Associated Press stories, Page 2433
Over 16 tons of cocaine intercepted at Philadelphia port in one of the largest busts in U.S. historyVideo
PHILADELPHIA — U.S. authorities seized 33,000 pounds, or 15,000 kilograms, of cocaine from a ship at Philadelphia’s port in what they described as one of the largest drug busts in American history. They said the haul could have been worth more than $1 billion on the street. The U.S. attorney’s...
Hiker rescued from New Hampshire summit may have to foot the bill
CONCORD, N.H. — An 80-year-old hiker who was rescued trying to reach the summit of Mount Washington could end up footing the bill for the emergency services, New Hampshire officials said Tuesday, amid efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of the popular tourist destination. Authorities may even file criminal...
Police: Arizona man beheads roommate’s dog as she moves out
BUCKEYE, Ariz. — An Arizona man has been arrested on suspicion of mutilating and beheading his roommate’s dog as she moved out of the home that the two shared in a Phoenix suburb. Jose Vega Meza, 21, told investigators that he killed the dog on Saturday because his roommate owed...
Facebook plans its own currency for 2 billion-plus users
SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook already rules daily communication for more than two billion people around the world. Now it wants its own currency, too. The social network unveiled an ambitious plan Tuesday to create a new digital currency similar to Bitcoin for global use, one that could drive more e-commerce...
Police: Mom intentionally drives into Michigan river; 3 dead
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Authorities say they’ve found the body of a woman and her 9-year-old twin daughters after she intentionally drove a car carrying them into a southwestern Michigan river. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety says two upset girls told officers late Monday that a family member had driven...
‘Baby’ found dead near park turns out to be realistic doll
NEW YORK — Police say what appeared to be a dead infant found outside a park in New York City turned out to be a realistic-looking doll. A runner spotted what she thought was a baby shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday in a grassy area outside Crocheron Park in the...
Police: Man faked heart attack while accomplice robbed store
MALDEN, Mass. — Police say a man faked a heart attack in a Massachusetts convenience store while his accomplice hopped over the counter to steal money from the register. Malden police on Facebook say they responded to the store Sunday afternoon on reports of a theft. Officers were told two...
Gov. Tom Wolf vetoes $100M private schools bill in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf is vetoing budget-season legislation to substantially ramp up taxpayer support for private and religious schools in Pennsylvania. In Wolf’s veto message Tuesday, he questioned why Pennsylvania should expand a tax credit that subsidizes private institutions while the state’s public school system remains underfunded. The Democratic...
Tree that some say inspired Dr. Seuss’ ‘The Lorax’ topples
SAN DIEGO — A century-old tree with a long trunk and bushy branches that some believe was the inspiration for fictional Truffula trees in Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” has fallen in a coastal San Diego park. Officials are investigating why the wind-swept Monterey cypress toppled in Ellen Browning Scripps Park...
Kellogg cutting 150 jobs as part of Keebler sale
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Kellogg Co. is cutting 150 salaried jobs across North America as part of the previously announced sale of its cookie and fruit snack businesses. The Battle Creek-based company said Tuesday the action will result in pretax charges of approximately $35 million, including $20 million in severance...
Italian woman who was Europe’s oldest person has died at 116
MILAN — A 116-year-old Italian woman who authorities say was the oldest person in Europe and the second oldest in the world has died. The Italian news agency ANSA said Giuseppina Robucci died Tuesday in the southern Italian town of Poggio Imperiale, where she was born on March 20, 1903....
Pennsylvania woman bitten by venomous snake while doing laundry at home
MOUNT PENN — Officials say a Pennsylvania woman was bitten on the arm by a venomous snake when she went to her basement to do laundry. The Reading Eagle reports that the Mount Penn woman called 911 Tuesday morning to report that she’d been bitten by a rattlesnake. Authorities say...
Boeing lands first 737 Max jet order since deadly crashes
LE BOURGET, France — Boeing is selling its 737 Max planes again. The company announced at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday that International Airlines Group signed a letter of intent for 200 Boeing 737 aircraft. Boeing said it’s the first sale of the jet since the crash of an...
Slain man’s brother frustrated by 23-year wait for justice
POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. — Chris Parks is ready to stop checking the number of days since his brother was murdered. For more than two decades he’s periodically tracked how many days go by before the two men convicted of killing him are executed. On Thursday, when the second is scheduled...
Lightning re-sign Braydon Coburn to $3.4M, 2-year deal
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed defenseman Braydon Coburn to a $3.4 million, two-year deal. Coburn will count $1.7 million against the salary cap in each of the next two seasons. General manager Julien BriseBois announced the contract Tuesday. The 34-year-old had four goals and 19 assists...
Man accused of throwing iguana found competent for trial
PAINESVILLE, Ohio — A man accused of pulling an iguana from under his shirt and throwing it at an Ohio restaurant manager has been found competent to face trial on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and animal cruelty. Arnold Teeter also agreed to surrender the injured lizard in exchange for...
Germany’s Angela Merkel says she’s OK after shaking at ceremony
BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared unsteady and was visibly shaking Tuesday as she greeted the new Ukrainian leader in the hot sun in Berlin, saying later that she clearly hadn’t drunk enough water. Merkel’s whole body visibly shook and she pursed her lips as she tried to contain...
Hong Kong protesters slam leader’s apology, demand she quit
HONG KONG — Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers and activists rejected a new apology Tuesday by the city’s leader over a highly unpopular extradition bill, demanding that she quit and that the legislation be scrapped completely. Lam’s plea for “another chance” drew a chorus of criticism, though members of pro-Beijing political...
The Rock, other stars promote positivity at MTV awardsVideo
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson didn’t make a household name for himself by conforming to someone else’s idea of who he should be, an approach he encouraged others to take while accepting a top honor at the MTV Movie & TV Awards. The actor, producer and former professional wrestler said embracing...
Trump, outsider-turned-insider, sells self as rebel for 2020
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump captured the Republican Party and then the presidency in 2016 as an insurgent intent on disrupting the status quo. As he mounts his bid for reelection, Trump is offering himself as the outsider once again — but it’s a much more awkward pitch to make...
Father of boy killed in Sandy Hook massacre wins defamation suit
HARTFORD, Conn. — The father of a victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre has won a defamation lawsuit against the authors of a book that claimed the shooting never happened — the latest victory for victims’ relatives who have been taking a more aggressive stance against conspiracy theorists....
Trump threatens to deport millions beginning next week
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is threatening to remove millions of people living in the country illegally on the eve of formally announcing his re-election bid. In a pair of tweets Monday night, Trump said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would next week “begin the process of removing the...
Couple want Phoenix officers fired who pointed guns over shopliftingVideo
PHOENIX — A man and his pregnant fiancée said Monday that they want Phoenix to fire the officers who pointed guns and yelled profanities at them because their 4-year-old daughter took a doll from a store. Dravon Ames and Iesha Harper, who are black, said at a news conference that...
Teenager LaMelo Ball heading to Australian pro basketball league
SYDNEY — American teenager LaMelo Ball has signed with the Illawarra Hawks for the upcoming National Basketball League season, the second top U.S. prospect to join the Australian league under its Next Stars Program. The 17-year-old guard is rated as one of the best U.S. high school basketball players and...
Soccer legend Francesco Totti’s Roma departure puts pressure on American ownerVideo
ROME — Former Roma captain Francesco Totti left his position within the club’s management Monday in a move that will increase fan opposition to the team’s American owner. While he has been a technical director since retiring from playing two years ago, Totti said he was left out of decisions...
