U.S./World category, Page 1016
California governor orders statewide stay-at-home order
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered the state’s 40 million residents to stay at home, restricting non-essential movements to control the spread of the coronavirus that threatens to overwhelm the state’s medical system. “This is a moment we need to make tough decisions,” Newsom said. “We...
U.S.-Canada border to close late Friday to non-essential trips
TORONTO — The Canadian government said Thursday the Canada-U.S. border will be closed to all non-essential travel in both directions Friday night. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said it will take “weeks to months” for social-distancing measures in his country to be lifted amid the coronavirus pandemic. Both the U.S....
Minnesota jury acquits sheriff’s deputy in shooting death
STILLWATER, Minn. — A Minnesota sheriff’s deputy was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter on Thursday in the 2018 fatal shooting of a suicidal man who held a gun to his own head as he knelt in the street during a 40-minute standoff with police. Prosecutors said Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian...
Celebrities get coronavirus tests, raising concerns of inequality
WASHINGTON — Celebrities, politicians and professional athletes faced a backlash this week as many revealed that they had been tested for the coronavirus, even when they didn’t have a fever or other tell-tale symptoms. That’s fueling a perception that the wealthy and famous have been able to jump to the...
California governor: 60,000 homeless could get virus
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As worries about the spread of the coronavirus confine millions of Californians to their homes, concern is growing about those who have no homes in which to shelter. Gov. Gavin Newsom estimates up to 60,000 homeless could end up infected. California has more than 150,000 homeless people,...
Mnuchin: Family of 4 could get $3K under virus relief planVideo
WASHINGTON — The first federal checks to families could be $3,000 for a family of four under the White House proposal to unleash $1 trillion to shore up households and the U.S. economy amid the coronavirus outbreak. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that the “checks in the mail” would...
Sick staff fueled outbreak in Seattle-area care centers
SEATTLE — Staff members who worked while sick at multiple long-term care facilities contributed to the spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable elderly in the Seattle area, federal health officials said Wednesday. Thirty-five coronavirus deaths have been linked to Life Care Center in Kirkland. A report Wednesday from the U.S. Centers...
‘Wonderchicken’ fossil reveals ancestor of today’s birds
NEW YORK — A tiny fossil skull nicknamed “Wonderchicken” is giving scientists a rare glimpse at early ancestors of today’s birds. It may be the oldest known fossil from this group. With a face like those of today’s chicken-like birds and a back portion like that of living duck-like birds,...
Virus death toll spikes in Iran, with total now at 1,135
TEHRAN — Iran on Wednesday reported its single biggest jump in fatalities from the coronavirus as another 147 people died, raising the country’s overall death toll to 1,135. The nearly 15% spike in deaths — amid a total of 17,361 confirmed cases in Iran — marks the biggest 24-hour rise...
In Mexico, a cartel is taking over: Jalisco New Generation
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s fastest-rising cartel, the Jalisco New Generation gang, has a reputation for ruthlessness and violence unlike any since the fall of the old Zetas cartel. In parts of the country it is fighting medieval-style battles, complete with fortified redoubts, to expand nationwide, from the outskirts of Mexico...
US military’s role in response to virus outbreak is growing
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s role in responding to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States began to rapidly expand Wednesday as officials announced that two Navy hospital ships and two Army field hospitals were preparing to deploy to help overburdened regions. The latest moves are aimed at taking the pressure...
Stuck home? Planets, moon providing predawn entertainment
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Stuck at home this week? The planets and our moon are providing some early morning entertainment. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and a crescent moon will be clustered together in the southeastern sky just before daybreak. Mercury will peek above the horizon. All this is happening amid the...
Stocks drop as recession fears take hold; Dow loses 1,300
NEW YORK —Stocks tumbled more than 5% on Wall Street Wednesday, and the Dow erased virtually all its gains since President Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Even prices for investments seen as safe during downturns fell as the coronavirus outbreak chokes the economy and investors rush to raise cash. Markets have...
Report: Surge in white nationalism ramps up violence threat
SILVER SPRING, Md. — A recent surge in white nationalism in the U.S. has led to a growing threat of violence by factions that embrace bloodshed and advocate for a race war, according to a report released Wednesday by an organization that tracks far-right extremists. The Southern Poverty Law Center’s...
Trump invokes emergency authority as ‘wartime president’
MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump on Wednesday moved to invoke a federal law that allows the government to marshal the private sector to deal with the coronavirus epidemic, as the economic damage mounted with word that Detroit’s Big Three automakers agreed to shut down all their factories to protect workers....
SpaceX puts 60 satellites into orbit despite engine failure
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX launched 60 more of its internet satellites into orbit Wednesday despite an engine failure shortly after liftoff on a recycled rocket flying a record five times. SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk said one of the nine main engines shut down prematurely during liftoff, a rare...
Toddler falls out of pickup and is struck by car; 2 charged
COSHOCTON, Ohio — Two people have been charged in Ohio after a toddler fell from a pickup truck, was struck by another vehicle and was critically injured. A 15-month-old child fell from the rear passenger side of the pickup and landed in the road in Coshocton on Monday morning, according...
Police: Ohio mother charged with killing 11-year-old son
LAUREL, Miss. — An Ohio woman who killed her 11-year-old son and left his body in a Mississippi hotel was arrested in New Orleans on Wednesday, police said. Latina Marie Oates, 33, of Powell, Ohio, was arrested about 9 a.m. Wednesday, Laurel, Miss., Police Chief Tommy Cox told the Associated...
William Barr creating task force on federal prison officers’ misconduct
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is creating a special task force to address criminal misconduct by federal Bureau of Prison officers at several correctional facilities after a loaded gun was found at the same jail where wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein killed himself, Attorney General William Barr told the Associated Press....
Treasury wants to send rounds of checks to Americans, starting April 6Video
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department wants to start issuing direct payments to Americans by early next month as the centerpiece of a $1 trillion plan to stabilize the economy as the coronavirus epidemic threatens a body slam to taxpayers and businesses. In a memorandum issued Wednesday, Treasury is calling for...
5.7-magnitude quake shakes Utah, Salt Lake airport closed
SALT LAKE CITY — A 5.7-magnitude earthquake shook Salt Lake City and its suburbs early Wednesday, sending spooked residents fleeing their homes, knocking out power for tens of thousands and closing the city’s airport. The epicenter was just southwest of Salt Lake City and about 2.8 million in the state...
This year’s spring is earliest in over a century
Back in February (remember those carefree days?), Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring. What many didn’t realize: His prediction was foolproof — no matter what happened with the weather. This year’s vernal equinox will arrive at 11:50 p.m. March 19 — the earliest “first day of spring” any of us...
Urban coyotes eat lots of cats — and human garbage, study of their poop reveals
A study that “dissected” 3,100 pieces of coyote poop discovered domestic cats are a big part of what urban coyotes eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, according to the National Park Service. Human garbage was their chief source of food, however, the study found. The multi-year study focused on coyotes...
Ohio Democratic Party sues over delay of primary election
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Politicians of all stripes expressed frustration Tuesday after Ohio’s primary was postponed until June by the state’s elected officials amid concerns attendance at polling places would contribute to the coronavirus pandemic. The Ohio Democratic Party sued Tuesday afternoon over Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s decision to set...
In New York, making a life out of bottles and cans
NEW YORK — When the Brooklyn clothing factory where she worked closed its doors, Josefa Marín started picking up cans and bottles from trash cans to make ends meet. A decade later, the 50-year-old Mexican immigrant is handed hundreds of recyclables by bars and clubs and by concierges of private...
