Author: Associated Press

FDA backs Pfizer COVID-19 boosters for seniors, high-risk

The U.S. has moved a step closer to offering booster doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to seniors and others at high risk from the virus. The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday signed off on such shots as a way…

Researchers detect malaria resistant to key drug in Africa

LONDON (AP) — Scientists have found evidence of a drug-resistant form of malaria in Africa. Researchers detected genetic mutations in nearly 20% of blood samples in Uganda by 2019. That suggests the main drug used against malaria is losing effectiveness…

R. Kelly says he won’t testify at his sex trafficking trial

NEW YORK (AP) — R. Kelly has told a judge that he won’t take the witness stand at his sex trafficking trial. His comments Wednesday mean he’ll avoid the risk of a potentially brutal cross-examination. The defense is expected to…

Officials: Many migrants from border camp released into US

DEL RIO, Texas (AP) — U.S. officials say many Haitian migrants camped in a small Texas border town are being released in the United States, undercutting the Biden administration’s public statements that Haitians who enter the country illegally face immediate…

Top Southern Baptist committee funds sex abuse probe

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — A top Southern Baptist Convention committee agreed Tuesday to fund a third-party investigation into its handling of sexual abuse allegations. But the Executive Committee held off on waiving its attorney-client privilege for the probe. The Executive…

House OKs debt and funding plan, inviting clash with GOP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved legislation to fund the government, suspend its borrowing limit and provide federal disaster and refugee aid. Republicans in the Senate are expected to block the measure, however, as Congress works to avoid a…

China, US unveil separate big steps to fight climate change

Both China and the United States are starting new financial attacks on climate change. China's president Tuesday told the United Nations that his country will stop funding coal-fired power plants abroad. President Joe Biden says he will double how much…

Coroner IDs remains, says Gabby Petito was homicide victim

NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP) — A county coroner has confirmed that human remains found in remote northern Wyoming along the border of Grand Teton National Park are those of Gabby Petito. The 22-year-old disappeared while on a cross-country road trip…

Sequoia National Park’s Giant Forest unscathed by wildfire

THREE RIVERS, Calif. (AP) — The ancient massive trees of Sequoia National Park’s famed Giant Forest are unscathed even though a wildfire has been burning near them in California’s Sierra Nevada for nearly two weeks. Fire spokesman Mark Garrett says…

McDonald’s begins phasing out plastic toys in Happy Meals

McDonald’s plans to “drastically” reduce the plastic in its Happy Meal toys worldwide by 2025. The company, which sells more than 1 billion toys each year, says the new goal will reduce its use of virgin plastic by 90%. The…

Toyota scraps V8 in Tundra redesign, adds hybrid powertrain

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines. The 381 horsepower, 5.7-liter V8 will be replaced by…

Memphis high school student dies after contracting COVID-19

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — School officials in Memphis say a student died earlier this month after contracting COVID-19 as Tennessee continues to rank among the highest case rates in the nation. A spokesperson for Frayser Community Schools charter network tells…

America’s new COVID-19 rules for international travel

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is rolling out new COVID-19 rules for travelers flying into the country. They will take effect in November. The rules will affect Americans and noncitizens alike, as the White House seeks to restore more normal…

Civil rights museum celebrating anniversary with free day

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with free admission for visitors on Saturday. Founded in 1991, the Memphis-based museum chronicles the history of civil rights in America, from slavery…

George Holliday, who filmed Rodney King video, dies of COVID

LOS ANGELES (AP) — George Holliday, the Los Angeles plumber who shot grainy video of four white police officers beating Black motorist Rodney King in 1991, has died of complications of COVID-19. Longtime friend Robert Wollenweber says the 61-year-old died…

Canadians re-elect Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party

TORONTO (AP) — Canadians have given Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party a victory in parliamentary elections. But it is unclear whether his gamble to win a majority of seats paid off in Monday's election. The 49-year-old Trudeau channeled the…

US easing virus restrictions for foreign flights to America

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major easing of pandemic travel restrictions, the U.S. will allow foreigners to fly into the country this fall if they have vaccination proof and a negative COVID-19 test. The White House said Monday the changes…

Twitter to pay $809.5 million to settle shareholder lawsuit

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Twitter said Monday it will pay $809.5 million to settle a consolidated class action lawsuit alleging that the company misled investors about how much its user base was growing and how much users interacted with its…

Man dies in police shootout at Nashville motel

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Police say a Tennessee man wanted for questioning in a homicide case was killed in an exchange of gunfire with officers. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said 47-year-old Adrian Cameron was killed Saturday after shooting at…

Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11

(AP) -- Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11. The vaccine maker said Monday it plans to seek authorization for this age group soon in the U.S., Britain and Europe. The vaccine made by Pfizer…

Tennessee distributes $4M in historic development grants

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development has granted more than $4 million in grants to help fund historic renovation and preservation projects across the state. According to a news release, the Tennessee General Assembly…

Body found in Wyoming believed to be Gabrielle Petito

MOOSE, Wyo. (AP) — Authorities say a body discovered Sunday in Wyoming is believed to be Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito. The FBI said the body was found by law enforcement agents who had spent the past two days searching campgrounds. An…

Boston’s famous Skinny House sells for a nice fat price

BOSTON (AP) — Boston’s famous Skinny House has sold for a nice fat price. Zillow reports that the home that hit the market in August for $1.2 million sold Thursday for $1.25 million. Real estate agency CL Properties posted on…

On the Web: National Toy Hall of Fame finalists named

CYBERSPACE (AP) - Remember the 1983 Cabbage Patch Craze? The forerunner to store stampedes for must-have gifts like Furby's and Tickle Me Elmo may end up making the doll a Hall of Fame member. Cabbage Patch Kids are among the…

Military training jet crashes in Texas, injuring both pilots

LAKE WORTH, Texas (AP) — A military training jet has crashed in a neighborhood near Fort Worth, Texas, injuring the two pilots and damaging three homes. Authorities say both pilots managed to eject from the plane before it crashed Sunday…

Sotheby’s puts rare U.S. Constitution copy for auction

NEW YORK (AP) — A very special document will be auctioned off later this year — a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution. Sotheby’s announced Friday — appropriately on Constitution Day — that in November it will put up for…

Volcano erupts on Atlantic island; lava threatens some homes

MADRID (AP) — A volcano on Spain’s Atlantic Ocean island of La Palma has erupted after a weeklong buildup of seismic activity, prompting authorities to speed up evacuations for some 1,000 people. Some lava flows are now creeping toward isolated…

UK court rules under-16s can get puberty blocking drugs

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Court of Appeal has ruled that doctors can prescribe puberty-blocking drugs to children under 16. That overturns a lower court’s decision that a judge’s approval should be needed because children considering gender reassignment are unlikely to…

Chris Rock says he has COVID-19, urges vaccination

NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Rock on Sunday said he has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and sent a message to anyone still on the fence: “Get vaccinated.” The 56-year-old comedian wrote on Twitter: “Hey guys I just found out I…

Trailblazing tourist trip to orbit ends with splashdown

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A trailblazing tourist trip to orbit has ended safely with a splashdown in the Atlantic. A SpaceX capsule carrying four people parachuted into the ocean just before sunset Saturday, right off the Florida coast where…

Boxer-senator Manny Pacquiao to run for Philippine president

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine boxing icon and senator Manny Pacquiao says he will run for president in the 2022 elections. Pacquiao accepted the nomination of his PDP-Laban party at its national convention on Sunday, saying that the Filipino people…

US begins flying Haitian migrants home from Texas

DEL RIO, Texas (AP) — The United States began flying some of the thousands of Haitian migrants who have crossed from Mexico into a Texas border camp back to their poverty-stricken homeland. A U.S. official tells The Associated Press that…

Probe of Southern Baptist sex abuse response moves forward

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — A new Southern Baptist Convention task force is overseeing a third-party investigation into how the denomination handled allegations of sexual abuse. The task force chair says the probe aims to uncover the truth so it can…

Families recount trauma at sentencing for school shooter

DENVER (AP) — A former high school student convicted of killing a teenager and injuring eight others at a Denver-area school in 2019 has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Devon Erickson was sentenced Friday after victims and…

WEB EXTRA: Winnie the Pooh Airbnb

(CBS Newspath) --- Take a look at this very special "Bearbnb" inspired by Winnie the Pooh's adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Body composting a ‘green’ alternative to burial, cremation

LAFAYETTE, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado company is hoping to usher in a new and more environmentally friendly era of mortuary science that includes the natural organic reduction of human remains. On Sept. 7, Colorado became the second state after…

Longtime Hollywood actor Jane Powell dies at 92

LOS ANGELES (AP) - One of the stars of Hollywood's golden age of musicals has died. Jane Powell was known for her operatic singing voice. A longtime friend says Powell died at her home in Connecticut of natural causes. She…

Official: Cases in largest Tennessee county slowing down

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The top health official in the only Tennessee county with an indoor mask requirement says she is cautiously optimistic that a recent coronavirus surge is slowing down, citing a drop in the number of cases and…

Prison reform advocate calls solitary confinement revenge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A longtime prison reform advocate in Tennessee says he's being held in solitary confinement as revenge for his advocacy. Alex Friedmann filed a federal lawsuit Thursday asking that he be moved out of solitary, where he…