3 face years in Burundi prison for stone-throwing at leader
NAIROBI, Kenya — Three people have been sentenced to 30 years in prison in Burundi after being accused of throwing stones at the president’s convoy. The sentence has caused an outcry, but the governor says he thinks there will be “changes in this affair” in the coming days. The two...
Scientists uneasy as Russia approves 1st coronavirus vaccineVideo
MOSCOW — Russia on Tuesday became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine, a move that was met with international skepticism and unease because the shots have only been studied in dozens of people. President Vladimir Putin announced the Health Ministry’s approval and said one of his two adult...
Some Florida schools start as new coronavirus cases dropVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Students began returning to some Florida college campuses on Monday and some public school classrooms in rural districts opened with new safety precautions in place as the state reported the fewest new daily cases of covid-19 in more than a month. Classes for new students started Monday...
Lebanese government resigns after Beirut blast, public angerVideo
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prime minister stepped down from his job Monday in the wake of the catastrophic explosion in Beirut that has triggered public outrage, saying he has come to the conclusion that corruption in the country is “bigger than the state.” The move risks opening the way to dragged-out...
Trump abruptly escorted from briefing after shooting near White HouseVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump was abruptly escorted by a Secret Service agent out of the White House briefing room as he was beginning a coronavirus briefing Monday afternoon. He returned minutes later, saying there was a “shooting” outside the White House that was “under control.” “There was an actual...
Covid-19 cases among American children jumped 40% in late July
Coronavirus infections among U.S. children grew 40% in the last half of July, according to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, bringing the total number of child infections to 8.8% of all U.S. cases. The report, which aggregates data from 49 states, comes...
Trump administration begins vaccine pilot program
WASHINGTON — After months of remaining vague about its plans to distribute a covid-19 vaccine, the Trump administration is quietly piloting distribution working groups, CQ Roll Call has learned. The plan, which has not been made public, was confirmed by four state health departments. Federal officials from the Centers for...
Powerful derecho leaves path of devastation across MidwestVideo
IOWA CITY, Iowa — A rare wind storm with power similar to an inland hurricane swept across the Midwest on Monday, blowing over trees, flipping vehicles, causing widespread property damage and leaving tens of thousands without power. The storm known as a derecho lasted several hours as it tore across...
Trump: Convention speech locale is White House or Gettysburg
WASHINGTON — Searching for a symbolic substitute for his virus-scuttled plans for an arena celebration, President Donald Trump said Monday that his acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination will be held at either the White House or the Gettysburg battlefield. The president’s initial hopes for the event to be...
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp: School openings going well, except photosVideo
ATLANTA — Georgia’s governor said Monday that the reopening of some of the state’s schools amid the coronavirus outbreak has gone well except for photos shared on social media showing students crowded together in hallways. “I think quite honestly this week went real well other than a couple of virtual...
German man severs another’s hand off with machete
BERLIN — A 22-year-old is under investigation after chopping off another man’s hand with a machete at an outdoor recreation area in western Germany, prosecutors said Monday. Prosecutors in Koblenz said the suspect told authorities he had been chopping firewood in a forested area west of the city on Saturday...
China sanctions 11 U.S. politicians, heads of organizationsVideo
BEIJING — China on Monday announced unspecified sanctions against 11 U.S. politicians and heads of organizations promoting democratic causes, including Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who have already been singled out by Beijing. Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday said the 11 had “performed badly” on issues concerning...
Hundreds ransack downtown Chicago businesses after shootingVideo
CHICAGO — Hundreds of people descended on downtown Chicago early Monday following a police shooting on the city’s South Side, with vandals smashing the windows of dozens of businesses and making off with merchandise, cash machines and anything else they could carry, police said. Police Superintendent David Brown told reporters...
1 dead, 4 rescued after gas explosion levels Baltimore homesVideo
BALTIMORE — A natural gas explosion destroyed three row houses in Baltimore on Monday, killing a woman and trapping other people in the wreckage. At least four people were hospitalized with serious injuries as firefighters searched for more survivors. Dozens of firefighters converged on the piles of rubble. A fourth...
Pennsylvania reports 601 new cases of coronavirus, 3 deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health added 601 more cases of coronavirus and three deaths to their totals on Monday. The new cases bring the state’s total to 119,453 coronavirus cases and 7,317 deaths since the first cases were reported in March. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, Allegheny’s 75 new cases raised its...
States on hook for billions under Trump’s unemployment plan
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Whether President Donald Trump has the constitutional authority to extend federal unemployment benefits by executive order remains unclear. Equally up in the air is whether states, which are necessary partners in Trump’s plan to bypass Congress, will sign on. Trump announced an executive order Saturday that...
Why choice of running mate matters more than usual this year
NEW YORK — For all the secrecy and speculation that typically surrounds the search for a vice presidential candidate, the decision rarely sways an election. But ahead of Joe Biden’s imminent announcement, this year could be different. At a minimum, the decision will shift the force of the campaign —...
6 French citizens, 2 guides killed by gunmen at giraffe park in Niger
NIAMEY, Niger — Unidentified gunmen killed six French aid workers and two Nigerien guides who were visiting a wildlife park east of Niger’s capital early Sunday, authorities from both countries said. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences and support for the victims’ families in a statement. Macron had a...
Sturgis arrests and crashes keep pace with last yearVideo
South Dakota authorities on Sunday reported the first haul of crashes, arrests and citations from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the western part of the state. The annual rally started on Friday, drawing thousands of maskless riders to the streets and bars of Sturgis. While organizers have said they expect...
Heat wave returns before electricity for some after tropical stormVideo
NEW YORK — Another heat wave was rolling into the New York tristate region Sunday as over 300,000 residents and businesses waited for electricity to return after last week’s tropical storm. The race to restore fuel for desperately needed air conditioners, refrigerators and electronic devices as another work week approached...
Georgia school shifting online after infections reported
DALLAS, Ga. — A Georgia high school plans to start the week with all classes shifting online after nine students and staff tested positive for the coronavirus when the school year opened last week with most students attending in-person. North Paulding High School made headlines soon after students returned to...
Pennsylvania reports 760 more cases of coronavirus
The Pennsylvania Department of Health added 760 more cases of coronavirus and one death to their totals on Sunday. The new cases bring the state’s total to 118,852 coronavirus cases and 7,314 deaths since the first cases were reported in March. Of those cases, 115,505 are confirmed and 3,347 are...
Puerto Rico halts primary voting in centers lacking ballots
SAN JUAN — Puerto Rico on Sunday was forced to partially suspend voting for primaries marred by a lack of ballots as officials called on the president of the U.S. territory’s elections commission to resign. The primaries for voting centers that had not received ballots by early afternoon are expected...
Ohio governor’s conflicting covid-19 tests raise backlashVideo
COLUMBUS — The Ohio governor’s positive, then negative, tests for covid-19 have provided fuel for skeptics of government pandemic mandates and critics of his often-aggressive policies. “I’m sure the internet is lighting up with ‘Well, you can’t believe any test,’ ” Mike DeWine said in a WCOL radio interview Friday,...
Trump end run around Congress raises questions on his claimsVideo
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — President Donald Trump’s end run around Congress on coronavirus relief is raising questions about whether it would give Americans the economic lifeline he claims and appears certain to face legal challenges. Democrats called it a pre-election ploy that would burden cash-strapped states. “When you look at those...
