West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice orders virus testing in nursing homes across state
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Friday ordered that residents and staffers of all nursing homes in the state immediately be tested for the coronavirus. The Republican governor said his executive order comes after some testing discrepancies when outbreaks have cropped up in nursing homes. The state...
NASA, SpaceX tab May 27 for first astronaut launch in US since 2011
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA and SpaceX have picked May 27 for resuming astronaut launches from the U.S. after nine years of complete Russian dependence. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the launch date Friday. Astronauts haven’t launched into orbit from the U.S. since NASA’s last space shuttle flight in 2011....
Fort Bragg soldiers make masks to fight coronavirus pandemic
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — It’s become a competition for the soldiers of 647th Quartermaster Company to see who can crank out the most face masks during a shift to protect against the coronavirus. The parachute rigging unit is essential to Airborne operations at Fort Bragg. On any given day, their...
Florida man encases self in concrete at governor’s mansion
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida man encased himself in concrete Friday outside the Governor’s Mansion in the state capital apparently to protest prison conditions related to the coronavirus. Tallahassee police spokesman Kevin Bradshaw said the man, identified as 28-year-old Jordan Mazurek, put PVC pipes horizontally into two 55-gallon plastic drums...
Gov. Tom Wolf lays out plan for reopening Pennsylvania’s economy
The plan to reopen Pennsylvania’s economy will be slow and gradual, hinging on a “regional, sector-based approach,” Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday, though he offered no timetable on when the plan would be enacted. The plan, available on the governor’s website, comes in three phases — relief, reopening and recovery...
Comic-Con canceled over coronavirus, plans 2021 return
LOS ANGELES — This year’s San Diego Comic-Con has been canceled due to coronavirus-related restrictions around large gatherings. Organizers say they are planning for the festival to return in July 2021. The annual confab was scheduled to take place July 23-26 in and around the San Diego Convention Center. California...
‘Heartbreaking’ report shows virus ravaging N.Y. nursing homes
ALBANY, N.Y. — The despair wrought on nursing homes by the coronavirus was laid bare Friday in a state survey identifying numerous New York facilities where multiple patients died over the past few weeks. Nineteen of the state’s nursing homes reported 20 or more deaths linked to the pandemic, the...
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slams feds for ‘passing the buck’ on coronavirus
NEW YORK — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slammed the federal government for “passing the buck” amid the coronavirus crisis — and President Donald Trump wasted no time in hitting him back for “complaining.” Cuomo accused Congress and President Donald Trump of ignoring the financial needs of hard-hit state governments...
New Pennsylvania coronavirus cases increase sharply; 49 more deaths reported
New coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania jumped by more than 1,700, a marked increase in new daily cases compared to the past week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Friday. State health officials also reported 49 more deaths, bringing the statewide death toll of 756. The Department of Health recorded 1,706...
Authorities: Man fatally shoots himself, 2 others in Pa. home
NEW FREEDOM — A man fatally shot an older man and a woman inside a southern Pennsylvania home and then turned the gun on himself, authorities said. Police found the three bodies around 5:30 p.m. Thursday when they responded to a New Freedom home after someone reported a possible fire...
TribLIVE readers say Pennsylvania has overstepped with mask mandate
Many do not agree with Pennsylvania’s order about wearing masks in stores that remain open. In an unscientific TribLIVE.com poll about Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine’s order that essential businesses provide masks for employees and turn away customers who do not have a mask, about 60% of respondents believe...
Special Olympics of Pennsylvania cancels Summer Games
Special Olympics Pennsylvania has canceled its Summer Games scheduled for June at Penn State University in State College. In a news release, the group cited safety precautions related to coronavirus as the reason for the cancellation. The group said it plans to host Virtual Games during the same time, from...
Relief checks are a lifeline for some, a cushion for others
Millions of Americans received government relief checks this week, and more are on the way. For some, the payment gets them to a more comfortable place financially; for others, the money just gets them to next month. Bridget Hughes, a mother of three, received a $2,200 stimulus check this week...
Africa could see 300,000 coronavirus deaths this year
JOHANNESBURG — Africa could see 300,000 deaths from the coronavirus even under the best-case scenario, according to a new report released Friday that cites modeling from Imperial College London. Under the worst-case scenario with no interventions against the virus, Africa could see 3.3 million deaths and 1.2 billion infections, the...
25 years after Oklahoma City bombing, anxiety remains high
OKLAHOMA CITY — In the 25 years since a truck bomb ripped through a federal building in downtown Oklahoma City and killed 168 people, the United States has suffered through foreign wars, a rise in mass shootings and a much deadlier act of terror, the Sept. 11 attacks. But the...
China’s virus death toll revised up sharply after reviewVideo
BEIJING — China’s official death toll from the coronavirus pandemic jumped sharply Friday as the hardest-hit city of Wuhan announced a major revision that added nearly 1,300 fatalities. The new figures resulted from an in-depth review of deaths during a response that was chaotic in the early days. They raised...
Pro-Trump protesters push back on stay-at-home orders
While many Americans are filled with fear, Melissa Ackison says the coronavirus pandemic has filled her with anger. The stay-at home orders are government overreach, the conservative Ohio state Senate candidate says, and the labeling of some workers as “essential” arbitrary. “It enrages something inside of you,” said Ackison, who...
7 Midwest states to partner on reopening the economyVideo
LANSING, Mich. — Seven Midwestern governors announced Thursday that they will coordinate on reopening their state economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, after similar pacts were made in the Northeast and on the West Coast. The latest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky. “We look forward to...
Federal judge denies new criminal trial for Roger Stone
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday denied a request for a new trial made by Trump ally Roger Stone following his conviction on charges related to the Russia investigation. Stone claimed the jury forewoman was biased and petitioned for a new trial; his first such request was denied. It...
Should government track covid-19 patients by phone? Many Americans say yes, poll saysVideo
Over half of Americans think it’s acceptable for the government to track the cell phones of people with coronavirus, according to a new poll. The poll found 52% of the U.S. says it’s “somewhat acceptable” for government to track the phones of people who’ve tested positive for covid-19 to better...
Penn State Health taking part in global clinical trial of antiviral drug for covid-19
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has started enrolling participants in an international clinical trial evaluating an investigational antiviral drug, remdesivir, for treatment of covid-19. Remdesivir, developed by Gilead Sciences Inc., was previously tested in humans with Ebola and has shown some therapeutic benefit against SARS and MERS...
Hospitals looking for more help; lawmakers say Pennsylvania shorted on CARES Act relief
Hospitals across the region that are looking to recover revenue they lost while preparing to meet a surge in covid-19 cases say they need more help and are seeking a more equitable piece of the pie as the federal government rolls out the remaining $70 billion of a $100 billion...
Ohio governor says some businesses may reopen after May 1Video
COLUMBUS — Some Ohio businesses could begin reopening after May 1 as long as proper precautions are taken amid the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday as he provided the first concrete timeline for a return to normal conditions after weeks of uncertainty, fear and economic hardship. The Republican...
Home restrictions on New Yorkers extended another month
NEW YORK — New York planned for a long fight against the coronavirus outbreak amid hopeful hospitalization trends. Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended stay-at-home restrictions Thursday through mid-May, and New York City is getting ready to use 11,000 empty hotel rooms for coronavirus quarantines. Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the...
Trump, aides float outlier theory on origins of coronavirusVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and some of his officials are flirting with an outlier theory that the new coronavirus was set loose on the world by a Chinese lab that let it escape. Without the weight of evidence, they’re trying to blame China for sickness and death from covid-19...
