Author: The Associated Press

Pentagon on Lockdown After Gunshots Fired Near Metro

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gunshots were fired Tuesday morning near the entrance of the Pentagon, resulting in multiple injuries. The facility, the headquarters of the U.S. military, was placed on lockdown. The Arlington County Fire Department reported “multiple patients,” but it wasn’t immediately clear if they had been shot or the extent of the injuries. The incident occurred on a Metro…

Gov. Cuomo Sexually Harassed Multiple Women, Probe Finds

NEW YORK (AP) – An investigation into New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has found that he sexually harassed multiple current and former state government employees. State Attorney General Letitia James announced the findings Tuesday. The investigation, conducted by two outside lawyers, found that the Cuomo administration was a “hostile work environment” and that it was “rife with fear and intimidation.”…

NYC Will Require Vaccination Proof for Indoor Dining, Gyms

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens,File) NEW YORK (AP) — New York City will soon require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for anyone who wants to dine indoors at a restaurant, see a performance or go to the gym, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday, making it the first big city in the U.S. to impose such restrictions. The new requirement, which will be…

Graham 1st Vaccinated Senator to Test Positive for COVID-19

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Sen. Lindsey Graham has tested positive for the coronavirus. The South Carolina Republican is the first senator to disclose a breakthrough infection after being vaccinated. Graham said in a statement Monday afternoon that he “started having flu-like symptoms Saturday night” and went to the doctor Monday morning. Graham said he would quarantine for 10 days and…

Evictions Expected to Spike as Pandemic Moratorium Ends

BOSTON (AP) – Housing courts around the country are ramping up work following the end of the federal eviction moratorium. Housing advocates fear the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moratorium over the weekend will result in millions of people being evicted. But most expect the wave of evictions to build slowly over the coming weeks and…

CDC Team: ‘War Has Changed’ as Delta Variant Dangers Emerge

(AP) – New evidence showing the delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox has prompted U.S. health officials to consider changing advice on how the nation fights the coronavirus. Recommending masks for everyone and requiring vaccines for doctors and other health care providers are among measures the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering. That’s according to internal documents…

Weather Service Confirms at Least 4 Tornadoes in Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The National Weather Service has confirmed at least four tornadoes caused widespread damage in Wisconsin and contributed to at least one death. Quinn Boehning, 29, was killed after crashing into a fallen tree and power line near the town of Ripon about 6 a.m. Thursday, according to the State Patrol. The severe weather began Wednesday evening in…

‘Happy Tears’: Lee’s Gold Sparks Joy at Home in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Family and friends in Minnesota broke into cheers and screams for Sunisa Lee. She was one of their own, and the 18-year-old gymnast had captured the women’s all-around gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Her triumph delighted all of Minnesota but carried special resonance in the state’s large and close-knit Hmong American community. Dozens of Lee family…

Canadian Wildfires Causing Air Quality Concerns in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – An air quality alert remained in effect for most of Minnesota as the state deals with smoke from Canadian wildfires that has created some of the highest particulate readings on record. Gov. Tim Walz and several other governors plan to talk virtually with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris about the nation’s growing wildfire crisis…

Gov. Evers Declares State of Emergency After Severe Wisconsin Storms

(Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP) MILWAUKEE (AP) – Strong thunderstorms caused widespread damage across Wisconsin, left tens of thousands without power, and triggered tornado warnings. The severe weather stretched from the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan and began Wednesday evening in northwestern Wisconsin. By 2 a.m. Thursday, the numerous tornado warnings around the state had expired. The National Weather…

Biden to Allow Eviction Moratorium to Expire Saturday

BOSTON (AP) – The Biden administration will allow a nationwide ban on evictions to expire Saturday. The end of the moratorium comes as advocates and some lawmakers call for it to be extended in the face of rising coronavirus cases and the sluggish pace of distributing rental assistance. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,…

Man Charged With Killing Officer on Reservation in Minnesota

RED LAKE, Minn. (AP) – A man has been charged with the killing of a Red Lake Nation police officer who was fatally shot while responding to a call to a residence on the tribe’s reservation in northwestern Minnesota. Twenty-eight-year-old David Donnell Jr., of Redby, is charged in federal court with one count of second-degree murder and four counts of…

Panel Weighs COVID Bonuses for Minnesota’s Frontline Workers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Health care, school, and food workers who risked their lives at the height of the pandemic have made pitches for a piece of the $250 million in COVID-19 relief money that Minnesota plans to allocate as bonuses to essential frontline workers. They told their stories Wednesday as a bipartisan panel of nine Minnesota lawmakers began sorting out…

Man Charged With Sending Threatening Emails to Dr. Fauci

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A man has been arrested and charged in federal court with sending emails that threatened to harm and kill Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins, and their families, federal prosecutors in Maryland announced Tuesday. A criminal complaint filed Monday charges Thomas Patrick Connally Jr., 56, with threats against a federal official…

Court Nixes New Trial for ‘Making a Murderer’ Subject Avery

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Court of Appeal has rejected a request by “Making a Murderer” subject Steven Avery for a new trial. Avery is serving a life sentence for the 2005 killing of photographer Teresa Halbach. The case was the focus of a popular Netflix series whose creators raised questions about the convictions of Avery and his nephew,…

CDC: Masks Indoors in US Where Cases Surging

NEW YORK -The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new recommendations that vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging. Scientists cited new information about the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people. The CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to…

Mayo Clinic Joins Others in Requiring Worker Vaccinations

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) – Mayo Clinic says it will require employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus by mid-September, becoming one of the latest health systems to do so as delta variant cases rise around the country. The Rochester-based medical system says the “vast majority” of its employees are already vaccinated. But it says all employees must be fully vaccinated…

CDC Expected to Backpedal on Some Masking Guidelines

(AP) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was expected to backpedal Tuesday on its masking guidelines and recommend that even vaccinated people wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging, a federal official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss details of the new…

Wisconsin Assembly to Consider Override of Unemployment Veto

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – It’s shaping up to be a day full of partisan sniping but no real action in the Wisconsin Assembly. Republicans called the Assembly back into session Tuesday to vote on overriding Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ veto of a bill that would have ended a federal $300 weekly unemployment supplemental payment. To succeed, Republicans will need Democrats…

Minnesota Officials Urge Shots as Delta Variant Surges

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)-Minnesota health officials are warning that the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus now accounts for more than 75% of the state’s new COVID-19 cases. And they say it’s a serious threat to unvaccinated people as the state’s case numbers head back up. Kris Ehresmann, the state’s infectious disease director, says the delta variant has gone from causing…

Evers Calls Special Session While GOP Eyes Veto Override

MADISON, Wis. (AP)-Gov. Tony Evers is calling the Republican-controlled Legislature into a special session to increase funding for public schools and higher education on the same day the Assembly plans to vote on a veto override. The override of a bill ending a $300 weekly unemployment payment was almost certain to fail because there aren’t enough Republicans to vote for…

Labor Agreements Reached for Thousands of State of Minnesota Employees

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)-Thousands of state employees in Minnesota would get a raise and a new paid holiday if labor contract agreements are finalized. Minnesota’s two biggest state employee unions on Thursday reached agreements with negotiators from Gov. Tim Walz’s administration. The contracts cover most of the state’s workforce and are subject to ratification by union members and the Legislature….

Cleveland’s Baseball Team Goes From Indians to Guardians

CLEVELAND (AP)-Known as the Indians since 1915, Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team will be called Guardians. The ballclub announced the name change on Twitter, ending months of internal discussions triggered by a national reckoning by institutions and teams to permanently drop logos and names considered racist. The choice of Guardians will undoubtedly be criticized by many of the club’s die-hard…

Amazon’s Mission: Getting a ‘Key’ to Your Apartment Building

NEW YORK (AP) – Amazon is pushing landlords around the country to give its drivers the ability to unlock apartment building front doors whenever they need to leave packages in the lobby instead of the street. The service, called Amazon Key for Business, allows delivery workers to make their rounds faster since they don’t have to ring doorbells. And fewer…

US Jobless Claims Rise to 419,000 From a Pandemic Low

WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose last week from the lowest point of the pandemic, even as the job market appears to be rebounding on the strength of a reopened economy. Jobless claims increased to 419,000 from 368,000 the previous week. The weekly number of first-time applications for benefits, which generally tracks layoffs, has fallen…

Shootings During Milwaukee NBA Finals Celebrations Wound 3

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Police say two shootings in downtown Milwaukee early Wednesday as crowds celebrated the Milwaukee Bucks’ first NBA championship in 50 years left three people wounded. The shootings both happened about 12:42 a.m. at two locations near Water Street. TV station WISN had a reporter broadcasting when multiple shots were heard, prompting people to flee. Police say a…

Trump Inaugural Committee Head Accused of Being UAE Agent

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) NEW YORK (AP) – The chair of former President Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee was arrested Tuesday in California on charges alleging that he and others conspired to influence Trump’s foreign policy positions to benefit the United Arab Emirates. Tom Barrack was among three men charged in New York federal court with trying to influence…

Pilot of Crop-Dusting Helicopter Killed in Minnesota Crash

(courtesy: Fox 9) ELGIN, Minn. – Sheriff’s officials say the pilot of a helicopter has died in a crash in southeastern Minnesota. Authorities say 40-year-old Corey James Adcock from Victoria County, Texas was crop dusting Monday afternoon when the helicopter blades got caught in some power lines near Elgin and the chopper crashed and caught fire. Adcock, the only one…

Invasive Weed Starry Stonewort Confirmed in Leech Lake

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – An invasive weed that can choke out native plants and fish habitat has been found in one of Minnesota’s largest and most popular walleye lakes. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on Monday confirmed the discovery of starry stonewort in Leech Lake, located in northwestern Minnesota. The DNR says the bright green microalgae plant has…

Minnesota Court Sends PolyMet Air Permit Case Back to Agency

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northern Minnesota has encountered a setback; the state Court of Appeals has ordered regulators to revisit a critical air emissions permit given to the project. The court ruled Monday that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency hadn’t sufficiently justified granting the permit after opponents raised allegations that PolyMet was planning a much…

Capitol Rioter Who Breached Senate Gets 8 Months for Felony

(AP) – A Florida man who breached the U.S. Senate chamber carrying a Trump campaign flag has received an eight-month prison term, the first resolution for a felony case in the Capitol insurrection. Prosecutors wanted Paul Allard Hodgkins to serve 18 months behind bars, saying he and other Jan. 6 rioters “contributed to the collective threat to democracy.” A lawyer…

Senate President Pro Tem Says He Has Lou Gehrig’s Disease

(courtesy: Fox 9) ST. PAUL, Minn. – Longtime state Sen. David Tomassoni has informed his constituents that he has Lou Gehring’s disease, also known as ALS. The motor neuron disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that destroys the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement. The 68-year-old senator from Chisholm says he was diagnosed a while ago and felt the…

American Gymnastics Alternate Tests Positive at Olympics

TOKYO (AP) – An alternate on the United States women’s gymnastics team has tested positive for COVID-19 in an Olympic training camp in Japan. USA Gymnastics says Olympic champion Simone Biles was not affected but another alternate was placed into isolation because of contact tracing. USA Gymnastics says “the Olympic athletes moved to separate lodging accommodations and a separate training…

Klobuchar: Infrastructure Bill Could Include Voting Measures

ATLANTA (AP) — Congressional Democrats are exploring ways to include financial incentives for states to expand voting access as part of a multitrillion-dollar infrastructure bill, a key senator said Sunday. Democrats have been struggling to get their marquee election reform bill passed in an evenly split Senate, where Republicans remain unified in their opposition and rules require 60 votes to…

Minnesota Leaders Seek Drought Aid for Livestock Producers

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz has asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to come to the aid of Minnesota livestock producers amid the worsening drought by easing grazing restrictions. Walz asked Vilsack in a letter released Thursday to allow emergency haying and grazing on eligible Conservation Reserve Program acres in Minnesota counties experiencing severe to extreme drought…

The Latest: Europe’s Floods Kill 120; Climate Links Noted

(Rhein-Erft-Kreis via AP) (AP) – Despite ample warnings, politicians and weather forecasters in Europe have been shocked at the ferocity of the precipitation that caused flash flooding that killed at least 120 people. Many climate scientists say the link to global warming was unmistakable and the urgency to do something about it is undeniable. Scientists say climate change acerbates the…