In debate countdown, Trump holds rally, Biden does prep
ERIE, Pa. — President Donald Trump pushed into arguably the most important state on the electoral map on Tuesday, opting for a rally in Pennsylvania instead of formal debate practice two days ahead of the final presidential debate that may be his last, best chance to alter the trajectory of the 2020 campaign.
How Trump plowed through $1 billion, losing cash advantage
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s sprawling political operation has raised well over $1 billion since he took the White House in 2017 — and set a lot of it on fire.
Environmental groups sue over Portland tear gas use
PORTLAND, Ore. — Night after night in Portland, tear gas and other crowd control devices have enveloped protesters and bystanders in airborne chemicals that settle on the ground, later to be washed into storm drains.
California boat owners faulted for fire that killed 34
LOS ANGELES — One of the deadliest accidents in recent U.S. maritime history was the fault of owners of a Southern California dive boat whose lack of oversight resulted in a fire that swept through the vessel and killed 34 people in their bunks below deck, federal safety officials ruled Tuesday.
US spacecraft touches asteroid surface for rare rubble grab
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A NASA spacecraft descended to an asteroid Tuesday and, dodging boulders the size of buildings, momentarily touched the surface to collect a handful of cosmic rubble for return to Earth.
McConnell warns White House against COVID relief deal
WASHINGTON — Washington negotiations on a huge COVID-19 relief bill took a modest step forward on Tuesday, though time is running out and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, President Donald Trump’s most powerful Senate ally, is pressing the White House against going forward.
Leaders in US, Europe divided on response to surging virus
SALT LAKE CITY — Virus cases are surging across Europe and many U.S. states, but responses by leaders are miles apart, with officials in Ireland, France and elsewhere imposing curfews and restricting gatherings even as some U.S. governors resist mask mandates or more aggressive measures.
California will allow fans at pro sports but not Disneyland
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will let fans back in outdoor stadiums for pro sporting events in counties with low coronavirus infection rates but isn’t ready to allow Disneyland and other major theme parks to reopen, the state’s top health official said Tuesday.
Older workers face higher unemployment amid virus pandemic
For the first time in nearly 50 years, older workers face higher unemployment than their midcareer counterparts, according to a study released Tuesday by the New School university in New York City.
Oklahoma hits record high of 821 virus hospitalizations
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and state health officials on Tuesday announced a new plan to handle a surge in the number of people hospitalized due to the coronavirus.
Trump goes after Fauci, tries to buck up his campaign team
TUCSON, Ariz. — President Donald Trump came out swinging Monday against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the press and polls that show him trailing Democrat Joe Biden in key battleground states in a disjointed closing message two weeks out from Election Day
Senate to work through weekend to push Barrett onto court
WASHINGTON — Wasting no time, the Senate is on track to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court by next Monday, charging toward a rare weekend session as Republicans push past procedural steps to install President Donald Trump’s pick before Election Day.
6 Russian military officers charged in vast hacking campaign
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced charges Monday against Russian intelligence officers in a string of global cyberattacks that targeted a French presidential election, the Winter Olympics in South Korea and American businesses. The case implicates the same Kremlin unit that interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections, but is not related to the November vote.
Tulsa resumes excavation for victims of 1921 race massacre
TULSA, Okla. — Excavation work began Monday at two locations in a Tulsa cemetery for victims of a race massacre nearly 100 years ago that left hundreds dead and decimated an area that was once a cultural and economic mecca for African Americans.
Pavement technology could cool cities from the ground up
PHOENIX — Sunbathers understand the benefits of applying sunscreen, but in America’s hottest big city the same concept is being tested at street level in the hope of bringing some lasting relief from the relentless Arizona sun.
Pandemic air travel milestone; 1 million passengers screened
SILVER SPRING, Md. — The number of passengers screened in a single day for flights in the U.S. topped one million for the first time since COVID-19 infections began to spike last March.
California won’t allow virus vaccines without state approval
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California won’t allow any distribution of new coronavirus vaccines in the nation’s most populous state until it is reviewed by the state’s own panel of experts, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.
Wales locks down as COVID-19 cases spike; Manchester resists
LONDON — Wales became the second nation in the United Kingdom to lock down large swaths of its economy to combat rising coronavirus infections, even as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday resisted loud calls to do the same throughout England.
Poland turning National Stadium into COVID-19 field hospital
WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s government is transforming the National Stadium in Warsaw into a field hospital to handle the surging number of people infected with the coronavirus, and expects it to be operational within days, officials said.
Deadline looms, but COVID relief deal may be far off
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reported some progress in advance of a Tuesday deadline for reaching a pre-election deal with President Donald Trump on a new coronavirus relief package, but the same core problems bedeviling the effort remain in place despite optimistic talk from the president and his team.