ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — European Union and African leaders pledged Wednesday to do more to help thousands of migrants stranded in squalid detention centers in Libya, the main jumping-off point for desperate people setting out in unseaworthy boats in search of better lives in Europe. While youth and development are the main themes … Continue reading
HAMILTON, Ontario (AP) — Former security guard Tim Button considers how a sudden increase in his income from an unusual social experiment has changed his life in this Canadian industrial city along the shore of Lake Ontario. Sipping coffee in a Tim Horton’s doughnut shop, Button says he has been unable to work because … Continue reading
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — ESPN is eliminating 150 production and technical employees as the sports broadcasting giant continues to shift its focus to a more digital future. The company says the layoffs, which were announced Wednesday morning in a memo to employees, don’t include on-air talent and will have a minimal impact on the … Continue reading
CHARLOTTE, Mich. (AP) — A disgraced Michigan sports doctor who admits he sexually assaulted female gymnasts and possessed child pornography pleaded guilty Wednesday in a third criminal case, acknowledging that he molested girls who sought treatment for injuries. Larry Nassar, who worked at Michigan State University and at USA Gymnastics, said he molested girls … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump retweeted a string of inflammatory videos Wednesday that purported to show violence being committed by Muslims, drawing quick condemnation from civil rights groups who said the president was fanning anti-Muslim sentiment just as he did during his presidential campaign. Trump retweeted videos from Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of … Continue reading
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A recent college graduate who has been accused of four slayings that terrorized a Tampa neighborhood had “no apparent motive” and used the same gun to kill innocent people near bus stops, the police chief said Wednesday. The crack in the case that has lasted 51 days occurred when the … Continue reading
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Seizing his party’s first major Trump-era victory, Democrat Ralph Northam beat back a charge from Republican Ed Gillespie in the race for Virginia governor, a bruising election that tested the power of President Donald Trump’s fiery nationalism against the energy of the Trump resistance. In Virginia, as in several contests … Continue reading
Warner Bros. is severing ties with Brett Ratner amid multiple sexual harassment claims made against the producer and director. A person familiar with the decision said Wednesday that Ratner’s expired first-look production deal with the studio will not be renewed and that he will no longer occupy the office space he rented on … Continue reading
BEIJING (AP) — Welcomed to China with an outsized dose of pomp and pageantry, President Donald Trump pronounced himself wowed by Beijing’s lavish greeting Wednesday at the start of a two-day visit in which he aims to employ flattery, scolding and cajolery to press the rising Asian power on trade and North Korea. Trump, … Continue reading
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are celebrating their 10-year anniversary — as hosts of the Country Music Association Awards. The duo has hosted the show consecutively since 2008, and they return Wednesday for the 2017 CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. While Underwood and Paisley plan to tell jokes, watch performances … Continue reading
CLEVELAND (AP) — Kevin Love joked that he might swing by the hospital on his way home. On a recent visit, he got a dose of something that made him and the Cavaliers feel better. Love scored a season-high 32 points without attempting a 3-pointer, LeBron James added 30 following an interesting couple days … Continue reading
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A transgender candidate defeated an incumbent Virginia lawmaker who sponsored a bill that would have restricted which bathrooms she could use. Democrat Danica Roem, a former journalist, is set to make history as the first openly transgender person elected and seated in a state legislature in the United States. She … Continue reading
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Virginia Tech knows even though Duke is struggling the Blue Devils have given the Hokies problems. The No. 13 Hokies (6-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) have lost their last two home games against the Blue Devils (4-4, 1-4), including a 45-43, four-overtime defeat in 2015. It was the longest game … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The booking of Justin Timberlake for the Super Bowl halftime show has triggered a backlash from women, minorities and others who say Janet Jackson was unfairly forced to pay a far higher price than he ever faced for that breast-baring “wardrobe malfunction” at the big game in 2004. The hashtag #justiceforjanet … Continue reading
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving and agreed to enter a diversion program Friday, five months after the superstar golfer was found passed out in his Mercedes with prescription drugs and marijuana in his system. Woods, 41, spoke only briefly during a hearing at a Palm Beach … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 