Associated Press stories, Page 1609
Global covid-19 deaths hit 4 million amid rush to vaccinate
The global death toll from covid-19 eclipsed 4 million Wednesday as the crisis increasingly becomes a race between the vaccine and the highly contagious delta variant. The tally of lives lost over the past year and a half, as compiled from official sources by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal...
Study: Northwest heat wave impossible without climate change
The deadly heat wave that roasted the Pacific Northwest and western Canada was virtually impossible without human-caused climate change that added a few extra degrees to the record-smashing temperatures, a new quick scientific analysis found. An international team of 27 scientists calculated that climate change increased chances of the extreme...
Pa. man charged in attack on AP photographer, police at Capitol
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — A Pennsylvania man was arrested Wednesday on charges that he assaulted an Associated Press photographer and police officers during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Alan William Byerly, 54, was armed with what appeared to be a stun gun when he charged at officers...
Search crews give up hope of finding survivors at Miami-area condo collapse site; death toll hits 54
SURFSIDE, Fla. — Emergency workers gave up Wednesday on any hope of finding survivors in the collapsed Florida condo building, telling sobbing families that there was “no chance of life” in the rubble as crews shifted their efforts to recovering more remains. The announcement followed increasingly somber reports from emergency...
California governor kicks off $1B statewide cleanup plan
SAN FRANCISCO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday kicked off California’s $1.1 billion plan to clean trash and graffiti from highways, roads and other public spaces, an effort he said will beautify the state and create up to 11,000 jobs. “This is an unprecedented effort to acknowledge what all of...
Bucks focus on being better against Suns in Game 2 of NBA FinalsVideo
PHOENIX — At their best, the Phoenix Suns have three players who can take over a game. There’s Chris Paul and Devin Booker, breaking down defenses from the backcourt. Deandre Ayton has been a beast on the backboards and almost automatic as a shooter. When all three are rolling the...
England beats Denmark in Euro 2020 semis, reaches 1st major final since 1966Video
LONDON — England has broken through its semifinal ceiling at major soccer tournaments. A title match awaits for the first time in 55 years. Harry Kane converted the rebound after his initial penalty was saved in the 104th minute to give England a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Denmark in extra...
Golfer Angel Cabrera gets 2-year jail sentence over assault chargesVideo
BUENOS AIRES — Argentinian golfer Angel Cabrera, a former Masters and U.S. Open champion, was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in prison on assault charges against his former partner. A court in the province of Cordoba, 500 miles northwest of Buenos Aires, convicted the 51-year-old for assaulting, threatening and...
Alex Cejka seeks 3rd major at U.S. Senior Open; Ernie Els, Jim Furyk in fieldVideo
OMAHA, Neb. — Alex Cejka has had no trouble adjusting to professional golf’s 50-and-over division. The PGA Tour Champions newcomer already has wins in two senior majors and will go for a third this week in the U.S. Senior Open at Omaha Country Club. “He’s got one of the best...
Teen on life support after deadly Iowa water ride accident
IOWA CITY, Iowa — A teenager injured in an accident on an Iowa amusement ride that killed his younger brother remained on life support Wednesday as he turned 16, his family pastor said. David Jaramillo has been in a medically induced coma at Blank Children’s Hospital since Saturday’s accident on...
Amtrak plan to replace dozens of aging trains: cost $7.3B
DETROIT — Amtrak plans to spend $7.3 billion to replace 83 passenger trains, some nearly a half-century old, though much of the funding must still be approved by Congress. Amtrak said Wednesday that under the contract with German manufacturer Siemens AG, some of the trains will be hybrids, able to...
Suns forward Dario Saric out with torn ACL in right knee
PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric has a torn ACL in his right knee that he suffered during the first quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night. Saric’s right knee appeared to buckle when he landed on a jump stop while trying to score against...
White Sox dump veteran Adam Eaton to make room for Adam Engel
MINNEAPOLIS — The Chicago White Sox designated outfielder Adam Eaton for assignment Wednesday to make room for the return from the injured list of outfielder Adam Engel. The 32-year-old Eaton, in his 10th major league season, batted .201 with a career-low .642 OPS in 58 games. He had five homers...
Wout Van Aert claims Ventoux stage, Pogacar keeps yellow jersey
MALAUCENE, France — Winning the Ventoux stage at cycling’s biggest race is a rare and celebrated feat. No wonder a champion like Wout Van Aert, with multiple titles across the sport’s most prestigious events, felt like he posted his best victory ever after mastering the daunting and grueling mountain twice...
Fed officials discuss timing of reducing bond purchases
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve officials began debating at their June meeting when and how they would reduce the monthly bond purchases that they have used to keep longer-term interest rates in check. The discussions, revealed in the minutes of the Fed’s June meeting released Wednesday, indicate that the Fed is...
Sheriff: Alligator attack suspected in Florida woman’s death
VALRICO, Fla. — An alligator apparently attacked a woman whose body was found in a retention pond near Tampa, sheriff’s officials said. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies found the woman’s body in a pond Sunday night, a news release said. The family of the 29-year-old woman told WFLA-TV that she was...
8-time Wimbledon champ Roger Federer out in quarterfinals
WIMBLEDON, England — Roger Federer has been feted by plenty of ovations at Centre Court. None quite like this one, though. This was not a celebration. It felt more like a “thank you” or — just in case — a “goodbye.” The eight-time Wimbledon champion lost 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-0...
A pandemic clothing purge is on as normal life resumes in U.S.
Alina Clark is about as tired of her pandemic wardrobe as her comfort clothes are stretched and torn. “I have four sets of jeans, seven shirts and five sweaters that I wear every week,” said Clark, co-founder of a software development company in Los Angeles. “They’re everything I’ve worn in...
State Sen. Doug Mastriano opens Pennsylvania election audit plan
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania state lawmaker and ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump is launching a “forensic investigation” of the state’s 2020 presidential election, demanding cooperation from counties and mimicking a widely criticized partisan effort in Arizona. Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, issued letters to three counties Wednesday, giving officials...
Virginia removes segregationist’s statue from Capitol Square
RICHMOND, Va. — Workers removed a statue of Harry F. Byrd Sr., a former Virginia governor, U.S. senator and staunch segregationist, from the state’s Capitol Square on Wednesday morning. A crane hoisted the larger-than-life statue off its pedestal and workers then strapped it to a truck to be hauled into...
Colby would be official Wisconsin cheese under bill
MADISON, Wis. — In cheese-obsessed Wisconsin, which proudly touts itself as America’s Dairyland, the dairy cow is the official domestic animal, milk is the official state beverage and cheese is the official dairy product. But believe it or not, in a state that produces more cheese than any other at...
Chinese social media giant WeChat shuts LGBT accounts
China’s most popular social media service has deleted accounts on LGBT topics run by university students and nongovernment groups, prompting concern the ruling Communist Party is tightening control over gay and lesbian content. WeChat sent account holders a notice they violated rules but gave no details, according to the founder...
Texas governor revives GOP’s thwarted new voting laws
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday revived the GOP’s thwarted efforts to pass new voting laws in America’s biggest red state after Democrats temporarily derailed a restrictive bill with a late-night walkout in the state Capitol in May. As expected, Abbott made new election laws one of...
Patio furniture shortage tells U.S. economic tale
COCKEYSVILLE, Maryland — People used to go to Valley View Farms to buy five tomato plants and end up with $5,000 in patio furniture. This year is different. After a record burst of sales in March, the showroom floor is almost empty of outdoor chairs, tables and chaises for people...
Trump files suit against Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump has filed suit against three of the country’s biggest tech companies, claiming he and other conservatives have been wrongfully censored. Trump announced the action against Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube, along with the companies’ CEOs, at a press conference Wednesday in New Jersey. He...
