Associated Press stories, Page 2224

LOS ANGELES — A groom was beaten to death by two men who crashed his wedding reception, which was being held in a backyard east of Los Angeles, authorities said. Two suspects were arrested Sunday afternoon in the city of Chino, Calif., hours after the groom, 30-year-old Joe Steven Melgoza...

Thirteen large financial firms are agreeing to pay $337 million to settle claims by Pennsylvania’s treasury department and about a dozen other government agencies and pension funds accusing them of inflating the price of bonds issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to proposed agreements filed in federal court....

European space officials on Tuesday postponed the launch of a three-year mission to study planets in other solar systems shortly before it was due to blast off. The European Space Agency announced that the launch from Kourou, French Guiana, of the Characterising ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS) mission would be delayed by...

NEW YORK — Amazon is banning its third-party merchants from using FedEx’s ground service to deliver to Prime members, suggesting that it thinks the service is too slow to get packages to their destinations in time for Christmas. The temporary ban will block those companies from using FedEx Ground service,...

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis abolished the use of the Vatican’s highest level of secrecy in clergy sexual abuse cases Tuesday, responding to mounting criticism that the rule of “pontifical secrecy” has been used to protect pedophiles, silence victims and prevent police from investigating crimes. Victims and their advocates cheered...

GREAT FALLS, Mont. — A pre-dawn shooting Tuesday at a Montana casino left three people dead and another person injured, and the suspect was later tracked down and killed by police, officials said. The shooting at the Emerald City Casino in the city of Great Falls happened about 2 a.m....

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — David Tepper’s vision of bringing a Major League Soccer team to Charlotte has been realized. Charlotte was awarded an MLS expansion team on Tuesday by MLS commissioner Don Garber at a news conference in downtown Charlotte. The team will begin play in 2021 and can begin signing...

WASHINGTON — The number of availab le jobs jumped in October after hitting an 18-month low the previous month, a sign the job market remains strong. The Labor Department said Tuesday that the number of available positions rose 3.3% to nearly 7.3 million. That suggests that businesses remain confident enough...

NEW YORK — A small group of President Donald Trump’s fiercest conservative critics, including the husband of the president’s own chief adviser, is launching a super PAC designed to fight Trump’s reelection and punish congressional Republicans deemed his “enablers.” The new organization, known as the Lincoln Project, represents a formal...

You can ring in the New Year with Post Malone: The rap-pop star will perform at “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2020” in New York City on Dec. 31. Dick Clark Productions announced Tuesday that K-pop group BTS, country singer Sam Hunt and singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette...

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday scheduled a sentencing hearing for next month for Michael Flynn after rejecting arguments from the former Trump administration national security adviser that prosecutors had withheld evidence favorable to his case. The order from U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington pushes the case...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs claimed veteran pass rusher Terrell Suggs off waivers Monday, filling a massive hole at defensive end after losing Alex Okafor to a torn pectoral muscle a day earlier against the Denver Broncos. The 37-year-old Suggs spent the first 16 years of his...

NEW YORK — Jonotthan Harrison entered training camp as the New York Jets’ center, eager to establish himself as a reliable starter. It all changed in a snap in early August when Ryan Kalil was lured out of retirement — sending Harrison to his familiar backup role. That is, until...

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan deal on a government spending bill would for the first time in two decades provide money for federal research on gun safety. A law adopted in the 1990’s has effectively blocked such research and prohibits federal agencies from engaging in advocacy on gun-related issues. The spending...

The Arizona Coyotes are looking to end their lengthy playoff drought by adding a player desperate to get back to the postseason himself. Arizona acquired standout winger Taylor Hall from the New Jersey Devils on Monday for three prospects and two draft picks. The Coyotes will try to end their...

WASHINGTON — People will get more time to sign up for “Obamacare” health insurance, the Trump administration announced Monday, following a spate of computer glitches over the weekend. The new HealthCare.gov deadline is 3 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a statement....