Associated Press stories, Page 2536
Court tosses black man’s murder conviction over racial bias
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is throwing out the murder conviction and death sentence for a black man in Mississippi because of a prosecutor’s efforts to keep African Americans off the jury. The defendant already has been tried six times and now could face a seventh trial. The court’s 7-2...
Pa. couple convicted in beating death of 4-year-old who spilled his cereal
WILLOW GROVE — A suburban Philadelphia couple has been convicted of murder in the death of a 4-year-old who was beaten for spilling his breakfast cereal. A jury returned the verdict Thursday night against the boy’s mother, Lisa Smith, and her boyfriend, Keiff King. The Abington couple also was convicted...
New York lawmakers OK pot decriminalization
ALBANY, N.Y. — Lawmakers in New York state have voted to eliminate criminal penalties for public possession and use of marijuana after efforts to legalize pot stalled. The measure would reduce low-level criminal charges for unlawful possession of marijuana to a violation, which comes with a fine similar to a...
No injuries in explosions, fire at Philadelphia oil refinery
PHILADELPHIA — A fire at a 150-year-old refinery complex in Philadelphia turned the early morning sky a bright orange and yellow and awakened startled residents with explosions that shook homes Friday. The fire broke out at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining Complex around 4 a.m., spokeswoman Cherice Corley said. “Refinery...
U.S. prepped for strikes on Iran before approval was withdrawn
WASHINGTON — A U.S. official said the military made preparations Thursday night for limited strikes on Iran in retaliation for the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, but approval was abruptly withdrawn before the attacks were launched. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the operation publicly and spoke...
Zion Williamson to Pelicans with No. 1 pick of NBA Draft
NEW YORK — Zion Williamson plays with force and ferocity, a Hulk in hightops who looks like he’d never show a soft side. Draft night proved otherwise. Williamson was the No. 1 pick of the New Orleans Pelicans — a surprise to nobody who watched basketball this past season. But...
Kaapo Kakko ready for answer if he’s No. 1 or No. 2 in NHL Draft
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — While he spoke quietly and did the best he could to answer in English, Kaapo Kakko was prepared for the attention that came his way when all of the top NHL draft prospects gathered together on a boat sitting dockside in Vancouver Harbor. He was surrounded...
U.S. defeats rival Sweden 2-0, finishes atop groupVideo
LE HAVRE, France — The defending champion U.S. national team faced its toughest test of the Women’s World Cup and remained dominant Thursday night, beating Sweden 2-0 to serve up a measure of revenge against the team that stunned the confident Americans in the last Olympics. Lindsey Horan scored within...
The Ex-Rays: Tampa Bay gets OK from MLB to explore Montreal
NEW YORK — The Ex-Rays? Starved for fans despite success on the field, the Tampa Bay Rays have been given the go-ahead by Major League Baseball to look into playing a split season in Montreal. No timetable for the possible plan was announced. An idea under consideration is for the...
Witness at Navy SEAL trial admits killing teenage prisoner
SAN DIEGO — A Navy SEAL called by prosecutors to testify at the murder trial of a decorated comrade dropped a bombshell Thursday when he acknowledged killing a wounded militant in what he described as an act of mercy. Special Operator 1st Class Corey Scott, who got an immunity deal...
Florida police find prosthetic ear owner after Facebook post
HOLMES BEACH, Fla. — Police in Florida trying to find the rightful owner of a prosthetic ear that washed up on their beach got a happy phone call from South Carolina on Thursday. Holmes Beach Police Sgt. Brian Hall said a woman called saying the rubber ear they posted on...
19 pacifiers removed from stomach of dog that swallowed them
A Boston veterinary hospital got quite a surprise recently when a family brought in their bulldog after he stopped eating. The Angell Animal Medical Center found 19 baby pacifiers in the dog’s stomach. It started in April when the Wellesley family noticed that their 3-year-old dog, Mortimer, started getting nauseous...
Disagreements remain as Pennsylvania’s budget deadline nears
HARRISBURG — Top Pennsylvania lawmakers are assembling a budget package that’s due ahead of the July 1 start of the fiscal year, but behind-the-scenes disagreements remain and rank-and-file lawmakers are awaiting details. The first votes on budget legislation are expected Monday. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and leaders of the Republican-controlled...
Slain Sacramento officer had been on force just 6 months
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A rookie Sacramento police offer was fatally shot during a domestic violence call and laid wounded for about 45 minutes as the gunman kept officers at bay with volleys of bullets, authorities said Thursday. Officer Tara O’Sullivan, 26, was shot shortly Wednesday while helping a woman collect...
The Ex-Rays: Tampa Bay gets OK from MLB to explore Montreal
NEW YORK — The Ex-Rays? Starved for fans despite success on the field, the Tampa Bay Rays have been given the go-ahead by MLB to look into playing a split season in Montreal. No timetable for the possible plan was announced. An idea under consideration is for the Rays to...
Lost wallet? More cash means you’re likelier to get it back
People are more likely to return a lost wallet if it contains money — and the more cash, the better. That’s the surprising conclusion from researchers who planted more than 17,000 “lost wallets” across 355 cities in 40 countries, and kept track of how often somebody contacted the supposed owners....
David Ortiz shooting suspect charged with drug possession
NEWARK, N.J. — One of the suspects in the shooting of former baseball star David Ortiz was charged Thursday with drug and firearm possession in New Jersey. Rolfi Ferreira-Cruz was indicted on cocaine and heroin possession charges and also a charge of conspiracy to distribute drugs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office...
Divided Pa. House votes to end $54M cash welfare program
HARRISBURG — Republicans in the state House voted Wednesday to end a Pennsylvania cash welfare program, a year after it was revived following a court decision. The Republican-majority House voted 106-95 to eliminate the $54 million in payments, bundled in the bill with a subsidy for Philadelphia hospitals. The cash...
Lion kills beloved peacock that flew into its zoo enclosure
UTICA, N.Y. — A peacock at an upstate New York zoo was killed by a lion after it flew over a fence into the African Lion enclosure. Utica Zoo officials say the white peacock named Merlin was captured by a lion Wednesday morning after being unable to fly back out...
Animated videos: Boy Scouts’ new tactic to fight sex abuse
NEW YORK — Under financial pressure from sex-abuse litigation, the Boy Scouts of America are seeking to bolster their abuse-prevention efforts with a new awareness program featuring cartoon-style videos that will be provided to more than 1.2 million Cub Scouts across the nation. Targeted at children from kindergarten to sixth...
Poll: Asteroid watch more urgent than Mars trip
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Americans prefer a space program that focuses on potential asteroid impacts, scientific research and using robots to explore the cosmos over sending humans back to the moon or on to Mars, a poll shows. The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research ,...
Unheard song from Queen frontman Freddie Mercury releasedVideo
Universal Music unveiled a previously unheard and unreleased song by the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. The record label announced the track, “Time Waits for No One,” on Thursday. It was originally recorded in 1986 for the concept album of the musical “Time” with musician Dave Clark. A video to...
10 wounded in shooting outside Deja Vu nightclub in Allentown
ALLENTOWN — Authorities say a street shooting in eastern Pennsylvania has left 10 people wounded. The shooting outside the Deja Vu nightclub in Allentown occurred shortly before 2 a.m. Thursday. Authorities say most of the victims had just left the nightclub or were standing on the sidewalk outside when the...
72 officers off streets amid probe into social media posts
PHILADELPHIA — Police Commissioner Richard Ross says 72 Philadelphia police officers have been placed on administrative duty amid an initial investigation into a national group’s accusation of officers in at least five states posting racist and anti-Muslim comments on social media. Ross said he believed at least “several dozen” people...
Sacramento police officer killed during domestic call
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento police on Thursday were trying to negotiate the surrender of a gunman suspected of killing a police officer during a domestic dispute. Tara O’Sullivan, 26, died at UC Davis Medical Center hours after the gunman opened fire on her Wednesday, Deputy Chief Dave Peletta said during...
