Dr. Fauci says his family has received death threats, daughters harassedVideo
Dr. Anthony Fauci said he and his family continue to get death threats because of his high-profile guidance on the coronavirus pandemic. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, revealed Wednesday his family has been forced to hire personal security since at least early April...
Trump’s bank subpoenaed by New York prosecutors in criminal inquiry
NEW YORK — The New York prosecutor who has been fighting, unsuccessfully so far, to get President Donald Trump’s tax returns had better luck last year getting a bank to turn over his financial records. The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance sent a subpoena last year to...
The coronavirus is ravaging Japan, and Shinzo Abe may finally be fading away
TOKYO — Japan’s tally of coronavirus infections is shooting up faster than ever, and support for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is sinking to new lows. While Japan’s total death toll remains close to the number the United States sees in a day, the public fears Japan may be sitting on...
Sally Yates denies anti-Trump politics in Obama’s Flynn inquiry
WASHINGTON — A key player in the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn testified that President Barack Obama and his deputies focused solely on national security, not anti-Trump politics, in discussing what to do about Flynn’s dealings with Russia’s ambassador. “Something like that would have set off alarms...
Pa. lawmakers propose 1st dog license fee increase in 24 years
State lawmakers on Wednesday called for an increase in the cost of a dog license — the first in more than two decades in Pennsylvania — in an effort to keep the state’s Bureau of Dog Law from going into the red. The bureau, part of the state Department of...
Pitt to launch study of medical marijuana use to ease pain in sickle cell patients
Finding a way to use medical marijuana to treat sickle cell anemia will be the focus of a $3 million research program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. It is part of a 10-year agreement with Goodblend Pennsylvania LLC, Pitt’s new affiliate in medical marijuana research. State officials...
Chicago schools to begin fall remotely, dropping hybrid planVideo
CHICAGO — Chicago’s mayor on Wednesday announced that the nation’s third-largest school district will not welcome students back to the classroom, after all, and will instead rely only on remote instruction to start the school year. The city’s decision to abandon its plan to have students attend in-person classes for...
U.S. officials dispute Trump’s claim that Beirut was attacked
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that most people think the deadly explosion Tuesday in Lebanon that killed at least 130 people was an accident, contradicting President Donald Trump, who said American generals told him it was likely caused by a bomb. Esper said the United States was...
Florida becomes 2nd state to top 500K coronavirus cases as testing resumes after stormVideo
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida surpassed 500,000 coronavirus cases Wednesday as testing ramped up following a temporary shutdown of some sites because of Tropical Storm Isaias, state officials said. That makes Florida second only to California among states with people diagnosed with the disease. A long line of cars waited...
2 tornadoes confirmed in eastern Pennsylvania during storm
PHILADELPHIA — The National Weather Service has confirmed that tornadoes touched down in Bucks and Montgomery counties during Tuesday’s storm. The weather service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey said more details would be provided later such as the strength and exact location of the storms, which were among six...
Continuing recent trend, Pennsylvania reports under 1,000 new covid-19 cases
Pennsylvania added 705 new covid-19 cases and 12 deaths on Wednesday. Wednesday marks the eighth straight day the state has posted new cases below 1,000. In that eight-day span, they have averaged 791 new cases a day, which is 17.3% less than the previous eight days (956 between July 21-28)....
Trump considering giving convention speech from White House
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he’s considering delivering his Republican convention acceptance speech from the White House after his initial plans to hold the event in two battleground states were foiled by coronavirus concerns and health restrictions. The move would mark an unprecedented use of public property...
Virus testing in U.S. is dropping, even as deaths mount
U.S. testing for the coronavirus is dropping even as infections remain high and the death toll rises by more than 1,000 a day, a worrisome trend that officials attribute largely to Americans getting discouraged over having to wait hours to get a test and days or weeks to find out...
State Department watchdog resigns after predecessor’s ouster
WASHINGTON — The State Department’s acting inspector general resigned abruptly on Wednesday following the firing of his predecessor in circumstances now being investigated by Congress. Stephen Akard announced his resignation just two days after Democrats issued subpoenas for several of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s top aides to answer questions...
U.S. officials dispute Trump’s claim Beirut was attacked
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials said Wednesday there is no indication the massive explosion in Lebanon that killed at least 100 people was an attack, contradicting President Donald Trump who said American generals told him it was likely caused by a bomb. The officials, speaking only on condition of anonymity to...
Biden won’t go to Milwaukee to accept Democratic nominationVideo
Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee to accept the Democratic presidential nomination because of concerns over the coronavirus, party officials said Wednesday, signaling a move to a convention that essentially has become entirely virtual. It is the latest example of the pandemic’s sweeping effects on the 2020 presidential election...
Facebook launches new TikTok clone, Instagram Reels
NEW YORK — Facebook’s Instagram is launching its answer to the hit short video app TikTok — Instagram Reels. The new Instagram feature will let users record and edit 15-second videos with audio, and will let users add visual effects. Users will be able to share Reels with followers in...
Negligence probed in deadly Beirut blast amid public angerVideo
BEIRUT — Investigators probing the deadly blast that ripped across Beirut focused Wednesday on possible negligence in the storage of tons of a highly explosive fertilizer in a waterfront warehouse, while the government ordered the house arrest of several port officials. International aid flights began to arrive as Lebanon’s leaders...
USDA: ‘Mystery seeds’ include common plants, herbs but still should not be opened
Scientists have found that the “mystery seeds” being sent to addresses across the country represent at least 14 varieties of plants and herbs, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official said. And while many of them are common — mint, rosemary, sage — federal officials said not to plant them, though...
Experts: Obstacles to charging police in Breonna Taylor case
LOUISVILLE — Despite mounting public pressure to file criminal charges nearly five months after Breonna Taylor’s death, prosecutors may face significant obstacles to bringing homicide-related charges against police officers who were shot at when sent to her house with a warrant, legal experts said. Tensions have swelled in her home...
Navy cuts ties with museum over video of dogs biting man in Colin Kaepernick jerseyVideo
A viral video led to the Navy severing ties with an independent SEAL museum in Fort Pierce, Fla., according to a report from the Associated Press. The video, taken in 2018, shows four dogs in a K-9 demonstration latching onto a man in protective gear and draped in the No....
Images of student crowds raise questions in Georgia schoolsVideo
ATLANTA — Two suburban Atlanta school districts that began in-person classes Monday with mask-optional policies face more questions about covid-19 safety protocols after on-campus pictures showed students packed shoulder-to-shoulder. In Cherokee County, dozens of seniors gathered at two of the district’s six high schools to take traditional first-day-of-school senior photos,...
Progress ‘long ways away’ as urgency grows on coronavirus reliefVideo
WASHINGTON — Frustrated Senate Republicans re-upped their complaints on Tuesday that Democratic negotiators are staking too hard a line in talks on a broad coronavirus relief bill, but pressure is mounting for progress as covid-weary senators are eager to return to their home states for the August recess. Another negotiating...
Trump backs off mail voting attacks in Florida as Democrats build huge advantageVideo
WASHINGTON — In an abrupt reversal, President Donald Trump now is encouraging voters in the critical swing state of Florida to vote by mail after months of criticizing the practice, and only days after threatening to sue Nevada over a new vote-by-mail law. His encouragement follows a surge in Democratic...
Ohio Gov. DeWine orders children to wear masks as schools reopen
COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued a health order Tuesday requiring masks for children returning to in-person classes this fall. The governor pleaded with concerned parents and educators across the state to abide by the state’s health orders as K-12 schools begin to open. During his briefing Tuesday, DeWine...
