Author: The Associated Press

Fully Vaccinated Americans Can Enter Canada as of Mid-August

(AP Photo/Toby Talbot,File) TORONTO (AP) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada could start allowing fully vaccinated Americans into Canada as of mid-August for non-essential travel and should be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September. Trudeau spoke with leaders of Canada’s provinces on Thursday and released a readout of the call. The…

New Restrictions in Boundary Waters Due to Canadian Fires

ELY, Minn. (AP) — The Forest Service has announced new temporary travel restrictions in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness over concerns that large wildfires burning in Canada could spread across the border. The new closures include travel, campsites, and portages along and near Iron and Crooked lakes along the Canadian border north of Ely, as well as some smaller…

Son Charged With Death of His Father; Mother Still Missing

MADISON, Wis. – The son of a Wisconsin couple who went missing last week has been formally accused of killing his father and dismembering his body. Twenty-three-year-old Chandler Halderson, who was living with his parents in Windsor, is charged in Dane County Court with first-degree intentional homicide, hiding and mutilating a corpse, and providing false information on a kidnapping. Court…

Britney Spears’ New Attorney Says Father Must Step Aside

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An attorney of Britney Spears’ choosing has been appointed to represent the pop star in her conservatorship after a hearing in which the singer tearfully spoke about the case’s impact on her life. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny on Wednesday approved Spears hiring former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart to represent her. His appointment was…

US Unemployment Claims Fall to 360,000, a New Pandemic Low

WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits has reached its lowest level since the pandemic struck last year, further evidence that the U.S. economy and job market are quickly rebounding from the pandemic recession. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims fell by 26,000 last week to 360,000. The weekly tally, a proxy…

Johnson & Johnson Recalling Sunscreens Due to Benzene Traces

(AP) – Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday that it is recalling five of its sunscreen products after some samples were found to contain low levels of benzene, a chemical that can cause cancer with repeated exposure. The affected products, packaged in aerosol cans, are Aveeno Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen, and four Neutrogena sunscreen versions: Beach Defense aerosol sunscreen, CoolDry…

Line 3 Pipeline Opponents Appeal to Minnesota Supreme Court

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Tribal and environmental groups opposed to Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline have asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision affirming the approvals of the project. The state Commerce Department, which was part of the earlier appeal, is not joining in the appeal this time. The legal move comes as protests continue along…

Audit Finds No Overpayments by Minnesota for COVID-19 Tests

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Office of the Legislative Auditor says it found no evidence that the state of Minnesota overpaid two companies it hired to conduct COVID-19 saliva testing. Instead, the auditor’s report says, managed care organizations. acting on behalf of the state, scrutinized the claims submitted by the two companies, and paid just a fraction of the…

Canadian Wildfires Impact Air Quality in U.S.

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — Burning wildfires in Canada are causing air quality issues in parts of the U.S., including Minnesota and North Dakota. The smoke is lingering closer to the ground, according to weather experts. “Sometimes it stays aloft, but in this particular case behind the front, the smoke is finding its way closer to the surface. That’s why we…

Evers Directs $130 Million Toward Workforce Development

(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers is directing $130 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to help address the state’s worker shortage problem and assist unemployed people searching for a job. The bulk of the money, $100 million, will go toward a workforce innovation program for the development of solutions to workforce challenges…

US Overdose Deaths Hit Record 93,000 in Pandemic Last Year

NEW YORK (AP) – Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government estimate released Wednesday eclipses the 72,000 drug overdose deaths in 2019 and amounts to a 29% increase. Experts say lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions isolated those with drug addictions and made treatment harder to get. Prescription painkillers once…

Penterman Wins Special Election for Wisconsin Assembly Seat

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican William Penterman is the apparent winner of a special election Tuesday to fill Wisconsin’s vacant 37th District Assembly seat. Unofficial results show Penterman received 3,742 votes. Democratic candidate Pete Adams received 3,063 votes and Independent Stephen Ratzlaff Jr. garnered 112 votes. Penterman, of Columbus, narrowly won the Republican primary by 16 votes. There were eight…

Condo Inspections Left to Property Owners in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Some local building inspectors in Minnesota are fielding questions from residents worried about the safety of their condo buildings following the collapse of a tower in Surfside, Florida last month. In Minnesota, there is no state requirement for regular inspections of condo buildings. But, state officials say Minnesota doesn’t face the same risks as Florida and has…

Wisconsin Judge Suspended for Crude Remarks, Brandishing Gun

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a Winnebago County judge for making crude remarks to defendants and attorneys, and for menacing a defendant with a gun during a hearing. The court said Tuesday that it has suspended Scott Woldt for seven days in August. The Wisconsin Judicial Commission filed a complaint alleging that Woldt committed multiple…

Police Respond to Apparent Shooting at Wisconsin Gas Station

UPDATE: FRANKSVILLE, Wis. (AP) – Authorities in Wisconsin say a man shot and killed another man at a gas station before fleeing and eventually dying in a shootout with an undercover investigator. Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling says the events unfolded starting about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Pilot Travel Center in the village of Caledonia. Schmaling says a 32-year-old…

Unwanted Pets: Giant Goldfish Turn up in Minnesota Waterways

(courtesy: Twitter/City of Burnsville) BURNSVILLE, Minn. (AP) – Officials in Minnesota say they’re finding more giant goldfish in waterways, prompting a plea to citizens to stop illegally dumping their unwanted fish into ponds and lakes. The goldfish, which can grow to the size of a football, compete with native species for food and increase algae in lakes. Burnsville officials found…

US Consumer Prices Surge in June by the Most Since 2008

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) WASHINGTON (AP) – American consumers faced a third straight monthly surge in prices in June, the latest evidence that a rapid reopening of the economy is fueling pent-up spending for goods and services that in many cases remain in short supply. Tuesday’s report from the Labor Department showed that consumer prices in June rose 0.9% from May…

Wisconsin DNR Cancels Third Straight Sharp-Tailed Grouse Season

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state Department of Natural Resources has canceled Wisconsin’s sharp-tailed grouse season for the third year in a row to protect the population. The DNR announced the decision Monday, saying a population survey this spring coupled with historical data trends and scientific modeling indicate hunting could cause a “marked decrease” in the population. Sharp-tailed grouse populations…

Minnesota COVID-19 Audit Sought by Lawmakers Looks Doubtful

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s independent legislative auditor says he doesn’t have the resources to satisfy a request by lawmakers for a comprehensive study of the state’s COVID-19 response. Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles tells Minnesota Public Radio he’s ready to hear lawmakers out. But he says the scope of the request, combined with other projects his office is already…

Scientists: Pup Births Hopeful Sign for Isle Royale Wolves

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) – Scientists say wolf pups have been spotted again at Isle Royale National Park. And that’s a hopeful sign for efforts to rebuild a gray wolf population that had nearly died out. Crews brought wolves from Minnesota, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and the Canadian province of Ontario to the Lake Superior park several years ago. It’s unknown…

Coronavirus Infects Vaccinated Leader at Florida Condo Site

(AP Photo) MIAMI (AP) – A vaccinated Miami-Dade county commissioner who helped other local officials in Surfside following the collapse of a condominium building has tested positive for COVID-19. Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz says he and his chief of staff came down with flu-like symptoms Sunday and tested positive for the virus the same day. Diaz has been participating…

California and Other Parts of the West Broil and Burn

(AP) – Firefighters are working in extreme temperatures across the U.S. West and struggling to contain wildfires, the largest burning in California and Oregon, as another heatwave baked the region, straining power grids and forcing calls to conserve water. The largest wildfire of the year in California is raging along the Nevada state line and has burned about 134 square…

‘Heartbreaking’: Death Toll in Florida Condo Collapse Now 78

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) – The death toll in the Florida condominium collapse has risen to 78 after 14 additional victims were pulled out of the rubble. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced the new number at a Friday news conference, calling it both “staggering” and “heartbreaking.” An additional 62 people are still unaccounted for. On Thursday, Paraguay’s foreign minister said…

Vaccinated Teachers and Students Don’t Need Masks, CDC Says

(Richard Chung via AP) NEW YORK (AP) – U.S. health officials say vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear masks inside school buildings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the new guidelines Friday. The changes come after a growing national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are eligible to get shots, as well as…

Report: Great Lakes Region Needs About $2B for Flood Repairs

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) – Cities and towns along Great Lakes shorelines will pay a heavy price for recent flooding. That’s according to an organization representing the region’s local governments. It says a survey of cities, villages, and other jurisdictions found that fixing infrastructure damaged by high water and erosion will cost nearly $2 billion over the next five years….

Kevin Costner to Appear at Minnesota State Fair

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Actor Kevin Costner will appear at the Minnesota State Fair in September. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Wednesday that Costner’s country-rock band, Modern West, will perform at the fair’s grandstand on Sept. 3. A live question-and-answer session with Costner will follow. The evening will conclude with a screening of Costner’s film “Field of Dreams.” Tickets…

Biden Says U.S. War in Afghanistan Will End August 31

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday said the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31, saying “speed is safety” as the United States seeks to end the nearly 20-year war. “We did not go to Afghanistan to nation build,” Biden said in a speech to update his administration’s ongoing efforts to wind down the U.S….

Evers Signs Gop-Written State Budget With $2B Tax Cut

WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers has signed the Republican-written state budget, enacting a spending plan that includes a $2 billion income tax cut. Evers, a Democrat who is running for reelection next year, signed the budget Thursday. However, he kept the income tax cut intact. Evers opted to go along with the GOP-written budget with some changes…

Minnesota AG: GAS Utilities Overbilled Customers by $380M

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota utilities mismanaged their natural gas purchases after a historic winter storm in the South, which led them to overbill customers by $380 million, the state attorney general’s office said Wednesday. The office of Attorney General Keith Ellison recommended that the state Public Utilities Commission allow utilities to recover only 53% of the $800 million in costs…

Fans Banned at Olympics; Tokyo Under State of Emergency

TOKYO (AP) — Fans are banned from the Tokyo Olympics following a state of emergency aimed at containing rising COVID-19 infections in the capital. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the ban, and the International Olympic Committee and Japanese organizers followed by banning fans from the Olympics. Fans from aboard were banned months ago. These new measures will clear venues…

Minnesota Senate Goes Home Without Votes on Commissioners

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate adjourned its special session Wednesday without taking a planned vote on confirming two of Gov. Tim Walz’s commissioners after Democrats objected to how GOP lawmakers essentially forced out another cabinet member a day earlier. Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, of East Gull Lake, said GOP senators were ready to approve…

Trump Announces Suits Against Facebook, Twitter and Google

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he is filing suits against three of the country’s biggest tech companies: Facebook, Twitter, and Google, as well as their CEOs. Trump said he was serving as lead plaintiff in the class-action suits, claiming he has been wrongfully censored by the companies. “We’re demanding an end to the shadow-banning, a stop…

Official: Haiti President Jovenel Moïse Assassinated at Home

(AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery, File) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – Gunmen have assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in their home. The killing Wednesday is sure to inflict more chaos on the unstable Caribbean country that was already enduring an escalation of gang violence, anti-government protests, and a recent surge in coronavirus infections. The interim prime minister confirmed…

Animals at Wisconsin Zoos to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Some animals at the zoos in Madison and Milwaukee will receive an experimental COVID-19 vaccine. Animals susceptible to respiratory disease are expected to be inoculated with the vaccine authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture by late July. No COVID-19 infections have been found in animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo or the Henry Vilas Zoo…

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 members in a private briefing Wednesday that workers had pulled 10 more bodies and additional human remains from the rubble,…

Pentagon Cancels Disputed JEDI Cloud Contract With Microsoft

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon said it has canceled a cloud-computing contract with Microsoft that could eventually have been worth $10 billion. It will instead pursue a deal with both Microsoft and Amazon and possibly other cloud service providers. The Pentagon said in a statement that the JEDI Cloud contract, which has long been delayed, “no longer meets the requirements…

Minnesota Pollution Regulator Resigns Before Senate Vote

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has resigned after it became apparent that the Republican-controlled state Senate was prepared to oust her. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz says Laura Bishop resigned Tuesday “in order to ensure a smooth and orderly transition” at the agency she had led since 2019. The governor accused Senate Republicans of using…

4 More Victims Found in Rubble; Death Toll Rises to 32

SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) – The discovery of four more victims in the rubble of a collapsed Florida condominium building has raised the death toll to 32. Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah announced the new death count to family members during a closed-door morning briefing Tuesday. A ramped-up rescue effort at the collapsed Florida condo building is facing new weather…

As Tokyo Olympics Approach, Virus Worries Rise in Japan

TOKYO (AP) – The pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics are shaping up as a TV-only event with few fans being allowed when they open in just over two weeks. Japan’s Asahi newspaper cited multiple unidentified government sources when it said the opening ceremony may be limited to only VIP guests. The newspaper says other large venues are likely to have no spectators….

Another Candidate Joins Minnesota AG Race to Unseat Ellison

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A Minneapolis criminal defense lawyer who described pandemic restrictions and lawsuits against businesses that violated state public health guidelines as “intrusive state government” announced her bid on Sunday to unseat Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Attorney Lynne Torgerson announced on Sunday that she will run for attorney general in 2022, citing “destructive government lockdowns, lawsuits by (Ellison)…

UW Schools Keep Start Date on Jewish Holiday

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Six University of Wisconsin System schools are moving ahead with start dates on the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah despite calls for change. UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Stout, and UW-Superior all have scheduled classes to begin Sept. 7 or Sept. 8, the Tuesday and Wednesday after Labor Day. Rosh Hashanah, which marks the start of the…