Associated Press stories, Page 2265
Thousands in Asia marvel at ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — People along a swath of southern Asia gazed at the sky in marvel on Thursday at a “ring of fire” solar eclipse. The so-called annular eclipse, in which a thin outer ring of the sun is still visible, could be seen along a path stretching from...
N. Carolina couple call 911 on vacuum thought to be intruder
HIGH POINT, N.C. — ‘Twas the night of Christmas at a North Carolina house, no creature should have been stirring, not even a mouse. But a Forsyth County couple awoke with a fright, as something was moving about their house in the night. They dashed to their closet and hid...
Miami, Louisiana Tech to face off in Independence BowlVideo
Miami coach Manny Diaz’s message leading up to the Independence Bowl has been simple: Winning streaks and winning traditions start somewhere. He should know. He was at Louisiana Tech in 2014 when the Bulldogs beat Illinois in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. No one knew at the time, of course,...
Police: Man arrested days after fatal stabbing in TennesseeVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Law enforcement officials arrested man charged with criminal homicide Wednesday, concluding a dayslong search after a fatal stabbing outside a Tennessee bar. Michael Mosley, 23, was captured in Cheatham County, the Nashville Metro Police announced. Mosley is accused in the Saturday attack at a Midtown Nashville bar...
Woman, 2 kids die after being found on sidewalk near Boston garage
BOSTON — A woman and two young children have died after being found unconscious on a sidewalk near a Boston parking garage on Christmas Day. “Today is a tragedy,” said Boston Police Commissioner William Gross. The identities of the victims, as well as the woman’s relationship to the children, who...
Skiing accident at Pennsylvania resort kills Virginia man
MACUNGIE — A skiing accident at an eastern Pennsylvania resort claimed the life of a Virginia man, authorities said. Matthew Rosenstein, 23, of Arlington, Va., died Monday of multiple blunt force injuries, the Lehigh County coroner’s office said Wednesday. The coroner’s office said he struck snowblowing equipment while skiing at...
Sooners count on experience, speed to put brakes on LSU’s top-rated offenseVideo
ATLANTA — Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray knows the Sooners defense is preparing for its toughest challenge of the season and believes experience on the national stage will be a big factor. No. 1 LSU (13-0) enters the College Football Playoff semifinal in Saturday’s Peach Bowl leading the nation in yards...
GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski ‘disturbed’ by McConnell impeachment remark
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, said she was disturbed to hear Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell say there would be “total coordination” between the White House and the Senate over the upcoming presidential impeachment trial. “And in fairness, when I heard that I was...
Tiger Woods’ Masters comeback named AP Sports Story of the Year
A green jacket. A heart-melting embrace. A stirring return to the top of golf by one of the sport’s all-time greats. In choosing Tiger Woods’ victory at the Masters as The Associated Press sports story of the year, voters went with the uplifting escape of a great comeback over options...
Remains of soldier killed in Afghanistan returned to U.S.
DOVER, Del. — The remains of a 33-year-old American soldier killed in combat in Afghanistan have been returned to the United States, arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Goble of Washington Township, New Jersey, was killed Monday in a roadside bombing in northern...
Man robs Colorado bank, throws cash, says ‘Merry Christmas’
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A 65-year-old Colorado man is jailed after witnesses say he robbed a bank in Colorado Springs, walked outside and threw money out of the bag and then said “Merry Christmas.” The man walked to the coffee shop next door, “sat down and waited for the cops,”...
Songwriter Allee Willis, who did ‘Friends’ theme, dies
LOS ANGELES — Allee Willis, a songwriter whose work included the Broadway musical “The Color Purple” as well as the theme song from the TV show “Friends” and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” has died. She was 72. The cause of death Tuesday was a cardiac event, her publicist, Ellyn...
Man killed, woman wounded after car ambushed in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — A man was killed and a woman wounded when almost two dozen shots were fired at a car in southwest Philadelphia on Christmas Eve, police said. Chief Inspector Scott Small told The Philadelphia Inquirer that two gunmen ambushed the car just after 9 p.m. Tuesday in the Elmwood...
ESPN college football reporter Edward Aschoff dies at 34
BRISTOL, Conn. — ESPN college football reporter Edward Aschoff, known for his outgoing and friendly personality, dapper dress and great love of sports, has died. He was 34. The sports network announced Aschoff died Tuesday after a brief illness. “We are very sorry to have to share the devastating news...
Notre Dame rector: Fragile cathedral might not be savedVideo
PARIS — The rector of Notre Dame Cathedral says the Paris landmark is still so fragile that there’s a “50% chance” the structure might not be saved, because scaffolding installed before this year’s fire is threatening the vaults of the Gothic monument. Monsignor Patrick Chauvet said restoration work isn’t likely...
Police: 3 dead in apparent murder-suicide in Florida; 4 children safe
LAKELAND, Fla. — Three adults were killed in an apparent murder-suicide on Christmas Eve while four young children were inside the home, authorities in Florida said. The children were safely removed from the home after the shooting Tuesday night, Lakeland Police Capt. Ed Cain told reporters. The three dead adults...
Trumps attend music-filled church service on Christmas Eve
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended a music-filled Christmas Eve service at a Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated church before celebrating the holiday with dinner in the ballroom of his private club. The pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, Florida, Jimmy Scroggins, and...
Marshawn Lynch’s return provides spark for Seahawks locker roomVideo
RENTON, Wash. — When Marshawn Lynch played his last game for Seattle in January 2016, a playoff loss to the Carolina Panthers, the idea of him ever wearing a Seahawks uniform again seemed preposterous. Yet here was Lynch on Tuesday going through his first practice with Seattle in nearly four...
Officer creates Christmas ‘investigation’ for neighbor, 3
OXFORD, Miss. — A Mississippi police officer created a Christmas caper for her preschool neighbor to investigate. Oxford police Officer Rachel Ratcliffe knew Bailey Stacey’s family had had a rough year. The 3-year-old and his parents had stayed in her house when their house next door flooded and the Staceys...
Study: No evidence museum’s stovepipe hat was Lincoln’s
A new study has found no evidence to corroborate that a beaver-skin stovepipe hat — for years a centerpiece of Illinois’ Abraham Lincoln museum — ever actually belonged to the 16th U.S. president, according to a published report. Among the findings spelled out in a 54-page report was that the...
Pop culture in 2010s marked gains in diversity, inclusion
NEW YORK — When the family-friendly Hallmark Channel recently pulled, under pressure from a conservative group, a set of ads featuring a kiss between two happy brides at the altar, backlash was swift — to say the least. Within hours, stars like Ellen DeGeneres and William Shatner were tweeting in...
Pope marks joyful Christmas Eve after less-than-joyful year
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis assured the faithful on Christmas Eve that God loves everyone — “even the worst of us” — as he celebrated the joyous birth of Christ after a less-than-joyful year of scandals and opposition. With a choir singing the classic Christmas hymn “The First Noel,” Francis...
Pothole Christmas tree inspires Mississippi pastor to write holiday song
McCOMB, Miss. — A scraggly metal Christmas tree planted in a pothole has inspired a Mississippi minister to pen a holiday song. One bit asks, “If a man can take a pothole and bring the whole world together, the question is what are you doing to spread the Christmas joy?”...
Bankruptcy judge thrust into spotlight in Purdue Pharma case
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The judge overseeing the bankruptcy of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma warns that real-life court cases don’t unfold like “Perry Mason.” But he’s afraid this one might come to resemble “Dr. Strangelove.” U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain of White Plains, N.Y., has a reputation for thorough preparation,...
Division champion Packers proud of another not-so-pretty winVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — The first time the Green Bay Packers formally gathered in the spring, new coach Matt LaFleur presented the goal of reclaiming the NFC North. Division titles are standard preseason talking points around the NFL, and for the past quarter-century they’ve been the minimum expectation for the Packers. Considering...
