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...
Judge grants sanctions against DOJ over citizenship question
A federal judge on Thursday agreed to impose financial sanctions against the Trump administration for failing to produce hundreds of documents during litigation over whether a citizenship question could be added to the 2020 census. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman said in a ruling that the Trump administration’s failure to...
Police: Metro Phoenix retail complex shooter felt ‘bullied’
GLENDALE, Ariz. — A gunman who opened fire at a suburban Phoenix restaurant and retail complex, injuring three people, wanted to target shoppers in retaliation for bullying he had suffered, authorities said Thursday. “He said that he went to Westgate to target victims. He wanted to gain some respect, and...
Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works closing some stores in U.S.
About 250 Victoria’s Secret stores and around 50 Bath & Body Works stores will be closing for good in the United States and Canada, according to news from the chain’s parent company L Brands. USA Today reports a quarterly earnings report by the parent company says sales have declined 37%...
Pa. reports 102 additional covid-19 deaths; Gov. Wolf to move more counties from red phase to yellow
The nearly 1,000 new coronavirus cases reported by state health officials on Thursday pushed Pennsylvania’s running case count past 65,000 as the state also added 102 new virus-related deaths. The covid-19 death toll across the state now stands at 4,869. All of the deaths have been adults, according to Secretary...
As coronavirus deaths near 100K, Trump should lower flags, Pelosi, Schumer say
WASHINGTON — Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer urged President Donald Trump to lower flags at all public buildings when the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 reaches 100,000. The Democratic leaders made their request Thursday in a letter to the White House saying the move would...
U.S. says it’s pulling out of Open Skies surveillance treaty
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration notified international partners on Thursday that it is pulling out of a treaty that permits 30-plus nations to conduct unarmed, observation flights over each other’s territory — overflights set up decades ago to promote trust and avert conflict. The administration says it wants out of...
Furloughs becoming layoffs at Trump resort in South Florida
DORAL, Fla. — Some furloughs at a Trump golf resort in South Florida are becoming permanent layoffs. A notice that the Trump National Doral Miami filed with the State of Florida last week says it is permanently laying off 250 workers out of 560 employees who were furloughed in March....
Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen released from prison
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s longtime personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen was released from federal prison Thursday to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Cohen had been serving a federal prison sentence at FCI Otisville in New...
Man, woman found shot dead in Philadelphia home
PHILADELPHIA — Authorities say a woman and a man have been found shot to death in a northeast Philadelphia home. Police called to the Bridesburg home shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday found a 37-year-old woman with three gunshot wounds. A 43-year-old man was found in the hallway with a gunshot...
Pa. again extends gun permit licenses that have expired
State officials on Thursday granted another extension for residents whose gun permits have expired during the coronavirus pandemic. The extension applies to permits that expired on or after March 19, according to state police. The initial license to carry extension was set to expire May 30, and Gov. Tom Wolf...
Lori Loughlin, husband plead guilty in college admissions case, to serve prison time
BOSTON — Actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have agreed to plead guilty to charges in the college admissions bribery case and serve two months in prison, according to court papers filed Thursday. The couple agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail...
Another 2.4 million apply for unemployment benefits, 39 million in all since coronavirus hit
WASHINGTON — More than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession. Roughly 38.6 million people have now filed for jobless aid...
Latest Ohio reopenings include indoor dining, campgrounds
COLUMBUS, Ohio — After being abruptly shut down nearly two months ago to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Ohio restaurants are set to offer indoor dining again Thursday. Campgrounds are also reopening. Horse racing begins again Friday, but without spectators. Restaurants that allow diners inside must provide proper social...
13 workers die in Bangladesh road accident
DHAKA, Bangladesh — A speeding truck loaded with iron bars overturned Thursday in heavy rain after its driver apparently lost control, killing 13 passengers in northern Bangladesh, police said. The truck was traveling from Dhaka and the dead were day laborers who were riding in the back, local police chief...
Millions more people likely sought U.S. unemployment benefitsVideo
WASHINGTON — The government will provide its latest snapshot Thursday of the layoffs that have left tens of millions of people unemployed but that have begun to slow as states allow some businesses to reopen and fewer companies slash jobs. Millions more people likely filed for unemployment benefits last week,...
Oxfam to close 18 offices worldwide as virus drains finances
LONDON — Oxfam International, one of the world’s leading aid agencies, will severely curtail its work because of the financial strain caused by the coronavirus pandemic, including the closure of operations in 18 countries at the potential cost of 1,450 jobs. The organization, which currently operates in 66 countries and...
Colleges plan fall opening, but campuses won’t look the sameVideo
Growing numbers of U.S. colleges are pledging to reopen this fall, with dramatic changes to campus life to keep the coronavirus at bay. Big lectures will be a thing of the past. Dorms will will be nowhere near capacity. Students will face mandatory virus testing. And at some smaller schools,...
Buffalo, N.Y.-area police department brings levity to serious work
There aren’t many professions of more serious consequence than policework. Officers put their lives on the line for the communities they serve, and the way they do their jobs can make all the difference in the world for the quality of life of residents. That seriousness is usually reflected in...
Trump claims he will end his hydroxychloroquine regimen soonVideo
After hiding the claim that Donald Trump had been taking hydroxychloroquine for more than a week, the president revealed Wednesday he will end his regimen “in a day or two.” Trump, who said he has tested negative for the coronavirus, announced on Monday he was taking the anti-malaria drug to...
