Author: Associated Press

Authorities: Body of missing Florida college student found

MIAMI (AP) — Authorities say they've found the body of a missing Florida college student who disappeared a week ago. Orange County Sheriff John Mina said Saturday that authorities found Miya Marcano’s body near an apartment building. Marcano vanished on…

Tennessee illegally jailed minors elligble for settlement

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — About 1,450 people jailed illegally as minors in Tennessee can claim part of a $11 million class-action settlement, but fewer than 200 people have filed eligible claims. The Daily News Journal reports the Rutherford County Juvenile…

White House announces new immigration rules

WASHINGTON (AP) - Facing bipartisan criticism over its approach to immigration, the Biden administration has announced new rules that require authorities to only pursue migrants who recently crossed into the country without permission - or are considered a threat to…

Pollution charges: Louisiana Firestone plant to pay $4M

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A synthetic rubber manufacturer in southwest Louisiana has agreed to pay $4 million and make numerous improvements to settle a long list of air pollution complaints. The consent decree with Firestone Polymers LLC, of Sulphur was…

Women’s march targets Supreme Court, with abortion on line

WASHINGTON (AP) - The first big women’s march of the Biden administration heads straight for the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court. The march in Washington on Saturday will be part of protests around the country demanding continued access to…

Man arrested in Molotov cocktail attack on Austin Dems’ HQ

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Investigators in Texas have arrested a man suspected of throwing a Molotov cocktail inside Travis County Democratic Party headquarters in Austin. The actions were caught on surveillance video. A fire official says 30-year-old Ryan Faircloth was…

Powerball jackpot is biggest lottery prize in over 8 months

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The biggest lottery prize in more than eight months will be up for grabs in Saturday night's Powerball drawing. The Powerball jackpot has slowly climbed to an estimated $635 million thanks to 39 consecutive drawings…

Pharmacies face 1st trial over role in opioid crisis

CLEVELAND (AP) — A bellwether trial is set to start Monday in federal court in Cleveland to determine whether retail pharmacy chains are liable for costs related to the opioid crisis in two Ohio counties. Lake and Trumbull counties have…

Flooded Tennessee town wrestles with how, where to rebuild

WAVERLY, Tenn. (AP) — A hundred years ago, the massive rural Tennessee flood that killed 20 people could have been chalked up to a fluke of nature. But experts say climate change is making the type of flood-producing rainfall that…

COVID cases are falling, but US on the brink of 700,000 dead

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A decline in COVID-19 cases across the United States over the past several weeks has given overwhelmed hospitals some relief. But administrators are bracing for yet another possible surge as cold weather drives people indoors. Health experts…

1 person detained after 3 killed at Tennessee home

COLUMBIA, Tenn. (AP) — Officials say two adults and an 11-year-old girl have died in a shooting at a Tennessee home, and a family member has been detained. Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland said another person was in the home…

Southern Baptists press for sex abuse review to advance

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A top committee in the Southern Baptist Convention is facing mounting pressure from within the denomination over issues related to sexual abuse. Many seminary presidents, state leaders and pastors want the Executive Committee to stop delaying…

Biden’s popularity slipping amid series of crises, poll shows

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s popularity has slumped — with half of Americans now approving and half disapproving of his leadership. That's according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Support for the…

Boy shot and wounded at Tennessee school; juvenile detained

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities say a teenage boy was shot and wounded at a school in Memphis, Tennessee, and they have detained a second boy believed to be the shooter. Memphis Police said the shooting was reported Thursday morning…

Biden signs bill to avert partial government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, President Joe Biden has signed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. Congress had passed the bill earlier Thursday. The legislation will avert…

Dre, Snoop, Eminem, Blige, Lamar to perform at Super Bowl

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will perform for the first time together on stage at the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show. The NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation announced Thursday that…

Tennessee state senator found guilty of 4 wire fraud counts

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee state senator has been found guilty of wire fraud in federal court. News outlets report a jury in Memphis found Sen. Katrina Robinson guilty of four of the five counts remaining against her. She…

Tennessee gov extends school mask opt-outs blocked by judges

DICKSON, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says he will extend an executive order that lets families opt their children out of school mask mandates to prevent the spread of COVID-19, despite federal court rulings that have blocked the…

Military suicides rise 15% as senior leaders call for action

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of military suicides jumped by 15% in 2020, fueled by significant increases in the Army and Marine Corps that senior leaders said were troubling and require more effort to prevent. Data released by the Pentagon…

Congress passes bill to avert partial government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. The…

Gunmaker Smith & Wesson moving to Tennessee, adding 750 jobs

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson plans to relocate its headquarters from Massachusetts in a $125 million investment expected to create 750 jobs in Tennessee. The company founded in 1852 is currently centered in Springfield, Massachusetts. Tennessee's…

Tennessee works to make child care more affordable

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials say they are increasing the reimbursement rate the state pays child care providers on behalf of families who need help shouldering the cost of care. The Tennessee Department of Human Services says child care…

At least 100 dead in gang clash at Ecuador jail; 5 beheaded

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorian officials say the death toll from a gang battle inside a penitentiary in the coastal city of Guayaquil has risen to more than 100 as authorities find more bodies. Ecuador’s prison service said Wednesday that…

Sick deer reports in Mississippi on rise

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi wildlife officials said Wednesday they’ve received an increasing number of reports of sick or deceased deer over the past few weeks. Biologists with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks suspect the state may…

Judge suspends Britney Spears’ father from conservatorship

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has suspended Britney Spears’ father from the conservatorship that has controlled the singer’s life and money for 13 years. Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny agreed Wednesday with a petition from Spears and her attorney…

Dollar Tree breaks the $1 barrier as costs take a bite

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — Dollar Tree, the national chain of stores that promises everything for a buck, will begin introducing items on its shelves that will exceed $1. The company said this week that it's responding to customer requests and…

Fighting wave of misinfo, YouTube bans false vaccine claims

Video-sharing platform YouTube has announced sweeping and immediate bans on false claims that vaccines are dangerous and cause health issues like autism, cancer or infertility. The company also booted accounts belonging to some of the most notable propagators of vaccine…

US says ivory-billed woodpecker, 22 other species extinct

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Death has come knocking a last time for the splendid ivory-billed woodpecker and almost two dozen other birds, fish and other species. The U.S. government is declaring them extinct. [field59_video account="WBBJ" key="eb0f92ff7cb847c9774ed87d094832cd3035f4de" vtitle="US says ivory-billed woodpecker,…

VIDEO: Lava from La Palma eruption finally reaches the Atlantic

LOS LLANOS DE ARIDANE, Canary Islands (AP) — Lava from a volcano on Spain’s Canary Islands has finally reached the Atlantic Ocean after wiping out hundreds of homes and forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents. [field59_video account="WBBJ" key="6613bb29c6a9f7a0ce5f96cdac21d01f4f68019b" vtitle="Lava…

TVA employees must be vaccinated by November 22

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The TVA, a federal utility, is requiring its workers to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 22. Tennessee Valley Authority spokesperson Jim Hopson says the nation's largest public utility is working on developing the processes…

Petito’s dad: Give same attention to all missing people

NEW YORK (AP) — The family of slain traveler Gabby Petito has implored the public and news media to put the same energy into helping find other missing people as they did Petito, a 22-year-old woman who vanished on a…

North Korea says hypersonic missile made 1st test flight

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says it successfully tested a new hypersonic missile as it continues to expand its military capabilities. The missile test early Tuesday was North Korea’s third round of launches this month and took place…

COVID-related attacks prompt hospital to issue panic buttons

Nurses and hundreds of other staff members will soon begin wearing panic buttons at a Missouri hospital where assaults on workers tripled after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cox Medical Center Branson is using grant money to add buttons…

Burglar dies attempting to break into restaurant

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Authorities say a man who apparently tried to break into a restaurant in a southern New Jersey strip mall died after he got trapped in an exhaust fan on the roof of the building. The…

Tennessee AG to appeal school mask opt-out rulings

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s Attorney General Herbert Slatery says his office would appeal the recent federal court decisions that blocked Gov. Bill Lee’s order allowing families to opt out of school mask mandates. Slatery says he would only appeal…

North Korea fires short-range missile to sea in latest test

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Seoul and Tokyo officials say North Korea fired a short-range missile into the sea in its latest weapon test. The South Korean government held an emergency National Security Council meeting and expressed regret over the…

Johnny Ramone’s guitar sells for more than $900,000

BOSTON (AP) — The guitar played by Johnny Ramone on all 15 Ramones albums and at nearly 2,000 live performances by the rock band sold at auction over the weekend for more than $900,000. Boston-based RR Auction said in a…

Facebook puts Instagram for kids on hold after pushback

Instagram is putting a hold on the development of Instagram kids, geared towards children under 13, so it can address concerns about the vulnerability of younger users. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, wrote in a blog post Monday that…

Police: Gunman in grocery store shooting lost job that day

COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Law enforcement officials say the gunman who killed one person and wounded 14 others at a Tennessee supermarket before killing himself had been asked to leave his job at the grocery store earlier that day. In…