Stories by Associated Press

Houston Chief Says He Met with Travis Scott Before Concert

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner did not elaborate on his specific safety concerns voiced Friday at the Astroworld festival, an event founded by Travis Scott that was attended by some 50,000 people. His department has launched a criminal investigation into what went wrong.

Aspiring Border Agent, Dancer, Engineer Among Concert Dead

Clearer pictures began to emerge Sunday of some of the eight people who died after fans at the Astroworld music festival in Houston suddenly surged toward the stage during a performance by rapper Travis Scott.

EXPLAINER: Prosecutors Play Up Rittenhouse Inexperience

Phil Turner, a former federal prosecutor and attorney in Chicago who isn’t involved in the case, said Binger is trying to show jurors that Rittenhouse didn’t know what he was doing and that they shouldn’t believe his self-defense claims.

Houston Leaders Seek Clues for Concert Surge That Killed 8

City officials said Saturday they were in the early stages of investigating the pandemonium that unfolded Friday evening at Astroworld, a sold-out, two-day event in NRG Park with an estimated 50,000 people in attendance.

Schools Take Lead Role in Promoting Vaccines for Youngsters

Some district leaders say offering vaccine clinics on campus is key to improving access and helping overcome hesitancy. Still, many school systems are choosing not to offer elementary schools as hosts for vaccination sites after some middle and high schools that offered shots received pushback.

Blackhawks Fire Coach Jeremy Colliton after Rough Start

Colliton’s dismissal is the latest chapter in a rough stretch for what was once regarded as one of the NHL’s marquee franchises. He stepped into a tough situation when he replaced Quenneville in November 2018, becoming the 38th coach in franchise history. Quenneville led Chicago to three Stanley Cup titles in his 10-plus years in charge.

Crowd Surge Kills at Least 8 at Houston Music Festival

Fans attending a Houston music festival surged toward the stage during a performance by rapper Travis Scott, triggering panic in the crowd of tens of thousands. At least eight people were killed and many more hurt, authorities said.

House Dems Near Truce, Approach Infrastructure Win for Biden

Under the agreement, brokered by Biden and top Democrats, progressives would end their roadblock against the package of road, water and other projects.

Witness: Kenosha Victim Was Belligerent But No Threat

The first man shot and killed by Kyle Rittenhouse on the streets of Kenosha was acting “belligerently” that night but did not appear to pose a serious threat to anyone, a witness testified Friday at Rittenhouse’s murder trial.

US Employers Shrugged Off Virus and Stepped Up Hiring

Friday’s report from the Labor Department also showed that the unemployment rate fell to 4.6% last month from 4.8% in September. That is a comparatively low level though still well above the pre-pandemic jobless rate of 3.5%. 

Biden Claims Historic Progress on Climate Efforts at Summit

President Joe Biden argued Tuesday that historic progress on addressing global warming was achieved at the U.N. climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, and expressed optimism for a similar outcome in Washington, where his legislative agenda has been stalled by intra-party disagreements. 

Witness: Shooting Victim Lunged Toward Rittenhouse’s Rifle

The first man shot by Kyle Rittenhouse on the streets of Kenosha during a night of turbulent protests lunged toward Rittenhouse’s rifle in an attempt to take it away just before Rittenhouse fired, a video cameraman testified Thursday.

EXPLAINER: Expert: Overseas Conviction No Bar to US Charges

The U.S. Constitution prohibits prosecuting someone twice for the same acts, commonly known as double jeopardy. But the allegations in Sheila Von Wiese-Mack’s death involve two countries with their own laws and their own claims to jurisdiction, an expert said.

US Mandates Vaccines or Tests For Big Companies by Jan. 4

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said companies that fail to comply could face penalties of nearly $14,000 per violation.

Deere Warns Striking Workers Not to Expect Better Offer

Deere executives said Wednesday that the company wouldn’t return to the bargaining table with striking workers because it wouldn’t offer a better contract than one they rejected that included immediate 10% raises.

Hall of Fame Covers Brad Aldrich’s Name on Stanley Cup

Brad Aldrich’s name was covered with X’s on Sunday, the same day that the names of the 2020-21 champion Tampa Bay Lightning were added to the Cup, according to the Toronto-based Hall.

Facebook Rebrands as Meta to Emphasize ‘Metaverse’ Vision

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company is rebranding itself as Meta in an effort to encompass its virtual-reality vision for the future — what Zuckerberg calls the “metaverse.”

Prosecutors Show Rittenhouse Trial Jurors Video of Shootings

Many of the videos played in court were found by police on social media sites, where lots of footage was streamed live or promptly posted after the bloodshed, and many of the scenes were familiar to those following the case.

Chicago Woman Who Killed Mom in Bali Indicted on US Murder Charge

FBI agents took Heather Mack, 26, into custody on her arrival at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday morning.

Deere Employees Reject Contract Offer, Will Stay on Strike

The union said 55% of its members at the 12 main plants voted against this latest contract offer Tuesday.

US Gives Final Clearance to COVID-19 Shots for Kids 5 to 11

U.S. health officials on Tuesday gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign.

Democrats Reach Drug Price Deal, Biden Upbeat on Manchin

Democrats reached an agreement Tuesday on a plan to lower prescription drug costs for older people, capping out-of-pocket Medicare costs at $2,000 and reducing the price of insulin, salvaging a campaign promise as part of President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion domestic policy proposal.

Starkly Different Portrayals of Rittenhouse in Kenosha Trial

Jurors heard starkly different portrayals of Kyle Rittenhouse — instigator or victim — in opening statements at his trial Tuesday on charges of shooting three people on the streets of Kenosha during a turbulent protest against racial injustice.

Blackhawks Hold Settlement Talks with Former Player’s Lawyer

The Chicago Blackhawks held settlement talks Tuesday with an attorney for a former player who is suing the team after he accused an assistant coach of sexual assault in 2010 and the team largely ignored the allegations.

Few Snags for Election Day Voting Amid Scrutiny on Process

There were few reports of voting or equipment problems, other than the sporadic power outage or polling place opening late that is not unusual for Election Day. It was too soon to gauge the effects of new voting restrictions in place in a few states.

Indonesia Deporting Chicago Woman Who Helped Kill Mother

Heather Mack was released from prison on Friday after serving seven years and two months of a 10-year sentence. Her then-boyfriend, who was also convicted in the killing, was sentenced to 18 years and remains in prison.
 

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