Associated Press stories, Page 2204
South African brewer says it may dump 400 million bottles of beer
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South African Breweries, one of the world’s largest brewers, says it may have to destroy 400 million bottles of beer as a result of the country’s ban on alcohol sales that is part of its lockdown measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. South...
Indianapolis police officer fatally strikes pregnant woman
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis police officer on his way to work struck and killed a pregnant woman who was walking on an expressway ramp, police said Thursday. Officer Jonathon Henderson, a 22-year veteran, struck the woman about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, police said. The accident happened as he traveled on the...
Face masks make a political statement in era of coronavirus
WASHINGTON — The decision to wear a mask in public is becoming a political statement — a moment to pick sides in a brewing culture war over containing the coronavirus. While not yet as loaded as a “Make America Great Again” hat, the mask is increasingly a visual shorthand for...
Hundreds evacuated as wildfires rage in Florida Panhandle
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Firefighters in the Florida Panhandle have been battling wildfires that forced some 1,600 people to evacuate from their homes, and a stretch of Interstate 10 remained closed in both directions Thursday morning due to smoke, authorities said. A more than 575-acre fire in Walton County prompted about...
Trucker charged in serial killings faces scrutiny across U.S.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Investigators from multiple states were looking Thursday into whether a long-haul trucker from Iowa who’s implicated in at least three women’s slayings in the 1990s could be responsible for other unsolved homicides. Officers arrested Clark Perry Baldwin, 58, in Waterloo on Wednesday after new DNA evidence...
California doom: Staggering $54 billion budget deficit loomsVideo
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will have a budget shortfall of $54.3 billion because of the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration announced Thursday, a stunning reversal for a state that had a $21 billion surplus a year ago. The state has been under a mandatory stay-at-home...
Picnicking — the socially distanced way — for Mother’s DayVideo
Every milestone or holiday that comes and goes in quarantine feels like a pinch. We Zoom, we FaceTime, we wish each other well on social media, we send cards and gifts. And now it’s Mother’s Day, and we wish we could do more. Luckily, I live near by mom, and...
New Banksy art unveiled at British hospital to thank doctors, nurses
A new work by the elusive street artist Banksy, honoring health workers, has been unveiled at a British hospital. The framed picture, titled “Game Changer,” depicts a young boy sitting on the floor playing with a nurse superhero toy. Batman and Spiderman action figure toys lie in a wastepaper basket...
33 million have sought U.S. unemployment aid since coronavirus hitVideo
WASHINGTON — Nearly 3.2 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the business shutdowns caused by the viral outbreak deepened the worst U.S. economic catastrophe in decades. Roughly 33.5 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the seven weeks since the coronavirus began forcing millions...
Police: 2 McDonald’s workers shot over dining area closure
OKLAHOMA CITY — Two McDonald’s employees in Oklahoma City were shot and wounded by a customer who was angry that the restaurant’s dining area was closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, police said. A female suspect was in custody after the Wednesday night shooting, but police have not yet released...
Bank of England: U.K. economy to shrink by most since 1706Video
LONDON — The Bank of England warned Thursday that the British economy could suffer its deepest annual contraction in more than three centuries as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, before bouncing back next year. In what it describes as a “plausible” scenario, the bank said the British economy will...
Jay Chou brings magic with his Netflix show ‘J-Style Trip’
Mandopop superstar Jay Chou is bringing a little magic into viewers’ lives with his Netflix show “J-Style Trip.” Part travelogue, part magic performance, the show has Chou diving into adventures around the world with his A-lister friends. “Magic is actually like music. It is a universal language,” Chou told The...
Gunman sought after 3 dead in string of Houston shootings
HOUSTON — Police searched early Thursday for a man suspected of fatally shooting three men during the span of less than an hour at separate locations in Houston. The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Joshua Kelsey, was believed to be driving a car that was stolen from the scene of the...
Spain daily virus death toll trends downwardVideo
MADRID — Spain is maintaining its positive evolution of its coronavirus outbreak a day after its government succeeded in securing parliamentary support for a new two-week extension of its lockdown measures despite losing some important support from political rivals. Spanish health authorities reported about 200 new fatalities on Thursday, taking...
Outer Banks set to reopen to visitorsVideo
Three counties on North Carolina’s tourist-reliant Outer Banks announced plans Wednesday to lift coronavirus-related visitor restrictions, although they warned of the need to continue to practice social distancing amid the ongoing pandemic. In a joint statement, officials in Currituck, Dare and Hyde counties said restrictions on entry for visitors will...
California to get $247M refund as masks face delivery delay
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will get a $247 million refund amid delayed delivery of protective masks it ordered under a deal with a Chinese manufacturer. The N95 respirator masks, made in China by electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, failed to meet an April 30 certification deadline from the National Institute for...
NFL sets protocols for reopening of team facilitiesVideo
The NFL has set protocols for reopening team facilities and has told the 32 teams to have them in place by May 15. In a memo sent by commissioner Roger Goodell and obtained Wednesday night by the Associated Press, several phases of the protocols were laid out. The first phase...
Dallas salon owner jailed for defying virus shutdown order
DALLAS — Texas’ Republican governor and top law enforcement officer Wednesday came to the defense of a Dallas hair salon owner who was jailed for keeping her business open in defiance of the governor’s restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Shelley Luther was booked in the Dallas...
TV broadcaster Sinclair fined record $48 million over Tribune deal
The federal government has fined Sinclair Broadcasting Corp. $48 million, largely because of actions the TV broadcaster took in its failed attempt to acquire smaller rival Tribune Media. Sinclair in 2017 proposed a $3.9 billion deal for Tribune’s TV stations, attempting to extend its reach into new markets. The deal...
Taiwan baseball league set to allow fans back in ballparksVideo
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Fans will be allowed to enter baseball stadiums for games in Taiwan for the first time this season as part of a gradual easing of restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. The China Professional Baseball League said up to 1,000 people would be permitted to enter ballparks from...
Georgia family demands arrests 2 months after son fatally shotVideo
SAVANNAH, Ga. — The parents of a black man slain in a pursuit by two white men armed with guns called for immediate arrests Wednesday as they faced the prospect of waiting a month or longer before a Georgia grand jury could consider bringing charges. A swelling outcry over the...
Brett Favre repaying $1.1M for no-show speeches, auditor saysVideo
JACKSON, Miss. — Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre is repaying $1.1 million in welfare money that he received for multiple speeches where he did not show up, the Mississippi state auditor said Wednesday. Auditor Shad White said his office received $500,000 from Favre on Wednesday, plus a commitment Favre will...
Agency finds private border wall violates Rio Grande treaty
HOUSTON — A construction firm promoted by President Donald Trump to build his signature border wall violated American treaty obligations with a private border fence next to the river separating Texas and Mexico, a U.S. agency has found. The International Boundary and Water Commission found that Fisher Industries’ 3-mile (4.8...
Lawsuit on behalf of Missouri meat plant workers dismissed
O’FALLON, Mo. — A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of employees at a rural Missouri meatpacking facility, ruling that oversight of how the plant adheres to guidance aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus falls to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, not the courts. U.S....
Polish ruling coalition postpones presidential vote
WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s ruling party leader and a partner in the governing coalition announced an agreement late Wednesday to postpone Sunday’s presidential election, saying a new date will be chosen later. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, head of the ruling Law and Justice party, and Jaroslaw Gowin, leader of a small party...
