Associated Press stories, Page 1698
U.S. to begin evacuating Afghans who aided American militaryVideo
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Wednesday that it is prepared to begin evacuation flights for Afghan interpreters and translators who aided the U.S. military effort in the nearly 20-year war. The Operation Allies Refuge flights out of Afghanistan during the last week of July will be available first for...
Stocks end a wobbly day mixed and just shy of record highs
Wall Street capped a wobbly day of trading with mixed results Wednesday, as a rally in technology stocks was kept in check by a slide in banks and energy companies. The S&P 500 eked out a 0.1% gain after recovering from an early stumble and then losing much of its...
After bad hiccups, Brazilian President Bolsonaro may need intestinal surgery
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has suffered from a 10-day bout of unshakable hiccups, was admitted Wednesday to a hospital where he was being evaluated for possible emergency surgery to clear an intestinal obstruction, his office said. Bolsonaro, 66, was admitted to the Armed Forces Hospital...
Indigenous children’s remains turned over from Army cemetery
CARLISLE — The disinterred remains of nine Native American children who died more than a century ago while attending a government-run school in Pennsylvania were headed home Wednesday to Rosebud Sioux tribal lands in South Dakota after a ceremony returning them to relatives. The handoff at a graveyard on the...
On deck for MLB’s 2nd half: Trades, playoff races and prizesVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — Across the globe, everybody is watching Shohei Ohtani in awe and intrigue. MLBl likely loves the attention from around the world surrounding the Angels’ two-way star and the spotlight he’s brought to the sport. Can Ohtani stage an encore to a sensational first half? He leads the...
Court orders shorter sentence for ‘Tiger King’ Joe Exotic
DENVER — A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that “Tiger King” Joe Exotic should get a shorter prison sentence for his role in a murder-for-hire plot and violating federal wildlife laws. Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was sentenced in January 2020 to 22 years in federal prison...
Watchdog: FBI greatly mishandled Larry Nassar case
WASHINGTON — The FBI made numerous serious errors in investigating allegations against former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar and didn’t treat the case with the “utmost seriousness,” the Justice Department’s inspector general said Wednesday. The FBI acknowledged conduct that was “inexcusable and a discredit” to America’s premier law...
Tioga County won’t offer up voting machines to election audit
HARRISBURG — One of three counties targeted by a Pennsylvania state lawmaker for an Arizona-style “forensic investigation” of the state’s 2020 presidential election sought by former President Donald Trump will not allow third-party access to its voting machines. The three commissioners in rural Republican-controlled Tioga County announced the decision Tuesday,...
Report: Appalachian states face billions in mining cleanup
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The cleanup and reclaiming of coal mines in seven Appalachian states will cost billions, and Kentucky and West Virginia have the largest bills coming due, according to an environmental group’s new report. Total reclamation liability for the two states is between $4.1 and $5.8 billion, with less...
Ex-Tennessee health official: State backed off vaccine pushVideo
NASHVILLE — Tennessee health officials will not acknowledge that August is National Immunization Awareness Month per an order from the state’s health commissioner, emails show. The order, obtained by NewsChannel 5, was given to Tennessee’s former top vaccination chief earlier this month just days before she was fired amid Republican...
Wildfires in US West threaten parched Native American lands
BLY, Ore. — Fierce wildfires in the Pacific Northwest are threatening Native American lands that already are struggling to conserve water and preserve traditional hunting grounds amid a historic drought in the U.S. West. Blazes in Oregon and Washington state were among some 60 large, active wildfires that have destroyed...
That was fleeting: Twitter kills off ephemeral ‘fleets’
Twitter is disappearing its disappearing tweets, called fleets, after they didn’t catch on. The company began testing tweets that vanish after 24 hours last March in Brazil. Fleets were designed to allay the concerns of new users who might be turned off by the public and permanent nature of normal...
Going abroad? U.S. government says passport waits top 3 months
WASHINGTON — Americans hoping to travel abroad this summer may have to delay their plans if they need new or renewed passports. The State Department said Wednesday that the wait for a passport is now between 12 weeks and 18 weeks, even if you pay for expedited processing. That’s because...
Police: Richard Sherman tried to break into in-laws’ home
SEATTLE — Former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers star Richard Sherman was arrested Wednesday after authorities said he crashed his SUV in a suburban Seattle construction zone, tried to break into his in-laws’ home, and fought with officers who used a police dog to apprehend him. Sherman was booked...
Candace Parker to be first woman on cover of NBA 2K game
NEW YORK — Candace Parker grew up playing video games, and now she’ll be the first female basketball player on the cover of one. The Chicago Sky star will appear on the NBA 2K22 cover for the WNBA 25th Anniversary special edition when it’s released Sept. 10. “I grew up...
Explainer: Are we going to need covid-19 booster shots?
Just because Pfizer wants to offer covid-19 vaccine boosters doesn’t mean people will be lining up anytime soon — U.S. and international health authorities say that for now, the fully vaccinated seem well protected. Globally, experts are watching closely to determine if and when people might need another shot. At...
Ohio University suspends frat after anti-hazing law enacted
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A week after the state enacted an anti-hazing law in honor of an Ohio University student who died in 2018, the university suspended another fraternity for allegedly violating hazing rules. The Athens-based school sent the fraternity a notice Tuesday that it will be suspended for four years...
Olympic athletes to put on own medals at Tokyo ceremonies
TOKYO — Athletes at the Tokyo Olympics will put their medals around their own necks to protect against spreading the coronavirus. The “very significant change” to traditional medal ceremonies in the 339 events was revealed Wednesday by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach. “The medals will not be given around...
Family files $30M suit over deputies’ shooting of Black man
The family of an unarmed Black man who was fatally shot by sheriff’s deputies in North Carolina says he died because of the officers’ “intentional and reckless disregard of his life,” according to a $30 million civil rights lawsuit filed Wednesday. Andrew Brown Jr. was killed April 21 by Pasquotank...
U.S. overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last yearVideo
NEW YORK — Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, the U.S. government reported Wednesday. That estimate far eclipses the high of about 72,000 drug overdose deaths reached the previous year and amounts to a 29% increase. “This is a staggering...
North Carolina Republicans move to limit classroom race talk
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Republicans are advancing legislation to limit how teachers can discuss certain racial concepts inside the classroom, according to the state’s most powerful senator. GOP Senate leader Phil Berger will move forward with legislation as Republicans across the country seek to counter their understanding of “critical...
Val Kilmer on a life in illusion and the new doc ‘Val’Video
CANNES, France — Val Kilmer was in movies he wasn’t in. The new documentary “Val,” bursting with footage Kilmer shot himself over his 61 years, includes home videos and backstage glimpses, as you might expect. But the most remarkable thing is seeing Kilmer’s own audition tapes of himself. It’s not...
Like father, like son: Vlad Guerrero Jr. shines as All-Star
DENVER — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. admired his 468-foot screamer for a moment before bouncing into his triumphant home run trot. Quick out of the park, slow out of the box, Guerrero became the youngest All-Star Game MVP after driving in a pair of runs in the American League’s 5-2 win...
Lee Westwood, still without a major, reaches unwanted milestone at British Open
SANDWICH, England — The unwanted milestone Lee Westwood has been creeping toward is finally here. The British Open at Royal St. George’s will be Westwood’s 88th major championship, and no other player has competed in that many without winning one. That’s painful, right? Apparently not. “That’s nice, that record,” he...
House Republicans post record fundraising ahead of 2022 race
WASHINGTON — The committee charged with helping Republicans wrest control of the House in 2022 raised $45.4 million over the past three months, a record quarterly haul during a year without a national election. That total was bolstered by $20.1 million raised in June, the highest ever monthly off-year total,...
