Associated Press stories, Page 2602
Super Bowl media night more like mosh pit and Mardi Gras
ATLANTA — Super Bowl Media Night is the NFL’s version of a rock concert, with player interviews rather than music. It’s a Mardi Gras party, complete with the costumes. It’s a slow-motion stampede conducted mostly by quasi-media members or outright impostors. Some Los Angeles Rams players and coach Sean McVay...
Houston police: 5 officers hurt in shooting, 2 suspects dead
HOUSTON — Two suspects are dead after a shooting on Monday that injured five Houston police officers, including four who were hit by gunfire as they attempted to serve a search warrant at a home where drug selling was suspected, the police chief said. A group of about a dozen...
Nancy Pelosi invites Trump to give State of the Union on Feb. 5
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Monday accepted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s invitation to deliver his State of the Union speech on Feb. 5, a week later than originally scheduled because of the partial government shutdown. “It is my great honor to accept,” Trump said in a letter to Pelosi. “We...
Driver, man clinging to hood in road rage case, arraigned
WALTHAM, Mass. — Two Massachusetts men involved in an apparent case of road rage in which one drove at speeds of up to 70 mph with the other clinging to the hood of his vehicle, some of which was caught on video , were released after their arraignments Monday. Mark...
Insurance claims from deadly California wildfires top $11.4B
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Insurance claims from California’s deadly November 2018 wildfires have topped $11.4 billion, making the series of fires one of the most expensive in state history, officials said Monday. More than $8 billion of those losses are from the fire that leveled the town of Paradise, killing 86...
Washington baker apologizes for ‘Build that Wall’ cookie
SEATTLE — A Washington state baker is apologizing for a politically charged Valentine’s Day cookie that generated an uproar on social media. KING-TV reports that Ken Bellingham, who owns Edmonds Bakery, has gotten phone calls from frustrated customers about the heart-shaped cookie with “Build that Wall” in frosting letters. The...
Heavy snow hitting parts of Midwest; dangerous cold coming
MILWAUKEE — Heavy snow and powerful wind created blizzard-like conditions Monday across parts of the Midwest, prompting officials to cancel about 1,000 flights at Chicago’s airports and close hundreds of schools. But forecasters warned the most dangerous weather is yet to come: frigidly low temperatures that the region hasn’t seen...
Vinatieri, 46, signs contract to play another season in Indy
INDIANAPOLIS — Kicker Adam Vinatieri has signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts. General manager Chris Ballard announced Friday the two sides had agreed to terms on a new deal. Vinatieri made it official with his signature Monday, then told reporters he was glad the process went smoothly and...
30-year-old orca dies at SeaWorld’s Orlando park
ORLANDO, Fla. — A 30-year-old orca has died at SeaWorld’s Orlando park. SeaWorld officials say Kayla died Monday after a brief illness. SeaWorld officials say a cause of death won’t be known until a post-mortem examination is conducted. Kayla began showing signs of discomfort on Saturday, and veterinarians began treating...
Shutdown projected to cause $3B permanent hit to economy
WASHINGTON — The federal government shutdown will cause slight permanent harm to the economy — about $3 billion — according to a report Monday by the Congressional Budget Office. The report says the five-week shutdown has slowed growth in the near term but that most of the lost growth “will...
AP analysis: NFL centers seeing shorter career longevity
ORLANDO, Fla. — Pro Bowl center Alex Mack rattled off all he does before the snap: Checks for blitzes, keeps an eye on the play clock, makes blocking adjustments and communicates all the changes to everyone else. All that happens in seconds — with 300-pound defenders a few inches away...
More than 150 evacuated from stuck chairlift at Vt. ski resort
STOWE, Vt. — A Vermont ski resort says more than 150 skiers and snowboarders were evacuated off of a chairlift that got stuck. Stowe Mountain Resort spokesman Jeff Wise says the Lookout Double lift stopped operating about 10:30 a.m. Sunday due to an electrical issue. Mychampaignvalley.com reports Mount Mansfield Ski...
Tornado hits Havana; Cuban president says 3 dead, 172 hurt
HAVANA — A tornado and pounding rains smashed into the eastern part of Cuba’s capital overnight, toppling trees, bending power poles and flinging shards of metal roofing through the air as the storm cut a path of destruction across eastern Havana. Power was cut to many areas and President Miguel...
Pope lowers expectations for next month’s sex abuse summit
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Francis has sought to lower expectations from his big sex abuse prevention summit next month. Francis told reporters returning from Panama on Sunday that he wants the Feb. 21-24 meeting to essentially be a catechism class for bishops about sex abuse. He said he...
Rare red panda found after escape from Belfast Zoo
LONDON — Officials say a rare red panda is safe and sound, a day after it escaped from Belfast Zoo in Northern Ireland. The animal went missing on Sunday, and Belfast City Council had urged members of the public to report any sightings to the zoo. The council said Monday...
Companies navigate dementia conversations with older workers
CHICAGO — Experts say that U.S. companies are increasingly navigating delicate conversations with employees suffering from cognitive declines as the American workforce ages. Workers experiencing early stages of dementia may struggle with tasks they’ve long completed without difficulty. Historically punctual employees may forget about scheduled meetings. And those who have...
Postal Service honors entertainer Gregory Hines with stamp
NEW YORK — The U.S. Postal Service is honoring entertainer Gregory Hines with a Black Heritage Series stamp. Acting chief postal inspector Gary Barksdale will host the first day of issue ceremony Monday at the Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York. Hines, who was known for his unique style...
Small Florida city honors 5 bank shooting victims with vigil
SEBRING, Fla. — Residents in a small Florida city gathered Sunday and held a vigil to honor the five women killed in a SunTrust branch mass shooting. People lit flashlights and cell phones instead of candles to honor the victims because heavy rain in Sebring pushed the vigil to an...
Rose holds off Scott to win Farmers Insurance Open
SAN DIEGO — Justin Rose missed a short birdie putt that felt like another bogey. His three-shot lead was down to one through six holes of the Farmers Insurance Open, and the biggest battle was trying not to panic. That’s when he scratched a line on his scorecard after six...
Auschwitz survivors pay homage as world remembers Holocaust
WARSAW, Poland — The world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday amid a revival of hate-inspired violence and signs that younger generations know less and less about the genocide of Jews, Roma and others by Nazi Germany during World War II. As survivors of Auschwitz marked the 74th anniversary...
Treasury lifts sanctions against 3 Russian companies
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department on Sunday announced it was lifting sanctions on three companies connected to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. The move comes despite an effort in Congress to block the action with many lawmakers concerned that the Trump administration is not being tough enough on Russian President Vladimir...
Offensive lines key to Super Bowl for Patriots, Rams
ATLANTA — The Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots are bringing two of the top scoring offenses in the NFL to the Super Bowl. The reason they have played so well has a lot to do with the big guys playing up front. Los Angeles had the same offensive...
Sen. Kamala Harris says the powerful seek to divide America
OAKLAND, Calif. — Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Sunday that those in power are trying to turn people against each other, which she says is “not our America.” Harris, a first-term U.S. senator from California who announced her candidacy last Monday, rallied supporters outside City Hall in Oakland, her...
Heavy snow to push across Upper Midwest, bitter cold follows
MINNEAPOLIS — A winter storm pushing across the Upper Midwest is expected to dump more than a foot of snow in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The National Weather Service reports blizzard conditions Sunday in parts of eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Officials have issued a travel alert for...
Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster injures knee as AFC wins Pro Bowl
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Pro Bowl long has been considered a laughable representation of the NFL game. It reached a new level of comedy Sunday as several players swapped positions. Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey caught a touchdown pass in the final minute, capping a dominate performance for the AFC...
