Associated Press stories, Page 2444
Police: Georgia man faked racially motivated burglary
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — A man trashed his pizza restaurant and ice cream shop near Atlanta to fake a racially motivated burglary so he could file an insurance claim, police said. Gwinnett County police officers responded just before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday after a 911 call reporting a man damaging the businesses,...
YouTube star Lilly Singh makes bold leap to late-night TV
LOS ANGELES — The stubborn curfew barring female hosts from late-night network TV is about to be challenged. Viewer warning: expect more rule-breaking when NBC’s “A Little Late With Lilly Singh” debuts Monday. Singh is attempting the leap from YouTube sensation to broadcast headliner in a single bound, doesn’t plan...
Phoenix to become most populous US city to drop library fees
PHOENIX — Phoenix residents with overdue library books might want to wait a bit before bringing back their borrowed copies of the current best sellers. Starting in November, Phoenix’s public library system will join a growing number of libraries around the United States that have dropped overdue book fees. A...
Sam Smith announces new pronouns of ‘they’ and ‘them’
NEW YORK — Sam Smith has declared the pronouns of “they/them” on social media after coming out as non-binary in what the pop star called a “lifetime of being at war with my gender.” The English “Too Good at Goodbyes” singer was met with thousands of mostly supportive comments, along...
Illinois man convicted in 2018 booby trap shotgun slaying
JONESBORO, Ill. — An Illinois man who rigged a shotgun to a rope attached to the door of a shed on his property in 2018 has been convicted of first-degree murder in the death of another man who tried to enter. A Union County jury convicted William Wasmund, 48, Thursday...
Sharks open camp with new captain after Joe Pavelski’s departureVideo
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks wasted little time replacing Joe Pavelski as captain, giving the role to Logan Couture even before starting camp. Figuring out who will wear the “C” on the jersey will be easier than making up for all Pavelski provided the Sharks both on...
WVU hopes to give N.C. State QB McKay rude welcome
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Matthew McKay has handled himself well since replacing Ryan Finley as N.C. State’s quarterback. Now the sophomore will find out what it’s like to start on the road. The Wolfpack (2-0) have outscored opponents by a combined 75-6 and travel Saturday to face West Virginia, which might...
Antonio Brown eligible to play, but status with Patriots unclear
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Antonio Brown is said to be eligible to play against Miami. Whether he actually does after just three practices with the Patriots is not clear. “We’re determining that,” coach Bill Belichick said Friday. “I’m not gonna hand out a copy of the gameplan. We’ll do what we...
Taliban visits Moscow days after Trump says talks ‘dead’
MOSCOW — A negotiating team from the Taliban arrived Friday in Russia, a representative told The Associated Press, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump declared dead a deal with the insurgent group in Afghanistan. Russian state news agency Tass cited the Taliban’s Qatar-based spokesman Suhail Shaheen as saying the...
Felicity Huffman gets 14 days in prison, $30K fine for college admissions scam
BOSTON — “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman was sentenced Friday to 14 days in prison for paying $15,000 to rig her daughter’s SAT scores in the college admissions scandal that ensnared dozens of wealthy and well-connected parents. Huffman, 56, became the first of 34 parents to be sentenced in the...
Penn State board approves pay hike for university president
The president of Penn State is getting a 2.5% salary increase and trustees are making it retroactive to the beginning of July. The Board of Trustees on Friday voted unanimously to boost Eric Barron’s base pay to $855,000 a year. He’s been Penn State’s top administrator since 2014. The Centre...
Fact check: Dems draw link between Trump, El Paso murders
WASHINGTON — Ten Democrats seeking the presidency tripped over some details Thursday night as they sparred in a debate thick with policy and personal stories. Several made provocative accusations that President Donald Trump inspired the deadly shooting in El Paso, Texas, last month. On the policy front, Bernie Sanders claimed...
Albuquerque police: 5 people dead after multiple shootings
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Authorities in New Mexico’s largest city scrambled Friday to piece together what sparked separate shootings that killed five people and wounded six others as the mayor acknowledged that elected leaders and residents were tired of the violence that has plagued some parts of Albuquerque. There were no...
U.S. couple accused of ditching adopted girl, moving to Canada
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Indiana prosecutors have charged a couple with abandoning their adopted daughter in 2013 and moving to Canada, renting an apartment in Lafayette for the then-11-year-old girl but otherwise leaving her to fend for herself. Prosecutors in Tippecanoe County, where Lafayette is located, filed neglect charges Wednesday against...
Torrential rains pound southeastern Spain, death toll to 4
BARCELONA, Spain — Rescue workers saved thousands of people from rising waters as record rainfall pounded southeastern Spain on Friday, a deluge that authorities said killed at least four people. The storm that slammed into the Mediterranean coastal regions of Valencia, Murcia and eastern Andalusia on Thursday and Friday left...
U.S. retail sales rise moderately as auto buying jumps
WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales rose moderately in August, driven higher by a jump in auto buying and healthy online sales, evidence that consumers are still spending enough to support growth. The Commerce Department said Friday that retail sales increased 0.4% last month, down from a strong 0.8% in July....
Death toll in Brazil hospital fire rises to 11
RIO DE JANEIRO — A fire raced through a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, forcing staff to wheel patients into the streets on beds or in wheelchairs and leaving at least 11 people dead, Brazilian officials said Friday. Four firefighters were hospitalized after battling the overnight blaze at Badim Hospital...
Civil War cannonball found in Kansas City area tree
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — A worker has found what’s believed to be a Civil War cannonball lodged in a Kansas City area tree that he was hired to take down. KMBC-TV reports the small cannonball fell out as the worker was chopping the diseased tree on the grounds of the Overfelt-Johnston...
Plan now for the best tomatoes next year
A myth among tomato lovers is that home-grown tomatoes taste best. Not true! The best varieties of tomatoes are what taste best, whether they’re grown on a farm or in a backyard. What about growing conditions? You would think that tomatoes grown on a farm or backyard in a sunny,...
HUD watchdog clears Ben Carson in $31,000 dining set order
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s independent watchdog on Thursday cleared Secretary Ben Carson of any misconduct in connection with the order of a $31,000 dining room set for his office suite. HUD’s Office of Inspector General launched a probe last year into allegations that Carson...
Joe Musgrove’s arm, bat lead Pirates past GiantsVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — Joe Musgrove made some adjustments to his delivery, and he’s enjoying the results. Musgrove pitched five shutout innings and hit a triple, Jacob Stallings homered and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Giants, 4-2, on Thursday. The Pirates took three of four in the series and have won...
Jets QB Sam Darnold out vs. Browns with mono, could miss weeks
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Sam Darnold is sick and sidelined — likely for several weeks. New York Jets coach Adam Gase announced Thursday the second-year quarterback has mononucleosis and will miss at least the team’s game against the Cleveland Browns on Monday night. Trevor Siemian will start in Darnold’s place...
Bob Baffert: Justify’s positive test came from contaminated food
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert denied giving 2018 Triple Crown winning horse Justify a banned substance that caused a positive test prior to last year’s Kentucky Derby and blamed the result on contaminated food. Baffert said in a statement Thursday that he “unequivocally” rejects the implication he would give...
El Paso police dispute man’s story of heroism in attack; Trump gives him awardVideo
Surveillance video does not back up the story told by a man who was honored this week at the White House by President Donald Trump for his actions during the Aug. 3 mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart, police said. Christopher Grant has said he threw bottles to try...
Skylar Richardson acquitted of killing newborn baby she buried in Ohio backyardVideo
LEBANON, Ohio — A young Ohio mother who prosecutors said killed and buried her unwanted newborn in her backyard was acquitted by jurors Thursday. The Warren County jury deliberated for four hours before acquitting 20-year-old Brooke Skylar Richardson of aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment charges. She was found...
