Stories by Associated Press
Biden Vows US Won’t Walk Away from Storm-Struck Puerto Rico
| Associated Press
More than 60% of power customers in Puerto Rico remained without energy on Thursday, and a third of customers were without water — and local officials admitted they could not say when service would be fully restored.
Ex-Waukegan Cop Charged in 2020 Fatal Shooting of Black Man
| Associated Press
A grand jury returned indictments on Wednesday against former Waukegan police Officer Dante Salinas in the Oct. 20, 2020, shooting that killed a 19-year-old local man, Marcellis Stinnette, and wounded his girlfriend.
More Consumers Buying Organic, But US Farmers Still Wary
| Associated Press
Instead of growing to meet the demand, the number of farmers converting to organic is actually dropping. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture committed up to $300 million to recruit and help more farmers make the switch.
Judge Blocks Indiana Abortion Ban Week After It Took Effect
| Associated Press
Owen County Judge Kelsey Hanlon issued a preliminary injunction against the ban that took effect one week ago. The injunction was sought by abortion clinic operators who argued in a lawsuit that the state constitution protects access to the medical procedure.
2 Claim $1.3 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot Sold in Des Plaines; 3rd-Largest US Lottery Jackpot
| Associated Press
The Illinois Lottery said the prize for the July 29 drawing, which was the nation’s third-largest lottery prize, was claimed by two individuals who had agreed to split the prize if they won. They opted to take a lump sum payment of $780.5 million, lottery officials said Wednesday.
NY Attorney General Sues Donald Trump and His Company
| Associated Press
Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit, filed in state court in New York, is the culmination of the Democrat’s three-year civil investigation of Trump and the Trump Organization.
Arbiter in Donald Trump Docs Probe Signals Intent to Move Quickly
| Associated Press
The independent arbiter tasked with inspecting documents seized in an FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home said Tuesday he intends to push briskly though the review process and appeared skeptical of the Trump team’s reluctance to say whether it believed the records had been declassified.
Ad Spending Shows Democrats Hinging Midterm Hopes on Abortion
| Associated Press
With the most intense period of campaigning only just beginning, Democrats have already invested more than an estimated $124 million this year in television advertising referencing abortion. That’s almost 20 times more than Democrats spent on abortion-related ads in the 2018 midterms.
Efforts to Ban Books Surging in 2022, Library Association Says
| Associated Press
The wave of attempted book banning and restrictions continues to intensify, the American Library Association reported Friday. Numbers for 2022 already approach last year’s totals, which were the highest in decades.
‘Serial’ Podcast Case: Adnan Syed Released, Conviction Tossed
| Associated Press
Adnan Syed has always maintained his innocence. His case captured the attention of millions in 2014 when the debut season of “Serial” focused on Hae Min Lee’s killing and raised doubts about some of the evidence prosecutors had used, inspiring countless dinner table debates about Syed’s innocence or guilt.
Republicans’ Election-Year Standing With Independents at Risk
| Associated Press
Republicans face a challenge after emerging from a tumultuous summer, defined by the Supreme Court abortion decision, high-profile hearings on former President Donald Trump’s actions during the insurrection and intensifying legal scrutiny of his handling of classified information and efforts to overturn the election.
Did You Pay Federal Student Loans During the Pandemic? Here’s How to Get a Refund
| Associated Press
Borrowers who paid down their debt during a pandemic freeze that started in March 2020 can in fact get a refund — and then apply for forgiveness – but the process for doing that hasn’t always been clear. If you think you’re eligible, here’s what you need to know.
Queen Elizabeth II Mourned by Britain and World at Funeral
| Associated Press
Britain and the world said a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II at a state funeral Monday that drew presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers — and crowds who massed along the streets of London to honor a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age.
US Contractor Freed by Taliban in Swap for Drug Trafficker
| Associated Press
American contractor Mark Frerichs, who was held hostage in Afghanistan for more than two years, has been released in exchange for a convicted Taliban drug lord jailed in the United States, the White House said Monday
Donald Trump Openly Embraces, Amplifies QAnon Conspiracy Theories
| Associated Press
On Tuesday, using his Truth Social platform, the Republican former president reposted an image of himself wearing a Q lapel pin overlaid with the words “The Storm is Coming.” In QAnon lore, the “storm” refers to Trump’s final victory, when supposedly he will regain power and his opponents will be tried, and potentially executed, on live television.
Democrats Punt Same-Sex Marriage Protection Vote Until After Election
| Associated Press
The decision adds to the uncertainty facing the legislation, as it gives interest groups and other lawmakers opposing the bill more time to rally Republicans against it. But supporters hope that by pushing the vote back, they will relieve election-year pressure from some conservative voters and persuade more Republicans to support the legislation.
Biden: Tentative Railway Labor Deal Reached, Averting Strike
| Associated Press
Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department on Wednesday to hammer out a deal, as there was a risk of a strike starting on Friday that could have shut down rail lines across the country.
TikTok Search Results Riddled With Misinformation: Report
| Associated Press
Researchers at NewsGuard searched for content about prominent news topics on TikTok and say they found that nearly 1 in 5 of the videos automatically suggested by the platform contained misinformation.
World Health Organization: COVID End ‘In Sight,’ Deaths at Lowest Since March 2020
| Associated Press
At a press briefing in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world has never been in a better position to stop COVID-19. The U.N. health agency said deaths fell by 22% in the past week, at just over 11,000 reported worldwide. There were 3.1 million new cases, a drop of 28%.
President Joe Biden Hopes Ending Cancer Can Be ‘National Purpose’ for US
| Associated Press
At the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, President Biden channeled JFK’s famed moonshot speech 60 years ago, likening the space race to his own effort and hoping it, too, would galvanize Americans.
Ken Starr, Whose Probe Led to Clinton Impeachment, Dies at 76
| Associated Press
Ken Starr, a former federal appellate judge and a prominent attorney whose criminal investigation of Bill Clinton led to the president’s impeachment, died Tuesday at age 76, his family said.
Sailor From Grayslake Killed at Pearl Harbor to be Laid to Rest, At Last
| Associated Press
Members of Herbert “Bert” Jacobson’s family have waited all their lives to attend a memorial for the young man they knew about but never met. Jacobson was among the more than 400 sailors and Marines killed on the USS Oklahoma during the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Queen Elizabeth II Hailed in Scotland as a ‘Constant in All Our Lives’
| Associated Press
The procession was a huge event for Scotland as the U.K. takes days to mourn its longest-reigning monarch, the only one most Britons have ever known. People turned out hours early to grab a space by the police barricades in Edinburgh. By afternoon, the crowds were 10 people deep.
‘I Cannot Mourn’: Former Colonies Conflicted Over the Queen
| Associated Press
Beyond official condolences praising the queen’s longevity and service, there is some bitterness about the past in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and elsewhere. Talk has turned to the legacies of colonialism, from slavery to corporal punishment in African schools to looted artifacts held in British institutions.
Monkeypox Cases Dropping, But Racial Disparities Growing
| Associated Press
While cases in white men have dropped in recent weeks, Black people are making up a growing percentage of infections — nearly 38% during the final week of August, according to the latest data available. Latinos are also disproportionately infected, making up roughly a third of infections.
White Sox Manager Tony La Russa Cleared for Stewart’s Ceremony
| Associated Press
According to the White Sox, La Russa will travel with the team to Chicago after the series finale against the A’s, but the 77-year-old Hall of Famer hasn’t been cleared to return to the dugout as an active manager.
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