LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan, which not long ago had among the country’s lowest COVID-19 infection rates, is confronting an alarming spike that some public health experts worry could be a harbinger nationally. The resurgence is being fueled by loosened restrictions, a more infectious variant, and pandemic fatigue. While rising vaccination rates provide protection for seniors, the upswing is boosting…
(CNN) – Top US health officials say they’re encouraged by the accelerating Covid-19 vaccinations. But not enough Americans are fully vaccinated yet to suppress the spread of the virus — and eased restrictions across the country coupled with spring break crowds could spell trouble, one expert said Wednesday. “What concerns me is the footage of what’s happening in spring breakers,…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The CEOs of social media giants Facebook, Twitter, and Google are giving an accounting to Congress of actions against the use of their platforms to spread falsehoods and incite violence. The stakes have ratcheted ever higher: The Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the rise in COVID vaccine misinformation, and Democrats now in control of Congress…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled the Ford Motor Co. can be sued in the state courts of people who were killed or seriously injured in accidents involving Ford vehicles. The justices on Thursday unanimously rejected the Michigan-based company’s argument that its ties to Minnesota and Montana were too tenuous to allow it to be sued in those…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to 684,000, the fewest since the pandemic erupted a year ago and a sign the economy is improving. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims fell from 781,000 the week before. It is the first time that weekly applications for jobless aid have…
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Police on Tuesday identified a 21-year-old man as the suspect in the killing of 10 people at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket. Supermarket employees told investigators that Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa shot an elderly man multiple times Monday outside the Boulder grocery store before going inside, according to the documents. Another person was found shot in…
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Police say 10 people have been killed in a shooting at a Colorado supermarket, including a police officer. Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said Monday night that a lone suspect is in custody and is getting medical treatment. Police refuse to speculate on a motive and say the investigation has just begun. Herold identified the slain…
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A shooting at a Colorado supermarket killed 10 people Monday, including a police officer who was the first to respond to the scene, authorities said. Police arrested a suspect, but didn’t reveal his name or any details about the shooting at an evening news conference where Boulder police Chief Maris Herold fought back tears. Investigators had…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will consider reinstating the death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, presenting President Joe Biden with an early test of his opposition to capital punishment. The justices agreed Monday to hear an appeal filed by the Trump administration, which carried out executions of 13 federal inmates in its final six months in office….
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal prosecutors have charged a Minnesota man in connection with the U.S. Capitol siege. The U.S. attorney’s office tweeted Friday that 31-year-old Jordan K. Stotts with trespassing in connection with the Jan. 6 incident. FBI agents took him into custody Friday. He was set to make his initial court appearance in Bemidji later Friday afternoon. The tweet…
WASHINGTON (AP) — With the U.S. closing in on President Joe Biden’s goal of injecting 100 million coronavirus vaccinations weeks ahead of his target date, officials say the nation is now in a position to help supply neighbors Canada and Mexico with shots. The Biden administration announced the outlines of a plan to “loan” vaccines to Canada and Mexico as…
(AP) – The IRS will delay the traditional April 15 tax filing due date until May 17 to cope with added duties and provide Americans more flexibility. The IRS announced the decision Wednesday and said it would provide further guidance in coming days. The move provides more breathing room for taxpayers and the IRS alike to cope with changes brought…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose last week to 770,000, a sign that layoffs remain high even as much of the U.S. economy is steadily recovering from the coronavirus recession. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims climbed from 725,000 the week before. The numbers have dropped sharply since the depths of…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Violent extremists motivated by political grievances and racial biases pose an “elevated threat” to the U.S. homeland. That’s according to an unclassified intelligence report released more than two months after a violent mob of insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol. The assessment was made in a report released Wednesday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence….
(courtesy: CNN) ATLANTA (AP) — The man accused of killing eight people at massage parlors in the Atlanta area told police his act was not racially motivated, and that he had a potential “sex addiction.” Still, officials said they were investigating whether the deaths were hate crimes amid concerns over a wave of attacks on Asian Americans. Six of the…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials have arrested and charged two men with assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick with bear spray during the Jan. 6 riot, but they do not know yet whether it caused the officer’s death. Thirty-nine-year-old George Tanios, of Morgantown, W.Va., and 32-year-old Julian Khater, of Pennsylvania, were arrested Sunday. They were expected to appear in…
ROME (AP) — The Vatican has decreed that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions, saying that God “cannot bless sin.” The Vatican’s orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a formal response Monday to a question about whether Catholic clergy can bless gay unions. The answer, contained in a two-page explanation published in seven languages…
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday he wishes former President Donald Trump would use his popularity among Republicans to persuade more of his followers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. In a round of interviews on the morning news shows, the government’s top infectious disease expert lamented polling showing that Trump supporters are more likely to refuse to get vaccinated, saying politics…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is outlining his plan to make all adult Americans eligible for vaccination by May 1 and get the nation back “closer to normal” by the Fourth of July. Biden is addressing the nation Thursday evening, one year into the coronavirus pandemic. Previewing his speech, officials say he will announce that he is deploying an…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed into law the $1.9 trillion relief package that he says will help the U.S. defeat the coronavirus and nurse the economy back to health. He had been set to sign the American Rescue Plan on Friday. But the White House moved the signing up to Thursday afternoon, hours before the president plans…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Congress has sent President Joe Biden the landmark $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. The House approved the bill Wednesday over solid Republican opposition in a vote that gives the new president and Democrats a victory just seven weeks after he took office. The 628-page measure represents Democrats’ effort to bridle the catastrophic pandemic and revive the enfeebled…
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is making an additional 900,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines available to states and pharmacy partners this week. White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced that states and territories will receive 15.8 million doses of the two-shot vaccines, up from 15.2 million last week. Another 2.7 million doses will be distributed through the federal pharmacy…
DETROIT (AP) — Kia is telling owners of nearly 380,000 vehicles in the U.S. to park them outdoors due to the risk of an engine compartment fire. The Korean automaker is recalling certain 2017 through 2021 Sportage SUVs and 2017 through 2019 Cadenza sedans to fix the problem. The company says a short circuit in the electronic brake control unit…
NEW YORK (AP) — Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing. That’s according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials. The recommendations were announced Monday. They also say that vaccinated people can come together in the same way with people considered at low-risk for severe diseases, such as in the…
WASHINGTON (AP) — An exhausted Senate narrowly approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill Saturday as President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies notched a victory they called crucial for hoisting the country out of the pandemic and economic doldrums. After laboring through the night on a mountain of amendments — nearly all from Republicans and rejected — bleary-eyed senators…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a robust 379,000 jobs last month, the most since October and a sign that the economy is strengthening as confirmed viral cases drop, consumers spend more, and states and cities ease business restrictions. The February gain marked a pickup from the 166,000 jobs added in January and a loss of 306,000 in December. Yet…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press has learned that the Capitol Police have requested that members of the National Guard continue to provide security at the U.S. Capitol for another two months. And defense officials say the proposal is being reviewed by the Pentagon. The request underscores the continuing concerns about security and the potential for violence at the Capitol,…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Law enforcement is on high alert around the U.S. Capitol after intelligence uncovered a “possible plot” by a militia group to storm the iconic building yet again. The threat appears to be connected to a far-right conspiracy theory, mainly promoted by supporters of QAnon, that Donald Trump will rise again to power on March 4, the original…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits edged higher last week to 745,000, a sign that many employers continue to cut jobs despite a drop in confirmed viral infections and evidence that the overall economy is improving. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims rose by 9,000 from the previous week. Though the…
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic official says President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats have agreed to tighten the upper-income limits at which people could qualify for stimulus checks in the party’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. That’s a major concession to moderates as party leaders prepared to move their legislation through the Senate. As part of Democrats’ legislative thrust on…
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (AP) – Legislators in more than 20 states have introduced bills this year that would ban transgender girls from competing on girls’ sports teams in public high schools. Yet in almost every case, sponsors are unable to cite an instance in their own state or region where such participation has caused problems. Asked about actual cases with…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Capitol Police say they have intelligence showing there is a “possible plot” by a militia group to breach the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. The revelation was detailed in a statement from the Capitol Police. The threat appears to be connected to a far-right conspiracy theory, mainly promoted by supporters of QAnon, that Trump will…
(courtesy: Facebook/Congressman Pete Stauber) WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, Congressman Pete Stauber spoke on the House Floor to honor the service and sacrifice of fallen Duluth K9 Luna. K9 Luna was killed in the line of duty last week while responding to reports of a domestic violence situation. Congressman Stauber said during his speech, “K9 Luna was a guardian of…
(AP Photo/Steven Senne) BOSTON (AP) — The business that preserves and protects Dr. Seuss’s legacy has announced it will stop publishing six titles because of racist and insensitive imagery. Dr. Seuss Enterprises tells The Associated Press in a statement on Tuesday, the author and illustrator’s birthday, that the books portray people in ways that are hurtful. It says the decision…
courtesy: British Antarctic Survey) (FOX TV) – A massive iceberg, 20 times the size of Manhattan, recently broke off in the Antarctic according to the British Antarctic Survey. Researchers said the iceberg measured 1270 km² and broke away from the Brunt Ice Shelf in a news release. Scientists had been anticipating the crack over the past decade and don’t believe the…
PARIS (AP) — Across Africa and Southeast Asia, governments and aid groups, as well as the World Health Organization, are increasingly calling on pharmaceutical companies to share their coronavirus vaccine know-how and technology more broadly. They say it’s the only way to meet a huge global shortfall in a pandemic that already has claimed over 2.5 million lives. The Associated…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. now has a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two. Health experts have anxiously awaited a one-and-done option to help speed vaccinations. The virus has already killed more than 510,000 people in the U.S. and…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health advisers have endorsed a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson that’s expected to provide an easier-to-use option to fight the pandemic. The panel of Food and Drug Administration experts ruled on Friday that J&J’s vaccine protected against COVID-19 and should be made available for adults. The FDA is expected to quickly follow the recommendation…
DETROIT (AP) — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. is recalling more than 430,000 light truck tires in the U.S. because they can develop sidewall bulges that could lead to tire failure. The recall covers certain Discoverer, Evolution, Courser, Deegan, Adventurer, Hercules, Back Country, Multi-Mile, Wild Country, and Big O tires in several sizes. The company says in documents posted Friday…
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A former U.S. Olympics gymnastics coach with ties to disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar has died by apparent suicide after being charged with two dozen crimes, including forms of human trafficking. Michigan’s attorney general announced John Geddert’s death on Thursday afternoon. It came about three hours after a news conference where Nessel announced that Geddert was…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week but remained high by historical standards. Applications for benefits declined 111,000 from the previous week to a seasonally adjusted 730,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. It is the lowest figure since late November. Before the virus erupted in the United States last March, weekly applications for…
(USPS) WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service says it has chosen Oshkosh Defense to build its next-generation mail-delivery vehicle. It’s part of an effort to make the USPS more environmentally friendly by switching a portion of its massive fleet to electric vehicles. Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense will assemble 50,000 to 165,000 of the new Next Generation Delivery Vehicles at its…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Golf star Tiger Woods was injured Tuesday in a vehicle rollover in Los Angeles County, authorities said. Woods had to be extricated from the vehicle with the “jaws of life” tools, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. Woods was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries. The vehicle sustained major damage, the sheriff’s department…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The top developers of U.S. COVID-19 vaccines are set to face questions from Congress about limited supplies of the shots needed to end the pandemic. The pace of vaccinations is picking up nationwide, but demand for the shots continues to outpace limited supplies distributed by the U.S. government. A House panel will question executives from five companies…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is set to hear from former security officials about what went wrong at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. That’s when a violent mob laid siege to the Capitol and interrupted the counting of electoral votes. Three of the four testifying Tuesday resigned under pressure immediately after the attack, including the former head of the Capitol…
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a significant defeat for former President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court has declined to step in to halt the turnover of his tax records to a New York state prosecutor. The court’s action Monday is the apparent culmination of a lengthy legal battle that had already reached the high court once before. Trump’s tax records are…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Extreme winter weather is dealing the first major setback to the Biden administration’s planned swift rollout of coronavirus vaccines just as the national vaccination campaign was hitting its stride. The disruptions caused by frigid temperatures, snow, and ice left the White House scrambling to work with states to make up “lost ground.” White House coronavirus adviser Andy…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden is making his first big appearance on the global stage as president Friday. He’ll offer Group of Seven world leaders and others a glimpse into his plans to dramatically reshape U.S. foreign policy even as he deals with a number of international crises coming to a head at the start of his presidency. Biden is…
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA rover has landed on Mars in an epic quest to bring back rocks that could answer whether life ever existed on the red planet. The space agency says the six-wheeled Perseverance hurtled through the thin, orange atmosphere and settled onto the surface Thursday in the mission’s riskiest maneuver yet. Mars has long been…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The deadly winter storms that knocked out power for millions in Texas and other states have exceeded the worst-case scenarios of many U.S. utilities. They also fit a pattern of worsening extremes under climate change and demonstrate anew that local, state, and federal officials have failed to do enough to prepare for greater and more dangerous extremes….
