As cases tumble and states reopen, the potential final stage in the U.S. campaign to vanquish COVID-19 is turning into a slog, with a worrisome variant gaining a bigger foothold and lotteries and other prizes failing to persuade some Americans to get vaccinated.
Stories by Associated Press
Hours After 4 Killed in Chicago, 5 More Hurt in Shooting
Five people standing outside on Chicago’s West Side were shot in a violent end to a day that began with a mass shooting on the city’s South Side that left four people dead and four more injured, police said.
More Evidence Suggests COVID-19 Was in US by Christmas 2019
A new analysis of blood samples from 24,000 Americans taken early last year is the latest and largest study to suggest that the new coronavirus popped up in the U.S. in December 2019 — weeks before cases were first recognized by health officials.
Mexican Band Los Bukis to Reunite for 1st Tour in 25 Years
Considered one of Latin music’s most iconic bands, the group will start its three-concert tour in Los Angeles on Aug. 27, followed by a performance in Chicago’s Soldier Field on Sept. 4 and a final night on Sept. 15th at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Illinois Chemical Plant Explosion, Fires Prompt Evacuations
An explosion at a northern Illinois chemical plant Monday morning sparked massive fires that sent flames and huge plumes of thick black smoke high into the air and debris raining onto the ground, prompting evacuations.
Florida Bans ‘Critical Race Theory’ From its Classrooms
The move by Florida’s state Board of Education was widely expected as a national debate intensifies about how race should be used as a lens in classrooms to examine the country’s tumultuous history.
As US COVID-19 Death Toll Nears 600,000, Racial Gaps Persist
The approaching 600,000 mark, as tracked by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Baltimore or Milwaukee. It is about equal to the number of Americans who died of cancer in 2019. And as bad as that is, the true toll is believed to be significantly higher.
Novavax: Large Study Finds COVID-19 Shot About 90% Effective
The Novavax vaccine, which is easy to store and transport, is expected to play an important role in boosting vaccine supplies in the developing world.
Travel Rebound: 2 Million People Go Through US Airports
The airline industry’s recovery from the pandemic passed a milestone as more than 2 million people streamed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Friday for the first time since early March 2020.
G-7 Leaders Agree on Vaccines, China and Taxing Corporations
At the group’s first face-to-face meeting in two years, the leaders dangled promises of support for global health, green energy, infrastructure and education.
Chicago Man Jumps Into Lake Michigan for 365th Straight Day
Dan O’Conor said he started jumping into the lake at Montrose Harbor on the city’s North Side last year to relieve stress.
Rash of Mass Shootings Stirs US Fears Heading Into Summer
Two people were killed and at least 30 others wounded in mass shootings overnight in three states, authorities said Saturday, stoking concerns that a spike in U.S. gun violence could continue into summer as coronavirus restrictions ease and more people are free to socialize.
Biden Urges G-7 Leaders to Call Out and Compete With China
Leaders of the world’s largest economies unveiled an infrastructure plan Saturday for the developing world to compete with China’s global initiatives, but they were searching for a consensus on how to forcefully to call out Beijing over human rights abuses.
Teachers Wary of New Laws Limiting Instruction on Race
In response to a push for culturally responsive teaching, Republican lawmakers and governors have championed legislation to limit the teaching of material that explores how race and racism influence American politics, culture and law.
US Closes Trump-Era Office for Victims of Immigrant Crime
The Biden administration said Friday it has dismantled a Trump-era government office to help victims of crimes committed by immigrants, a move that symbolizes President Joe Biden’s rejection of former President Donald Trump’s repeated efforts to link immigrants to crime.
AMA Doctors Meet Amid Vocal Backlash Over Racial Equity Plan
The nation’s largest, most influential doctors’ group is holding its annual policymaking meeting amid backlash over its most ambitious plan ever — to help dismantle centuries-old racism and bias in all realms of the medical establishment.
Legislators, Students Push for K-12 Asian American Studies
Illinois would become the first state to require public schools to teach Asian American studies if the governor signs a bill that cleared the state Legislature. Lawmakers have proposed similar mandates this year in Connecticut, New York and Wisconsin.
In US, Pride Month Festivities Muted by Political Setbacks
For many, the top political priority is passage of the Equality Act, which would extend federal civil rights protections to LGBTQ people.
McDonald’s Latest Company to Be Hit by a Data Breach
McDonald’s has become the latest company to be hit by a data breach after unauthorized activity on its network exposed the personal data of some customers in South Korea and Taiwan.
Latino Group Sues to Block Democrat-Drawn Maps in Illinois
Illinois Democrats used inadequate data and an opaque process to draw new legislative districts, a Latino civil rights organization argued in the latest lawsuit seeking to block the maps from being used for statehouse elections over the next decade.
Why Do Some People Get Side Effects After COVID-19 Vaccines?
Temporary side effects including headache, fatigue and fever are signs the immune system is revving up – a normal response to vaccines. And they’re common.
G-7 Nations Gather to Pledge 1B Vaccine Doses for World
Leaders from the Group of Seven industrialized nations are set to commit at their summit to sharing at least 1 billion coronavirus shots with struggling countries around the world — half the doses coming from the U.S. and 100 million from the U.K.
US Extends Expiration Dates for J&J COVID Vaccine by 6 Weeks
The company said a Food and Drug Administration review concluded the shots remain safe and effective for at least 4 1/2 months. In February, the FDA originally authorized J&J’s vaccine for up to three months when stored at normal refrigeration levels.
Homicides Are Up, But GOP Misleads with Claims About Blame
On social media and in political speeches, some Republicans and pro-police groups say last year’s calls to slash spending on law enforcement have led to a dramatic rise in killings in cities overseen by Democrats.
‘There is Stuff’: Enduring Mysteries Trail US Report on UFOs
Plus: “Chicago Tonight” gets into the UFO report and its implications
The U.S. government has been taking a hard look at unidentified flying objects. A report summarizing what the U.S. knows about “unidentified aerial phenomena” — better known as UFOs — is expected to be made public this month.
Keystone Pipeline Canceled After Biden Had Blocked Permit
Calgary-based TC Energy said it would work with government agencies “to ensure a safe termination of and exit from” the partially built line, which was to transport crude from the oil sand fields of western Canada to Steele City, Nebraska.
