Associated Press stories, Page 1886
Tropical Storm Iota forms, could follow Eta’s deadly path
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Just as the remnants of Eta finally blew out to sea on Friday, another storm formed that could follow its path of death and destruction into Central America this weekend, and Tropical Storm Theta was moving closer to Europe. Hurricane experts were closely watching the Caribbean,...
Donald Trump wins battleground state of North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. — President Donald Trump has won the presidential battleground state of North Carolina over Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Trump campaigned aggressively in North Carolina with in-person rallies at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, including gatherings in Fayetteville, Winston-Salem and Greenville. Biden had largely kept off the physical...
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announces 14-day statewide ‘freeze’
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Friday announced a statewide two-week “freeze” which will limit restaurants and bars to take-out only and close gyms, indoor and outdoor recreational facilities during that period. The freeze will be in effect from Nov. 18 through Dec. 2 and aims to limit...
Tight spot: Trump loss complicates Pence’s political future
WASHINGTON — For Mike Pence, a second term for President Donald Trump would have been a 2024 ticket to Republican frontrunner status. But with Trump’s loss — after Pence spent the last four years as his most loyal soldier and the past year doggedly campaigning on his behalf — the...
Trump, stewing over election, to deliver remarks on covid-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is set to deliver his first public remarks Friday since his defeat by President-elect Joe Biden, as he seeks to highlight positive developments in the race for a vaccine for the resurgent coronavirus, even as he refuses to concede the election. Trump is set to...
As virus cases surge, elected officials resist restrictions
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — With the coronavirus coming back with a vengeance across the country and the U.S. facing a long, dark winter, governors and other elected officials are showing little appetite for imposing the kind of lockdowns and large-scale business closings seen last spring. Many also continue to resist issuing...
West Virginia tightens mask mandate, delays winter sports
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced Friday that facial coverings will be required at all times in businesses and other indoor spaces starting at midnight. The Republican governor said businesses will need to post signs notifying entrants of the mask requirement under his executive order. “It’s just...
Democrats keep winning the popular vote. That worries them.
Democrats won the popular vote in this year’s presidential election yet again, marking seven out of eight straight presidential elections that the party has reached that milestone. And, for some Democrats, that’s worrisome. President-elect Joe Biden has so far won 50.8% of the vote compared to the 47.4% who voted...
Federal court rejects effort to block late-arriving Pennsylvania ballots
PHILADELPHIA — A federal appeals court in Philadelphia on Friday rejected an effort led by a Republican congressional candidate to block about 9,300 ballots that arrived after Election Day. The three-judge panel, led by Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Brooks Smith, noted the “unprecedented challenges” facing the nation this year, especially...
2 workers dead, 1 person missing in Connecticut veterans hospital blast
WEST HAVEN, Conn. — An apparent steam pipe explosion Friday in a maintenance building at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Connecticut killed a VA employee and a contractor and left a third person missing, officials said. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said patient care was not affected by the blast on...
Texas AG whistleblowers sue for wrongful firing, retaliation
DALLAS — Four former deputies to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are suing him for wrongful firing and retaliating against them for reporting him to the FBI for alleged bribery and abuse of office. Their lawsuit adds to the deepening legal and political peril for the high-profile Republican, who is...
Breakthrough for women: Miami Marlins hire Kim Ng as GM
MIAMI — Kim Ng became the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations in the major leagues when she was hired Friday as general manager of the Miami Marlins. Ng is believed to be the first female general manager for a men’s team in a major professional sport in North America, the...
Dutch govt bans New Year’s Eve fireworks to help hospitals
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A year overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic will not go out with the usual bang in the Netherlands after the Dutch government announced Friday it is banning the sale and use of most fireworks. New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands is traditionally celebrated with fireworks, with...
Top CEOs met to plan response to Trump’s election denial
WASHINGTON — Only a few of America’s CEOs have made public statements about President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept his election loss, but in private, many are alarmed and talking about what collective action would be necessary if they see an imminent threat to democracy. On Nov. 6, more than...
S&P 500 closes at a record high, ending another banner week
The S&P 500 is closing at a record high for the first time since September, posting its second weekly gain in a row. The index rose 1.4% Friday, bringing its for November to 9.6%. Hopeful news this week on progress toward a coronavirus vaccine prompted investors to plow money into...
Vatican calling: Pope congratulates Joe Biden on election
It’s not exactly divine intervention, but even the pope considers the U.S. presidential race over. President-elect Joe Biden, a lifelong Roman Catholic, spoke to Pope Francis on Thursday, despite President Donald Trump refusing to concede. Trump claims — without evidence — that the election was stolen from him through massive...
Polish bishops defend John Paul II after McCarrick report
WARSAW, Poland — Polish bishops defended St. John Paul II on Friday against evidence that he rejected reports that ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick slept with his seminarians, seeking to salvage a papal legacy that has been badly tarnished by his inaction on clergy sexual abuse. The head of the Polish bishops...
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake hits remote corner of Nevada
MINA, Nev. — A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck a remote corner of Nevada early Friday, shaking the desert and a nearby town, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake struck at 1:13 a.m. and was centered about 21 miles southeast of Mina, a town of about 155, at a...
11 killed as India, Pakistan trade fire in disputed Kashmir
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani and Indian troops clashed in disputed Kashmir, leaving 11 people dead, including three Indian soldiers, and wounding more than 30 others on both sides, officials said Friday. The fighting came amid increasing tension between the South Asian neighbors. In a statement, Pakistani military and government officials...
Drones light up Seoul sky, urge virus vigilance
SEOUL, South Korea — With masked spectators watching from below, hundreds of drones lit up the night sky in South Korea’s capital on Friday in a synchronized display to encourage citizens to remain vigilant against the coronavirus. More than 300 drones flew in the performance above Olympic Park in southern...
Germany criticizes new Russian sanctions over Navalny case
BERLIN — The German government on Friday criticized an announcement by Russia’s foreign minister that Moscow is imposing sanctions against German and French officials in response to EU measures taken over the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny, a corruption investigator and longtime foe of Russian President Vladimir...
World covid roundup: Greek PM vows virus vaccinations will be freeVideo
ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s prime minister says the government will provide the coronavirus vaccine, when it becomes available, to all Greeks free of charge. Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the comments while chairing a ministerial meeting about the government’s vaccination strategy for covid-19. Greece has seen a resurgence of the virus’s spread...
This date in sports history: Nov. 13Video
1949 — Chicago’s Bob Nussbaumer intercepts four passes as the Cardinals set an NFL record for points in a regular-season game with a 65-20 victory over the New York Bulldogs. 1954 — Britain beats France, 16-12, to win the first Rugby League World Cup. 1964 — St. Louis Hawks forward...
Court blocks small number of ballots in Pennsylvania over ID
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania judge sided with President Donald Trump’s campaign Thursday and ordered counties not to count a small number of mail-in or absentee ballots for which the voter didn’t submit valid identification within six days after the Nov. 3 election. The injunction issued by Commonwealth Court Judge Mary...
Top officials: Nov. 3 election most secure in U.S. history
WASHINGTON — A coalition of federal and state officials said Thursday that they have no evidence that votes were compromised or altered in last week’s presidential election, rejecting unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud advanced by President Donald Trump and many of his supporters. The statement from cybersecurity experts, which trumpeted...

