Associated Press stories, Page 1868
Prominent Saudi women’s rights activist released from prison
One of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent political activists was released from prison Wednesday, her family said, after serving nearly three years on charges that sparked an international uproar over the kingdom’s human rights record. Loujain al-Hathloul, who pushed to end a ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia, was arrested...
Navy commanders address 2 racist incidents on West Coast
WASHINGTON — Senior U.S. Navy commanders met this week with sailors on ships on the West Coast after two recent racist incidents triggered one of the first military stand-downs to address extremism in the ranks. The meetings came after a noose was found on one ship, and hate speech was...
Bill would allow firing of striking West Virginia teachers
CHARLESTON — A West Virginia lawmaker has renewed an attempt to punish teachers for striking in a state where work stoppages have occurred in two of the past three years. Senate Education Committee chairwoman Patricia Rucker, a Jefferson County Republican, introduced a bill Wednesday on the first day of the...
Phillies finalize $28M, 2-year deal with Didi GregoriusVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Shortstop Didi Gregorius and the Philadelphia Phillies finalized a $28 million, two-year contract Wednesday. Gregorius, who turns 31 next week, batted .284 with 10 homers, 40 RBIs and an .827 OPS in 60 games in his first season with the Phillies. He hit .274 and averaged 20 homers...
Super Bowl champion Buccaneers celebrate with boat paradeVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Even on the water, it seems the connection between seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady and his receivers cannot be denied. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held a boat parade Wednesday to celebrate their first NFL title in 18 years on a sun-splashed day with thousands of...
Jerome Powell stresses commitment to full employment, low rates
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday underscored the Fed’s commitment to reducing unemployment to multi-decade lows, where it stood before the pandemic, while signaling little concern about the risk of potentially high inflation or financial market instability. Powell stressed in prepared remarks for a webcast to the Economic Club...
Tennessee governor: Transgender athletes will ‘destroy women’s sports’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday advocated for banning transgender girls from playing on middle and high school sports teams, saying transgender athletes will “destroy women’s sports.” “I do believe that transgenders participating in women’s sports will destroy women’s sports,” Lee, who is up for reelection...
Government investigating massive counterfeit N95 mask scam
Federal authorities are investigating a massive counterfeit N95 mask operation in which fake 3M masks were sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies. The foreign-made knockoffs are becoming increasingly difficult to spot and could put health care workers at grave risk for the coronavirus....
Report: TikTok sale pushed by Trump is shelved
The Biden administration has “indefinitely” shelved a proposed U.S. takeover of the popular video app TikTok, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Last year, the Trump administration brokered a deal that would have had U.S. corporations Oracle and Walmart take a large stake in the Chinese-owned app on national-security...
Biden orders sanctions against Myanmar after military coup
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered new sanctions against the military regime in Myanmar, taking action after the military this month staged a coup in the Southeast Asian country and arrested de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior politicians. Biden said he was issuing an...
Mark Cuban stops playing anthem at Mavericks’ home games; NBA responds
DALLAS — The NBA said Wednesday the national anthem will be played in arenas “in keeping with longstanding league policy” after Dallas Mavericks owner and Mt. Lebanon native Mark Cuban revealed he decided not to play it before his team’s home games this season. The league’s initial reaction to Cuban’s...
Russian Jehovah’s Witness sentenced to 7½ years in prison
MOSCOW — The Jehovah’s Witnesses say a member of the religious denomination that is banned in Russia has been sentenced to 7½ years in prison, the harshest punishment in scores of cases. The denomination’s European office said 63-year-old Alexander Ivashin was sentenced on Wednesday in the Krasnodar region of southern...
CDC study finds 2 masks are better than 1 vs. covid-19
NEW YORK — U.S. government researchers found that two masks are better than one in slowing coronavirus spread, but health officials stopped short of recommending that everyone double up. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported the results of a lab experiment that spaced two artificial heads...
Top Michigan Republican stands by Capitol ‘hoax’ comments
LANSING, Mich. — One of Michigan’s highest-ranking Republicans on Wednesday stood by his false claims that it is a “hoax” to blame supporters of then-President Donald Trump for the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, in a private conversation with Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist...
What is Clubhouse, the buzzy new audio chat app?
Clubhouse, an invitation-only audio chat app launched less than a year ago, has caught the attention of tech industry bigshots like Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg — not to mention the Chinese government, which has already blocked it in the country. What is Clubhouse, you ask?...
WHO expert group recommends use of AstraZeneca vaccine
GENEVA — Independent experts advising the World Health Organization on Wednesday recommended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine even in countries that turned up worrying coronavirus variants in their populations. There had been doubts about the vaccine’s effectiveness against a variant that emerged in South Africa. The advice is used by...
Chinese spacecraft enters Mars’ orbit, joining Arab ship
A Chinese spacecraft went into orbit around Mars on Wednesday on an expedition to land a rover on the surface and scout for signs of ancient life, authorities announced in a landmark step in the country’s most ambitious deep-space mission yet. The arrival of Tianwen-1 after a journey of seven...
Georgia prosecutor investigates election after Trump callVideo
ATLANTA — A Georgia prosecutor said Wednesday that she has opened a criminal investigation into “attempts to influence” last year’s general election, including a call in which President Donald Trump asked a top official to find enough votes to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state. In a Jan. 2...
Police report: Gunman had made prior threats against Minnesota clinic
BUFFALO, Minn. — A man who opened fire at a Minnesota health clinic, killing one staff member and wounding four others, previously threatened to carry out a mass shooting at the facility, according to a police report. Gregory Paul Ulrich, 67, was arrested in Tuesday’s attack at an Allina clinic...
Finns in snowshoes create temporary artwork on golf course
An ephemeral artwork made with thousands of footsteps in the snow has captured attention near Finland’s capital of Helsinki. Under the guidance of local resident and amateur artist Janne Pyykko, 11 snowshoe-clad volunteers stamped a series of complex geometric patterns on a golf course. Together, the designs resemble a huge...
Taxing time: How the pandemic will affect filing your taxes
The pandemic has made everything a bit trickier — tax filing season is no exception. The whole process is starting a bit later this year and there are a few wrinkles to be aware of for those who received unemployment benefits, worked from home, took on gig work, were a...
Russia wants Navalny ally arrested abroad; Lithuania refuses
MOSCOW — A Moscow court on Wednesday ordered the arrest of an exiled ally of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but Lithuania, where the associate lives, bluntly rejected the demand to take him into custody. The action against Leonid Volkov by the Basmanny District Court was seen as part of...
Springsteen charged with drunken driving; Jeep ad on pause
HIGHLANDS, N.J. — Bruce Springsteen is facing a drunken driving charge in New Jersey, prompting Jeep to put on pause the Super Bowl television commercial that features him. Springsteen was arrested Nov. 14 in a part of the Gateway National Recreation Area on the New Jersey coast, a spokesperson for...
Wisconsin Supreme Court asked to block statewide mask order
MADISON, Wis. — A new legal challenge to Gov. Tony Evers’ latest mask mandate is before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, filed less than a week after the Legislature struck down a previous order and the governor quickly issued a new one. Prominent Republican donor Jere Fabick asked the court late...
Senators to hear opening arguments as Trump fumes over trial
WASHINGTON — Opening arguments begin Wednesday in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial after an emotional first day that wrenched senators and the nation back to the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump’s attorneys sought to halt the trial on constitutional grounds, but lost that bid on Tuesday. Their...
