Associated Press stories, Page 17
Not ready for robots in homes? The maker of a friendly new humanoid thinks it might change your mind
NEW YORK — As the new robot called Sprout walks around a Manhattan office, nodding its rectangular head, lifting its windshield wiper-like “eyebrows” and offering to shake your hand with its grippers, it looks nothing like the sleek and intimidating humanoids built by companies like Tesla. Sprout’s charm is the...
Americans’ confidence in the U.S. economy falls sharply in January to lowest level since 2014
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer confidence declined sharply in January, hitting the lowest level since 2014 as Americans grow increasingly concerned about their financial prospects. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index cratered 9.7 points to 84.5 in January, falling below even the lowest readings during the covid-19...
What to know about Gregory Bovino, the commander of Trump’s immigration crackdownVideo
The commander of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis is leaving the city after federal agents fatally shot two people in less than three weeks. Gregory Bovino had been the go-to architect for the large-scale immigration crackdowns ordered by Trump and the public face of his administration’s city-by-city sweeps....
Activists say Iran’s crackdown has killed at least 6,159 people, as the country’s currency plunges
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests has killed at least 6,159 people while many others still are feared dead, activists said Tuesday, as a U.S. aircraft carrier group arrived in the Middle East to lead any American military response to the crisis. Iran’s currency, the...
Russian drones kill 2 and wound children in Ukraine as Zelenskyy urges speedier diplomacy
KYIV, Ukraine — A heavy Russian drone bombardment of Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa killed at least two people and wounded 23, including two children and a pregnant woman, officials said Tuesday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for speedier U.S. efforts to end Russia’s almost 4-year-old invasion of his...
2 federal officers fired shots during encounter that killed Alex Pretti, DHS tells Congress
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Two federal officers fired shots during the encounter that killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, a Customs and Border Protection official told Congress in a notice sent Tuesday. Officers tried to take Pretti into custody and he resisted, leading to a struggle, according to a notification...
Shootings in Minneapolis are upending the politics of immigration in Congress
WASHINGTON — The shooting deaths of two American citizens during the Trump administration’s deportation operations in Minneapolis have upended the politics of immigration in Congress, plunging the country toward another government shutdown. Democrats have awakened to what they see as a moral moment for the country, refusing funds for the...
Trump visits Iowa trying to focus on affordability during fallout over nurse’s Minneapolis shooting
DES MOINES, Iowa — President Donald Trump is headed to Iowa on Tuesday as part of the White House’s midterm year pivot toward affordability, even as his administration remains mired in the fallout in Minneapolis over a second fatal shooting by federal immigration officers this month. While in Iowa, the...
Minneapolis killing produces backlash against Trump administration from 2nd Amendment advocates
Prominent Republicans and gun rights advocates helped elicit a White House turnabout this week after bristling over the administration’s characterization of Alex Pretti, the second person killed this month by a federal officer in Minneapolis, as responsible for his own death because he lawfully possessed a weapon. The death produced...
8 tips to stop worrying about running out of money in retirement
The greatest financial danger in retirement isn’t always the stock market. It’s the constant, nagging fear of running out of money. This anxiety causes many people to underspend and worry, even when their finances are sound. Here are eight ways to replace that worry with lasting security. 1. Determine your...
30 people dead from effects of winter storm as more freezing cold pummels U.S.Video
Many in the U.S. faced another night of below-freezing temperatures and no electricity after a colossal winter storm heaped more snow Monday on the Northeast and kept parts of the South coated in ice. At least 30 deaths were reported in states afflicted with severe cold. Deep snow — over...
Rangers trade Carson Soucy to Islanders in surprise move
NEW YORK — The New York Rangers’ sell-off that general manger Chris Drury warned fans would be coming as part of a retooling process is now underway. They traded defenseman Carson Soucy to the crosstown-rival New York Islanders on Monday in exchange for a third-round pick in this year’s draft....
Penn State men fall to Ohio State for 7th loss in row
COLUMBUS, Ohio — John Mobley Jr. scored 25 points to help Ohio State hold off Penn State, 84-78, on Monday night. Mobley made 7 of 14 shots with five 3-pointers and all six of his free throws for the Buckeyes (14-6, 6-4 Big Ten). He added five assists and three...
Federal judge dismisses Justice Department lawsuit seeking Oregon’s voter rolls
PORTLAND, Ore. — A federal judge in Oregon dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking Oregon’s unredacted voter rolls on Monday in another setback to wide-ranging efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to get detailed voter data from states. In a hearing, U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai said he would dismiss...
Trump threatens to hike tariffs on South Korean goods over inaction on trade deal
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday he is increasing tariffs on South Korean goods because the country’s national assembly has yet to approve the trade framework announced last year. Trump said on social media that import taxes would be raised on autos, lumber and pharmaceutical drugs from South Korea...
Paralyzing winter storms put a big chill on the economy, but how much?
HOUSTON — The deadly and widespread winter storm paralyzing much of the American East with ice, snow and cold is also taking a multi-billion dollar bite out of the U.S. economy, experts figure. But how much? Economists and meteorologists are trying to get a handle on the disruption costs of...
Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter joins those calling for boycott of World Cup in United States
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday backed a proposed fan boycott of World Cup matches in the United States because of the conduct of President Donald Trump and his administration at home and abroad. Blatter was the latest international soccer figure to call into question the suitability of the...
Sam Darnold beats fellow 2018 draft QBs Jackson, Allen to Super Bowl
Sam Darnold will be starting in the Super Bowl before Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and the rest of the NFL’s Class of 2018 quarterbacks. It took Darnold five teams and eight seasons to get here. Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to a 14-3 record, a division title, the No. 1...
Minnesota GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Madel drops out, faults Trump immigration policy
MADISON, Wis. — A lawyer for the immigration officer who shot and killed Renee Good dropped out of the Minnesota governor race Monday, breaking with many fellow Republicans and calling President Donald Trump’s immigration operation in the state an “unmitigated disaster.” Chris Madel’s surprise move comes amid growing calls from...
Death toll from U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats reaches 126 people
WASHINGTON — The death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats is up to 126 people, with the inclusion of those presumed dead after being lost at sea, the U.S. military confirmed Monday. The figure includes 116 people who were killed immediately in at least 36 attacks...
Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino and some agents expected to leave Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — A senior Border Patrol commander and some agents are expected to leave Minneapolis as early as Tuesday, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The expected departure of Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who has been at the center of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration...
Treasury Department ends contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton after Trump tax leak
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department has cut its contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, after a former contractor who worked for the firm was charged and subsequently imprisoned for leaking tax information to news outlets about thousands of the country’s wealthiest people, including President Donald Trump. The latest move is...
In their words: An examination of statements Trump officials made about what led to Pretti’s death
Trump administration officials swiftly sought to portray 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, as an armed disruptor intent on doing harm to federal agents when he brought his own gun to a Minneapolis street where officers clashed with protesters over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Video shot by bystanders...
U.S. aircraft carrier arrives in the Middle East as tensions with Iran remain high
WASHINGTON — The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three accompanying warships have arrived in the Middle East, bringing a renewed potential that President Donald Trump could opt to order airstrikes on Iran over its crackdown on protesters. The carrier, along with three destroyers, “is currently deployed to the Middle...
What travelers can expect as Southwest Airlines introduces assigned seats
Southwest Airlines passengers made their final boarding-time scrambles for seats on Monday as the carrier prepared to end the open-seating system that distinguished it from other airlines for more than a half‑century. Starting Tuesday, customers on Southwest flights will have assigned seats and the option of paying more to get...
