Orthodox churches empty for Easter amid pandemic
KYIV, Ukraine — Orthodox priests in much of Europe held Easter services in churches empty of parishoners because of restrictions imposed to block the spread of coronavirus. In Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kyiv, priests at the services that began late Saturday night wore the elaborate robes that characterize Orthodoxy’s most...
Experts worry politics might guide voters’ virus precautions
WASHINGTON — Laura Herd says she sleeps better because her state’s governor, Michigan Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, imposed one of the nation’s strictest stay-at-home orders to combat the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump’s actions are another story, in her mind. “His goal is to get the economy back up so he...
US-Canada border to remain closed for another 30 days, Trudeau says
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that Canada and the United States had agreed to keep their border closed for all nonessential travel for another 30 days. “Canada and the United States have agreed to extend by another 30 days the border measures that are currently in place,” Trudeau...
‘Holy Fire’ ceremony held in empty Jerusalem church
JERUSALEM — A small group of Christian clerics celebrated the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem on Saturday as the coronavirus pandemic prevented worshippers from taking part in the ancient ritual. They entered the Edicule, a chamber built on the site where Christians believe...
Hong Kong police arrest at least 14 opposition activists
Hong Kong police arrested at least 14 opposition activists Saturday for allegedly holding unlawful protests last year, the South China Morning Post reported. Former lawmakers Martin Lee, Albert Ho and Leung Kwok-hung were among those arrested, the newspaper
reported, citing unidentified legal sources. Police also arrested media tycoon Jimmy Lai,...
Florida restaurant finds NY man’s wedding ring 3 years later
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Three years ago, a New York couple was enjoying a meal by the water at a South Florida restaurant when the man’s wedding ring slipped off his finger, through the wooden floorboards, apparently lost forever. Recently, Coconuts restaurant manager Ryan Krivoy decided to replace the wooden...
With no school, child abuse in the home can too often go unreported
HELENA, Mont. — With schools closed and teachers unable to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect, child welfare agencies have lost some of their best eyes and ears during a stressful time for families who have lost jobs and are locked down together during the coronavirus pandemic. April is...
Walk, run or surf — but don’t sunbathe on Florida beaches
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Kevin Sweeny took his 2-year-old daughter on St. Augustine Beach on Saturday for the first time in weeks. It was something that used to be routine. He lives a short bike ride from the shore, and he and his family like to enjoy it as often as...
Vice President Mike Pence delivers Air Force Academy commencement address
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — In a symbolic show of normalcy, Vice President Mike Pence delivered a commencement address to the U.S. Air Force Academy’s 2020 graduating class on Saturday — a trip aimed at showing the country is on course to gradually reopening after weeks of the coronavirus shutdown. Making...
New N.Y. virus deaths below 550 for first time since April 1
NEW YORK — New York’s daily toll of coronavirus deaths hit its lowest point in more than two weeks, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned Saturday that the state isn’t ready to ease up on shutdowns of schools, businesses and gatherings. As the closings take a growing toll on residents’ lives...
Governors feel heat to reopen from protesters, president
Stores in Texas can begin selling merchandise with curbside service, and hospitals can resume nonessential surgeries. In Florida, people are returning to beaches and parks. And protesters are clamoring for more. Governors eager to rescue their economies and feeling heat from demonstrators and President Donald Trump are moving to ease...
Foreign ski workers stranded by virus get helping hand
MARSHFIELD, Vt. — They were far away from home — young adults from Latin America, working seasonally at U.S. ski resorts. Then the coronavirus arrived, even before the snows departed. Though some made it home, others were stranded. But they were not abandoned. The resorts have stepped up to support...
Former Treasury Secretary, Alcoa head Paul O’Neill dies at Pittsburgh home at age 84
Paul O’Neill wasn’t the type to put on airs. The plain-speaking former Treasury secretary and retired head of aluminum giant Alcoa was as comfortable in a corporate board room as he was donning blue jeans and hiking several blocks from his home in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood to have breakfast with...
Detroit mayor says essential workers will be tested for the coronavirus regardless of symptomsVideo
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Friday that the city will offer covid-19 tests to employees in the city who work at essential businesses like grocery stores and banks. According to the Detroit Free Press, Duggan wants to be the first city in the United States to ensure that key members...
Coronavirus infections could be much more widespread than believed, California study suggests
In the weeks since the coronavirus outbreak has squelched daily life in America, researchers have struggled to assess the true spread of the virus. But initial results from a Northern California study on coronavirus antibodies suggest it has circulated much more widely than previously thought, according to a report released...
Judge: Tennessee can’t prevent abortions during coronavirus
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A federal judge Friday night ruled that Tennessee has to continue allowing abortions amid a temporary ban on nonessential medical procedures that’s aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman said the defendants didn’t show that any appreciable amount of personal protective equipment,...
Racial toll of virus grows even starker as more data emerges
As a clearer picture emerges of COVID-19’s decidedly deadly toll on black Americans, leaders are demanding a reckoning of the systemic policies they say have made many African Americans far more vulnerable to the virus, including inequity in access to health care and economic opportunity. A growing chorus of medical...
‘Live Free or Die:’ Protesters march against California stay-at-home rules in Huntington Beach
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — A group of more than 100 protesters converged on Huntington Beach on Friday in a demonstration against California’s coronavirus stay-at-home rules, part of a series of national demonstration organized by conservative groups. The protesters — some with Trump banners and American flags — mostly were not...
Judge extends deadline for zookeeper ‘Joe Exotic’ to challenge convictions
OKLAHOMA CITY — A former Oklahoma zookeeper who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a murder-for-hire plot and federal wildlife violations has been granted an extra month to argue why his lawsuit challenging the convictions shouldn’t be dismissed. Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as “Joe Exotic,” filed a federal...
Trump consults faith leaders on phased-in reopening
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump held a call with faith leaders on Friday that included discussion about a phased-in return to broader in-person worship after weeks of religious services largely shifting online in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump’s call with faith leaders came one day after the White...
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz attracts attention over office spending
WASHINGTON — Rep. Matt Gaetz might be subject to even more scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee after a Politico report disclosed that he has paid more than $184,000 in office rent to a friend, who is also a donor, legal client and adviser, a revelation that could trigger an...
Franklin Regional will implement pass/fail grading system for remainder of academic year
The Franklin Regional School District will implement a pass/fail grading system for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, but school board members had a lengthy discussion about its merits and shortcomings. “I would rather our teachers focus on creating assignments and lessons to engage students instead of focusing on...
Sheriff: Off-duty officer shot 14-year-old outside Louisiana home
METAIRIE, La. — An off-duty Louisiana police officer shot and wounded a 14-year-old boy after he found several people in his front yard early Friday morning, authorities said. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said the boy was hospitalized in critical condition Friday afternoon, news outlets reported. Lopinto said the officer...
More questions over China’s virus response as Wuhan death tally revised sharply upward
WASHINGTON — The United States, Germany and France have questioned Beijing’s response to the coronavirus as Chinese authorities announced a large jump in the official number of fatalities in Wuhan, the original epicenter of the outbreak. Earlier on Friday, China revised the number of virus-related fatalities in the central city...
Georgia high school students expelled after posting racist video
CARROLLTON, Ga. — Two high school students in Georgia have been expelled after they posted a racist video on a social media site. Carrollton City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Albertus, in a statement Friday, said the students “behavior was unacceptable and is not representative of the district’s respect for all...
