U.S./World category, Page 1009
U.S. senators seek probe of veterans homes after virus deathsVideo
A group of U.S. senators is seeking an investigation into the Department of Veterans Affairs’ oversight of homes for aging veterans amid a spate of coronavirus deaths at the state-run centers. In a letter sent Tuesday, the senators asked the head of the Government Accountability Office to look into the...
Here come covid-19 tracing apps – and privacy trade-offs
As governments around the world consider how to monitor new coronavirus outbreaks while reopening their societies, many are starting to bet on smartphone apps to help stanch the pandemic. But their decisions on which technologies to use — and how far those allow authorities to peer into private lives —...
San Francisco police chief bans ‘thin blue line’ face masks
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s police chief said the city’s rank and file will wear neutral face coverings to defuse a controversy after officers sent to patrol a May Day protest wore masks adorned with the “thin blue line” flag. The police union ordered and distributed the masks emblazoned with...
U.S. to rein in flood of virus blood tests after lax oversight
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators Monday pulled back a decision that allowed scores of coronavirus blood tests to hit the market without first providing proof they worked. The Food and Drug Administration said it took the action because some sellers have made false claims about the tests and their accuracy. Companies...
Coronavirus patients could be cash cows for nursing homes
LOS ANGELES — The nursing home industry has been devastated by the coronavirus, with outbreaks killing thousands of elderly residents and likely setting the stage for both increased regulations and huge legal liabilities. But the health crisis presents operators with a potential financial upside. Patients with covid-19 could be worth...
Smithfield Foods, Tyson plants cautiously reopen plants amid coronavirus fears
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A South Dakota pork processing plant took its first steps toward reopening Monday after being shuttered for over two weeks because of a coronavirus outbreak that infected more than 800 employees. As two departments opened at the Sioux Falls plant operated by Smithfield Foods, employees filed...
Billions projected to suffer nearly unlivable heat in 2070
KENSINGTON, Md. — In just 50 years, 2 billion to 3.5 billion people, mostly the poor who can’t afford air conditioning, will be living in a climate that historically has been too hot to handle, a new study said. With every 1.8 degree increase in global average annual temperature from...
White House disclaims projection showing surge in virus outbreak by June
WASHINGTON — An internal projection created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the U.S. coronavirus outbreak vastly accelerating by June to more than 200,000 new cases and 2,500 deaths per day — far more than the country is currently experiencing. The White House disclaimed the projection, calling...
World leaders pledge billions for virus vaccine research; U.S., absent for now
BRUSSELS — World leaders, organizations and banks on Monday pledged 7.4 billion euros, or $8 billion, for research to find a vaccine against the new coronavirus, but warned that it is just the start of an effort that must be sustained over time to beat the disease. The funds, pledged...
U.S.: Russia could try to covertly advise candidates in 2020
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security and FBI warned states earlier this year that Russia could look to interfere in the 2020 U.S. elections by covertly advising political candidates and campaigns, according to a law enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press. The Feb. 3 document details tactics U.S....
‘Fowl’ play: Alabama police search for ‘aggressive chicken’
WALKER, Ala. — Police are searching for an “aggressive chicken” accused of engaging in fowl play at an Alabama bank. The Walker Police Department responded to a complaint about the brazen animal Friday, the agency said in a social media post over the weekend. Witnesses told police the chicken had...
3 charged in killing of Michigan security guard over coronavirus mask
FLINT, Mich. — A woman, her adult son and husband have been charged in the fatal shooting of a security guard who refused to let her daughter enter a Family Dollar in Michigan because she wasn’t wearing a face mask to protect against transmission of the coronavirus. Calvin Munerlyn was...
‘Murder hornets’ enter U.S., could decimate bee populationVideo
As if 2020 wasn’t bad enough. Now there are so-called “murder hornets.” North American sightings of the Asian giant hornet, which attack and slaughter honeybees, have so far been in Washington state and in Canada. The sightings were reported late last year near Blaine, Wash., and Bellingham, Wash., according to...
Listen in on live oral arguments before Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — It’s a morning of firsts for the Supreme Court, the first time audio of the court’s arguments can be heard live by the world and the first arguments by telephone. The changes are a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has made holding courtroom sessions unsafe, especially with...
Shootout leaves officer, hit-and-run suspect dead in Kansas
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — A shootout in Kansas left both a police officer and a hit-and-run suspect dead, authorities said. Overland Park police Officer Mike Mosher died at a hospital Sunday evening, Police Chief Frank Donchez said. Mosher was off-duty but in uniform when he saw an apparent hit-and-run and...
Senate set to reopen as virus risk divides CongressVideo
WASHINGTON — The Senate will gavel in Monday as the coronavirus rages, returning to an uncertain agenda and deepening national debate over how best to confront the deadly pandemic and its economic devastation. With the House staying away because of the health risks, and the 100 senators convening for the...
Former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge calls protesters ‘self-absorbed and selfish’Video
Former Republican Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge, who also served as the Homeland Security secretary under President George W. Bush, said recently that armed protesters demonstrating against coronavirus lockdown orders are selfish and not heroes. Ridge, who fought in the Vietnam War and earned the Bronze Star for Valor, wrote...
Anthony Fauci nominated for an ‘Oscar’ of civil service
WASHINGTON — Anthony Fauci, the doctor at the forefront of leading America through the coronavirus pandemic, was named Sunday as one of the finalists for the “Oscars” of the government workforce, an annual award ceremony recognizing the achievements of top public servants. Fauci is one of 27 finalists for the...
Official: Trump had 2 intel briefings on coronavirus in late January
WASHINGTON — The intelligence community briefed President Trump twice in the eight days before he imposed travel restrictions on China in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus, said a senior White House official familiar with the briefings. In a Jan. 23 briefing, Trump was told the virus...
NRA cutting staff and salaries amid coronavirus pandemic
The National Rifle Association has laid off dozens of employees, canceled its national convention and scuttled fundraising, membership and shooting events that normally would be key to rallying its base in an election year. The coronavirus pandemic has upended the gun-rights organization during what should be heady times for the...
Ohio worker killed after becoming trapped in gravel hopper
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A worker at an industrial site in Ohio died after becoming trapped in a gravel hopper, authorities said. The man, who was in his 60s, was working at Enon Sand and Gravel in Bethel Township, Clark County, the Springfield News-Sun reports. Township fire chief Jacob King said...
California stay-at-home order faces revolts at beaches, rural communitiesVideo
LOS ANGELES — Pressure to reopen parts of California continued to build over the weekend, with more rural counties vowing to ease stay-at-home restrictions and protesters marching against the closure of Orange County beaches, a move intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Polls show most Californians support stay-at-home...
Pa. among 6 states joining N.Y. to buy vital coronavirus gear in bulk
NEW YORK — New York is banding together with six nearby states, including Pennsylvania, to purchase equipment and supplies that sometimes have been hard to come by during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday. Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is praising residents for mostly adhering...
FDA gives emergency OK to coronavirus antibody test with 100% accuracy claim
The Food and Drug Administration gave emergency approval to a coronavirus antibody test that has 100% accuracy, according to its Swiss manufacturer. According to drugmaker Roche, the antibody test has an incredible success rate when determining whether or not someone has been infected with coronavirus. The test was 100% accurate...
Pompeo: ‘Enormous evidence’ links virus to Wuhan lab, though it’s unlikely manmade
WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said “enormous evidence” shows the novel coronavirus outbreak began in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, and Beijing has refused to give international scientists access to learn what happened. “I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this...
