Associated Press stories, Page 1939
White House covid coordinator Deborah Birx says she will retire
WASHINGTON — Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, said Tuesday she plans to retire, but is willing to first help President-elect Joe Biden’s team with its coronavirus response as needed. Birx, in an interview with the news site Newsy, did not give a specific timetable on...
Biden addresses covid bill, holiday pandemic precautionsVideo
WILMINGTON, Del. — President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday expressed empathy with struggling families and applauded Congress for passing the coronavirus relief bill as the nation deals with a covid-19 surge that’s casting a shadow over the Christmas holiday. He called out to frontline workers, scientists, researchers, clinical trial participants and...
Florida’s Johnson leaves hospital 10 days after collapseVideo
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida forward Keyontae Johnson is being released from the hospital Tuesday, 10 days after collapsing on the court at Florida State and needing emergency medical attention. The school released a statement from his family saying, “We continue to be amazed at the pace of his recovery and...
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tests positive for the coronavirus
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has tested positive for the coronavirus and was slated to receive outpatient antibody treatment for “mild symptoms,” his office said Tuesday. McMaster, 73, learned he had tested positive late Monday following a test “due to coming into close contact with the covid-19...
Feds sue Walmart over role in opioid crisis
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is suing Walmart, alleging the company unlawfully dispensed controlled substances through its pharmacies, helping to fuel the opioid crisis in America. The civil complaint being filed Tuesday points to the role Walmart’s pharmacies may have played in the crisis by filling opioid prescriptions and by...
West Virginia’s 42 covid deaths is new single day record
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia reported a single-day record of 42 deaths linked to the coronavirus on Tuesday, with victims ranging in ages from 48 to 100. The state reported 787 confirmed coronavirus cases, down from a high of 1,257 last week. There are 22,864 active cases in the state....
One lucky NYC family gets to spend night at FAO Schwarz
NEW YORK — It’s like getting a peek at Santa’s workshop. A New York City family had a most unusual holiday experience — spending the night at the FAO Schwarz toy store in midtown Manhattan, overlooking the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The special night came from a collaboration between the...
Browns closing in on ending lengthy playoff drought
The Cleveland Browns’ lengthy playoff drought is nearly over. The Browns, who have reached 10 wins for the first time since 2007, can clinch their first playoff spot since 2002 with a victory Sunday at the New York Jets and a loss by any of the following teams: the Baltimore...
AP All-Big Ten: Ohio State’s Fields, Penn State’s Toney honored
Quarterback Justin Fields repeated as offensive player of the year and is joined by three of his teammates on The Associated Press All-Big Ten football team announced Tuesday. Defensive end Shaka Toney was the only Penn State player picked for the first team. Penn State guard Mike Miranda, tight end...
Pa. Supreme Court alters police rules for warrantless vehicle searches
HARRISBURG — Police must have probable cause as well as “exigent circumstances” in order to legally search a vehicle without a warrant, a divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The 4-3 decision said the state constitution’s privacy protections are greater than the U.S. Constitution’s and that those protections extend to...
U.S. population growth smallest in at least 120 years
The U.S. population grew by the smallest rate in at least 120 years from 2019 to 2020, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau — a trend that demographers say provides a glimpse of the coronavirus pandemic’s toll. Population growth in the U.S. already was stagnant over...
With virus drop, North Dakota bars can resume normal hours
BISMARCK, N.D. — Gov. Doug Burgum signed an amended executive order that paved the way for bars and restaurants in North Dakota to return to regular hours of operation on Tuesday, as the active number of covid-19 cases and hospitalizations have declined in the state. The food service establishments had...
Pair of passengers exit NYC flight via slide before takeoff
NEW YORK — A Delta flight out of New York City was halted after a Florida couple traveling with a Great Dane puppy fled the aircraft with the pet using an emergency slide, an airline spokesman and authorities said Tuesday. The incident involving Antonio Murdock and Brianna Greco occurred on...
November existing home sales fall 2.5% following record summer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The market for existing homes cooled slightly in November, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday, after climbing through the late spring, summer and early fall despite the pandemic. Existing home sales fell 2.5% between October and November on a seasonally adjusted basis to 6.69 million annualized...
Can employers make covid-19 vaccination mandatory?
Can employers make covid-19 vaccination mandatory? Yes, with some exceptions. Experts say employers can require employees to take safety measures, including vaccination. That doesn’t necessarily mean you would get fired if you refuse, but you might need to sign a waiver or agree to work under specific conditions to limit...
Britain finds itself isolated and uncertain ahead of Brexit
LONDON — Hundreds of stranded truck drivers hoped to get the green light to leave Britain on Tuesday as the country found itself increasingly isolated and its trade bottled up, cut off by neighbors afraid of a new strain of the coronavirus circulating in England. More than 1,500 trucks snaked...
Christmas in the ICU: Decorations, lights and many tears
OPELIKA, Ala. — A Christmas tree stands outside the intensive care room where a man stricken by covid-19 lies unconscious, a machine breathing for him. A few feet away, a plastic snowman adorns the door of another patient whose face is barely visible behind ventilator tubes. The decorations are “a...
High court opening tops Pennsylvania’s 2021 judicial races
HARRISBURG — Statewide judicial races will be among Pennsylvania’s most closely watched election contests in the coming year, with lawyers and judges around the state already lining up supporters and trying to figure out if they can raise enough money to win. The marquee race will be for Supreme Court,...
2 killed when plane crashes along Texas service road
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Two people were killed when a small plane crashed along a highway service road in North Texas shortly after taking off, authorities said. The Federal Aviation Administration said the single-engine Wheeler Express CT crashed Monday afternoon about 1 mile west of the Grand Prairie Municipal Airport,...
Google rejects DOJ antitrust claims in court filing
Google is pushing back in court this week on antitrust claims brought against it by the Justice Department two months ago. In a legal filing with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Google denied or partially rejected almost 200 specific complaints against it. On only one count,...
Biden to address covid bill, holiday pandemic precautions
WILMINGTON, Del. — President-elect Joe Biden will speak Tuesday as the nation deals with a covid-19 surge that’s casting a shadow over the Christmas holiday this week. Biden will deliver remarks in Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday afternoon, where he’s expected to speak on the $900 billion coronavirus aid bill passed...
Senator says Treasury Dept. email accounts compromised in hack
WASHINGTON — Dozens of email accounts at the Treasury Department were compromised in a massive breach of U.S. government agencies being blamed on Russia, with hackers breaking into systems used by the department’s highest-ranking officials. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., provided new details of the hack following a briefing to Senate...
Air Force says Black people more often investigated, punished
WASHINGTON — Black service members in the Air Force are far more likely to be investigated, arrested, face disciplinary actions and be discharged for misconduct, according to a new report that looked at racial disparities across the service. The report by the Air Force inspector general, released Monday, said Black...
This date in sports history: Dec. 22Video
1894 — The United States Golf Association is founded, becoming the governing body for the game in the country. 1924 — Babe Dye of the Toronto St. Patricks scores five goals in a 10-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. 1974 — Boston’s Phil Esposito scores his 500th goal, and the...
More than 70 West Point cadets accused of cheating on exam
WEST POINT, N.Y. — More than 70 cadets training at the U.S. Military Academy to be Army officers have been accused of cheating on a math exam taken online when they were studying remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt, spokesman for the academy at West Point,...
