Stories by Associated Press
Rittenhouse Murder Case Thrown Into Jeopardy by Mistrial Bid
| Associated Press
The murder case against Kyle Rittenhouse was thrown into jeopardy Wednesday when his lawyers asked for a mistrial over what appeared to be out-of-bounds questions asked of Rittenhouse by the chief prosecutor. The judge did not immediately rule on the request.
‘Strong’ Start to Kids Vaccine Campaign, but Challenges Loom
| Associated Press
About 900,000 kids aged 5 to 11 will have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in their first week of eligibility, the White House said, providing the first glimpse at the pace of the school-aged vaccination campaign.
Gerrymandering Surges as States Redraw Maps for House Seats
| Associated Press
While both parties have gerrymandered, these days Republicans have more opportunities. The GOP controls the line-drawing process in states representing 187 House seats compared with 75 for Democrats. The rest of the states use either independent commissions, have split government control or only one congressional seat.
Pathologist: Rittenhouse Shot First Man at Close Range
| Associated Press
The first man killed by Kyle Rittenhouse on the streets of Kenosha was shot at a range of just a few feet and had soot injuries that could indicate he had his hand over the barrel of Rittenhouse’s rifle, a pathologist testified Tuesday.
Crowd Surge Wasn’t Mentioned in Astroworld Operational Plan
| Associated Press
Emergency plans for the Astroworld music festival did not include protocols for dangerous crowd surges like the one that unfolded during a rush to see headliner Travis Scott, which left eight people dead and injured hundreds of others.
Biden Asking Democrats Do So Much with So Little in Congress
| Associated Press
Reaching for FDR-style accomplishments with slimmer-than-ever Democratic majorities has been politically messy at best, arduous at worst, and about to become even more daunting for the president and his party.
Pfizer Asks FDA to OK COVID-19 Booster Shots for All Adults
| Associated Press
Pfizer asked U.S. regulators Tuesday to allow boosters of its COVID-19 vaccine for anyone 18 or older, a step that comes amid concern about increased spread of the coronavirus with holiday travel and gatherings.
Astroworld Deaths Spur Calls for Independent Review
| Associated Press
Experts in crowd safety say an investigation by neutral outsiders into the tragedy during Friday night’s performance by rapper Travis Scott could help the city avoid potential conflicts of interest and promote transparency.
Man Rittenhouse Shot Says He Didn't Mean to Point Own Gun
| Associated Press
Gaige Grosskreutz, the third and final man gunned down by Rittenhouse during a night of turbulent racial-justice protests in the summer of 2020, took the stand at Rittenhouse’s murder trial and recounted how he drew his own pistol after the bloodshed started.
Bears Rookie QB Fields Nearly Has His Moment vs Steelers
| Associated Press
The rookie quarterback Justin Fields guided the Chicago Bears to a go-ahead touchdown against Pittsburgh with 1:46 remaining, but Ben Roethlisberger responded with the 50th game-winning drive of his 18-year career.
Pfizer Says COVID-19 Pill Cut Hospital, Death Risk by 90%
| Associated Press
Pfizer Inc. said Friday that its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% in high-risk adults, as the drugmaker joined the race for an easy-to-use medication to treat the coronavirus.
Biden Hails Infrastructure Win as ‘Monumental Step Forward’
| Associated Press
The House passed the measure 228-206 late Friday, prompting prolonged cheers from the relieved Democratic side of the chamber. Thirteen Republicans, mostly moderates, supported the legislation while six of Democrats’ farthest left members opposed it.
Government: Vaccine Rule Should Remain While Cases Play Out
| Associated Press
The Biden administration framed its vaccine mandate for private employers in life-and-death terms Monday in a legal filing that sought to get the requirement back on track after it was halted by a federal court.
Houston Chief Says He Met with Travis Scott Before Concert
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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
| Associated Press
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.
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