Associated Press stories, Page 2111
Trump calls off Florida segment of GOP National ConventionVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s hopes to salvage a four-night celebration for his reelection campaign have been thwarted by spiking coronavirus cases across the Sun Belt, with the president announcing Thursday that he was calling off the public events of the Republican National Convention scheduled to be held in Florida....
Congress defies Trump veto threat on Confederate base names
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday joined the House in defying a veto threat from President Donald Trump to approve defense legislation that would remove the names of Confederate officers from American military bases such as Fort Bragg and Fort Benning. The Senate approved the annual policy measure, 86-14, a...
Pepcid as a coronavirus remedy? Trump administration’s $21M gamble fizzled
A nearly $21 million government-funded study to see if a popular, over-the-counter heartburn medication could be a covid-19 remedy has fizzled amid allegations of conflicts of interest and scientific misconduct, according to interviews, a whistleblower complaint and internal government records obtained by The Associated Press. In mid-April, the Trump administration...
MLB expanding playoffs to 16 teams for this seasonVideo
NEW YORK — MLB and the players’ union agreed Thursday to expand the playoffs from 10 teams to 16 for the pandemic-delayed season, a decision that makes it likely teams with losing records will reach the postseason. The agreement was reached hours before the season opener between the New York...
Lawsuit alleges former Cardinal McCarrick, others abused youth at beach house
A new lawsuit alleges former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and several other clerics sexually abused a teenage boy at a New Jersey beach house in the 1980s. The suit filed this week in state Superior Court in New Jersey claims the youth, who is not named, was first abused...
AOC admonishes Rep. Ted Yoho in fiery speech on House floor: ‘I am someone’s daughter’Video
WASHINGTON — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s outrage over a Republican lawmaker’s verbal assault broadened into an extraordinary moment on the House floor Thursday as she and other Democrats assailed a sexist culture of “accepting violence and violent language against women” whose adherents include President Donald Trump. A day after rejecting an...
Watchdog to review conduct of federal agents in Portland, D.C.Video
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department inspector general said Thursday that it will conduct a review of the conduct of federal agents who responded to unrest in Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C., following concerns from members of Congress and the public. The watchdog investigation will examine use-of-force allegations in Portland, where...
Nationals star Juan Soto positive for covid-19, out for openerVideo
WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto tested positive for covid-19 and was put on the injured list Thursday, forcing him to miss the start of the pandemic-delayed season. “You feel bad for him. He’s a great player. The fans want to see him. And it affects our lineup,” Nationals...
Mike Tyson, 54, to return for exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr.Video
CARSON, Calif. — Mike Tyson is coming back to boxing at age 54. The former heavyweight champion will meet four-division champion Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round exhibition match Sept. 12 at Dignity Health Sports Park. Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history when he won the title in...
Justin Bieber announces 2021 dates for rescheduled tour
New dates have been announced for Justin Bieber’s previously scheduled 2020 tour, which will now take place next summer. The Justin Bieber World Tour was originally planned to begin in May but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. AEG Presents said the 45-date tour will kick off on June...
Wall Street stumbles after rise in layoffs, tech weakness
NEW YORK — Wall Street is stumbling on Thursday, undercut in part by a discouraging report showing that layoffs are picking up across the country with coronavirus counts. Technology stocks had the sharpest losses after a better-than-expected profit report from Microsoft wasn’t enough to satisfy investors expecting even more. The...
Ex-Redskins become Washington Football Team for 2020 season
The NFL team formerly known as the Redskins will go by the Washington Football Team for the 2020 season, giving the organization time to choose a new, full-time name. The club announced the placeholder name Thursday, ahead of the start of training camp next week. “The decision to use ‘Washington...
Pennsylvania school openings hinge on case counts, Health Secretary Rachel Levine warns
HARRISBURG — Every region of Pennsylvania has seen an increase in the rate of positive coronavirus cases and failing to stop that could jeopardize the reopening of schools for the fall semester, the state’s top health official said Thursday. In addition, Health Secretary Rachel Levine said the majority of counties...
WHO chief upbraids Pompeo over ‘unacceptable’ allegations
GENEVA — The director-general of the World Health Organization has upbraided U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for making “untrue and unacceptable” allegations, responding to media reports saying Pompeo had claimed the health agency chief was “bought” by China. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted WHO was focusing on “saving lives”...
Judge won’t silence anyone in Epstein-related prosecution
NEW YORK — The judge presiding over the criminal sex abuse case against Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, refused Thursday to ban prosecutors or lawyers for alleged victims from commenting publicly. U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan said in a written order that she expects anyone involved in the case...
Ann Taylor owner files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
NEW YORK — The operator of Ann Taylor and Lane Bryant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, the latest retailer to do so during the pandemic. Mahwah, New Jersey-based Ascena Retail Group Inc., which operates nearly 3,000 stores mostly at malls, had been dragged down by debt and...
Release the Kraken: Seattle unveils name for NHL franchise
SEATTLE — The NHL’s newest team finally has its name: the Seattle Kraken. The expansion franchise unveiled its nickname Thursday, ending 19 months of speculation about whether the team might lean traditional or go eccentric with the name for the league’s 32nd team. “The Kraken is a name born of...
Clint Bowyer heads to Kansas Speedway without his typical crowd
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — This is typically one of the busiest weeks of the year for Clint Bowyer, who grew up in the small southeast Kansas town of Emporia and began his racing career on the dirt surface of Lakeside Speedway just outside Kansas City. The NASCAR star is fielding...
Angels’ Mike Trout confirms he’ll play this year with baby on way
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mike Trout is confident enough in baseball’s safety rules to stay on the field during the coronavirus pandemic. Trout has decided to play for the Los Angeles Angels in the shortened baseball season, although his year will be paused in a few weeks by the birth of...
Fox taking fans to the ballgame with a virtual crowd
LOS ANGELES — Fox will be taking viewers out to the ballgame by adding a virtual crowd in parks during its baseball telecasts this season. The network revealed on Thursday that it will include computer-generated fans in the stands beginning with their three games on Saturday. Fox begins its coverage...
Pandemic grips commerce and hits railroader Union Pacific
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific’s second-quarter profit fell 28% from a year ago as carload revenue tumbled in the coronavirus pandemic. The railroad expects improvement in the second half with full-year carload volumes to be down around 10% compared with 2019, assuming there isn’t a second wave of virus-related economic...
Wildfire in Greece rages for 2nd day, more homes evacuated
ATHENS, Greece — Firefighters and water-dropping aircraft were fighting for a second day Thursday to contain a large wildfire in southern Greece that forced evacuations and a night-long battle to save homes. The Fire Service said the blaze to the east of the southern town of Corinth was in full...
Chief U.K. negotiator says ‘gaps’ remain in Brexit talksVideo
LONDON — Negotiators working to establish new trade relations between Britain and the European Union admitted Thursday there was a long way to go despite progress being made in the complex talks. In comments delivered at the end of the latest round of talks, Chief U.K. negotiator David Frost said...
White House drops payroll tax cut as GOP unveils virus aid
WASHINGTON — The White House has dropped a bid to cut Social Security payroll taxes as Republicans unveil a $1 trillion covid-19 rescue package on Thursday, ceding to opposition to the idea among top Senate allies. “It won’t be in the base bill,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, speaking on...
China cites ‘malicious slander’ as Houston consulate closes
BEIJING — China said Thursday that “malicious slander” is behind an order by the U.S. government to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, maintaining that its officials never operated outside ordinary diplomatic rules. Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the move against the consulate, the first one China opened in...
