Associated Press stories, Page 2439
Possible ‘Storm Area 51’ crowds worry Nevada desert towns
LAS VEGAS — Visitors descending on the remote Nevada desert for “Storm Area 51” are from Earth, not outer space. No one knows what to expect, but the two tiny towns of Rachel and Hiko near the once-secret military research site are preparing for an influx of people over the...
Three Mile Island nuclear power plant’s shutdown is imminent
HARRISBURG — The final shutdown of Three Mile Island, where 1979’s terrifying partial meltdown became a landmark event in the life cycle of nuclear power in the United States, is imminent. Exelon Corp. officials said the plant will stop producing electricity around noon Friday, following through on a decision the...
U.S. takes back $100M from Afghan government over corruption
KABUL, Afghanistan — Washington is taking back $100 million intended for an Afghan energy infrastructure project, citing unacceptably high levels of corruption in the Afghan government, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Thursday in a harshly worded statement. The U.S. will still finish the massive project, Pompeo said, which...
Key Senate panel approves $250 million for election security
WASHINGTON — A key Senate panel on Thursday approved $250 million to help states beef up their election systems, freeing up the money after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell came under criticism from Democrats for impeding separate election security legislation. The Kentucky Republican announced in a floor speech in advance...
Will Billy Porter make Emmy history with best actor win?
LOS ANGELES — Despite the dominance of some shows — “Game of Thrones” and “Veep” — over the past several years, Emmy history could be made Sunday night by a newcomer. Pittsburgh native and Carnegie Mellon University graduate Billy Porter is up for best actor in a drama. If he...
Canada’s Justin Trudeau faces furor over brownface photo from 2001
TORONTO — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s campaign moved to contain a growing scandal Thursday after a yearbook photo surfaced of him in brownface at a 2001 “Arabian Nights” costume party and two other similar incidents came to light. With the election a month away, he apologized and begged Canadians to...
Ohio County magistrate judge to take GED test after suspension
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A lawyer for a West Virginia magistrate says the judge will take a GED test after being suspended for not finishing high school. Attorney Teresa C. Toriseva issued a statement Thursday saying Ohio County Magistrate Janine Varner didn’t graduate high school but instead completed a vocational program....
Indonesian police arrest hundreds linked to forest fires
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian police said Thursday they have arrested 230 people suspected of starting some of the fires that are spreading health-damaging haze across a large part of Southeast Asia. Among those arrested are three men who were caught Monday while trying to clear land to plant crops in...
Philippines declares new polio outbreak after 19 years
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine health officials declared a polio outbreak in the country on Thursday, nearly two decades after the World Health Organization declared it to be free of the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said at a news conference that authorities have confirmed...
Pa. woman drives SUV onto sidewalk, hits man after argument
BETHLEHEM — Authorities say an argument between a man and a woman ended when she drove an SUV onto the sidewalk and hit him, then made a U-turn and tried to run him over again. Bethlehem police say 34-year-old city resident Crystal Legrand faces several counts, including aggravated assault and...
1 dead, 7 injured in crash involving tour bus carrying country singer Josh Turner’s road crew
SHANDON, Calif. — Authorities in central California say a passenger bus has crashed while carrying the road crew for country and gospel singer Josh Turner, leaving one dead and seven injured. Turner and his band were not on the bus. Two of the passengers are said to have sustained major...
Iran diplomat warns of ‘all-out war’ if hit for Saudi attack
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s foreign minister warned Thursday that any attack on his country over a drone-and-missile strike on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry will result in “all-out war,” further pushing up tensions across the Persian Gulf. The comments by Mohammad Javad Zarif represent the starkest warning offered yet...
Belgian fighter jet crashes in France, pilot hits power line
PARIS — A Belgian F-16 fighter jet crashed Thursday in western France, damaging a house, setting a field ablaze and leaving a pilot suspended for two hours from a high-voltage electricity line after his parachute got caught, according to French authorities. Emergency workers extracted the pilot safely after cutting off...
Pirates go down meekly vs. Mariners in 5th straight lossVideo
After hitting four home runs in his first six games, Kyle Lewis finally hit a rough patch when he struck out four times in his last one. One day later, the Seattle Mariners’ 24-year-old rookie right fielder went deep again. Lewis homered for the fifth time in eight major league...
‘A dumb thing to do’: Justin Trudeau apologizes for brownfaceVideo
TORONTO — Canadian leader Justin Trudeau’s campaign for national elections was hit Wednesday by the publication of a yearbook photo showing him in brownface makeup at a costume party in 2001. The prime minister apologized and said “it was a dumb thing to do.” Time magazine posted the photo, which...
New starters giving West Virginia big lift
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Something wasn’t right when redshirt freshman Briason Mays was going through pregame warmups. Mays, the third center used this season by West Virginia, was nervous and his snaps were off target Saturday. That made offensive line coach Matt Moore nervous, too, so he decided a pep talk...
Uptick seen in rare mosquito-borne virus in some states
NEW YORK — The number of U.S. deaths and illnesses from a rare mosquito-borne virus are higher than usual this year, health officials report. Eastern equine encephalitis has been diagnosed in 21 people in six states, and five people have died. The infection is only being seen in certain counties...
Woman sues Jeffrey Epstein estate, saying she was abused at age 14
NEW YORK — A woman whose claims of sexual abuse against Jeffrey Epstein were outlined in a federal indictment sued his estate Wednesday, saying the wealthy financier took advantage of her family’s poor financial position to abuse her from age 14 to 17. The lawsuit in Manhattan federal court sought...
Acting intelligence director Joseph Maguire balks at House subpoena
WASHINGTON — The acting director of national intelligence is balking at demands from the House intelligence committee to turn over a secret whistleblower complaint or appear at a hearing this week, escalating a weeklong standoff. Committee Chairman Adam Schiff subpoenaed Joseph Maguire last week, saying he was withholding a whistleblower...
Amazon Prime to stream Rihanna’s next-level lingerie show
NEW YORK — Rihanna believes women of all shapes, colors and sizes should be celebrated, and that spirit of inclusion has made her lingerie and beauty lines massive successes. “Women just need a little bit of validation,” the superstar explained to The Associated Press ahead of her Savage X Fenty...
Washington Monument reopens after 3-year closure for repairsVideo
WASHINGTON — After a three-year closure, the Washington Monument is reopening to the public. The 555-foot stone obelisk was closed in September 2016 in order to replace the aging elevator and upgrade security systems. The monument will reopen to the public at noon on Thursday, and first lady Melania Trump...
A divided Fed reduces rates but may not cut again this yearVideo
WASHINGTON — A sharply divided Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year but declined to signal that further rate cuts are likely this year. The Fed’s move reduced its key short-term rate — which influences many consumer and business loans — by an...
Oil price drops for 2nd day as Saudi crude output recovers
NEW YORK — The price of oil fell Wednesday after Saudi officials announced oil production halted by an attack on the heart of its oil industry would be fully restored within weeks. Prices continued to slide even as the Saudi military blamed Iran for the attacks and U.S. Secretary of...
Patrol: Plane trying to land at airport crashes; pilot dies
LONDON, Ohio — State troopers say a single-engine plane attempting to land at a county airport in Ohio has crashed and the pilot has died. The State Highway Patrol says 79-year-old Donald Apple, of Piqua, was pronounced dead at the crash in a field just west of the Madison County...
Ex-Atlanta Falcons player gets prison for molesting girl, 12
COLUMBUS, Ga. — A former Atlanta Falcons player has been sentenced to at least 12 years in prison for molesting a 12-year-old girl. The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports 23-year-old Justin Kenyuno Crawford pleaded guilty Tuesday to child molestation and sodomy as part of deal that dropped other charges. The former West...
