National

Could Georgia end up hosting the Republican National Convention?

(The Center Square) – Organizers of the Republican National Convention said Tuesday they will start visiting new locations to possibly host the event, which is scheduled for August in Charlotte. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and public health officials have been communicating back and forth with convention organizers about executing the convention amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel released a statement Tuesday in response to Cooper, a Democrat, saying he could not guarantee full capacity for the three-day event. "It is unfortunate the Governor is dragging his feet on giving us any guidance as to how…

Trump wants churches open ‘right now,’ threatens to override governors

President Donald Trump on Friday said he was calling on the nation's governors to end restrictions that have closed churches, synagogues and other houses of worship, deeming them essential. "Today, I am identifying houses of worship – churches and synagogues and mosques – as essential places that provide essential services," Trump said at a White House press briefing. "Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have left out churches and houses of worship. It is not right." Stay-at-home orders meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 have closed businesses and other places deemed nonessential, including…

Antiviral drug Remdesivir found effective at treating coronavirus

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday said a study of the antiviral drug remdesivir showed promising signs for treatment of coronavirus. Fauci said the mortality rate for COVID-19 patients given remdesivir was 8 percent compared to 11 percent for those taking a placebo. “Remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery,” said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “It is a very important proof of concept because what it is proving is that a drug can block this virus.” Individuals given remdesivir were sick for 11 days compared to 15 days for…

Pandemic fuels fight over gun rights

The COVID-19 outbreak is igniting the debate over gun rights as states grapple with whether to allow gun sales while other retailers are forced to shutter. Stores selling guns and ammunition remain legally open in 45 states that include sellers and manufacturers as essential services that are exempted from orders shutting down most commercial activity or have no such orders. Where governors or local officials have ordered stores closed, the National Rifle Association and its allies have sued, saying the orders restrict Second Amendment rights. Although every preliminary judicial decision so far in cases targeting state stay-at-home orders has gone…

Lawmakers agree on $2 trillion coronavirus response bill

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate leaders announced a compromise with the White House on a massive $2 trillion spending package that would send checks to Americans and provide aid to small businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deal was announced early Wednesday morning after days of heated negotiations on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he expects the Senate to pass the legislation later on Wednesday. “We have a bipartisan agreement on the largest rescue package in American history. This is not a moment of celebration, but one of necessity,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said…

Georgia weighs in on Supreme Court abortion case

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments Wednesday in a high-profile abortion case that’s rooted in Louisiana but could have major implications in Georgia and other states around the country. The case, June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, centers on a Louisiana law that requires any physicians who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital, which critics warn would severely hamper access to those services. “Access to abortion is hanging by a thread in this country, and this case is what could snap that thread,” Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood…

First coronavirus death confirmed in the U.S.

Coronavirus has claimed its first victim in the United States. Washington state health officials have confirmed the first death from coronavirus occurred in the Seattle area. More information on the victim is expected to be released this afternoon. "It is a sad day in our state as we learn that a Washingtonian has died from COVID-19. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus," Washington's governor Jay Inslee said. In Georgia, the Department of Public Health says it is working closely with the CDC,…

The founder of Trader Joe’s, Joe Coulombe, has died

Sad news today for avid Trader Joe's fans. The popular unconventional grocery store chain's founder, Joe Coulombe has died at 89-years-old. Coulombe started the chain in 1967 targeting conscious consumers he described as over-educated but underpaid. Coulombe himself was highly educated, graduating from Stanford University with a degree in economics in 1952 and a master's degree in business from the same prestigious institution two years later. The first Trader Joe’s store opened in 1967 in Pasadena, California. The original store still stands. That original store had a nautical theme and workers there were described as "traders on the high seas."…

Bernie Sanders is now the clear frontrunner for the democrats in the 2020 election

Bernie Sanders solidified his status Saturday as the front runner in the Democratic primary for U.S. president with a decisive win in Nevada's caucuses. The U.S. Senator from Vermont more than doubled his competitors vote totals in unofficial and early returns reported late Saturday, winning more than 45 percent of the vote with about almost percent of the vote still to be counted. Former Vice President Joe Biden was in second with about 21 percent of the vote according to early returns. Former Sooth Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg was at about 15 percent with U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren a…

The coronavirus has spread person-to-person for the first time in the U.S.

The coronavirus has spread from person-to-person in the United States for the first time since it was reported in Wuhan, China last month. The new case spread between two people in Illinois. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today confirmed that the coronavirus has spread between two people in the United States, representing the first instance of person-to-person spread with this new virus here. Previously, all confirmed U.S. cases had been associated with travel to Wuhan, China, where an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by this novel coronavirus has been ongoing since December 2019. However, this latest patient has…

Donald Trump has been impeached by the House of Representatives

For just the third time in the nation's 243-year history and with no Republican support, the U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday night to impeach the president of the United States. President Donald Trump stands accused of abusing his power for his own political gain by engaging in an alleged quid pro quo with the Ukrainian government to interfere in the 2020 election, and of obstructing Congress in its efforts to investigate the alleged abuse. The vote in favor of impeachment on the two articles of impeachment were almost exclusively along partisan lines. In the first vote on the article…

Trump signs law making animal cruelty a federal crime

Animal cruelty is now a federal crime after President Donald Trump signed a law banning torture and other abusive acts. The legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers. The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act introduced in the House by Florida congressmen Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat, and Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Republican, expands on the 2010 Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act, which made the creation and distribution of animal fighting or animal abuse videos a felony. It is now a federal crime for any person "to intentionally engage in animal crushing if the animals or animal crushing is in,…

Older drivers are more easily distracted by infotainment features in their cars than younger drivers

New in-vehicle infotainment technology has the potential to increase comfort and extend mobility for older drivers, but first it has to stop distracting them. On average, older drivers, those ages 55-75, removed their eyes and attention from the road for more than eight seconds longer than younger drivers, those ages 21-36, when performing simple tasks like programming navigation or tuning the radio using in-vehicle infotainment technology, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles a driver’s risk of a crash. “Voice-command functions found in new in-vehicle…