Associated Press stories, Page 1899
New kids’ series ‘Pikwik Pack’ puts spotlight on deliveries
The studio behind the kids’ mega-hit TV show “Paw Patrol” has a new animated series that arrives timed perfectly for a global pandemic: It celebrates delivery people. “Pikwik Pack,” which airs on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW, stars four animal friends working together to deliver packages in their community. In the...
France reinforcing its border controls following attacks
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France is reinforcing its border controls after a series of attacks that hit the country in recent weeks. Macron said the number of police and troops in charge of border controls will double from 2,400 now to 4,800. They will...
Is it safe to stay in hotels during the pandemic?
Is it safe to stay in hotels during the pandemic? In a recent travel update, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes it clear: Staying home is the best way to protect yourself against the coronavirus. If you do travel, the CDC says, sharing a rental home with...
Waiting for Pa.: Biden closing quickly on Trump as counting continues
HARRISBURG — Joe Biden is closing quickly in Pennsylvania. The former vice president and Democratic challenger pulled to within about 22,000 votes of President Donald Trump as of 6 a.m. Friday. Trump leads 3,285,048 (49.6%) to 3,262,575 (49.26%), but the lead precipitously dropped throughout the day Thursday as mail ballots...
751,000 seek U.S. jobless benefits as virus hobbles economy
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to 751,000, a still-historically high level that shows that many employers keep cutting jobs in the face of the accelerating pandemic. A surge in viral cases and Congress’ failure so far to provide more aid for struggling...
Alaska search for 7 missing boaters indefinitely postponed
BETHEL, Alaska — Searchers in western Alaska have indefinitely postponed their effort to find seven missing seal hunters. Quinhagak Tribal Police Chief John Peter said he put the search on hold last Saturday for the missing and the boat they were traveling on, KYUK-AM reported Wednesday. “Due to the cold,...
UK extends wage support scheme until March amid new lockdown
LONDON — The British government and the Bank of England joined forces Thursday to provide further support to an economy that is set for a difficult winter following the imposition of new coronavirus lockdown measures. Hours after the central bank increased its monetary stimulus by a bigger than anticipated $195...
With another Florida loss, Democrats begin second guessing
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Perhaps only in Florida is a loss by fewer than 4 percentage points considered a public drubbing. In a state famous for razor-thin margins, the size of former Vice President Joe Biden’s loss to President Donald Trump was humiliating for Democrats and sent many searching for answers...
GM puts up a booming third quarter
DETROIT — General Motors is posting huge third quarter numbers, pulling in $4 billion in profit over three months after losing money because of the virus outbreak. GM’s adjusted earnings were $2.83 per share, easily outpacing Wall Street’s per-share projections of $1.72, according to a survey by FactSet. Revenue of...
Tanzania’s leader sworn in for 2nd term after troubled vote
DODOMA, Tanzania — Tanzania’s populist President John Magufuli took the oath of office for a second five-year term amid tight security Thursday after the opposition called for a fresh election, the disbandment of the electoral commission and an “endless peaceful demonstration” over the Oct. 28 vote. Magufuli over the weekend...
Biden pushes closer to victory in race for the White House
Democrat Joe Biden was pushing closer to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to carry the White House, securing victories in the “blue wall” battlegrounds of Wisconsin and Michigan and narrowing President Donald Trump’s path. With just a handful of states still up for grabs, Trump tried to press his...
Trump backers converge on vote centers in Michigan, Arizona
Dozens of angry supporters of President Donald Trump converged on vote-counting centers in Detroit and Phoenix as the returns went against him Wednesday in the two key states, while thousands of anti-Trump protesters demanding a complete tally of the ballots in the still-undecided election took to the streets in cities...
Ivory Coast’s Soro calls on military to disobey president
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Prominent dissident Guillaume Soro, a former prime minister who was blocked from running in Ivory Coast’s presidential election, called Wednesday on the country’s military to disobey President Alassane Ouattara after he was allowed to win a controversial third term. Soro’s comments via his Facebook account put...
Odell Beckham Jr.’s knee surgery next week, Browns GM sees him as long fit
CLEVELAND — Odell Beckham Jr. has knee surgery scheduled next week. For now, the Browns have him penciled into their plans well beyond that. The star receiver, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in an Oct. 25 game at Cincinnati, will have his torn anterior cruciate ligament repaired and likely...
Antonio Brown practices, excited for opportunity with BuccaneersVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Antonio Brown says he is grateful to be back in the NFL and reunited with Tom Brady. “Tom is my boy, one of the greatest leaders to be around,” the seven-time Pro Bowl receiver — back after missing most of last season and then serving an eight-game...
Democrats win big in Arizona, now a former GOP stronghold
PHOENIX — Democrats have been asking the question for a long time: Is this the year Arizona turns blue? In 2020, the answer was “yes.” Joe Biden won Arizona’s 11 electoral votes for president and Mark Kelly won a seat in the U.S. Senate, ushering in an era of Democratic...
Claim that Sharpie pens ruin Arizona ballots misses the mark
As states across the U.S. release vote totals for the presidential election, some social media users are falsely claiming that ballots are being invalidated in Arizona. The supposed culprit: Sharpie markers. In what’s come to be known as #Sharpiegate, social media posts suggest that election officials in Maricopa County provided...
England readies for new lockdown with retail therapy, final pints
LONDON — Last-minute shoppers in England came out in force Wednesday and thirsty drinkers planned their final freshly poured pints in a pub for the next month as Britain prepared to join large swaths of Europe in a coronavirus lockdown designed to save its health care system from being overwhelmed....
San Francisco voters approve taxes on CEOs, big businesses
SAN FRANCISCO — Addressing economic disparity laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic, San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved several tax measures targeting landlords and big businesses whose CEOs earn far higher than their average workers. Under the new law, any company that pays its top executive 100 times more than their...
Federal Reserve confronts shaky economy that likely needs more help
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve officials are meeting this week with the economy facing growing threats from a resurgence of the coronavirus and from Congress’ failure to provide any further aid for struggling individuals and businesses. Yet the Fed will likely end its latest policy meeting Thursday by deciding to wait...
Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine’s kidnapper is sentenced to 24 years
NEW YORK — A man convicted in the kidnapping of rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was sentenced to 24 years in prison Wednesday by a judge who cited his leadership role in a gang active nationwide. U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer announced the sentence for Anthony Ellison, 33, who has been...
AG: North Dakota governor can’t fill dead candidate’s seat
BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has no authority to appoint a coal company executive to fill a state House seat won by a Republican candidate who died before the election, the attorney general said Wednesday. Burgum announced Wednesday that he was appointing BNI Energy President Wade Boeshans...
In blue and red states, milestone wins for LGBTQ candidates
NEW YORK — Across the nation, LGBTQ candidates achieved milestone victories in Tuesday’s election, including the first transgender person elected to a state Senate, and the first openly gay Black men to win seats in Congress. The landmark wins came not in only blue but also red states such as...
After federal judge’s order, Postal Service sweep finds 13 ballotsVideo
U.S. Postal Service inspectors found just 13 ballots — all in Pennsylvania — during an Election Day sweep of mail processing centers ordered by a federal judge. The ballots were found in two separate mail processing facilities and were expedited for delivery to local election offices, according to court records...
Jittery public turns to liquor, news as presidential race’s fate hangsVideo
PHILADELPHIA — They clung to their cocktails and proclaimed themselves sick with dread. They relentlessly checked the news and went outdoors for fresh air. They bemoaned a wipeout wave that never came and held out hope their favored candidate would still eke out a win. With the fate of the...
