Stories by Associated Press

US Household Wealth Hits Record Even as Economy Struggles

The Federal Reserve said Monday that Americans’ household net worth jumped nearly 7% in the April-June quarter to $119 trillion. That figure had sunk to $111.3 trillion in the first quarter, when the coronavirus battered the economy.

As Democrats Balk, Trump to Make High Court Pick by Saturday

President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to announce his pick for the Supreme Court on Friday or Saturday, after funeral services for Ruth Bader Ginsburg and just days before the first presidential election debate.

Douglas Statue Comes Down, But Lincoln Had Racist Views, Too

With the nation racing to come to grips with centuries of racial sins, officials plan to remove the Capitol lawn statue of Stephen A. Douglas, whose forceful 19th century politics helped forge modern-day Illinois but who also profited from slavery.

Biden to GOP Senators: Don’t Jam Through Ginsburg Nominee

Joe Biden on Sunday slammed President Donald Trump and leading Senate Republicans for trying to jam through a replacement for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Trump Backs Proposed Deal to Keep TikTok Operating in US

President Donald Trump said Saturday he’s given his “blessing” to a proposed deal that would see the popular video-sharing app TikTok partner with Oracle and Walmart and form a U.S. company. 

A Rapper, An Elevator and An Elephant: Stories Ginsburg Told

In recent years Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was surprised to find herself so popular that “everyone wants to take a picture with me.” The justice, who died Friday at 87, had become a feminist icon.

Trump to Senate: Vote ‘Without Delay’ on His High Court Pick

President Donald Trump on Saturday urged the Republican-run Senate to consider “without delay” his upcoming nomination to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg just six weeks before the election.

How Ginsburg’s Death Could Reshape the Presidential Campaign

A presidential campaign that was already tugging at the nation’s most searing divides has been jolted by the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, potentially reshaping the election.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dies at 87

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a diminutive yet towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87.

Father Gets 30 Years After Plea in Death of Illinois Boy, 5

A northern Illinois man who was charged with murder for his role in the beating death of his 5-year-old son, Andrew “AJ” Freund, pleaded guilty Friday to reduced charges and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. 

US Bans WeChat, TikTok From App Stores, Threatens Shutdowns

The U.S. Commerce Department said Friday it will ban Chinese-owned TikTok and WeChat from U.S. app stores on Sunday and will bar the apps from accessing essential internet services in the U.S.

CDC Drops Controversial Testing Advice That Caused Backlash

U.S. health officials on Friday dropped a controversial piece of coronavirus guidance and said anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person should get tested.

US Judge Blocks Postal Service Changes that Slowed Mail

A U.S. judge on Thursday blocked controversial Postal Service changes that have slowed mail nationwide, calling them “a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service” before the November election.

Infection Rates Soar in College Towns as Students Return

Among the 50 large U.S. counties with the highest percentages of student residents, 20 have consistently reported higher rates of new coronavirus cases than their states have since Sept. 1, according to an Associated Press analysis.

COVID-19 Danger Continues to Drive Joblessness in US

Before the pandemic hit the economy, the number signing up for jobless aid had never exceeded 700,000 in a week, even during the depths of the 2007-2009 Great Recession. Now they've topped 700,000 for 26 straight weeks.

US Outlines Sweeping Plan to Provide Free COVID-19 Vaccines

In a report to Congress and an accompanying “playbook” for states and localities, federal health agencies sketched out complex plans for a vaccination campaign to begin gradually in January or even late this year.

Big Ten Changes Course, Aims For October Start to Football

Less than five weeks after pushing football and other fall sports to spring in the name of player safety during the pandemic, the conference changed course Wednesday and said it plans to begin its season the weekend of Oct. 24. 

As MLB Plays On, The Businesses It Feeds Fight for Survival

As MLB sprints through two months, the businesses in the neighborhoods surrounding the stadiums that rely so heavily on thousands making their way through the turnstiles 81 times a year are struggling, their futures murky at best.

Petalo, Not Charmin: Virus Brings Mexican Toilet Paper to US

Demand for toilet paper has been so high during the pandemic that in order to keep their shelves stocked, retailers are buying up foreign toilet paper brands, mostly from Mexico.

Anti-Inflammatory Drug May Shorten COVID-19 Recovery Time

A drug company says that adding an anti-inflammatory medicine to a drug already widely used for hospitalized COVID-19 patients shortens their time to recovery by an additional day.

2 California Deputies Shot in Apparent Ambush in Patrol Car

Authorities searched Sunday for a gunman who shot and critically wounded two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies who were sitting in their squad car — an apparent ambush that drew a reward for information and an angry response from the president.

Trump’s Virus Debate: Project Strength Or Level With Public

In times of crisis, effective leaders strike a balance between inspirational rhetoric and leveling with the public about the tough times ahead. Facing the coronavirus, President Donald Trump chose a different path.

2 Ex-Child Welfare Workers Face Charges in AJ Freund Case

Two former Illinois child welfare workers who investigated abuse allegations involving AJ Freund face child endangerment charges accusing them of failing to protect him from harm, according to an indictment filed Friday.

Poll: Pandemic Takes Toll on Mental Health of Young Adults

A majority of Americans ages 18 through 34 say they've sometimes felt isolated in the past month, compared with about 4 in 10 older Americans, according to a new COVID Response Tracking Study conducted at the University of Chicago.

In A Year of Restrictions, Virus Changes Sept. 11, Too

In a year when the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped countless American rituals, even the commemoration of 9/11 could not escape unchanged.

Virus Bill Blocked in Senate as Prospects Dim for New Relief

The mostly party-line vote capped weeks of wrangling that gave way to election-season political combat and name-calling over a fifth relief bill that all sides say they want but are unable to deliver. 
 

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