Associated Press stories, Page 1705
Pa. State Police to alter fitness standards that kept out women
The Pennsylvania State Police will pay more than $2 million into a compensation fund and are changing physical fitness standards to settle a lawsuit over how the agency’s trooper-hiring practices ruled out otherwise qualified women. The U.S. Justice Department announced the proposed settlement Tuesday of litigation that was launched seven...
Michigan police shocked by convicted murderer’s release
DETROIT — A Detroit-area man who was convicted of killing his first wife and whose second wife died under suspicious circumstances was granted an early release from prison after he argued that the risk of catching covid-19 behind bars endangered his life. Federal prosecutors fought to keep Roger Sweet locked...
Aggressive takeoff caused Hawaii plane crash that killed 11
WASHINGTON — A pilot’s aggressive takeoff led to an aerodynamic stall, causing the 2019 crash of a skydiving plane in Hawaii that killed all 11 people on board, government safety investigators have determined. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said the stall caused a loss of control at an altitude...
U.S. sets new 9/11 target date for Afghanistan withdrawal
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has decided to leave American troops in Afghanistan beyond the May 1 deadline negotiated with the Taliban by the Trump administration, and has set the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks as the new goal, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Biden has been hinting for...
Resource officer shot at Tennessee high school recovering
A police officer wounded in a shooting at a Tennessee high school is a 20-year veteran of the force who worked at the school, authorities said Tuesday. Knoxville Police Officer Adam Willson was recovering from surgery after being shot in the upper leg at Austin-East Magnet High School on Monday,...
Minnesota cop, police chief resign 2 days after Black motorist’s deathVideo
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — A white police officer who fatally shot a Black man during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb resigned Tuesday, as did the city’s police chief — moves that the mayor said he hoped would help heal the community and lead to reconciliation after two nights...
Biden raises concerns with Putin about Ukraine confrontation
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday morning with Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning him against aggressive moves against Ukraine but also inviting him to a summit meeting, the White House said in a statement. The White House did not say whether Putin had accepted the invitation but said Biden...
Stocks close mixed as regulators seek pause in J&J vaccine
A choppy day of trading on Wall Street ended with indexes mixed Tuesday as a drop in bond yields hurt bank stocks but helped big technology companies. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% after briefly slipping into the red in the early going. The modest gain nudged the benchmark index to...
U.S. agency says women can get abortion pill via mail
WASHINGTON — Women seeking an abortion pill will not be required to visit a doctor’s office or clinic during the covid-19 pandemic, U.S. health officials said Tuesday in the latest reversal in an ongoing legal battle over the medication. The Food and Drug Administration announced the policy change a day...
Indians 1B Chang receives racist tweets after making error
CLEVELAND — Indians first baseman Yu Chang shared some racist tweets he received after making a costly error in Monday night’s game in Chicago. Chang, who is Taiwanese, posted some of the anti-Asian tweets on his Twitter account Tuesday while asking for tolerance. One of the messages referred to the...
Johnson & Johnson delays vaccine rollout in Europe
BERLIN — Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday it is delaying the rollout of its coronavirus vaccine in Europe amid a U.S. probe into reports of rare blood clots in some recipients. The announcement came after regulators in the United States said they were recommending a “pause” in administration of the...
Defense Sec.: U.S. adds 500 troops in Germany, despite Trump pledge
BERLIN — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Tuesday that he is expanding the U.S. military presence in Germany by 500 troops and has stopped planning for large-scale troop cuts ordered by the Trump administration. “This planned increase in U.S. personnel underscores our commitment to Germany and the entire NATO...
Expert says Chauvin was justified in pinning down George FloydVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Former Officer Derek Chauvin was justified in pinning George Floyd to the ground because he kept struggling, a use-of-force expert testified for the defense Tuesday, contradicting a parade of authorities from both inside and outside the Minneapolis Police Department. Taking the stand at Chauvin’s murder trial, Barry Brodd,...
Lightning, Maple Leafs among NHL trade deadline winners
The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning went into the NHL trade deadline without much money to make a move. As the league’s best teams often do, the cash-strapped Lightning found a way to improve their chances of winning with a shrewd deal. The Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, had one...
Official: Iran to enrich uranium to highest level ever
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran will begin enriching uranium up to 60% purity after an attack on its Natanz nuclear facility, a negotiator said Tuesday, pushing its program to higher levels than ever before though still remaining short of weapons-grade. The announcement marks a significant escalation after the sabotage...
Facebook users can appeal harmful content to oversight board
LONDON — Facebook’s quasi-independent Oversight Board said Tuesday that it will start letting users file appeals over posts, photos, and videos that they think the company shouldn’t have allowed to stay on its platforms. The board said it will accept cases from users who object to content posted by others...
Putin foe Navalny says he sues prison for withholding Quran
MOSCOW — Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Tuesday he was suing his prison for withholding the Quran, which he intended to study while serving time in a prison outside Moscow. Navalny has been on a hunger strike for two weeks, protesting prison officials’ refusal to let his physician...
U.S. agency probing air bag failures in 750,000 GM vehicles
The U.S. government’s highway safety agency is investigating complaints that the air bags may not inflate in a crash on thousands of General Motors vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the probe covers nearly 750,000 Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC vehicles from the 2020 and 2021 model years. Most...
Poll: 15% of Americans worse off a year into pandemic
While most Americans have weathered the pandemic financially, about 38 million say they are worse off now than before the outbreak began in the U.S. Overall, 55% of Americans say their financial circumstances are about the same now as a year ago, and 30% say their finances have improved, according...
Voters to weigh in on Pa. government pandemic power struggle
HARRISBURG — A pandemic power struggle that has raged for a year between Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor and its Republican-led Legislature will land on voters’ laps next month in the form of two proposed constitutional amendments that could limit the length of disaster emergencies. There are four statewide ballot questions being...
UK hits vaccine target; Boris Johnson warns of more virus deaths
LONDON — Britain began offering coronavirus vaccinations to anyone over 45 on Tuesday after hitting its target of giving at least one dose to everyone over 50 by the middle of April. Despite the good news, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the U.K. would inevitably see “more hospitalization and...
U.S. recommends pause in using Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is recommending a “pause” in administration of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots. In a joint statement Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said they were investigating unusual clots...
This date in sports history: April 13Video
1914 — The first Federal League game is played in Baltimore with the Terrapins beating Buffalo, 3-2, behind Jack Quinn. 1940 — The New York Rangers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2, to win the Stanley Cup in six games. 1940 — Dutch Warmerdam becomes the first man to clear...
Japan to start Fukushima water release to sea in 2 years
TOKYO — Japan’s government said Tuesday it has decided to start releasing massive amounts of radioactive water stored in tanks at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant in two years after treatment. The decision, long speculated but delayed for years because of safety concerns and protests, came Tuesday at a meeting...
Patriots’ Julian Edelman, NFL’s ultimate underdog, announces retirementVideo
BOSTON — For more than a decade, Julian Edelman lived the ultimate NFL underdog story, going from undersized college quarterback to a favorite option of Tom Brady on three Patriots’ Super Bowl-winning teams. He says he’ll leave the league after giving everything he had to the sport. Citing a knee...
