Associated Press stories, Page 2616
Watchdog: GSA ignored emoluments in OKing Trump hotel lease
WASHINGTON — The General Services Administration improperly “ignored” the U.S. Constitution’s emoluments provision outlawing foreign gifts when it green-lit President Trump’s management of his Washington, D.C., hotel after his 2016 election, the agency’s inspector general said Wednesday. In a 47-page report, GSA watchdog Carol F. Ochoa concluded that the “president’s...
Sharapova, Wozniacki brace for early showdown at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — A side effect of not playing much for Maria Sharapova is the likelihood of having to face highly ranked rivals in the first week of a major. It doesn’t come much tougher in the third round than a match against the defending champion. That’s the equation at...
Less beef, more beans; Experts say world needs a new diet
NEW YORK — A hamburger a week, but no more — that’s about as much red meat people should eat to do what’s best for their health and the planet, according to a report seeking to overhaul the world’s diet. Eggs should be limited to fewer than about four a...
Patriots’ Tom Brady vs. Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes a study in contrast
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One of them is a sixth-round pick who married a supermodel, became one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and is going strong well past his 41st birthday. The other is a first-round pick who is dating his high school sweetheart, has one season as...
Mexico to ship gas on trains, thieves siphon whole pipelines
MEXICO CITY — Fuel thieves in Mexico have grown so bold they are drilling illegal taps under warehouses in big cities and siphoning off the entire contents of pipelines, Mexico’s president said Wednesday. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that at one pipeline carrying gasoline to Mexico City, thieves didn’t...
Officials: Lancaster woman gave birth at work, left baby in toilet
LANCASTER, Pa. — Officials in Pennsylvania say a woman gave birth in a restroom at her work and left the baby boy partially submerged in the toilet. Police in Lancaster County say 23-year-old Emmanuella Osei has been charged with felony endangering the welfare of a child. The Lancaster District Attorney’s...
TV journalist Chris Hansen accused of bouncing checks
STAMFORD, Conn. — A TV journalist known for confronting would-be child predators has been snared himself in a police investigation alleging he wrote bad checks for $13,000 worth of marketing materials. Former “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen was arrested Monday in his hometown of Stamford, Conn. He was...
Boomer Sooner: Tide QB Jalen Hurts transferring to Oklahoma
Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley could not help but admire Jalen Hurts from a distance. He respected how the Alabama quarterback who lost his starting job to Tua Tagovailoa put the team above his pride. Hurts could have transferred right after Alabama went another direction, as so many quarterbacks do these...
Europeans unravel massive tennis match-fixing ring
PARIS — The crooked tennis players knew him as “Maestro.” To European investigators, the Armenian based in Belgium is emerging as something else: The suspected ringleader of an organized gambling syndicate suspected of fixing hundreds of matches and corrupting more than 100 players from around Europe. As Roger Federer and...
TV journalist Chris Hansen accused of bouncing checks
STAMFORD, Conn. — A TV journalist known for confronting would-be child predators has been snared himself in a police investigation alleging he wrote bad checks for $13,000 worth of marketing materials. Former “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen was arrested Monday in his hometown of Stamford, Ct. He was...
Take a peep at Peeps: Contest offers candy factory tour
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The creators of marshmallow Peeps are offering a first-ever peep inside their Pennsylvania candy factory. Just Born Quality Confections company in Bethlehem is teaming up with the United Way on a sweepstakes. The grand prize is a behind-the-scenes tour of the factory, which has never been open...
Ex-W.Va. prison worker sentenced for sex abuse of inmates
BECKLEY, W.Va. — A former federal prison employee in West Virginia has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing female inmates. Federal prosecutors say 40-year-old Jarrod Grimes of Inverness, Fla., was sentenced last week in federal court in Beckley. Grimes was a captain in charge of correctional...
Battles expected in many states over abortion-related bills
NEW YORK — On each side of the abortion debate, legislators and activists emboldened by recent political developments plan to push aggressively in many states this year for bills high on their wish lists: either seeking to impose near-total bans on abortion or guaranteeing women’s access to the procedure. For...
Pelosi asks Trump to delay State of Union speech
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked President Donald Trump to postpone his State of the Union address to the nation — set for Jan. 29 — until the government reopens. The White House hasn’t immediately responded to a request for comment about Pelosi’s request, which she made in...
Suicide blast kills 4 Americans in Syria, a sign of remaining extremist danger
Four Americans were killed in a suicide attack in Syria on Wednesday, the largest loss of life in the Pentagon’s war against Islamic State militants there and a sign of the potent threat that remains as the Trump administration begins to withdraw. The attack occurred in the northern city of...
Sears staves off liquidation, stores to remain open
NEW YORK — Sears will live on— at least for now. The company’s chairman and largest shareholder, Eddie Lampert, won a bankruptcy auction for Sears, averting liquidation of the iconic chain, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The person agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because they...
Congress prepares to skip planned recess if shutdown goes on
WASHINGTON — Staring down the next deadline to pay federal workers, the White House shifted tactics, trying to bypass House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to negotiate with rank-and-file lawmakers even as President Donald Trump dug in for a prolonged shutdown. The House and Senate announced Tuesday they would stay in session,...
From travel to IPOs, how shutdown is upsetting U.S. economy
WASHINGTON — Delta Air Lines can’t get eight new aircraft in the air. Roughly a million government employees and contractors aren’t being paid. Some Americans who are trying to start small businesses face delays in obtaining the required tax identification number from the IRS. As the partial government shutdown moves...
Craft beer taps squeezed as shutdown delays new releasesVideo
MILWAUKEE — The nation’s craft beer taps are being squeezed by the government shutdown, which has put new releases on hold, prevented new breweries from opening and stopped shipments of some suds across state lines. The partial shutdown halted operations at the federal agency that regulates alcohol production and distribution....
Super Bowl planners: Shutdown brings ‘uncharted territory’
ATLANTA — A day after travelers waited nearly 90 minutes in snail-speed security lines at the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta’s mayor is concerned about the waits that could result when the city hosts the 2019 Super Bowl. The ongoing partial government shutdown is “uncharted territory” amid planning for one of...
Satisfaction: Rolling Stones to headline 50th Jazz Fest
NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has got satisfaction: The Rolling Stones are among the headliners for the 50th anniversary festival. Organizers on Tuesday confirmed reports that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will play. Also headlining the 8-day event, which runs April 25-28 and...
John Bogle dies at 89; fought for lower fees for investors
VALLEY FORGE — John C. Bogle, who simplified investing for the masses by launching the first index mutual fund and founded Vanguard Group, died Wednesday. He was 89. Bogle did not invent the index fund, but he expanded access to no-frills, low-cost investing in 1976 when Vanguard introduced the first...
Matt Murray’s hot streak ends in Penguins’ loss to Sharks
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Tomas Hertl needed just three games to get his first NHL hat trick. It was more than a five-year wait for the second one, which came while he’s playing perhaps the best hockey of his career. Hertl knocked down Evgeni Malkin with his backside to score...
American Sloane Stephens advances at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Sloane Stephens advanced at the Australian Open at the expense of her former doubles partner, Timea Babos, in a second-round match the women’s tour billed as a battle of the so-called “frenemies.” Fifth-seeded Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion, dominated the Rod Laver Arena opener 6-3, 6-1...
Earthquake reported off coast of Maryland
OCEAN CITY, Md. — A light earthquake has been recorded off the coast of Maryland. The U.S. Geological Survey says the 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday evening in the Atlantic Ocean, about 136 miles southeast of Ocean City, Md. No tsunami warning has been issued. In a Facebook post, Ocean City...
