Austrians savored one last mulled wine in packed Christmas markets before the curtain came down on the holiday season that was just getting underway, plunging the country that gave the world “Silent Night” into its fourth lockdown of this pandemic on Monday. The capital, Vienna, awoke groggily to the new...
This Week’s Biggest Lies on Social Media, Including One About Rittenhouse
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts: CLAIM: Kyle Rittenhouse’s mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, drove him across...
Thousands of Giant Sequoias Killed in California Wildfires
Lightning-sparked wildfires killed thousands of giant sequoias this year, adding to a staggering two-year death toll that accounts for up to nearly a fifth of Earth's largest trees, officials said Friday. Fires in Sequoia National Park and the surrounding national forest that also bears the trees' name tore through more...
Kyle Rittenhouse Cleared of All Charges in Kenosha Shootings
Kyle Rittenhouse has been acquitted of all charges after pleading self-defense in the deadly Kenosha, Wisconsin, shootings that became a flashpoint in the nation’s debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice. The jury came back with its verdict after close to 3 1/2 days of deliberation. Rittenhouse, 18, could have...
Germany, Austria Battle COVID Surges with New Restrictions
Germany has entered a “nationwide state of emergency” because of surging coronavirus infections, the head of the country's disease control agency said Friday. Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch Institute, said regular medical care cannot be guaranteed anymore in some parts of the country because hospitals and intensive...
Bakersfield’s ‘Angry’ McCarthy Stalls Biden Bill for Hours Before Passage
Part political performance, part stall tactic, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy unleashed a long, rambling and vitriolic speech overnight, seizing control of the House floor and delaying passage of President Joe Biden’s big domestic policy bill until early Friday morning. Sneering with disdain one minute, spilling sarcasm the next, McCarthy carried on...
CVS to Close Hundreds of Stores
CVS Health will close hundreds of drugstores over the next three years, as the retail giant adjusts to changing customer needs and converts to new store formats. The company said Thursday that it will close about 300 stores a year for the next three years, nearly a tenth of its...
Apple Relents, Gives Some Users ‘Right to Repair’ Their Own iPhones
Apple is letting some iPhone users fix their own phones, a sharp turnaround for a company that has long prohibited anyone but company-approved technicians from fiddling with its proprietary parts and software. The company said Wednesday that it will enable users of two of the newest iPhone models and eventually...
Horn Wearing Capitol Rioter Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison
Jacob Chansley, the spear-carrying Jan. 6 rioter whose horned fur hat, bare chest and face paint made him one of the more recognizable figures in the assault on the Capitol, was sentenced Wednesday to 41 months in prison. Chansley, who pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official...
Massive California Budget Surplus Could Prompt Tax Rebates Next Year
California will have a $31 billion budget surplus next year as revenues continue to climb despite the pandemic, according to a new forecast from the state's independent Legislative Analyst's Office. The predicted surplus is so large the office estimates California will surge past a constitutional limit on state spending by...