Associated Press stories, Page 1624
House votes to protect abortion rights amid state challenges
The House passed legislation Friday that would guarantee a woman’s right to an abortion, an effort by Democrats to circumvent a new Texas law that has placed that access under threat. The bill’s 218-211 approval is mostly symbolic, as Republican opposition will doom it in the Senate. Still, Democrats say...
CDC: Studies show masks lessen school outbreaks
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention data from the new K-12 school year bolster the agency’s recommendation for masks in schools and in-person classes. One study in two Arizona counties found coronavirus outbreaks were almost four times more common at public schools without mask mandates on the first day...
Biden hosts Indo-Pacific leaders as China concerns grow
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday is meeting with leaders of an Indo-Pacific alliance known as “the Quad” as he wraps up a difficult week of diplomacy in which he faced criticism from both allies and adversaries. The White House meeting with leaders from India, Japan and Australia gives...
Officials: All migrants are gone from Texas border camp
DEL RIO, Texas — No migrants remained Friday at the Texas border encampment where almost 15,000 people — most of them Haitians — had converged just days earlier seeking asylum, local and federal officials said. It’s a dramatic change from last Saturday, when the number peaked as migrants driven by...
New homes sales rise for 2nd straight month in August
Sales of new homes in the U.S. rose modestly in August as rising prices continue to sideline potential buyers. Sales of new homes last month rose 1.5%, the Commerce Department reported Friday, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 740,000. That’s more than economists had expected and follows an increase...
Former ABC News executive says Chris Cuomo harassed her
NEW YORK — A veteran TV news executive says CNN anchor Chris Cuomo sexually harassed her by squeezing her buttocks at a party in 2005. Shelley Ross said in an opinion piece in The New York Times on Friday that Chris Cuomo, who had formerly reported to her at ABC...
China says all crypto transactions illegal; Bitcoin tumbles
China’s central bank on Friday declared all transactions involving Bitcoin and other virtual currencies illegal, stepping up a campaign to block use of unofficial digital money. Friday’s notice complained Bitcoin, Ethereum and other digital currencies disrupt the financial system and are used in money-laundering and other crimes. “Virtual currency derivative...
Sam Darnold, defense lead Panthers past Texans; McCaffrey hurt
HOUSTON — Thanks to another efficient performance from Sam Darnold and continued dominant play by their defense, the Carolina Panthers are 3-0 for the first time since 2015, when they reached the Super Bowl. That combination was certainly too much for the Houston Texans in Carolina’s 24-9 victory on Thursday...
Stocks on Wall Street waver, clinging to gains for the week
Stocks are wavering between small gains and losses on Wall Street Friday, and are still barely higher for the week. The weak showing follows a two-day rally that helped erase a slump earlier in the week. Investors have been facing similar choppiness throughout September as they try to gauge how...
N.Y. hospitals fear staff shortage as vaccine deadline looms
NEW YORK — Hospitals and nursing homes in New York are bracing for the possibility that a statewide covid-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers could lead to staff shortages when it takes effect Monday. Doctors and nurses — and also support staff, like food service workers and cleaners —...
U.S. special envoy to Haiti resigns over migrant expulsions
The Biden administration’s special envoy to Haiti resigned in protest of “inhumane” large-scale expulsions of Haitian migrants to their homeland as it is wracked by civil strife and natural disaster, U.S. officials said Thursday. Daniel Foote was appointed to the position only in July, following the assassination of Haiti’s President...
CDC director expands group eligible for covid-19 booster shot
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans, opening a major new phase in the U.S vaccination drive against covid-19. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on a series of recommendations from a panel of advisers late...
West Virginia faces huge test against No. 4 Oklahoma, QB Spencer Rattler
NORMAN, Okla. — It wasn’t pretty, but No. 4 Oklahoma manage to escape its nonconference slate unscathed. Though the Sooners barely squeaked out victories over Tulane and Nebraska that were supposed to be blowout wins, their goal of a national title remains reachable. Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler doesn’t care about...
Vatican Museums, Uffizi team up to confirm a Raphael is real
VATICAN CITY — Two of the world’s most important art museums, the Vatican Museums and the Uffizi Galleries, joined forces for the first time on Friday to inaugurate a small exhibit of rarely seen works by two Renaissance masters that confirmed a painting long suspected of being by Raphael was...
Time to get Kraken: Seattle opens 1st NHL training campVideo
SEATTLE — It didn’t take long for Mark Giordano to get years of seeing red out of his system. The longtime Calgary Flames defenseman didn’t even flinch Thursday while pulling on the jersey of a different team for the first time in his career. Give an assist to his wife...
No. 6 Penn State impressed with in-state FCS opponent VillanovaVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State coach James Franklin began the week by rattling off a list of upsets. Franklin cited 13 games in which FBS teams lost to FCS opponents and made sure to relay the message to his No. 6 Nittany Lions (3-0), who host Villanova (3-0) on Saturday....
Ravens run game shows no signs of being slowed by injuriesVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens needed another yard to secure their victory over Kansas City. By that point, they had every reason to feel confident. “We have to have an array of things throughout the season to have ready for those situations,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. “It’s...
South Korea reports biggest daily virus jump
South Korea has reported its biggest daily jump in coronavirus since the start of the pandemic as people returned from the country’s biggest holiday of the year. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said more than 1,750 of the 2,434 new cases reported Friday were from the greater capital...
Former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman says return to Gillette Stadium will ‘hit my soul’Video
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Julian Edelman will soon return to the field where his NFL career began and ultimately ended. He said Thursday he hopes his return will be as much as a salute to the franchise that took a chance on an underdog and helped him grow into one of...
GM invests $300M in China’s self-driving car company Momenta
General Motors is investing $300 million in China’s self-driving car company Momenta. GM said Thursday that the investment will speed up the development of next-generation self-driving technologies in China. The move is also part of a plan GM announced three months ago to invest $35 billion in engineering and capital...
Port of Houston target of suspected nation-state hack
A major U.S. port was the target last month of suspected nation-state hackers, according to officials. The Port of Houston, a critical piece of infrastructure along the Gulf Coast, issued a statement Thursday saying it had successfully defended against an attempted hack in August and “no operational data or systems...
Oldest human footprints in North America found in New Mexico
Fossilized footprints discovered in New Mexico indicate that early humans were walking across North America around 23,000 years ago, researchers reported Thursday. The first footprints were found in a dry lake bed in White Sands National Park in 2009. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey recently analyzed seeds stuck in...
Americans prepare for the ‘big one’ at home Ryder CupVideo
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — The Americans are running out of excuses in the Ryder Cup. They bring another loaded team to Whistling Straits, 11 of them among the top 16 players in the world. Not only is it a home game, the travel restrictions because of covid-19 make this crowd even...
Boyfriend of slain Gabby Petito charged with bank card fraud
The boyfriend of Gabby Petito, whose body was found at a national park in Wyoming after a cross country trip with him, has been charged with unauthorized use of a debit card as searchers continue looking for him in Florida swampland, federal authorities announced Thursday. A federal grand jury indictment...
White Sox clinch 1st AL Central title since 2008Video
CLEVELAND — Tony La Russa stood in the visiting dugout, soaking in the scene as the Chicago White Sox celebrated their first AL Central title since 2008. The Hall of Fame manager came out of retirement for moments like this. “It’s like fantasy island because you never thought you’d have...
