Associated Press stories, Page 2634
Pa. House votes for tougher public pension forfeiture rules
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania state lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to make it harder for officials and government employees convicted of crimes related to their jobs to retain their public pensions. The state House voted 194 to 1 to approve legislation that applies the pension forfeiture law to state and federal felonies...
Facebook to overhaul ad targeting to prevent discrimination
SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook will overhaul its ad-targeting systems to prevent discrimination in housing , credit and employment ads as part of a legal settlement. For the social network, that’s one major legal problem down, several to go, including government investigations in the U.S. and Europe over its data and...
Trump praises Brazil’s far-right president Bolsonaro at White House
WASHINGTON — President Trump praised Brazil’s new far-right leader Tuesday as he welcomed him to the White House, saying the man who’s been described as the “Trump of the Tropics” has done “a very outstanding job.” Trump said President Jair Bolsonaro had run “one of the incredible campaigns,” saying he...
Patriots owner Robert Kraft offered plea deal in prostitution case
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida prosecutors have offered a plea deal to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other men charged with paying for illicit sex at a massage parlor. The Palm Beach State Attorney confirmed Tuesday it has offered Kraft and 24 other men charged with soliciting prostitution...
Police: Unicorn-costumed robbery suspect has been unmasked
BALDWIN, Md. — The robbery suspect wore a unicorn costume, and police in Maryland say he has been unmasked. News outlets report that Baltimore County police say 28-year-old Jacob William Rogge donned a pink-and-white unicorn costume and smashed a convenience store register with a crowbar Saturday. Police say 27-year-old Joseph...
U.S. stocks move higher as market extends winning streak
U.S. stocks moved modestly higher in afternoon trading Tuesday as the market extended a winning streak well into a second week. Health care stocks, technology companies and retailers notched some of the biggest gains. DaVita led the health sector higher, climbing 3.8 percent. Cigna added 3.1 percent. Chipmakers also posted...
Dutch prosecutors consider terror motive in fatal tram shooting
UTRECHT, Netherlands — Investigators probing the deadly tram shooting in the Dutch city of Utrecht sharpened their focus Tuesday on a possible extremist motive, as judicial authorities revealed that the main suspect was released from jail this month and faces a rape trial in July. The nature of Monday’s attack...
Iowa sues to shut down national puppy-laundering ring
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Attorney General’s Office is suing to shut down what it describes as a national puppy-laundering ring that sells dogs from illegal breeding operations at inflated prices while pretending the animals are rescues. The lawsuit filed Monday seeks an injunction to dissolve breeder J.A.K.’s Puppies,...
Ford shifting 550 jobs to boost SUV production in Kentucky
Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it will shift 550 jobs to its Kentucky Truck Plant to boost production of its Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles to meet growing demand for its large SUVs. Growing sales for the Expedition and Navigator are driving a 20 percent production boost at the Louisville...
Need an edge for your NCAA bracket? Geek out over these stats
At this time of year, everyone’s in search of a system — some way of simplifying the brackets and making it a little easier to pick one champion out of all those contenders. You could go with the most experienced coaches or perhaps the teams playing the best defense. Or...
James Corden returns to host the 2019 Tony AwardsVideo
James Corden is returning to host the 73rd annual Tony Awards. The American Theatre Wing on Tuesday announced that the host of CBS’ “The Late Late Show” will preside over Broadway’s biggest night which honors the season’s best plays and musicals. Corden previously hosted the 70th annual Tonys. Corden won...
Chicago police union wants federal probe in Smollett case
The Chicago police union’s president alleges that the county’s top prosecutor interfered with the investigation of “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett before recusing herself and wants the Justice Department to determine if she broke any laws. WLS-TV in Chicago reports that Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Graham wrote the Justice...
Facebook says no one flagged New Zealand mosque shooting livestream
LONDON — Facebook says none of the 200 or so people who watched live video of the New Zealand mosque shooting flagged it to moderators, underlining the challenge tech companies face in policing violent or disturbing content in real time. The social media giant released new details about its response...
Statue of Liberty climber gets 5 years’ probation
NEW YORK — A woman who climbed the base of the Statue of Liberty last July 4 to protest the separation of families at the Mexican border has been sentenced to five years’ probation and 200 hours of community service. Therese Okoumou entered the Manhattan federal courthouse on Tuesday with...
Sen. Edward Markey to give away campaign donations from Robert Kraft
BOSTON— U.S. Sen. Edward Markey planned to donate campaign contributions he received from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is charged with soliciting prostitution in Florida, to an organization that works to end human trafficking. Markey received $3,600 in donations from Kraft during the Massachusetts Democrat’s first campaign for...
Mike Pence heads to flooded Midwest amid concerns about levees
OMAHA, Neb. — Vice President Mike Pence is headed to the Midwest to view flood damage as farmers raise concerns that busted levees won’t be fixed before the traditional spring flood season. Pence is scheduled to visit Omaha, Nebraska, late Tuesday afternoon. Hundreds of homes are damaged, and tens of...
Trump’s 2 Supreme Court picks on opposite sides in 2 cases
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s two Supreme Court appointees were on opposite sides of two of three cases that the justices decided Tuesday. The two new justices have solidified conservative control of the Supreme Court, but they do not march in lockstep, at least in the small corners of the...
Tyler Perry steps in to help 4 children of slain single mom
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Less than a day after the family of a slain single mother of four launched a fundraising appeal, actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry has lent his support. News outlets report Perry offered to take care of the family’s rent to stave off eviction, arrange for 45-year-old Tynesha...
High profile arrest led Alabama police to genealogy testing
OZARK, Ala. — A truck-driving preacher accused of killing two teenage girls from Alabama nearly 20 years ago was found with the same genealogy database techniques used to apprehend the suspected “Golden State Killer” last year. Law enforcement interest in using genetic genealogy to crack cold cases has ballooned since...
Filmmaker David Lynch teaching a class on creativity
LOS ANGELES — According to filmmaker David Lynch, all it takes are 70 ideas to make a feature film. The visionary mind behind “Blue Velvet,” ”Mulholland Drive” and “Twin Peaks” is imparting this and other wisdom, like never giving up final cut, in a new MasterClass on creativity and filmmaking...
Dartmouth professor wins top religion prize
HANOVER, N.H. — A Dartmouth College professor of physics and astronomy was awarded one of the world’s leading religion prizes for blending hard science and deep spirituality in his work, a foundation announced Tuesday. The John Templeton Foundation is awarding its 2019 prize to Marcelo Gleiser, who has written books...
Sharpton, family seek change a year after Stephon Clark died
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Standing beside the family of a 22-year-old black man who was fatally shot by police a year ago Monday, the Rev. Al Sharpton called for California to make it easier to prosecute officers who kill civilians and to require that all cases go before a grand jury....
Spoilers! Baylor tops women’s NCAA field as bracket leaks
NEW YORK — One of the joys of March Madness is the surprising things that can happen during the NCAA Tournament. For the women, there was an unpleasant surprise before the tournament even began when the field was revealed early thanks to a production error. The bracket was mistakenly broadcast...
Judge: Feds can post info on FBI raid of Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen
NEW YORK — A judge directed prosecutors Monday to publicly release documents related to the search warrant for last year’s FBI raids on the home and office of President Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen. U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III ordered that redacted versions of the documents be released...
Ex-officer says she had sex while child was dying in hot car
BILOXI, Miss. — A former Mississippi Gulf Coast police officer told a judge Monday that she had sex with her supervisor and then fell asleep while her 3-year-old daughter was dying inside an overheated patrol car. Cassie Barker pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter in a plea bargain after being indicted...
