Associated Press stories, Page 2575
Charges dropped against woman with CBD oil at Disney World
ORLANDO, Fla. — Prosecutors in Florida have dropped a drug charge against a woman who was arrested after a guard found CBD oil while searching her purse at a Walt Disney World security checkpoint. Prosecutors said late last month in a court filing that the case against 69-year-old Hester Burkhalter...
Trump calls on Congress to end ‘surprise medical bills’
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday called for an end to “surprise medical bills,” the astonishingly high charges insured patients can face when a member of a medical team that treats them is not in their insurer’s network. “Not a pleasant surprise,” Trump said of bills that arrive in...
Still most visited place, Orlando had 75 million visitors
ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando had 75 million visitors last year as the theme park mecca continued to be the most visited destination in the United States, tourism officials said Thursday. Orlando in 2018 had 68.5 million domestic visitors, a year-to-year increase of 4.1%, and almost 6.5 million international visitors, a...
New analysis: Trump deficits worse than promised
WASHINGTON — A new nonpartisan analysis says President Donald Trump’s budget plan would produce significantly larger budget deficits than promised when it was released in March, mostly because its estimates of economic growth are too rosy. The Congressional Budget Office estimate says Trump’s budget, if enacted in its entirety, would...
Popular Virginia children’s singer faces child porn charge
RESTON, Va. — A popular children’s performer in northern Virginia has been arrested and charged with possessing child pornography. Fairfax County Police said on Thursday that 58-year-old Steven Rossi of Reston was arrested April 30 on 10 felony counts. Rossi performed under the name M. Knick Knack and has been...
U.S. prosecutors add hate crime charges in California synagogue shooting
SAN DIEGO — Federal officials announced Thursday that they have filed 109 hate crime charges against the 19-year-old man accused of opening fire in a Southern California synagogue. Prosecutors say the gunman, identified as John T. Earnest, killed a woman and wounded an 8-year-old girl, her uncle and Rabbi Yisroel...
China Mobile blocked from offering phone service in U.S.
U.S. communications regulators on Thursday rejected a Chinese telecom company’s application to provide service in the U.S. due to national security risks amid an escalation in tensions between the two countries. The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted unanimously, 5-0 across party lines, to reject China Mobile International USA Inc.’s...
Ex-Pennsylvania Special Olympics coach charged with raping player
A former coach for Berks County’s Special Olympics soccer team has been charged with raping a player with intellectual disabilities and will head to trial. The Reading Eagle reports Michael Sheldon was ordered held without bail after Thursday’s preliminary hearing on charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual assault and related...
U.S. seizes North Korean cargo ship for violating sanctions
WASHINGTON — The United States said Thursday that it has seized a North Korean cargo ship that was used to violate international sanctions, a first-of-its kind enforcement action that comes amid a tense moment in relations between the two countries. The “Wise Honest,” North Korea’s second largest cargo ship, was...
U.S. sanctions to hit Iran’s metals industry, a major employer
TEHRAN, Iran — U.S. sanctions have targeted Iran’s government, its paramilitary forces and the oil exports that fund them. Now they are hitting its vital steel, aluminum, copper and iron industries. The new sanctions, imposed as Tehran announced its partial withdrawal from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, seem...
Ban it like Beckham: Phone costs soccer star right to drive
LONDON — David Beckham has been banned from driving for six months for using a mobile phone while behind the wheel of his Bentley. A prosecutor said a member of the public spotted the former Manchester United and England soccer star holding a phone while driving through central London on...
The costliest $29 they’ll ever win: NJ levies $25K gambling fine
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A gambler from Nevada lost $29 on a New Jersey internet gambling site, but the transactions cost a technology company $25,000. New Jersey regulators have fined Gaming Innovation Group for a flaw in its geolocation technology, which is designed to make sure people are within the...
Facebook auto-generates videos celebrating extremist images
WASHINGTON — The animated video begins with a photo of the black flags of jihad. Seconds later, it flashes highlights of a year of social media posts: plaques of anti-Semitic verses, talk of retribution and a photo of two men carrying more jihadi flags while they burn the stars and...
Fake German heiress gets up to 12 years in prison
NEW YORK — The German con artist who passed herself off as a wealthy heiress was sentenced Thursday to four 12 years behind bars for swindling New York banks and hotels out of tens of thousands of dollars. Judge Diane Kiesel says she was “stunned by the depth of the...
Berlin park’s drug dealer solution panned by authorities
BERLIN — A creative attempt by a downtown Berlin park manager to keep drug dealers away from families and joggers has been met with an emphatic “nein” from German officials. Cengiz Demirci demarcated certain areas in the popular Goerlitzer Park with pink spray-painted lines for the dealers to stand behind,...
Chef stopped at Los Angeles airport with 40 frozen piranhas
LOS ANGELES — A famous South American chef says he was stopped as he brought 40 piranhas in a duffel bag through Los Angeles International Airport. Virgilio Martinez, chef-owner of Central restaurant in Peru, tells the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday that he hoped to serve the predatory, sharp-toothed fish...
High-tech sex toy for women wins back a rescinded award
ARLINGTON, Va. — A trade group has reinstated an award to the makers of a robotic sex toy for women that it had taken away four months ago for not keeping with its image. The Consumer Technology Association on Wednesday restored the Consumer Electronics Show’s 2019 Innovation Award in the...
Parents can’t delete what kids tell Amazon voice assistant
Amazon met with skepticism from some privacy advocates and members of Congress last year when it introduced its first kid-oriented voice assistant , along with brightly colored models of its Echo Dot speaker designed for children. Now those advocates say the kids’ version of Amazon’s Alexa won’t forget what children...
Betting predictions to be part of Fox Sports analysis
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Fox Sports viewers tuning in to some broadcasts this fall will not only see the game, but also will get betting predictions. The network announced a partnership Wednesday night with the parent company of the PokerStars online gambling giant. Fox Sports is buying just under 5%...
No prison after Bucks County baby dies from drug-laced breast milk
CHALFONT, Pa. — A Pennsylvania mother who prosecutors say killed her 11-week-old son with a lethal mix of drugs in her breast milk is not going to prison. Under terms of a plea agreement, a judge has sentenced 31-year-old Samantha Jones to three years’ probation and 100 hours of community...
Philly woman who threw big prom party spared prison term for fraud
A Philadelphia woman who made headlines for an elaborate prom send-off has been spared a prison term for Social Security fraud. Saudia Shuler was ordered Wednesday to pay back the nearly $37,000 in benefits, do 100 hours of community service and serve three years of probation with six months house...
Notre Dame’s melted roof leaves astronomical lead levels
PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral’s melted roof has left astronomically high lead levels in the plaza outside and adjacent roads. Paris police say lead levels from the roof were found to be between 10 and 20 grams per kilogram of ground — between 32 and 65 times the recommended limit...
Britney Spears gets restraining order against former friend
LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears was granted a temporary restraining order Wednesday against a former confidante who she says has been harassing her family again. A judge ordered 44-year-old Sam Lutfi, who has been in legal fights with the Spears family for a decade, to stay at least 200 yards...
Schick owner buys Harry’s in new shaving war alliance
NEW YORK — The owner of Schick razors is acquiring upstart shaving company Harry’s for $1.37 billion, continuing a trend of consolidation in the shaving industry, where established brands have struggled with the rise of digital-savvy newcomers. About 79% of the deal is cash, and the remainder stock. Harry’s has...
Australia takes responsibility for typos on 46M bank notes
CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s central bank has taken responsibility for typos on 46 million bank notes after a radio station posted an image of the microscopic error on social media. Triple M radio posted on Instagram on Thursday a magnified photograph of a 50 Australian dollar ($35) note showing the...
