Month: November 2021

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Former Kentucky Congressman Larry Hopkins has died. He was 88. Hopkins served as a state lawmaker before representing central Kentucky in Congress for more than a decade. He was elected to Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District in 1978 and served until 1993. He was the Republican nominee for governor in 1991, but

CHICAGO (AP) — A suburban Chicago mayor has pleaded guilty in federal court to taking a cash bribe from a representative of a red-light camera company and has resigned from office. Crestwood Mayor Louis Presta is the latest public official to be caught up in a corruption investigation involving the company. According to his plea

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — A law enforcement task force has conducted searches of four western Colorado locations, including the home of an elections clerk, amid an ongoing investigation into allegations that the clerk was involved in a security breach of elections equipment this year. Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein tells Colorado Politics that

By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s been more than two weeks since the Supreme Court’s extraordinarily rushed arguments over Texas’ unique abortion law, and still no word from the justices. They raised expectations of quick action by putting the case on a rarely-used fast track. The court’s silence means that women in

By PETER SMITH Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. Catholic bishops have overwhelmingly approved a document on Communion that stops short of calling for withholding the sacrament from politicians who support abortion rights, such as President Joe Biden. The measure does offer plenty of tacit justification for individual bishops to consider withholding Communion in such

By JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A new Republican plan for Georgia’s congressional map pushes Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath into what would be a strongly Republican district. The move makes it likely that Republicans would increase their current 8-6 edge in Georgia’s congressional seats to 9-5. Democrats argue that a fair plan would

By SEAN MURPHY Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Julius Jones’ execution has been halted, four hours before he was scheduled to receive a lethal injection. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday commuted Jones’ death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Numerous questions have raised doubts about Jones’ guilt. He has

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Two of the three men convicted in the assassination of Malcolm X are to be cleared after insisting on their innocence since the 1965 killing. Lawyers and the Innocence Project said Wednesday that a new investigation found authorities withheld evidence favorable to the defense in the

By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Reneé Rapp, former star in Broadway’s “Mean Girls” as Regina George, makes her TV debut in the new series “The Sex Lives of College Girls” for HBO Max. The series, produced by Mindy Kaling, debuts Nov. 18 on the streamer. Rapp, 21, gets emotional when she

By KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Las Vegas judge has ordered former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III to appear in court Monday after learning he missed a required alcohol test while on house arrest following a fatal crash he is accused of causing. Ruggs’ lawyers told Judge Suzan Baucum that

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s panel of vaccine experts has approved the use of a booster shot for people between 60-69 years old and for health workers, as part of an effort to combat an uptick in COVID-19 infections. The final go-ahead for the shot must be given by Spain’s health minister and the country’s regional

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says about 10% of eligible kids aged 5 to 11 have received a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine since its approval for their age group two weeks ago. At least 2.6 million kids have received a shot, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients

By LAURA UNGAR AP Science Writer Scientists have been able to get a rare glimpse into a crucial, early stage of human development by analyzing an embryo in its third week after fertilization. That’s a moment in time that has been difficult to study because of practical and ethical considerations. Scientists reported Wednesday in the

By ERIC TUCKER, ALAN SUDERMAN and FRANK BAJAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — An advisory issued by officials in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia warns that hackers linked to the Iranian government have been targeting a “broad range of victims” inside the U.S. with ransomware and other malicious cyber activity. The advisory says

By JIM MORRIS and ROB GILLIES Associated Press VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Canadian Pacific coast province of British Columbia has declared a state of emergency following floods and mudslides caused by extremely heavy rainfall, and officials say they expect to find more dead people. Every major route between the Lower Mainland of British

PRAGUE (AP) — The president of the Czech Republic is set to swear in the country’s new prime minister on Nov 26. The candidate for the post, Petr Fiala, announced President Milos Zeman’s decision after visiting the head of state in hospital on Wednesday. Fiala heads the coalition that captured most votes in last month’s

By JOSH FUNK and TOM KRISHER AP Business Writers DETROIT (AP) — Deere workers approved a new contract Wednesday that will deliver 10% raises immediately and end a monthlong strike for more than 10,000 employees. The United Auto Workers union members voted 61% in favor of the deal with the tractor maker. It was the

By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The recent story that a German shepherd is selling a Miami mansion once owned by Madonna appears to be part of a long-running ruse. The story reported by The Associated Press last week appears to be part of a long-running story shared by an Italian

MADRID (AP) — A spokesman for Spain’s government says that leading Cuban activist Yunior García has flown to Madrid with his wife. His departure from Cuba was unannounced. He arrived with his wife on Wednesday on tourist visas. García was one of the organizers of a protest on Monday in Cuba that was suppressed by

By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A sculpture sponsored by Amazon Web Services that uses artificial intelligence to integrate viewers’ feelings into the artwork is being featured at the Smithsonian. The sculpture is called “me + you.” It listens to what you have to say about the future and renders your sentiment in

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — More than 1,000 manatees have died in Florida so far this year, eclipsing a previous record as the threatened marine mammals struggle with starvation due to polluted waters. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported the updated total for 2021 on Wednesday. The 1,003

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police say a Palestinian teen has been fatally shot after stabbing two Israeli border police officers in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israeli police said Wednesday that the officers were hospitalized, one in moderate condition and another with minor injuries. Private security and police officers shot the teen, identified by police as a

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden nominated Saule Omarova to be the nation’s next comptroller of the currency in September. If confirmed, she would be the first woman and person of color to run the 158-year-old agency. But Omarova’s nomination to a typically low-profile agency has drawn intense

By HOPE YEN Associated Press Americans may soon get a better glimpse into a future of green-friendly transportation by visiting a U.S. national park. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg signed a pledge Wednesday that aims to test some of the newest and most innovative travel technologies on public lands. The plan

LONDON (AP) — A British court has sentenced nine members from the climate action group Insulate Britain to up to six months in prison for breaching an injunction designed to prevent road blockades. Sentencing the protesters Wednesday, the judge said there was no alternative to the prison sentences because of the seriousness of the group’s

LONDON (AP) — An F35 jet from a British aircraft carrier has crashed in an undisclosed location in the Mediterranean Sea. The Ministry of Defense said the jet’s pilot ejected safely Wednesday and returned to the HMS Queen Elizabeth. An official investigation was opened. The ministry declined to provide further details.  

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico will deploy a battalion of National Guard troops to its Mayan Riviera in the wake of a spate of shootings that have put the crown jewel of the country’s tourism industry on edge. Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval, speaking Wednesday in Cancun, said that 1,445 guard members will be sent

By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer A study on calls to crisis helplines in 19 countries shows a striking similarity in the pandemic’s toll on mental health. Fears of infection, loneliness and physical health were the main concerns voiced in the pandemic’s early weeks. The study published Wednesday in Nature found relationship issues, economic problems