Cornavirus pandemic claims another victim: Robocalls
Have you been missing something amid the lockdowns and stay-at-home orders? No, not human contact. Not even toilet paper. Robocalls. Industry experts say robocalls are way down — scam calls as well as nagging from your credit-card company to pay your bill. The coronavirus pandemic has inflicted millions of job...
When should New York City reopen? Gov. Andrew Cuomo: It’s my call
NEW YORK — New York City’s mayor unveiled a new set of data thresholds Friday to help determine when to loosen restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic, but his frequent political sparring partner, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, later said it will be up to the state — not the city —...
115 new coronavirus deaths reported in PennsylvaniaVideo
Pennsylvania reported more than 100 new coronavirus-related deaths Friday, bringing the overall death toll to just under 5,000. With the addition of 115 deaths, the statewide total now stands at 4,984. State health officials recorded 866 new cases of the virus throughout the day Thursday, pushing the running case count...
Iran leader says Israel a ‘cancerous tumor’ to be destroyedVideo
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s supreme leader on Friday called Israel a “cancerous tumor” that “will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed” in an annual speech in support of the Palestinians, renewing threats against Iran’s archenemy in the Middle East. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s speech marked a subdued Quds Day for...
Biden: If you can’t choose me over Trump, ‘you ain’t black’Video
ATLANTA — Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, had a testy exchange with a prominent black radio personality on Friday over his support among black voters and his potential running mate. Charlamagne Tha God pressed Biden on reports that he is considering Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is white,...
Putin says coronavirus situation in Russia stabilized
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin said Friday the coronavirus outbreak in Russia has begun to abate, creating a positive environment for easing restrictions, as officials defended the country’s data on deaths against claims they were being under-reported. Speaking during a video conference with top officials, Putin pointed at the decreasing...
In Mexico City, experts find bones of dozens of mammoths
MEXICO CITY — Archaeologists have found the bones of about 60 mammoths at an airport under construction just north of Mexico City, near human-built ‘traps’ where more than a dozen mammoths were found last year. Both discoveries reveal how appealing the area — once a shallow lake — was for...
Police: Boy found dead hours after mom said he was abducted
MIAMI — A 9-year-old autistic boy has been found dead hours after his mother told police he was abducted by two men who “ambushed” her during a late-night drive south of Miami, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed Friday. An Amber Alert that had been issued for Alejandro Ripley...
U.S. wants WHO review of covid-19 response to start ‘now’Video
GENEVA — The United States says it wants the World Health Organization to start work “now” on a planned independent review of its coordinated international response to the covid-19 outbreak, at a time the Trump administration has repeatedly criticized the agency and is threatening to cut off U.S. funding for...
Arrivals to U.K. face 14-day quarantine under government planVideo
LONDON — People arriving in the United Kingdom will have to quarantine themselves for 14 days and could be fined $1,220 if they fail to comply under a plan being announced Friday by the British government. Home Secretary Priti Patel will set out details of the measures, which have already...
Virus accelerates across Latin America, India, PakistanVideo
NEW DELHI — The coronavirus pandemic accelerated across Latin America, Russia and the Indian subcontinent on Friday even as curves flattened and reopening was underway in much of Europe, Asia and the United States. Many governments say they have to shift their focus to saving jobs that are vanishing as...
Pakistan plane with 98 on board crashes near Karachi
KARACHI, Pakistan — A passenger plane with 98 people on board crashed in a crowded neighborhood on the edge of the international airport near Pakistan’s port city of Karachi on Friday after what appeared to be an engine failure during landing. Mayor Wasim Akhtar said at least five or six...
Missouri governor not only allows graduation, but keynotes
O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — In a year when many states are prohibiting in-person graduation ceremonies due to the coronavirus, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is not only allowing them, but also spoke at one. The Republican governor had a special connection to the indoor ceremony Thursday night at Sparta High School...
Flood raises fears of pollution at Michigan toxic waste site
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — It took seven years to settle on a plan for cleansing two rivers and floodplains polluted with dioxins from a Dow Chemical Co. plant in central Michigan. The work itself has lasted nearly twice as long, with plenty still to do. Now, scientists and activists fear...
‘1-4-3 Day’ returns Friday to honor Fred Rogers’ legacy
Friday is 1-4-3 Day, a statewide celebration of Fred Rogers’ message of love and kindness. To Mr. Rogers, the number 143 was a code — one number for “I,” four for “love,” and three for “you.” Gov. Tom Wolf declared the first 1-4-3 Day last year, and the tradition returns...
Trump declares emergency for flooded Michigan communities
MIDLAND, Mich. — Many Central Michigan residents remained cut off from their homes Thursday even as floodwaters receded, with senior citizens among the scores of displaced people staying in shelters after flooding overwhelmed two dams, submerged homes and washed out roads. President Donald Trump, who was in Michigan to visit...
Coroner: Smoke inhalation killed 34 in California boat fire
LOS ANGELES — Coroner’s reports for the 34 victims who died in a scuba boat fire off the Southern California coast last year show they died of carbon monoxide poisoning before they were burned, authorities said Thursday. All thirty-three scuba divers and one crew member died in the Sept. 2...
Man who filmed Arbery shooting video charged in his slaying
SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Georgia man whose cellphone video of Ahmaud Arbery’s fatal shooting helped reignite the case was charged with murder Thursday, making him the third person arrested more than two months after the slaying. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 50-year-old William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. was arrested on...
‘Hundreds of millions’ in fraudulent unemployment benefits paid
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Impostors have used the stolen information of tens of thousands of people in Washington to fraudulently receive hundreds of millions of dollars in unemployment benefits, the head of the state’s Employment Security Department said Thursday. Commissioner Suzi LeVine said that the state is currently working with federal...
US begins crackdown on unvetted coronavirus antibody blood tests
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators are moving ahead with a crackdown on scores of antibody tests for the coronavirus that have not yet been shown to work. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday published a list of more than two dozen test makers that have failed to file applications to...
Divided Senate confirms John Ratcliffe as national intelligence chief
WASHINGTON — A sharply divided Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe as director of national intelligence on Thursday, with Democrats refusing to support the nomination over fears that he will politicize the intelligence community’s work under President Donald Trump. All Democrats opposed Ratcliffe, making him the first DNI to be installed on...
FBI says Texas naval base shooting is ‘terrorism-related’
A shooting at a Texas naval air station that wounded a sailor and left the gunman dead is being investigated as “terrorism-related,” the FBI said Thursday. The shooting began around 6:15 a.m. Thursday at Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi. The shooter tried to speed through a gate at the base in...
Experts: Low traffic numbers expected for Memorial Day weekend
Vehicular traffic is down nearly 40 percent on Pennsylvania highways since the onset of the pandemic in March, leading traffic experts to say that on this Memorial Day weekend, normally high-volume traffic will be down. “As of April 29, which is the most recent date for which we have verified...
Texas mayor says women can’t lead prayer at council meetings
WYLIE, Texas — The mayor of a small Dallas suburb told a fellow City Council member in an email that women shouldn’t be allowed to lead prayer at public meetings because it goes against the Bible. Wylie Mayor Eric Hogue quoted two New Testament scriptures in the email sent to...
Forecasters predict busy 2020 Atlantic hurricane season
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — With forecasters predicting another intense Atlantic hurricane season with as many as 13 to 19 named storms, disaster preparedness experts say it’s critically important for people in evacuation zones to plan to stay with friends or family, rather than end up in shelters during the coronavirus...
