U.S./World category, Page 978
Federal judge denies new criminal trial for Roger Stone
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday denied a request for a new trial made by Trump ally Roger Stone following his conviction on charges related to the Russia investigation. Stone claimed the jury forewoman was biased and petitioned for a new trial; his first such request was denied. It...
Home restrictions on New Yorkers extended another month
NEW YORK — New York planned for a long fight against the coronavirus outbreak amid hopeful hospitalization trends. Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended stay-at-home restrictions Thursday through mid-May, and New York City is getting ready to use 11,000 empty hotel rooms for coronavirus quarantines. Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the...
Congressional Budget Office puts coronavirus relief bill cost at $1.8 trillion
WASHINGTON — The massive coronavirus relief bill passed virtually unanimously by Congress last month is estimated at costing taxpayers $1.8 trillion — slightly less than the $2.2 trillion informally projected at the time by the White House. That’s according to the Congressional Budget Office, which says the difference is due...
Trump gives governors 3-phase plan to reopen economy
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump gave governors a road map Thursday for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out “a phased and deliberate approach” to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in covid-19 cases. “We’re starting our life...
‘Amazing’ find: Bald eagles, eaglets found nesting in arms of Arizona cactus
PHOENIX — For the first time in decades, bald eagles have been found nesting in an Arizona saguaro cactus. The Arizona Game and Fish Department revealed Wednesday that biologists discovered a pair of eagles and their eaglets in the arms of a large saguaro during a recent eagle survey. Kenneth...
Tip leads to discovery of 18 bodies in nursing home overwhelmed by deaths
An extraordinary number of deaths over the weekend overwhelmed a nursing home in northern New Jersey where police responding to an anonymous tip found more than a dozen bodies, according to news reports and an email from an owner of the home. Five bodies were found Sunday and 13 more...
Pandemic provokes spike in demand for food pantries in U.S.
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Brooklyn Dotson needed food. Her first unemployment check had yet to arrive after she was let go by the warehouse where she used to work. So the 25-year-old Nashville woman scrounged up some gas money and drove 30 miles to the GraceWorks Ministries food pantry in Franklin....
Mexico to restrict mobility to areas less affected by coronavirus
MEXICO CITY — Mexico will begin to restrict movement between places most affected by the covid-19 virus — mostly large cities — and places with few infections, the president said Thursday. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador asked authorities Thursday in towns so far unaffected by the pandemic to “help us...
NYC foresees $7.4B tax loss due to coronavirus, seeks federal help
NEW YORK — New York City expects to take a $7.4 billion budget hit over the next 15 months because of the coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday as he detailed planned cuts and appealed to President Donald Trump and Congress for an infusion of cash for cities and...
U.S. home construction collapsed 22.3% in MarchVideo
WASHINGTON — U.S. home-building activity collapsed in March as the coronavirus spread, with housing starts tumbling 22.3% from a month ago. The Commerce Department said Thursday that ground breakings occurred last month at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.2 million units, down from a 1.56 million pace in February....
Maryland police remind people to wear clothes in publicVideo
Listen, your neighbors don’t want to see your unmentionables. File this under: This shouldn’t need to be said. But police in a Maryland town have found it necessary to remind citizens to not go out nude in public. The Taneytown Police Department shared their message on Facebook. “Please remember to...
5.2 million more seek unemployment aid as U.S. layoffs spreadVideo
WASHINGTON — The wave of layoffs that has engulfed the U.S. economy since the coronavirus struck forced 5.2 million more people to seek unemployment benefits last week, the government reported Thursday. Roughly 22 million have sought jobless benefits in the past month — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job...
U.K. set to extend lockdown amid signs outbreak nearing peakVideo
LONDON — The U.K. government was poised Thursday to extend a nationwide lockdown for several more weeks, as health officials said Britain’s coronavirus outbreak — one of Europe’s worst — is nearing its peak. Authorities were expected to announce an extension of restrictions on movement and business activity after a...
Zoo in Germany claims it might have to slaughter animals to feed others because of pandemic
At one zoo in Germany, the coronavirus pandemic has produced a dog-eat-dog environment. Sort of. The Neumünster Zoo is requesting donations and warning it might have to slaughter some of its animals to feed others in the park to keep them alive. The zoo’s director, Verena Kaspari, said killing some...
Gov. Cuomo orders face masks in New York public areas
NEW YORK — New Yorkers who can’t keep at least 6 feet away from others in public must wear masks or other face-coverings amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to an edict issued Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The mandate came hours after Mayor Bill de Blasio instructed shoppers to cover...
Judge cancels permit for Keystone XL pipeline
BILLINGS, Mont. — A U.S. judge canceled a key permit Wednesday for the Keystone XL oil pipeline that’s expected to stretch from Canada to Nebraska, another setback for the disputed project that got under way less than two weeks ago following years of delays. Judge Brian Morris said the Army...
Thousands protest Michigan governor’s social distance orderVideo
LANSING — Thousands of flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the coronavirus outbreak. As snow fell, others got out of their vehicles and raised signs, one of which...
China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days
In the six days after top Chinese officials secretly determined they likely were facing a pandemic from a new coronavirus, the city of Wuhan at the epicenter of the disease hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people; millions began traveling through for Lunar New Year celebrations. President...
A virus that hits all faiths tests religion’s tie to science
NEW YORK — Tanzania’s president claimed the coronavirus “cannot sit in the body of Christ.” Israel’s health minister dismissed a potential curfew by saying that “the Messiah will come and save us.” A global Muslim missionary movement held mass gatherings — and took blame for spreading the disease. While most...
Vatican removes financial watchdog head as scandal continues
ROME — The Vatican on Wednesday replaced the director of its financial watchdog agency, completing a coup that began in October with controversial police raids on the watchdog offices and an investigation into a London real estate deal. The Vatican secretary of state named a Bank of Italy official, Giuseppe...
Trump’s halting of funds to WHO sparks worldwide rebuke
GENEVA — Nations and health experts worldwide reacted with alarm Wednesday after President Donald Trump announced a halt to the sizable funding the United States sends to the World Health Organization. They warned that the move could jeopardize global efforts to stop the coronavirus pandemic. At a briefing in Washington,...
EU unveils virus exit plan, hoping to avoid more chaosVideo
BRUSSELS — The European Union moved Wednesday to head off a chaotic and potentially disastrous easing of restrictions that are limiting the spread of the coronavirus, warning its 27 nations to move very cautiously as they return to normal life and base their actions on scientific advice. With Austria, the...
Deputies: Florida doctors who took down Trump flag arrested
GULF BREEZE, Fla. — Deputies in Florida said two doctors stole a campaign flag supporting President Donald Trump from their neighbor’s property. Geoffrey Michael Fraiche, 41, and Laura Ann Webb-Fraiche, 38, allegedly took the flag on April 7 while their two children were with them, news outlets reported. A Santa...
Major airlines line up to split $25 billion in payroll aid
The nation’s biggest airlines have tentatively agreed to terms for $25 billion in government aid to pay workers and avoid massive layoffs in an industry that has been slammed by the coronavirus pandemic. The assistance will include a mix of cash and loans, with the government getting warrants that can...
Indiana firefighter waiting on stimulus check finds $8.2 million in bank accountVideo
Surprise! An Indiana volunteer firefighter went to an ATM to withdraw $200 from his checking account only to find out he was a millionaire after looking at his receipt. According to Chicago-based television station WGN 9, Charles Calvin, of New Chicago, Ind., said he glanced down at his receipt and...
