Associated Press stories, Page 1816
Vaccines to stimulus checks: Here’s what’s in Biden plan
WILMINGTON, Del. — President-elect Joe Biden is proposing a $1.9 trillion plan to expand coronavirus vaccinations, help individuals and jump-start the economy. The plan, which would require congressional approval, is packed with proposals on health care, education, labor and cybersecurity. On Friday, he outlined a five-step approach to getting the...
Meyer believes Jacksonville ‘is the place’ he can win in NFLVideo
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Urban Meyer first started thinking about the NFL about a decade ago. He was getting phone calls from team owners. He was intrigued by the notion of testing his coaching skills at football’s highest level. He was ready to make the jump. But he put it off...
Mormon leaders condemn ‘lawless behavior’ at U.S. Capitol
SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints condemned “lawless behavior” and the violence of rioters who broke into the U.S. Capitol in a statement Friday that marked the faith’s first public comments since the Jan. 6 attack by pro-Trump loyalists. Top leaders from the Utah-based...
NRA declares bankruptcy, plans to incorporate in Texas
AUSTIN, Texas — The National Rifle Association announced Friday it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will to incorporate the nation’s most politically influential gun-rights group in Texas instead of New York, where a state lawsuit is trying to put the organization out of business. The announcement came months after...
Packers’ potent offense faces big test from Aaron Donald, RamsVideo
No NFL team scored more points during the regular season than the Green Bay Packers. Nobody has played better defense than the Los Angeles Rams. That sets up an intriguing showdown of strength vs. strength when MVP favorite Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (13-3) host All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald...
Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson set for playoff showdown as Bills host RavensVideo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Ravens coach John Harbaugh was immediately impressed by Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen’s competitive fire after their first face-to-face encounter in an NFL setting. It happened in the 2018 season opener, when the then-raw rookie Bills quarterback was shoved into the Ravens’ sideline. Allen hopped up and...
Official: No ‘direct evidence’ of plot to kill at Capitol
PHOENIX — Federal prosecutors said there was “strong evidence” the pro-Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol last week aimed to “capture and assassinate elected officials,” but the head of the investigation cautioned Friday that the probe is still in its early stages and there was no “direct evidence” of...
MTA: New York City bus driver refuses drug test after careening off bridge
NEW YORK — A bus dramatically plunged off a bridge in New York City late Thursday, leaving its front half hanging over a highway ramp, its fall broken only by the road below. The 55-year-old driver broke his jaw in the crash and refused to submit to a drug and...
World Golf Championship moving from Mexico to FloridaVideo
The World Golf Championship is moving from Mexico City to the Gulf Coast of Florida, a change driven by the covid-19 pandemic that has put restrictions on travel and kept away spectators. The PGA Tour sent a memo to players Friday informing them of the relocation for Feb. 25-28. It...
More NBA games off, coaches vow to improve mask-wearingVideo
The NBA gave Orlando coach Steve Clifford a call recently, telling him he had to do a better job of keeping his mask on during games. Clifford’s answer was concise. “Yes, sir,” he said. He didn’t argue. He knows the rules and how important they are. It has been a...
NCAA expects straightforward March Madness for this year onlyVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — There will be a bit less mystery to the March Madness bracket now that the NCAA selection committee no longer has to adjust matchups for travel concerns. With the entire tournament taking place in the Indianapolis area this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Division I Men’s...
Aaron Judge avoids arbitration, signs 1-year deal with YankeesVideo
NEW YORK — Slugging outfielder Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees avoided arbitration when they agreed Friday to a one-year contract worth $10,175,000. Judge had his third straight injury-interrupted season since winning the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year award, hitting .257 with nine homers and 22 RBIs in...
Mike Pence calls Kamala Harris to offer congratulations
WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence has called his soon-to-be successor Kamala Harris to offer his congratulations, according to two people familiar with the conversation. It’s the first known contact between the elected members of the outgoing and incoming administrations. President Donald Trump has not reached out to President-elect Joe...
Global coronavirus death toll hits 2 millionVideo
MEXICO CITY — The global death toll from covid-19 topped 2 million Friday, crossing the threshold amid a vaccine rollout so immense but so uneven that in some countries there is real hope of vanquishing the outbreak, while in other, less-developed parts of the world, it seems a far-off dream....
Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden’s inauguration
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will leave Washington next Wednesday morning, just before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, to begin his post-presidential life in Florida. He will be sent off with a departure ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, according to a person familiar with the planning who spoke on condition of...
Stocks fall as economy’s pain deepens, head for weekly loss
NEW YORK — Stocks are pulling lower on Friday after reports showed the pandemic is deepening the hole for the economy, as Washington prepares to throw it another lifeline. The S&P 500 was down 0.5% in afternoon trading, with stocks of companies that most need a healthier economy taking the...
Retail federation: Holiday sales up 8.3% amid big spending shift
NEW YORK — The nation’s largest retail trade group said Friday that holiday sales soared 8.3%, far exceeding its forecast even as the coronavirus kept shoppers away from physical stores. The National Retail Federation had expected growth in a range of 3.6% to 5.2% for the November and December period...
Elvis Presley’s Graceland starting live virtual tours
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Elvis Presley’s Graceland is now offering live online tours for fans around the world, including those who can’t travel to the Tennessee tourist attraction during the coronavirus pandemic. Graceland said the two-hour guided tours will take virtual visitors into Presley’s former Memphis home, which has been turned...
$500K in Bitcoin sent from France to U.S. far-right groups
PARIS — A French computer programmer transferred more than $500,000 in Bitcoin to far-right activists just before his death last month, including some involved in last week’s riot in Washington, researchers said Friday. Chainalysis, a firm that investigates Bitcoin transactions, found that the majority of the 22 transactions on Dec....
Defense Department calling governors for more Guard troops for D.C.
WASHINGTON — Defense Department officials are scrambling to call governors and asking whether they have any more National Guard troops they can send to Washington to help protect the Capitol and the city. A defense official familiar with the discussions said law enforcement leaders and other authorities have now determined...
Federal watchdogs open probe of response to Capitol riot
WASHINGTON — Federal watchdogs launched a sweeping review of how the FBI, the Pentagon and other law enforcement agencies responded to the riot at the U.S. Capitol, including whether there were failures in information sharing and other preparations that left the historic symbol of democracy vulnerable to assault by a...
Russia follows U.S. in withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty
MOSCOW — Russia said on Friday that it will withdraw from an international treaty allowing surveillance flights over military facilities after the U.S. exit from the pact, compounding the challenges faced by the incoming administration of president-elect Joe Biden. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the U.S. withdrawal...
Woman fatally shot as she pursues man who stole cellphone
CLEVELAND — A man who stole a woman’s cellphone after she set it on the counter at a Cleveland convenience store fatally shot her when she chased after him, authorities said. The shooting occurred around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday in the Glenville neighborhood. Andrea Randle, 32, was shopping in the store...
At least 34 dead as Indonesia quake topples homes, buildings
MAMUJU, Indonesia — A strong, shallow earthquake shook Indonesia’s Sulawesi island just after midnight Friday, toppling homes and buildings, triggering landslides and killing at least 34 people. More than 600 people were injured during the magnitude 6.2 quake, which sent people fleeing their homes in the darkness. Authorities were still...
Virus limits NHL vet-rookie time away from rink
Colorado defenseman Ian Cole has taken a young kid under his wing as he starts his 11th season in the NHL, dining with him often and going the extra mile to make sure his needs are met. Of course, this is Cole’s infant son, who was born over the summer....
