Author: Associated Press

Tennessee markers unveiled for Brooks, Collie and Vincent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The state of Tennessee is celebrating Kix Brooks, Mark Collie and Darrin Vincent of Dailey and Vincent with the unveiling of markers in their honor as part of the Tennessee Music Pathways program. Brooks’ marker was…

Memphis to honor Ida B. Wells with plaza, statue

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A statue of journalist, teacher and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells will be unveiled as part of a week’s worth of events honoring the former resident of Memphis, Tennessee. The life-size bronze statue of Wells…

Robert E. Lee statue removed in Charlottesville

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A Confederate monument that helped spark a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been hoisted off its stone pedestal. Work to remove the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee began early Saturday morning. Crews…

Tennessee blackberries and blueberries are ready for picking

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee farms have plenty of blueberries and blackberries available for picking during the summer months. According to a news release from the state Agriculture Department, farms that allow visitors to pick their own berries can be…

Federal judge puts brakes on Tennessee bathroom signage law

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge has halted enforcement of a new Tennessee law requiring businesses to post special signs if they allow transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice. The law went into effect July 1…

Police search for suspect in boy’s killing in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Police have issued an arrest warrant in the fatal shooting of a 7-year-old boy on the Fourth of July in Memphis. The Memphis Police Department said Thursday on social media that a warrant for first-degree murder…

Scholarship programs to assist health, science students

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee State University and two other historically Black colleges and universities will benefit from scholarship and grant programs being started by a medical products company. Tennessee State says Baxter International Inc. is giving $1.2 million to…

Pfizer to seek OK for 3rd vaccine dose; shots still protect

Pfizer says it is about to seek U.S. authorization for a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine. The company said Thursday that another shot could dramatically boost immunity and maybe help ward off the latest worrisome coronavirus mutant. Research from…

8-year-old boy dies in an accidental shooting

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Law enforcement officials say they are investigating after an 8-year-old boy died in an accidental shooting on Wednesday. Sumner County Emergency Management Director Ken Weidner told The Tennessean that the incident occurred around 9:15 a.m. in…

Crews give up hope of finding survivors at collapse site

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Emergency workers are giving up on any hope of finding survivors in a collapsed Florida condo building. Authorities told sobbing families Wednesday that there was “no chance of life” in the rubble. They planned to shift…

Countercultural filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. dies at 85

Robert Downey Sr., the accomplished countercultural filmmaker, actor and father of superstar Robert Downey Jr., has died. He was 85. Downey Jr. wrote on Instagram that his father died late Tuesday in his sleep at home in New York. He…

10 more victims found in Florida condo rubble; death toll 46

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — The search for victims of the collapse of a Miami-area high-rise condominium has reached its 14th day, with the death toll at 46 and authorities sounding increasingly grim. Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah told family…

Trump files suit against Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has filed suit against three of the country’s biggest tech companies, claiming he has been wrongfully censored by them. Trump announced the action Wednesday against Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube as well as…

Tennessee to offer $250 flight vouchers for booking hotels

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials are offering 10,000 travelers a $250 flight voucher for four airports in the state if they book certain hotel packages. The state Department of Tourist Development says the $2.5 million for the “Tennessee on…

Police: 6-year-old dies after accidentally shooting self

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Police say a 6-year-old Tennessee boy has died from a gunshot wound. News outlets cited a statement from police in reporting Knoxville officers responded to Sunday evening to a residence and found the boy wounded. The…

Under presssure, company cancels Tennessee pipeline

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Environmentalists are claiming victory after a company canceled plans to build an oil pipeline through southwest Tennessee and north Mississippi and over an aquifer that provides drinking water to 1 million people. Byhalia Connection said Friday…

Teen charged after fireworks launched at police helicopter

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee teenager has been charged with endangering police officers after a firework was launched at a Nashville Police helicopter. Nashville police say a detective saw a man look up at the helicopter, go to his…

Green Greeting Cards

Correspondent: Tina Kraus (CBS Newspath) -- A British woman who lost her job during the pandemic is now using her passion for the planet to launch a brand-new career. 34-year-old Flora Blathwayt designs…

Big cats, bears, ferrets get COVID-19 vaccine at Oakland Zoo

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A San Francisco Bay Area zoo is inoculating its big cats, bears and ferrets against the coronavirus. The vaccinations are part of a national effort to protect animal species using an experimental vaccine developed and donated…

National Spelling Bee stalwarts persevere through 2-year gap

(AP, U.S.) --- Competitors in the Scripps National Spelling Bee got lessons in patience and perseverance after last year's bee was canceled because of the pandemic. Spellers normally train year-round for the bee, studying for hours a day. The cancellation…

Pope Francis hospitalized for planned intestinal surgery

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican says Pope Francis has gone to a Rome hospital for scheduled surgery on his large intestine. The brief announcement Sunday afternoon said there would be an announcement when the surgery at the Gemelli Polyclinic…

Philippine military plane crashes, 45 dead, 49 rescued

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine military says at least 45 people have been killed and 49 rescued after a C-130 aircraft carrying combat troops crashed while landing. Sunday's crash near Jolo airport in the southern Sulu province killed 42…

Undersea gas pipeline rupture causes fire in Gulf of Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's state-owned oil company says it suffered a rupture in an undersea gas pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. The gas leak sent flames boiling to the surface in the Gulf waters. Petroleos Mexicanos said Friday…

11 people in custody after hourslong armed standoff on I-95

WAKEFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Massachusetts state police say 11 suspects have been taken into custody following an hourslong standoff that prompted the partial closure of Interstate 95 and shelter-in-place orders for areas near where the incident took place. Police initially…

Teen charged after fireworks launched at police helicopter

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee teenager has been charged with endangering police officers after a firework was launched at a Nashville Police helicopter. Nashville police say a detective saw a man look up at the helicopter, go to his…

Rioters accused of erasing content from social media, phones

PHOENIX (AP) - An Associated Press review of court records finds that at least 49 Capitol riot defendants have been accused of trying to erase incriminating photos, videos and texts from phones or social media accounts. Authorities say other rioters…

On the Web: Vehicle recall database

CYBERSPACE (AP) - How can you find reliable data about vehicle recalls? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is offering a hand. It has rolled out a new online site to search its huge database for automobile recalls. The data…

WEB EXTRA: 4th of July food safety

(CBS NEWSPATH) --- July 4th weekend is here and that means many of us will be enjoying family, fun, and food. But health experts are reminding everyone that food-borne illnesses increase…

Boy Scouts reach agreement on sex abuse cases

DOVER, Del. (AP) - The Boy Scouts of America have reached an $850 million agreement with attorneys representing some 60,000 victims of child sex abuse. The settlement would mark one of the largest sums in U.S. history involving cases of…

Tennessee Valley Authority considers replacing coal with gas

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The nation's largest public utility is looking at shutting down three of its five remaining coal-fired power plants. The Tennessee Valley Authority is considering replacing the lost megawatts from coal with natural gas, which is also…

Mayor: 2 more bodies recovered from collapsed condo building

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says two more bodies were found in the rubble of a collapsed condo building, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 24. The number of people who remain unaccounted for in…

US vacates key Afghan base; pullout target now ‘late August’

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces have vacated Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan after nearly 20 years, bringing the U.S. military closer to a final withdrawal that the Pentagon says will be completed by late August. Remaining U.S. troops are now concentrated…

National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis names new president

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The National Civil Rights Museum in Tennessee has named longtime educator and philanthropist Russell Wigginton as its next president. The Memphis-based museum said Thursday that Wigginton will assume the role of president on Aug. 1 after…

U.S. adds a solid 850,000 jobs as economy extends its gains

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers added 850,000 jobs in June, well above the average of the previous three months and a sign that companies may be having an easier time finding enough workers to fill open jobs. Friday’s report from…

Tennessee’s transgender bathroom sign law challenged again

Tennessee’s first-of-its-kind law that requires businesses and government facilities to post signs if they let transgender people use multiperson public bathrooms of their choice has been hit with another legal challenge. Mike Curb is founder of Curb Records and is…

House votes to launch new probe of Jan. 6 insurrection

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has launched a new investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Lawmakers approved a special committee on Wednesday to probe the violent attack as officers who were injured fighting former President Donald Trump’s supporters watched…

Bill Cosby’s sex assault conviction overturned by court

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsylvania’s highest court has overturned comedian Bill Cosby’s sex assault conviction. The court said Wednesday that they found an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented him from being charged in the case. The 83-year-old Cosby has served…

3 dead in rollover crash in northcentral Tennessee

PORTLAND, Tenn. (AP) — Police say a weekend rollover accident involving several vehicles killed three people in Northcentral Tennessee. The Tennessee Highway Patrol says the accident happened early Saturday on state Route 109 near Portland. News outlets report all of…

As variant rises, vaccine plan targets ‘movable middle’

WASHINGTON (AP) - Thrown off-stride to reach its COVID-19 vaccination goal, the Biden administration is sending A-list officials across the country, devising ads for niche markets and enlisting community organizers to persuade unvaccinated people to get a shot. The strategy…

Songwriter Diane Warren saves a cow

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Songwriter Diane Warren says she had no idea that her buying a cow would become such big news. Warren saw TV footage of the 40 cows that had escaped a slaughterhouse in southern California on Tuesday…

Bipartisan infrastructure deal back on track after walk-back

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan deal to invest nearly $1 trillion in the nation’s infrastructure appears to be back on track after a stark walk-back by President Joe Biden to his earlier insistence that the bill be coupled with an…

Police: 2 charged after dead monkey found in hot parked car

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Police in Tennessee say two people face charges after officers found a dead monkey inside a hot car parked outside of a waterpark. Police in Sevierville say officers on Wednesday were called to Soaky Mountain Waterpark,…

UT board OKs purchase of Martin Methodist for new campus

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The University of Tennessee system's board has voted in favor of buying Martin Methodist College to set up a fifth campus, naming it UT Southern. A university news release says Friday's vote means UT Southern in…

J&J agrees to pay $230M to settle New York opioid claim

NEW YORK (AP) - The New York attorney general says Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $230 million to settle claims that the pharmaceutical giant helped fuel the opioid crisis. The deal requires Johnson & Johnson to make a…