Trump photo op, talk of military force amp up GOP challenge
WASHINGTON — The mumbling and dodging this week by Republicans came straight from the GOP playbook that helped the party endure President Donald Trump’s cringe-inducing choices.
Obama steps out as nation confronts confluence of crises
WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama is taking on an increasingly public role as the nation confronts a confluence of historic crises that has exposed deep racial and socioeconomic inequalities in America and reshaped the November election.
Tropical Storm Cristobal makes landfall on Mexico Gulf coast
MEXICO CITY — Tropical Storm Cristobal made landfall in Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Campeche on Wednesday, dumping heavy rain on the already soaked region ahead of an expected eventual turn toward the United States, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Prosecutors charge 3 more officers in George Floyd’s death
MINNEAPOLIS — Prosecutors filed a tougher charge Wednesday against the police officer at the center of the George Floyd case and charged three other officers, delivering a victory to protesters galvanized by a death that roused racial tensions and unleashed coast-to-coast unrest.
Army: Esper reverses plan to send active-duty troops home
WASHINGTON — In an abrupt reversal, Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday overturned an earlier Pentagon decision to send a couple hundred active-duty soldiers home from the Washington, D.C., region, amid growing tensions with the White House over the military response to the protests.
Trump warns of military action; Floyd’s brother wants peace
MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to deploy the United States military unless states quickly halted the violent protests that have convulsed cities from coast to coast, hours after George Floyd’s brother pleaded for peace, saying destruction is “not going to bring my brother back at all.”
‘Hate just hides’: Biden vows to take on systematic racism
WILMINGTON, Del. — Joe Biden vowed to address institutional racism in his first 100 days in office as he sought to elevate his voice Monday in the exploding national debate over racism and police brutality.
Brooms in hand, people patch up stores damaged in protests
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Carrying brooms, shovels, trash bags and cans of paint, thousands of people from Los Angeles to New York swept up glass from broken store windows, covered over graffiti and organized ransacked businesses Monday after protests over police killings of black people turned destructive once again.
Congress confronts dual crises of protests, virus outbreak
WASHINGTON — Congress convened Monday confronting protests outside its door, and across the nation, over the treatment of black people in the United States. The civil unrest combined with the COVID-19 crisis that’s disproportionately striking African Americans sparked an urgent plea for understanding from some leaders as the world watches a nation in turmoil.
SpaceX captures the flag, beating Boeing in cosmic contest
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The first astronauts launched by SpaceX declared victory Monday in NASA’s cosmic capture-the-flag game.
EU, China postpone September summit due to pandemic
BERLIN — The European Union and China have agreed to postpone a summit planned for this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic, German officials said Wednesday.
Virus forges rare accord among bitter Venezuelan rivals
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Nicolás Maduro and Venezuela’s opposition, led by Juan Guaidó, have agreed to a measures for battling the new coronavirus to be overseen by international health workers, a first step in years toward cooperation between bitter political rivals for the benefit of the country.
Italy opens borders ahead of neighbors, still eyed warily
VENTIMIGLIA, Italy — Italy officially ended its long coronavirus lockdown Wednesday, opening regional and international borders in a bid to boost summer tourism, but found itself alone as European neighbors viewed the move as premature and remained wary of visitors from Italy.
Germany agrees $146B stimulus package as Europe jobless rise
BERLIN — Germany’s governing parties agreed on a 130 billion euro ($146 billion) stimulus package Wednesday to help kick-start the economy, which like others around the world has taken a heavy hit from the coronavirus pandemic.
Doctors kept close eye on Trump’s use of malaria drug
WASHINGTON — The White House medical team kept a close eye on President Donald Trump’s heart rhythms, including at least one electrocardiogram, to watch for potential side effects when he took a two-week course of a malaria drug to try to prevent the coronavirus, his doctor reported Wednesday.
South America ignores Europe and reopens as virus peak nears
RIO DE JANEIRO — South American countries on Monday began easing COVID-19 restrictions even as the region hurtles toward its viral peak, disregarding the example set by European nations that were battered earlier by the virus.
Mexico president kicks off ‘new normal’ phase amid pandemic
CANCUN, Mexico — Amid a pandemic and a brewing tropical storm, Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador kicked off Mexico’s return to a “new normal” Monday with his first road trip in two months as the nation began to gradually ease some virus-inspired restrictions.
UK eases lockdown restrictions but many flout guidelines
LONDON — The U.K. eased more lockdown restrictions Monday despite warnings from some health officials of another spike in coronavirus infections, especially if Britons persisted in flouting the new guidelines.
Masks and social distancing work, new analysis finds
Masks and social distancing can help control the coronavirus but hand washing and other measures are still needed, a new analysis finds.
Nearly 26,000 COVID deaths in nursing homes spur inspections
WASHINGTON — Nearly 26,000 nursing home residents have died from COVID-19, the government reported Monday, as federal officials demanded states carry out more inspections and vowed higher fines for facilities with poor infection control.