Associated Press stories, Page 2021
Tom Bergeron, Erin Andrews exit ‘Dancing With the Stars’
NEW YORK — The dance has ended for “Dancing With the Stars” hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews. ABC said in a statement that the show is looking to “embark on a new creative direction” and host Bergeron “departs the show with our sincerest thanks and gratitude for his trademark...
White House virus task force member says ‘none of us lie’
WASHINGTON — A top member of the White House coronavirus task force said Tuesday that “none of us lie” to the public, an accusation President Donald Trump had retweeted, and that while kids need to be back in school as Trump insists, “we have to get the virus under control.”...
Back to the ’80s: Andrew McCarthy writing ‘Brat Pack’ bookVideo
Actor-writer-director Andrew McCarthy, a 57-year-old father of three, keeps getting asked about his “Brat Pack” years in the 1980s. He is now ready to answer. Grand Central Publishing announced Tuesday that McCarthy’s “Brat: An ’80s Story” will come out next spring. Grand Central is calling the book “a revealing look...
U.S. carries out 1st federal execution in nearly 2 decades
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — The federal government on Tuesday carried out its first execution in almost two decades, killing by lethal injection a man convicted of murdering an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest. The execution of Daniel Lewis Lee came...
Fox’s Carlson denounces ex-writer, ‘self-righteous’ criticsVideo
NEW YORK — Fox News’ Tucker Carlson said Monday that his former writer who posted racist comments online was wrong but criticized “ghouls now beating their chests in triumph” after his staffer’s resignation. “When we pose as blameless in order to hurt other people, we are committing the gravest sin...
Pucks, masks prevalent as 24 NHL teams open training campVideo
St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington is so accustomed to wearing a mask, he didn’t mind doing so for the past four months during the coronavirus pandemic. “Sometimes, I forgot I’m wearing it while driving,” Binnington said Monday, when the Blues were among the NHL’s 24 teams to open training...
Major league teams try to ramp up the competition in campVideo
Well-traveled Milwaukee Brewers first baseman-outfielder Logan Morrison figures it will be easy for him to adjust to games without spectators this season. “I played for the Rays and the Marlins, so I’m used to it,” Morrison said. The Brewers and other major league teams worked out again Monday in mostly...
Doctor: Miami becoming ‘epicenter’ of coronavirus outbreakVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida’s rapidly increasing number of coronavirus cases is turning Miami into the “epicenter of the pandemic,” a top doctor warned Monday, while an epidemiologist called the region’s situation “extremely grave.” Those assessments came as Florida recorded more than 12,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases Monday after a...
White House turns on Fauci as Trump minimizes coronavirus spikeVideo
WASHINGTON — With U.S. virus cases spiking and the death toll mounting, the White House is working to undercut its most trusted coronavirus expert, playing down the danger as President Donald Trump pushes to get the economy moving before he faces voters in November. The U.S. has become a cautionary...
Judge rules Mary Trump can publicize book about her uncle
Mary Trump can talk about the highly critical book she wrote about her uncle, President Donald Trump, over the objections of the president’s brother, a judge ruled Monday as he lifted an order that had blocked her from publicizing or distributing her work. Judge Hal B. Greenwald in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.,...
Petrochemical tax break bill speeds through Senate
HARRISBURG — New legislation to extend millions of dollars in tax breaks to turn natural gas into fertilizer and other chemicals won approval in Pennsylvania’s Senate on Monday, barely hours after the measure emerged from closed-door negotiations between Gov. Tom Wolf and top Republican lawmakers. The tax credit legislation had...
West Virginia governor reinstating coronavirus restrictions as cases rise
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice moved Monday to close bars in the state’s largest college town and reimpose restrictions on large gatherings as coronavirus cases rise to record levels. Justice, a Republican, ordered bars in Monongalia County to close at midnight for 10 days as the county, which includes West...
Protest in Allentown after officer uses knee to restrain manVideo
ALLENTOWN — Activists against police brutality expressed outrage and pressed their demand for accountability Monday after video emerged over the weekend of an officer placing his knee on a man’s head and neck area outside a Pennsylvania hospital. Allentown police violated their own policy against neck restraints when an officer...
U.S. budget deficit hits all-time high of $864 billion in June
WASHINGTON — The federal government incurred the biggest monthly budget deficit in history in June as spending on programs to combat the coronavirus recession exploded while millions of job losses cut into tax revenues. The Treasury Department reported Monday that the deficit hit $864 billion last month, an amount of...
U.S. rejects nearly all Chinese claims in South China Sea
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration escalated its actions against China on Monday by stepping squarely into one of the most sensitive regional issues dividing them and rejecting outright nearly all of Beijing’s significant maritime claims in the South China Sea. The administration presented the decision as an attempt to curb...
Stocks slam into reverse as coronavirus keeps scarring economyVideo
NEW YORK — Wall Street got a painful reminder that the coronavirus pandemic isn’t going away, and a big early gain for stocks suddenly flipped to losses after California showed how it’s still scarring the economy. The S&P 500 fell 0.9%, with all the losses accumulating in the last hour...
Judge: Women can get abortion pill without doctor visits
SILVER SPRING, Md. — A federal judge agreed Monday to suspend a rule that requires women during the covid-19 pandemic to visit a hospital, clinic or medical office to obtain an abortion pill. U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland concluded that the “in-person requirements” for patients seeking medication abortion...
California shuts bars, indoor dining and most gyms, churchesVideo
SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday extended the closure of bars and indoor dining statewide and ordered gyms, churches and hair salons closed in most places as coronavirus cases keep rising in the nation’s most populated state. On July 1, Newsom ordered 19 counties with a surging number...
Crew scrambles to get Muirfield prepared for 2nd consecutive PGA Tour eventVideo
DUBLIN, Ohio — The final group at the Workday Charity Open was making its way down the 13th fairway when the radio of a tournament official at Muirfield Village crackled to life with what was described as “breaking news.” Everyone within earshot moved closer to the cart waiting for the...
Rockets star Westbrook tests positive for coronavirusVideo
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets said Monday he tested positive for coronavirus, and he plans to join his team eventually at the restart of the NBA season. Westbrook made the revelation on social media. As recently as Sunday, the Rockets believed that Westbrook and...
Several rookies could have an impact in MLB’s abbreviated seasonVideo
CHICAGO — Baseball’s 60-game season is plenty of time for a young slugger or pitcher to play a pivotal role in a playoff run. Here is a closer look at a handful of rookies who could grab a starring role this year: • OF Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox: The...
‘Glee’ star Naya Rivera found dead at California lake
LOS ANGELES — The body of “Glee” star Naya Rivera was found Monday at a Southern California lake, authorities said. Ventura County Sheriff’s officials confirmed at an afternoon news conference that the body that search crews found floating in the northeast corner of Lake Piru earlier in the day was...
NFL, Oakley come up with face shields to protect players
NEW YORK — With NFL training camps set to start at the end of the month, the league believes it is closer to one answer when it comes to player safety amid the coronavirus pandemic: face shields for the players’ helmets. The NFL and the players’ union agreed to several...
Police: Central Pa. man shot, killed as law enforcement served warrant
FORKSVILLE — Authorities say a central Pennsylvania man who reportedly feared going to prison due to the coronavirus was shot and killed as law enforcement personnel were trying to serve a bench warrant last week. State police in Sullivan County said 60-year-old Kevin Michael Norton was shot at about 10:30...
100,000 mail-in votes went uncounted in California’s primary
LOS ANGELES — More than 100,000 mail-in ballots were rejected by California election officials during the March presidential primary, according to data obtained by the Associated Press that highlights a glaring gap in the state’s effort to ensure every vote is counted. With the coronavirus pandemic raging, California is part...
