Texas sees deadliest covid-19 day so far with 58 deathsVideo
DALLAS — Texas saw its deadliest covid-19 day of the coronavirus pandemic so far, with state officials reporting 58 deaths during a time span between Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, according to state tabulations. In Corpus Christi, 63 workers of the 747 employees, contractors and vendors at the STX Beef processing...
Appeals court reinstates lawsuit over Trump’s hotel profitsVideo
RICHMOND, Va. — A lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump of illegally profiting off the presidency through his luxury Washington hotel was revived Thursday by a divided federal appeals court. The lawsuit brought by the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia alleges that Trump has violated the emoluments clause...
Wisconsin governor warns of ‘massive confusion’ after rulingVideo
MADISON — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers warned Thursday of “massive confusion” after the state Supreme Court tossed out the Democrat’s stay-at-home order and Republicans said they may leave it up to local governments to enact their own rules for combating the coronavirus pandemic. The court’s order threw communities into chaos,...
For Paul Manafort, home confinement won’t be same as shelter-in-placeVideo
Paul Manafort’s release from federal prison to serve his sentence at home amid the coronavirus pandemic probably won’t be a walk in the park. Unlike millions of other people who are allowed to get outdoor exercise and walk their dogs even while they’re under virus shelter-in-place orders, convicts serving home...
FDA: Trucks used to store bodies during pandemic can return to food use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said refrigerated trucks that preserved the bodies of coronavirus victims during the pandemic may be used for food transport after a thorough cleaning. The FDA has released a handbook on converting the trailers back to their original purpose of hauling food. New...
Hundreds protest stay-at-home order outside Michigan CapitolVideo
LANSING — Hundreds of people angry or frustrated over Michigan’s coronavirus stay-at-home order protested again outside the state Capitol on Thursday, braving heavy rain to call for a loosening of restrictions and for business owners to reopen in defiance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The demonstration was smaller than previous rallies....
Pleasant Unity man accused of threatening Gov. Wolf is free on bail
The Pleasant Unity man accused of threatening Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf by allegedly saying he and his buddies “have a bullet waiting” for him remains free on bail. Rocco Anthony Naples, 28, of was taken into custody by state troopers Tuesday on a York County arrest warrant, police said. He...
CDC officials release edited coronavirus reopening guidanceVideo
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials on Thursday released some of their long-delayed guidance that schools, businesses and other organizations can use as states reopen from coronavirus shutdowns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted six one-page “decision tool” documents that use traffic signs and other graphics to tell...
Trump says he’ll restock stockpile for future pandemics
ALLENTOWN — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he intends to prepare the country for future pandemics by restocking the national stockpile and bringing critical manufacturing back to the U.S. His comments came the same day a whistleblower testified that the Trump administration had failed to properly prepare for the...
Sen. Lindsey Graham to probe origins of Russia inquiry; won’t call ObamaVideo
WASHINGTON — Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said Thursday his committee is opening a wide-ranging investigation into the origins of the Russia investigation, but rejected President Donald Trump’s call to bring in former President Barack Obama to testify. “I am greatly concerned about the precedent that would be set...
Invasive lizards that eat ‘anything they want’ invade GeorgiaVideo
Tegu lizards could eat “murder hornets” for breakfast. Tegus, the latest creature scare that appears in the form of a four-foot lizard and known to have a voracious appetite, have been sighted for the third straight year in Georgia. Biologists say the tegus, which established themselves in Tattnall and Toombs...
Pennsylvania’s largest area code is finally reaching its limit
One of Pennsylvania’s four original area codes finally is getting a little too crowded. The state Public Utility Commission announced Thursday the 814 area code would be assigned a new overlay code of 582. The change also means residents who never needed to dial more than seven digits to make...
Public officials cite virus while limiting access to records
Many state and local governments across the country have suspended public records requirements amid the coronavirus pandemic, denying or delaying access to information that could shed light on key government decisions. Public officials have said employees either don’t have the time or ability to compile the requested documents or data...
Obama emerges as central figure in 2020 presidential race
WASHINGTON — Nearly eight years after he was last on the ballot, Barack Obama is emerging as a central figure in the 2020 presidential election. Democrats are eagerly embracing Obama as a political wingman for Joe Biden, who spent two terms by his side as vice president. Obama remains the...
Richard Burr steps aside as Senate intelligence chair amid FBI probe
WASHINGTON — A Republican senator with access to some of the nation’s top secrets became further entangled in a deepening FBI investigation as agents examining a well-timed sale of stocks during the coronavirus outbreak showed up at his home with a warrant to search his cellphone. Hours later, Sen. Richard...
Wisconsin bars reopen after court ruling praised by Trump
MADISON, Wis. — A court ruling tossing out Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order threw communities into chaos Thursday, after some bars opened immediately and were packed with customers while other local leaders moved to keep strict restrictions in place amid the coronavirus pandemic. The conservative majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court late...
Cassandra Callender, forced to undergo chemo, dies at 22
HARTFORD, Conn. — Cassandra Callender, who was forced by Connecticut courts as a teenager to undergo chemotherapy for cancer, has died after a five-year battle with the disease, her mother said Thursday. She was 22. Callender, of Windsor Locks, died Tuesday at home, where she had been in hospice care...
Pennsylvania coronavirus death toll tops 4,000
The coronavirus death toll in Pennsylvania surpassed 4,000 on Thursday, a day before more than a dozen new counties were set to ease restrictions and resume some semblance of everyday life. State health officials reported 275 more covid-19 deaths and 938 newly identified cases of the virus. The Department of...
Pennsylvania audit to determine whether lobbyists, legislators influenced business waivers
There have been numerous cases in which the state granted waivers allowing some businesses to operate during the state’s coronavirus shutdown while other, similar businesses were denied, according to state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. That’s not an inherent sign of improper behavior by the state Department of Community and Economic...
Pandemic put $1 billion hole in Pennsylvania’s transportation budget
PennDOT is delaying new construction and downgrading resurfacing to patching and sealing as state highway workers return to work after a seven-week coronavirus pandemic shutdown. Acting Secretary of Transportation Yassmin Gramian said the shutdown that halted driver’s license renewals and triggered a dramatic reduction in travel and a corresponding loss...
Whistleblower: U.S. still lacks coronavirus plan, Americans at risk
WASHINGTON — Despite White House claims, the U.S. still lacks a comprehensive battle plan against the coronavirus in critical areas including masks, testing, treatments and vaccines, whistleblower Rick Bright warned Thursday in testimony before a House committee. “Our window of opportunity is closing,” he declared. The nation could face “the...
Trump faces emoluments lawsuit after court tosses his win
President Donald Trump must face a lawsuit accusing him of illegally profiting from his Washington hotel, a federal appeals court ruled, reviving a case that was dismissed last year. The decision on Thursday by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, sets up a fresh fight over the president’s...
36 million have sought U.S. unemployment aid since coronavirus hitVideo
WASHINGTON — Nearly 3 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week as the viral outbreak forced more companies to slash jobs even though most states have begun to let some businesses reopen. Roughly 36 million people have now sought jobless aid in just the two months since...
Russia calls on New York Times, Financial Times to retract stories about virus toll
MOSCOW — Russia’s Foreign Ministry has accused the Financial Times and The New York Times of spreading “disinformation” after the two newspapers alleged that Russia’s coronavirus death toll could be much higher than officials are reporting. The Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said late Wednesday that letters demanding a retraction...
Season that wasn’t: Spring claimed by coronavirus pandemic
By the time spring arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, the pandemic had the world firmly in its grip. The vernal equinox arrived March 19, the day California handed down the first statewide stay-at-home order in the United States. Most of the country would soon follow suit. In the coming weeks,...
