Associated Press stories, Page 2363
Federal judge blocks Missouri’s 8-week abortion ban
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new Missouri ban on abortions at or after eight weeks of pregnancy won’t take effect Wednesday after a federal judge temporarily blocked it from being implemented. U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs put a pause on the law as a legal challenge against it plays out...
Jeffrey Epstein accusers pour out their anger in court
NEW YORK — Women who say they were victimized by Jeffrey Epstein expressed anger Tuesday over his suicide in a New York City jail, saying during an unusual court hearing that he deprived them of a chance at justice. “He is a coward,” said Courtney Wild, who has said she...
Traveling with pets: No-deal Brexit would make it far harder
All across Europe, families and couples on vacation are seamlessly crossing borders with their beloved dog, cat or even ferret, thanks to the European Union Pet Passport scheme. Now, as a no-deal Brexit looms as a possibility for Britain, free pet travel is under threat. If the U.K. leaves the...
U.S. consumer confidence dips slightly in August
WASHINGTON — Consumer confidence dipped slightly in August after a big rebound in July. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index edged down to 135.1 in August, slightly below a July reading of 135.8, which had been the highest since November. Economists had...
Meek Mill pleads guilty, won’t serve more time in prison
PHILADELPHIA — Rapper Meek Mill pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge on Tuesday to resolve a case that’s kept him on probation for most of his adult life. The 32-year-old rapper, born Robert Williams, reached the plea agreement in Philadelphia after an appeals court threw out his conviction last...
Brazil leader demands French apology before accepting aid
JACUNDA NATIONAL FOREST, Brazil — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says Brazil will only accept an offer of international aid to fight Amazon fires if French leader Emmanuel Macron retracts comments that he finds offensive. Bolsonaro on Tuesday said Macron had called him a liar and he accused the French president...
Sheriff: Ohio dog owner faked story of abused animal to get free care
HAMILTON, Ohio — An Ohio sheriff says the person who told veterinarians a dog was found with its nose and mouth duct-taped and its throat slit was actually its owner, who made up the story to get the animal free care. Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones says his office’s investigation...
U.S. home prices rise a modest 2.1% in June
WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices rose more slowly in June as some of the country’s most expensive housing markets saw stagnant or even falling prices. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index rose 2.1% in June from a year earlier, down from a 2.4% gain in May. Prices fell...
Poland plans no budget deficit for first time in 30 years
WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s prime minister says the 2020 state budget will for the first time in 30 years not run a deficit, chiefly thanks to efficient tax collection and changes to the pension system. Premier Mateusz Morawiecki spoke Tuesday following a weekly government session that approved a draft budget...
2 children killed, 10 hurt in Dayton crash with stolen police SUV
DAYTON, Ohio — The Dayton Police Department says two children were killed in a multi-vehicle accident involving a stolen police SUV. WHIO-TV reports that Maj. Eric Henderson says the incident started Monday evening with a complaint about a stabbing on Xenia Avenue. He says Dayton police responded and the suspect...
Philadelphia street shooting leaves 3 wounded; teen in critical condition
PHILADELPHIA — A street shooting in Philadelphia has left three people wounded, including a teenager who is hospitalized in critical condition. But it’s not yet known what sparked the shooting, which occurred around 3 p.m. Monday. Authorities say a 17-year-old boy was shot twice in the stomach and twice in...
Sean Rodriguez’s homer in 11th gives Phils 6-5 win over PiratesVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Sean Rodriguez lined a home run leading off the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. Josh Bell hit a solo homer off Philadelphia closer Hector Neris to tie it at 5 in the ninth...
Phillies’ Sean Rodriguez sinks Pirates with 11th-inning home run
PHILADELPHIA — Sean Rodriguez answered the critics with one big swing. Rodriguez lined a home run leading off the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. Josh Bell hit a solo homer off Philadelphia closer Hector Neris...
Man swimming at Maryland’s Ocean City fatally hit by large wave
OCEAN CITY, Md. — Officials for a Maryland town say a 76-year-old swimmer died in a beach accident when a large wave knocked him down. Ocean City communications manager Jessica Waters told the Salisbury Daily Times that authorities responded Sunday to Ocean City Beach for a report of a distressed...
Column: No majors, but major finish by Rory McIlroy
ATLANTA — Rory McIlroy never felt richer than when he knocked in a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the FedEx Cup. Only it had nothing to do with the money. It was never about $15 million. Even before he teed off in the Tour Championship —...
Serena Williams cruises past Maria Sharapova in U.S. Open
NEW YORK — Playing her first match at the U.S. Open since last year’s loss in a chaotic, controversial final, Serena Williams played nearly perfect tennis and beat Maria Sharapova, 6-1, 6-1, in a contest devoid of drama Monday night. Williams stretched her winning streak to 19 matches against Sharapova...
GOP Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin resigning from Congress
MADISON, Wis. — Republican Rep. Sean Duffy, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump who was on the cast of MTV’s “The Real World” before he went into politics, announced Monday that he is resigning from his Wisconsin congressional seat to spend more time with his family. Duffy, 47, posted...
Mets trying to produce another miracle
NEW YORK — Two months ago, as the New York Mets commemorated the 50th anniversary of a most improbable World Series title, 74-year-old alum Ed Kranepool stood at a Citi Field lectern and tried to encourage a languishing team. “They can do it like we did. You gotta believe in...
Oklahoma judge rules Johnson & Johnson helped fuel opioid crisis, orders $572M payment
NORMAN, Okla. — An Oklahoma judge on Monday found Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries helped fuel the state’s opioid crisis and ordered the consumer products giant to pay $572 million to clean up the problem. Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman’s ruling followed the first state opioid case to...
KFC partners with Beyond Meat for first plant-based ‘chicken’
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s finger lickin’ fake chicken. Kentucky Fried Chicken plans to test plant-based chicken nuggets and boneless wings Tuesday at one of its restaurants in Atlanta. Depending on customer feedback, the chain could expand the test to other markets. California-based startup Beyond Meat said it developed the new...
Mormon leaders change rules against guns in church
SALT LAKE CITY — Most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints already knew they were discouraged from taking their guns to church on Sunday. But it is making sure that message is crystal clear by tweaking the policy to prohibit all “lethal weapons.” The previous policy...
Man found with mummified remains in closet to remain jailed
NEWARK, N.J. — Prosecutors called a New Jersey man “dangerous to society” after pieces of a human body were found in his closet, including a head, part of an arm, and a torso dressed in a necktie and suit jacket. Robert Williams, of Newark, pleaded not guilty Monday to desecrating...
Kraft Heinz brings back former CFO amid struggles
CHICAGO — Kraft Heinz Co. is bringing back its former chief financial officer amid accounting problems and falling sales. Paulo Basilio, 44, joined H.J. Heinz as CFO in 2013 and remained in the job after the company’s 2015 merger with Kraft. He most recently served as Kraft Heinz’s chief business...
G-7 pledges funds to fight Amazon fires
PORTO VELHO, Brazil — The Group of Seven nations on Monday pledged tens of millions of dollars to help Amazon countries fight raging wildfires, even as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accused rich countries of treating the region like a “colony.” The pledge by rich countries included $20 million from the...
Atlanta councilwoman adds to reward to catch campus shooter
ATLANTA — An Atlanta city councilwoman is pleading with the public to cooperate with police in their search for the suspected gunman who opened fire on a crowd of about 200 people outside a university library last week. The Aug. 20 gunfire wounded four college students, all of whom survived....
