GOP seeks to curtail Senate work, but not Barrett hearings
WASHINGTON — Republicans on Saturday sought to call off legislative work in the Senate until Oct. 19 as the coronavirus reached into their ranks. But they vowed that hearings for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee would push ahead as planned. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the confirmation hearings...
Trump said to be improving but next 48 hours ‘critical’
BETHESDA, Md. — President Donald Trump went through a “very concerning” period Friday and faces a “critical” next two days in his fight against COVID-19 at a military hospital, his chief of staff said Saturday — in contrast to a rosier assessment moments earlier by Trump doctors, who took pains...
White House doctor says Trump doing ‘very well’ at hospital
BETHESDA, Md. — President Donald Trump’s doctor says he is doing “very well” as he spends the weekend at a military hospital for treatment of covid-19. Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley said Trump has been fever-free for 24 hours as he updated the nation on the president’s condition from the...
Trump’s condition spurs new chapter as campaign enters final month
President Donald Trump, diagnosed with covid-19, might dispute the comparison — but it’s been 60 years since a presidential candidate was waylaid by health issues during a campaign. The closest analogy is 1960, when then-Vice President Richard Nixon was facing off against John F. Kennedy, said William A. Galston, a...
How reliable are 2020 polls after they had Clinton leading Trump four years ago?Video
It wasn’t quite “Dewey Beats Truman,” but voters who assumed the polls and predictions of a Hillary Clinton victory had a rude awakening on Nov. 9, 2016. Clinton, who led most state- level polls throughout October, fell short in her quest for the White House. Donald Trump won the race...
Recordings reveal confusion behind Breonna Taylor’s death
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The police officer who fatally shot Breonna Taylor described seeing only “shadowy mass” and said he didn’t recall firing the 16 bullets later matched to his gun. As she lay bleeding, Taylor’s boyfriend called his mother before dialing 911. And neighbors roused by the gunfire at Taylor’s...
Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway tweets her COVID-19 diagnosis
President Donald Trump’s former adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Twitter Friday night she has covid-19 — and her daughter said she’s been “coughing all around the house.” It’s not that bad, Kellyanne Conway said. “Tonight I tested positive for COVID-19,” she tweeted. “My symptoms are mild (light cough), and I’m...
Radish seeds, meats and cheeses launched to space station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A space station cargo ship rocketed into orbit Friday carrying a 360-degree camera for spacewalking, radish seeds for growing and a smorgasbord of fancy meats and cheeses for feasting. Northrop Grumman launched its capsule to the International Space Station from the Virginia coast, providing a nighttime...
Biden offers sympathy, says Trump diagnosis is ‘bracing reminder’ of virus stakes
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Democrat Joe Biden offered sympathy to President Donald Trump over his coronavirus diagnosis on Friday while casting the moment as a reminder of the worldwide health crisis that has hit the United States particularly hard. Shortly after the White House announced Trump would spend “a few...
An abundance of risk, not caution, before Trump’s diagnosis
WASHINGTON — Standing apart on the debate stage, President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent Joe Biden looked out at an odd sight — one section of the room dutifully in masks, the other section flagrantly without. The mostly bare-faced contingent was made up of Trump’s VIP guests, who had...
Trump’s virus hospitalization rocks final stage of campaign
An election year already defined by a cascade of national crises descended further into chaos Friday, with President Donald Trump quarantined at a military hospital with the coronavirus after consistently playing down the threat. Democratic challenger Joe Biden took down his attack ads and pressed a bipartisan message in battleground...
Trump given experimental antibody cocktail to treat covid-19, taken to Walter Reed hospital
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will spend a “few days” at a military hospital after contracting covid-19, the White House said Friday, as the virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans spread to the highest reaches of the U.S. government. Trump “remains fatigued,” his doctor said. Trump was to...
Signs of Asian giant hornet nest found in Washington state
Agricultural officials in Washington state said Friday they are trying to find and destroy a nest of Asian giant hornets believed to be near a small town amid concerns the hornets could kill honey bees crucial for pollinating raspberry and blueberry crops. Evidence of six of the hornets, sometimes called...
Europe’s central bank moves toward introducing digital euro
With consumers increasingly using cashless ways to buy things, the European Central Bank on Friday took a step closer to issuing a digital version of the euro currency shared by 19 countries, saying it had to be ready to launch digital money if a changing world requires it. The central...
Ex-mayor of Scranton sentenced to 7 years for corruption
The former mayor of Scranton was sentenced Friday to seven years in federal prison on charges that he shook down businesses for bribes and campaign contributions. Bill Courtright resigned last year as mayor of the city of 78,000 and pleaded guilty to bribery, extortion and conspiracy. Prosecutors said Courtright took...
Pennsylvania reports 1,161 additional coronavirus cases, 19 new deaths
Pennsylvania on Friday added 1,161 new coronavirus cases to bring the total reported cases to 161,284. Of the new cases, 1,084 are confirmed and 77 are probable, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The state’s seven-day average is now above 1,000 cases per day for the first time since...
Parkland parents create AI video of slain son to spur votersVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Wearing his signature hoodie and beanie, an earbud casually hanging from one ear, passionate Parkland teen Joaquin Oliver urges his peers to vote for lawmakers who will end gun violence in a new video released Friday. Next month’s election would have been his first chance to...
Gov. Wolf unveils health care reform package
Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday announced a health care reform package that will focus on affordability for consumers, accountability for corporations and eliminating inequities in care and coverage, particularly those “resulting from systemic racism.” “True reform means focusing on every aspect of a person that contributes to their health,” Wolf...
Officer to grand jury: No search of Breonna Taylor’s home
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In grand jury testimony made public Friday, a law enforcement officer said police did not end up searching Breonna Taylor’s apartment on the day she was shot and killed by police who had arrived with a search warrant. Police were carrying a narcotics warrant for Taylor’s Louisville...
Joe Biden, his wife test negative for coronavirus
WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, have tested negative for the coronavirus, his primary care doctor confirmed Friday. The Democratic presidential nominee and his wife were tested earlier in the day after news of President Donald Trump’s infection was announced. Dr. Kevin O’Connor released the...
U.S. signs 10-year military cooperation deal with Morocco
RABAT, Morocco — The United States and Morocco on Friday signed an accord that aims to strengthen military cooperation and the North African kingdom’s military readiness over the next decade. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper signed the 10-year agreement during a two-day visit to Morocco, his last stop on a...
Timeline of Trump’s activities in week coronavirus hit home
WASHINGTON — With just a month to go until the election, President Donald Trump had a busy schedule during the week the coronavirus hit home with him. Trump tweeted early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus. Monday • Trump surveys a truck...
A brief history of the presidents who were ill while in office
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump announced early Friday that they have tested positive for covid-19. But this is hardly the first time a president has fallen ill in office. Here’s a brief history of presidents who have faced severe ailments while in the Oval Office: Andrew Jackson...
Joe Biden awaiting covid test result: Democrats send well wishes to Trump, first lady
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been tested for the coronavirus in the wake of President Donald Trump’s infection and is awaiting results. That’s according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions. Biden was on...
Pandemic spells quieter return from Alps for Bavarian cows
SCHOENAU AM KOENIGSSEE, Germany — Each fall, the Resch family bring their cows down from Alpine pastures before the cold weather sets in, and each year the crowd of tourists coming to watch the traditional Bavarian spectacle grows bigger. Not this year. Pandemic travel restrictions meant the celebratory return of...