Associated Press stories, Page 2160
Can tear gas and pepper spray increase coronavirus spread?
Police departments have used tear gas and pepper spray on protesters in recent weeks, raising concern that the chemical agents could increase the spread of the coronavirus. The chemicals are designed to irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and throat. They make people cough, sneeze and pull off...
Court orders dismissal of Trump Muslim travel ban challenges
RICHMOND, Va. — A federal appeals court on Monday ordered a lower court to toss out legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s 3-year-old ban on travelers from predominantly Muslim countries, finding that a judge misinterpreted a Supreme Court ruling that found the ban has a “legitimate grounding in national security...
AP sources: MLB offers 76-game season, up to 75% of salaries
NEW YORK — MLB made another try to start the coronavirus-delayed season in early July, proposing a 76-game regular season, expanding the playoffs from 10 teams to as many as 16 and allowing players to earn about 75% of their prorated salaries. Players have refused cuts beyond what they agreed...
Democrats unveil police overhaul, kneel at CapitolVideo
WASHINGTON — Democrats proposed a sweeping overhaul of police oversight and procedures Monday, a potentially far-reaching legislative response to the mass protests denouncing the deaths of black Americans at the hands of law enforcement. Before unveiling the package, House and Senate Democrats held a moment of silence at the Capitol’s...
Philadelphia officer facing assault charges from protest turns himself inVideo
PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia police officer surrendered Monday to face aggravated assault and other charges stemming from video that shows him striking a student protester in the head with a metal baton. Police Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna has been suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss him from...
Officer charged in George Floyd’s death held on $1 million bailVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — A judge on Monday kept bail at $1 million for a former Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder in George Floyd’s death. Derek Chauvin, 44, said little during an 11-minute hearing in which he appeared before Hennepin County Judge Jeannice M. Reding on closed-circuit television from the...
In Minneapolis, rage over George Floyd extends beyond cops
MINNEAPOLIS — To truly understand the rage people in this city felt as they watched a video of George Floyd begging, gasping and slowly succumbing beneath the weight of a police officer’s knee, it’s necessary to step back in time. Seven years before Floyd’s cheek was smashed against the pavement,...
Most stocks on Wall Street rise again on hopes for economyVideo
NEW YORK — Most stocks are rising on Wall Street as markets continue to ride the high supplied by Friday’s surprisingly encouraging report on the U.S. jobs market. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% in morning trading on Monday, bringing it back within 5.4% of its record set in February,...
‘All eyes’ on New York: Reopening tests city torn by crises
NEW YORK — After three bleak months, New York, the corner of the U.S. hit hardest by the coronavirus, gradually began reopening Monday in what was seen as a landmark moment in the crisis and a test of the city’s discipline. With the virus in check — at least for...
When protesters cry ‘defund the police,’ what does it mean?Video
WASHINGTON — Protesters are pushing to “defund the police” over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans killed by law enforcement. Their chant has become rallying cry — and a stick for President Donald Trump to use on Democrats as he portrays them as soft on crime. But...
12 covid-19 cases in Pennsylvania traced to New Jersey shore
DOYLESTOWN — Health officials in eastern Pennsylvania have traced 12 new coronavirus cases to a person who attended recent beach house gatherings at the New Jersey shore, the Bucks County Department of Health said. The department said 11 cases on Saturday were linked to a New Jersey resident who was...
Taliban say they are readying for talks with Kabul leaders
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban have started putting together their agenda for negotiations with the political leadership in Kabul, Taliban officials said, a significant first step toward talks seen as perhaps the most critical next phase in the Afghan peace process. No date has yet been set for negotiations but Washington’s...
Obamas, Beyonce, Taylor Swift among those to deliver speeches during YouTube virtual ceremonyVideo
President Barack Obama said in a commencement speech Sunday that the nationwide protests following the recent deaths of unarmed black women and men including George Floyd were fueled from “decades worth of anguish, frustration, over unequal treatment and a failure to perform police practices.” Obama along with his wife, Michelle,...
Former Patriots, Chargers WR Reche Caldwell shot, killedVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Reche Caldwell, the former University of Florida and NFL receiver, was shot fatally Saturday night in his hometown. Caldwell’s mother, Deborah, did not return phone messages left by the Associated Press on Sunday but confirmed her son’s death to the Tampa Bay Times. She said police told...
Kevin Harvick cruises with another dominant performance in Atlanta
HAMPTON, Ga. — Kevin Harvick turned in another dominating run at Atlanta Motor Speedway, cruising to victory over Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. in the NASCAR Cup race Sunday. Competing again in front of empty grandstands, Harvick won for the second time since NASCAR returned from the shutdown caused...
Minneapolis council majority backs disbanding police force
MINNEAPOLIS — A majority of the members of the Minneapolis City Council said Sunday they support disbanding the city’s police department, an aggressive stance that comes just as the state has launched a civil rights investigation after George Floyd’s death. Nine of the council’s 12 members appeared with activists at...
Virginia officer charged in use of stun gun on black manVideo
FAIRFAX, Va. — A white Virginia police officer was charged with assault and battery in connection with the use of a stun gun on a black man, authorities announced. Fairfax County police Officer Tyler Timberlake arrived on scene and fired his stun gun at the man after other officers had...
New York Times editorial page editor resigns amid fury over op-ed
NEW YORK — The New York Times’ editorial page editor resigned Sunday after the newspaper disowned an opinion piece by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton that advocated using federal troops to quell unrest, and it was later revealed he hadn’t read the piece prior to publication. James Bennet resigned and his...
Strong wind, rain as tropical storm makes Louisiana landfallVideo
NEW ORLEANS — Tropical Storm Cristobal made landfall Sunday on the Louisiana coast, packing 50 mph wind and spinning dangerous weather as far east as northern Florida, where it spawned a tornado that uprooted trees and downed power lines. The lopsided storm moved ashore between the mouth of the Mississippi...
10-foot great white shark kills surfer in AustraliaVideo
SYDNEY — A 60-year-old surfer was attacked and killed by a 10-foot great white shark off the coast of northern New South Wales state on Sunday, officials said. The man received a bite to the back of his thigh and was brought to the shore by other surfers who had...
NASCAR vows to do better job addressing racial injusticeVideo
HAMPTON, Ga. — Bubba Wallace donned a black T-shirt with the words “I Can’t Breathe,” and NASCAR paused before Sunday’s Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway to acknowledge the country’s social unrest. The governing body vowed to to do a better job of addressing racial injustice in the wake of...
Virginia man’s hand blown off; note references violence against women
ABINGDON, Va. — A southwest Virginia man who blew off his hand in an apparent explosives accident has been charged in federal court after authorities say they found evidence he was making a bomb and wanted to target “hot cheerleaders” because of his sexual frustrations. An FBI affidavit filed Friday...
JK Rowling’s tweets on transgender people spark outrage
LOS ANGELES — “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling is facing hefty backlash after she posted a series of tweets about transgender people. Rowling drew outrage Saturday on Twitter when she criticized an opinion piece from Devex that used the phrase ” people who menstruate.” “I’m sure there used to be...
Democrats’ legislation would overhaul police accountability
WASHINGTON — Democrats are proposing to overhaul legal protections for police, create a national database of excessive-force episodes and ban police choke holds in legislation coming Monday in response to the deaths of black Americans at the hands of law enforcement, according to a draft outline obtained by The Associated...
Philadelphia mural of controversial ex-mayor Rizzo removed amid protests
PHILADELPHIA — The image of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo was removed from the side of a building in south Philadelphia amid large protests in the city on the issue of police brutality. Mural Arts Philadelphia said Sunday morning that the mural was being painted over with the consent of...
