JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s president says Jackson Mthembu has died from the coronavirus, becoming the first cabinet minister to succumb to the disease. The 62-year-old Mthembu in recent months had been a central figure in communicating to the public the South African government’s response...
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A bill to expand sports gambling in Washington state beyond Indian casinos and into privately-owned card rooms has been introduced in the state Legislature for the second consecutive year. The Senate bill seeks to expand sports betting to include the state’s licensed card rooms...
DETROIT (AP) — A member of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s team who worked in housing, planning and development and helped spearhead neighborhood revitalization has been appointed to the administration of President Joe Biden. Arthur Jemison took the oath of office Wednesday as principal deputy assistant...
WASHINGTON (AP) — Deep in the deadliest coronavirus wave and facing worrisome new mutations, President Joe Biden will kick off his national COVID-19 strategy to ramp up vaccinations and testing, reopen schools and businesses and increase the use of masks — including a requirement that Americans...
A day after being sworn in, President Joe Biden is rolling out a national strategy to fight COVID-19, reopen the nation's schools and restart the U.S. economy. His plan calls for an expansion of coronavirus testing, accelerated vaccine distribution and new action to prepare for future biological threats. The plan...
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has been chosen to help lead a national task force that will offer guidance to states on economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Governors Association said Wednesday that Beshear will serve as co-chairman of its Economic Recovery and...
WASHINGTON (AP) — As newly inaugurated leaders often do, President Joe Biden began his tenure with a ritual call for American unity. But standing on the same Capitol steps where just two weeks ago rioters laid siege to the nation's democracy, Biden's words felt less like rhetorical flourishes and more...
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka is welcoming tourists again after keeping the doors closed to visitors for nearly 10 months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The government’s action Thursday is seen as an effort to revive the island nation’s tourism industry, which has been badly hit by the...
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Republican senators in Missouri on Wednesday debated ways to check health officials' power in response to their handling of the coronavirus pandemic. One proposal would ensure there are no government-imposed occupancy limits on churches and other places of worship during public...
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday tested negative for COVID-19 after possible exposure to the coronavirus from a participant at the governor’s recent coronavirus briefing who tested positive, the governor’s office said. Scott will continue to quarantine and be tested again...