Golocal247.com | Weather News | Golocal News Headlines | Sports

Trump will use emergency powers to remain in White House if he loses election, says House majority whip

Donald Trump could use emergency powers to extend his term in the White House, a senior Democrat has said, as fears grow that the president may attempt to hold onto office should he lose November’s election.James Clyburn, the House majority whip, said he believes Trump has no intention of “peacefully” transferring power to presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden, who is well ahead in several major polls in the race for the Oval Office.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 05:17:22 -0400

Homicides Spike in 50 Largest Cities across Nation

Homicides and gun violence have spiked in major cities around the country since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, spurred by an economic recession and unrest that arose from protests against police brutality.Across the nation’s 50 largest cities, homicides are up 24 percent this year, totaling 3,612 so far, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of police department data. In 36 of those cities, the homicide rate increased by double digits.Shootings have also surged, but other kinds of violent crime have declined, including robberies, which sank 11 percent across the 41 cities that provided such data.Chicago saw the largest jump in homicides, reporting more than 400 more homicides than last year, an increase of more than 50 percent. Philadelphia and New York City came in just behind the country's third-largest city, both tallying more than 200 more homicides this year. Along with Chicago, Austin and Fort Worth, Tx. saw the largest increase in murders.The staggering increase in violence comes after months of protests against police departments that have included calls to defund and dismantle departments in Minneapolis, where the police custody death of George Floyd sparked national outrage. Homicides in Minneapolis have nearly doubled, with 41 homicides compared to 21 by this time last year.Police and crime experts have attributed the spike in violence to a variety of factors, including a rise in gang violence, an economic recession caused by the shutdown of businesses, and the lack of activity during the pandemic by social institutions that historically help tamp down crime, such as churches and schools.Meanwhile, lockdown orders that have kept residents in their homes may help explain the decline in robberies and rapes, since burglars are less likely to target a home with residents inside, and fewer potential victims were on the streets, experts said. The rise in shootings and murders was particularly stark in disadvantaged neighborhoods rather than the sites of protests against racism and police brutality in many cities.The homicide rate in the nation's major cities is still a far cry from the crime levels of previous decades, such as in 1990, when New York City recorded a total of 2,262 murders.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 12:04:05 -0400

Florida man once bitten by alligator is chomped by 8-foot shark while on vacation

Justin Stuller is now sporting two dozen stitches and a small limp after tangling with an eight-foot lemon shark in the Florida Keys.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 21:41:44 -0400

A pastor who told congregants not to be afraid of the coronavirus was hospitalized with COVID-19

Charles Pope, a pastor in Washington, D.C., tested positive for COVID-19 after advising worshippers not to fear the virus.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 09:39:33 -0400

Connie Culp, 1st US partial face transplant recipient, dies

Connie Culp, the recipient of the first partial face transplant in the U.S., has died at 57, almost a dozen years after the groundbreaking operation.

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 15:30:01 -0400

The housing crisis is here

The smartest insight and analysis, from all perspectives, rounded up from around the web:This summer's housing market is split into two alternate realities, said Heather Long at The Washington Post. Realtors' cellphones have been "ringing with eager buyers" looking to flee urban areas for the suburbs while mortgage interest rates are at record lows. One house on the market outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, "received 26 offers the initial weekend it was for sale." For renters, on the other hand, the outlook is grim. A federal eviction moratorium expired last week, meaning that many tenants could have only 30 days to pony up what they owe landlords or get kicked to the curb. This week, Congress signaled it would extend the moratorium to give renters more breathing room while debating whether to extend other aid, such as unemployment benefits and stimulus checks — some of "the few lifelines renters had during the pandemic."The eviction wave has already started, said Will Parker at The Wall Street Journal. The national moratorium only covered tenants in buildings with federally backed mortgages. States passed their own eviction limits, but some, such as Texas, have already let them expire. In a sign of things to come, attorneys in Houston are seeing "long lines at courthouses, sometimes people standing shoulder to shoulder" awaiting eviction hearings. "Stuck between tenants who can't, or simply won't, pay up and banks that still expect mortgage payments every month," landlords are also feeling the squeeze, said Tim Logan at The Boston Globe. In Massachusetts, a fifth of the landlords say "they don't know how they will pay their bills this year." That will only get worse if the state extends its eviction ban without help for property owners.There's a simple reason for this recession's "uneven" effect on the housing market, said Joy Wiltermuth at MarketWatch. The median income for homebuyers today is $93,000, while renters are substantially poorer and "householders earning less than $35,000 a year have been hit hardest by lost wages since early May." Just don't assume wealthier homeowners are bulletproof, said Keith Jurow, also at MarketWatch. Since 2016, "mortgages offered to high-income borrowers who could afford the monthly payments seemed the least risky of all." Origination of jumbo loans — mortgages that are too big to be backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac — skyrocketed. But now many high-income borrowers are in trouble, too. As of mid-June, "11.8 percent of all jumbo loans were in forbearance" — twice as many as in April, and a higher share than for standard mortgages."Perhaps this is all starting to sound like a redux of the mid-2000s housing crisis," said Derek Thompson at The Atlantic. "It's not." In many ways, it is the opposite. Back then, "foreclosures soared" and single-family homes stood empty in the suburbs. Now there is an undersupply of suburban housing and a hot market in new construction. The problem today is in the cities, where the pandemic has accelerated a crisis of affordability. "Without income, renters can't pay rent and utilities. Without monthly payments, landlords and other companies can't make mortgages and bond payments." Housing costs in cities have been approaching a crisis for years; thanks to the pandemic, that crisis is here, and "dangerously close to spiraling out of control."This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.More stories from theweek.com The most damning inside portrait of the Trump administration yet Why Democratic voters might stay home on Election Day 5 brutally funny cartoons about Bill Barr’s brand of justice

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 05:55:02 -0400

Russia says suspected mercenaries detained by Belarus were going to Latin America

A Russian diplomat said on Monday a group of more than 30 suspected Russian mercenaries detained in Belarus last week were only passing through Minsk and were on their way to an unnamed Latin American state. Belarusian authorities have said they suspect the men entered their country to plot "acts of terrorism" and destabilise it before an Aug. 9 presidential election. The Russian state says it does not use mercenaries.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 10:02:17 -0400

Portland police declare unlawful assembly during protest

The Portland Police Bureau declared an unlawful assembly Saturday night when people gathered outside a police precinct in Oregon's largest city and threw bottles toward officers, police said. Until that point, federal, state and local law enforcement had been seemingly absent from the protests Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The demonstrations — that for weeks ended with tear gas, fireworks shot towards buildings, federal agents on the street and injuries to protesters and officers — have recently ended with chanting and conversations. Activists and Oregon officials urged people at Saturday night’s protest in Portland to re-center the focus on Black Lives Matter, three days after the Trump administration agreed to reduce the presence of federal agents.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 00:57:46 -0400

‘Murder hornets’ trapped in US for first time as officials race to eradicate colonies before breeding season

As the US grapples with the world's worst coronavirus outbreak, a new threat is emerging as Asian giant hornets – known as “murder hornets” due to their lethal sting to humans – are gaining a foothold in the country.After they were first found in Washington State in May this year, the 2-inch (5cm)-long hornets have now been trapped for the first time – giving officials an indication – firstly that their traps work, and secondly of where nests could be situated.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 09:38:27 -0400

James Clyburn: Trump doesn't plan to 'give up the office'

Rep. James Clyburn defended his recent comments saying President Trump "thinks that the American people will be duped by him, like the people of Germany was duped by Adolf Hitler."

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 12:36:30 -0400

Editorial: California faces an eviction catastrophe. Newsom, lawmakers need to act now

As the downturn continues and tenant protections expire, we could see a tidal wave of evictions and a surge in homelessness even as the pandemic rages on.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 06:00:28 -0400

Bower Studios and West Elm Reprise a Partnership With This New Collection

No description related. Click here to go to original article.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 12:30:13 -0400

'A courageous trailblazer': The US Navy's first Black female fighter pilot has earned her 'Wings of Gold'

"Very proud of LTJG [Madeline] Swegle," a senior Navy official wrote when she graduated. "Go forth and kick butt."

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 12:02:00 -0400

Mexico crime: Mexican police seize alleged oil theft crime boss The Sledgehammer

"The Sledgehammer" is caught after releasing a bizarre, tearful video declaring war on security forces.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 21:54:11 -0400

Navarro Throws Another White House Health Expert Under Bus Over Hydroxy

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro publicly bashed yet another White House public-health expert on Monday while touting an unproven anti-malarial drug, saying he took “exception” to coronavirus testing czar Brett Giroir dismissing hydroxychloroquine as an effective coronavirus treatment.Days after CNN cut short a Navarro interview after he kept repeating the racist phrase “China virus,” the network invited him on for yet another contentious segment that featured the combative Trump aide disseminating coronavirus disinformation.Navarro, who has been an outspoken proponent of hydroxychloroquine and has repeatedly attacked top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci for warning about the drug’s lack of efficacy, doubled down on his embrace of the drug while taking aim at Giroir.“One of the president’s chief advisers on the coronavirus pandemic, Adm. Giroir, he said given five studies now that have found the drug hydroxychloroquine—that there’s no proof that it helps with COVID-19 patients,” host Jim Sciutto noted. “I just wonder, given your past public support for it, is it time for the administration to focus on proven treatments for COVID rather than one that has not been proven?”Navarro—who recently groused that the government is “sitting on millions of doses” of the drug—shot back that he takes “exception to Giroir’s analysis, adding that the HHS official “hasn’t looked at the data” within the past two weeks.“It’s his job to look at data,” Sciutto interjected.After demanding that CNN bring on a couple of doctors who claim the drug is beneficial for COVID-19 patients—CNN had actually interviewed one of them hours earlier—Navarro brushed off the large number of experts criticizing hydroxychloroquine.“My view of this now is doctor’s opinions are a dime a dozen and some doctors say it doesn’t work,” he exclaimed. “You’ve got some doctors who say it does.”The CNN host, meanwhile, retorted that this isn’t a “both sides thing,” prompting Navarro to insist that is exactly what it is.“No, it is a both sides. It is—it is both sides,” he declared.Sciutto went on to note that several high-quality double-blinded clinical trials show that there is no benefit to the drug and that the FDA has revoked emergency use of hydroxychloroquine due to concerns over potentially deadly side effects.“This hasn’t passed muster so why all the focus on that drug,” the CNN anchor wondered aloud. “Why not focus on things that work like remdesivir?”Undeterred, Navarro claimed that there is now a study that shows hydroxychloroquine “works better” than remdesivir—even though White House coronavirus coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said just last week that randomized trials have shown the anti-viral drug efficacy as a treatment. She also reiterated that there appears to be no benefit to hydroxychloroquine.Team Trump has suddenly rallied back around the controversial malaria drug after a fringe doctor—who believes that demon sperm causes female medical problems and “alien DNA” is being used in medication—proclaimed it a coronavirus “cure” in a viral video last week. Despite that doctor’s bizarre past claims, President Donald Trump has called her “spectacular,” “very respected,” and an “important voice.”Chris Wallace Confronts Trump Campaign Spox Jason Miller: Admit ‘You’re Losing’Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 12:25:50 -0400

Two sisters who hadn't seen each other in more than 50 years were reunited by coronavirus

One long-lost sister was being treated for her COVID-19 infection at a rehab center while the other worked as a medical aide.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 15:58:53 -0400

Birx: U.S. in 'new phase' of pandemic, with coronavirus 'extraordinarily widespread'

Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said on Sunday the United States is in a "new phase" of the coronavirus pandemic, and people in every corner of the country must take precautions, from wearing masks to practicing social distancing."What we are seeing today is different from March and April," she told CNN's Dana Bash on State of the Union. "It is extraordinarily widespread. It's into the rural as equal urban areas." For those who live in regions that are less populated, "you are not immune or protected from this virus," Birx continued. "If you're in multi-generational households, and there's an outbreak in your rural area or in your city, you need to really consider wearing a mask at home, assuming that you're positive, if you have individuals in your households with comorbidities."While Birx would not project how many Americans she believes will die of the virus this year, she said it is up to southern and western states where there are several hot spots to ramp up their mitigation efforts. "It's not super spreading individuals," she said. "It's super spreading events and we need to stop those. We definitely need to take more precautions."Every state has to have its own "dramatically tailored" approach to fighting the coronavirus, Birx added, with a "set of recommendations based on what we are seeing at the community level, what we are seeing relevant to hospitals." As of Sunday, there are more than 4.6 million reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and at least 154,449 Americans have died of the virus, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus database.More stories from theweek.com The most damning inside portrait of the Trump administration yet Why Democratic voters might stay home on Election Day 5 brutally funny cartoons about Bill Barr’s brand of justice

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 23:17:46 -0400

Mysterious seeds sent from China to the US identified by the USDA

The mysterious seed packs from China that hundreds of Americans received in the mail have been identified, according to the US Department of Agriculture.Federal officials warned those who received the seeds not to plant them over fears that some may be invasive species and could destroy native plants and insects.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:11:05 -0400

2020 Watch: And the Democratic veepstakes winner is?

Democrat Joe Biden is on the verge of picking a running mate, if he hasn't already, a decision that is likely the most significant of his decades-long political career. Trump spent much of last week decrying the expected surge in mail voting during the pandemic, going so far as to suggest delaying the election date. While congressional leaders in both parties slapped down the idea, Trump did not back away from the shocking suggestion or his baseless claims that the 2020 election will be rigged against him.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 05:34:44 -0400

Scientists and environmental groups 'alarmed' by huge rise in Amazon wildfires

“It’s a terrible sign,” said Ane Alencar, science director at Brazil’s Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM).

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 10:43:00 -0400

People are using gaiters as face masks—but are they as effective?

People are wearing neck gaiters instead of face masks—but are they as effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19?

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:54:16 -0400

The former head of the FDA warned that the Northeast will likely get hit with another wave of coronavirus cases, saying the virus continues to 'rotate through different parts of the country'

"It's going to be this slow burn, unfortunately, for the rest of the year," the former FDA commissioner said.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 22:03:39 -0400

Verdict looms in killing of Lebanon ex-PM Hariri

A UN-backed tribunal will give its verdict Friday on the 2005 murder of former Lebanese premier Rafic Hariri, but questions will remain over a long and costly trial whose suspects remain at large. Four alleged members of the Shiite Muslim fundamentalist group Hezbollah are on trial in absentia at the court in the Netherlands over the huge Beirut suicide bombing that killed Sunni billionaire Hariri and 21 other people. The judgment harks back to an event that changed the face of the Middle East, with Hariri's assassination triggering a wave of demonstrations that pushed Syrian forces out of Lebanon after 30 years.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 05:58:07 -0400

Shoprite: Africa's biggest supermarket considers pulling out of Nigeria

Shoprite is the latest high-profile South African retailer to struggle in the Nigerian market.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 09:45:52 -0400

A Black Lives Matter mural is set to be removed in Tulsa after the city received a request for a pro-police painting

"Allowing one group to paint messages on the street means everyone would be able to do so," Tulsa City attorney said, adding that murals shouldn't be allowed for safety reasons.

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 15:09:57 -0400

Residents forced to evacuate as 'Apple Fire' burns out of control in California

Nearly 8,000 residents of Riverside County in Southern California were forced to evacuate their homes on Saturday as a wildfire spread uncontained across more than 4,000 acres, the County fire department said. The fire - dubbed the Apple Fire by local firefighters, who routinely give blazes identifying names - was reported on Friday in Cherry Valley, a community about 75 miles east of Los Angeles. It had destroyed at least one family home as of Saturday evening (Sunday morning UK time). Photographs shared by the Riverside County fire department on Twitter on Saturday showed thick plumes of smoke filling the sky over the mountainous region. Residents of 2,586 homes, totalling around 7,800 people, were told to evacuate, the department said.

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 23:50:20 -0400

New York City has already had more shootings in 2020 than in the whole of 2019

New York City has recorded more shootings so far in 2020 than the whole of last year, authorities have confirmed.There were 777 shootings between January and 2 August 2020, compared with 776 in 2019, according to figures compiled by the New York Post, and later confirmed by New York Police department (NYPD).

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 07:33:51 -0400

Sen. Murkowski Says Confirming Supreme Court Nominee in 2020 Would Be ‘Double Standard’

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s recent health problems have revealed a rift among Senate Republicans over what to do if a Supreme Court seat becomes vacant before the end of President Trump’s first term.While Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) has indicated his intent to fill any Supreme Court vacancies in 2020, other Republicans are more hesitant.Senator Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska), expressed concern that confirming a Trump nominee before the end of the president’s term would create a “double standard” after Republicans in 2016 declined to appoint then-president Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, to fill the seat vacated by conservative justice Antonin Scalia’s death.“When Republicans held off Merrick Garland it was because nine months prior to the election was too close, we needed to let people decide. And I agreed to do that. If we now say that months prior to the election is OK when nine months was not, that is a double standard and I don’t believe we should do it,” Murkowski told The Hill. “So I would not support it.”Republicans, who control 53 Senate seats, wouldn’t be able to confirm a justice with more than three defections of a confirmation vote if all 47 Democratic senators stay unified.When Scalia died in mid-February of 2016 and Obama nominated Garland one month later, McConnell and then-Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) blocked Garland from even getting a hearing.McConnell has said confirming another Trump nominee would be different because Republicans control both the White House and the Senate, while in 2016 Democrats controlled only the White House. For his part, Grassley, who now serves as the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said he would likely maintain Republicans' 2016 position if the situation arises, though he stressed that the decision is ultimately up to Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.).Graham told The Hill that while he’d be willing to fill a vacancy, his decision would depend upon what his Republican colleagues think. Senate Republican whip John Thune (S.D.) said he would support filling a vacancy before the election but was less certain about a course of action should Trump lose the election. Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) expressed support for confirming a Trump nominee in 2020.Graham expects Trump to release a list of conservative nominees in the coming weeks, which he would pick from should a Court vacancy occur this year or in Trump’s second term, if he wins reelection. “I don’t know. We’ll see,” he said. “I hope everybody stays healthy on the Supreme Court and we don’t have to worry about it.”

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:30:53 -0400

Judge rejects Trump restrictions on coronavirus sick leave for employees

A U.S. judge on Monday voided parts of a Trump administration rule that restricted paid sick leave and emergency family leave for potentially millions of workers affected by the coronavirus. Ruling in a case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken in Manhattan said the Department of Labor overstepped its authority in denying eligibility for benefits to several groups of workers. The rule was adopted in April to implement the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which made as many as 61 million employees eligible for up to two weeks of paid sick leave and 12 weeks of mostly paid emergency family leave.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:08:12 -0400

Boeing wins $265 million to build more special ops Chinook helos

The Army has minted another deal with Boeing for more special ops Chinooks.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 09:15:39 -0400

Dr. Birx: Before schools can reopen, coronavirus outbreaks must get under control

Birx endorsed a recommendation from CDC Director Robert Redfield that schools in areas with a 5% positivity rate or higher stick to distance learning.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 12:57:48 -0400

Drug-Smuggling Cat Escapes High-Security Sri Lankan Prison

A cat that was detained at Sri Lanka’s high-security Welikada Prison on suspicion of smuggling drugs to inmates has escaped, according to local media reports in Aruna.The feline delinquent was detained last week with two grams of heroin, two SIM cards and a memory chip hidden in a plastic bag tied to its collar on the prison grounds. Police suspect that the drug traffickers who trained the cat are part of the same cartel that was caught using an eagle to smuggle drugs in a suburb of Colombo. The menagerie of accomplices were associated with the underworld crime boss Angoda Lokka.Lokka died while hiding from the authorities in early July, according to local media. A man and a woman, aged 30 and 19, were arrested Sunday for illegally cremating him and forging identity documents, according to the New Indian Express.While there is no stipulation for animal arrest under Sri Lankan law, police were hoping the cat could lead them to the smugglers’ den, the media reports suggest. The cat reportedly scampered out of its holding room and escaped through a fence when prison guards came in to feed it.Last week, police raided a farm owned by an associate of Lokka and found an air-rifle, bullets and the eagle previously seen delivering drugs. Prison authorities say they have noted an increase in people trying to smuggle drugs, cellphones and chargers into the prison in recent weeks, allegedly to sell within the prison system. Authorities say they are not searching for the narco cat.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 07:05:42 -0400

Biden urged not to debate Trump so president doesn't have another platform to 'lie'

Republican strategist Joseph Pinion and Democratic political analyst Kelly Hyman react.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 05:43:55 -0400

Egypt tells Elon Musk its pyramids were not built by aliens

Egypt invited the billionaire to visit, after he appeared to tweet support for conspiracy theorists.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 08:10:19 -0400

Texas will now allow people taking the bar exam to bring their own menstrual products

The Texas Board of Law Examiners will allow test-takers to bring their own menstrual products after previously forbiding them over security concerns.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 10:19:09 -0400

Emeritus Pope Benedict, 93, 'extremely frail' after visiting dying brother

Former Pope Benedict XVI became seriously ill after visiting his sick brother in Germany in June and is "extremely frail", according to a report in the German Passauer Neue Presse newspaper on Monday. Benedict, 93, is suffering from erysipelas of the face, a virus that causes a rash and episodes of severe pain, the newspaper reported, citing the former pontiff's biographer, Peter Seewald. "According to Seewald, the Pope emeritus is now extremely frail," the report said. "His thinking and his memory are quick, but his voice is hardly audible at the moment." Mr Seewald reportedly visited Benedict in Rome on Saturday to present him with his biography. "At the meeting the emeritus Pope, despite his illness, was optimistic and declared that if his strength increased again he would possibly take up his pen again," the paper said. Benedict visited his sick brother, Georg, in Germany in June, marking his first trip out of Italy since his shock resignation in 2013. Georg Ratzinger died two weeks later, aged 96.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 00:25:50 -0400

Letters to the Editor: The cult of Trump is starting to inflict casualties. Just ask Louie Gohmert

Rep. Louie Gohmert is remaining stridently anti-mask even after being diagnosed with COVID-19, because he things that's what Trump wants.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 06:00:55 -0400

U.S. Congress in position to spend big on coronavirus relief: Fed official

The U.S. Congress is in position to spend big on coronavirus relief efforts because the nation's budget gap can be financed without relying on foreign borrowing, given how much Americans are saving, a top Federal Reserve official said on Sunday. "Those of us who are fortunate enough to still have our jobs, we're saving a lot more money because we're not going to restaurants or movie theaters or vacations," Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, told CBS' "Face the Nation." The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives approved a $3 trillion relief bill in May, while Senate Republicans, many of whom have expressed concerns about mounting debt, countered by proposing a $1 trillion aid package last week.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 12:13:01 -0400

Philippine capital returning to lockdown as virus surges

The Philippine president has agreed to place the capital and outlying provinces back under a lockdown after medical groups warned that the country was waging “a losing battle” against the coronavirus amid an alarming surge in infections. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Monday that metropolitan Manila, the capital region of more than 12 million people, and five densely populated provinces will revert to stricter quarantine restrictions for two weeks starting Tuesday. President Rodrigo Duterte relaxed the country’s lockdown on June 1 in an effort to restart the stalled economy.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 01:57:13 -0400

SpaceX just won an epic, high-stakes game of capture the flag that Barack Obama started 9 years ago

On the International Space Station, the American flag that SpaceX claimed had a note: "Do not forget to take with Crew Dragon."

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 17:04:00 -0400

Portland, America's 'whitest' big city, is an unlikely hub of Black Lives Matter

Portland, Ore., where more than 72% of the population is white, has been transformed into a national center of the movement for racial justice.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 07:30:25 -0400

Public transportation may not be a major source of coronavirus transmission

At first glance, taking public transportation seems like a particularly risky activity in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, but in several major cities where ridership has rebounded, there haven't been any outbreaks linked to subways, buses, or commuter railways, The New York Times reports.In Paris, contact tracers have not found public transportation to be linked to any of the city's 386 coronavirus clusters between early May and mid-July. The same goes for Tokyo's famously busy system, and an Austrian study also did not tie any outbreaks to public transportation in the country.The findings are encouraging, but come with some caveats: Ridership still falls short of pre-pandemic levels in most places, and those cities where passengers are taking public transportation in more significant numbers have mandated masks, disinfected trains and buses, and ramped up service to avoid overcrowding. Of course, that will likely be the blueprint for many cities going forward, at least while the pandemic continues.The trickier aspect might have to do with contact tracing. Experts warn that it's challenging to trace an outbreak to public transportation because there's little chance people will remember their precise train car, and it's even more difficult to track down who else was in the same space.A lot remains unknown, but the Times reports that riding public transportation probably falls somewhere in between walking outdoors and dining indoors on the safety scale. Read more at The New York Times.More stories from theweek.com The most damning inside portrait of the Trump administration yet Why Democratic voters might stay home on Election Day 5 brutally funny cartoons about Bill Barr’s brand of justice

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 11:05:00 -0400

Ningaloo Reef: Woman injured by humpback whale at Australian tourist spot

The woman is in a "serious but stable condition" after being hit by the whale during a group swim.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 08:06:07 -0400

Dr. Deborah Birx says the US is in a new, 'more widespread' phase of the coronavirus pandemic

The White House coronavirus response coordinator told CNN that current outbreaks in the US are "different from March and April."

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 13:08:01 -0400

Spanish police launch investigation after DJ filmed spitting beer in to a crowd

Police have launched an investigation after a video emerged of a DJ spitting beer onto dancers at a beach club in a Spanish resort as the country battled to reduce a spike in coronavirus cases. Video film showed a man spraying the crowd with beer then offering some dancers drinks from the same bottle at the club in Torremolinos, a destination popular with British tourists near Malaga in southern Spain. Many people dancing do not appear to be wearing masks according to the images which were shared widely on social media. One member of the Spanish DJ duo called Les Castizos was said to be the person who spat the beer at the crowd during part of their act. Police said they were investigating the pair for alleged “behaviour which does not abide by the measures of protection and security against coronavirus”. Torremolinos council has closed the beach bar Kokun Ocean Club for 15 days after the video emerged.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 06:44:23 -0400

Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien: We want more debates against Biden and sooner

Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien joins 'Fox & Friends' to discuss refocusing the reelection strategy and the latest polls.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 07:55:59 -0400

Homeland Security official reassigned after intelligence reports on journalists covering protests

A US intelligence official with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been reassigned following revelations that his office compiled "intelligence reports" on journalists and analysed communications between protesters amid ongoing demonstrations in Portland, Oregon.Brian Murphy was removed from his post following a report in The Washington Post revealing that the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis sent open source intelligence reports to federal law enforcement agencies containing information from two reporters who had published leaked unclassified government documents while covering Black Lives Matter protests.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 10:34:14 -0400

Typhoon Hagupit on a crash course with eastern China

The West Pacific Basin sprang to life last week after Sinlaku spun up over the South China Sea. As this storm tracks across Indochina, another storm is eyeing the flood-weary region of eastern China for landfall early this week.A tropical disturbance that began to organize in the Philippine Sea late last week quickly strengthened into a tropical storm late Saturday night, local time, and was given the name Hagupit by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).The storm is known as Dindo in the Philippines. This satellite image captures Typhoon Hagiput approaching the eastern coast of China on Monday evening, local time. (Photo/CIRA RAMMB) On Sunday night, local time, Hagupit strengthened into a severe tropical storm' and by Monday Hagupit strengthened into a typhoon, packing sustained winds of 120 km/h (75 mph). This is equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.Hagupit continued to track to the northwest on Monday, passing just north Taiwan. This helped to keep the heaviest rain and strongest winds north of Taipei, but the outer bands of the storm can still bring rounds of gusty rain and thunderstorms to the area.CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APPAs Hagupit continues begins to interact with land, the window for any additional strengthening will also begin to close into Monday night. Conditions began to deteriorate along the coasts of Zhejiang and Fujian, China, throughout the day on Monday as Hagupit moved closer to the coast. Hagupit is forecast to make landfall near the border of these two provinces as a typhoon Monday night, local time.Wind gusts of 95-130 km/h (60-80 mph) are forecast near and to the east of where Hagupit makes landfall with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 180 km/h (110 mph) possible near the center of the storm.Strong winds and the forward motion of the storm will drive sea waters inland across exposed beaches.Coastal flooding will also be exacerbated by heavy rainfall expected with Hagupit. Widespread rainfall totals of 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) are expected from northern Tawian into Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui and Jiangxi, China, into Tuesday.Along the center of the Eye Path™, rainfall totals can reach 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) with potential for an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 250 mm (10 inches) in the rugged terrain.Flash flooding will be likely along where Hagupit tracks as much of eastern China received historical rainfall through late May and into early July, the typical wet season for the area..Hagiput is forecast to quickly lose intensity throughout the day on Tuesday as it tracks over the mountainous terrain of eastern China and is pulled north by a nontropical system over northern China.This will bring tropical moisture into Korea where it can produce flooding downpours in an area that is still recovering from flash flooding and mudslides during the second half of July.Hagupit was not the first storm to spring to life, ending the unusually quiet period across the West Pacific tropical basin. Sinlaku was the first tropical system to develop last week, organizing into a tropical storm over the South China Sea. The storm brought heavy rainfall, gusty winds and rough seas to southern China, Vietnam and Loas through the weekend.As Tropical Rainstorm Sinlaku reaches the Bay of Bengal, it is expected reorganize, enhancing rainfall across northeast India, Bangladesh and Myanmar into the middle of the week.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 17:11:53 -0400

An Arizona congressman who tested positive for the coronavirus criticized Republican lawmakers for refusing to wear masks in the Capitol

Arizona Democrat Rep. Raúl Grijalva tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday but is currently asymptomatic.

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 06:35:00 -0400

Gold in secret vault is traced to Hugo Chávez's former nurse

It was 2014 and Venezuela's former treasurer Claudia Díaz was looking for a safe haven to store the unexplained wealth she had accumulated over the years. Then-president Hugo Chávez, who she once served as a nurse, had recently died and with the election of Nicolás Maduro, the nation's politics and relations with the U.S. were in tumult. In quick succession a shell company established in the Caribbean island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines that she allegedly controlled purchased 250 gold bars valued at more than $9.5 million, according to court records from Liechtenstein obtained by The Associated Press.

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 09:44:04 -0400

Covington

Weather News