Associated Press stories, Page 1447
Pennsylvania Senate aims to bar school covid vaccine rule
HARRISBURG — The Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate approved legislation Monday to prevent school children from being required to get a covid-19 vaccination to attend school, although it likely faces a veto by Gov. Tom Wolf. The bill passed on party lines, 28-21, and goes to the House of Representatives. Neither the...
Pfizer confirms covid pill’s results, potency versus omicron
WASHINGTON — Pfizer said Tuesday that its experimental pill to treat covid-19 appears effective against the omicron variant. The company also said full results of its 2,250-person study confirmed the pill’s promising early results against the virus: The drug reduced combined hospitalizations and deaths by about 89% among high-risk adults...
Matthew Stafford leads Rams’ air attack in win over Cardinals
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Matthew Stafford threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns, Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. each caught a touchdown pass and the Los Angeles Rams held on for a 30-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. The Cardinals (10-3) will have to wait at least...
Ravens hoping injured QB Lamar Jackson can return quickly
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — This was the absence Baltimore could least afford. The Ravens are hopeful it won’t linger. Lamar Jackson missed most of Sunday’s loss at Cleveland after spraining his ankle, but a day later, coach John Harbaugh said the star quarterback did not have a high ankle sprain....
Deadlines loom in drawing new Assembly, congressional maps in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania state House committee cast a set of party-line votes Monday to prepare for an eventual deal on congressional redistricting, while the chairman of the five-person group drawing General Assembly maps announced a voting meeting in the coming days. Legislative Reapportionment Commission Chairman Mark Nordenberg said they...
NFL requiring covid-19 booster shots by Dec. 27
The NFL is requiring coaches, front-office staff and team personnel to receive a covid-19 booster by Dec. 27. In a memo sent to teams Monday and obtained by the Associated Press, the league said: “Given the increased prevalence of the virus in our communities, our experts have recommended that we...
NHL postpones 3 Flames games because of covid-19 outbreak
NEW YORK — The NHL postponed the Calgary Flames’ next three games after six players and a staff member entered the league’s covid-19 protocol over a 24-hour period. The Flames announced Monday that forwards Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane, Brad Richardson and Adam Ruzicka and defensemen Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov...
Baylor men grab No. 1 spot in AP Top 25 rankings
Baylor won the national championship last season without ever reaching No. 1 in the AP Top 25. The Bears are there now. Baylor took advantage of Purdue’s last-second loss to Rutgers last week to become the fourth team at No. 1 in the past four weeks. The Bears earned every...
California brings back mask mandate as coronavirus cases rise
SACRAMENTO — California is bringing back a statewide indoor mask mandate. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration announced the new mandate will start Wednesday and last until Jan. 15. The order comes as the per capita rate of new coronavirus cases in California has jumped 47% in the past two weeks. “We...
Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker uncertain vs. Pitt in Peach Bowl
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State coach Mel Tucker said Monday he was uncertain whether All-America running back Kenneth Walker will play for 11th-ranked Spartans against No. 13 Pittsburgh in the Peach Bowl. The Big Ten Coach of the Year said Walker is battling through some things. The transfer from...
Vehicle emission declines decreased deaths, study finds
Researchers say that thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars have been saved in the United States by recent reductions in emissions from vehicles. Harvard University researchers who study the environment and public health examined the impact of declines in emissions from vehicles over a decade. They found...
Navy: Sailor accused of igniting warship was ‘disgruntled’
SAN DIEGO — Navy prosecutors alleged Monday that a sailor charged with setting the fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard last year was “disgruntled” after dropping out of Navy SEAL training, while his defense lawyers criticized the preliminary hearing as unfair. Prosecutor Cmdr. Rich Federico told the court that...
Biden visiting Kentucky to console tornado victims, give aidVideo
WASHINGTON — For the fifth time since taking office less than a year ago, President Joe Biden is taking on the grim task Wednesday of visiting an area ravaged by natural disaster to offer comfort and condolences. Biden was headed to Kentucky to survey damage and offer federal support for...
Covid issues prompt NBA to postpone Bulls’ next 2 games
CHICAGO — The NBA postponed the Chicago Bulls’ next two games on Monday, with 10 of the team’s players in the league’s health and safety protocols. The Bulls were scheduled to host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday and visit the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. No makeup dates were announced. The...
Titans’ about-face results in shutout win, brighter outlook
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans returned from their much-needed bye week and got their first home shutout since 2000. On Sunday, the Titans bested AFC South rival Jacksonville 20-0 thanks to a defense that intercepted Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence four times. It was an about-face from the previous two...
USA Gymnastics, USOPC reach $380M settlement with victimsVideo
The legal wrangling between USA Gymnastics and the victims of sexual abuse by former national team doctor Larry Nassar, among others, is over. The fight for substantive change within the sport’s national governing body is just beginning. A federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis on Monday confirmed a $380 million settlement...
Derek Chauvin expected to plead guilty in Floyd civil rights case
MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin appears to be on the verge of pleading guilty to violating George Floyd ‘s civil rights, according to a notice sent out Monday by the court’s electronic filing system. The federal docket entry shows a hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday for...
Shatner marvels at Blue Origin flight frenzy, ‘finite’ Earth
LOS ANGELES — William Shatner’s durable role as an avatar of space’s promise drew a frenzy of attention when fiction became fact with his rocket ride. The “Star Trek” actor says he was as surprised by it as he was gratified by the 10-minute, suborbital jaunt made possible by billionaire...
Injury-hit UConn down to No. 7, lowest Top 25 spot since ’07
UConn dropped four spots to No. 7 in the women’s AP Top 25 released Monday, its lowest ranking in 14 years after losing its first game against an unranked team since 2012. The Huskies fell to Georgia Tech last week in its first game without sophomore star Paige Bueckers, who...
Philadelphia to require vaccine proof for indoor dining
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia will require proof of covid-19 vaccination to dine indoors at bars, restaurants, indoor sporting events and other food-related establishments starting Jan. 3, city and public health officials announced Monday. Public Health Director Cheryl Bettigole said Philadelphia has seen infection rates double in the last few weeks and...
Thousands without heat, water after tornadoes kill dozensVideo
MAYFIELD, Ky. — Residents of Kentucky counties where tornadoes killed dozens of people could be without heat, water or electricity in frigid temperatures for weeks or longer, state officials warned Monday, as the toll of damage and deaths came into clearer focus in five states slammed by the swarm of...
Golden Globes announce nominations to a skeptical Hollywood
NEW YORK — After widespread criticism forced the organization that puts on the Golden Globes to lose its televised award show and overhaul its membership, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nevertheless went ahead announcing nominees for film and television awards on Monday despite a skeptical entertainment industry. Just as it’s...
Remains found after pre-execution tip from Mississippi man
PONTOTOC, Miss. — Authorities have uncovered the remains of a Mississippi woman following a tip from an inmate who revealed the location of her body prior to his execution on other crimes last month. On Sunday, police discovered what’s believed to be the body of Felicia Cox on land that...
Aaron Rodgers throws 4 TD passes, Packers defeat Bears
GREEN BAY, Wis. — After an extraordinary second quarter in which the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears exchanged body blows, the NFL’s oldest rivalry returned to normal, with Aaron Rodgers once again delivering a knockout punch. Rodgers threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns to continue his mastery of...
Sri Lanka company prepares to sell massive blue gemstone
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A gem company in Sri Lanka has unveiled a rare and massive gemstone weighing 683 pounds (310 kilograms) that has been certified as one of the biggest corundums ever found in the country. Sri Lanka’s National Gem and Jewelry Authority says it has done a series...
