Trump putting democracy to the test after his loss to Biden
WASHINGTON — Winston Churchill was not known for leaving his thoughts unspoken. One of them was this: “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried.” President Donald Trump, who has professed admiration for, if not deep...
Iota threatens 2nd tropical strike for Nicaragua, Honduras
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tropical Storm Iota was brewing in the Caribbean Sea early Saturday, threatening a second tropical strike for Nicaragua and Honduras, countries recently ransacked by a Category 4 Hurricane Eta. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Iota could bring dangerous wind, storm surge and as much...
North Dakota mandates masks, capacity limits as virus surges
BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum ordered a statewide mask mandate and imposed several business restrictions late Friday in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus that has stressed the state’s hospital capacity. The Republican governor’s executive order comes after increased pressure from doctors, nurses and...
Infrastructure, jobs are key to coming together under Biden, say Pennsylvania Republicans, unions
After more than a decade of division — Republicans trying to block Barack Obama at every move and Democrats questioning Donald Trump’s legitimacy — President-elect Joe Biden is inheriting a contentious crowd. His best strategy to bring them around a table together, a diverse group of Pennsylvanians say, would be...
Colorado governor says ignoring virus is like playing ‘Russian roulette,’ as daily cases nearly double in week
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Another 6,439 Coloradans were diagnosed with covid-19 — nearly double Monday’s daily total, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday, warning state residents who continue to ignore the virus’s threat that they were playing Russian roulette with their own lives and the lives of others. “You wouldn’t...
California governor went to party, violated own virus rules
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For months, Gov. Gavin Newsom has pleaded with Californians to resist the temptation to socialize with friends and relatives outside their household. Turns out, he’s the one who couldn’t resist. Newsom acknowledged Friday he attended a birthday party with a dozen friends on Nov. 6 at the...
Scott Peterson to stay at San Quentin as judge mulls retrial
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — No one outside of San Quentin State Prison will be seeing Scott Peterson in person anytime soon as officials consider if he should face a new trial in the headline-grabbing slayings of his pregnant wife and unborn child, a California judge decided Friday. San Francisco Superior Court...
Chicago Mayor Lightfoot defends joining crowd celebrating Biden-Harris win as virus cases surge
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday defended her appearance last weekend when she joined a crowd celebrating the presumptive win of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. During a morning interview on MSNBC, the mayor was asked about joining revelers Saturday amid a spike in covid-19 cases in Chicago and...
Iowa justices toss murder conviction over jury instructions
The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday tossed out a murder conviction and ordered a new trial for a man accused of the gruesome 2017 stabbing death of his girlfriend. In a split decision, the state’s high court ordered a new trial for Gregory Michael Davis, 30, after finding his trial...
Masked workers start presidential hand tally in Georgia
ATLANTA — Masked election workers in teams of two began counting ballots Friday in counties across Georgia, a hand tally of the presidential race that stems from an audit required by a new state law. The law requires that one race be audited to check that new election machines counted...
U.S. citizenship test adds more questions, draws criticism
PHOENIX — An updated U.S. citizenship test will require applicants to answer more questions than before and could slow down the number of tests held each day, experts said. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency on Friday announced the updated test now has 128 civics items to study and...
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak tests positive for covid-19
CARSON CITY, Nev.— Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Friday said he has tested positive for covid-19 as the virus surges to record levels in the state and across the U.S. The 66-year-old Democrat is the fifth governor to report testing positive for the coronavirus this year. Three governors, two Republicans...
Oregon, New Mexico order lockdowns as other states resist
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The governors of Oregon and New Mexico ordered near-lockdowns Friday in the most aggressive response yet to the latest wave of coronavirus infections shattering records across the U.S., even as many of their counterparts in other states show little appetite for reimposing the hard-line restrictions of last...
Tropical Storm Iota forms, could follow Eta’s deadly path
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Just as the remnants of Eta finally blew out to sea on Friday, another storm formed that could follow its path of death and destruction into Central America this weekend, and Tropical Storm Theta was moving closer to Europe. Hurricane experts were closely watching the Caribbean,...
Donald Trump wins battleground state of North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. — President Donald Trump has won the presidential battleground state of North Carolina over Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Trump campaigned aggressively in North Carolina with in-person rallies at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, including gatherings in Fayetteville, Winston-Salem and Greenville. Biden had largely kept off the physical...
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announces 14-day statewide ‘freeze’
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Friday announced a statewide two-week “freeze” which will limit restaurants and bars to take-out only and close gyms, indoor and outdoor recreational facilities during that period. The freeze will be in effect from Nov. 18 through Dec. 2 and aims to limit...
Tight spot: Trump loss complicates Pence’s political future
WASHINGTON — For Mike Pence, a second term for President Donald Trump would have been a 2024 ticket to Republican frontrunner status. But with Trump’s loss — after Pence spent the last four years as his most loyal soldier and the past year doggedly campaigning on his behalf — the...
Trump, stewing over election, to deliver remarks on covid-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is set to deliver his first public remarks Friday since his defeat by President-elect Joe Biden, as he seeks to highlight positive developments in the race for a vaccine for the resurgent coronavirus, even as he refuses to concede the election. Trump is set to...
As virus cases surge, elected officials resist restrictions
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — With the coronavirus coming back with a vengeance across the country and the U.S. facing a long, dark winter, governors and other elected officials are showing little appetite for imposing the kind of lockdowns and large-scale business closings seen last spring. Many also continue to resist issuing...
West Virginia tightens mask mandate, delays winter sports
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced Friday that facial coverings will be required at all times in businesses and other indoor spaces starting at midnight. The Republican governor said businesses will need to post signs notifying entrants of the mask requirement under his executive order. “It’s just...
Democrats keep winning the popular vote. That worries them.
Democrats won the popular vote in this year’s presidential election yet again, marking seven out of eight straight presidential elections that the party has reached that milestone. And, for some Democrats, that’s worrisome. President-elect Joe Biden has so far won 50.8% of the vote compared to the 47.4% who voted...
Federal court rejects effort to block late-arriving Pennsylvania ballots
PHILADELPHIA — A federal appeals court in Philadelphia on Friday rejected an effort led by a Republican congressional candidate to block about 9,300 ballots that arrived after Election Day. The three-judge panel, led by Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Brooks Smith, noted the “unprecedented challenges” facing the nation this year, especially...
Pennsylvania continues to set coronavirus records with 5,531 new cases
Pennsylvania on Friday continued to set records with 5,531 new cases of coronavirus. That is the fourth consecutive day of record-high daily cases. The state’s seven-day average has marched upward for a dozen consecutive days to 4,348 cases. Similarly, the seven-day case total has been accelerating and is now 30,437....
2 workers dead, 1 person missing in Connecticut veterans hospital blast
WEST HAVEN, Conn. — An apparent steam pipe explosion Friday in a maintenance building at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Connecticut killed a VA employee and a contractor and left a third person missing, officials said. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said patient care was not affected by the blast on...
Texas AG whistleblowers sue for wrongful firing, retaliation
DALLAS — Four former deputies to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are suing him for wrongful firing and retaliating against them for reporting him to the FBI for alleged bribery and abuse of office. Their lawsuit adds to the deepening legal and political peril for the high-profile Republican, who is...
