Associated Press stories, Page 1853
Retail sales fell 1.1% in November, biggest drop in 7 months
NEW YORK — Retail sales fell 1.1% in November, the biggest drop in seven months, and a sign Americans held back on spending during the start of the holiday shopping season. The U.S. Commerce Department also revised October’s number, saying on Wednesday that retail sales actually fell 0.1% that month,...
China indicts 10 Hong Kong residents over attempt to flee
HONG KONG — Chinese prosecutors on Wednesday announced the indictment of 10 people from Hong Kong over an attempt to flee the city amid a crackdown on opposition political activity. The Yantian district prosecutor’s office in the city of Shenzhen just across the border from Hong Kong said on its...
Iran leaders: Biden arrival won’t guarantee better relations
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s supreme leader and the country’s president both warned America on Wednesday that the departure of President Donald Trump does not immediately mean better relations between the two nations. The remarks come as Iran approaches the first anniversary of the U.S. drone strike that killed Revolutionary Guard...
Investigation opened after women’s symbol put on Polish flag
WARSAW, Poland — Prosecutors have opened an investigation into whether the Polish flag was publicly insulted after a family in Warsaw hung a flag from their balcony combined with a lightning bolt, a symbol for women’s rights in Poland. It’s the latest incident to raise questions about freedom of expression...
This date in sports history: Dec. 16Video
1918 — Jack Dempsey knocks out Carl Morris in 14 seconds in a heavyweight bout in New Orleans. 1930 — Golfer Bobby Jones wins the first James E. Sullivan Award. The award is given to “the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.” 1940 — Joe Louis knocks out...
NFL not allowing mandated local bubbles during postseasonVideo
NFL teams won’t be allowed to create local bubbles during the postseason by mandating players stay in a hotel, except for the night before a game. “Clubs may not require players and staff to stay at a hotel in their local area,” reads a league memo obtained Tuesday by the...
Cyberattack may have exposed deep U.S. secrets; damage yet unknownVideo
BOSTON — Some of America’s most deeply held secrets may have been stolen in a disciplined, monthslong operation being blamed on elite Russian government hackers. The possibilities of what might have been purloined are mind-boggling. Could hackers have obtained nuclear secrets? Covid-19 vaccine data? Blueprints for next-generation weapons systems? It...
Ex-Houston officer accused of assault in bogus voter fraud claim
HOUSTON — A former Houston police captain was charged with assault on Tuesday after running a man off the road and holding him at gunpoint in an effort to prove what authorities have called a bogus voter fraud scheme. Mark Aguirre claimed that an air conditioner repairman was the mastermind...
Ravens hope win over Browns provides spark for playoff pushVideo
An emotional, uplifting victory on the road against a division rival strongly enhanced the Baltimore Ravens’ chances of reaching the playoffs and provided a positive vibe during a season marred by injuries, a three-game skid and an outbreak of covid-19. Now, with a soft schedule in front of them, the...
Virginia Tech AD says coronavirus significantly impacted football teamVideo
Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock painted a stark picture Tuesday of what the Hokies went through during the football season amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Well over half of our team, maybe three-fourths, contacted covid since March,” Babcock said in an hourlong Zoom call. “Eight of our 10 full-time coaches...
No surprises as Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State top college playoff rankingsVideo
Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State will enter championship weekend in position to make the College Football Playoff with very little drama. The top five teams were locked into their places Tuesday night for the fourth straight week, with the Crimson Tide (10-0) leading the way as it prepares...
Trump’s company ordered to give evidence to New York investigators
NEW YORK — A New York judge on Tuesday ordered President Donald Trump’s company to give state investigators documents related to a suburban estate that’s the subject of a civil investigation into the family’s business practices. Judge Arthur Engoron said the Trump Organization must turn over to the New York...
Unbeaten Ohio State seeks style points in Big Ten championship gameVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A group of university administrators on a Zoom call decided Ohio State would play in the Big Ten championship game. Now the No. 3 Buckeyes are eager to show not only are they the dominant team in the conference, but they also unequivocally deserve a spot in...
Browns learn tough lesson in gut-wrenching loss to RavensVideo
CLEVELAND — On their way to likely ending the NFL’s current longest playoff drought, the Browns are learning lessons every week. Some of them are tougher than others. Monday’s was: don’t shrink. While showing resilience, toughness, grit and all the other coaching cliches against Baltimore in a 47-42 loss that...
Fashion mogul Peter Nygard arrested in Canada on sex charges
NEW YORK — Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard was arrested on charges alleging he sexually abused women and girls after luring them into his orbit with opportunities in fashion and modeling over the last 25 years. Nygard, 79, was detained after a Winnipeg, Canada, court appearance Tuesday after his Monday...
Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins deletes tweet after Browns’ Andrew Sendejo hurtVideo
CLEVELAND — The hard hitting between the Ravens and Browns in Monday night’s thrilling game carried into Tuesday. Cleveland safety Andrew Sendejo suffered a concussion late in the fourth quarter after a collision at the goal line with Ravens rookie running back J.K. Dobbins, who gloated about the violent play...
Notre Dame defense faces Clemson before coordinator heads to VanderbiltVideo
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Clark Lea is on the way out at Notre Dame just as his defense has been on the way up. The 38-year-old Lea, a Tennessee native, was named head coach at alma mater Vanderbilt on Monday. Before he focuses on rebuilding the Commodores, the second-ranked Fighting...
Indiana-Purdue, Michigan-Iowa canceledVideo
Two of the seven Big Ten Champions Week games were canceled Tuesday because of covid-19 outbreaks as an uncertain postseason looms for college football. The annual rivalry game between Indiana and Purdue set for Friday was canceled for the second time in two weeks and the third time this season....
Talks escalate on new covid-19 relief, top lawmakers to meetVideo
WASHINGTON — Talks on a long-delayed covid-19 aid package intensified Tuesday as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi summoned other top congressional leaders for a potentially critical meeting. Pelosi, D-Calif., spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for more than an hour, her office tweeted, and Mnuchin will join the make-or-break meeting of...
How to spot fake shopping sites and avoid being scammed
NEW YORK — Ben Black bought what he thought was a well-priced drone online. But the drone never showed up, the site stopped responding to his emails and he never got his $100 back. He was scammed. “I’m I got caught in it,” says Black, who lives in Westminster,...
Biden to pick Pete Buttigieg as transportation chiefVideo
WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden is expected to pick former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg to head the Transportation Department, according to three people familiar with the plans. Buttigieg, one of Biden’s rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, was a breakout star of the primaries, sharing victory in the...
Over-the-counter home test for covid-19 gets U.S. green light
WASHINGTON — The first home test for covid-19 that doesn’t require a prescription will soon be on U.S. store shelves. U.S. regulators Tuesday authorized the rapid coronavirus test, which can be done entirely at home. The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration represents another important — though incremental —...
Giannis Antetokounmpo stays in Milwaukee, signs 5-year deal with BucksVideo
MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo said he’s staying with the Milwaukee Bucks for at least five more seasons. “I’m blessed to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years,” the two-time reigning MVP posted Wednesday on his social media platforms. The 26-year-old Antetokounmpo had until Monday to...
Covid-19 pandemic creates uncertainty on football recruiting trailVideo
The personal touch that helps coaches sell their programs to blue-chip prospects is missing this year. Restrictions brought about by the pandemic prevent face-to-face communication between players and coaches. Staffs can’t visit high schools. Plenty of states didn’t even play high school football. “It’s just weird,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart...
U.S. vaccinations ramp up as 2nd covid-19 shot nears
WASHINGTON — Hundreds more hospitals around the country began dispensing covid-19 shots to their workers in a rapid expansion of the U.S. vaccination drive Tuesday, while a second vaccine moved to the cusp of government authorization. A day after the rollout of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus shots, the Food and Drug Administration...
