Author: Associated Press

Lawsuit: Tennessee adoption agency turned away Jewish couple

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Knoxville couple is suing the Tennessee Department of Children's Services and says a state-sponsored Christian adoption agency refused to help them because they are Jewish. Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Elizabeth and Gabriel Rutan-Ram say…

Don’t approach lab monkey missing after crash, people told

DANVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Residents of a Pennsylvania county are being warned not to approach a lab monkey that is missing after a Pennsylvania traffic crash. State troopers urged people Saturday not to look for or capture the monkey after…

Pig organ experiments continue

UNDATED (AP) - Researchers are reporting another in a string of experiments involving pig-to-human transplants. This time, surgeons in Alabama put a pig's kidneys into a brain-dead man. The procedure is seen as a step-by-step rehearsal for an operation they…

Auction house boasts of intergalactic diamond

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - You can give your significant other a diamond that is literally out of this world - that is, if you have $7 million dollars in spending money. Sotheby’s Dubai is auctioning a 555.55-carat black…

Ian Alexander Jr., only child of Regina King, dies at age 26

NEW YORK (AP) — Ian Alexander Jr., the only child of award-winning actor and director Regina King, has died. He turned 26 on Wednesday. The death was confirmed Saturday in a family statement. No further details were released. The “One…

Louie Anderson, comic, Emmy winner for ‘Baskets,’ dies at 68

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Louie Anderson, whose four-decade career as a comedian and actor included his unlikely and Emmy-winning performance as mom to twin adult sons in the TV series “Baskets,” has died at age 68. Anderson’s publicist Glenn Schwartz…

Official: 1 officer killed, 1 seriously hurt in NYC shooting

NEW YORK (AP) — An officer has been killed and another gravely injured after responding to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem, according to a law enforcement official. [field59_video account="WBBJ" key="8e9269710e979900475cd5ffc8cad7499e5ebd0f" vtitle="Official: 1 officer killed, 1 seriously hurt in NYC…

New step to curb tech giants’ power advanced by Senate panel

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has taken a new step toward reining in the market dominance of Big Tech. Bipartisan legislation advanced by a Senate panel would bar the dominant online platforms from favoring their own goods and services over those…

Lin-Manuel Miranda breaks down the songs of ‘Encanto’

NEW YORK (AP) — Lin-Manuel Miranda went song by song through some of the hits of “Encanto” in a recent interview, from the breakout smash “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” to his self-described “’90s Rock en Español throwback” “What Else…

Next ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies delayed to 2023, 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — It will be another year before a new “Mission: Impossible” movie hits theaters. Paramount Pictures and Skydance announced Friday that the release of “Mission: Impossible 7” will be pushed from Sept. 20 to July 14, 2023.…

Nation’s largest abortion protest could be last under Roe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of anti-abortion protesters are rallying in the nation’s capital Friday with a growing sense of momentum about the prospects this year of a sweeping rollback of abortion rights. The March for Life arrives as the Supreme…

Omicron surge is undermining care for other health problems

(AP) -- The omicron surge this winter has swamped U.S. hospitals with record numbers of patients with COVID-19. But it has also caused frightening moments and major headaches for people trying to get treatment for other ailments. Less-urgent procedures have…

Memphis officer dies in crash; other driver also killed

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities say an on-duty Tennessee police officer was killed in a crash with another vehicle whose driver also died. News outlets report that officials said the crash happened at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday while the officer…

Meat Loaf, ‘Bat Out of Hell’ rock superstar, dies at 74

NEW YORK (AP) — Meat Loaf, the rock superstar loved by millions for his “Bat Out of Hell” album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” has died…

Tennessee deputy in critical condition after being shot

BLUFF CITY, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities say a Tennessee sheriff’s deputy was in critical condition after being shot early Friday at a home where police were trying to serve arrest warrants. Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy told news outlets that…

Florida man charged after 4 found dead at Canada-US border

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — A Florida man has been charged with human smuggling after the bodies of four people, including a baby and a teen, were found near the Canada United States border. The United States Attorney’s Office for the…

Penn pledges to work with NCAA, support transgender swimmer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The University of Pennsylvania says it will work with the NCAA under its newly adopted standards for transgender athletes. Swimmer Lia Thomas competed on the men's team at Penn before transitioning. Now competing on the women's team,…

Jury selection begins in federal trial over Floyd’s killing

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Jury selection is underway in the federal trial of three Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s killing. The judge on Thursday repeatedly stressed that fellow Officer Derek Chauvin’s conviction on state murder charges should…

Governor Lee to give State of the State speech Jan. 31

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee plans to give his annual State of the State speech on Jan. 31. The Republican will deliver the address to state lawmakers for his fourth time since taking office in 2019. Lee…

Push to stop House map carving Nashville has legal obstacles

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Democrats and voting rights groups have blasted Tennessee Republicans for what they call an effort to dilute the state’s Black vote by carving Nashville into three likely GOP-controlled districts. But opponents face significant obstacles in getting…

Mexican abortion advocates look to help women in US

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Decades ago, Mexican activists drove women into the United States to terminate their pregnancies at clinics. Now it’s women in the U.S. who are facing more challenges to accessing abortion services and once again Mexican activists…

Tennessee has $1M available for volunteer fire departments

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee has $1 million available for firefighting equipment for the state’s more than 500 volunteer fire departments. According to a news release from the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, the Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training…

HBO leads GLAAD Media Awards for LGBTQ representation

NEW YORK (AP) — HBO and HBO Max have beaten Netflix to be the top contender at the GLAAD Media Awards with 19 nominations, landing the bulk of its nods for TV shows like “Hacks,” “The Other Two” and “The…

400 million free N95 masks to be distributed starting next week

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week. The step comes after federal officials emphasized the masks' better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth…

White House soft-launches COVID-19 test request website

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially launch. The website, COVIDTests.gov, now includes a link for “every home in…

Trump plans 2,300 new homes at struggling Doral resort

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump plans to build thousands of new luxury homes at his struggling Doral golf club in hopes of reviving the fortunes of the Miami-area property. The club is the biggest revenue generator in his golf…

EXPLAINER: Why airlines fear 5G will upend travel this week

The airline industry is raising the stakes in a showdown with AT&T and Verizon over plans to launch new 5G wireless service this week, warning that thousands of flights could be grounded or delayed if the rollout takes place near…

Microsoft buys game maker Activision Blizzard for about $70B

Microsoft is paying nearly $70 billion for Activision Blizzard, the maker of Candy Crush and Call of Duty. The deal comes as Microsoft is trying to boost its competitiveness in mobile gaming and virtual-reality technology. The all-cash $68.7 billion deal…

Russia moves more troops westward amid Ukraine tensions

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials say Moscow is sending an unspecified number of troops from the country’s far east to Belarus for major joint military drills. The deployment will dramatically bolster an estimated 100,000 Russian troops already amassed near Ukraine…

Lawmaker wants flags at half-staff once yearly for abortions

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A panel of Idaho lawmakers has introduced a resolution that would have flags flown at half staff one day a year in recognition of abortions that have been performed since the medical procedure became legal nearly…

White House soft-launches COVID-19 test request website

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially launch. The website, COVIDTests.gov, now includes a link for Americans to…

EXPLAINER: Why airlines fear 5G will upend travel this week

(AP) -- The airline industry is raising the stakes in a showdown with AT&T and Verizon over plans to launch new 5G wireless service this week, warning that thousands of flights could be grounded or delayed if the rollout takes…

Hong Kong to kill 2,000 animals after hamsters get COVID-19

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong authorities say they will kill about 2,000 small animals, including hamsters, after several tested positive for the coronavirus at a pet store where an employee was also infected. They say the city will also…

Djokovic’s deportation exposes Australian border debate

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Weary of harsh COVID-19 border restrictions, many Australians wanted Novak Djokovic deported for traveling to a tennis tournament without being vaccinated. But the backdrop to the government’s tough line is Australia's complicated, and strongly criticized, immigration…

How’s he doing? Americans weigh in on Biden’s performance

President Joe Biden took office at a particularly polarized time in American history, so it's not surprising that citizens are divided on his performance at the one-year mark. A Georgia teacher who voted for Biden would give him a “C”…

Texas rabbi says he, 2 hostages escaped synagogue standoff

COLLEYVILLE, Texas (AP) — The rabbi of a Texas synagogue where a gunman took hostages during livestreamed services says he threw a chair at his captor before escaping with two others after an hourslong standoff. [field59_video account="WBBJ" key="03f683e302798c98dbcfcf57869d7d33e93ea347" vtitle="Texas rabbi…

Official: Alec Baldwin surrenders phone for shooting probe

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Alec Baldwin has surrendered his cellphone as part of the investigation into a fatal shooting on a New Mexico film set last fall. A Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesman says Baldwin’s phone was turned…

On MLK Day, Biden says Americans must commit to King’s work

ATLANTA (AP) — Americans must commit to the unfinished work of Martin Luther King Jr., President Joe Biden said Monday said in a video address on the day that commemorates the slain civil rights leader. The president's remarks were among…

Tesla inks deal to get key battery component outside China

LONDON (AP) — Tesla is turning to Mozambique for a key component in its electric car batteries in what analysts believe is a first-of-its-kind deal designed to reduce its dependence on China for graphite. Elon Musk’s company signed an agreement…

Police search for 3 teens who escaped detention facility

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Police say they are searching for three teens who escaped from a detention facility in Nashville, Tennessee. Metro Nashville Police said in a statement that the group of teens reportedly overpowered a guard at the Youth…

COVID program delivers 1 billion doses to poorer countries

BERLIN (AP) — The World Health Organization says a U.N.-backed program shipping coronavirus vaccines to many poor countries has now delivered 1 billion doses, but that milestone “is only a reminder of the work that remains” after hoarding and stockpiling…

‘Scream’ scares off ‘Spider-Man’ with $30.6M debut

NEW YORK (AP) — After a month at the top of the box office, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” has finally been overtaken by “Scream." Sunday studio estimates say the Paramount Pictures reboot grossed $30.6 million over the weekend. Paramount forecasts…

First woman to command USS Constitution takes over on Friday

(AP) --- History is being made aboard the U.S.S. Constitution this week Cmdr. Billie J. Farrell is scheduled to become the first woman to lead the crew of the 224-year-old warship known as Old Ironsides during a change-of-command ceremony on…