Associated Press stories, Page 1672
Ransomware gang threatens release of DC police records
A Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate that stole data from the Washington, D.C., police department says negotiations over payment have broken down, with it rejecting a $100,000 payment, and it will release sensitive information that could put lives at risk if more money is not offered. The extortion threat comes amid a...
Prosecutor plans to seek death penalty in Georgia spa shootings
ATLANTA — A man accused of killing eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, in shootings at three Atlanta-area massage businesses was indicted Tuesday on murder charges, and a prosecutor filed notice that she’ll also seek hate crime charges and the death penalty. A Fulton County grand jury...
MLB tells Athletics to explore relocation if no new ballparkVideo
OAKLAND, Calif. — MLB instructed the Athletics to explore relocation options as the team tries to secure a new ballpark it hopes will keep the club in Oakland long-term. MLB released a statement Tuesday expressing its longtime determination that the current Coliseum site is “not a viable option for the...
Famed Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan dead at age 37Video
HONOLULU — Colt Brennan, a star quarterback at Hawaii who finished third in the 2007 Heisman Trophy balloting, died early Tuesday, his father said. He was 37. Brennan, who has had public struggles with alcohol, died at a hospital in California, his father, Terry Brennan, told the Associated Press. “He...
2-time All-Star right-hander Jordan Zimmermann retires
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jordan Zimmermann retired Tuesday two appearances into his 13th season in the major leagues, ending a career in which the two-time All-Star pitched the Washington Nationals’ first no-hitter. Zimmermann went 95-91 with a 4.07 ERA. He was an NL All-Star in 2013 and ‘14 while...
Sean Parnell expected to announce run for Pennsylvania Senate seat
HARRISBURG — Sean Parnell, a decorated Army veteran and regular guest on Fox News programs who became a favorite of former President Donald Trump, is expected to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat. Parnell, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb in...
AP source: Biden to tap Rahm Emanuel for ambassador to Japan
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is expected to nominate former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Japan, according to a person familiar with the president’s decision. The person, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday,...
New survey of U.S. Jews reveals worries, strengths, divisions
A comprehensive new survey of Jewish Americans finds them increasingly worried about antisemitism, proud of their cultural heritage and sharply divided about the importance of religious observance in their lives. The survey, released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center, estimated the total Jewish population in the country at 7.5 million...
Austrian convicted of intentionally giving ex-wife covid
BERLIN — A man in Austria has been convicted of intentionally infecting his ex-wife with the coronavirus by coughing at her. A spokesman for the Linz regional court said Tuesday that the 63-year-old was given a nine-month sentence, suspended for three years. Judges had convicted the man Monday of attempted...
Medicare requires nursing homes to report covid vaccinations
WASHINGTON — Medicare will require nursing homes to report covid-19 vaccination rates for residents and staff, the government said Tuesday. Officials hope to nudge facilities to keep giving shots as the worst ravages of the pandemic ease, but the danger of a rebound still lurks. “We’re hoping to drive increased...
Idaho governor signs bill to halt Biden moves on gun laws
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Gov. Brad Little has signed legislation aimed at thwarting a half-dozen executive actions by President Joe Biden to combat gun violence. The new law came less than a week after a shooting at an eastern Idaho middle school injured two students and a custodian. The Republican...
U.S. job openings soar to highest level on record
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers posted a record number of available jobs in March, illustrating starkly the desperation of businesses seeking to find new workers as the economy expands. Yet total job gains increased only modestly, according to a Labor Department report issued Tuesday. The figures come after the April jobs...
Georgia governor waives state’s gas tax for now due to pipeline outage
CHAMBLEE, Ga. — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he is suspending state taxes on motor fuels through Saturday to offset increasing prices after a computer hack led a key pipeline that carries fuel to much of Georgia to shut down. The Republican said Tuesday that he wanted to provide price...
Wall Street opens lower led by more drops in Big Tech stocks
BANGKOK — Shares dropped Tuesday in Asia after selling of several Big Tech companies pulled U.S. benchmarks lower. Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo and Hong Kong declined while Shanghai advanced. Despite reassurances from the Federal Reserve and a much weaker than expected U.S. jobs reading last week, investors have refocused on the...
NIH vaccine designer takes coronavirus research to Harvard
The U.S. government scientist who helped design one of the first COVID-19 vaccines and then tackled skepticism of the shots in communities of color is moving to Harvard in June. Kizzmekia Corbett of the National Institutes of Health will take her research into next-generation vaccines for coronaviruses to the Harvard...
Pipeline officials hope most service will be back by weekend
WASHINGTON — Hit by a cyberattack, the operator of a major U.S. fuel pipeline said it hopes to have services mostly restored by the end of the week as the FBI and administration officials identified the culprits as a gang of criminal hackers. U.S. officials sought to soothe concerns about...
Florida teacher gets 15 years for recording naked girls
TAMPA, Fla. — A 52-year-old teacher was sentenced to 15 years in prison for secretly recording videos of students as they changed clothes in his fashion design classroom at a Florida high school. Mark William Ackett also must remain a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. “There’s...
Poll: Most in U.S. who remain unvaccinated need convincing
Fewer Americans are reluctant to get a covid-19 vaccine than just a few months ago, but questions about side effects and how the shots were tested still hold some back, according to a new poll that highlights the challenges at a pivotal moment in the U.S. vaccination campaign. Just 11%...
Signs of optimism as NYC sees rise in tourism, bit by bit
NEW YORK — The once-deserted steps outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art are filling up with visitors again. Hotel lobbies are losing their desolate feel. Downtown, people are back to taking selfies with the Charging Bull statue near Wall Street. Tourists who vanished from New York City’s museums, hotels and...
Pfizer head Albert Bourla writing book about covid vaccine
NEW YORK — Pfizer Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla can now tell the incredible story. Bourla has a deal with Harper Business for what the publisher is calling “an exclusive, first-hand, behind-the-scenes story” of how the drugmaker managed to develop an effective vaccine against covid-19 in a remarkably short...
Biden: 1 million sign up for health care during special enrollment
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Tuesday that 1 million Americans had signed up for health insurance under “Obamacare” during a special enrollment period for those needing coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden reopened the HealthCare.gov insurance markets in February for a special six-month sign-up opportunity. “Health care is a...
Pope creates lay ministry to boost supply of faith teachers
ROME —Pope Francis on Tuesday formally created a new lay ministry to encourage greater participation of secular women and men in the teaching of the Catholic faith, especially in places where priests are in short supply. The new law creating the lay ministry of catechists officially recognizes for the universal...
Japan’s Nissan sees smaller loss, promises sales recovery
TOKYO — Nissan reduced its losses in the January-March quarter as restructuring efforts kicked in, despite damage to sales from the coronavirus pandemic, the Japanese automaker said Tuesday. Nissan Motor Co.’s quarterly losses totaled $743 million, a fraction of the $6.5 billion in red ink it racked up last year....
Iran rejects U.S. claim that speedboats sparked encounter
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard on Tuesday rejected the U.S. Navy’s claim that fast-approaching Iranian speedboats in the Strait of Hormuz sparked a tense encounter in the already sensitive region. The Guard’s website, sepahnews.com, published a statement Tuesday saying Americans were guilty of using “false narratives and unprofessional...
Gaza militants, children among 24 dead as Israel hits Hamas
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel unleashed new airstrikes on Gaza early Tuesday, hitting the high-rise home of a Hamas field commander and two border tunnels dug by militants, as Hamas and other armed groups fired dozens of rockets toward Israel. The escalation in the conflict was sparked by weeks...
