Associated Press stories, Page 2571
New York City considers less annoying sirens
NEW YORK — If two New York City lawmakers get their way, the long, droning siren from police cars, fire trucks and ambulances that has been part of the city’s soundtrack for generations — WAAAAAhhhhhhh — would be replaced by a high-low wail similar to what’s heard on the streets...
Spanish court summons Shakira to answer tax evasion charges
MADRID — A Spanish court investigating Shakira for possibly evading $16.4 million in taxes has called on the pop music star to testify in mid-June. Prosecutors charged the singer in December for not paying taxes in Spain between 2012 and 2014, when she lived mostly in the country despite having...
Another ceasefire: Can the U.S. and China end their trade war?
WASHINGTON — Relief swept across world financial markets Monday after President Donald Trump pushed back a March 2 deadline in a trade dispute with China. But the respite might not last. The world’s two biggest economies have squared off over Beijing’s aggressive campaign to turn Chinese companies into world leaders...
House to vote on measure revoking Trump’s emergency order
WASHINGTON — Democrats are moving quickly to try to roll back President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to siphon billions of dollars from the military to fund construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Tuesday’s vote in the Democratic-controlled House comes on legislation to revoke Trump’s executive...
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers orders troops to leave southern border
MADISON — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Monday ordered the state’s National Guard troops to withdraw from the border with Mexico, drawing the ire of a Republican congressman from Illinois who serves as a pilot in the Wisconsin detachment. Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker ordered troops to Arizona in June...
Mike Pence in Colombia announces new sanctions on Maduro
BOGOTA, Colombia — The Trump administration announced new sanctions Monday on allies of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro as it struggles to find new ways to boost his opponent after an effort to deliver humanitarian aid to the economically devastated nation faltered amid strong resistance from security forces loyal to the socialist...
100 mph winds in Sierra, snow from Oregon to Montana
RENO, Nev. — A fierce winter storm packing winds in excess of 100 mph and predicted to bring as much as 8 feet of snow to the Sierra Nevada barreled into the West on Monday, toppling trucks and trees, triggering power outages and closing roads and schools from Oregon to...
SEC wants Tesla CEO Elon Musk held in contempt for tweeting
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s tweeting habits have triggered another legal challenge from stock market regulators worried about him using his Twitter account to mislead investors. The latest dust-up emerged late Monday when the Securities and Exchange Commission asked a federal court in New York to hold Musk...
Early reviews positive for new NASCAR rules package
HAMPTON, Ga. — The verdict is still out on NASCAR’s new competition package following its innocuous debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race was not the best in NASCAR history, nor was it unwatchable. It was, if nothing else, better than last year’s race at Atlanta, which is a win...
Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic charged with child sex abuse, convicted in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia — The most senior Catholic cleric ever charged with child sex abuse has been convicted of molesting two choirboys moments after celebrating Mass, dealing a new blow to the Catholic hierarchy’s credibility after a year of global revelations of abuse and cover-up. Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis’ top...
Lawmakers, first responders sound alarm on 9/11 fund
WASHINGTON — More than 17 years after the 9/11 attacks, first responders and their advocates were back at the Capitol on Monday urging Congress to ensure that a victims’ compensation fund does not run out of money. Members of the New York delegation, joined by first responders, survivors and family...
United Methodist Church on edge of breakup over LGBT stand
ST. LOUIS — The United Methodist Church teetered on the brink of breakup Monday after more than half the delegates at an international conference voted to maintain bans on same-sex weddings and ordination of gay clergy. Their favored plan, if formally approved, could drive supporters of LGBT inclusion to leave...
Pennsylvania GOP lawmaker opens door to minimum-wage deal
HARRISBURG — A top Republican lawmaker is opening the door to raising Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, but he also insisted Monday that Democrats lower their sights from a proposal by Gov. Tom Wolf that would give the state among the nation’s highest. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, would not define...
Ohio court hears grisly details after guilty plea in 4 slayings
IRONTON, Ohio — The way the killer told it, the young boy was the second of the four relatives slain. The boy’s mother was already dead, and he was asking too many questions, so the guy sent the kid to a bedroom with the false promise of finding a video...
Authorities: Robert Kraft visited parlor for sex on day of AFC Championship game
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft visited a Florida massage parlor for sex acts the night before and the morning of last month’s AFC Championship Game, which he attended in Kansas City, authorities said Monday in documents charging him with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting...
Judge allows Smollett to travel to meet with attorneys
CHICAGO — A Chicago judge says “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett can travel out-of-state to meet his lawyers while he’s free on bond on charges he falsely reported being attacked by two masked men. Anne Kavanagh is a spokeswoman for Smollett’s attorneys, who say he’s innocent. Kavanagh says attorney Mark Geragos,...
U.S. Navy warships will again fly Union Jack after 17 years
NORFOLK, Va. — After nearly 17 years, U.S. Navy warships will return to flying the Union Jack, replacing the First Navy Jack flown in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. News outlets report Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson issued an order Thursday calling for the blue banner...
Pennsylvania GOP lawmaker opens door to minimum-wage deal
HARRISBURG — A top Republican lawmaker is opening the door to raising Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, but he’s also insisting that Democrats lower their sights. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said Monday that Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest proposal isn’t reasonable and not worth discussing. Corman wouldn’t define what he views as...
High winds cut power, inundate Lake Erie shoreline with iceVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — High winds howled through much of the nation’s eastern half for a second day Monday, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, closing schools, and pushing dramatic mountains of ice onto the shores of Lake Erie. Wind gusts of hurricane force — 74 mph...
Indictment: Man killed brother’s family over missing money
FREEHOLD, N.J. — Suspicious of his brother over missing money from two companies they owned at the New Jersey shore, Keith Caneiro emailed two business associates last fall, saying he was going to cut off further payments to his brother, Paul. The next day, Keith Caneiro, his wife and their...
Cedar Point says it will allow cellphones on Steel Vengeance roller coaster
SANDUSKY, Ohio — Ohio’s Cedar Point amusement park has reversed a policy that banned visitors waiting in line for the roller coaster Steel Vengeance from carrying cellphones. The Sandusky-area park is adding zippered pouches to the bottom of the roller coaster seats, to hold phones and other loose items. Cleveland.com...
Stocks rise broadly after Trump postpones tariff increase
NEW YORK — Stocks moved broadly higher on Wall Street after President Donald Trump agreed to hold off on raising tariffs on Chinese goods, which would have escalated a damaging trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Investors had been growing increasingly optimistic over the last two weeks that...
Warren Buffett praises potential successors, but he has no plans to retire
OMAHA, Neb. — Billionaire Warren Buffett says the economy continues growing although the rate of improvement has slowed, and the ongoing U.S. trade dispute remains a concern. Buffett appeared on CNBC Monday after releasing his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders over the weekend. “Right now things look fine,” said...
Ex-Rome mayor convicted in corruption case
ROME — Italian news reports say a former Rome mayor has been convicted of corruption and illegal financing and sentenced to six years in prison. The ANSA news agency quoted Gianni Alemanno as saying Monday’s “verdict is wrong. We’ll surely appeal,” and adding, “I’m innocent.” The court also ordered him...
Gonzaga reclaims No. 1 in AP Top 25; Wofford debuts at 24th
NEW YORK — Gonzaga is back atop the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll. The Zags moved up a spot Monday to begin a second stint at No. 1 this season, both times replacing Duke at the top. Gonzaga (27-2) spent two weeks at No. 1 after beating the...
