Associated Press

Sandra Jaffe, co-founder of Preservation Hall, dies

By REBECCA SANTANA NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Sandra Jaffe, who co-founded Preservation Hall in New Orleans, introducing countless people to jazz through the intimate French Quarter venue over six decades, has died. Jaffe died Monday, her son Ben Jaffe, creative…

Ghislaine Maxwell convicted in Epstein sex abuse case

By TOM HAYS and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted Wednesday of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by the American millionaire Jeffrey Epstein. The verdict capped a monthlong trial…

Mississippi reports jump in COVID cases over 5 days

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting more than 7,000 new COVID-19 cases over a five-day period. The department posted new numbers Monday, covering cases confirmed from Wednesday through Sunday. The state is seeing a significant increase…

Flight cancellations snarl holiday plans for thousands

By TALI ARBEL NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines continued to cancel hundreds of flights because of staffing issues tied to COVID-19, disrupting holiday celebrations during one of the busiest travel times of the year. FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted nearly 1,000 canceled flights entering,…

US jobless claims unchanged at 205,000

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits was unchanged last week, remaining at a historically low level that reflects the job market's strong recovery from the coronavirus recession last year. Jobless claims remained…

US adds Merck pill as 2nd easy-to-use drug against COVID-19

By MATTHEW PERRONE WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators on Thursday authorized the second pill against COVID-19, providing another easy-to-use medication to battle the rising tide of omicron infections. The Food and Drug Administration authorization of Merck’s molnupiravir comes one…