Associated Press stories, Page 2352
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...
On the Money: Tips to make the best of post-holiday shopping
NEW YORK — Holiday shopping doesn’t end with Christmas. Shoppers can take advantage of fatter discounts on clothing, home decor and other items well into January. In fact, a National Retail Federation survey of nearly 8,000 adults conducted Nov. 27 through Dec. 5 found that 68% of holiday consumers will...
San Francisco cafes are banishing disposable coffee cups
SAN FRANCISCO — A new cafe culture is brewing in the San Francisco area, where a growing number of coffee houses are banishing paper to-go cups and replacing them with everything from glass jars to rental mugs and BYO cup policies. What started as a small trend among neighborhood cafes...
Teen shot, killed in Missouri in apparent fight over shoes
GRANDVIEW, Mo. — A 20-year-old man was shot and killed in an apparent fight over shoes in suburban Kansas City, police said. Grandview police said an officer responded Sunday night to a reported shooting and found Jaylen Blackmon, of Kansas City, dead on a sidewalk. Witnesses told police that the...
Rapper DaBaby detained hours after toy giveaway, concert
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Grammy-nominated rapper DaBaby was detained in North Carolina hours after he gave away toys to children and shortly after his concert. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police issued citations to the rapper, whose real name is Jonathan Kirk, for misdemeanor possession of marijuana and resisting an officer Monday night, news outlets...
Former Uber CEO Kalanick severs ties with ride-hailing giant
NEW YORK — Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is resigning from the board of directors, severing ties with the ride-hailing company that he co-founded a decade ago and ran until a series of scandals led to his downfall. The departure, announced Tuesday, did not come as a surprise. Kalanick recently...
Trump lashes out as impeachment trial stuck in limbo
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump lashed out Tuesday as his Senate impeachment trial remains at an impasse, with Republican and Democratic leaders at odds over its format and whether witnesses should be called. Speaking at his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, after a teleconference call with troops...
Trump calls troops ahead of Christmas holiday
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump is calling members of the military stationed across the world to share greetings ahead of the Christmas holiday. Trump is speaking by video conference with service members from all five branches from his private club in Florida, where is he is on a...
Wisconsin city mulls dumping old ban on throwing snowballsVideo
WAUSAU, Wis. — For decades, those who have participated in snowball fights in one Wisconsin city have risked getting in trouble with the law. But that may be about to change. A 1962 ban on throwing projectiles in Wausau lumps snowballs into the same category as rocks and other items...
Melania Trump silently forges path through impeachment
WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton spent the morning of her husband’s impeachment visiting Capitol Hill to rally Democrats to his side. Pat Nixon kept assuring reporters her husband wouldn’t quit — right up until he did. Eliza Johnson, frail from tuberculosis, kept watch over her husband during his impeachment while sitting...
Queen Elizabeth II to admit ‘bumpy’ year in Christmas speech
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II plans to acknowledge that both Britain and her family have endured a difficult year by saying during her Christmas message that it has been a “bumpy” time. The pre-recorded message will be broadcast in Britain and the Commonwealth nations on Christmas Day. It was recorded...
San Francisco cafes are banishing disposable coffee cups
SAN FRANCISCO — A new cafe culture is brewing in the San Francisco area, where a growing number of coffee houses are banishing paper to-go cups and replacing them with everything from glass jars to rental mugs and BYO cup policies. What started as a small trend among neighborhood cafes...
Operation Holiday Express brings gifts to U.S. troops in Syria
SHADDADEH, Syria — Hundreds of American troops based in Syria have received Christmas gifts thanks to Operation Holiday Express, launched by U.S.-led coalition forces from across the border in neighboring Iraq. This year, Santa’s sleigh and reindeer were apparently swapped for a workhorse CH-47 Chinook helicopter. But coalition forces still...
No Christmas at Notre Dame, as fire forces Mass into exile
PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral is unable to host Christmas services for the first time since the French Revolution, because the Paris landmark was too deeply damaged by this year’s fire. So its exiled clergy, choir and congregation are celebrating the holiday in another Gothic church next to the Louvre...
28 killed as bus plunges into ravine in Indonesia
PALEMBANG, Indonesia — A bus plunged into a ravine on Indonesia’s Sumatra island after its brakes apparently malfunctioned, killing at least 28 people and injuring 13 others, police and rescuers said Tuesday. The accident occurred just before midnight Monday on a winding road in South Sumatra province’s Pagaralam district. Palembang...
It takes a tech village to track Santa on Christmas Eve
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — Depending on which country they’re from, the kids may ask about Father Christmas, Papa Noel, Saint Nick or Santa Claus. But they all want to know one thing: where in the world the jolly old man and his sleigh full of gifts are on...
Thousands mark Christmas in West Bank town of Bethlehem
BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Thousands of Christian pilgrims on Tuesday flocked to the West Bank town of Bethlehem, celebrating Christmas Eve in the traditional birthplace of Jesus. Visitors converged on the town’s large Christmas tree in Manger Square, near the spot believed to mark Jesus’ birthplace. Uniformed Palestinian scouts wearing...
To battle opioid crisis, some track overdoses in real time
Drug overdose patients rushed to some emergency rooms in New York’s Hudson Valley are asked a series of questions: Do you have stable housing? Do you have food? Times and location of overdoses are noted, too. The information is entered into a new overdose-tracking system that provides near real-time glimpses...
Packers beat Vikings, clinch NFC North titleVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Aaron Jones rushed for 154 yards and two second-half touchdowns, Za’Darius Smith had five tackles for loss to lead a stifling performance Green Bay’s defense, and the Packers became NFC North champions by beating the Minnesota Vikings, 23-10, on Monday night. The Packers (12-3) made Matt LaFleur the...
