AP National News

“I just can’t do this.” Frustrated Parents Reconsider Home School

Frustration is mounting as more families across the U.S. enter their second or even third week of distance learning — and some overwhelmed parents say it will be their last. Amid the barrage of learning apps, video meet-ups, and e-mailed assignments that pass as pandemic home school, some frustrated and exhausted parents are choosing to disconnect entirely for the rest…

Despite Risks, Auto Workers Step Up to Make Medical Gear

All over the country, blue-collar and salaried workers have volunteered to make medical equipment as companies repurpose factories to answer calls for help from beleaguered healthcare workers who are treating patients with COVID-19. Workers also are making soap and hand sanitizer, which early in the crisis were in short supply. At Ford, over 800 people returned to work at four…

Tokyo Olympics officially postponed until 2021

TOKYO (AP) – The Tokyo Olympics have been officially postponed until 2021. The International Olympic Committee along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and local organizers have decided that the Tokyo Games cannot go ahead as scheduled this year because of the coronavirus outbreak. The IOC says the games will be held “no later than summer 2021” but they will…

Cheap Fares Luring Travelers to Fly Despite Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic that’s caused many Americans to avoid airports has others booking spur-of-the moment trips at dirt-cheap ticket prices. The U.S. government has restricted travel from most of Europe as well as Iran and China. But there are no limits on flying within the U.S. or to and from other destinations abroad. Airlines have been slashing prices to cope…

WHO declares that virus crisis is now a pandemic

ROME (AP) – The World Health Organization is declaring that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic. The assessment comes as Italy is weighing even tighter restrictions on daily life and has announced billions in financial relief to cushion economic shocks from the coronavirus. Premier Giuseppe Conte says he will consider requests to toughen an already extraordinary lockdown. The…

No Fans, No Fun: Athletes Uneasy Over Empty-Arena Solutions

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – As U.S. sports leagues weigh whether to bar fans from ballparks and stadiums to help stall the coronavirus outbreak, San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija is one of the few players who can tell them exactly what that looks like. He pitched for the Chicago White Sox in a 2015 game played without fans in Baltimore…

Kemp: 3 More Cases of COVID-19 Found in Georgia

ATLANTA (AP) – Three more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Georgia, bringing the number of cases so far to five, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office said Saturday. The Georgia Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say one individual is from Cobb County and recently returned from Italy. That person is under isolation at…

Outrage After Gunman Ambushes NYC Police Twice in 12 Hours

NEW YORK (AP) – Leaders in New York City are blaming an ambush on police officers there on an atmosphere of anti-police rhetoric. The gunman was taken into custody Sunday after attacks that morning and the night before wounded two officers. Police Commissioner Dermot Shea lashed out at activists who have held demonstrations against excessive force by police in recent…

Center ‘Sanitized, Cleaned, Scrubbed’ after Illnesses

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) – The director of a coastal Mississippi convention center says an area of the building has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected following reports of illnesses among groups that had events there. Gulf coast news outlets report dozens of people who attended a Mardi Gras Ball at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center last weekend reported gastro-intestinal problems. People…