Far-right U.S. politicians label lockdowns anti-constitutional
SPOKANE, Wash. — In deeply conservative eastern Washington state, a prominent state lawmaker kicked out of his Republican Party caucus labels the coronavirus as a foreign bio-weapon, accuses Marxists of using the pandemic to advance totalitarianism and rails against lockdown restrictions imposed by the Democratic governor. A California teleconference last...
North Korea fires barrage of missiles from ground and air
SEOUL, South Korea — A barrage of North Korean missiles fired from both the ground and fighter jets splashed down on the waters off the country’s east coast on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, a show of force on the eve of a key state anniversary in the North and...
Workers sue McDonald’s over harassment at Florida stores
Two McDonald’s workers in Florida are filing a $500 million class action lawsuit against the company, claiming a “systemic sexual harassment problem” at company-owned stores. The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Illinois, where McDonald’s is based. In the complaint, current McDonald’s employee Jamelia Fairley and former employee...
Figures show hundreds of covid-19 deaths in U.K. care homesVideo
LONDON — Hundreds more people with covid-19 have died in Britain than have been recorded in the government’s daily tally, official figures showed Tuesday — including a tide of deaths in nursing homes that staff say are being overlooked. The Office for National Statistics said 5,979 deaths that occurred in...
Coronavirus is 10 times deadlier than swine flu, WHO director saysVideo
Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, is officially 10 times deadlier than the H1N1 swine flu strain that ripped across much of the world in 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed Monday. The only way to truly halt the spread is a vaccine, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus...
Israeli president extends mandate of Netanyahu rival by 48 hours
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli President Reuven Rivlin early Tuesday extended by another 48 hours the mandate of centrist Blue and White faction leader Benny Gantz to try forming a long-awaited government. His announcement came as right-wing caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met into the early hours of Tuesday with...
Liberal Jill Karofsky wins Wisconsin Supreme Court seat
MADISON, Wis. — Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky defeated conservative Justice Dan Kelly to win a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in results released Monday from last week’s chaotic spring election. The race was officially nonpartisan, but the high court has become heavily politicized in recent years....
Trump says his ‘authority is total’ when to ease coronavirus rules, not governorsVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump claimed the authority Monday to decide how and when to reopen the economy after weeks of tough social distancing guidelines aimed at fighting the new coronavirus. But governors from both parties were quick to push back, noting they have the primary constitutional responsibility for ensuring...
Ohio fishery charged with abusing, wasting game fish
COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio fishery has been charged with wildlife violations after investigators observed abuse and waste of game fish, officials said. Investigators from the state Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife recorded employees from Szuch Fishery Inc. intentionally injure a rare trophy-size fish after it was removed...
Trump’s disdain for ‘Obamacare’ could hamper coronavirus response
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s unrelenting opposition to “Obamacare” could become an obstacle for millions of uninsured people in the coronavirus outbreak, as well as many who are losing coverage in the economic shutdown. Experts say the Affordable Care Act’s insurance markets provide a ready-made infrastructure for extending subsidized private...
Could old vaccines for other germs protect against covid-19?Video
WASHINGTON — Scientists are dusting off some decades-old vaccines against other germs to see if they could provide a little stopgap protection against covid-19 until a more precise shot arrives. It may sound odd: Vaccines are designed to target a specific disease. But vaccines made using live strains of bacteria...
Bernie Sanders formally endorses Joe Biden for president
WASHINGTON — Bernie Sanders endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential campaign on Monday, encouraging his progressive supporters to rally behind the presumptive Democratic nominee in an urgent bid to defeat President Donald Trump. “I am asking all Americans, I’m asking every Democrat, I’m asking every independent, I’m asking a lot of Republicans,...
Trump’s developer friend Stanley Chera dies of coronavirusVideo
WASHINGTON — A friend and donor to President Donald Trump who the president had said was in a coma and seriously ill after becoming infected with the coronavirus has died. Stanley I. Chera’s death Saturday was reported by The Real Deal, which covers the New York real estate industry. The...
Trump campaign sues Wisconsin TV station over critical ad
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is suing a Wisconsin TV station for running an anti-Trump commercial that pieces together audio clips of the president talking about the coronavirus outbreak in a way they argue is misleading and false. The ad by the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA features...
Trump says he’ll decide on easing coronavirus guidelines, not governors
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump asserted Monday that he is the ultimate decision-maker for determining how and when to relax the nation’s social distancing guidelines as he grows anxious to reopen the coronavirus-stricken country as soon as possible. Governors and local leaders, who have instituted mandatory restrictions that have the...
Coronavirus death toll tops 10,000 in New YorkVideo
NEW YORK — New York’s death toll from coronavirus topped 10,000, with hospitals still seeing 2,000 new patients a day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. The state tallied 671 new deaths on Sunday. It was the first time in a week daily toll dipped below 700. Still, the governor noted...
Court lifts part of order blocking Texas abortion banVideo
AUSTIN, Texas — A federal appeals court on Friday partially rescinded a lower-court order that had largely blocked the enforcement of an abortion ban in Texas during the coronavirus pandemic. By a 2-1 vote, the three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld enforcement of an executive...
IRS online tool tracks when your stimulus money will arriveVideo
For millions of Americans out of work and struggling for cash, the government’s $2.2 trillion economic relief plan can’t come soon enough. The first coronavirus-related stimulus checks have started hitting bank accounts, according to the House Ways and Means Committee. But how can you know when will you get yours?...
Supreme Court to hold May arguments by teleconferenceVideo
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said Monday it will hold arguments by teleconference in May in key cases, including President Donald Trump’s bid to shield his tax and other financial records. The court will make live audio of the arguments available for the first time. It had previously postponed courtroom...
Former Senate staffer accuses Joe Biden of sexual assaultVideo
WASHINGTON — A former aide to Joe Biden is accusing the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee of sexually assaulting her during the early 1990s when he was a senator. Biden’s campaign denies the charges. In two recent interviews with the Associated Press, Tara Reade alleged the assault occurred in the basement...
Navy reports first coronavirus death from Roosevelt crewVideo
WASHINGTON — A member of the crew of the coronavirus-infected USS Theodore Roosevelt warship died Monday of complications related to the disease, the Navy said, adding to setbacks for the sidelined aircraft carrier. The sailor, whose name and other identifying information were not publicly released pending notification of relatives, had...
WVU dorm resident has coronavirus, others self-quarantineVideo
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — An undisclosed number of residents at a West Virginia University dormitory complex have been ordered to self-quarantine after someone living there tested positive for the new coronavirus, the university said. The Monongalia County health department notified the university of the positive test Sunday. The individual has been...
Firefighters find body inside burning vehicle in Erie
ERIE — Firefighters who extinguished a car fire at an abandoned gas station early Monday found a body in the vehicle, authorities said. The fire in Erie was reported around 2:30 a.m., city police said. The burning vehicle was next to a building and among several vehicles parked between the...
2 children killed, 3 adults hurt in Philadelphia house fire
PHILADELPHIA — A fast-moving fire roared through a rowhouse in Philadelphia early Monday, killing two children and leaving three adults hospitalized. The blaze in the two-story home started shortly before 5 a.m. and was brought under control within 30 minutes, according to city fire officials. The bodies were found a...
George Stephanopoulos of ‘Good Morning America’ tests positive for coronavirus
NEW YORK — “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos revealed Monday that he’s tested positive for the coronavirus, but has been relatively symptom-free. The ABC newsman revealed his diagnosis on the show, telling co-host Robin Roberts that, “I feel fine.” Stephanopoulos’ wife, Ali Wentworth, had come down with covid-19 and...
