengthening social and environmental programs, setting up an autumn battle over President Joe Biden’s domestic policy ambitions. The measure lays the groundwork for legislation later this year that over...
With chicken prices soaring, Sanderson Farms sold for $4.5B
Sanderson Farms, one of nation’s third largest poultry producer, is being acquired for $4.53 billion as the price of chicken soars. Cargill and privately held Continental Grain formed a joint venture to acquire Sanderson and will pay $203 per share in cash for a company that last year processed more...
Japan’s prime minister thanks people for safe Olympics during pandemic
TOKYO — Japan’s prime minister thanked people for helping the country safely hold the Olympics despite the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic. He noted the Games were delayed by a year and held under tight restrictions, but “I believe we were able to fulfill our responsibility as the host nation,”...
Fire-friendly weather to return to Northern California
Thick smoke that held down winds and temperatures began to clear Sunday from the scenic forestlands of Northern California as firefighters battling the largest single wildfire in state history braced for a return of fire-friendly weather. The winds weren’t expected to reach the ferocious speeds that helped the Dixie Fire...
Infrastructure senators brush off criticism from left, right
WASHINGTON — Often elusive, the political center is holding steady in the Senate as a coalition of Democratic and Republican senators brushes off critics to push the $1 trillion infrastructure package toward final passage. On the left, the Democrats have withstood the complaints of liberals who say the proposal falls...
‘Not normal’: Ex-Cuomo aide details groping allegations
ALBANY, N.Y. — An executive assistant who accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of groping her breast at the governor’s mansion detailed why she felt empowered to go public with her allegations Monday, as a key legislative committee is set to discuss possible impeachment hearings. Brittany Commisso, one of nearly...
‘Code red for humanity’: UN report says global warming nears limits
Earth’s climate is getting so hot that temperatures in about a decade will probably blow past a level of warming that world leaders have sought to prevent, according to a report released Monday that the United Nations called a “code red for humanity.” “It’s just guaranteed that it’s going to...
This Date in Sports History: Aug. 9
1936 — Jesse Owens becomes the first American to win four Olympic gold medals as the United States sets a world record in the 400 relay at the Berlin Games. The record time of 39.8 seconds lasts for 20 years. 1950 — Lusty Song, driven by Delvin Miller, wins the...
Senators push infrastructure bill a step closer to passageVideo
WASHINGTON — Senators hoisted the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package over another hurdle late Sunday, a coalition of Democrats and Republicans pushing it closer to passage despite a few holdouts trying to derail one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities. The rare bipartisan momentum was holding steady, a reflection of...
DA: 1 dead, 1 wounded in shopping center parking lot gunfire in Lower Nazareth Township
EASTON — One person was killed and another wounded by gunfire in the parking lot of a department store in eastern Pennsylvania, authorities said. Northampton County District Attorney Terence Houck told LehighValleyLive.com that the two were injured in a shootout between occupants of two vehicles on Sunday afternoon outside the...
Yankees covid-19 outbreak continues as Anthony Rizzo tests positiveVideo
NEW YORK — Newcomer Anthony Rizzo has become the latest Yankees player to test positive for the coronavirus. Rizzo is the fourth New York player within the past week to be sidelined by covid-19, joining starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery and catcher Gary Sanchez. Rizzo tested positive after...
Tokyo’s Pandemic Olympics produces surreal mixed bagVideo
TOKYO — It began with a virus and a yearlong pause. It ended with a typhoon blowing through and, still, a virus. In between: just about everything. The Tokyo Olympics, christened with “2020” but held in mid-2021 after being interrupted for a year by the coronavirus, glided to their conclusion...
Indianapolis locks up Darius Leonard with richest LB contract
INDIANAPOLIS — Darius Leonard always believed he was the best linebacker in football. The Indianapolis Colts made sure he gets paid like it. The two-time All-Pro agreed Sunday to a five-year contract extension worth $99.25 million that includes $52 million in guaranteed money, according to a person with knowledge of...
All-Pro CB Xavien Howard agrees to reworked contract with Dolphins
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard agreed to a restructured contract with the Miami Dolphins 12 days after he had requested a trade. The agreement allows Howard to earn up to $3.5 million in new incentives this year, with more guaranteed money in 2022. The sixth-year pro said...
