Author: Associated Press

WWE’s Vince McMahon is back after misconduct investigation

Vince McMahon is rejoining the board of WWE several months after he retired from the sports entertainment company during an investigation into alleged misconduct. FILE - Vince McMahon stands at Republican state convention in Hartford, Conn., Friday, May…

Jan. 6 remembrance led by Dems; GOP wrestles with its rebels

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden conferred high honors Friday on those who stood against the Jan. 6 Capitol mob two years ago and the menacing effort in state after state to upend the election, declaring “America is a land…

Orthodox celebrate Christmas in shadow of conflict

MOSCOW (AP) — Orthodox Christians packed churches on Friday evening for Christmas Eve services, a holiday darkened for many by the conflict raging between Orthodox neighbors Russia and Ukraine. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, right, walks during…

Grammy winner accused of assault, kidnapping fatally shot

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Grammy-winning sound engineer accused of kidnapping and threatening his wife and stepdaughter at gunpoint in Tennessee was fatally shot by police, authorities said. A Metro Nashville Police officer killed Mark Capps, 54, during an encounter…

Lee: Tennessee high court likely won’t set executions soon

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee says Tennessee’s Supreme Court will likely wait until the state finalizes changes to its lethal injection process before it schedules any future executions. Lee's comments Thursday came after the release of a blistering…

McCarthy offers deal to end standoff in House speaker fight

UPDATE: McCarthy elected House Speaker WASHINGTON (AP) — The contours of a deal that could make Republican leader Kevin McCarthy the House speaker have begun to emerge. The House returns Friday to try again to end the stalemate over choosing…

Agent: Bills safety Damar Hamlin is breathing on his own

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is breathing on his own and able to talk after having his breathing tube removed, his agent said Friday — the latest step in his remarkable recovery in the four…

Eagle viewing excursions offered at Land Between the Lakes

GOLDEN POND, Ky. (AP) — Excursions to view bald eagles at Land Between the Lakes are being held in January and February. The Woodlands Nature Station will host viewing cruises and van tours that give visitors a chance to see the birds…

NFL announces Bills-Bengals game won’t be resumed

The NFL said Thursday it will not resume the Bills-Bengals game that was suspended Monday night after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and went into cardiac arrest on the field. Paycor Stadium sits empty after the…

McCarthy fails for 3rd long day in GOP House speaker fight

UPDATE: McCarthy elected House Speaker WASHINGTON (AP) — For a long and frustrating third day, divided Republicans kept the speaker’s chair of the U.S. House sitting empty Thursday, as party leader Kevin McCarthy failed again and again in an excruciating string of…

8 found fatally shot in Utah home, including 5 children

ENOCH, Utah (AP) — A southern Utah community was struggling for answers on Thursday after police found eight people from one family, including five children, shot to death in the small town of Enoch. Police sent officers to check on…

GOP’s McCarthy rejected for House speaker — again and again

UPDATE: McCarthy elected House Speaker WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans flailed through a long second day of fruitless balloting Wednesday, unable to either elect their leader Kevin McCarthy as House speaker or come up with a new strategy to end the political chaos that…

Court: Teacher wearing MAGA hat fell under protected speech

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a former teacher in Vancouver, Washington, concluding that his wearing a hat supporting former President Donald Trump to school was protected speech under the First…

Christian graves desecrated in historic Jerusalem cemetery

JERUSALEM (AP) — More than 30 graves at a historic Christian cemetery in Jerusalem were found toppled and vandalized, the diocese said Wednesday, jolting the Christian minority in the contested city. A head stone is toppled…

Tennessee National Guard rescues Appalachian Trail hikers

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee National Guard says it has used a military helicopter to rescue two hikers who were stranded on the Appalachian Trail. In a news release, the Guard says the hikers were stranded on Dec. 31…

Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $940M after no winner

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $940 million after another drawing resulted in plenty of losers but not a single grand prize winner. A customer fills out a Mega…

Fisherman dies after falling into cold Tennessee lake

MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (AP) — A man who was fishing with his son on an east Tennessee lake has died after falling from a boat into the cold water, wildlife officials said. Jeremy Gene Keen, 47, and his 14-year-old son were…

4 alive in ‘miracle’ after car plunges off California cliff

MONTARA, Calif. (AP) — A 4-year-old girl, a 9-year-old boy and two adults survived Monday after their car plunged off a Northern California cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway near an area known as Devil’s Slide that’s known for fatal…

Bills’ Hamlin in critical condition after collapse on field

CINCINNATI (AP) — Buffalo defensive back Damar Hamlin was in critical condition early Tuesday after the Bills say his heart stopped following a tackle during the Monday Night Football game, which was indefinitely postponed. Hamlin collapsed on the field during…

McCarthy fights to be House speaker as new Congress convenes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The new Congress opens with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy grasping for his political survival. House Republicans are meeting privately Tuesday behind closed doors at the Capitol amid a party stand off. McCarthy could become the first…

Gangsta Boo, a former member of Three 6 Mafia, dies at 43

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gangsta Boo, a Southern rapper who was a former member of the hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, has died. She was 43. Lola "Gangsta Boo'' Mitchell was found dead Sunday in Memphis, Tennessee, her hometown. She…

Bills’ Hamlin collapses on field, gets CPR; game suspended

UPDATE: CINCINNATI (AP) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and was administered CPR before being driven away in an ambulance during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was suspended after the injury. Hamlin…

At the Supreme Court, it’s taking longer to hear cases

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court arguments are continuing long after a red light tells lawyers to stop. Arguments that usually lasted an hour have stretched beyond two this term so on many days it’s well past lunchtime before the court…

Transgender woman’s scheduled execution would be US first

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Unless Missouri Gov. Mike Parson grants clemency, Amber McLaughlin will become the first openly transgender woman executed in the U.S. She is scheduled to die by injection Tuesday for killing a former girlfriend in 2003. A…

2024 contest comes into view with hurdles for both parties

NEW YORK (AP) — Republicans and Democrats are being forced to confront critical questions about the people and policies they want to represent them as the next election season roars into view. For Democrats, much depends upon Joe Biden and…

Jeremy Renner seriously injured while plowing snow in Nevada

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Avengers” star Jeremy Renner is being treated for serious injuries that happened while he was plowing snow, the actor's representative said. FILE - Jeremy Renner poses for photographers upon arrival at…

14 killed in attack on Mexican border prison

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Ten guards and four inmates were killed early Sunday when gunmen in armored vehicles attacked a state prison in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas. The Chihuahua state prosecutor's office said in a…

Suspect in Idaho killings plans to waive extradition hearing

By Rebecca Boone, Marc eLvy and Mike Balsamo - Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A suspect arrested in connection with the slayings of four University of Idaho students plans to waive an extradition hearing so he can be quickly…

Car hits Kentucky restaurant, sends 8 to hospital

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A car crash that sent an SUV careening into a Kentucky bar early on New Year's Eve sent eight people to the hospital. The crash occurred at about 3:30 a.m. on Saturday morning when a car…

Falcons WR Batson arrested following altercation with police

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Cameron Batson was arrested by Atlanta police early Saturday morning and faces multiple charges after allegedly being involved in an altercation with an officer and fleeing the scene. According to a statement provided…

Volkswagen recalls Beetles to replace Takata air bags

Volkswagen is recalling nearly 42,000 Beetles in the U.S. and Canada because they have potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators. FILE - This Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, file photo, shows the Volkswagen logo on an automobile…

Forget Titans’ 6-game skid: AFC South title on line vs. Jags

By Teresa M. Walker - AP Pro Football Writer NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Go ahead and forget Tennessee's six-game skid, the franchise's longest since Ken Whisenhunt lost his head coaching job seven games into his second season in 2015. Only…

Benedict XVI, reluctant pope who chose to retire, dies at 95

By Nicole Winfield - Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — He was the reluctant pope, a shy bookworm who preferred solitary walks in the Alps and Mozart piano concertos to the public glare and majesty of Vatican pageantry. When Cardinal…

15 dead, 47 injured in western Mexico bus crash

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Fifteen people are dead and 47 are being treated for their injuries after a bus carrying holiday season tourists flipped on a highway in Mexico's Pacific coast state of Nayarit, authorities said Saturday. Officials in the…

Birders flock to Kentucky to see rare pink-footed goose

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Birders from as far away as Wisconsin travelled to central Kentucky last week in the hopes of seeing a rare pink-footed goose. The waterfowl led them on a wild goose chase, but eventually the birders got…

Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $785M after no big winner

(AP)---The first Mega Millions drawing of the new year will be a big one as no one won Friday night's estimated $685 million jackpot. The top prize increased to $785 million ahead of the next drawing Tuesday night. [caption id="attachment_1276426"…

Woman sues Steven Tyler, alleging child sex assault in 1970’s

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A woman who has previously said Steven Tyler had an illicit sexual relationship with her when she was a teenager is now suing the Aerosmith frontman for sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional…

Power failures amplify calls for utility to rethink gas

By Jonathan Mattise and Travis Loller - Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal utility's decision to resort to rolling blackouts after coal and natural gas units went offline during dangerously cold conditions has intensified questions about the Tennessee…

Divisive social media star Andrew Tate detained in Romania

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Andrew Tate, a divisive social media personality and former professional kickboxer, was detained in Romania on charges of human trafficking and rape, an official said Friday. Tate, a British citizen who previously was banned from various…

Report: ‘Human error’ helped spur wrong ballots in Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's elections coordinator has determined that Nashville election officials erroneously updated voter lists for last month’s election and failed to follow steps to ensure the final version was accurate through computer mapping programming. The issue led…

Suspect in deaths of Idaho students arrested in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A suspect in the killings of four slain Idaho students has been arrested in eastern Pennsylvania, a law enforcement official said Friday. Arrest paperwork filed in Monroe County Court says 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger was being held…

At least 8 dead in Tennessee after extreme weather

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials say eight people have died as of Thursday due to recent extreme weather conditions. The Tennessee Department of Health said in a news release that two people have died in Shelby County and six…