Associated Press stories, Page 1861
FDA chief called to White House as Trump pushes for vaccine
WASHINGTON — The head of the agency responsible for approving any covid-19 vaccine for the U.S. was summoned to the White House Tuesday as an increasingly frustrated President Donald Trump complained approval wasn’t coming faster. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows called in Stephen Hahn, the head of the...
Nonessential shops reopen in Belgium as virus numbers drop
BRUSSELS — Nonessential shops in Belgium reopened Tuesday in the wake of encouraging figures about declining daily coronavirus infection rates and hospital admissions. Few overcrowding incidents were reported. The government had been fearful that the change might lead to massive gatherings in the nation’s most popular shopping centers and streets....
Forecasters confirm small tornado hit Pennsylvania town
MONTGOMERYVILLE — The National Weather Service on Tuesday determined a small tornado hit a Pennsylvania town as a line of severe storms packing high winds and heavy rain moved across the Northeast. The EF-0 twister was packing 70 mph winds as it cut a 100-yard path through Montgomeryville on Monday...
Rescue efforts slowed a week after Zimbabwe mine collapse
BINDURA, Zimbabwe — Rains and flooding have slowed rescue efforts at a Zimbabwean mine where a shaft collapsed last week, trapping at least 10 artisanal miners. Hopes of finding survivors are vanishing and relatives camped at the site on Tuesday expressed their desperation for decent burials of their loved ones...
Arizona cites holiday reporting delays for record 10K cases
PHOENIX — Arizona on Tuesday reported over 10,000 new known coronavirus cases, but the state said the record number nearly three times the latest seven-day daily rolling average reflected not only the current surge but also delayed reporting by local health officials due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. “Today, the...
Bad Bunny is Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2020
The year’s most played artist on Spotify? Globally speaking: Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican superstar is the music platform’s most-streamed artist of the year with 8.3 billion streams globally. The Latin Grammy winner and hitmaker , who released a new album last week, leads a top five list that also...
Detroit police fatally shoot gunman suspected in slaying
DETROIT — Police killed a gunman during a shootout early Tuesday who was suspected of fatally shooting a woman over a child-custody issue and firing shots at a Detroit police station, authorities said. Members of the department’s Special Response Team approached the 28-year-old man about 7 a.m. as he sat...
Strong start to December as S&P 500 index sets another high
Stocks scored more record highs on Wall Street on Tuesday, a day after the S&P 500 closed out November with its biggest monthly gain since April. The benchmark index climbed 1.1% while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.3%. Both beat the all-time highs they set on Friday. Stocks have been ramping...
U.S. officials say mountain pine tree that feeds grizzlies is threatened
BILLINGS, Mont. — Climate change, voracious beetles and disease are imperiling the long-term survival of a high-elevation pine tree that’s a key source of food for some grizzly bears and found across the U.S. West, U.S, officials said Tuesday. A Fish and Wildlife Service proposal scheduled to be published Wednesday...
U.S. factories grew more slowly last month; index dips to 57.5
WASHINGTON — American factories grew at a slower pace last month, and there are concerns that surging coronavirus infections will endanger an economic recovery. The Institute of Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, reported Tuesday that its manufacturing index dipped to 57.5 in November from 59.3 in October. Any...
China says probe sent to retrieve lunar rocks lands on moon
BEIJING — A Chinese robot probe sent to return lunar rocks to Earth for the first time since the 1970s landed on the moon Tuesday, the government announced, adding to a string of increasingly bold space missions by Beijing. The Chang’e 5 probe “successfully landed” at its planned site, state...
OPEC talks on production hit snag as pandemic clouds outlook
FRANKFURT, Germany — The OPEC oil producers’ cartel was to push ahead with a new round of discussions Tuesday about how much to pump next year as countries wrestled over whether to extend the production cuts that have been supporting prices depressed by the pandemic. Members adjourned a videoconference after...
Bill Cosby’s sex assault conviction gets high court review
PHILADELPHIA — Bill Cosby’s lawyers will argue Tuesday that his 2018 sex assault trial was marred by evidence and testimony that should have been excluded as they ask Pennsylvania’s highest court to throw out the conviction. Cosby, 83, has served more than two years of his three- to 10-year prison...
DK Metcalf, Russell Wilson lead Seahawks over Eagles
PHILADELPHIA — DK Metcalf got extra motivation he didn’t even need. Metcalf caught 10 passes for 177 yards, Russell Wilson threw for 230 yards and a touchdown and the Seattle Seahawks beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-17, on Monday night. Before the game, Metcalf said Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who...
Nasdaq seeks more diverse boards from listed companies
Nasdaq is seeking U.S. authority to require more diversity in the board rooms of Nasdaq-listed companies. It is the first major exchange to pursue such a requirement. The proposal filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, if approved, would require all companies listed on the exchange to...
With a month until split, Brexit trade deal hangs in balance
LONDON — The British government told businesses Tuesday to make sure they are ready for big changes when the U.K. makes its final Brexit break from the European Union in exactly a month. But with negotiations on a free-trade deal with the bloc stuck, firms say they still don’t know...
European regulator to decide Dec. 29 on 1st virus vaccine
BERLIN — The European Medicines Agency will convene a meeting Dec. 29 to decide if there is enough data about the safety and efficacy of the covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for it to be approved, the regulator said Tuesday. The agency also said Tuesday it could decide...
This date in sports history: Dec. 1Video
1936 — End Larry Kelley of Yale is named the Heisman Trophy winner. 1951 — Arnold “Showboat” Boykin of Mississippi scores seven touchdowns in a 49-7 rout of Mississippi State. 1956 — The United States beats the Soviet Union, 89-55, to win the gold medal in men’s basketball at the...
Navy will decommission warship damaged in suspected arson
SAN DIEGO— The Navy said Monday that it will decommission a warship docked off San Diego after suspected arson this summer caused extensive damage, making it too expensive to restore. Fully repairing the USS Bonhomme Richard to warfighting capabilities would cost $2.5 billion to $3 billion and take five to...
GAO says weekly unemployment benefits report flawed
WASHINGTON — A government watchdog has found that the Labor Department’s widely watched weekly unemployment benefits data are providing an inaccurate reading on the number of newly laid off workers because of flaws in the government’s data collection. The Government Accountability Office said in a report Monday that the Labor...
Wisconsin confirms Joe Biden as winner as a result of recount
MADISON, Wis. — Joe Biden’s victory in battleground Wisconsin was confirmed Monday following a partial recount that only added to his 20,600-vote margin over President Donald Trump, who has promised to file a lawsuit seeking to undo the results. Confirmation of the results by the Democratic chairwoman of the Wisconsin...
Dictionary companies choose same word of the year: pandemicVideo
NEW YORK — In the land of lexicography, out of the whole of the English language, 2020’s word of the year is a vocabulary of one. For the first time, two dictionary companies on Monday — Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com — declared the same word as their tops: pandemic. A third...
Former Lehigh University student admits poisoning roommate
EASTON — A former Lehigh University student on Monday admitted poisoning his roommate’s food and drink with a heavy metal substance. Yukai Yang, 24, pleaded guilty to attempted murder. Under terms of a plea agreement, the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office will withdraw other charges in two seperate cases against...
Georgia official announces investigations, defends electionVideo
ATLANTA — Georgia’s top elections official on Monday announced investigations into potential violations of election law even as he continued to defend the integrity of the state’s election against what he said are baseless attacks. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has repeatedly said there has been no evidence of systemic...
West Virginia hospitals to trim elective surgeries as coronavirus cases soar
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hospitals across West Virginia will reduce elective surgeries to ensure there is enough space to accommodate coronavirus patients as the number of cases continues to surge, Gov. Jim Justice said Monday. Hospitals will be able to maintain their available bed capacities “at this moment,” Justice said at...
