Gabriella Choe has been a regular Amtrak passenger for the past four years, traveling from Oakland to Sacramento to see her parents. Before the pandemic, she rode the train nearly every other weekend. But as the pandemic worsens, her visits are now infrequent, and she doesn’t plan on traveling for...
California Sets New Daily Record of 379 Virus Deaths
California health authorities reported Thursday a record 379 coronavirus deaths and more than 52,000 new confirmed cases as the crisis over care of the sick deepened. The staggering new figures mean California has seen more than 1,000 deaths in the last five days and nearly 106,000 confirmed cases in just...
2nd COVID-19 Vaccine Set for OK in US With Panel Endorsement
WASHINGTON — A government advisory panel endorsed a second COVID-19 vaccine Thursday, paving the way for the shot to be added to the U.S. vaccination campaign. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to follow the recommendation for the vaccine from Moderna and the National Institutes of Health. The FDA...
Snags on COVID-19 Relief May Force Weekend Sessions
WASHINGTON — It's a hurry up and wait moment on Capitol Hill as congressional negotiators on a must-pass, almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package struggled through a handful of remaining snags on Thursday. The holdups mean a weekend session now appears virtually certain, along with a stopgap spending bill...
Hot Spot: California Hospitals Buckle as Virus Cases Surge
LOS ANGELES — Hospitals across California have all but run out of intensive care beds for COVID-19 patients, ambulances are backing up outside emergency rooms, and tents for triaging the sick are going up as the nation’s most populous state emerges as the latest epicenter of the U.S. outbreak. On...
2nd COVID-19 Vaccine Gets Public Review Ahead of US Decision
WASHINGTON — A second COVID-19 vaccine moved closer to joining the U.S. fight against the pandemic Thursday as government advisers convened for a public review of its safety and effectiveness. It's the next-to-last step for the vaccine developed by drugmaker Moderna and the National Institutes of Health. The panel of...
French President Macron Tests Positive for COVID-19
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday following a week in which he met with numerous European leaders. The French and Spanish prime ministers and EU Council president were among many top officials self-isolating because they had recent contact with him. Macron took a test “as...
Final Stretch on COVID-19 Economic Relief, but No Deal Yet
WASHINGTON — Congressional negotiators on the long-delayed $900 billion COVID-19 economic relief package worked through a handful of remaining holdups Thursday as they labored to seal a final agreement for more help to businesses and the unemployed and new stimulus payments to most Americans. The central elements of the hard-fought...
California Sets Teachers, First Responders for Next Vaccines
Teachers, first responders, and grocery and restaurant workers were among those recommended Wednesday to get the next round of scarce vaccines in California, as were florists and sawmill operators who fall into the same broad category of those deemed essential workers. “We’ve got to figure who we’re going to prioritize,"...
MLB Tells Managers to Expect on-Time Spring Training Start
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Big league managers say Major League Baseball instructed them to prepare for spring training to start on time in mid-February despite uncertainty around the coronavirus. Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that officials from the commissioner's office had a meeting with managers Tuesday and...