WORLD
US grapples with pandemic as its origins are traced in China
Deaths from the virus have been rising in the U.S., especially in the South and West, though they are still well below the numbers reached in April, according to a recent Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.
WORLD
After lobbying, US Roman Catholic Church won $1.4 billion in coronavirus aid
By aggressively promoting the payroll program and marshaling resources to help affiliates navigate its shifting rules, Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other ministries have so far received approval for at least 3,500 forgivable loans, AP found.
WORLD
Supreme Court rules Manhattan DA can obtain Trump taxes
The court ruled 7-2 in a case in which it heard arguments by telephone in May because of the coronavirus pandemic.
BUSINESS
Is the COVID-19 pandemic cure really worse than the disease? Here's what research found
All of that raises a question: Is the U.S. better off with the public health interventions being used to keep the coronavirus from spreading or without them?
WORLD
US President Donald Trump pushes racial division, flouts virus rules at Mount Rushmore
The speech and fireworks at Mount Rushmore came against the backdrop of a pandemic that has killed over 125,000 Americans. The president flew across the nation to gather a big crowd of supporters, most of them maskless and all of them flouting public health guidelines that recommend not gathering in large groups.
WORLD
Iran will not disclose cause of mysterious nuclear site fire
The multiple, different claims by a self-described group called the “Cheetahs of the Homeland” included language used by several exiled Iranian opposition organizations. They also focused almost entirely on Iran’s nuclear program, viewed by Israel as a danger to its very existence.
BUSINESS
Germany is first major economy to phase out coal and nuclear power
The plan is part of Germany’s ‘energy transition’ - an effort to wean Europe’s biggest economy off planet-warming fossil fuels and generate all of the country’s considerable energy needs from renewable sources.
WORLD
US Independence Day | July Fourth weekend will test Americans’ discipline
With confirmed cases climbing in 40 states, governors have ordered the wearing of masks in public, and families were urged to celebrate their independence at home. Even then, they were told to keep their backyard cookouts small.
BUSINESS
Social media companies face revenue hit from boycotts
The #StopHateforProfit campaign launched on June 17 by the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP and other advocacy groups seeks to pressure the social media giants into doing more to curtail racist and violent content on their websites. So far, the campaign has signed on more than 500 companies and organizations.
BUSINESS
Coronavirus impact | American and 4 other airlines reach loan agreements with US
The Treasury Department said on Thursday that it had signed letters of intent for new loans to American, Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and SkyWest Airlines.
BUSINESS
To stop parties, Airbnb won’t let some guests book homes
The San Francisco-based home sharing company said US guests under age 25 with fewer than three positive Airbnb reviews won’t be allowed to book entire homes close to where they live. Airbnb wouldn’t reveal how it defines what is “close.”
WORLD
British judge denies Nicolás Maduro Venezuela’s gold in London bank
Maduro has demanded the gold to help his cash-starved nation fight the coronavirus pandemic. But the central bank for the United Kingdom, whose government recognizes Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Guaidó as his country’s legitimate leader, had refused to hand it over to Maduro’s administration.
BUSINESS
Atlantic City casinos reopen in a changed pandemic world
In 2 1/2 hours on the gambling floor of the Hard Rock casino, an Associated Press reporter did not see a single customer without a face mask. A few wore full face-covering hoods that extended to their chests.
WORLD
Sangakkara questioned by police over 2011 India-Srilanka world cup final 'fix'
Sangakkara, captain of the 2011 side, was the third high-profile official or player to be questioned over the past week, beside 2011 chief selector Aravinda de Silva and opening batsman Upul Tharanga.
BUSINESS
Hot news cycle leads CNN to best ratings in 40 years
The news is welcome at a network that has been relentlessly attacked for four years by President Donald Trump and his allies, who often mocked CNN as “failing.”
BUSINESS
US adds 4.8 million jobs as unemployment falls to 11.1%
Economists have long warned that the economic benefits of allowing businesses to reopen would prove short-lived if the virus wasn’t brought under control.
WORLD
Hong Kong police makes first arrests under new security law
Some protesters set fires in Hong Kong's trendy shopping district, Causeway Bay, while others pulled bricks from sidewalks and scattered obstacles across roads in an attempt to obstruct traffic.
WORLD
Distancing from Donald Trump? Some Republicans step up critiques
Four months before voters decide the Republican president’s reelection, some in Trump’s party are daring to say the quiet part out loud as Trump struggles to navigate competing national crises and a scattershot campaign message.
WORLD
Democrats warn against overconfidence in fight against Donald Trump
Biden and his leading supporters are stepping up warnings to Democrats to avoid becoming complacent. Former President Barack Obama and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer insist that plenty could change between now and November 3 and that the party must be vigilant against Trump, who knows few boundaries when it comes to his political foes.
WORLD
Goran Ivanisevic, the coach of Novak Djokovic, tests positive for coronavirus
The Croatian great, who won his only Grand Slam title at the All England Club in 2001, wrote on Instagram that he tested positive after two negative tests in the last 10 days.
BUSINESS
‘Coming back and biting us’: US sees virus resurgence
The U.S. recorded a one-day total of 34,700 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, the highest level since late April, when the number peaked at 36,400, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
BUSINESS
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces new indictment in US
The superseding indictment does not contain additional charges beyond the 18 counts the Justice Department unsealed last year. But prosecutors say it underscores Assange’s efforts to procure and release classified information, allegations that form the basis of criminal charges he already faces.
BUSINESS
Australia’s Qantas airline to cut 6,000 jobs as virus hits
Qantas announced a plan Thursday to reduce costs by billions of dollars and raise fresh capital. The plan includes grounding 100 planes for a year or more and immediately retiring its six remaining Boeing 747 planes.
WORLD
US Federal Judge: John Bolton can publish book despite efforts to block it
The decision from US District Judge Royce Lamberth is a victory for Bolton in a court case that involved core First Amendment and national security concerns.
