WASHINGTON — Gripped by the accelerating viral outbreak, the U.S. economy is under pressure from persistent layoffs, diminished income and nervous consumers, whose spending is needed to drive a recovery from the pandemic. A flurry of data released Wednesday suggested that the spread of the virus is intensifying the threats...
California Assembly to Meet in NBA Arena for New Session
SACRAMENTO — The California Assembly will be trading its Capitol chambers for a downtown NBA arena when it kicks off the new session Dec. 7 in an effort to limit coronavirus spread. Speaker Anthony Rendon said Wednesday the extra space and better air filtration at the Golden 1 Center will...
Mask Violators Arrested in Fresno During 1918 Pandemic. Holiday Gatherings Discouraged, Too.
Limiting gatherings. Requiring masks. Conducting school "by correspondence." Sound familiar? These were the measures in place 100 years ago in Fresno during the flu pandemic, and yet it continued to rage in the closing week of 1918, much like the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage now. Fresno State history professor...
Wiping Down Groceries? Experts Say Keep Risk in Perspective
NEW YORK — Cleaning wipes are harder to find on store shelves, and businesses are reassuring customers with stepped up sanitation measures. In New York, the subway system is shut down nightly for disinfecting. To avoid any traces of the coronavirus that might be lurking on surfaces, Americans have been...
California Health Official: Just Say ‘No’ to Family Thanksgiving
LOS ANGELES — With Thanksgiving two days away, California's health secretary on Tuesday urged people to say “no” to family and friends who want to gather, joining other officials in issuing dire warnings about the spread of the coronavirus. Dr. Mark Ghaly said it's not too late to cancel or...
Joe Biden to Deliver a Thanksgiving Address Seeking Unity
WILMINGTON, Del. — President-elect Joe Biden is slated to deliver a Thanksgiving address to the nation seeking to unify Americans in the face of the coronavirus pandemic as experts warn of a possible spike in cases resulting from the holiday. Biden’s transition team said the president-elect will “discuss the shared sacrifices Americans...
Restaurants Workers Out of Work Again as Virus Surges Anew
Waiters and bartenders are being thrown out of work – again – as governors and local officials shut down indoor dining and drinking establishments to combat the nationwide surge in coronavirus infections that is overwhelming hospitals and dashing hopes for a quick economic recovery. And the timing, just before the...
Keep the Mask: A Vaccine Won’t End the COVID Crisis Right Away
NEW YORK — Don’t even think of putting the mask away anytime soon. Despite the expected arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in just a few weeks, it could take several months — probably well into 2021 — before things get back to something close to normal in the U.S. and Americans...
Derek Carr Is the King of the Audacious Audibles in 2020
A byproduct of the NFL playing its games in front of few, if any, fans because of the novel coronavirus is that viewers can hear loud and clear all the quarterbacks hollering out their calls, cadences and credos. Along with all those audibles wrapped in super-secret code. And Derek Carr...
California Judge Refuses to Lift Pandemic Restrictions on Restaurants and Gyms
SAN DIEGO — A California judge on Monday denied a request to temporarily restore indoor service at restaurants and gyms in San Diego County that were forced to move operations outside earlier this month to slow the spread of the coronavirus. San Diego Superior Court Judge Kenneth Medel said in...