NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on NBC’s firing of longtime “Today” host Matt Lauer: (all times local): 10:15 a.m. Geraldo Rivera is apologizing for calling the news business “flirty” in the wake of “Today” show host Matt Lauer’s firing by NBC over sexual misconduct allegations. The Fox News reporter tweeted Wednesday that the sexual … Continue reading
Author Archives: scitechshaw
Post-Weinstein, Lauer: A reckoning for fans of fallen heroes
NEW YORK (AP) — When it comes to fandom, it’s reckoning time for Matt Lauer, Garrison Keillor and scores of other men accused of sexual wrongdoing. Hero celebrities have fallen before — Bill Cosby’s career ended after assault allegations in 2014 — but never in the rapid succession that has rocked so many worlds since … Continue reading
Stranded in Bali tourists lampooned online for complaints
KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AP) — Australian tourists who complained about being stranded on tropical Bali when volcanic ash closed its airport have been roasted online as out of touch with the hardships faced by Indonesians forced to flee their homes. Bali’s airport reopened Wednesday after being closed for 2 1/2 days and thousands of tourists are … Continue reading
Left Green leader made head of Iceland’s new government
LONDON (AP) — Katrin Jakobsdottir, the leader of Iceland’s Left Green Movement, was named as the Nordic island nation’s prime minister Thursday after three parties formed a broad governing coalition in hopes of moving the country out of the cycle of crises that triggered three elections in the past four years. The coalition, which includes … Continue reading
Garrison Keillor firing prompts backlash from his fans
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Outraged Garrison Keillor fans deluged Minnesota Public Radio Thursday with complaints about the firing of the humorist over alleged workplace misconduct. Some say they will no longer support MPR, one of the nation’s largest public radio operations, which depends heavily on financial contributions. MPR said Wednesday it was cutting ties with Keillor, … Continue reading
Deck the TV schedule with Rudolph, Stefani and ‘Love’
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Welcome back, Donner and Blitzen! And thanks for bringing along Gwen Stefani, Taraji P. Henson and “Love Actually” to a holiday TV lineup that mixes the familiar and the fresh. We want “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” again, for the pleasure and the memories they summon. But … Continue reading
The Latest: Time magazine says Trump’s got it wrong
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local): 9 p.m. Time magazine is disputing President Donald Trump’s account of how he rejected the magazine’s request for an interview and photo sessions ahead of its “Person of the Year” issue. In a Friday evening tweet, Trump says the magazine informed … Continue reading
Woods returns with solid round and good start in Bahamas
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Tiger Woods looked a lot better in his return to golf than he did when he left. Playing for the first time since his fourth back surgery, Woods returned from a 10-month layoff with a 3-under 69 on a breezy Thursday in the Bahamas that left him three shots behind Tommy … Continue reading
The Latest: Seoul: New ICBM has range to reach Washington
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on the global response to North Korea’s latest missile launch (all times local): 10:30 a.m. South Korea’s military says North Korea’s new intercontinental ballistic missile is potentially capable of striking targets as far as 13,000 kilometers (8,100 miles) away when fired at an operational angle, which would put … Continue reading
Jury: Mexican man not guilty in San Francisco pier killing
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A jury on Thursday found a Mexican man not guilty in the killing of a woman on a San Francisco pier that touched off a national immigration debate two years ago, rejecting possible charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to first-degree murder. Jose Ines Garcia Zarate had been deported five times and … Continue reading
Senate weighs scaling back tax package to win deficit hawks
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans weighed scaling back the tax cuts in their massive package to secure crucial support as congressional analysts said Thursday the legislation would add $1 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. Republicans were making major changes to the bill — a top political priority of President Donald Trump — … Continue reading
Siren will wail in Hawaii test for possible nuclear attack
HONOLULU (AP) — Just days after North Korea tested its most powerful missile yet, Hawaii is dusting off a relic not heard on the islands since the end of the Cold War. The monthly test of Hawaii’s siren warning system for tsunamis and other natural disasters will have a new tone when it sounds Friday … Continue reading
Wisconsin governor tells NFL players to stop anthem protests
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says he thinks NFL players should stop protesting during the national anthem and instead speak out against domestic violence. The Republican former presidential hopeful sent a letter Monday to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith saying he believes players are showing disrespect … Continue reading
Court jails 2 Catalan independence leaders in sedition probe
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s confrontation with its independence-seeking region of Catalonia intensified Monday when a judge ordered the leaders of two pro-independence groups jailed while they are investigated on possible sedition charges for organizing demonstrations before the region’s disputed secession vote. The jailing of Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, the heads of grassroots organizations … Continue reading
Democrats accuse EPA’s Pruitt of misusing taxpayer funds
WASHINGTON (AP) — Top-ranking Congressional Democrats are calling on a federal watchdog to review whether Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt broke the law by making a video for a private group opposing an Obama-era clean-water rule. Pruitt flew to Colorado for an August event organized by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, an industry trade … Continue reading
Las Vegans help after tragedy with garden, free services
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The day after a gunman opened fire on a country music festival from a high-rise Las Vegas hotel, a local landscaper was at City Hall with an idea for remembering the 58 people killed in the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history. Jay Pleggenkuhle (PLAY-ghen-kool) of Stonerose Landscapes said he thought … Continue reading
Weinstein Co., overwhelmed by backlash, may be up for sale
NEW YORK (AP) — The Weinstein Co., besieged by sexual harassment allegations against its namesake and co-founder, may be putting itself up for sale. The company said Monday that it will receive an immediate cash infusion from Colony Capital and is in negotiations for the potential sale of all or a significant portion of the … Continue reading
Driver of deadly immigrant smuggling run pleads guilty
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The driver of a semitrailer packed with at least 39 immigrants, 10 of whom died, pleaded guilty Monday to making the deadly smuggling run. James Matthew Bradley Jr., 61, pleaded Monday in federal court in San Antonio to one conspiracy count and a count of transporting the immigrants resulting in death. … Continue reading
DeVos touts school choice, STEM for $4 billion in grants
WASHINGTON (AP) — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has put forth a new set of priorities for states, schools and universities competing for federal grant money. The priorities include school choice, science and technology, special education and school safety. The Education Department awards approximately $4 billion per year in new and continuation competitive grants across some … Continue reading
FDA advisers endorse gene therapy to treat form of blindness
SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — A potentially groundbreaking treatment for a rare form of blindness moved one step closer to U.S. approval Thursday, as federal health advisers endorsed the experimental gene therapy for patients with an inherited condition that gradually destroys eyesight. The panel experts to the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously in favor … Continue reading
Amazon Studios chief on leave following harassment claims
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The head of Amazon Studios was put on leave Thursday following sexual harassment allegations from a producer on the Amazon series “Man in the High Castle,” adding to Hollywood’s crisis over its mistreatment of women. Studio executive Roy Price is on a leave of absence effective immediately, Amazon said in a … Continue reading
Grim search for victims as wildfires grow to size of NYC
SONOMA, Calif. (AP) — Teams with cadaver dogs began a grim search Thursday for more dead in parts of California wine country devastated by wildfires, resorting in some cases to serial numbers stamped on medical implants to identify remains that turned up in the charred ruins. New deaths confirmed Thursday took the toll to 31, … Continue reading
Dangerous sound? What Americans heard in Cuba attacks
WASHINGTON (AP) — It sounds sort of like a mass of crickets. A high-pitched whine, but from what? It seems to undulate, even writhe. Listen closely: There are multiple, distinct tones that sound to some like they’re colliding in a nails-on-the-chalkboard effect. The Associated Press has obtained a recording of what some U.S. Embassy workers … Continue reading
Kidnapped, held 5 years, US-Canadian family free in Pakistan
WASHINGTON (AP) — Five years after they were seized by a terrorist network in the mountains of Afghanistan, an American woman, her Canadian husband and their children — all three born in captivity — are free after a dramatic rescue orchestrated by the U.S. and Pakistani governments, officials said Thursday. The U.S. said Pakistan accomplished … Continue reading
Mos Def on retirement: “I’m always going to be creating”
ATLANTA (AP) — Hip-hop star Yasiin Bey took the stage at the ONE Musicfest for what appeared to be the last performance of his career. But the rapper also known as Mos Def said in a backstage interview with The Associated Press on Saturday night, he’ll continue creating and will return to the public spotlight … Continue reading