Associated Press stories, Page 1849
Playing amid pandemic tests college basketball teams’ adaptabilityVideo
Sacramento State has a game at Cal Poly scheduled for Dec. 21, two days after the Hornets host UC Davis. Cal Poly has the same covid-19 testing standards, so it should be easy for the Hornets to pull off. It’s not, like nearly everything that comes with trying to play...
No longer a surprise, Shibuno leads by 3 at US Women’s OpenVideo
HOUSTON — Hinako Shibuno can do without the “Cinderella” nickname, just not the smile. That was bright as ever Friday as the Japanese star posted a 4-under-par 67 and opened a three-shot lead going into the weekend of the U.S. Women’s Open. Shibuno’s lone mistake on a damp, soft day...
Falcons WR Julio Jones out against Chargers with hamstring injuryVideo
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones will miss his fourth game of the season because of a lingering hamstring injury. The team ruled out Jones for Sunday’s game in Los Angeles against the Chargers after he was held out of practice all week. Two other starters —...
White House threatens FDA chief’s job over vaccine approval
WASHINGTON — White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Friday pressed Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn to grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine by the end of the day or face possible firing, two administration officials said. The vaccine produced by Pfizer Inc. and...
Demoralized health workers struggle as virus numbers surge
Doctors and nurses around the U.S. are becoming exhausted and demoralized as they struggle to cope with a record-breaking surge of covid-19 patients that is overwhelming hospitals and prompting governors to clamp back down to contain the virus. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday banned indoor dining in New...
Senate sends Trump defense bill he has vowed to veto
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Friday approved a wide-ranging defense policy bill, sending it to President Donald Trump, despite his threat to veto the bill because it does not clamp down on big tech companies he claims were biased during the election. The final vote was 84-13, mirroring a similarly...
Visa, Mastercard won’t allow charges for services on Pornhub
Mastercard and Visa said Thursday they would block their customers from using the credit cards to make purchases on Pornhub following accusations the pornographic website showed videos of rape and underage sex. They reacted following an investigation by opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times that also alleged...
5 years on, signs that Paris climate accord is working
The forecast for global warming is looking a little less bleak in the long term, but not so rosy in the short term. With numerous countries pledging to clean up their act and projected temperature rises now smaller than they once were, scientists and diplomats say the outlook for mid-to-late...
Viral spread: Americans paying the price for Thanksgiving
With some Americans now paying the price for what they did over Thanksgiving and falling sick with COVID-19, health officials are warning people — begging them, even — not to make the same mistake during the Christmas and New Year’s season. “It’s a surge above the existing surge,” said Ali...
Utah senator blocks national museums for Latinos, women
A lone senator from Utah has singlehandedly blocked the bipartisan approval of two new national museums to honor American Latinos and women, arguing that “last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation.” Republican Sen. Mike Lee objected Thursday to the creation of the two proposed Smithsonian...
GSK, Sanofi say their covid-19 vaccine won’t be ready until late 2021
Drugmakers GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi said Friday that their potential covid-19 vaccine won’t be ready until late next year because they need to improve the shot’s effectiveness in older people. The companies said early trials showed the vaccine produced an “insufficient” immune response in people over 60 because it didn’t contain...
Inflation still a no-show, US wholesale prices up just 0.1%
U.S. wholesale prices edged up just 0.1% in November with the economic disruption from the pandemic continuing to suppress demand and keeping inflation at extremely low levels. The increase in the producer price index, which measures inflation pressures before they reach the consumer, followed bigger gains of 0.3% in October...
Stocks extend losses as virus aid languishes in Congress
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks fell in afternoon trading Friday as prospects for another aid package from Washington faded while a surge in virus cases threatens to inflict more damage on an already battered economy. Investors have been hoping for another financial lifeline to help cushion the latest blow from...
Obama reunion? Joe Biden fills Cabinet with former White House leaders
President-elect Joe Biden is getting the old gang back together. Increasingly deep into the process of selecting Cabinet members and other senior staff, the incoming Biden administration has a distinctly Obama feel. There’s Denis McDonough, former President Barack Obama’s chief of staff who Biden announced on Thursday would be nominated...
Pollstar: Live events industry lost $30B because of pandemic
NEW YORK — Because of the global coronavirus pandemic, concert trade publication Pollstar puts the total lost revenue for the live events industry in 2020 at more than $30 billion. Pollstar on Friday said the live events industry should have hit a record-setting $12.2 billion this year, but instead it...
Disney unveils plans to stream a galaxy of new series, films
The Walt Disney Co.’s streaming plans shifted into hyper speed Thursday, as the studio unveiled a galaxy’s worth of new streaming offerings including plans for 10 “Star Wars” series spinoffs and 10 Marvel series that will debut on Disney+. In a virtual presentation for investors, Disney chief executive Bob Chapek...
Trump administration plans 2nd execution in as many days
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — The Trump administration plans to continue its unprecedented series of post-election federal executions Friday by putting to death a Louisiana truck driver who severely abused his 2-year-old daughter for weeks in 2002, then killed her by slamming her head against a truck’s windows and dashboard. Lawyers...
Graduate thanks Nicki Minaj for tuition, med school next
LAFAYETTE, La. — A University of Louisiana at Lafayette student who just graduated is thanking rap artist Nicki Minaj for paying his tuition. Three years ago, someone on Twitter reached out to Minaj with a request for the musician to help pay for college. Minaj agreed — on the condition...
California’s health order falling on many deaf ears
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — In the Southern California oceanside city of Manhattan Beach, one arm of government is urging residents to stay home except for essential needs while another is encouraging them to get out and shop and even providing places where they can sit down to relax, eat takeout...
U.S. carries out rare execution during presidential transition
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — The Trump administration Thursday carried out its ninth federal execution of the year in what has been a first series of executions during a presidential lame-duck period in 130 years, putting to death a Texas street-gang member in the slayings of a religious couple from Iowa...
Gifty new and unusual pandemic-proof games for the holidays
The pandemic has proven there’s no shortage of games to keep families, couples and kids amused. The classics are ever-present, but a range of new or off-the-beaten-track gift entries are available. A sampling: Tragos It’s a party card game focused on Latino pop culture that comes in a variety of...
Congress stuck as McConnell torpedoes emerging covid relief dealVideo
WASHINGTON — An emerging $900 billion covid-19 aid package from a bipartisan group of lawmakers all but collapsed Thursday after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republican senators won’t support $160 billion in state and local funds as part of a potential trade-off in the deal. McConnell’s staff conveyed to...
Jerry Falwell Jr. drops defamation lawsuit against Liberty University
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Jerry Falwell Jr. has dropped a defamation lawsuit against his former employer, Liberty University. A judge granted a motion this week to dismiss the case in a move that left open the possibility of Falwell refiling a similar one later, The News & Advance reported Thursday. Court...
SEC on ABC: ESPN to be exclusive TV home, starting 2024Video
The Southeastern Conference’s signature mid-afternoon Saturday game will move from CBS to ABC starting in 2024 as part of a new 10-year contract announced Thursday with ESPN and the powerhouse football league. The deal makes ESPN the exclusive media rights holder of SEC football and men’s basketball, and will end...
Army hosts Navy for 1st time in 77 years because of covid-19
Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo never tires of the feeling that permeates the locker room in the moments before the opening kickoff of the annual matchup against Army. “There’s a chill that goes through you unlike any other game,” Niumatalolo said. “It’s the craziest thing because you’re in the locker room...
