Associated Press stories, Page 2574
Pentagon chief getting firsthand look at US-Mexico border
EL PASO, Texas — Top defense officials toured sections of the U.S.-Mexico border Saturday to see how the military could reinforce efforts to block drug smugging and other illegal activity, as the Pentagon weighs diverting billions of dollars for President Donald Trump’s border wall. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, accompanied...
Soldiers unleash tear gas amid tension on Venezuela’s border
CUCUTA, Colombia — Venezuela’s National Guard fired tear gas on residents clearing a barricaded border bridge to Colombia on Saturday, heightening tensions over blocked humanitarian aid that opposition leader Juan Guaido has vowed to bring into the country despite President Nicolas Maduro’s defiant refusal to accept assistance. The opposition is...
Smile: Some airliners have cameras on seat-back screens
Now there is one more place where cameras could start watching you — from 30,000 feet. Newer seat-back entertainment systems on some airplanes operated by American Airlines, United Airlines and Singapore Airlines have cameras, and it’s likely they are also on planes used by other carriers. American, United and Singapore...
California parents of 13 plead guilty to torture, abuse – Feb. 23, 2019
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — As prosecutors brought charges of cruelty and torture against a California couple who had shackled and starved their children for years, they had two goals in mind: Punish the perpetrators and ensure they could never victimize those 13 children in any way again. On Friday they appeared...
U.S. Latinas rally around ‘Roma’ actress Yalitza Aparicio
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Yalitza Aparicio, the Oscar-nominated, first-time actress in “Roma,” is finding strong support among Mexican-American women who identify with her indigenous roots despite backlash she is receiving in Mexico. Some Mexican-American women say they are glad Aparicio’s high-profile role is challenging typical images of light-skinned Latinas in Spanish-language...
Man takes stand to deny flipping woman to her death in a Pennsylvania river
SCRANTON, Pa. — A man accused of hurling a woman to her death in a northeastern Pennsylvania river two years ago took the stand to deny that he was responsible and accuse police of lying about an alleged confession. Ryan Taylor, 26, said Friday he blacked out after smoking synthetic...
Jim Boeheim returns to Syracuse bench in loss to Duke
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — No matter the outcome, Jim Boeheim needed this. Three days after the Hall of Fame coach of the Syracuse Orange struck and killed a pedestrian on a darkened highway that leads out of town, he returned to the bench Saturday night. Boeheim’s first public appearance since the...
Judge grants citizenship to twin son of gay couple
LOS ANGELES — A federal judge in California ruled Thursday that a twin son of a gay married couple has been an American citizen since birth, handing a defeat to the U.S. government, which had only granted the status to his brother. The State Department was wrong to deny citizenship...
Patriots owner Kraft denies charges of soliciting prostitute
JUPITER, Fla. — Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots, faces charges of soliciting a prostitute after he was twice videotaped in a sex act at a shopping-center massage parlor in Florida, police said Friday. The 77-year-old Kraft denied any wrongdoing. The case comes amid a crackdown...
San Francisco authorities search for woman in landslide
SAN FRANCISCO — Rescue workers switched from search to recovery mode Friday night in their efforts to find a woman believed to be buried by a landslide near a San Francisco beach. One woman was rescued after the landside above a beach popular with dog walkers. Dozens of search-and-rescue workers...
Chicago police: Singer R. Kelly arrested at precinct
CHICAGO — R&B star R. Kelly was taken into custody after arriving Friday night at a Chicago police precinct, hours after authorities announced multiple charges of aggravated sexual abuse involving four victims, including at least three between the ages of 13 and 17. The 52-year-old singer, whose real name is...
Trump vows veto as Democrats try to block emergency order
WASHINGTON — Democrats controlling the House have teed up a vote next week to block President Donald Trump from using a national emergency declaration to fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, accelerating a showdown in Congress that could divide Republicans and lead to Trump’s first veto. The Democrats introduced...
NASCAR’s new rule package shrouded in unknowns before debut
HAMPTON, Ga. — NASCAR rolled into Atlanta Motor Speedway ready to begin a new era of racing shrouded in unknowns. Will it be racier? That’s the point. Will it make Sunday’s event at Atlanta exciting? That remains to be seen. “We don’t have that answer. I can tell you that...
Dodgers shut down pitcher Clayton Kershaw
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was shut down indefinitely after telling manager Dave Roberts that he “didn’t feel right” after two discouraging outings on the mound. Kershaw worked out indoors at Camelback Ranch on Friday but didn’t play catch. Roberts wouldn’t speculate on the left-hander’s next bullpen session....
Oilers’ Connor McDavid suspended 2 games for check to head
NEW YORK — Edmonton Oilers All-Star Connor McDavid was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of the New York Islanders’ Nick Leddy during Edmonton’s 4-3 win on Thursday night. The league announced the suspension Friday. McDavid was given a minor penalty for the hit, which occurred...
Ground-breaking electric Chevrolet Volt runs out of juice
DETROIT — As their company was swirling around the financial drain in the early 2000s, General Motors executives came up with an idea to counter its gas-guzzling image and point the way to transportation of the future: an electric car with a gas-engine backup that could travel anywhere. At Detroit’s...
Giraffe dies in accident at Kansas City Zoo barn
KANSAS CITY, Mo.— Kansas City Zoo officials say an adult male giraffe died after suffering a spinal cord injury in a zoo barn. The zoo says that on Wednesday the 9-year-old male, named Hamisi, caught his head in an area of the barn that allows keepers to reach the animals....
‘Empire’ producers cut Jussie Smollett from season’s last episodes
CHICAGO — Actor Jussie Smollett’s character on “Empire” will be removed from the final two episodes of this season in the wake of his arrest on charges that he staged a racist, anti-gay attack on himself last month in downtown Chicago, producers of the Fox TV show announced Friday. The...
Deal near in civil rights lawsuits over Pennsylvania prison mail policy
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania prison officials said Friday they were close to settling two federal lawsuits over how the system processes mail sent to inmates by their lawyers. The Department of Corrections and civil rights groups involved in the lawsuits announced a settlement was being finalized after a trial was stopped...
California parents of 13 plead guilty to torture, abuse – Feb. 22, 2019
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A California couple pleaded guilty Friday to torture and years of abuse that included shackling some of their 13 children to beds and starving them to the point it stunted their growth. David and Louise Turpin will spend at least 25 years in prison after entering the...
Where pro- and anti-Brexit forces collide
LONDON (AP) — Few issues in recent years have generated the passion in Britain that the Brexit situation has, and the colorful debate has spilled over from Parliament to the grounds outside, traditionally a marketplace for ideas, protests and rallies. It is here that the true believers gather each day...
Blue Jackets acquire Matt Duchene from Senators
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Matt Duchene from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for two top prospects on Friday, adding a veteran center as they make a push for a playoff spot. The 28-year-old Duchene, one of the top players available ahead of Monday’s NHL trade deadline,...
R. Kelly charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse
CHICAGO — R. Kelly was charged Friday with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse, after decades of lurid rumors and allegations that the R&B star was sexually abusing women and underage girls. Tandra Simonton, spokeswoman for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, confirmed to The Associated Press the charges had...
After Manny Machado, Padres could be open to more big signings
PEORIA, Ariz. — After adding Manny Machado, the San Diego Padres didn’t shoot down the notion that another big news conference could be ahead. With Bryce Harper, Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel still free agents, could the Padres make another surprising signing? “We’re always open-minded to looking at improving our...
Southwest hit by computer outage, adding to its problems
DALLAS — Hundreds of Southwest Airlines flights have been delayed as the carrier deals with winter weather and a computer outage. The outage occurred early Friday and grounded Southwest flights around the country for nearly an hour. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration says Southwest had a problem with...
