Associated Press stories, Page 2604
Koch network gathers wealthy donors after 2020 Trump snub
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Hundreds of wealthy donors gathered by the conservative billionaire industrialist Charles Koch are meeting this weekend for the first time since his powerful political network said it won’t support President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. It remains to be seen how much the Koch network’s biannual...
‘Untouchable’ charts the rise and fall of Harvey Weinstein
PARK CITY, Utah — Harvey Weinstein’s name was intrinsically linked to the Sundance Film Festival for years, which makes it somewhat fitting that 14 months after his demise the festival played host the world premiere of a documentary about his rise and fall. “I’m so happy it’s at Sundance,” said...
Women make big gains in state capitols, but men still rule
Following a record-setting election for women, state legislatures across the country are convening this year with at least 17 new women in top leadership roles. But those gains are offset by another reality: At least a dozen women who led their legislative chambers or caucuses last year will no longer...
German expert panel agrees on 2038 deadline to end coal use
BERLIN — In a pioneering move, a government-appointed panel on Saturday recommended that Germany stop burning coal to generate electricity by 2038 at the latest, as part of efforts to curb climate change. The so-called Coal Commission reached agreement in the early hours of Saturday, following months of wrangling that...
Taking tune from ‘The Office,’ Arizona man helps save woman’s life
TUCSON, Ariz. — A classic scene from a decade-old episode of “The Office” helped an Arizona mechanic save an unconscious woman’s life. The Arizona Daily Star reports that 21-year-old Cross Scott found a woman locked in her car this month and broke in, finding she wasn’t breathing. He doesn’t have...
Economy likely to pick up, though pain may linger for some
BALTIMORE — The U.S. economy will likely resume its steady growth now that the government has reopened, though economists say some scars — for the nation and for federal workers — will take time to heal. Most analysts estimate that the 35-day partial shutdown shaved a few tenths of a...
Smaller government? Some Trump supporters cheer the shutdown
FORT HANCOCK, Texas — Donald Trump didn’t carry many parts of Texas’ heavily Democratic areas along the border with Mexico, but he won remote Hudspeth County thanks to people like Terry Rose. And the 71-year-old mechanic saw the longest shutdown in U.S. history as a campaign promise kept. “I want...
Osaka wins Australian Open for 2nd Slam title, No. 1 ranking
MELBOURNE, Australia — So close to victory, Naomi Osaka suddenly was letting the Australian Open final slip away. Three championship points? Gone. A sizable lead? Soon all gone, too. She was playing poorly. She yelled at herself. Slammed a ball. Tugged at her visor’s pink brim. Trudged to the locker...
Michael Jackson accusers’ film gets standing ovation, estate rebuke
PARK CITY, Utah — It’s not uncommon for audiences at the Sundance Film Festival to give standing ovations, but the ceremonial act took on a solemn air as two men who accuse Michael Jackson of molesting them as boys walked onstage following the festival’s only screening of “Leaving Neverland,” a...
Transgender military personnel in limbo over Trump plan
NEW YORK — Long term, lawyers and activists battling to ensure that transgender people can serve openly in the U.S. military are convinced they will prevail. Short term, they are braced for anguishing consequences if the Trump administration proceeds with its plan to sharply restrict such service. The U.S. Supreme...
Court: Illinois mom can sue Six Flags for fingerprinting son
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Friday that a woman can sue Six Flags Great America for fingerprinting her child without telling her how the data would be used in violation of the state’s biometric law, which privacy advocates consider to be the nation’s strongest biometric data safeguards....
Measles outbreak grows in northwest U.S., 30 cases reported
VANCOUVER, Wash. — The number of confirmed measles cases near Portland grew to 30 on Friday — an outbreak boosted by lower-than-normal vaccination rates in what has been called an anti-vaccination U.S. “hot spot.” Public health officials in southwest Washington, just across the Columbia River from Portland, said people may...
Ex-teacher charged with trying to support Islamic State
WASHINGTON — A former substitute teacher from Texas has been indicted on federal charges alleging he tried to provide material support to the Islamic State, the Justice Department said Friday. Warren Christopher Clark, 34, appeared in court in Houston on Friday and was ordered held without bail. Clark was captured...
St. Louis officer charged after deadly game with revolver
ST. LOUIS — A male St. Louis police officer was charged Friday with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a female officer during what was described as a deadly game with a revolver. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced the charge against Nathaniel Hendren, 29, in the death of 24-year-old...
Why Venezuela military leaders are standing behind Maduro
CARACAS, Venezuela — Even as Venezuelans fill the streets rallying behind opposition leader Juan Guaido and the list of foreign nations recognizing him as the country’s rightful president grows, the top members of the all-important military are sending a different message: Forget about it. In back-to-back proclamations Thursday, high-ranking generals...
Alabama inmate escaped prison by hiding in furniture trailer
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — An inmate serving a life sentence for human trafficking escaped from an Alabama prison by hiding inside a trailer used to haul furniture, state officials said Friday. Law enforcement authorities are continuing to search for 30-year-old Corey Aris Davis, who escaped from the St. Clair Correctional Facility...
Researchers say Amazon face-detection technology shows bias
NEW YORK — Facial-detection technology that Amazon is marketing to law enforcement often misidentifies women, particularly those with darker skin, according to researchers from MIT and the University of Toronto. Privacy and civil rights advocates have called on Amazon to stop marketing its Rekognition service because of worries about discrimination...
St. Louis officer charged after deadly game with revolver
ST. LOUIS — A male St. Louis police officer was charged Friday with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a female officer during what was described as a deadly game with a revolver. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced the charge against Nathaniel Hendren, 29, in the death of 24-year-old...
Experts: Decent chance Van Dyke’s sentence will be tossed
CHICAGO — Some legal experts believe there’s a reasonable chance the prison sentence of less than seven years imposed on a white Chicago police officer last week for second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times could be tossed out and a new sentencing ordered....
Fire report could complicate PG&E bankruptcy decision
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A state fire investigation’s conclusion that Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. equipment was not to blame for a 2017 wildfire that killed 22 people in Northern California wine country could hamper lawsuits by victims of the blaze and complicate the utility’s plans to file for bankruptcy. In...
Trump signs bill to end government shutdown
WASHINGTON —Submitting to mounting pressure amid growing disruption, President Donald Trump signed a bill Friday to reopen the government for three weeks, backing down from his demand that Congress give him money for his border wall before federal agencies get back to work. Standing alone in the Rose Garden, Trump...
Tech rises as stocks regain some of week’s losses
NEW YORK — Stocks closed higher on Wall Street on Friday, recovering a chunk of their losses from earlier in the week. Technology and industrial companies jumped. Traders took a brighter view on the economy, and U.S. companies continued to report solid results for the fourth quarter. Energy and consumer-focused...
Militia leader sentenced to 30 years in Kansas bomb plot
WICHITA, Kan. — Two militia members convicted of taking part in a foiled plot to massacre Muslims in southwest Kansas were sentenced Friday to decades in prison during an emotional court hearing in which one of the targeted victims pleaded: “Please don’t hate us.” U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren sentenced...
Senate passes bill to reopen government; group will negotiate border security deal
WASHINGTON — The Latest on the partial government shutdown (all times local): 5:25 p.m. The Senate has appointed its members of a conference committee that will negotiate a border security agreement between Congress and the White House over the next three weeks. President Donald Trump agreed Friday to reopen the...
200 reported missing after Brazil dam collapse
SAO PAULO — An iron ore tailings dam collapsed in southeastern Brazil on Friday, inundating a nearby community in mining waste and leaving an estimated 200 missing, according to Minas Gerais state firefighters. Brazilian mining company Vale SA said in a statement that tailings reached the community of Vila Ferteco...
