Associated Press stories, Page 2295
Prince Andrew to step back from public dutiesVideo
LONDON — Britain’s Prince Andrew said Wednesday he is stepping back from public duties with the queen’s permission. Andrew said it has become clear to him in recent days that his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has become a “major distraction” to the royal family’s work....
Pence aide denies discussion of link in Ukraine aid holdupVideo
WASHINGTON — A top aide to Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that a conversation described by EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland about a link between military aid for Ukraine and investigations “never happened.” Sondland testified Wednesday that he spoke with Pence before a Sept. 1 meeting with Ukrainian officials “that...
GM sues Fiat Chrysler over union bribes
DETROIT — General Motors is suing Fiat Chrysler, alleging that its crosstown rival got an unfair business advantage by bribing officials of the United Auto Workers union. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, alleges that FCA was involved in racketeering by paying millions in bribes to...
Jussie Smollett: Chicago prosecution was malicious
Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett says his $10,000 payment after the close of a criminal case should prevent Chicago from seeking reimbursement for a police investigation of his claim that he was a victim of a racist and homophobic attack. Smollett’s attorneys filed a response Tuesday to Chicago’s lawsuit in...
Trump directed Ukraine quid pro quo, key witness Ambassador Sondland saysVideo
WASHINGTON — Ambassador Gordon Sondland declared to impeachment investigators Wednesday that President Donald Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani explicitly sought a “quid pro quo” with Ukraine, leveraging an Oval Office visit for political investigations of Democrats. But he also came to believe the trade involved much more. Besides the...
Police: Girl had knives in plot to attack black churchgoers
GAINESVILLE — A Georgia police chief says a white 16-year-old girl had collected several kitchen knives and scouted out a mostly black congregation as part of a methodically planned attack on worshippers there. Police say the plot came to light when Gainesville High School students told administrators the girl had...
Good Samaritan killed, 2 others injured at crash scene
LYNN, Pa. — Pennsylvania state police say a good Samaritan who stopped to help people involved in a traffic accident was killed and two others were hurt when they were struck by a passing vehicle. The crash on Route 309 in Lynn was reported around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. A car...
Andy Murray wins in his return to the Davis CupVideo
MADRID — Andy Murray had been in a similar position before, struggling and needing a big comeback to pull off an important victory. And like he’s done so many times in his career, he again came through with a big rally, this time to give Britain a point in his...
Police: Mom removed daughter from nursing home, killed her
FENTON, Mo. — A 78-year-old woman removed her 51-year-old daughter from a nursing home, then fatally stabbed her in a suburban St. Louis hotel before attempting to kill herself, police say. Marjorie Theleman was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of her daughter, Sharon...
State Department approves $1 billion weapons sale to India
WASHINGTON — The State Department says it has approved the sale of naval guns and related equipment to India in a deal worth more than $1 billion. The department says it provided the legally required notification to Congress of the proposed sale of up to 13 of the naval guns...
New Belgium Brewing sold to international beverage company
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The Colorado brewery responsible for making Fat Tire beer, among many others, is being sold to an international beverage company after nearly 30 years in business, officials said. New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins is being sold to Lion Little World Beverages, The Coloradoan reports....
Arrest made in shooting death of Pa. man found dead in trunk
CHAMBERSBURG — Authorities have made an arrest in the shooting death of a man whose body was found in the trunk of his car. Justin Hockenberry will face counts of criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and drug possession. It’s not known if he’s retained an attorney....
New acts rule Grammys as Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish lead nominationsVideo
The Grammys are screaming “Cuz I Love You” to Lizzo: The breakthrough singer-rapper scored a whopping eight nominations, including bids for the top four awards, making her the show’s top-nominated act. Lizzo picked up nominations for album of the year with her major-label debut, “Cuz I Love You”; song and...
MLB commissioner says penalties could be severe if Astros guilty of sign stealing
ARLINGTON, Texas — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes the investigation into sign stealing by the Houston Astros will be complete by next season and said he has authority to impose discipline beyond the loss of amateur draft picks. Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers said when he was with Houston in 2017,...
Penn State could provide test for ‘Blowout Buckeyes’
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State coach Ryan Day has been saying all season how he wants to see how his team plays when a game is tight, nasty and intense in the fourth quarter. That hasn’t happened yet. Through 10 games, Day has had the luxury of the Buckeyes running...
GOP-requested witness rejects Trump ‘conspiracy theories’Video
WASHINGTON — Sought by Republicans to testify, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine spoke up instead for Democrat Joe Biden in Tuesday’s impeachment hearings, rejecting “conspiracy theories” embraced by President Donald Trump and some of his allies. Kurt Volker said he has known Biden as an honorable man for...
Big 2nd half from Lamar Stevens gets unbeaten Penn State past Bucknell
STATE COLLEGE — Lamar Stevens didn’t like the pace Penn State was playing at early Tuesday, so the Nittany Lions forward took it upon himself to speed things up. Stevens scored 21 of 27 points in the second half, and Penn State pulled away from Bucknell, 98-70, after leading by...
QB Jarret Doege gives WVU hopes for bowl berthVideo
West Virginia’s chances for an elusive bowl berth rest with a quarterback who wasn’t a significant part of the offense a few games ago. Bowling Green transfer Jarret Doege delivered last week in his first start when West Virginia needed a spark at Kansas State to end a five-game losing...
Nerf gun, Power Rangers claw among latest unsafe toys, watchdog says
BOSTON — A Nerf dart gun, ice cream-scented Nickelodeon slime and a plastic Power Rangers claw are among the toys topping a consumer safety group’s list of worst toys for the holidays. World Against Toys Causing Harm unveiled its annual list Tuesday at a Boston children’s hospital. A realistic toy...
No changes atop College Football Playoff rankings; Penn State 8thVideo
The College Football Playoff rankings were unchanged at the top this week, with LSU first followed by Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia. The selection committee’s third weekly rankings had little movement in the top 10, with Alabama fifth followed by Oregon, Utah, Penn State, Oklahoma and Minnesota. The committee could...
16-year-old girl arrested in plot to attack predominantly black church in Georgia
ATLANTA — A white 16-year-old girl is accused of plotting to attack a mostly black church in a north Georgia city, where police say she planned to kill worshippers because of their race. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church has a predominantly black congregation, Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish said Tuesday...
GateHouse, Gannett join, become largest U.S. newspaper chain
NEW YORK — GateHouse has closed its $1.1 billion takeover of Gannett, promising a $300 million cut in annual costs as it becomes the country’s largest newspaper company by far at a time when print publications are in precipitous decline. The new company keeps the Gannett name and brings about...
Pennsylvania lawmaker John Yudichak switches from Democrat to independent
HARRISBURG — A moderate Democrat in Pennsylvania’s state Senate from an area that shifted decisively to support Donald Trump in 2016’s presidential election is switching his registration to become an independent and said Tuesday that he will caucus with the Republican majority. In a news conference in his Capitol office,...
Trump spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham says Obama aides left behind mean notes
WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Tuesday that Obama administration aides left behind taunting notes for incoming Trump officials when they handed over their offices in 2017. Numerous Obama aides denounced the accusation as fiction. “We came into the White House. I’ll tell you something, every office...
Amnesty says at least 106 killed in Iran protests
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Days of protests in Iran over rising fuel prices and a subsequent government crackdown have killed at least 106 people across the Islamic Republic, Amnesty International said Tuesday, citing “credible reports.” Iran’s government, which has not made nationwide numbers available for the toll of the...
