Associated Press stories, Page 2411
Trump slams Puerto Rico leaders: ‘Under siege,’ ‘despicable’
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — President Donald Trump is tweeting harsh words for leaders in Puerto Rico, where thousands have been protesting to demand the governor resign after leaked chats showed him making misogynistic slurs and mocking constituents. Trump says “A lot of bad things are happening in Puerto Rico”...
Court upholds ‘Pharma Bro’ Martin Shkreli’s conviction
NEW YORK — A federal appeals court upheld the securities fraud conviction against former drug company CEO Martin Shkreli, known as “Pharma Bro,” on Thursday, along with a $7.3 million forfeiture of assets. A judge sentenced Shkreli to seven years in prison last year for his conviction on charges he...
Pilot accused of flying while drunk in Nevada crash
MESQUITE, Nev. — Authorities say a pilot from Washington state was arrested on suspicion of flying while drunk after a private plane crash and fire at an airport in Nevada. Police say 41-year-old Ryan Raymond Dashiell of Spokane escaped serious injury in the crash of the twin-engine Cessna 550 on...
Circle K Mexico apologizes for ‘sexist’ Secretary Day ad
MEXICO CITY — Circle K Mexico is apologizing for an ad on “Secretary Day” promoting a deal on chocolate, red wine and condoms. The convenience store brand said in a Wednesday statement that it did not intend to “promote any stereotype” and highlighted its “promise to be a business that...
Deemed dangerous, Jeffrey Epstein denied bail in sex abuse case
NEW YORK — A judge denied bail for jailed financier Jeffrey Epstein on sex trafficking charges Thursday, saying the danger to the community that would result if the jet-setting defendant was free formed the “heart of this decision.” Epstein, with his hands folded before him, showed no reaction to the...
House approves $15 minimum wage, Senate prospects are dim
WASHINGTON — House Democrats approved legislation Thursday to raise the federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade, to $15 an hour, but the bill has almost no chance in the Republican-controlled Senate. Passage was assured after centrists won concessions for a slower phase-in, over six years instead...
Assange drops appeal of 50-week sentence for jumping bail
LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has dropped an appeal of his 50-week prison term for jumping bail in Britain. Court officials said Thursday that a hearing on the appeal set for next week had been cancelled. Assange is jailed in London’s Belmarsh Prison at the same time as he...
Shane Lowry sets early target as Rory McIlroy hits 79 at British Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Shane Lowry of Ireland didn’t have the level of expectations or the connection to Royal Portrush like Rory McIlroy. All he had was the lead Thursday at the British Open. Lowry found a renewed confidence on the eve of the final major of the year and...
India reschedules launch of its moon mission for Monday
CHENNAI, India — India’s space agency said it will launch a spacecraft to the south pole of the moon on Monday after stopping an attempt this week. The Indian Space Research Organization said the Chandrayaan-2 launch is now set at 2:43 p.m. on Monday. It said Thursday that the cause...
Man shouting ‘You die’ kills over 30 at Japan anime studio
TOKYO — A man screaming “You die!” burst into an animation studio in Kyoto, doused it with a flammable liquid and set it on fire Thursday, killing 33 people in a shocking attack. Thirty-six others were injured, some of them critically. The suspect was hurt and taken to a hospital....
Robbery suspect walks out of trial while jury deliberates
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — An armed-robbery defendant walked out of his trial just moments before a Florida jury found him guilty. The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that 29-year-old Antonio Jama Gearing had been released on $75,000 bail so he was free to move about the Daytona Beach courtroom Tuesday. But...
Trump slams congresswomen; crowd roars, ‘Send her back!’Video
GREENVILLE, N.C. — A combative President Trump rallied Republican supporters Wednesday in North Carolina, harshly criticizing four fiery, left-wing congresswoman of being un-American and claiming they are the face of the Democratic Party that will ruin the country. “I think in some cases they hate our country,” Trump said to...
Utah family mourns 6-year-old girl killed by father’s golf ball
OREM, Utah — Relatives of a 6-year-old Utah girl who died after her father accidentally struck her with a golf ball are remembering her as a loving, playful child. Aria Hill’s uncle David Smith described her as a happy child who greeted strangers and enjoyed spending time with her parents....
House rejects effort to force vote on impeaching President TrumpVideo
WASHINGTON — The House easily killed a maverick Democrat’s effort Wednesday to impeach President Trump for his recent racial insults against lawmakers of color, a vote that provided an early snapshot of just how divided Democrats are over ousting him as the 2020 presidential and congressional campaigns rev up. Democrats...
House votes to hold William Barr, Wilbur Ross in contempt
WASHINGTON — The Democratic-controlled House voted Wednesday to hold two top Trump administration officials in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas related to a decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The House voted, 230-198, to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary...
Florida man says he tossed son in ocean to teach him to swimVideo
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A 37-year-old Florida man is accused of throwing his 5-year-old son into the Atlantic Ocean and then doing back flips off a city pier as the boy struggled in the water. An arrest report says that when Daytona Beach police arrested John Bloodsworth on child abuse...
Early game vs. Syracuse looms large for defending national champ Clemson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The biggest obstacle standing between Clemson and a fifth straight ACC championship might be an early season Sept. 14 matchup at Syracuse. Clemson largely has breezed through the conference schedule over the last four seasons, going 34-2 while winning four straight ACC titles and two national championships....
Judge: Michael Cohen campaign finance investigation over
NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors have told a judge in New York they have concluded their investigation into campaign finance crimes committed by President Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen. The closure of the case is the strongest suggestion yet that federal prosecutors have decided not to bring criminal charges against...
Local boy Graeme McDowell hopes to fulfill dream of winning Open at Portrush
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Inside the entrance to Rathmore Golf Club, just past a sign offering umbrellas for sale on a rainy day, sits a replica of the U.S. Open trophy the club’s favorite son won at Pebble Beach in 2010. A large painting of Graeme McDowell hangs next to...
Rory McIlroy center of attention at British Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — On the final day of practice for the final major of the year, Rory McIlroy ripped a shot out of the light rough and began walking toward the green when he stopped in the middle of the fairway for a quick interview with Sky Sports. That’s...
AP: Ron Francis nears deal as GM of Seattle’s NHL expansion team
SEATTLE — Seattle’s NHL expansion team is close to an agreement with Hockey Hall of Famer Ron Francis to become its first general manager, a person with direct knowledge told the Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the team had not made an announcement....
Prosecutors drop groping case against Kevin SpaceyVideo
BOSTON — Prosecutors dropped a case Wednesday accusing Kevin Spacey of groping a young man at a resort island bar in 2016, more than a week after the accuser refused to testify about a missing cellphone the defense says contains information that supports the actor’s claims of innocence. Spacey was...
Paul Goldschmidt’s homer sends Pirates to 5th loss in 6 games
ST. LOUIS — Paul Goldschmidt was looking for a single. He ended up getting a whole lot more. And it was more than the Pittsburgh Pirates could overcome. Goldschmidt hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off Michael Feliz in the seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pirates, 6-5...
Winners overlook rigged games’ lack of fairness, study finds
WASHINGTON — When it comes to fairness and privilege, a new study finds it really is not about how you play the game. It’s about whether you win or lose. A new experiment, played out as a card game, shows that even when the deck is literally stacked in people’s...
Former Auburn assistant basketball coach Chuck Person avoids prison
NEW YORK — Former Auburn University assistant basketball coach and NBA star Chuck Person’s lifelong generosity may have driven him to the poorhouse, but it saved him from the jailhouse Wednesday when a judge sentenced him in a bribery scandal that touched some of the biggest college basketball programs. U.S....

