Dutch court convicts tram shooter of deadly terror attack
THE HAGUE, Netherlnads — A Dutch court convicted a radicalized Muslim man Friday of murder with a terrorist motive and sentenced him to life imprisonment for opening fire on a tram and killing four people last year. The defendant, 38-year-old Gokmen Tanis, was not in court to hear the verdict...
This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee has been canceled
The Scripps National Spelling Bee won’t be held as scheduled this year because of the coronavirus. Scripps informed the Associated Press of its decision Friday morning, citing recommendations against large gatherings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the ongoing state of emergency in Maryland. The bee was...
Most renters will not receive protections under White House proposal
NEW YORK — Most Americans who rent their home, many of whom have lost their jobs in the sudden economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak, will not be eligible for eviction protections, despite what President Donald Trump said this week. Under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s plan...
Fleeing virus for resort homes, some find welcome mat yankedVideo
OCEAN CITY, N.J. — Some city folk have been fleeing to their second homes in resort areas to ride out the coronavirus outbreak near the beach or the ski slopes. But neighbors in many of those places are yanking the welcome mat — fearing infection and the overwhelming of already...
Severe storms roar through Ohio; thousands without power
DAYTON, Ohio — Thousands of people remained without power early Friday after severe thunderstorms roared through Ohio, causing flooding and knocking down trees across the state. The storms that struck late Thursday and early Friday contained heavy rains and strong, gusty winds, officials said. The flooding led to travel issues...
Travelers rush to Moroccan airports for evacuation flights
RABAT, Morocco — Foreigners stranded in locked-down Morocco are getting on evacuation flights Friday as governments try to repatriate their citizens after days of travel frustration. Visitors from around the world have found themselves stuck in Morocco since the North African country suspended all international passenger flights and passenger ships...
Official says 25 Afghan forces killed in insider attack
KABUL, Afghanistan — At least 25 police and army personnel were killed in an apparent insider attack early Friday, Afghan officials said. The attack took place in southern Zabul province, a Taliban stronghold. Assadullah Kakar, a provincial council member, said the Taliban carried out the attack, but with the assistance...
Africa’s busiest airport says foreigners can’t disembarkVideo
JOHANNESBURG — Anxiety rose in Africa’s richest nation Friday as South Africa announced coronavirus cases jumped to 202, the most in the sub-Saharan region, while the country’s largest airport announced that foreigners would not be allowed to disembark. And state-owned South African Airways suspended all international flights until June. “The...
2020 campaigns go digital amid fears of coronavirus spread
WASHINGTON — No more rallies. No more door-knocking. And no more in-person fundraisers, raking in dollars from dozens of millionaires at once. The coronavirus has disrupted American life, and the 2020 presidential campaign is no exception. Amid calls for social distancing to stop the pandemic’s spread, President Donald Trump and...
Virus pandemic’s reach worsens; 10,000 dead worldwideVideo
PARIS — The U.S. warned Americans to avoid all international travel and told citizens abroad to return now or face an “indefinite” absence, and California’s governor asked all 40 million residents to stay home, to try to slow a pandemic death toll that on Friday surpassed 10,000 people worldwide. Wuhan,...
Funerals prohibited in Washington state amid coronavirus fears
SEATTLE — Add funerals to the list of prohibited social gatherings under Washington state’s “social-distancing” order intended to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Sports and arts events had already shuttered after Gov. Jay Inslee’s Monday proclamation shutting down restaurants, bars, theaters and other places where people congregate. On...
California governor orders statewide stay-at-home order
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered the state’s 40 million residents to stay at home, restricting non-essential movements to control the spread of the coronavirus that threatens to overwhelm the state’s medical system. “This is a moment we need to make tough decisions,” Newsom said. “We...
Gov. Wolf orders ‘non-life-sustaining’ businesses to close physical locations to halt coronavirus spreadVideo
Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all “non-life-sustaining” businesses in Pennsylvania to close Thursday night in an effort to slow the spread of covid-19. The order took effect at 8 p.m. Businesses that refuse to close down will face “enforcement actions” beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, beer...
Derry Area sends Grandview Elementary staff home as it awaits coronavirus test results
Derry Area School District on Thursday closed Grandview Elementary School to essential workers and others after a family member of a support staff member was tested for covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. “Acting prudently and with an abundance of caution, we have decided to close Grandview Elementary...
Disaster declaration brings low-interest loans for small businesses in Pennsylvania, elsewhere
Small businesses that have lost revenue as a result of the coronavirus will be able to apply for low-interest loans now that Pennsylvania has received a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The action came a day after Gov. Tom Wolf asked for the declaration for all 67...
Life during coronavirus pandemic: How this McCandless 5th-grader stays busy (and safe for her mom)Video
We invite Trib readers to share stories about their lives during coronavirus. Write to Director of Content John Allison at jallison@triblive.com. Please include your full name, neighborhood and phone number. Send photos, too, of what you are doing and seeing. Here’s a story from Jenna Parker of McCandless Township, a...
PHEAA issues temporary waivers for some student grant programs, extends application deadlines
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) Thursday moved to acknowledge sweeping changes that have forced colleges to shutter classrooms and move to online instruction due to coronavirus fears. Thursday, the agency’s board of directors moved to loosen the restrictions on about a half-dozen grant programs that affect about 210,000...
Italian death toll overtakes China’s as virus spreadsVideo
ROME — The death toll in Italy from the coronavirus overtook China’s on Thursday in a stark illustration of how the outbreak has pivoted toward Europe and the United States. Italy, with a population of 60 million, recorded at least 3,405 deaths, or roughly 150 more than in China —...
U.S.-Canada border to close late Friday to non-essential trips
TORONTO — The Canadian government said Thursday the Canada-U.S. border will be closed to all non-essential travel in both directions Friday night. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said it will take “weeks to months” for social-distancing measures in his country to be lifted amid the coronavirus pandemic. Both the U.S....
Trump weighs controls on companies that take coronavirus bailouts
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday the government should take an equity stake in some companies that need bailouts because of devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the U.S. economy. Trump told a briefing he has executive authority to curb the impact on businesses. “There’s a lot of...
Minnesota jury acquits sheriff’s deputy in shooting death
STILLWATER, Minn. — A Minnesota sheriff’s deputy was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter on Thursday in the 2018 fatal shooting of a suicidal man who held a gun to his own head as he knelt in the street during a 40-minute standoff with police. Prosecutors said Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian...
Celebrities get coronavirus tests, raising concerns of inequality
WASHINGTON — Celebrities, politicians and professional athletes faced a backlash this week as many revealed that they had been tested for the coronavirus, even when they didn’t have a fever or other tell-tale symptoms. That’s fueling a perception that the wealthy and famous have been able to jump to the...
Virus concerns close Greenbrier resort in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia governor’s lavish resort, which served as a secret Cold War-era bunker for the federal government, closed Thursday over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs said on its website that it shut down at noon Thursday and plans to...
California governor: 60,000 homeless could get virus
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As worries about the spread of the coronavirus confine millions of Californians to their homes, concern is growing about those who have no homes in which to shelter. Gov. Gavin Newsom estimates up to 60,000 homeless could end up infected. California has more than 150,000 homeless people,...
Mnuchin: Family of 4 could get $3K under virus relief planVideo
WASHINGTON — The first federal checks to families could be $3,000 for a family of four under the White House proposal to unleash $1 trillion to shore up households and the U.S. economy amid the coronavirus outbreak. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that the “checks in the mail” would...
