U.S./World category, Page 967
President Donald Trump visits mask factory in Arizona as coronavirus spreads
PHOENIX — Making himself Exhibit A, President Donald Trump visted an Arizona face mask factory Tuesday, using the trip to demonstrate his determination to see the country reopen even as the coronavirus remains a dire threat. At the same time, the White House said it hopes to wind down its...
Court overturns Quincy Jones’ win in Michael Jackson lawsuit
LOS ANGELES — A California appeals court on Tuesday overturned most of a 2017 jury verdict awarding Quincy Jones $9.4 million in royalties and fees from the Michael Jackson estate over the use of Jones-produced Jackson hits in the concert film “This Is It” and two Cirque du Soleil shows....
Trump pick to oversee rescue spending pledges impartiality
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s choice to oversee a significant chunk of the $2 trillion economic rescue law is pledging to conduct audits and investigations “with fairness and impartiality.” Brian Miller, a lawyer in the White House counsel’s office, told the Senate Banking Committee during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday...
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pleads for debate on reopening America as coronavirus model doubles deaths
NEW YORK — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made an emotional plea for America to debate the rush to reopen states as the daily New York state coronavirus death toll stayed steady at 230. Pointing to a shocking new model that projects a doubling of the death toll, Cuomo said...
Prosecutor: Grand jury to weigh charges in Georgia shooting
SAVANNAH, Ga. — A Georgia prosecutor said Tuesday that he wants a grand jury to consider criminal charges in the death of a man shot after a pursuit by armed men who later told police they suspected him of being a burglar. Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was killed Feb. 23 in...
States with few coronavirus cases get large share of relief aid
Alaska, Hawaii, Montana and Wyoming are not epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic. Yet these four states scored big this spring when Congress pumped out direct federal aid, while the two hardest-hit states, New York and New Jersey, got comparatively little given the vast numbers of cases and deaths they have...
Ocean City set to reopen beaches, boardwalk Mother’s Day weekend
The boardwalk and beach in Ocean City, Md., will reopen Saturday, WBAL-TV reported. People will not be required to wear masks, but city council is urging beachgoers to continue to practice social distancing. Restaurants will still be open for carry-out only, and hotels are open only for essential workers, WBAL...
Barack Obama will headline televised prime-time commencement
NEW YORK — Former President Barack Obama will deliver a televised prime-time commencement address for the high school Class of 2020 during an hour-long event that will also feature LeBron James, Malala Yousafzai and Ben Platt, among others. ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC will simultaneously air the special May 16...
Jim Bakker seeks suit dismissal; ex-governor is his lawyerVideo
O’FALLON, Mo. — Missouri-based TV pastor Jim Bakker is asking a judge to dismiss a state lawsuit accusing him of falsely claiming that a health supplement could cure the coronavirus, and the lawyer representing Bakker is former Gov. Jay Nixon. Republican Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sued Bakker and Morningside...
U.S. senators seek probe of veterans homes after virus deathsVideo
A group of U.S. senators is seeking an investigation into the Department of Veterans Affairs’ oversight of homes for aging veterans amid a spate of coronavirus deaths at the state-run centers. In a letter sent Tuesday, the senators asked the head of the Government Accountability Office to look into the...
Here come covid-19 tracing apps – and privacy trade-offs
As governments around the world consider how to monitor new coronavirus outbreaks while reopening their societies, many are starting to bet on smartphone apps to help stanch the pandemic. But their decisions on which technologies to use — and how far those allow authorities to peer into private lives —...
San Francisco police chief bans ‘thin blue line’ face masks
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s police chief said the city’s rank and file will wear neutral face coverings to defuse a controversy after officers sent to patrol a May Day protest wore masks adorned with the “thin blue line” flag. The police union ordered and distributed the masks emblazoned with...
U.S. to rein in flood of virus blood tests after lax oversight
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators Monday pulled back a decision that allowed scores of coronavirus blood tests to hit the market without first providing proof they worked. The Food and Drug Administration said it took the action because some sellers have made false claims about the tests and their accuracy. Companies...
Coronavirus patients could be cash cows for nursing homes
LOS ANGELES — The nursing home industry has been devastated by the coronavirus, with outbreaks killing thousands of elderly residents and likely setting the stage for both increased regulations and huge legal liabilities. But the health crisis presents operators with a potential financial upside. Patients with covid-19 could be worth...
Smithfield Foods, Tyson plants cautiously reopen plants amid coronavirus fears
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A South Dakota pork processing plant took its first steps toward reopening Monday after being shuttered for over two weeks because of a coronavirus outbreak that infected more than 800 employees. As two departments opened at the Sioux Falls plant operated by Smithfield Foods, employees filed...
Billions projected to suffer nearly unlivable heat in 2070
KENSINGTON, Md. — In just 50 years, 2 billion to 3.5 billion people, mostly the poor who can’t afford air conditioning, will be living in a climate that historically has been too hot to handle, a new study said. With every 1.8 degree increase in global average annual temperature from...
White House disclaims projection showing surge in virus outbreak by June
WASHINGTON — An internal projection created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the U.S. coronavirus outbreak vastly accelerating by June to more than 200,000 new cases and 2,500 deaths per day — far more than the country is currently experiencing. The White House disclaimed the projection, calling...
World leaders pledge billions for virus vaccine research; U.S., absent for now
BRUSSELS — World leaders, organizations and banks on Monday pledged 7.4 billion euros, or $8 billion, for research to find a vaccine against the new coronavirus, but warned that it is just the start of an effort that must be sustained over time to beat the disease. The funds, pledged...
U.S.: Russia could try to covertly advise candidates in 2020
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security and FBI warned states earlier this year that Russia could look to interfere in the 2020 U.S. elections by covertly advising political candidates and campaigns, according to a law enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press. The Feb. 3 document details tactics U.S....
‘Fowl’ play: Alabama police search for ‘aggressive chicken’
WALKER, Ala. — Police are searching for an “aggressive chicken” accused of engaging in fowl play at an Alabama bank. The Walker Police Department responded to a complaint about the brazen animal Friday, the agency said in a social media post over the weekend. Witnesses told police the chicken had...
3 charged in killing of Michigan security guard over coronavirus mask
FLINT, Mich. — A woman, her adult son and husband have been charged in the fatal shooting of a security guard who refused to let her daughter enter a Family Dollar in Michigan because she wasn’t wearing a face mask to protect against transmission of the coronavirus. Calvin Munerlyn was...
‘Murder hornets’ enter U.S., could decimate bee populationVideo
As if 2020 wasn’t bad enough. Now there are so-called “murder hornets.” North American sightings of the Asian giant hornet, which attack and slaughter honeybees, have so far been in Washington state and in Canada. The sightings were reported late last year near Blaine, Wash., and Bellingham, Wash., according to...
Listen in on live oral arguments before Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — It’s a morning of firsts for the Supreme Court, the first time audio of the court’s arguments can be heard live by the world and the first arguments by telephone. The changes are a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has made holding courtroom sessions unsafe, especially with...
Shootout leaves officer, hit-and-run suspect dead in Kansas
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — A shootout in Kansas left both a police officer and a hit-and-run suspect dead, authorities said. Overland Park police Officer Mike Mosher died at a hospital Sunday evening, Police Chief Frank Donchez said. Mosher was off-duty but in uniform when he saw an apparent hit-and-run and...
Senate set to reopen as virus risk divides CongressVideo
WASHINGTON — The Senate will gavel in Monday as the coronavirus rages, returning to an uncertain agenda and deepening national debate over how best to confront the deadly pandemic and its economic devastation. With the House staying away because of the health risks, and the 100 senators convening for the...
