The show must go on despite the pandemic and Sunday’s “American Idol” returned with a new format. The singing competition is at its Top 20 phase, but due to the Covid-19 crisis contestants were sent home. “#AmericanIdol continues to wish everyone health and safety,” a press release regarding Sunday’s show stated. “For the first time
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South Korea continued to pour water on mounting speculation about the health of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, telling CNN he is “alive and well.” “Our government position is firm,” Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN. “Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has
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The White House coronavirus task force may soon begin slowly scaling back its number of meetings, a source familiar with the decision told CNN, as President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence schedule other events focused on reviving a stalled economy. The move away from daily task force meetings comes as the virus continues
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Volkswagen reopened the world’s biggest car factory at Wolfsburg in Germany on Monday after the coronavirus forced it to shut down for the longest period in its 82-year history. The world’s largest carmaker has made 100 changes to the way its plants operate as it tries to restart business without risking the health of hundreds
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Back in December 1989, during Donald Trump’s previous reign as the King of Atlantic City, before he became the King of Ventilators, the Rolling Stones had been booked for a pay-per-view concert sponsored by the Trump Plaza casino. Not only would they perform, but as part of the deal, they would also hold a pre-concert
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Warnings of potential meat shortages in the United States because of food processing closures have led to a boom for Beyond Meat’s stock. New deals to sell plant-based food in China are helping too. Shares of Beyond Meat soared more than 40% last week. That was the stock’s best weekly performance since the company’s initial
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Dr. Deborah Birx’s balancing act between science and President Donald Trump’s disinformation may be reaching the point of no return. The coronavirus task force official has been caught in an unenviable spot, juggling her public health mission and reputation with the need to stay in the good graces of Trump, who has shown both a
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Concerns about the US food chain supply made their way into the mainstream this week, as more meat processing and packaging plants suspend operations temporarily due to coronavirus outbreaks in the workforce. Some of the country’s largest abattoirs (processing plants or slaughterhouses) have been forced to cease operations temporarily after thousands of employees across the
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The race is on for small business owners across the country to access billions in emergency funding Monday through the Small Business Administration. And, in a few hours, the Paycheck Protection Program — initially plagued by technical hiccups and questions about if lenders were prioritizing the businesses that needed the money most — will get
Continue Reading Two of the world’s most famous Covid-19 patients are willing to share their blood to help in the fight against the disease. Tom Hanks said on a recent podcast of NPR’s “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” that he and his wife, actress/singer Rita Wilson, want to donate their blood to research because their blood
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Dr. Deborah Birx’s balancing act between science and President Donald Trump’s disinformation may be reaching the point of no return. The coronavirus task force official has been caught in an unenviable spot, juggling her public health mission and reputation with the need to stay in the good graces of Trump, who has shown both a
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Maatje Benassi, a US Army reservist and mother of two, has become the target of conspiracy theorists who falsely place her at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, saying she brought the disease to China. The false claims are spreading across YouTube every day, so far racking up hundreds of thousands of apparent views, and
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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says his office has received hundreds of calls asking about ingesting disinfectants after President Trump suggested it as a possible treatment for coronavirus. So, once again, to be clear: Do not ingest disinfectants! Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. (You can
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World no. 3 Dominic Thiem has rejected the notion that top tennis stars should provide financial support to the game’s lower-ranked players due to the coronavirus pandemic. It comes after Novak Djokovic, the president of the ATP Player Council, called for players to contribute to a fund set up by the game’s governing bodies. Tennis
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The furor over President Donald Trump’s toxic suggestion that the coronavirus might be treated with an injection of disinfectant mounted Sunday as the President avoided the briefing room and one of his top medical advisers insisted his remarks were misinterpreted. After several days in which state public health officials have rushed to issue urgent warnings
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A new week in the coronavirus pandemic is beginning with a United States case count approaching 1 million and several cities and states preparing to loosen stay-at-home restrictions. There have been 54,883 coronavirus deaths reported nationally and more than 965,000 cases of the virus in the US. As the numbers continue to climb, several state
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Life in a pandemic is filled with ethical and moral dilemmas for everyone. We have to weigh the cost to ourselves and others of decisions that barely merited a second thought in pre-pandemic life. But few people have had to wrestle with their conscience in full view of the world the way the government’s top
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Seeking relief from a heat wave, thousands of people crowded beaches in Southern California this weekend amid the coronavirus pandemic, despite a statewide stay-at-home order implemented by the governor last month. While beaches in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties remained closed, they were open in Ventura and Orange Counties. However, beachgoers still had to
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EL PASO, Texas– Hot weather continues to take over the Borderland after we tied the high record Sunday. Today temperatures again set to hit 95 degrees with clouds moving in for the afternoon. Winds will stay on the quiet side only around 5-15 miles per hour. Record high temperatures will be in jeopardy, particularly on
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A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. You can sign up for free right here. The coronavirus is a stress test. In the same way that doctors put patients on treadmills to test their hearts… and in the same way that regulators put banks through simulations to test their balance
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GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — The Green Bay Packers stayed on offense during the NFL draft, a major change from their usual strategy. After trading up four spots in the first round to take Utah State quarterback Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick, the Packers added Boston College running back A.J. Dillon in the second
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Tyson Foods is warning that “millions of pounds of meat” will disappear from the supply chain as the coronavirus pandemic pushes food processing plants to close, leading to product shortages in grocery stores across the country. “The food supply chain is breaking,” wrote board chairman John Tyson in a full-page advertisement published Sunday in The
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The smell of red enchiladas and Peruvian lomo saltado filled the kitchen as Maria and Luis Ramirez cooked non-stop. They seasoned pound after pound of chicken and thin-cut steak, warmed up dozens of tortillas, and stirred a few liters of salsa in their Bloomington, California, home. It’s not anybody’s birthday or wedding or a holiday.
Continue Reading When Showtime renewed “Homeland” through an eighth season, the three-year extension offered the prospect of a big buildup and whiz-bang finish. What emerged fell short of that, culminating in a tense, high-stakes finale that still felt like a much-diminished show from the one whose debut rightfully earned awards, critical praise and President Obama’s endorsement. Appropriately,
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Several states are reopening from coronavirus shutdowns this week despite the recommendations of health researchers. Colorado, Minnesota and Montana plan to ease social distancing and stay-at-home restrictions. Iowa will allow elective surgeries to resume and farmers markets to reopen starting Monday. Police, politicians clash Tennessee restaurants can welcome customers at 50% capacity, and retail stores
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LAFAYETTE, Louisiana — A one-eyed squirrel that gained a social media following is being returned to nature. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries took Willamina the squirrel from Emily Istre of Lafayette, the Acadiana Advocate reported. Istre created an Instagram account for the squirrel, @one_eyed_willa, and posted images of it eating off a plate,
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Does anyone really want a barber’s fingers in their face right now? Those of us who have discovered that we’re not essential to keeping society running have been stuck at home for weeks. We’re going stir crazy in the suddenly limited box of our lives, and a daily commute is starting to sound pretty good.
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EL PASO, Texas — El Paso public health officials on Sunday reported 22 new coronavirus cases bringing the county’s cumulative number to 802, while the death toll remained at a dozen. Officials noted that as virus cases continue to increase, the number of recoveries are also on the upswing – with 23% of all those diagnosed to date
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Are you celebrating National Pretzel Day? Stanley Hudson sure is. “The Office” grump, played by Leslie David Baker, rarely ever smiles. But for delicious pretzels, he makes an exception. The popular mockumentary series on Sunday posted a throwback clip on Twitter from the episode “Initiation,” which showcases Stanley’s love of soft pretzels. “I wake up
Continue Reading Are you celebrating National Pretzel Day? Stanley Hudson sure is. “The Office” grump, played by Leslie David Baker, rarely ever smiles. But for delicious pretzels, he makes an exception. The popular mockumentary series on Sunday posted a throwback clip on Twitter from the episode “Initiation,” which showcases Stanley’s love of soft pretzels. “I wake up
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