Jury acquits Mexican man in San Francisco pier killing

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " A jury on Thursday found a Mexican man not guilty in the killing of a woman on a San Francisco pier that touched off a fierce national immigration debate two years ago, rejecting possible charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to first-degree murder.The shooting of Kate Steinle came during the presidential primary campaign in 2015 and was used by then-candidate Donald Trump to push for a wall on the Mexican border.The president called the verdict [...]

The Latest: GOP Sen. Johnson still withholding on tax bill

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on Senate Republicans' tax overhaul bill (all times local):7:50 p.m.Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin says he is still withholding support for the Republicans' sweeping tax package because it doesn't cut taxes enough for business owners.The package would allow business owners who report business income on their individual returns to deduct 20 percent of that income. The vast majority of American businesses pay taxes this way. [...]

Strong quake jolts sparsely populated Iran; no damage

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) " Iran's state TV is reporting a magnitude 6.1 earthquake has jolted a sparsely populated area in the country's southeast. There are no immediate reports of damage or casualties.The U.S. Geological Survey has put the magnitude at 6.The Friday quake jolted Hojedk town, about 1,100 kilometers (683 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran. The farming town has a population of 3,000 and is frequently hit by quakes.Last month, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck [...]

The Latest: Tillerson here, working, Trump spokeswoman says

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on President Donald Trump's national security team (all times local):3:40 p.m.President Donald Trump's press secretary isn't denying reports that he is considering replacing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.But Sarah Huckabee Sanders notes that Tillerson met with Trump on Thursday. She says, "When the president loses confidence in somebody they will no longer serve in their position."Administration officials say the White House is [...]

Texas sheriff says it's unlikely border agents were attacked

VAN HORN, Texas (AP) " A Texas sheriff who was among the first people to reach two badly injured U.S. Border Patrol agents said he thinks they may have been sideswiped accidentally by a tractor-trailer, not attacked, as President Donald Trump and some others have suggested.The injured agents were found the night of Nov. 18 along a culvert next to Interstate 10 near Van Horn, which is about 110 miles (175 kilometers) southeast of El Paso and about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the [...]

US approves monthly injection for opioid addiction

WASHINGTON (AP) " U.S. health officials on Thursday approved the first injectable form of the leading medication to treat patients recovering from addiction to heroin, prescription painkillers and other opioids.The Food and Drug Administration approved once-a-month Sublocade for adults with opioid use disorder who are already stabilized on addiction medication.The monthly injection has the potential to reduce dangerous relapses that occur when patients stop taking the currently [...]

Trump to campaign near Alabama border days before election

NEW YORK (AP) " President Donald Trump will appear at a campaign-style rally in Pensacola, Florida, next week, a move that brings the president less than 20 miles from the Alabama border just four days before a special election that will decide the fate of embattled Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.The White House had distanced itself from Moore in recent weeks, and several high-profile Republicans called on him to quit the race altogether, following several allegations of sexual [...]

Senate weighs scaling back tax package to win deficit hawks

WASHINGTON (AP) " Senate Republicans weighed scaling back the tax cuts in their massive package to secure crucial support as congressional analysts said Thursday the legislation would add $1 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.Republicans were making major changes to the bill " a top political priority of President Donald Trump " up to the last minute, including one that would roll back some of the tax cuts after six years to appease deficit hawks.The scramble to alter [...]

Builders race to save football's Eagles from Billy Penn jinx

PHILADELPHIA (AP) " Superstitious construction workers have placed a small statue of Philadelphia's founder atop the city's newest skyscraper in an effort to save the NFL-leading Philadelphia Eagles from a fabled jinx.Philly.com reports the William Penn figurine was affixed to the Comcast tower's highest beam Monday after builders decided waiting for a topping-off ceremony was too risky.Believers in the Curse of Billy Penn say it doomed the city's sports teams for decades after [...]

Biologists: Grizzly numbers hold steady around Yellowstone

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) " Grizzly bear numbers in and around Yellowstone National Park are holding relatively steady, according to figures released Thursday, as state wildlife officials begin discussions on whether to hold the first public hunts for the animals in decades.There are an estimated 718 bears in the Yellowstone region that includes portions of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, according to the leader of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team.That's up slightly from last [...]

Allegations of sexual misconduct roiling Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) " As allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful lawmakers roil Congress, House Democrats on Thursday delivered their strongest rebuke yet with calls for Michigan Rep. John Conyers' resignation, while those in the Senate reserved judgment for their embattled colleague, Minnesota Sen. Al Franken.House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi characterized the multiple accusations against the 88-year-old Conyers, which included repeated propositions for sex, and retaliation [...]

Beagle breakout: Pup caught on video scaling shelter cage

WINDSOR, Va. (AP) " A video of a beagle at a Virginia animal shelter scaling her cage to escape has generated calls of interest from across the country.Emily Glickman, a caretaker at the shelter in Windsor, said by phone Thursday that its new owner plans to take her home Friday.The adopter claimed the dog, named Buttermilk, long before the video went viral.The Isle of Wight County Animal Shelter posted a Facebook video of the escape attempt Tuesday, generating more than [...]

Trump lights National Christmas Tree for 1st time

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump lit the National Christmas Tree for the first time on Thursday, wishing the country "a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year" and "unbelievable holidays."Trump counted down from 10 with his wife, Melania, who pushed a button to set the tree aglow with golden lights and silver stars.The president and first lady attended the annual event with other Trump family members.The program was hosted by television host Kathie Lee Gifford and [...]

Oh, deer: Startled doe scrambles through Mississippi school

ENTERPRISE, Miss. (AP) " A deer darted through two hallways of a Mississippi school, startling students as they were arriving for the day.People jumped out of the way and no one was injured.Enterprise Middle School is in a rural, wooded area about 100 miles (161 kilometers) east of Jackson. Principal Marlon Brannan says it's unusual to see deer on campus, but this doe was grazing on a playground Wednesday morning.He says the doe bloodied its nose by jumping and hitting a [...]

Officials: Trump mulls calling Jerusalem Israel's capital

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump is considering recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a highly charged declaration that risks inflaming tensions across the Middle East, officials said Thursday. The announcement would be a way to offset a likely decision delaying his campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy to the holy city from Tel Aviv.Trump's announcement is expected next week and follows months of internal deliberations that grew particularly intense in recent days, [...]

Anonymous driver sends police $1,000 30 years after crash

SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) " A person who apparently sped off after hitting a parked car in a Minneapolis suburb more than 30 years ago anonymously sent $1,000 to local police this month and asked them to pass it on to the car's owner, if possible.The sender also sent a letter to the South St. Paul police department asking for forgiveness, The Pioneer Press reported ."I was quite shocked," police Chief Bill Messerich said. "It's not something you see every day."The note [...]

Trump expected to shrink 2 Utah monuments by two-thirds

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump will announce plans next week to shrink two sprawling Utah national monuments by nearly two-thirds, reversing actions taken by Democrat Barack Obama after a years-long push by tribal leaders and environmental groups.Leaked documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Trump plans to shrink Bears Ears National Monument by nearly 85 percent and reduce Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by almost half. The plan would cut the total [...]

US: Migrant fatally shot in Arizona had grabbed agent's gun

PHOENIX (AP) " A man suspected of illegally entering the U.S. grabbed a border agent's gun in a struggle and was fatally shot by the agent's partner, the U.S. Border Patrol said Thursday.The shooting happened in a remote area of Arizona south of Tucson on Wednesday as the agents were trying to arrest the man among of a group of Guatemalan nationals who authorities believe were in the country illegally, said Tucson Sector chief patrol agent Rodolfo Karisch."The assailant wound [...]

GOP pressing plan to avert government shutdown on Dec. 8

WASHINGTON (AP) " House GOP leaders are looking to keep the government's doors open through Dec. 22. They're hoping that talks with Democrats over spending and immigration could head off a government shutdown that neither side says it wants.Republicans are preparing a bill to head off a government shutdown next Friday the government operating through Dec. 22. The idea is to win a bipartisan agreement on spending increases for the Pentagon and domestic agencies " whose budgets [...]

Correction: Sexual Misconduct-Conyers-The Latest story

DETROIT (AP) " In a story Nov. 29 about sexual harassment claims against U.S. Rep. John Conyers, The Associated Press misspelled the name of a congressman who suggested Conyers should resign. He is U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, not Blumenhauer.A corrected version of the story is below:The Latest: Attorney: John Conyers has no plans to resignAn attorney for U.S. Rep. John Conyers says the lawmaker has no plans to resign amid sexual harassment allegationsDETROIT (AP) " [...]

Possible deal for Flynn? Washington reading tea leaves

WASHINGTON (AP) " The few public signs emanating from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation increasingly raise the prospect that former national security adviser Michael Flynn is looking to cut a deal.But many questions remain about what charges, if any, Flynn would face and whether Mueller's prosecutors are focused on his private business dealings and truthfulness with federal agents, or if they're looking for a bigger fish like the president himself or those who remain in [...]

GOP tax bill gains support; Senate leaders work on holdouts

WASHINGTON (AP) " Senate Republican leaders wrangled with the last few GOP holdouts Thursday as they pushed toward passing the first major rewrite of the nation's tax code in more than three decades, a package that would impact rich and the poor as well as businesses big and small.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he expected a final vote late Thursday or early Friday on a $1.4 trillion package that would slash the corporate tax rate, offer more modest cuts for [...]

Google's phones and other gadgets have had a bumpy ride

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Google prides itself on developing simple, intuitive software that knows what you want before you do. But it's in a very different world when it comes to self-made phones and gadgets.Its new Pixel 2 phones, released in October, got high marks for their camera and design. Then some users complained about "burned in" afterimages on their screens, a bluish tint, periodic clicking sounds and occasionally not responding to touch.Google's new Home Mini smart [...]

Vermont city thanks French city for misspelled jerseys

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) " Vermont's capital city has said merci via Skype to a French city it's named after for some misspelled soccer jerseys that were sent its way.Montpelier (mahnt-PEEL'-yuhr), Vermont, says Montpellier (mahn-peel-YAY'), France, ordered jerseys for its professional soccer team and fans but the jerseys came in misspelled, with just one L instead of two. The city in southern France decided to send the jerseys to Montpelier, Vermont, which is spelled with one L, not two. [...]

Health nominee Azar is no stranger to management controversy

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) " Alex Azar, the man who's in line to replace a Trump Cabinet secretary who was forced out in controversy, is no stranger to sticky management problems.In Washington, he's been nominated to replace Tom Price, who resigned over questions about his use of private jets. Back in Indiana, Azar was an influential member of the Indianapolis airport board. And in that post he defended the conduct of the airport CEO who was under fire for lavish spending.Skepticism at [...]

Wisconsin county settles suit over augmented-reality games

MILWAUKEE (AP) " Milwaukee County plans to settle a lawsuit from an augmented-reality game developer that challenged an ordinance requiring developers to get local permits for apps like Pokemon Go to be played in parks.Under the settlement agreement, the county won't enforce its rule and will pay $83,000 in attorneys' fees for California-based developer Candy Lab Inc.Milwaukee County passed the first-of-its-kind requirement in February because large crowds of Pokemon Go players [...]

Officials stumped in highway crash case that cost $3 million

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) " Maine officials say they have no clues and have made no progress in the case of a hit-and-run driver who caused $3 million in damage by cracking a highway overpass.Department of Transportation spokesman Ted Talbot says the crash on a highway in Augusta left no debris, no witnesses and wasn't caught on camera. The Bangor Daily News reports officials discovered the massive dent and crack in October, and emergency repair work cost about $3 million.The [...]

White House talking about replacing Tillerson with Pompeo

WASHINGTON (AP) " The White House is discussing a plan to oust Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo in a major shake-up of President Donald Trump's national security team, two administration officials said Thursday.The move would put Pompeo, a former congressman who has grown close to Trump during his tenure atop the CIA, in charge of U.S. diplomacy. Tillerson, the former Exxon Mobil CEO, has had a rough first year characterized by tensions [...]

The Latest: Arkansas' Cotton says he's focused on Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on President Donald Trump's national security team (all times local):11:23 a.m.Republican Sen. Tom Cotton's office says he's focused is on serving the people of Arkansas in the Senate. That's after reports that he might be picked to run the CIA in a major shake-up of President Donald Trump's national security team.White House officials confirm a plan is under discussion to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA chief Mike Pompeo, [...]

The Latest: Pelosi says Conyers should resign from Congress

DETROIT (AP) " The Latest on allegations of sexual misconduct against Rep. John Conyers (all times local):11:25 a.m.The top Democrat in the U.S. House says Michigan Rep. John Conyers should resign in the face of allegations of sexual misconduct.Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday that the accusations against Conyers are "serious, disappointing and very credible. It's very sad."Conyers is the longest serving member of the House. He has faced [...]

Hand grenade found in donation to California Goodwill store

PLACENTIA, Calif. (AP) " Authorities say someone left a hand grenade inside a box of donations that was dropped off by a woman at a Goodwill store in Southern California.The Los Angeles Times reports an unidentified woman dropped off the box Wednesday at the store in the city of Placentia near Los Angeles.The Placentia Police Department says store workers discovered the grenade as they sifted through donations.Officers evacuated neighboring businesses and a bomb squad [...]

Police arrest bank robbery suspect hiding in port-a-potty

REVERE, Mass. (AP) " A bank robbery suspect is in police custody after authorities say he tried to make a smelly escape in a portable toilet.Police say 41-year-old Steven Spolidoro, of Woburn, walked into a Revere bank around 1 p.m. Wednesday, demanded money and fled with about $1,000 cash.An off-duty officer in the area provided authorities with a description of Spolidoro's vehicle. It was spotted in Boston, and police say Spolidoro abandoned his vehicle and ran away on foot. [...]

Trump pal: Radio host 'confirmed' Wikileaks' Clinton promise

WASHINGTON (AP) " Roger Stone, a longtime friend of President Donald Trump, says a New York radio host "merely confirmed" to him last year that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange had emails he planned to release about Hillary Clinton.Stone initially resisted telling the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, the identity of the intermediary he says he used to communicate with Assange during the campaign. Stone now says the [...]

The Latest: Attorney general facing committee interview

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on congressional investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election (all times local):9:15 a.m.Attorney General Jeff Sessions has arrived on Capitol Hill for a closed-door interview by a House committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.The House Intelligence Committee session comes amid lawmaker interest in Sessions' knowledge about contacts between Russians and Donald Trump's campaign, and as well as [...]

The Latest: Ex-Conyers staffer claims years of harassment

DETROIT (AP) " The Latest on allegations of sexual misconduct against Rep. John Conyers (all times local):8:40 a.m.A woman who alleges she was fired because she rejected Congressman John Conyers' sexual advances has told NBC's "Today" show that the longest-serving member of the U.S. House subjected her to years of sexual harassment.Marion Brown said Thursday that the Democrat propositioned her for sex multiple times over more than a decade. She says she stayed on the job [...]

Aaron Judge gets 10 votes for New York City mayor

NEW YORK (AP) " A unanimous winner of the AL Rookie of the Year Award and runner-up in Most Valuable Player voting, Aaron Judge also received ballots in another election: for New York City mayor.The New York Yankees right fielder was listed on 10 ballots as a write-in candidate for mayor, according to final totals released late Tuesday by the New York City Board of Elections.Judge received three votes in New York County (Manhattan and the Marble Hill section of the Bronx), four [...]

Britain's PM meets key Arab ally, amid Trump anti-Muslim row

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) " Britain's prime minister pledged Thursday to step up economic support for Jordan, a key pro-Western Arab ally, amid concerns that the kingdom's mounting economic woes could undermine its stability.Theresa May held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the end of a three-day Mideast tour meant to bolster ties with the region before Britain leaves the European Union.The meeting came at a time when May is embroiled in a social media row with President Donald [...]

Startup event in Finland puts spotlight on European tech

HELSINKI (AP) " One of Europe's largest startup events opened Thursday in Finland, with 2,600 companies and 1,500 investors networking and negotiating funding, as the region looks to ramp up an industry that has long struggled to compete with the tech giants of the U.S.The two-day Slush conference in Helsinki brought in star power to promote itself, including former U.S. Vice President Al Gore to kick off the event and Britain's Prince William.The location of Finland is [...]

Trump lashes out at wrong Theresa May on Twitter

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump initially responded on Twitter to British Prime Minister Theresa May's criticism of his retweeting of inflammatory anti-Muslim videos from a fringe British political group by directing his message to the wrong Theresa May.Online archives of Trump's tweets show the president tweeted Wednesday night to a Twitter user with the handle @theresamay. That user is identified as a woman with a different last name who only has six followers.That [...]

Nevada rancher refuses judge's offer of release during trial

LAS VEGAS (AP) " A federal judge offered to release a rancher and states' rights figure from custody during his trial on charges involving an armed standoff that stopped a government cattle roundup three years ago in Nevada.But Cliven Bundy refused to leave jail while others are still behind bars awaiting trial in the case.Bundy, 71, didn't state his reason in court Wednesday. But his wife, Carol Bundy, noted in a courthouse hallway that two other sons, Mel and David Bundy, are [...]

Al Gore opens startup networking event in Finland

HELSINKI (AP) " Al Gore has kicked off one of Europe's largest startup events in Finland, where 2,600 companies and some 1,500 investors are gathering to network and negotiate funding.At Thursday's opening of the two-day Slush conference in Helsinki, the former U.S. vice president urged investors to look beyond short-term gains and support businesses that "make a profit in a sustainable way that does not sacrifice the future."Finland has managed over the past five years to [...]

Moore seeks to steer Alabama Senate race to social issues

THEODORE, Ala. (AP) " Republican Roy Moore, his Senate bid stung by allegations of sexual misconduct, is seeking to steer the Alabama race to hot-button social issues highlighted by his opposition to abortion.Newly back on the campaign trail since the uproar the accusations caused, Moore has used campaign stops to rally his evangelical base on social issues, including abortion, juxtaposing his desire to one day outlaw abortion altogether against Democratic rival Doug Jones' support of [...]

Court appearance for man arrested in deadly Tampa shootings

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) " A 24-year-old college graduate who was arrested in a string of deadly shootings that terrorized a Tampa neighborhood will make his first court appearance Thursday to face four counts of first-degree murder.Howell Emanuel Donaldson was arrested Tuesday after he asked a co-worker at a McDonald's restaurant to hold a bag carrying a gun. The co-worker looked inside the bag, spotted the weapon and approached a Tampa police officer who was sitting in the restaurant doing [...]

AP source: Kushner questioned by Mueller's team about Flynn

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's team of investigators about former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press.The person said Wednesday that the questioning of Kushner earlier this month took about 90 minutes or less and was aimed in part at establishing whether Kushner had any information on Flynn that might be [...]

US, China hold low-key military talks amid NKorea tensions

WASHINGTON (AP) " U.S. and Chinese generals are working on how the mighty American and Chinese militaries might communicate in a crisis.They engaged in an unusual set of security talks on Wednesday, just hours after North Korea's most powerful missile test yet.President Donald Trump greeted the North's launching of another intercontinental ballistic missile with familiar demands for China to get tougher with its ally. At the same time, the low-profile meeting in Washington was [...]

Exes file clashing lawsuits over hit novel 'The Girls'

LOS ANGELES (AP) " A lawsuit alleges that author Emma Cline plagiarized parts of her bestselling novel "The Girls" from an ex-boyfriend by using spyware to access his email and other accounts, claims that Cline vehemently denies.The novelist said in a countersuit that the plagiarism allegations are the "ludicrous" acts of a man who is jealous of his ex's success and are part of a two-year assault on her mental health and literary reputation.The clashing lawsuits, filed [...]

Pelosi's daughter: California lawmakers enable harassment

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " While U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi faced criticism for not being more strident in responding to sexual harassment allegations, back in her home state of California her daughter is throwing verbal hand grenades, alleging state lawmakers are protecting rapists at the Capitol.At a hearing Tuesday on the California Legislature's sexual harassment policies, Christine Pelosi produced gasps when she said "everybody here knows we have rapists in this [...]

What North Korean photos say about new ballistic missile

TOKYO (AP) " North Korea released dozens of photos Thursday of the Hwasong-15, a new intercontinental ballistic missile it claims can reach any target in the continental United States. The photo dump, published in the paper and online editions of the ruling party's official daily, is a goldmine for rocket experts trying to parse reality from bluster.Their general conclusion is that it's bigger, more advanced and comes with a domestically made mobile launcher that will make it harder [...]

Project Veritas head mocks Washington Post handling of hoax

DALLAS (AP) " The founder of a conservative nonprofit caught attempting to entice The Washington Post to report a false sex assault allegation against Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore mocked the newspaper's handling of the hoax and said his group was aiming to expose media bias.Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe spoke Wednesday on the Southern Methodist University campus in University Park, Texas, sponsored by the conservative Young Students for Freedom, a national [...]

Trump stokes anti-Muslim sentiment; censured in US, abroad

WASHINGTON (AP) " Stoking the same anti-Islam sentiments he fanned on the campaign trail, President Donald Trump on Wednesday retweeted a string of inflammatory videos from a fringe British political group purporting to show violence being committed by Muslims.The tweets drew a sharp condemnation from British Prime Minister Theresa May's office, which said it was "wrong for the president to have done this." May spokesman James Slack said the far-right Britain First group seeks to [...]

The Latest: Keillor says his firing is 'bewildering'

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) " The Latest on the firing of Garrison Keillor over an allegation of inappropriate behavior (all times local):10:30 p.m.Garrison Keillor says it's "all kind of bewildering" that he was fired from Minnesota Public Radio following an allegation of improper behavior.The entertainer made the comments to The Berkshire Eagle at a Pittsfield, Massachusetts, restaurant less than two hours after his evening appearance at a theater in the city was canceled. [...]

AP source: Mueller's team questioned Kushner about Flynn

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's team of investigators about former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed Wednesday to The Associated Press.The person said the questioning of Kushner earlier this month took about 90 minutes or less and was aimed in part at establishing whether Kushner had any information on Flynn that might be exculpatory. [...]

Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting attracts thousands

NEW YORK (AP) " Throngs of tourists and revelers packed midtown Manhattan on a warm night and under tight security to watch the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio flipped the switch just before 9 p.m., illuminating the 75-foot tall, 12-plus ton Norway spruce decorated with 50,000 multicolored LED lights."I definitely think it's going to get the Christmas spirit going," said Samantha Fettner, a 33-year-old from Fort [...]

Witness explains how bribes were paid to soccer officials

NEW YORK (AP) " An Argentinian accountant has described how he handled the payment of millions of dollars in bribes to former South American soccer officials, including former FIFA vice president Julio Grondona, by using wire transfers, offshore accounts and money couriers.Eladio Rodriguez testified Wednesday in New York in the federal corruption trial of the former soccer heads of Paraguay, Peru and Brazil. His sports marketing company made the payments to obtain the rights to [...]

Haley: NKorea 'brings us closer to war' the US doesn't seek

UNITED NATIONS (AP) " The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Wednesday that North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile " which some observers believe could reach the Eastern U.S. " "brings us closer" to a war the U.S. isn't seeking.Nikki Haley, speaking at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, said that if war comes as a result of further acts of "aggression" like the latest launch, "make no mistake the North Korean regime will be utterly [...]

The Latest: Russia's UN ambassador urges NKorea restraint

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) " The Latest on the global response to North Korea's latest missile launch (all times local):9:30 a.m. ThursdayRussia's U.N. ambassador is strongly urging North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile tests and calling on the U.S. and South Korea to cancel large-scale military maneuvers scheduled for December, warning that these drills "will only inflame an already explosive situation."Vassily Nebenzia told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security [...]

Conservatives slam GOP proposal to automatically raise taxes

WASHINGTON (AP) " Conservative groups and lawmakers are lining up against a proposal by Senate Republicans to impose automatic tax increases on millions of Americans " if their sweeping tax package doesn't grow the economy and raise tax revenues as much as projected.The opposition comes as the tax package cleared a key procedural vote in the Senate on Wednesday. The Senate voted 52-48 to start debating the bill. Wednesday's vote potentially could pave the way for the Senate to pass [...]

Uber sinks deeper into trade-secret theft allegations

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " A top Uber lawyer struggled to explain to a federal judge why the company reached a $7.5 million settlement with a former employee who accused it of stealing its rivals' trade secrets, even though Uber considered the allegations a bogus attempt at blackmail.The effort did little to clear up the latest dark cloud hanging over the ride-hailing service. Uber is struggling to defend itself in a high-profile lawsuit alleging that it has been building a fleet of self- [...]

US adopts recovery plan for Mexican wolves, lawsuit planned

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) " After decades of legal challenges and political battles that have pitted states against the federal government, U.S. wildlife managers on Wednesday finally adopted a plan to guide the recovery of a wolf that once roamed parts of the American Southwest and northern Mexico.The plan sets a goal of having an average of 320 Mexican gray wolves in the wild over an eight-year period before the predator can shed its status as an endangered species. In each of the last [...]

Trump administration halts school lunch salt reduction

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it is pausing enforcement of an Obama-era plan to further reduce the amount of salt in school lunches.The Obama administration had set targets that envisioned school reducing the amount of sodium in school meals each year.But the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service said Wednesday that it would keep the current targets for sodium levels reductions unchanged through 2019. Those targets are [...]

Reluctant landowners stymie Texas cities' growth plans

DALLAS (AP) " Shannon and Jason Blake traded life in the booming Dallas suburb of Frisco last year for a farmhouse and 30 acres outside of McKinney, about 10 miles away.They turned some of the new land into a makeshift running track for their six young kids, who are homeschooled, and they cherish the freedom to use their property the way they wish. When McKinney told them in September that it planned to expand its borders to include their land and about 4,000 more unincorporated acres, [...]

House panel backs bill expanding gun owners' rights

WASHINGTON (AP) " A key House committee on Wednesday approved a Republican bill to expand gun owners' rights " the first gun legislation since mass shootings in Las Vegas and Texas killed more than 80 people.On a party-line vote, the Judiciary Committee backed a bill that would allow gun owners with a state-issued concealed carry permit to carry a handgun in any state that allows concealed weapons. Republicans said the reciprocity measure would allow gun owners to travel freely [...]

AP source: Grand jury testimony in Flynn case put off

WASHINGTON (AP) " Prosecutors working with special counsel Robert Mueller have postponed grand jury testimony related to the private business dealings of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.That's according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.The reason for the postponement was not immediately clear, but it comes one week after an attorney for Flynn alerted President Donald Trump's legal team [...]

Facing pressure, House OKs anti-harassment training

WASHINGTON (AP) " Pressured to respond to burgeoning sexual misconduct allegations, the House easily approved a bipartisan measure Wednesday requiring annual anti-harassment training for lawmakers and aides after a debate that rang with lawmakers' own accounts of such episodes.Voice vote passage came as Congress waged year-end battles over Republican tax cuts and a potential government shutdown but has been diverted to also address allegations against some of its own. The accused [...]

Lawyer: Conyers has no plan to resign amid harassment claims

DETROIT (AP) " Embattled U.S. Rep. John Conyers has no plans to resign amid allegations that the congressman sexually harassed several women when they worked on his staff, his lawyer said Wednesday.Detroit-area attorney Arnold Reed told The Associated Press that the 88-year-old Conyers is going to fight claims that he inappropriately touched the women and that anyone making the allegations should be prepared to back them up.Reed said Conyers is "innocent and will cooperate with [...]

Trump threatens major sanctions after latest NKorea missile

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Trump administration threatened new sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday after the reclusive government shattered 2 ½ months of relative quiet with its most powerful weapon test yet, an intercontinental ballistic missile that some observers believe could reach Washington and the entire U.S. Eastern Seaboard.President Donald Trump tweeted that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Pyongyang's "provocative actions," and he vowed that "additional major [...]

Facebook pledges $50M a year to match relief donations

NEW YORK (AP) " Facebook is pledging $50 million a year to match disaster-relief donations, part of a bevy of tools and efforts around charitable causes the social media giant announced on Wednesday.The pledge isn't all new money, but represents an effort to formalize matches Facebook has already been making on an ad-hoc basis. For example, it matched user donations up to $1 million for Hurricane Harvey relief earlier this year. The company says it has not yet determined how it will [...]

Snapchat seeks to attract more users by redesigning app

NEW YORK (AP) " Snapchat is separating what friends share and what media organizations publish in an attempt to appeal to a broader range of users.The photo messaging app has not been gaining enough users, especially beyond its core of younger people. Parent company Snap Inc.'s stock is down sharply since its initial public offering earlier this year.Users will now see two separate feeds " one from friends and one from publishers and non-friend accounts they follow. Before, [...]

Bitcoin surges past $10,000 threshold, only to plunge

LONDON (AP) " The price of bitcoin surged through $10,000 on Wednesday, adding to its ten-fold jump in value this year and fueling a debate as to whether the virtual currency is gaining mainstream acceptance or is merely a bubble waiting to burst.But as soon as bitcoin went through $10,000, it surged past $11,000, only to plummet from those lofty levels. The cost of buying one bitcoin as measured by the website Coindesk was hovering around $9,800, and was as low as $9,300 on Wednesday [...]

Supreme Court frets over erosion of privacy in digital age

WASHINGTON (AP) " Worried about the erosion of privacy amid technological advances, the Supreme Court signaled Wednesday it might restrain the government's ability to track Americans' movements through collection of their cellphone information.The justices heard a case in which the government obtained 127 days of cellphone tower information, without a search warrant, that allowed it to place a criminal suspect in the vicinity of robberies. But underlying the 80-minute argument was [...]

The Latest: Japan says world must keep up pressure on NKorea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) " The Latest on North Korea's missile launch (all times local):4:30 a.m. ThursdayJapan's U.N. Ambassador Koro Bessho says the international community must "keep the pressure up so that North Koreans will understand that they need to change their course."Bessho spoke to reporters Wednesday ahead of an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council called by the United States, Japan and South Korea following North Korea's launch of an [...]

Ethics panel: Lawmaker asked staffer for nude photos

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) " A New York state lawmaker has been sanctioned by a legislative ethics committee that concluded he asked a female legislative staffer for nude photos and leaked her name when she filed a harassment complaint.The committee also determined that Republican Assemblyman Steven McLaughlin, of Rensselaer, lied to an investigator when he said he had no knowledge about the allegations, which were first reported last year.Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie made [...]

San Francisco pushes forward with legal marijuana sales

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " San Francisco leaders have overcome deep divisions about how to regulate legal recreational marijuana in the densely packed city, approving pot-friendly rules that could allow sales to start the first week of January.The San Francisco Board of Supervisors late Tuesday adopted regulations favored by marijuana advocates, rejecting attempts to mandate a larger barrier between schools and pot shops as well as provisions allowing neighborhoods to limit the number of [...]

Removal of Jefferson Davis plaque in Kentucky delayed

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) " A plaque in the Kentucky Capitol declaring the only president of the Confederacy to be a hero and a patriot will stay until a lawyer with Republican Gov. Matt Bevin's administration can determine if the decision to remove it was legal.The plaque is attached to a 15-foot (4.5 meters) marble statue of Jefferson Davis, who was born in Kentucky and was president of the Confederacy during the Civil War.Efforts to remove the statue have been ongoing for years, [...]

Trump threatens new sanctions after North Korea fires ICBM

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Trump administration threatened new sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday after the reclusive government shattered 2 ½ months of relative quiet with its most powerful weapon test yet, an intercontinental ballistic missile that some observers believe could reach Washington and the entire U.S. Eastern Seaboard.President Donald Trump tweeted that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Pyongyang's "provocative actions," and he vowed that "additional major [...]

2 big Uber investors agree to sell shares in SoftBank deal

DETROIT (AP) " At least two big Uber stakeholders have agreed to sell part of their private shares to a group led by Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank in a deal that lets investors cash out at a discount and could bring management stability to the troubled ride-hailing company.SoftBank said in a statement Wednesday that Benchmark Capital, Menlo Ventures and other early investors have confirmed intent to sell shares in the company. SoftBank's offer was expected to be based on a [...]

House panel takes up bill expanding gun owners' rights

WASHINGTON (AP) " A key House committee is moving forward on a Republican bill to expand gun owners' rights, the first gun legislation since mass shootings in Las Vegas and Texas killed more than 80 people.The Judiciary Committee was set to vote Wednesday on a bill that would allow gun owners with a state-issued concealed carry permits to carry a handgun in any state that allows concealed weapons. Republicans said the reciprocity measure would allow gun owners to travel freely between [...]

Senate poised for test vote on tax overhaul

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Senate's top Republican says the chamber will cast a key test vote Wednesday on the party's long-awaited tax overhaul.Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate "will vote to begin debate on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform our tax code so it works for the middle class."The Kentucky Republican and other top lawmakers toiled behind the scenes to line up stragglers. A controversial "trigger" mechanism that could pare back some of the [...]

APNewsBreak: US adopts recovery plan for Mexican wolves

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) " After decades of legal challenges and political battles that have pitted states against the federal government, U.S. wildlife managers on Wednesday finally adopted a plan to guide the recovery of a wolf that once roamed parts of the American Southwest and northern Mexico.The plan sets a goal of having an average of 320 Mexican gray wolves in the wild over an eight-year period before the predator can shed its status as an endangered species. In each of the last [...]

Facebook to give relief groups data on users' needs

NEW YORK (AP) " Facebook is giving disaster-relief organizations such as the Red Cross access to data on what users need and where they are as part of an expansion of tools available for relief and charitable giving.While Facebook users can already see individual pleas and offers for help during a crisis, relief groups will get a broader set of data similar to what Facebook sees. That includes real-time maps showing where people need help.Facebook is also expanding its [...]

Arkansas judge drops murder charge in Amazon Echo case

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) " An Arkansas judge has dismissed a murder charge in a case involving evidence gathered by an Amazon Echo smart speaker.Television station KHOG reports that the prosecutors' request to dismiss a first-degree murder charge against James Andrew Bates was granted Wednesday.Bates was charged in the November 2015 death of Victor Collins, whose body was found in a hot tub at Bates' home. Prosecutors say they requested the dismissal because the evidence supports [...]

That's cheating! Video-game companies suing crooked players

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) " A video-game maker is suing online gamers for designing or using computer code allowing them to crush competitors playing the popular "Fortnite" survival video game.Epic Games says in lawsuits in North Carolina and California against three Americans and six foreign gamers that the game's experience and profit potential is spoiled when cheaters win. The free-to-play online game generates revenue by charging for cosmetic options like different outfits for virtual [...]

Supreme Court could limit police in digital-age privacy case

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court signaled Wednesday it could impose limits on the government's ability to track Americans' movements through collection of their cellphone information.The justices heard 80 minutes of arguments in a case at the intersection of privacy and technology.Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's four liberal justices indicated they could extend the Constitution's protection against unreasonable searches to police collection of cellphone tower [...]

Microsoft plans to rebuild its suburban headquarters

SEATTLE (AP) " Microsoft is overhauling its longtime headquarters with an 18-building construction project that will make room for another 8,000 workers.The announcement came ahead of the company's annual shareholders meeting Wednesday.Microsoft's decision to expand on the footprint of its campus in Redmond, Washington, its home since 1986, is in contrast to the highly-publicized office expansion plans of Seattle-based Amazon. Amazon has been looking at cities across North [...]

The Latest: Justices hear case about privacy in digital age

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on Supreme Court argument over digital-age privacy (all times local):11:30 a.m.The Supreme Court is signaling it could impose limits on the government's ability to track Americans' movements through collection of their cellphone information.The justices heard 80 minutes of arguments Wednesday in a case about privacy in the digital age.Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's four liberal justices indicated they could extend the [...]

Turkish-Iranian gold trader testifies at US trial

NEW YORK (AP) " A wealthy Turkish-Iranian gold trader told a New York jury Wednesday that he began cooperating with U.S. authorities in an Iranian sanctions-evasion case after lawyers failed in efforts to free him with a prisoner exchange.Reza Zarrab, soft-spoken and wearing tan scrubs, testified through a Turkish translator that he helped Iran evade U.S. sanctions that made it impossible for Iran to use the international banking system to process oil revenues. Zarrab, 34, identified [...]

Senators of both parties quiz Trump health pick on drug cost

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump's pick to be the next health secretary faced skepticism from senators of both parties Wednesday over his commitment to work for lower drug prices.Alex Azar acknowledged at a Senate hearing that prices are too high and the current system "is not working for the patients who are paying out of pocket." He said his combination of government and drug industry experience uniquely positions him to find answers.But members of the Senate Health, [...]

Price of bitcoin surges past $10,000 threshold

LONDON (AP) " The price of bitcoin surged through $10,000 on Wednesday, adding to its ten-fold jump in value this year and fueling a debate as to whether the virtual currency is gaining mainstream acceptance or is merely a bubble waiting to burst.The cost of buying one bitcoin as measured by the website Coindesk rocketed 10 percent through $10,000 early Wednesday and hit a high of $11,377 " having started the year below $1,000.The vertiginous rise in the price of bitcoin and [...]

The Latest: Japan says UN must keep pressure on NKorea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) " The Latest on North Korea's missile launch (all times local):1:20 p.m.Japan's U.N. Ambassador Koro Bessho says the international community must "keep the pressure up so that North Koreans will understand that they need to change their course."Bessho spoke to reporters Wednesday ahead of an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council called by the United States, Japan and South Korea following North Korea's launch of an intercontinental [...]

The Latest: NBC News internal memo announced Lauer's firing

NEW YORK (AP) " The Latest on NBC News' firing of longtime "Today" show host Matt Lauer for "inappropriate sexual behavior" (all times local):9:25 a.m.Matt Lauer's abrupt dismissal was announced in an internal memo issued Wednesday morning by NBC News head Andrew Lack disclosing a complaint from a colleague that details inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by the "Today" show anchor.Lack says the decision was reached to fire Lauer as a result of the complaint. [...]

The Latest: US Muslim civil rights group condemns Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on President Donald Trump's tweets of anti-Muslim videos (all times local):9:25 a.m.The Council on American-Islamic Relations is condemning President Donald Trump for retweeting inflammatory videos purporting to show violence being committed by Muslims.The group's executive director, Nihad Awad, says in a statement that Trump is "clearly telling members of his base that they should hate Islam and Muslims."Awad says Trump's posts [...]

Microsoft plans to rebuild its headquarters

SEATTLE (AP) " Microsoft says it's overhauling its longtime headquarters with an 18-building construction project that will make room for another 8,000 workers.The announcement came ahead of the company's annual shareholders meeting Wednesday.Microsoft's decision to expand on the footprint of its campus in Redmond, Washington, its home since 1986, is in contrast to the highly-publicized office expansion plans of Seattle-based Amazon.Amazon has been looking at cities [...]

New Jersey police try to trace source of loud banging noise

SAYREVILLE, N.J. (AP) " Police in New Jersey are trying to trace the source of a loud banging noise that's waking residents and causing dogs to bark.Sayreville police say they started to receive reports on Monday about noises coming from nearby South Amboy. Police initially thought a private company hired to control the geese population was responsible, but the Middlesex County Parks Department said that was not the case.The investigation is ongoing.

Supreme Court takes up case about privacy in digital age

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court is taking up a case about privacy rights that could limit the government's ability to track Americans' movements in the digital age.The justices are hearing an appeal Wednesday from Timothy Carpenter. He was sentenced to 116 years in prison after being convicted of robbing electronics stores in Michigan and Ohio. Records from cellphone towers near the stores helped place Carpenter in the vicinity of the crimes.The big issue is whether police [...]

Trump retweets videos purporting to show violence by Muslims

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump retweeted a series of inflammatory videos Wednesday purporting to show violence being committed by Muslims.Trump retweeted them from Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First, a small fringe group whose profile was elevated by Trump's attention.The group's tweets read: "VIDEO: Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!" and "VIDEO: Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!" and "VIDEO: [...]

N. Korea fires ICBM it says is 'significantly more' powerful

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) " After 2 ½ months of relative quiet, North Korea launched its most powerful weapon yet early Wednesday, claiming a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile that some observers believe could reach Washington and the entire eastern U.S. seaboard.In a special state media broadcast hours later, North Korea said it successfully fired a "significantly more" powerful, nuclear-capable ICBM it called the Hwasong-15. Outside governments and analysts concurred the [...]

Price of bitcoin over $10,000 as rally gains pace

LONDON (AP) " The price of bitcoin, the most widely used virtual currency, rose above $10,000 on Wednesday for the first time, breaking a symbolic threshold in what has been a vertiginous ascent this year.The cost of buying one bitcoin as measured by the website coindesk.com was at $10,673 by morning trading in Europe " up from about $1,000 at the start of the year.Virtual currencies have been the subject of much debate this year, with the CEO of JPMorgan Chase calling bitcoin [...]

Stolen Ferrari trashed; man arrested after seeking gas money

SAN DIEGO (AP) " A Southern California man charged with stealing a $300,000 Ferrari was arrested after reportedly asking for gas money.Santa Ana police arrested Israel Perez Rangel on Nov. 1. He's pleaded not guilty to car theft.Authorities say the 458 Spider was brought into a Costa Mesa service center but stolen in October after a worker left the key on a passenger seat.Security video showed a man in a Ferrari jacket walking onto the lot and taking it.Two weeks [...]

Trump reacts to Lauer firing with new blast at 'Fake News'

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump is responding to the termination of "Today" show host Matt Lauer, saying executives at NBC and Comcast should be "fired for putting out so much Fake News."On Twitter Wednesday, Trump says "Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for 'inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.' But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News."Trump then cited the NBC News chairman adding: "Check out Andy [...]

Trump retweets videos critical of Muslims

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump is retweeting a series of anti-Muslim videos posted by a far-right British politician.Trump sent the Twitter messages Wednesday morning. The videos were first posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First.The descriptions read: "VIDEO: Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!" and "VIDEO: Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!" and "VIDEO: Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on [...]

Yellen, tenure winding down, to update her economic outlook

WASHINGTON (AP) " Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen will update Congress on her economic outlook Wednesday and possibly weigh in on the mystery of why inflation has remained persistently below the Fed's target rate.Yellen's testimony to the Joint Economic Committee could mark her final appearance before Congress before her four-year term as Fed chair ends in February. Her successor will be Jerome Powell, a Fed board member who himself addressed a Senate panel Tuesday at his [...]

Spanish taxis strike to protest Uber, Cabify services

MADRID (AP) " Spanish taxis are refusing to pick up passengers in a one-day strike against the increase in cars run by private companies offering cheaper, mobile ride-hailing services.The stoppage, directed against the San Francisco-headquartered Uber and Madrid-based Cabify services, was called after a court recently allowed new licenses for these firms.Unions say a law stipulating that there should be one private cab for every 30 taxis is being flouted.Taxis converged [...]

Mississippi woman seeks parental rights in same-sex divorce

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) " The Mississippi Supreme Court will hear the case Wednesday on whether 44-year-old Chris Strickland should be listed as the legal parent of now-6-year-old Zayden Strickland.A lower court judge ruled during the divorce that Strickland wasn't a parent. He said the anonymous sperm donor had paternal rights, and awarded full custody rights to Kimberly Day, who carried a child who bears Strickland's last name."Can Zayden have three parents? Both these ladies who [...]

Facing tax vote in Senate, Trump seizes on cultural fights

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump sized up his coming week on Sunday and tweeted that it was a "big week for Tax Cuts and many other things of great importance to our Country."But over the next 48 hours he dished out tweets and quips that instead put the spotlight on an assortment of other matters " Pocahontas, NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, his disputes with the news media and Democrats who are "weak on crime."The tangents diverted attention from [...]

Mysterious slaying of detective the talk of Baltimore

BALTIMORE (AP) " The murder of a Baltimore homicide detective shot in the head with his own gun two weeks ago has transformed into a feeding frenzy of speculation in a city filled with armchair sleuths and deeply suspicious views of law enforcers.The unsolved Nov. 15 killing of Detective Sean Suiter is the talk of Baltimore, where residents are dissecting details of the case in offices, on street corners and on social media. It's a homicide investigation, but the version of events [...]

House to vote on mandatory sexual harassment training

WASHINGTON (AP) " Rocked by allegations of sexual misconduct, the House is moving ahead on legislation to require anti-sexual harassment training for all members and their staffs.The vote comes amid a wave of accusations against lawmakers that has thrust the issue of gender hostility and discrimination on Capitol Hill squarely into the spotlight, and prompted calls for the embattled lawmakers to step down.The measure would require lawmakers, their staffs and interns "to [...]

Skeptical Democrats to quiz Trump health pick on drug prices

WASHINGTON (AP) " Skeptical Democratic senators are getting a chance to question President Donald Trump's pick for health secretary about what he'll do about rising drug prices and the future of "Obamacare."Alex Azar's first confirmation hearing " before the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee " was scheduled for Wednesday. The former drug company and government executive has the support of committee Republicans. He's signaling that he wants to shift away from [...]

What's new, and what's ahead, after North Korea's ICBM test

TOKYO (AP) " Experts may debate trajectories, payload weights and re-entry shields, but North Korea's claim that the entire United States is within range of its rapidly improving missiles just got a lot more credible.Wednesday's launch of what the North called the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated a greater range than other missiles it's tested and showcased several capabilities the North must master if it were ever to actually try to unleash them at the [...]

Supreme Court takes of case about privacy in digital age

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court is taking up a case about privacy rights that could limit the government's ability to track Americans' movements in the digital age.The justices are hearing an appeal Wednesday from Timothy Carpenter. He was sentenced to 116 years in prison after being convicted of robbing electronics stores in Michigan and Ohio. Records from cellphone towers near the stores helped place Carpenter in the vicinity of the crimes.The big issue is whether police [...]

Prospects brighter for tax overhaul, success not assured

WASHINGTON (AP) " Prospects are suddenly looking brighter for the Republican tax overhaul. But the chances of avoiding a government shutdown? Not so much.Republicans on Tuesday held together and shoved their signature tax overhaul a crucial step ahead as wavering GOP senators showed a growing openness. But its fate remained uncertain, and a planned White House summit aimed at averting a government shutdown was derailed when President Donald Trump savaged top Democrats and declared on [...]

Same-sex parental rights case reaches top Mississippi court

PEARL, Miss. (AP) " A lesbian couple who had a son through in-vitro fertilization and later divorced will argue over whether the woman who didn't give birth should have status as a legal parent.The Mississippi Supreme Court will hear the case Wednesday on whether 44-year-old Chris Strickland should be listed as the legal parent of now-6-year-old Zayden Strickland.A lower court judge ruled during the divorce that Strickland wasn't a parent. He said the anonymous sperm donor had [...]

Conservative speaker arrested at UConn after altercation

STORRS, Conn. (AP) " A conservative commentator was arrested at the University of Connecticut Tuesday night after a fight broke out during his speech titled "It's OK To Be White."Lucian Wintrich's speech was cut short when a young woman in the audience appeared to take something off the podium he was using and then began to leave.Cellphone videos posted on Twitter show Wintrich running up to the woman and grabbing her before other audience members get involved.Police [...]

Rich San Francisco homeowners get sold-off street back

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Residents of an exclusive San Francisco neighborhood who failed to pay taxes on their private, gated street for two decades got the street back Tuesday after supervisors voted to rescind the sale of the tax-defaulted property.The Board of Supervisors split 7-4 on the move, with those in favor saying residents of Presidio Terrace had not received enough notice before their sidewalks, street and common areas were sold at auction in 2015.Supervisor Mark [...]

More pressure on Conyers to resign after new accusations

WASHINGTON (AP) " A former staffer to John Conyers says the Michigan congressman made unwanted sexual advances that included partially undressing in front of her in a hotel room and inappropriate touching, prompting more calls for the longest-serving member of the House to resign.Deanna Maher, 77, who ran a Michigan office for Conyers from 1997 to 2005, told The Associated Press Tuesday that the first incident occurred in 1997 during a three-day Congressional Black Caucus event in [...]

The Latest: Bannon now says he'll campaign for Roy Moore

The Latest on Steve Bannon and Roy Moore (all times EST):9:35 p.m.Former White House adviser Steve Bannon will head to Alabama to campaign for embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore next week.A person familiar with the plans say Bannon will attend a rally with Moore on December 5. The person was not authorized to be named discussing the plans.The Associated Press previously reported that a Bannon associate said the adviser had no plans to campaign for Moore in the [...]

The Latest: Rich homeowners get their private street back

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " The Latest on the sale of a private street in San Francisco (all times local):6:20 p.m.Supervisors rescinded the sale of a private San Francisco street where residents had failed to pay taxes for two decades, opening the way for an investor to buy it for $90,000.The vote was 7-4 with those in favor saying residents of Presidio Terrace had not received enough notice before their private sidewalk was sold at auction in 2015.Supervisor Mark [...]

Judge sides with Trump's pick to take over consumer agency

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump scored a victory Tuesday when a federal judge refused to block the president's choice to temporarily run the nation's top consumer financial watchdog and, for the moment, ended a two-way battle for leadership of the agency.Judge Timothy Kelly declined to stop the Republican president from putting Mick Mulvaney in place as the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In doing so, Kelly ruled against Leandra English, the [...]

The Latest: Trump, Moon discuss response to missile launch

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on North Korea's missile launch (all times EST):7:30 p.m.President Donald Trump has spoken with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss the countries' response to North Korea's latest missile launch.The White House says both leaders "underscored the grave threat that North Korea's latest provocation poses" not only to U.S. and South Korea, "but to the entire world."The two presidents also "reaffirmed their strong condemnation of [...]

"Hacker-for-hire" pleads guilty to Yahoo breach

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " A Canadian man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from a massive breach at Yahoo that authorities say was directed by two Russian intelligence agents and affected at least a half billion user accounts.Karim Baratov appeared in a jail jumpsuit before a federal judge and entered the pleas to one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse and eight counts of aggravated identity theft. He gave "yes" and "no" answers to questions from the judge [...]

Obama re-emerges on global stage with trip to Asia, France

WASHINGTON (AP) " Now a private citizen, former President Barack Obama re-emerged on the global stage Tuesday as he opened a three-country tour that includes meetings with the leaders of China and India, just as President Donald Trump courts those same world powers.During a five-day trip, Obama will mix paid speeches with foreign leader meetings and even a town hall event for young people, the signature event that Obama became known for around the world during his eight years in [...]

Where's Bannon? Moore booster absent in Alabama

In the days leading up to the heated Republican Alabama Senate primary, former White House strategist Steve Bannon stood with his candidate Roy Moore, triumphantly warning GOP leaders in Washington, "your day of reckoning is coming."Since Moore's primary, the former state Supreme Court judge has been accused of preying on teenage girls decades ago. And Bannon hasn't set foot in Alabama since for the candidate he called "one of the finest men in this country."Bannon hasn't [...]

State Christmas tree honors boy who planted it, died in '90s

PITTSFORD, Vt. (AP) " Vermont's towering state Christmas tree has meaning far beyond the holiday season for one family.The Eugair family donated the 40-foot (12-meter) tree to the state as a tribute to their adopted son, John Paul Greene-Eugair, who brought the seedling home from a fair 26 years ago and helped plant it in their Pittsford yard. He later died of complications from cerebral palsy in 1995 at age 16.The tree was cut down Tuesday, and a special tree lighting ceremony [...]

Study finds drones more damaging than bird strikes to planes

Drones that collide with planes cause more damage than birds of the same size because of their solid motors, batteries and other parts, a study released by the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday found.The study's researchers say aircraft-manufacturing standards designed for bird strikes aren't appropriate for ensuring planes can withstand collisions with drones. The FAA said it will depend on drone makers to help develop technology to detect and avoid planes.Reports of [...]

Remains of ancient sea cow unearthed on California island

VENTURA, Calif. (AP) " Scientists say they've unearthed fossil remains of a sea cow that lived in the shallow waters off Southern California's Channel Islands some 25 million years ago.The fossil skull and rib cage were discovered this summer on Santa Rosa Island, in the Pacific Ocean about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles, the National Park Service announced Tuesday.Scientists say the remains may be from a previously unknown sea cow species but they won't know for sure until [...]

Lawmakers back bill to combat 'revenge porn'

WASHINGTON (AP) " A group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday to combat online sexual exploitation, just a week after the leak on social media of an explicit photo of a Republican congressman from Texas.The legislation would create federal criminal liability for "revenge porn," already forbidden in most states but not in federal law.Last week, a nude photograph of Rep. Joe Barton was leaked on Twitter, prompting a swift apology from the lawmaker. Barton said [...]

The Latest: Democrat says Conyers should resign

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on alleged sexual misconduct by Rep. John Conyers (all times local):5:20 p.m.A Democratic congresswoman is calling on Rep. John Conyers to resign following allegations of sexual misconduct.Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state says the country is in the midst of "a watershed moment" and finally "seems to be waking up and realizing we need to have a zero tolerance policy toward sexual harassment."She says Democrats "cannot pick and [...]

Cybersecurity company finds classified NSA, Army data online

WASHINGTON (AP) " A cybersecurity company said Tuesday it found top secret files related to classified Army communications systems sitting unprotected online for anyone to see.The data belonged to the U.S. Army's Intelligence and Security Command, a division of both the Army and the National Security Agency. It's the latest known setback linked to the NSA where former agency contractor Edward Snowden disclosed a cache of classified material in 2013.NSA referred questions to the [...]

NKorea launches ICBM in possibly its longest-range test yet

WASHINGTON (AP) " North Korea abruptly ended a 10-week pause in its weapons testing Tuesday by launching what the Pentagon said was an intercontinental ballistic missile " apparently its longest-range test yet " a move that will escalate already high tensions with Washington.Pentagon spokesman Col. Rob Manning said the missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea, and traveled about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan within 370 nautical kilometers (200 [...]

Agency says US, Canada fall short on protecting Great Lakes

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) " Despite recent improvements, the U.S. and Canada have a long way to go toward ridding the Great Lakes of pollution that endangers human health and the environment, an advisory agency said Tuesday.Inadequately treated sewage, industrial chemicals and farm runoff are still flowing into the five lakes that provide drinking water for about 40 million people, the International Joint Commission said in its first checkup report since both nations last updated the [...]

Researchers use advanced technology to study child mummy

LEMONT, Ill. (AP) " Researchers from Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago are using advanced technology to unwrap the mysteries of an 1,800-year-old mummy.They say the high-energy X-ray beams from a synchrotron will provide molecular information about what is inside the mummy of the little girl. Argonne says it's the first time the beams have been used in this way.Researchers say the technology allows them to study what's inside the mummy while [...]

FCC head Ajit Pai goes after Hollywood, tech companies

NEW YORK (AP) " The head of the Federal Communications Commission is defending his plan to undo the country's net-neutrality rules by hammering the Hollywood celebrities and tech companies that have criticized it.Chairman Ajit Pai said in a Tuesday speech that comments by Cher , Mark Ruffalo , Alyssa Milano and George Takei in support of net neutrality are "absurd."One criticism of his plan is that it will allow phone and cable companies to block some sites and apps while [...]

Bipartisan group of lawmakers targets 'revenge porn' online

WASHINGTON (AP) " A bipartisan group of lawmakers is intent on combating online sexual exploitation as allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior continue to stack up against prominent members of Congress.The bill, sponsored by Sens. Kamala Harris, Richard Burr and Amy Klobuchar along with Rep. Jackie Speier, would establish federal criminal liability for people who share private, sexually explicit imagines without permission.The bill comes amid increasing pressure on [...]

The Latest: Trump to make statement after GOP Senate meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on President Trump's discussions with lawmakers on taxes and the budget (all times local):2:50 p.m.President Donald Trump plans to deliver remarks from the White House shortly.The White House says Trump will speak from the Roosevelt Room in the West Wing on Tuesday afternoon.Trump's comments will come hours after North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile.They also follow his meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill and [...]

The Latest: Charges detailed in Turkish gold trader plea

NEW YORK (AP) " The Latest on the Iran sanctions trial of a Turkish banker (all times local):3:30 p.m.Court papers show Turkish gold trader Reza Zarra pleaded guilty last month to bank fraud, money laundering and other charges as part of a deal to testify at a New York trial.The papers were unsealed on Tuesday after U.S. prosecutors revealed the deal.They say Zarrab met in 2012 with Turkish and Iranian government and banking officials to discuss transferring [...]

Sex assault victims billed for rape kits will be reimbursed

NEW YORK (AP) " Dozens of sexual assault survivors were improperly billed for their rape exams by a New York City hospital, the state's attorney general said Tuesday.Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said that under an agreement with his office, the Brooklyn Hospital Center will reimburse patients who paid out of pocket for a rape kit and will inform rape survivors going forward that under a 2005 New York state law the rape kits can be billed to the state's Office of Victim Services. [...]

Video leads to arrest in case of stolen mounted zebra head

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) " An Alaska woman came home to find out a thief broke into her home and stole clothing, jewelry, prescription drugs and the mounted head of a zebra she had on a wall.Stacy Scott tells Anchorage television station KTVA that she received the zebra head from a friend when she worked at a downtown boutique.She named the head "George" and was planning to decorate him for Christmas.A security camera recorded a woman carrying items, including George, out [...]

The Latest: Uber accused of using ex-CIA agents as spies

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " The Latest on court case against Uber (all times local):10:55 a.m.A former Uber security manager says an espionage team inside the ride-hailing service used former CIA agents to help the company spy on its rivals overseas.The testimony in a San Francisco courtroom Tuesday comes amid revelations that federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that Uber deployed an espionage team to plunder trade secrets from its rivals. That has triggered a [...]

Uber facing federal probe on allegations of espionage

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that Uber deployed an espionage team to plunder trade secrets from its rivals, triggering a delay in a high-profile trial over whether the beleaguered ride-hailing service stole self-driving car technology from a Google spinoff.The criminal probe being conducted by the U.S. Justice Department centers on information contained in a 37-page letter that Uber's former manager of global intelligence sent in May to a [...]

AP EXCLUSIVE: Big contracts, no storm tarps for Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON (AP) " After Hurricane Maria damaged tens of thousands of homes in Puerto Rico, a newly created Florida company with an unproven record won more than $30 million in contracts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide emergency tarps and plastic sheeting for repairs.Bronze Star LLC never delivered those urgently needed supplies, which even months later remain in demand by hurricane victims on the island.According to an exclusive Associated Press report, [...]

Uber trial on trade secrets delayed as federal probe emerges

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " A federal criminal investigation into alleged espionage at Uber has indefinitely delayed a trial over whether the beleaguered ride-hailing service stole self-driving car technology from Waymo, a spinoff from Google.A former security manager for Uber testified in San Francisco on Tuesday that he believed the ride-hailing service had set up a secret unit to steal trade secrets from its rivals overseas. He didn't specify which competitors that Uber had been targeting. [...]

Case weighs whether anti-police rap lyrics constitute threat

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) " A Pennsylvania appeals court is considering whether anti-police rap lyrics amount to protected speech under the First Amendment or are a criminal threat to harm Pittsburgh police officers.The state Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in the case of Jamal Knox, who served time in state prison for the song he recorded after being arrested on drug charges.Questions from the justices focused on whether Knox intended it as a true threat to officers and [...]

Rich homeowners urge San Francisco to return sold-off street

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " An investor scooped up one of the toniest private streets in San Francisco after its wealthy owners didn't pay property taxes for years, a sale that the well-connected homeowners want city leaders to reverse Tuesday.By taking up the issue, officials have sparked criticism that the city is not as fair and equitable as it claims, but a playground for the rich who don't have to play by the same rules as everyone else. San Francisco has some of the most exorbitant [...]

Parole OK'd for 'evil twin' convicted in plot to kill sister

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) " A Southern California woman convicted of conspiring to kill her identical twin sister in the 1990s has been recommended for parole after spending nearly two decades in prison, according to a report published Tuesday.In a case that made international headlines, Jeen "Gina" Han " dubbed the "evil twin" by police " was sentenced to 26 years to life in May 1998.Han and two others were found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, burglary and false [...]

Turkish-Iranian gold trader pleads guilty, set to testify

NEW YORK (AP) " A Turkish-Iranian gold trader will reveal a multibillion dollar conspiracy to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions at the trial of a Turkish banker in a case that prosecutors say has threatened U.S. national security, attorneys said during opening statements of a federal trial Tuesday.Assistant U.S. Attorney David Denton said Reza Zarrab pleaded guilty and will testify that lies told by Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla "blew a billion dollar hole in the U.S. economic [...]

Devos: Mobile app coming for federal student aid application

WASHINGTON (AP) " Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says college students will soon be able to file their applications for federal student aid through a mobile app.Speaking Tuesday at a conference of student aid professionals in Orlando, Florida, DeVos pledged to make the financial aid process "modern, streamlined, more accessible and simply easier" for all.DeVos says that today one can order food, get a ride home and even find a romantic partner on one's phone, so the Free [...]

EPA gathers coal country comments about climate plan repeal

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) " The coal industry and environmentalists squared off Tuesday at a public hearing over the Trump administration's planned repeal of an Obama-era plan to limit planet-warming carbon emissions.The Environmental Protection Agency was holding the only scheduled hearing on the reversal in Charleston, West Virginia, capital of a state heavily dependent on coal mining. The hearing was expected to last two days.The Clean Power Plan sought to ratchet down use of [...]

Psychiatric help, then prison for Jewish center bomb plotter

MIAMI (AP) " A Florida man will be hospitalized in federal custody for psychiatric treatment and likely serve 25 years in prison for plotting to bomb a synagogue and Jewish school center during Passover last year, a judge ruled Tuesday.James Medina, 41, pleaded guilty this year to a religious hate crime and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, which was actually a fake bomb provided by an FBI informant. He could have received life in prison, but prosecutors and Medina's [...]

The Latest: Prosecutor: Turkish gold trader pleaded guilty

NEW YORK (AP) " The Latest on the Iran sanctions trial of a Turkish banker (all times local):10:45 a.m.A U.S. prosecutor says Turkish gold trader Reza Zarrab has pleaded guilty to charges and will reveal at a New York trial how he helped Iran evade U.S. sanctions in an "economic jihad."Assistant U.S. Attorney David Denton said Tuesday that Zarrab will be a key witness against Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla. The prosecutor said the scheme to evade U.S. sanctions [...]

2nd teen arrested in shooting that killed boy, hurt 5 others

CLEVELAND (AP) " A second teenager has been arrested in a shooting in Cleveland that killed a 12-year-old boy and wounded five other boys.Authorities say U.S. Marshals and Cleveland police arrested the 15-year-old suspect Tuesday morning at his mother's house.Another 15-year-old was arrested Monday. Police say the pair fired at least 20 shots at a group of teenagers standing outside a liquor store Friday.Five teens between 14 and 16 years old were shot and injured. [...]

Remains of pilot shot down in WWII coming home for burial

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) " The Pentagon says the remains of an American pilot shot down in Europe during World War II are being returned to his New York family for burial 73 years after he died.U.S. military officials said Tuesday that Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Robert Mains, of Rochester, was the 27-year-old pilot of a B-24 Liberator taking part in a raid over Germany in April 1945.His plane was shot down by enemy fighters near the German town of Ludwigslust. Only one member of the 10- [...]

The Latest: House warms to tax bill Obama mandate repeal

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on Republican tax overhaul legislation (all times local):10:30 a.m.The House's chief tax-writer says ending the "Obamacare" requirement that everyone have health insurance " an element of the Senate bill " is a move the House also is likely to accept.Rep. Kevin Brady, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, made his comments Tuesday as Senate Republican leaders pushed to pass their bill this week. It would eventually have to be reconciled [...]

Turkish-Iranian businessman to testify at US trial

NEW YORK (AP) " Lawyers say Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab will testify at the U.S. trial of a Turkish banker on charges the two of them violated economic sanctions against Iran.The revelation came Tuesday as defense lawyer Robert Fettweis asked for a two-week delay of the trial of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, deputy CEO of Halkbank, in New York City. He said he needed time to prepare for the testimony. Judge Richard Berman rejected a postponement.A prosecutor confirmed that [...]

Trump renewing his complaint about kneeling NFL players

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump is renewing his complaints about NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.Players have been kneeling to protest racism and police brutality, particularly toward people of color. Trump says the act is disrespectful and is hurting the game.Trump tweeted Tuesday that at least 24 players kneeled during weekend play at stadiums that he says are having a hard time filling with fans.The president says: "The American public is fed [...]

Ivanka Trump's India visit raises questions about her brand

HYDERABAD, India (AP) " Ivanka Trump is making a significant solo outing by headlining a business conference in India, but her trip highlights questions about whether her message of empowering poor women matches her actions.Trump landed Tuesday in the southern city of Hyderabad and is scheduled to make the opening address at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit later in the day."Thank you for the warm welcome," Trump tweeted. "I'm excited to be in Hyderabad, India for #GES2017. [...]

Alabama Senate race gives GOP voters an uncomfortable choice

HOMEWOOD, Ala. (AP) " With two weeks to go until the Alabama election for U.S. Senate, Kathie Luckie of Hoover said she is "teetering" with her choice.A Republican, she usually supports the GOP candidate. But she said Roy Moore has always been "a little radical" for her taste, even before he was hit with recent allegations of sexual misconduct."It's a struggle. I'm just kind of bouncing around with my decisions. Right now, I'm caught between don't vote or vote Republican," said [...]

San Francisco homeowners want city to give back their street

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " An investor scooped up one of the toniest private streets in San Francisco after its wealthy owners didn't pay property taxes for years, a sale that the well-connected homeowners want city leaders to reverse Tuesday.By taking up the issue, officials have sparked criticism that the city is not as fair and equitable as it claims, but a playground for the rich who don't have to play by the same rules as everyone else. San Francisco has some of the most exorbitant [...]

GOP struggles to win over holdout senators to big tax bill

WASHINGTON (AP) " Republicans are struggling to win over resistant GOP senators to a sweeping tax bill that President Donald Trump and their party have set as a vital political goal.Trump, who has assured lawmakers there will be changes, is traveling to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to personally lobby Republican senators. Senate GOP leaders hope to pass the bill this week.Anxious to pass a tax overhaul package by year's end with an eye toward the 2018 elections, Trump and the GOP [...]

Alec Baldwin mixes Trump spoof with activism in Iowa speech

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) " Alec Baldwin mixed his Emmy-winning impression of President Donald Trump and the advocacy of a serious Democratic activist Monday, headlining a state party banquet in Des Moines.The actor known lately for his recurring role on Saturday Night Live wowed more than 2,000 party faithful, at times slipping into the Trump spoof but urging them to work harder than they did in 2016, when Trump carried the state.It was much-needed humor for a party, still licking [...]

The Latest: GOP still fighting for tax bill votes in Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on the Republican tax overhaul (all times local):11:15 p.m.Senate Republicans are indicating they still have a way to go to secure the votes for their tax overhaul.A second GOP senator, Steve Daines of Montana, announced Monday that he opposes the tax bill in its current form. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has already said he oppose the bill.Both senators complain that the tax bill favors large corporations over small businesses. [...]

Volcano gushing ash over Bali closes airport for a 2nd day

KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AP) " A volcano gushing towering columns of ash closed the airport on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali for a second day Tuesday, disrupting travel for tens of thousands, as authorities renewed their warnings for villagers to evacuate.Mount Agung has been hurling clouds of white and dark gray ash about 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) above its cone since the weekend and lava is welling in the crater, sometimes reflected as an orange-red glow in the ash plumes. Its [...]

FBI deviated from its policy on alerting hacking victims

WASHINGTON (AP) " The FBI deviated from its own policy on notifying victims of computer hacking when it left many U.S. officials and other Americans in the dark about Kremlin-aligned attempts to break into their personal Gmail accounts, The Associated Press has learned.FBI policy calls for notifying victims, whether individuals or groups, to help thwart both ongoing and future hacking attempts. The policy, which was released in a lawsuit filed earlier this year against the FBI by the [...]

Leaflets dropped over NFL games revive concerns about drones

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) " A Northern California man was cited for flying a drone over two NFL games this weekend and dropping political leaflets over the stadiums, reigniting concerns over remote aircraft at major sports events.Federal and local laws prohibit flying drones near games, and authorities are examining additional ways to prevent the unmanned aircraft from hovering over crowds of tens of thousands of people after the flights Sunday, Santa Clara police Lt. Dan Moreno said. [...]

Attorney: Gianforte spokesman lied about attack on reporter

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) " An attorney for a reporter assaulted by a Montana congressman on the eve of his election said Monday that the lawmaker's spokesman lied when he claimed "no one was misled" by the Republican's initial denial of responsibility.The lawyer for Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs sent a cease and desist letter telling U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte and his staff to stop making "false and defamatory statements" about Jacobs.A law enforcement report released this month [...]

The Latest: Pelosi says she believes a woman's Conyers story

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on Congress and allegations of sexual harassment (all times local):7:15 p.m.House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says a woman has told her of "unacceptable and disappointing" treatment she received working for congressman John Conyers.The California Democrat met with Melanie Sloan on Monday and says she believes her account.Sloan was hired by Conyers in 1995 to be Democratic counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, a job she held until [...]

2 fight for control of consumer watchdog; judge yet to rule

WASHINGTON (AP) " With emails, tweets and doughnuts, the two dueling acting directors battled for control of the nation's top financial watchdog agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, on Monday.Leandra English, who was elevated to interim director of the bureau late last week by its outgoing director, sent staff an email offering Thanksgiving wishes. President Donald Trump's choice for the role " White House budget director Mick Mulvaney " then emailed staff to tell them to [...]

Trump straddle: Won't stump for Moore, yet blasts Dem foe

WASHINGTON (AP) " Playing all sides in the Alabama Senate race, President Donald Trump made it known Monday he won't set foot in the state on behalf of embattled Republican Roy Moore, even as he intensified his insistence that voters must never elect Moore's Democratic foe.In search of safe political ground, Trump is embracing a tried-and-true tactic before the Dec. 12 special election. Weighing political needs, loyalty to his base supporters and his own struggles against allegations [...]

California farmworker union wins battle to ensure contracts

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " The California Supreme Court handed a victory Monday to organized farm labor in the state in a lawsuit that pitted the union launched by iconic labor leader Cesar Chavez against one of the largest U.S. fruit farms.In a unanimous ruling, the highest court in the nation's leading agricultural state upheld a law that allows California to impose labor contracts for farmworkers whose unions and employers do not agree on wages or other working conditions.The [...]

At Capitol, Franken apologizes and sees long fight for trust

WASHINGTON (AP) " Sen. Al Franken apologized Monday to voters, aides and "everyone who has counted on me to be a champion for women" as the Minnesota Democrat fought to bolster his support with his first Capitol public appearance since being drawn into a wave of sexual harassment accusations buffeting Congress.Franken spoke as lawmakers began returning from an extraordinary weeklong Thanksgiving break that saw sexually tinged problems engulf two other legislators as well: Reps. John [...]

The Latest: Mulvaney says he was only one who came to office

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's acting director position (all times local):5:10 p.m.White House budget director Mick Mulvaney says if two people are looking to control the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, he is the only one who came into the office.Speaking to reporters Monday, Mulvaney said there was just "one person who today showed up at work claiming to be director."Mulvaney is President Donald Trump's pick for [...]

The Latest: Report says GOP bill would hurt poorer Americans

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on the Republican tax overhaul (all times local):5:15 p.m.Congressional analysts find that many low- and middle-income Americans would be left worse off by the Republican tax bill now before the Senate, while the wealthy would get big benefits.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says in a new report that people earning less than $30,000 a year would lose out by 2019 from the combination of tax cuts and reduced federal benefits. By [...]

2 fight for control of consumer watchdog; court to weigh in

WASHINGTON (AP) " With emails, tweets and doughnuts, the two dueling acting directors battled for control of the nation's top financial watchdog agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, on Monday.Leandra English, who was elevated to interim director of the bureau late last week by its outgoing director, sent staff an email offering Thanksgiving wishes. President Donald Trump's choice for the role " White House budget director Mick Mulvaney " then emailed staff to tell them to [...]

Weeks after Election Day, Virginia House still in dispute

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) " A Democratic tidal wave on Election Day in Virginia three weeks ago has left chaos in its wake, with control of the House of Delegates still undecided and no end in sight to the dispute.Lawsuits, threats and recriminations are flying as the state wrestles with the tricky question of what to do about the 147 voters in and around a crucial district who were given the wrong ballots.Depending on what happens to that seat and two others, the 100-member House [...]

Drone pilot arrested after dropping leaflets over NFL games

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) " A Northern California man accused of flying a drone over two NFL games this weekend and dropping political leaflets has been arrested in a case that raised concerns about security at professional sports events, police said Monday.Federal and local laws prohibit flying drones near football games, and authorities are examining additional ways to prevent the unmanned aircraft from hovering over crowds of tens of thousands of people after the flights Sunday, [...]

Police stop car with massive Christmas tree on top

SUDBURY, Mass. (AP) " Police in a Massachusetts town are showing residents how not to transport their holiday trees.Sudbury police posted a picture Friday of a vehicle with a large tree on top of it. Almost the entire car appears to be hidden.Police say an officer stopped the vehicle on Route 20 in the town, located about 25 miles (40 km) west of Boston.Police on Facebook reminded people to transport holiday trees "responsibly."It's unclear if the driver was cited. [...]

Facebook turns to AI to help prevent suicides

NEW YORK (AP) " Facebook is turning to artificial intelligence to detect if someone might be contemplating suicide.Facebook already has mechanisms for flagging posts from people thinking about harming themselves. The new feature is intended to detect such posts before anyone reports them.The service will scan posts and live video with a technique called "pattern recognition." For example, comments from friends such as "are you ok?" can indicate suicidal thoughts.Facebook [...]

Trump hits Warren with 'Pocahontas' jab at event for Navajos

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump has used an event honoring Native American veterans to take a shot at Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whom he has long derided as "Pocahontas."Trump welcomed Navajo code talkers from World War II to the Oval Office on Monday.During remarks praising their service, Trump said: "We have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas. But you know what, I like you."The Republican [...]

California lawmaker resigns following misconduct allegations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " California Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra resigned Monday following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, making him the first lawmaker to leave office amid a spate of reports rocking the state Capitol.The Los Angeles Democrat had previously said he wouldn't seek re-election and would leave office at the end of the next legislative session. But on Monday, Bocanegra said that he's decided to leave immediately following reflection over the Thanksgiving weekend [...]

Jury selection begins for trial of Turkish bank executive

NEW YORK (AP) " Jury selection began Monday at a criminal trial where the fate of the lone defendant has been overshadowed by the mystery over the whereabouts of his onetime co-defendant, a wealthy Turkish-Iranian gold trader whose arrest caused a diplomatic stir.The trader, Reza Zarrab, had once been expected to go before a U.S. jury with Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla in federal court in Manhattan. But Zarrab stopped appearing at pretrial hearings several weeks ago, and his name [...]

Dancing ballerinas help kick off Christmas at White House

WASHINGTON (AP) " Ballerinas leaping to the strains of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" helped launch Christmas at the White House, featuring a traditional decor that Melania Trump chose for her family's first holiday season in the White House.The first lady's theme is "Time-Honored Traditions," a nod to 200 years of holiday celebrations at the executive mansion."The decorations are up!" Mrs. Trump tweeted Monday morning. "@WhiteHouse is ready to celebrate! Wishing you a Merry [...]

Prosecutors say Chinese cyber firm was front for hackers

WASHINGTON (AP) " Three Chinese nationals are accused of operating a cybersecurity firm that used phishing scams and malware to steal data from international corporations.A federal indictment unsealed Monday in Pittsburgh says the trio's targets included Siemens AG, Moody's Analytics in New York and Trimble Inc. in Sunnyvale, California.The indictment says they ran a company called Boyusec offering cybersecurity services to Chinese businesses. The men are accused of sending [...]

Harry Potter-themed town celebration draws droves of muggles

NEWTON, N.J. (AP) " Wizards and muggles have turned out in droves for a Harry Potter-themed celebration in a small community, so much so the town is now looking to turn it into an annual event.Spring Street in Newton was transformed on Saturday into Diagon Alley, the magical market from the J.K. Rowling book series.More than two dozen restaurants and stores in Newton's main business district featured elements of the franchise, including a restaurant that served Butterbeer and a [...]

The Latest: Franken says he 'let a lot of people down'

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and accusations he groped women (all times local):1:30 p.m.Democratic Sen. Al Franken says he knows he "let a lot of people down" " the people of Minnesota, colleagues and staff " in the face of sexually inappropriate behavior. He's vowing to regain their trust.Speaking outside his Senate office, Franken told reporters on Monday that many people counted on him to be a champion for women. Instead, he is embarrassed [...]

Who's in charge? 2 fight for control of US consumer watchdog

WASHINGTON (AP) " With emails, tweets and doughnuts, dueling acting directors fought for control of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Monday.Leandra English, who was elevated to interim director of the bureau last week by its outgoing director, sent staff an email offering Thanksgiving wishes. President Donald Trump's choice for the role " White House budget director Mick Mulvaney " then emailed staff to tell them to "disregard" any instructions from English.Laying [...]

Trump, Senate Republicans scramble to change tax plan

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans scrambled Monday to make changes to a Republican tax bill in an effort to win over holdout GOP senators and pass a tax package by the end of the year.In a morning tweet, the president said, "With just a few changes, some mathematical, the middle class and job producers can get even more in actual dollars and savings."Trump and Senate leaders are trying to balance competing demands, as some senators fear the package [...]

City closes dog park after complaints of excessive noise

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) " A Vermont city has shut down a recently opened dog park after complaints from a neighbor that the barking and yapping were making him "miserable."The Burlington Free Press reports that South Burlington decided to close Jaycee Park last week and create a committee to establish new standards before opening dog parks in residential areas.Mark Dickinson complained at a Nov. 6 council meeting that it's as if the park were in his backyard, saying his [...]

Firefighters work for hours to free man stuck in trash truck

PHILADELPHIA (AP) " Officials say it took firefighters over two hours to free a man who somehow wound up stuck in a trash truck's compactor section.WCAU-TV reports firefighters had use ladders to get into the vehicle so they could remove bags of trash to reach the man Monday morning.The ordeal happened outside The Kintock Group home, which serves as an interim stop before state and federal prisoners are released.Authorities initially said the man escaped from the [...]

White House official: Trump won't campaign for Roy Moore

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump will not campaign for Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore before the Dec. 12 special election, a White House official said Monday.The president had held the door open to campaigning for Moore last week, when he all but endorsed his candidacy while attacking his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones. Trump also made public statements in which he raised doubts about the accounts of women who have accused Moore of sexual misconduct decades ago, [...]

Justices reject 2 gun rights appeals

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court has turned away an appeal from Maryland gun owners who challenged the state's assault weapons ban.The justices left in place a federal appeals court ruling that upheld the Maryland law that does not permit the sale of a range of semiautomatic weapons and large-capacity magazines. The banned guns include those that were used in recent mass shootings in a south Texas church and at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas.The high court has not re- [...]

Justices reject appeal over Mississippi Confederate emblem

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from an African-American attorney who called the Confederate battle emblem on the Mississippi flag "an official endorsement of white supremacy."The justices did not comment Monday in ending a lawsuit by lawyer Carlos Moore that sought to have the flag declared an unconstitutional relic of slavery.Mississippi has used the same flag since 1894. It is the last state banner featuring the Confederate symbol, a red field [...]

First lady goes with classic, traditional Christmas decor

WASHINGTON (AP) " First lady Melania Trump has opted for a more traditional decor for her family's first Christmas in the White House, adding a few new touches to the standards.New this year are wreaths hanging from the exterior of every window. Also new are glistening wintry branches lining an East Wing walkway that leads guests to a tree decorated with the Trump family's official Christmas ornament. The ornament features the presidential coat of arms surrounded by a wreath of holly. [...]

Dictionary.com chooses 'complicit' as its word of the year

NEW YORK (AP) " Russian election influence, the ever-widening sexual harassment scandal, mass shootings and the opioid epidemic helped elevate the word "complicit" as Dictionary.com's word of the year for 2017.Look-ups of the word increased nearly 300 percent over last year as "complicit" hit just about every hot button from politics to natural disasters, lexicographer Jane Solomon told The Associated Press ahead of Monday's formal announcement of the site's pick."This year a [...]

Prisoner hides in dumpster, gets stuck in trash truck

PHILADELPHIA (AP) " Officials say a man trying to flee from a Philadelphia prison halfway house by hiding in a dumpster had to be freed from a trash truck.WCAU-TV reports it took firefighters almost two hours to remove the bags of trash and free the man from the truck's compactor section Monday morning.Officials at The Kintock Group house say the man hid in the bin outside the facility. It was emptied into truck around 5:30 a.m.The man has been taken to a hospital. [...]

Sen. Franken back to work amid sexual misconduct allegations

WASHINGTON (AP) " Minnesota Sen. Al Franken said he doesn't remember whether he touched women inappropriately while having his picture taken with them at campaign events.The Democrat's comments were the latest indication that he had no plans to step down amid allegations of sexual misconduct. One woman alleges Franken forcibly kissed her on a USO tour and took a sexually suggestive photo while she was sleeping; three other women allege Franken grabbed their buttocks while posing with [...]

The Latest: Franken says he doesn't remember groping women

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and accusations he groped women (all times local):7:15 a.m.Sen. Al Franken, the Minnesota Democrat accused of groping women without their consent, says he doesn't remember if he ever touched a woman inappropriately while photos were being taken.Three women allege Franken grabbed their buttocks during separate incidents at campaign events. A fourth woman says Franken forcibly kissed her on a USO tour.In an [...]

Sen. Al Franken back at work, 'ashamed' amid groping claims

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) " Minnesota Sen. Al Franken said he feels "embarrassed and ashamed" amid allegations that he groped several women, but said he looks forward to returning to work on Monday and gradually regaining voters' trust.The Democrat spoke to a handful of Minnesota media outlets on Sunday in the first interviews he's granted since being swept into a nationwide tide of sexual misconduct allegations. Four women have accused the U.S. senator of sexual misconduct.Three women [...]

Trump doubles down on Roy Moore in Alabama Senate race

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) " President Donald Trump said electing a Democrat as Alabama's next senator "would be a disaster," as the president tried to steer the Alabama race toward partisan legislative concerns and away from allegations of sexual misconduct against Republican Roy Moore.While Republican Senate leaders have criticized their party's nominee, Trump plunged into the Alabama Senate race with a pair of tweets Sunday bashing Democrat Doug Jones."The last thing we need in [...]

Trump's Mar-a-Lago stay a welcome break from DC challenges

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) " President Donald Trump draws a wiggly line between work, play and business at the private club he calls his "winter White House."Like George H.W. Bush and his family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, or George W. Bush with his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Trump has made Mar-a-Lago his refuge from Washington. It's where he slips back into the role of glad-handing host that he played for years before waging his winning presidential campaign.Club members [...]

Suit seeks to stop Trump from naming acting director of CFPB

WASHINGTON (AP) " The government official President Donald Trump wants to pass over as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with his own budget chief is asking a federal court to block the president's appointment.Leandra English, who was elevated to the position of interim director of the CFPB by its outgoing director, filed a lawsuit Sunday night in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She asks for a declaratory judgment and a temporary [...]

Conyers gives up Judiciary post amid sex harassment probe

WASHINGTON (AP) " Michigan congressman John Conyers is giving up his leadership position as top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. His decision comes ahead of a congressional probe into allegations of sexual harassment made against him.Conyers says he doesn't want the allegations to undermine his colleagues in the Democratic caucus or those who serve on the Judiciary committee or in the House in general.The 88-year-old lawmaker indicates that he will not resign from [...]

California high court to decide legality of farm worker law

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " An upcoming ruling by California's highest court in a legal battle between the union launched by labor leader Cesar Chavez and one of the nation's largest fruit farms could dramatically reduce the power of organized farm labor in the state.The California Supreme Court was expected to decide Monday whether a law allowing the state to order unions and farming companies to reach binding contracts is unconstitutional.Labor activists say the mandatory mediation [...]

Justices ponder need for warrant for cellphone tower data

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court is taking up a case about privacy in the digital age that tests whether police need a warrant to examine cellphone tower records. Such records can reveal a lot about where someone has been.The justices are hearing arguments Wednesday in an appeal by federal prison inmate Timothy Carpenter. He is serving a 116-year sentence after a jury convicted him of armed robberies in the Detroit area and northwestern Ohio.Investigators helped build their [...]

Miss Universe contestants speak on sexual harassment issue

LAS VEGAS (AP) " Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters didn't shy away when asked to comment on sexual harassment just after being crowned."If women take hands and stand together, we are unbreakable," said the 22-year-old representative from South Africa, "and we can say no to the things that are wrong in the workplace, at home or wherever you might go."In the U.S., dozens of politicians, Hollywood executives and actors, and media personalities are facing accusations of sexual [...]

Indonesia volcano forces mass evacuation, shuts Bali airport

KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AP) " Indonesian authorities ordered a mass evacuation of people Monday from an expanded danger zone around an erupting volcano on Bali that has forced the island's international airport to close, stranding tens of thousands of travelers.Mount Agung has been hurling clouds of white and dark gray ash about 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) into the atmosphere since the weekend and lava is welling up in the crater, sometimes reflected as a reddish-yellow glow in the ash [...]

Tens of thousands stranded as Bali volcano closes airport

KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AP) " Indonesian authorities ordered a mass evacuation of people Monday from an expanded danger zone around an erupting volcano on Bali that has forced the island's international airport to close, stranding tens of thousands of travelers.Mount Agung has been hurling clouds of white and dark gray ash about 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) into the atmosphere since the weekend. Video released by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency showed a mudflow of volcanic debris [...]

Jury selection set for trial of Turkey-owned bank executive

NEW YORK (AP) " Jury selection is scheduled to begin in the trial of a top executive for a state-run bank in Turkey accused of conspiring to help Iran evade economic sanctions.Halkbank Deputy CEO Mehmet Hakan Atilla has pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired with international gold trader Reza Zarrab. Jury selection is set to begin Monday.It's unknown what role Zarrab could play in the trial.Turkey's deputy prime minister has said Zarrab is a "hostage" being forced [...]

Suit challenges Trump's pick for consumer financial bureau

President Donald Trump's appointment of his budget director as interim director of a consumer financial protection agency championed by Democrats was challenged in a lawsuit filed in federal court Sunday night.Leandra English, the federal official elevated to the position of interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by its outgoing director, filed the suit against Trump and his choice, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney.The suit in the U.S. District [...]