Liberal Jill Karofsky wins Wisconsin Supreme Court seat
MADISON, Wis. — Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky defeated conservative Justice Dan Kelly to win a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in results released Monday from last week’s chaotic spring election. The race was officially nonpartisan, but the high court has become heavily politicized in recent years....
Trump says his ‘authority is total’ when to ease coronavirus rules, not governorsVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump claimed the authority Monday to decide how and when to reopen the economy after weeks of tough social distancing guidelines aimed at fighting the new coronavirus. But governors from both parties were quick to push back, noting they have the primary constitutional responsibility for ensuring...
Ohio fishery charged with abusing, wasting game fish
COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio fishery has been charged with wildlife violations after investigators observed abuse and waste of game fish, officials said. Investigators from the state Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife recorded employees from Szuch Fishery Inc. intentionally injure a rare trophy-size fish after it was removed...
Trump’s disdain for ‘Obamacare’ could hamper coronavirus response
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s unrelenting opposition to “Obamacare” could become an obstacle for millions of uninsured people in the coronavirus outbreak, as well as many who are losing coverage in the economic shutdown. Experts say the Affordable Care Act’s insurance markets provide a ready-made infrastructure for extending subsidized private...
Could old vaccines for other germs protect against covid-19?Video
WASHINGTON — Scientists are dusting off some decades-old vaccines against other germs to see if they could provide a little stopgap protection against covid-19 until a more precise shot arrives. It may sound odd: Vaccines are designed to target a specific disease. But vaccines made using live strains of bacteria...
Bernie Sanders formally endorses Joe Biden for president
WASHINGTON — Bernie Sanders endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential campaign on Monday, encouraging his progressive supporters to rally behind the presumptive Democratic nominee in an urgent bid to defeat President Donald Trump. “I am asking all Americans, I’m asking every Democrat, I’m asking every independent, I’m asking a lot of Republicans,...
Trump’s developer friend Stanley Chera dies of coronavirusVideo
WASHINGTON — A friend and donor to President Donald Trump who the president had said was in a coma and seriously ill after becoming infected with the coronavirus has died. Stanley I. Chera’s death Saturday was reported by The Real Deal, which covers the New York real estate industry. The...
Trump campaign sues Wisconsin TV station over critical ad
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is suing a Wisconsin TV station for running an anti-Trump commercial that pieces together audio clips of the president talking about the coronavirus outbreak in a way they argue is misleading and false. The ad by the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA features...
Trump says he’ll decide on easing coronavirus guidelines, not governors
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump asserted Monday that he is the ultimate decision-maker for determining how and when to relax the nation’s social distancing guidelines as he grows anxious to reopen the coronavirus-stricken country as soon as possible. Governors and local leaders, who have instituted mandatory restrictions that have the...
Coronavirus death toll tops 10,000 in New YorkVideo
NEW YORK — New York’s death toll from coronavirus topped 10,000, with hospitals still seeing 2,000 new patients a day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. The state tallied 671 new deaths on Sunday. It was the first time in a week daily toll dipped below 700. Still, the governor noted...
Court lifts part of order blocking Texas abortion banVideo
AUSTIN, Texas — A federal appeals court on Friday partially rescinded a lower-court order that had largely blocked the enforcement of an abortion ban in Texas during the coronavirus pandemic. By a 2-1 vote, the three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld enforcement of an executive...
IRS online tool tracks when your stimulus money will arriveVideo
For millions of Americans out of work and struggling for cash, the government’s $2.2 trillion economic relief plan can’t come soon enough. The first coronavirus-related stimulus checks have started hitting bank accounts, according to the House Ways and Means Committee. But how can you know when will you get yours?...
Supreme Court to hold May arguments by teleconferenceVideo
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said Monday it will hold arguments by teleconference in May in key cases, including President Donald Trump’s bid to shield his tax and other financial records. The court will make live audio of the arguments available for the first time. It had previously postponed courtroom...
Former Senate staffer accuses Joe Biden of sexual assaultVideo
WASHINGTON — A former aide to Joe Biden is accusing the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee of sexually assaulting her during the early 1990s when he was a senator. Biden’s campaign denies the charges. In two recent interviews with the Associated Press, Tara Reade alleged the assault occurred in the basement...
Navy reports first coronavirus death from Roosevelt crewVideo
WASHINGTON — A member of the crew of the coronavirus-infected USS Theodore Roosevelt warship died Monday of complications related to the disease, the Navy said, adding to setbacks for the sidelined aircraft carrier. The sailor, whose name and other identifying information were not publicly released pending notification of relatives, had...
WVU dorm resident has coronavirus, others self-quarantineVideo
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — An undisclosed number of residents at a West Virginia University dormitory complex have been ordered to self-quarantine after someone living there tested positive for the new coronavirus, the university said. The Monongalia County health department notified the university of the positive test Sunday. The individual has been...
Firefighters find body inside burning vehicle in Erie
ERIE — Firefighters who extinguished a car fire at an abandoned gas station early Monday found a body in the vehicle, authorities said. The fire in Erie was reported around 2:30 a.m., city police said. The burning vehicle was next to a building and among several vehicles parked between the...
2 children killed, 3 adults hurt in Philadelphia house fire
PHILADELPHIA — A fast-moving fire roared through a rowhouse in Philadelphia early Monday, killing two children and leaving three adults hospitalized. The blaze in the two-story home started shortly before 5 a.m. and was brought under control within 30 minutes, according to city fire officials. The bodies were found a...
George Stephanopoulos of ‘Good Morning America’ tests positive for coronavirus
NEW YORK — “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos revealed Monday that he’s tested positive for the coronavirus, but has been relatively symptom-free. The ABC newsman revealed his diagnosis on the show, telling co-host Robin Roberts that, “I feel fine.” Stephanopoulos’ wife, Ali Wentworth, had come down with covid-19 and...
Health officials warn NYC could run out of virus test swabsVideo
NEW YORK — New York City is in danger of running out of swabs for covid-19 tests and should only test hospitalized patients, the city health department said in a memo to health care providers over the weekend. “As the swab supply continues to decline, there is a real possibility...
Fauci says ‘rolling reentry’ of U.S. economy possible in MayVideo
WASHINGTON — Social restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus could have saved lives if they’d been started earlier, and when they’re eased new cases are certain to arise, said the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, seeming to draw the ire of President Donald Trump....
Suspect arrested in pair of double homicides in CincinnatiVideo
CINCINNATI, Ohio — Authorities in Ohio say a suspect has been arrested in a pair of double homicides in Cincinnati, including two women whose bodies were found in an apartment. Cincinnati police say officers responded to the North Avondale apartment shortly after 5:30 p.m. Friday and found 56-year-old Bridgett Carter...
Nursing home deaths soar past 3,300 in alarming surgeVideo
NEW YORK — More than 3,300 deaths nationwide have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, an alarming rise in just the past two weeks, according to the latest count by The Associated Press. Because the federal government has not been releasing a count of...
Guam worries as sailors from coronavirus-hit ship take over hotelsVideo
HONOLULU — People in Guam are used to a constant U.S. military presence on the strategic Pacific island, but some are nervous as hundreds of sailors from a coronavirus-stricken Navy aircraft carrier flood into hotels for quarantine. Officials insist they have enforced strict safety measures. An outbreak aboard the USS...
Easter services limited in Kansas amid coronavirus outbreak
TOPEKA, Kan. — A state Supreme Court ruling means Kansas religious services were limited to 10 people or fewer on Easter, typically the busiest day for Christian church attendance. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Sunday said she was “forced” to include places of worship in her bans on gatherings of...