Scientists widely agree that the U.S. simply doesn’t have enough of a handle on the variants to roll back public health measures and is at risk of fumbling yet another phase of the pandemic after letting the virus rage through the country over the last year.
Stories by Associated Press
US Jobless Claims Jump to 861,000 as Layoffs Stay High
Before the virus erupted in the United States last March, weekly applications for unemployment benefits had never topped 700,000, even during the Great Recession of 2008-2009.
Biden Reframes His Goal on Reopening of Elementary Schools
President Joe Biden is promising a majority of elementary schools will be open five days a week by the end of his first 100 days in office.
Rush Limbaugh, ‘Voice of American Conservatism,’ Has Died
Rush Limbaugh, the talk radio host who ripped into liberals and laid waste to political correctness with a merry brand of malice that made him one of the most powerful voices on the American right, influencing the rightward push of conservatism and the rise of Donald Trump, died Wednesday. He was 70.
Executioners Sanitized Accounts of Deaths in Federal Cases
The sworn accounts by executioners raise questions about whether officials misled courts to ensure the executions scheduled from July to mid-January were done before death penalty opponent Joe Biden became president.
Pelosi Says Independent Commission Will Examine Capitol Riot
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Congress will establish an independent, Sept. 11-style commission to look into the deadly insurrection that took place at the U.S. Capitol.
Highlights of COVID-19 Relief Bill Progressing in House
A Democratic-led effort to pass a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package has passed its latest challenge with House committees advancing measures that will soon be combined into a single bill expected to clear the full House by the end of February.
Riot Lawsuit Just Part of Trump’s Post-Impeachment Problems
Acquitted by the Senate of inciting last month’s U.S. Capitol insurrection, former President Donald Trump faces more fallout from the unrest, including a lawsuit from a congressman Tuesday. But his biggest legal problems might be the ones that go much further back.
Biden Extends Pandemic Help for Homeowners, Renters Wait
President Joe Biden is extending a ban on housing foreclosures to June 30 to help homeowners struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. The moratorium on foreclosures of federally guaranteed mortgages had been set to expire on March 31.
Trump Looks to Reassert Himself After Impeachment Acquittal
Plus: Reaction to Trump’s acquittal on ‘Chicago Tonight’
Now acquitted in his second Senate impeachment trial, Donald Trump is preparing for the next phase of his post-presidency life. But after being barred from Twitter, the former president lacks the social media bullhorn that fueled his political rise.
Impeachment Isn’t the Final Word on Capitol Riot for Trump
Donald Trump’s acquittal at his second impeachment trial may not be the final word on whether he’s to blame for the deadly Capitol riot. The next step for the former president could be the courts.
Average US Virus Cases Dip Below 100K for 1st Time in Months
Average daily new coronavirus cases in the United States dipped below 100,000 in recent days for the first time in months, but experts cautioned Sunday that infections remain high and precautions to slow the pandemic must remain in place.
A Bleak Valentine’s Day, Lovers Find Hope in Roses, Vaccines
On this Valentine’s Day, Americans are searching for ways to celebrate love amid so much heartache and isolation as the coronavirus pandemic stretches past its year anniversary.
Senate Votes to Acquit Trump in Historic Impeachment Trial
Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday of inciting the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol, concluding a historic impeachment trial that spared him the first-ever conviction of a current or former U.S. president but exposed the fragility of America’s democratic traditions.
Judge: Man Impersonating Chicago Cop ‘Danger’ to Community
A man arrested at least three times for impersonating a Chicago police officer, including once at age 14, appeared in court Friday on charges that he did the same crime three times this year, including once when he allegedly pulled over a vehicle and searched its occupants.
Trump Lawyers Argue Impeachment Based on ‘Hatred,’ Not Facts
The defense team vigorously denied on Friday that Donald Trump had incited the deadly riot and said his encouragement of followers to “fight like hell” at a rally that preceded it was routine political speech.
Airlines Push White House to Reject Testing for US Flights
Leaders of several major U.S. airlines met online Friday with White House officials to press their case against requiring coronavirus tests for passengers on domestic flights, saying it would undermine the already fragile industry.
CDC: Strong Evidence In-Person Schooling Can Be Done Safely
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its long-awaited road map for getting students back to classrooms. But the agency cannot force schools to reopen, and agency officials were careful to say they are not calling for a mandate that all U.S. schools be reopened.
Sign of Inequality: US Salaries Recover Even as Jobs Haven't
The turnaround in total wages underscores how disproportionately America's job losses have afflicted workers in lower-income occupations rather than in higher-paying industries, where employees have actually gained jobs as well as income since early last year.
Black Hospital Faces Vaccine Mistrust From Unlikely Source
Just 37% of the 600 doctors, nurses and support staff at Roseland Community Hospital have been vaccinated even though health care workers are first in line. Many holdouts come from the mostly Black, working class neighborhoods surrounding the hospital.
Convict Trump or Face Dire Democracy Damage, Prosecutors Say
Dire harm from Donald Trump’s false and violent incitements will vex American democracy long into the future unless the Senate convicts him of impeachment and bars him from future office, House prosecutors insisted Thursday.
Judge Declines New Arrest Warrant for Kyle Rittenhouse
Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder also rejected prosecutors’ request for a $200,000 bail increase for Kyle Rittenhouse, who came to Kenosha in August as hundreds were protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man.
Law Enforcement Diversity May Improve Policing, Study Shows
An analysis of nearly 3 million Chicago Police Department patrol assignments found that compared to white officers, Black and Hispanic officers made far fewer stops and arrests — and used force less often — especially against Black civilians.
United: Small Electric Air Taxis Will Zip People to Airports
The airline said it will help electric-aircraft startup Archer develop an aircraft capable of helicopter-style, vertical takeoffs and landings. Archer hopes to deliver its first aircraft in 2024, if it wins certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.
US Jobless Claims Fall Slightly to 793,000 With Layoffs High
The numbers point to a still-elevated number of layoffs. Before the virus erupted in the United States in March, weekly applications for jobless aid had never topped 700,000, even during the Great Recession.
Trump Trial Video Shows Vast Scope, Danger of Capitol Riot
Prosecutors unveiled chilling new security video in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on Wednesday, showing the mob of rioters breaking into the Capitol, smashing windows and doors and searching menacingly for Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as overwhelmed police begged on their radios for help.
