August 1, 2020 4:05 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korean prosecutors have arrested the elderly leader of a secretive religious sect as part of an investigation into allegations that the church hampered anti-virus measures after thousands of worshippers were infected in February and March. Prosecutors are questioning 88-year-old Lee Man-hee, chairman of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, over charges that the church hid some members and underreported gatherings to avoid broader quarantines. More than 5,200 of the South Korea’s 14,336 cases have been linked to the church. Australia’s Victoria state recorded three more deaths and 397 cases, a significant drop from this week. India recorded the steepest spike of 57,118 new cases, taking its total close to 1.7 million, with July alone accounting for nearly 1.1 million infections.
August 1, 2020 4:03 am
PARIS (AP) – Mexico now has the third most COVID-19 deaths in the world, behind the United States and Brazil, while former success story Vietnam is struggling to control an outbreak spreading in its most famous beach resort. China reported a more than 50% drop in newly confirmed cases in a possible sign that its latest major outbreak in the northwestern region of Xinjiang may have run its course. However, in Hong Kong, infections continue to surge, with more than 100 new cases reported as of Saturday among the population of 7.5 million. Officials have reimposed dining restrictions and mask requirements. South Korean prosecutors meanwhile arrested the elderly leader of a secretive religious sect linked to more than 5,200 of South Korea’s 14,336 confirmed cases.
August 1, 2020 4:01 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Police say a 9-year-old boy was killed when a gunman fired several shots toward the Chicago parking lot where he was playing. Nobody else was injured in the shooting around 6 p.m. near the former Cabrini-Green housing projects on the city’s Near North Side. The boy was pronounced dead about an hour after being admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said. Deputy Chief of Patrol Brian McDermott, who spoke to the media from the hospital, said the boy was the “unintended target” in an attack of “senseless violence.”
August 1, 2020 4:00 am
MIAMI (AP) – A Florida teen arrested Friday was named by authorities as the mastermind of the takeover earlier this month of Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls that scammed people around globe out of more than $100,000 in Bitcoin. Two men were also charged in the case and face federal charges in California. The 17-year-old boy was arrested Friday in Tampa. in California. Bogus tweets in mid-July sent from the accounts of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires offered people who sent Bitcoin to an anonymous address an alleged opportunity to double their money.
August 1, 2020 4:00 am
NEW YORK (AP) – President Donald Trump says he will take action as soon as Saturday to ban TikTok, a popular Chinese-owned video app that has been a source of national security and censorship concerns. Trump’s comments on Friday aboard Air Force One came after published reports that the administration is planning to order China’s ByteDance to sell TikTok. There were also reports that Microsoft is in talks to buy the app. TikTok says it does not comment on rumors or speculation. TikTok has said it has tens of millions of U.S. users and hundreds of millions globally. But its Chinese ownership has raised concerns about censorship of videos and the potential for sharing user data with Chinese officials.
August 1, 2020 3:58 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House and its GOP allies appear to be retreating from their opposition to a $600-per-week supplemental unemployment benefit that has propped up both the economy and family budgets but expired Friday. The idea is a prominent feature of top-level Washington talks that are set to continue Saturday on a major election-season COVID-19 response measure. The two sides took their case to the media Friday. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows accused Democrats of refusing to negotiate, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a short-term extension only makes sense if agreement is near on the larger relief bill.
August 1, 2020 3:57 am
NEW YORK (AP) – As the Nov. 3 presidential vote nears, there are fresh signs that the United States’ electoral system is again under attack from foreign adversaries. Intelligence officials confirmed in recent days that foreign actors are actively seeking to compromise the private communications of “U.S. political campaigns, candidates and other political targets” while working to compromise the nation’s election infrastructure. There is no evidence they’ve succeeded in penetrating campaigns or state election systems, but Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential campaign confirmed this week that it has faced multiple related threats. Still, foreign interference largely remains an afterthought in the 2020 contest, even as Republicans and Democrats alike concede it poses a serious threat.
August 1, 2020 3:53 am
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Hurricane Isaias is ripping shingles off roofs and blowing over trees as it carves its way through the Bahamas and heads toward the Florida coast, where officials in Miami are closing beaches, marinas and parks. Officials in Miami have 20 evacuation centers on standby that could be set up with COVID-19 safety measures. Authorities in North Carolina are ordering people on Ocracoke Island to evacuate beginning Saturday evening. Residents on several islands in the Bahamas also have been told to leave their homes.
August 1, 2020 3:47 am
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to the governor’s statewide moratorium on foreclosures and evictions. Friday’s decision leaves in place an order that shields renters from losing their homes for failing to pay rent during the pandemic. Housing advocates expressed relief while landlords said they are frustrated and disappointed. The moratorium is set to expire on Aug. 31. Meanwhile, the Health Department said 970 more people have tested positive for the virus, with 13 new deaths.
August 1, 2020 3:29 am
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said he will not be ordering the closure of schools for the fall, despite rumors. Wolf tweeted Friday that there were “widespread rumors” that he would be announcing a statewide closure of school buildings or the cancellation of fall classes. “I want to be clear: I am not closing school buildings or cancelling classes,” Wolf said. Wolf said school governing boards and administrators will make calls about whether school buildings reopen and if classes will be held in person, remotely or some combination of the two.
