The U.S. recorded over 3,100 COVID-19 deaths in a single day, obliterating the record set last spring, while the number of Americans hospitalized with the virus has eclipsed 100,000 for the first time and new cases have begun topping 200,000 a day, according to figures released Thursday. The three benchmarks...
Nurses Wanted: Swamped Hospitals Scramble for Pandemic Help
OMAHA, Neb. — U.S. hospitals slammed with COVID-19 patients are trying to lure nurses and doctors out of retirement, recruiting students and new graduates who have yet to earn their licenses and offering eye-popping salaries in a desperate bid to ease staffing shortages. With the virus surging from coast to...
Slim Jim Jerky Recipe Creator Dies of COVID-19
RALEIGH, N.C. — Alonzo “Lon” T. Adams II, the man who created the formula for Slim Jim beef jerky sticks, has died from complications of COVID-19. He was 95. Lynn Barrow of Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Raleigh, North Carolina, confirmed Wednesday that Adams died on Nov. 28. A graveside funeral...
Biden, Top Democrats Swing Behind Bipartisan Virus Aid Bill
WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden swung behind a bipartisan COVID-19 relief effort Wednesday and his top Capitol Hill allies cut their demands for a $2 trillion-plus measure by more than half in hopes of breaking a monthslong logjam and delivering much-sought aid as the tempestuous congressional session speeds to a...
Restaurant Jaunts Create Credibility Issue for Politicians
SAN FRANCISCO — Their messaging has been clear: wear a mask, stay 6 feet apart from others, and most importantly: stay home! But their actions aren’t living up to the rhetoric, creating a real political problem for some of the most vocal leaders in California’s fight to contain the coronavirus....
Israeli Lawmakers Take a Step Toward New National Elections
JERUSALEM — Israel took a major step toward plunging into its fourth national election in under two years on Wednesday as lawmakers — supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main coalition partner — passed a preliminary proposal to dissolve parliament. The 61-54 vote came just seven months after the coalition...
Pasadena Rejects LA County Ban, Allows Outdoor Dining to Continue
PASADENA, Calif. — It was a rare sight after Los Angeles County restaurants were restricted to takeout to reduce the spread of the coronavirus: tables and chairs set up outside the Pie 'N Burger shop in Pasadena. Owner Michael Osborn explained to two men who approached him Monday that the...
First COVID Vaccinations Expected Within Days as Britain Approves Use
LONDON — Britain authorized a COVID-19 vaccine for use Wednesday, greenlighting the first shot backed up by rigorous scientific review. The first vaccinations are expected within days — a major step toward eventually ending the pandemic. The go-ahead for the vaccine from American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech comes as...
California Plans for Arrival of First Virus Vaccine Doses
California expects the first batch of coronavirus vaccine to arrive in the state in weeks but it's not yet clear who will get the first shots and when those inoculations begin. Gov. Gavin Newsom said 327,000 doses of Pfizer's vaccine should arrive in mid-December. He said more vaccine from Moderna...
Flying Fresno? Digital ‘Health Pass’ May Someday Be Required To Prove COVID Vaccination.
United Airlines, which offers service to Fresno Yosemite International airport, is joining other large carriers planning to begin implementing a digital health pass to confirm passengers have obtained a negative COVID-19 test result before flying to and from select airports. When a COVID vaccine is available, the digital pass may...