U.S. economy unlikely to recover as rapidly as it collapsedVideo
BALTIMORE — President Donald Trump has been telling voters that the U.S. economy will leap back to life “like a rocket,” stronger than ever after its bout with the coronavirus. But there is a reason economics is called the “dismal science.” There are emerging signs that any recovery will fail...
Democrats stall Trump’s $250B business virus aid package
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Thursday stalled President Donald Trump’s request for $250 billion to supplement a “paycheck protection” program for businesses crippled by the coronavirus outbreak, demanding protections for minority-owned businesses and money for health care providers and state and local governments. They sidetracked a request by Majority Leader...
Tie game: Ancient bit of string shows Neanderthal handiwork
NEW YORK — It looked like a white splotch on the underside of a Neanderthal stone tool. But a microscope showed it was a bunch of fibers twisted around each other. Further examination revealed it was the first direct evidence that Neanderthals could make string, and the oldest known direct...
Bar owner pulls down cash from walls to pay workers
For the past 15 years, patrons have contributed dollar bills to decorate the walls and ceiling of The Sand Bar in Tybee Island, Ga. But now, with the coronavirus pandemic having shut down the bar, owner Jennifer Knox knew there was a better use for that cash. CNN reports Knox...
‘Smart toilet’ reads your backside print, analyzes waste for disease
A toilet that does double duty could be on its way to your home. Researchers at Stanford University announced they have developed a system that can monitor your health by examining your waste — be it No. 1 or 2. In a release, Dr. Sanjiv “Sam” Gambhir and his team...
Tornado or virus? Coronavirus pandemic means tough sheltering decisions
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — As each day brings the United States closer to peak severe weather season, Tornado Alley residents are facing a difficult question: Is it better to take on a twister outside a community shelter or to face the possibility of contracting the new coronavirus inside one? So far,...
Missouri dad charged with accidentally shooting 8-year-old
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri man has been charged with accidentally shooting his 8-year-old child after giving a lesson on gun safety as he put a pistol away. Phillip Lumas Sr., 45, of Jefferson City was charged Tuesday with felony second-degree domestic assault and misdemeanor second-degree endangering the welfare...
Astronauts leave virus-plagued planet for space station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Three astronauts flew to the International Space Station on Thursday, departing the virus-plagued planet with little fanfare and no family members at the launch site to bid them farewell. NASA’s Chris Cassidy and Russians Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner arrived at the orbiting lab in their...
U.S. expels nearly 10,000 to Mexico under new border rules
A U.S. Border Patrol agent wouldn’t let Jackeline Reyes explain why she and her 15-year-old daughter fled Honduras and needed asylum, pointing to the coronavirus. It was just days after the Trump administration quietly empowered itself to shut down the nation’s asylum system. “The agent told us about the virus...
Feds loosen virus rules to let essential workers return
WASHINGTON — In a first, small step toward reopening the country, the Trump administration issued new guidelines to make it easier for essential workers who have been exposed to covid-19 to get back to work if they do not have symptoms of the coronavirus. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the...
Fire at Moscow retirement home kills 4, leaves 16 injured
MOSCOW — A fire in a retirement home in Moscow killed four people and injured 16 others but firefighters managed to rescue 50 people from the burning building, emergency officials said Thursday. The fire broke out Wednesday night in the basement of the building and quickly spread to the ground...
Half billion more people face poverty over virus, report saysVideo
LONDON — Around half a billion people could be pushed into poverty as a result of the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic unless richer countries take “urgent action” to help developing nations, a leading aid organization warned Thursday. In the run-up to three key international economic meetings next week,...
Biden vs. Trump: General election battle is now set
The stage is set for November. Barring unforeseen disaster, Joe Biden will represent the Democratic Party against President Donald Trump this fall, the former vice president’s place on the general election ballot cemented by Bernie Sanders’ decision to end his campaign. Biden likely won’t secure the number of delegates needed...
Warnings multiply against Easter holiday travel, gatheringsVideo
BERLIN — As the Easter holiday approaches, world leaders and health officials are fervently warning that the hard-won gains in the fight against the coronavirus must not be jeopardized by relaxing social distancing. A spike in deaths in Britain and New York and surges of reported new infections in Japan...
HHS: Federal stockpiles of protective equipment nearly exhaustedVideo
WASHINGTON — The Strategic National Stockpile is nearly out of the N95 respirators, surgical masks, face, shields, gowns and other medical supplies desperately needed to protect front-line medical workers treating coronavirus patients. The Department of Health and Human Services told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the federal stockpile was...
Q&A: Why did recommendation on wearing face masks change?
After months of maintaining healthy people didn’t need to wear masks in public to prevent the coronavirus, the country’s top public health officials reversed their position last week, recommending everyone wear a face mask in public places where social distancing is difficult. It’s a stark change from the early weeks...
Kentucky doctor accused of social distancing confrontation arrested
LOUISVILLE — A Kentucky doctor has been arrested, accused of choking a teenage girl while confronting a group of young people about social distancing in a video that’s gone viral. John Rademaker, a Louisville-area physician, was named as the man seen pushing three teenage girls before putting his hands around...
Trump to open more wildlife refuge land to hunting, fishing
SALT LAKE CITY — The Trump administration plans to open 2.3 million acres of land for hunting and fishing at more than 100 national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries under a proposal unveiled Wednesday that is aimed at giving Americans more recreational access on public lands. The plan earned applause...
Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler says she will stop trading stocks in individual companiesVideo
ATLANTA — U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler says she will no longer invest in stocks for individual companies, an attempt to push past the criticism she faces about transactions made on her behalf during the coronavirus pandemic. Loeffler made the announcement in an opinion piece published by the Wall Street Journal....
Linda Tripp, whose tapes exposed Clinton scandal, dies at 70
WASHINGTON — Linda Tripp, whose secretly recorded conversations with White House intern Monica Lewinsky led to the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton, died Wednesday at age 70. Her death was confirmed by attorney Joseph Murtha. He provided no further details. In August 1994, Tripp became a public affairs specialist...
Wisconsin worried about spike in virus cases after election
MADISON, Wis. — The decision to forge ahead with Wisconsin’s election amid a pandemic has stirred fears about a possible spike in the state’s coronavirus cases in the face of stay-at-home orders and efforts to limit contact with others. Public health experts, elected officials, poll workers and many voters pushed...
Presidential betting gets axed quickly in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — For just a moment, West Virginia was the only state in the country to allow betting on the presidential election. The short-lived play by bookmaker giant FanDuel, which was approved by the state lottery board, was announced and then quickly nixed Tuesday night in a bizarre sequence...
Lawmakers overturn religious worship size limits in KansasVideo
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly’s executive order restricting the size of religious gatherings amid the coronavirus outbreak has been overturned after the state’s top prosecutor said it likely violates the state constitution. The Legislative Coordinating Council voted 5-2 Wednesday to undo the order that limited in-person religious services...
Prominent Florida convention center becoming a hospitalVideo
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Two months ago, the Miami Beach Convention Center hosted tens of thousands of cheering and laughing Super Bowl guests visiting the NFL’s traveling museum and interactive displays. Now it is filled around-the-clock with members of the Army Corps of Engineers performing the grim task of setting...
Police: Body of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s grandson found
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Authorities recovered the body of a grandson of former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend on Wednesday, two days after the body of the boy’s mother was found in the water after a canoeing accident. The body of 8-year-old Gideon McKean was found in roughly 25 feet...
