Washington set to deliver $2.2 trillion virus rescue bill
WASHINGTON — With rare bipartisanship and speed, Washington is about to deliver massive, unprecedented legislation to speed help to individuals and bu...
Two deaths tied to California cruise ship, with few tested
SAN FRANCISCO — Two men who traveled on a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship stalled for days off the California coast have died, federal officials said...
Q&A: How can the huge congressional aid package help you?
WASHINGTON — Congress is poised to approve an unprecedented $2.2 trillion economic rescue package that will provide one-time checks for most Americans...
74,000 Floridians seek benefits, critics demand reform
ORLANDO, Fla. — More than 74,000 Floridians applied for unemployment benefits last week, a tenfold increase from the previous week, as the spread of t...
Netanyahu rival becomes parliament speaker, signaling deal
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief rival was chosen on Thursday as the new speaker of parliament, an unexpected step that c...
Pandemic fallout: NCAA slashes distribution by $375 million
The NCAA will distribute $225 million to its Division I members in June, a whopping $375 million less than had been budgeted after the coronavirus pan...
Texas is bigger: Lone Star State’s metros lead decade growth
ORLANDO, Fla. — Everything really is bigger in Texas.
VIRUS DIARY: `When are we going to the playground, Mama?′
OAKLAND, California — "When are we going to the playground, Mama?" she asks again today, like she did yesterday and the day before that.
Appeals grow to close US national parks during pandemic
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is sticking with its crowd friendly waiver of entrance fees at national parks during the coronavirus pandemic, a...
What’s in store: Groceries installing barriers amid outbreak
QUINCY, Mass. — Grocery stores across the U.S. are installing protective plastic shields at checkouts to help keep cashiers and shoppers from infectin...
Tiptoe through Dutch tulips? Not in coronavirus crisis
LISSE, Netherlands — The manicured lawns and pathways winding the flower beds at the Keukenhof spring garden, normally crowded with thousands of visit...
Trump has megaphone, but states control virus shutdowns
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has the biggest megaphone, but it's governors and local officials who will decide when to begin reopening their ec...
Political historian-commentator Richard Reeves dies at 83
NEW YORK — Richard Reeves, an author and syndicated columnist who wrote about politics for more than 50 years and published books on Richard Nixon, Jo...
Autism diagnosis more common in the US as racial gap closes
NEW YORK — Autism has grown slightly more common in the U.S., but a gap in diagnosis of white and black kids has disappeared, according to a governmen...
Indianapolis 500 postponed until August because of COVID-19
The Indianapolis 500 has been postponed until August because of the coronavirus pandemic and won't run on Memorial Day weekend for the first time sinc...
Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Toyota seek to restart factories
DETROIT — Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Honda and Toyota took steps Thursday to restart North American factories that have been closed to protect workers from ...
‘Terrified’ South Africa nears lockdown; cases almost 1,000
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa on the eve of a three-week lockdown announced its coronavirus cases are nearing 1,000, while the president urged police to...
Bucs keeping defense together, re-sign Suh for $8 million
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to re-assemble pieces to help Tom Brady be successful with his new team.
US indicts Venezuela’s Maduro on narcoterrorism charges
MIAMI — Nicolás Maduro effectively converted Venezuela into a criminal enterprise at the service of drug traffickers and terrorist groups as he and hi...
If you don’t laugh, you cry: Coping with virus through humor
BOSTON — Neil Diamond posts a fireside rendition of "Sweet Caroline" with its familiar lyrics tweaked to say, "Hands ... washing hands." A news anchor...
NCAA’s storied party crashers includes ‘Dunk City,’ Loyola
If not for those magical eight days seven years ago, Florida Gulf Coast might still be that upstart school trying to create an identity in the Sunshin...
World leaders vow to coordinate virus response in video call
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The head of the United Nations told leaders of the world’s 20 major industrialized nations during an emergency virtual s...
Virus takes toll on US military as it tries to aid civilians
WASHINGTON — The coronavirus is taking a growing toll on the U.S. military, and commanders and senior officials are bracing for worse. From nuclear mi...
WNBA draft will be virtual event this season due to pandemic
NEW YORK — The WNBA draft will be a virtual event this year.
The G20 video call: In virus era, even summits are virtual
LONDON — The face-to-face tension among foes was gone. So was the in-person camaraderie among allies.
FBI: Soldiers set up deadly robbery to fund foreign fighting
The two former U.S. Army soldiers met in Ukraine, where they joined the same far-right paramilitary group. After getting deported, they planned to tak...
IndyCar goes virtual racing as it waits to get back on track
IndyCar isn't sure when it can get its cars on track to officially start the season. For now, the series will follow the lead of other racing leagues ...
US economy grew at 2.1% rate in fourth quarter
WASHINGTON — The economy grew by a moderate 2.1% in the fourth quarter of last year, but many economists believe that will be the last positive growth...
Smaller communities prepare for onslaught of virus patients
SAVANNAH, Ga. — It started with an infected person from out of town who attended a funeral. Now the largest hospital in Georgia’s mostly rural, southw...
Bomb disrupts funeral for 25 Sikhs killed in Afghan capital
KABUL, Afghanistan — An explosive device disrupted Thursday's funeral service for 25 members of Afghanistan's Sikh minority community who had been kil...