AP National News

The Latest: UK eyes calling Manchester ”very high risk’

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by Associated Press

LONDON — Millions of people in northern England are waiting to find out whether they will be placed under the government’s tightest COVID-19 restrictions as local leaders meet with senior government officials about efforts to slow the spread of the virus.

The mayor of the greater Manchester area, with 2.8 million people, says he expects to meet with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s team on Thursday for talks on whether the region will be classified as a “high risk” area. That’s the highest risk category in the government’s new three-tier regional COVID-19 strategy and would require restrictions

The Latest: Russia sets daily infection record: Over 14,230

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by Associated Press

MOSCOW — Russian authorities have reported a record 14,000 new coronavirus cases , the latest daily spike in infections.

Russia, which has the world’s fourth-largest confirmed coronavirus caseload of more than 1.3 million, has been reporting over 10,000 new cases for 11 straight days, The 14,231 new infections on Wednesday is the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic.

Most of the virus restrictions in the county have been lifted over the summer. Despite the rapid resurgence of the outbreak, Russian authorities have dismissed suggestions of a second national lockdown.

In Moscow,

The Latest: Germany hits 5,000 new cases, Merkel eyes action

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by Associated Press

BERLIN — The number of newly reported coronavirus cases in Germany has passed 5,000 for the first time since mid-April.

The country’s disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute, said Wednesday that a further 5,132 infections and 43 deaths from COVID-19 were recorded over the past day.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is meeting the governors of Germany’s 16 states Wednesday to discuss which measures to take in response to the growing case load.

Officials are particularly concerned that COVID-19 infections might increase among older people, who are more likely to suffer serious illnesses.

So

The Latest: Greece tests more cruise ship crew amid outbreak

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by Associated Press

ATHENS – Health inspectors in Greece are carrying out additional COVID-19 tests on crew members of a cruise ship with more than 1,500 people on board, ordering the ship to stop at a testing area at the country’s largest port near Athens.

The Maltese-flagged Mein Schiff 6, which is on a Greek island cruise, was docked Tuesday at the port of Piraeus after sample testing of the crew found 12 crew members were positive but asymptomatic, the Greek Merchant Marine Ministry said.

Passengers had undergone coronavirus tests before boarding.

But since only 150 of the ship’s 666 crew members had been

Sen. Doug Jones: Ginsburg Replacement Should Wait Until After Election

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – U.S. Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama said he will not support any U.S. Supreme Court nominee before the outcome of the presidential election. Jones, a Democrat, said Friday that the nomination to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg should be made by the winner of the November presidential election. Jones accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell…

Tropical Storm Sally Set to Become Hurricane and Threaten U.S. Gulf Coast

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Tropical Storm Sally churned northward on Sunday, poised to turn into a hurricane and send life-threatening storm surge along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Sally is expected to become a hurricane on Monday and reach shore by early Tuesday, bringing hurricane conditions to a region stretching from from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Ocean Springs, Mississippi….

Alabama Last in Census Response as Much of Deep South Lags

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Alabama ranks last in the country for response to the 2020 U.S. Census with Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia also in the bottom five. . Numbers from the U.S. Census show Alabama so far has the lowest percentage of households responding of any state in the country. About 81.5% of Alabama households have been counted as of…

Child Care Crisis Pushes U.S. Mothers out of the Labor Force

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NEW YORK (AP) – Research is increasingly pointing to a retreat of working mothers from the U.S. labor force, as the pandemic leaves parents with few child care options and the added burden of navigating distance learning. The trend threatens the financial stability of families in the near-term. In the long-term, the crisis could stall, if not reverse, decades of…

Cybercrime on the Rise During Pandemic

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – State securities officials say cybercrime including email attacks are on the rise during the pandemic. A statement from the Alabama Securities Commission said social engineering attacks have been increasing with more people working at home and children using virtual learning because of the Coronavirus outbreak. Commission Director Joe Borg said information is more accessible than ever,…

Three Alabama Locations Added to National Historic Register

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MONTGOMERY, Al — Three spots in Alabama are being added to the nation’s honor roll of historic locations. The state says The Alabama Book Store in Tuscaloosa is joining the National Register of Historic Places. The shop has been located near the University of Alabama campus since 1942. The two other additions include Bricklayers Hall in Montgomery, which was used during…