Associated Press stories, Page 2619
‘So happy.’ Chris Pratt engaged to Katherine Schwarzenegger
LOS ANGELES — A whirlwind romance is leading to an engagement for actor Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger. Pratt posted a photo of his 29-year-old partner sporting an engagement ring on Instagram Monday. He wrote, “Sweet Katherine, so happy you said yes!” There’s no word on when and where the...
USA Today publisher targeted for buyout
DENVER — The publisher of USA Today has received a $1.36 billion buyout bid from a media group with a history of taking over struggling newspapers and slashing jobs. MNG Enterprises, better known as Digital First Media, said in a letter to Gannett Co. Monday that its leadership team has...
Congress to face same question: When will shutdown end?
WASHINGTON — Congress returns to Washington for its first full week of legislative business since control of the House reverted to Democrats, but lawmakers will be confronted with the same lingering question: When will the partial government shutdown end? One Republican senator says he’s offered President Donald Trump a possible...
China’s 2018 trade surplus with U.S. hits record high $323B
BEIJING — China’s 2018 trade surplus with the United States surged to a record $323.3 billion but exports contracted in December as the delayed impact of President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes started to hurt demand. Exports to the United States in 2018 rose 11.3 percent to $478.4 billion despite Trump’s...
Developers, not farmers, get biggest hit from wetlands rule
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump often points to farmers as among the biggest winners from the administration’s proposed rollback of federal protections for wetlands and waterways across the country. But under longstanding federal law and rules, farmers and farmland already are exempt from most of the regulatory hurdles on behalf...
Pa. bar offering reward for stolen party bus
BETHLEHEM, Pa — A Pennsylvania bar is offering a $2,500 reward to get back its stolen party bus. Bethlehem police say the owners of the Revel Social Lounge and Restaurant reported the black mini bus stolen from its parking lot Thursday. Police say the bus can hold 15 passengers, and...
3-hour ‘standoff’ ends when homeowner returns from walk
BETHLEHEM — A nearly three-hour standoff with police at a Bethlehem Township home turned out to be at an empty house. The incident Saturday night began when the father of a man who lives at the house called 911 and said he thought his son had been shot by his...
Maria Sharapova opens Australian Open with easy win
MELBOURNE, Australia — Maria Sharapova has the second-best record among active players in first-round matches at the majors, and she gave an illustration of why that’s the case with a ruthless 6-0, 6-0 win over Harriet Dart at the Australian Open. The 2008 Australian Open champion got play started on...
‘Game of Thrones’ final season to debut on April 14
NEW YORK — “Game of Thrones” fans, get ready. HBO announced Sunday night that the eighth and final season will begin on April 14. In a one minute and 44 second teaser released Sunday, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) are seen in...
Daughter’s plea draws 50,000 birthday cards for World War II veteran
FULLERTON, Calif. — When Sue Morse requested on Facebook that friends send her father well-wishes for his Dec. 30 birthday, she expected maybe 160 cards. At 96, World War II veteran and Purple Heart medal recipient Duane Sherman has survived most of his friends. As of Jan. 9, Sherman received...
Man accused in death of girl, 4, who spilled juice on Xbox
WAUKEGAN, Ill. — Prosecutors will seek a life sentence for a suburban Chicago man accused of beating a 4-year-old girl to death after she spilled juice on an Xbox video console. Prosecutors said “heinous” circumstances justify the sentence for 19-year-old Johnathan Fair, of Waukegan, if he is eventually convicted of...
Nick Ward leads No. 6 Michigan State over Penn State, 71-56
STATE COLLEGE — Nick Ward had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 6 Michigan State to a 71-56 win over Penn State on Sunday. Matt McQuaid added 15 points and Cassius Winston chipped in 11 for the Spartans (15-2, 6-0 Big Ten), who have won 10 straight. They...
Judge blocks Trump birth control coverage rules in 13 states
OAKLAND, Calif. — A U.S. judge in California on Sunday blocked Trump administration rules, which would allow more employers to opt out of providing women with no-cost birth control, from taking effect in 13 states and Washington, D.C. Judge Haywood Gilliam granted a request for a preliminary injunction by California,...
Wintry mix of snow, freezing rain pummels mid-Atlantic
RICHMOND, Va. — A winter storm that contributed to at least five deaths in the Midwest pummeled the mid-Atlantic region for a second day Sunday, bringing with it an icy mix that knocked out power, cancelled flights and contributed to hundreds of car accidents. Virginia State Police said the driver...
Graham says Trump isn’t giving in on southern border wall
WASHINGTON — A leading Senate Republican close to President Donald Trump says Trump isn’t giving in on his demands for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, the issue that’s caused the partial government shutdown that’s now in its fourth week. Sen. Lindsey Graham says he encouraged Trump during a telephone...
Grandfather: Wisconsin teen in ‘good spirits’ after rescue
BARRON, Wis. — The grandfather of a 13-year-old northwestern Wisconsin girl says she’s in “exceptionally good spirits” after being found nearly three months after authorities say she was kidnapped during a home invasion that left her parents dead. Jamye Closs had been missing for nearly three months when she approached...
Willie Nelson, George Strait perform 1st ever duet together
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country icon Willie Nelson has sung with just about everyone, from Snoop Dogg to Frank Sinatra, but one surprising omission was fellow Texas troubadour George Strait. The two country singers sang their first ever duet together on Saturday night in Nashville, Tennessee, during a tribute show honoring...
DNA of wolf declared extinct in wild lives on in Texas pack
DALLAS — Researchers say a pack of wild canines found frolicking near the beaches of the Texas Gulf Coast carry a substantial amount of red wolf genes, a surprising discovery because the animal was declared extinct in the wild nearly 40 years ago. The finding has led wildlife biologists and...
Patriots without Wise; Gordon and Henry active for Chargers
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Patriots will be without defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. when New England hosts the Chargers in the divisional playoffs. Wise was limited all week with an ankle injury. His absence is a blow to the Patriots’ pass rush as they prepare to attack Los Angeles quarterback...
Trump dodges question on whether he has worked for Russia
WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump avoided giving a direct answer when asked if he currently is or has ever worked for Russia after a published report said federal law enforcement officials were so concerned about his behavior after he fired James Comey from the FBI that they began investigating whether Trump...
Beef-friendly Nebraska eyes regulations on the word ‘meat’
LINCOLN, Neb. — More than four months after Missouri became the first U.S. state to regulate the term “meat” on product labels, Nebraska’s powerful farm groups are pushing for similar protection from veggie burgers, tofu dogs and other items that look and taste like real meat. Nebraska lawmakers will consider...
Pope to parents: It’s OK to fight, just not in front of kids
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis offered new parents a bit of advice Sunday, telling them it’s perfectly normal to fight, but just not in front of the children. Francis warned of the “anguish” of children who see their parents fight during a ceremony to baptize 27 newborns, an annual tradition...
Penguins fall to Kings, goalie Jonathan Quick
LOS ANGELES — Jonathan Quick got another memento to add to the plastic tub in his attic filled with pucks commemorating important achievements. Quick stopped 38 shots to get his 301st win, leading the Kings to a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night, snapping the Penguins’ six-game road winning...
Explosions bring down roof of Milwaukee Bucks’ former homeVideo
MILWAUKEE — Dozens of small, simultaneous explosions have brought down the steel roof of the Bradley Center, the former home of the Milwaukee Bucks. The controlled demolition Sunday morning left debris scattered in the street. The Bradley Center closed last summer and the Bucks moved next door to the $524...
Patriots roll past Chargers, return to AFC championship game
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady recognizes there are some who believe the Patriots are nearing the end of their run of unprecedented playoff success. New England took its first step toward possibly silencing those voices for a little longer. Sony Michel ran for 129 yards and had three touchdowns, and...
