Trump to US schools: Reopen or you may lose federal funds
WASHINGTON — Determined to reopen America’s schools despite coronavirus worries, President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to hold back federal money if school districts don’t bring their students back in the fall. He complained that his own public health officials’ safety guidelines are impractical and too expensive.
Harvard, MIT sue to block ICE rule on international students
BOSTON — Colleges and universities pushed back Wednesday against the Trump administration’s decision to make international students leave the country if they plan on taking classes entirely online this fall, with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filing a lawsuit to try to block it, and others promising to work with students to keep them on campus.
‘A hot mess’: Americans face testing delays as virus surges
AUSTIN, Texas — With a cough and shortness of breath, it took Austin, Texas, resident Sam Lee three tries to get a COVID-19 test.
News briefs for July 9
A brief look at other news from Wednesday.
Court: Some employers can refuse to offer free birth control
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled broadly Wednesday in favor of the religious rights of employers in two cases that could leave more than 70,000 women without free contraception and tens of thousands of people with no way to sue for job discrimination.
News briefs for July 8
A brief look at other news from around the globe.
McConnell eyes virus aid as evictions, benefits cuts loom
WASHINGTON — An eviction moratorium is lifting. Extra unemployment benefits are ending. Parents are being called to work, but schools are struggling to reopen for fall as the COVID-19 crisis shows no signs of easing.
Hospitals approaching capacity as Miami closes restaurants
MIAMI — Hospitals rapidly approached capacity throughout the Sunbelt on Monday and the Miami area closed restaurants and gyms again because of the surging coronavirus Monday as the U.S. emerged from a Fourth of July weekend of picnics, pool parties and beach outings that health officials fear could fuel the rapidly worsening outbreak.
Justices rule states can bind presidential electors’ votes
WASHINGTON — In a decision flavored with references to “Hamilton” and “Veep,” the Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that states can require presidential electors to back their states’ popular vote winner in the Electoral College.
New rules: Foreign pupils must leave US if classes go online
International students will be forced to leave the U.S. or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online this fall under new guidelines issued Monday by federal immigration authorities.
Judge orders Dakota Access pipeline shut down pending review
FARGO, N.D. — A judge on Monday ordered the Dakota Access pipeline shut down for additional environmental review more than three years after it began pumping oil — handing a victory to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and delivering a blow to President Donald Trump’s efforts to weaken public health and environmental protections his administration views as obstacles to businesses.
Death toll from flooding in Japan rises to 50, dozen missing
TOKYO — Soldiers rescued residents on boats as floodwaters flowed down streets in southern Japanese towns hit by deadly rains that were expanding throughout the region Tuesday.
Crunch, crunch: Africa’s locust outbreak is far from over
NAIROBI, Kenya — The crunch of young locusts comes with nearly every step. The worst outbreak of the voracious insects in Kenya in 70 years is far from over, and their newest generation is now finding its wings for proper flight.
Gig workers face shifting roles
NEW YORK — There were the two-hour, unpaid waits outside supermarkets when San Francisco first started to lock down, on top of the heavy shopping bags that had to be lugged up countless flights of stairs.
Debates emotional as schools decide how and if to open
PORTLAND, Maine — School districts across America are in the midst of making wrenching decisions over how to resume classes in settings radically altered by the coronavirus pandemic, with school buses running below capacity, virtual learning, outdoor classrooms and quarantine protocols for infected children the new norm.
News briefs, July 6
Protester killed on Seattle freeway was dedicated to cause
Texas has its biggest daily rise in virus cases
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas on Saturday reported its biggest daily increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases — 8,258. Hospitalizations also continue to climb.
Heavy rain floods southern Japan; over a dozen presumed dead
TOKYO — Heavy rain in southern Japan triggered flooding and mudslides Saturday, leaving more than a dozen people presumed dead, about 10 missing and dozens stranded on rooftops waiting to be rescued, officials said.
‘People aren’t stupid’: Pence’s virus spin tests credibility
WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence has long played the straight man to Donald Trump, translating the president’s bombast into more measured, calming language.
In troubled times: Independence Day in a land of confusion
It was the worst of times. It was the weirdest of times.