Associated Press stories, Page 1398
Winter storm packing snow, freezing rain moves across U.S.
CHICAGO — A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States on Wednesday as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses. The...
Slow down: States get infrastructure cash for speed cameras
WASHINGTON — Drivers, beware: Speed cameras could be on their way to a location near you thanks to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law. Under new federal guidance issued Wednesday, states can now tap billions of federal highway dollars for roadway safety programs such as automated traffic enforcement. They are being...
Trump son, allies sued by witness from 1st impeachment case
WASHINGTON — A retired Army lieutenant colonel who was a pivotal witness in the first impeachment case against Donald Trump has sued the oldest son of the former president and other Trump allies, accusing them of participating in an “intentional, concerted campaign of unlawful intimidation and retaliation” over his decision...
Taliban reopen universities for Afghan women in 6 provinces
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban on Wednesday said they have reopened public universities for women students in six of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, a move marking a major concession to international demands by the country’s new rulers. Since they swept into power in mid-August, the international community has watched to see whether...
Longest lightning bolt record: 477 miles over 3 states
A bolt of lightning that stretched nearly 500 miles across three U.S. states is the new world record holder for longest flash. The single flash extended 477.2 miles across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi in April 2020, the World Meteorological Organization said Monday. That beat the old record set in 2018...
Shortened Olympic torch relay starts for Beijing Games
BEIJING — The three-day torch relay for the Beijing Olympics, shortened considerably because of concerns about the coronavirus, started Wednesday with an 80-year-old former speedskater carrying the flame. The relay opened at the Olympic Forest Park. Luo Zhihuan, the country’s first internationally competitive speedskater, ran the first leg. The torch...
Brian Flores says he won’t drop lawsuit even if hired as NFL coach
Brian Flores says his lawsuit against the NFL over alleged racist hiring practices will continue even if he becomes a head coach again this offseason. Flores interviewed with the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints, who have yet to fill their coaching vacancies. If they call, Flores will listen, but...
Tom Brady bids football adieu, thanks everyone — except Patriots
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The greatness of Tom Brady’s NFL career can’t be exaggerated. He took the New England Patriots to the upper echelon of the league during his 20-year run with the team, filling the franchise’s trophy case with six Lombardi trophies while cementing his own status as possibly the...
Biden sending more troops to Europe amid Ukraine tension
BRUSSELS — President Joe Biden is sending about 2,000 U.S.-based troops to Poland and Germany and shifting roughly 1,000 soldiers from Germany to Romania as demonstrations of American commitments to NATO allies amid fears of a possible Russian military invasion of Ukraine, the Pentagon said Wednesday. In announcing the moves,...
Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie among Rock Hall nominees
NEW YORK — Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran and A Tribe Called Quest are among this year’s first-time nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Cleveland-based institution announced 17 artists and groups being considered for Rock Hall induction, including Rage Against the Machine,...
Biden aims to reduce cancer deaths by 50% over next 25 years
President Joe Biden is committing to reduce the cancer death rate by 50% — a new goal for the “moonshot” initiative against the disease that was announced in 2016 when he was vice president. Biden has set a 25-year timeline for achieving that goal, part of his broader effort to...
Miami agrees to do something about its peacock problem
MIAMI — Peacocks could be on the outs in some South Florida neighborhoods after the Miami-Dade commission agreed to loosen a law protecting the birds. While the 20-year-old law still protects peacocks from harm, commissioners agreed Tuesday to allow cities to opt out if they present appropriate plans to humanely...
Washington’s NFL team unveils new name as Commanders
Washington’s NFL team is now known as the Commanders. The new name unveiled Wednesday comes 18 months after the once-storied franchise dropped its old moniker following decades of criticism that it was offensive to Native Americans and under fresh pressure from sponsors. The organization committed to avoiding Native American imagery...
Turkey: 12 migrants freeze to death after Greece pushback
ANKARA, Turkey — The bodies of 12 migrants who froze to death were found near Turkey’s border with Greece, the Turkish interior minister said Wednesday, accusing Greek border guards of pushing them back over the frontier. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said tweeted that the 12 were among 22 migrants who...
ABC suspends Whoopi Goldberg over Holocaust race remarks
NEW YORK — Whoopi Goldberg has been suspended for two weeks as co-host of “The View” because of what the head of ABC News called her “wrong and hurtful comments” about Jews and the Holocaust. “While Whoopi has apologized, I’ve asked her to take time to reflect and learn about...
Trump attacks spur Congress to bolster electoral count law
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s relentless, false claims about the 2020 presidential election have sparked fresh urgency in Congress — and in both parties — for changing the Electoral Count Act to ensure no one can undo a future presidential election. Lawmakers are working furiously to update the 135-year-old law that...
U.S. gets Honduras for chilly World Cup qualifier in MinnesotaVideo
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Since World Cup qualifying entered this special winter session, the U.S. has embraced the cold and its accompanying advantage over an opponent from a tropical country. The bring-it-on attitude will be put to a stiff test Wednesday night in Minnesota, where the U.S. will stage a...
Rams’ Andrew Whitworth excited to go against former team in Super BowlVideo
LOS ANGELES — If anyone has an appreciation for the long, winding road the Cincinnati Bengals have taken to their first Super Bowl in 33 years, it is Andrew Whitworth. But if the Los Angeles Rams left tackle wants to win his first championship, he will have to do it...
Virus enters Tonga along with disaster aid; lockdown planned
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Tonga will enter a lockdown Wednesday evening after finding coronavirus infections in two port workers helping distribute aid arriving in the Pacific nation after a volcanic eruption and tsunami. The urgent announcement by Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni appeared to confirm fears that accepting the aid following...
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo says goodbye to 49ers fansVideo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Before Jimmy Garoppolo finished his 17-minute season-ending news conference, he wanted to deliver a message to the San Francisco 49ers fans who supported him the past five seasons. “It’s been crazy, man. Just all the comebacks at Levi’s, comebacks on the road, ups and downs. It’s...
Report flags consultant error in Pennsylvania pension data
HARRISBURG — A report commissioned by the board of Pennsylvania’s largest public pension system shows a consultant took responsibility for an errant calculation about the fund’s investment performance. The discovery of the mistaken calculation forced the $72 billion Public School Employees’ Retirement System to take a second vote last year...
Former UCLA lecturer threatened to ‘hunt’ female professor, police say
LOS ANGELES — A former lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was arrested Tuesday after police say he emailed an 800-page document and posted videos threatening violence against the school had previously sent messages saying he would “hunt” and kill a professor, court documents show. Matthew Harris,...
MLS rising global profile evident in latest transfer windowVideo
As the talent level in Major League Soccer grows, so does the inevitable loss of young players to top clubs abroad. For fans, that might be disappointing, but it’s good for the league. Transfers can bring MLS clubs big money, which can then be used to develop more players and...
Is New York safe? Violence, perception and a complicated reality
NEW YORK — A teenage fast-food cashier shot to death in Manhattan. A woman pushed to her death in front of a subway train in Times Square. An 11-month-old girl wounded by a stray bullet in the Bronx. Two police officers killed in Harlem. A string of headline-making violence in...
Jim Litke: Tom Brady’s goodbye leaves (almost) everyone smilingVideo
The smart ones get out while people are still lining up to see them play. Tom Brady was even smarter than that. He was so good for so long that it made the toughest decision of his own career easy for everybody else. Sure, it could have gone smoother. As...
