Judge denies R. Kelly's request for release
A federal judge Friday denied singer R. Kelly's request to be released from jail because of concerns about contracting the coronavirus. He is being held at Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Center while he awaits trial on charges connected to alleged child sexual abuse.
Judge Ann M. Donnelly of the Eastern District of New York said the pop star's prediabetic condition was common, shared by about one in three Americans, and did not qualify him as especially susceptible to contracting coronavirus behind bars.
It's the third time Kelly has been denied release based on unfounded claims he's likely to to suffer greater harm if he catches the virus. The singer's defense claimed he is "likely diabetic," but Donnelly disagreed, suggesting Kelly, 53, is relatively young and well cared for.
Kelly, who is being held without bond, faces charges in Chicago and New York that include sexual exploitation of children, possession of child pornography and racketeering. He has said he is innocent; last year he pleaded not guilty in Chicago.
Sailors on sidelined USS Theodore Roosevelt get virus for second time
WASHINGTON — Five sailors on the U.S. aircraft carrier sidelined in Guam due to a COVID-19 outbreak have tested positive for the virus for the second time and have been taken off the ship, according to the Navy.
The resurgence of the virus in the five sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt underscores the befuddling behavior of the highly contagious virus and raises questions about how troops that test positive can be reintegrated into the military, particularly on ships.
All five sailors had previously tested positive and had gone through at least two weeks of isolation. As part of the process, they all had to test negative twice in a row, with the tests separated by at least a day or two before they were allowed to go back to the ship.
The Roosevelt has been at port in Guam since late March after the outbreak of the virus was discovered. More than 4,000 of the 4,800 crew members have gone ashore since then for quarantine or isolation. Earlier this month hundreds of sailors began returning to the ship, in coordinated waves, to get ready to set sail again.
Click here for the full story.
NYPD to no longer enforce wearing masks absent 'serious danger'
New York City police will no longer enforce mask-wearing by the public unless there is "serious danger," Mayor Bill De Blasio announced at a Friday news conference.
The decision comes after criticism of the NYPD this week over a video showing officers handcuffing and pinning down a 22-year old mother who was not wearing a mask properly.
The police department has also come under scrutiny over its enforcement of social-distancing policies resulting in a disproportionate number of summonses of people of color.
Photo: Lonely Manhattan street
Fort Lauderdale will allow restaurants, shops to reopen
Officials in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will allow restaurants, retail stores and other businesses to reopen beginning Monday.
Dean Trantalis, the mayor of the popular beach destination, said Friday that the decision was made in light of COVID-19 cases appearing to "drastically decline" in the community. He said in a memo that while positive coronavirus tests accounted for 13.4 percent of all results in the week that ended April 11, the number fell to 3.6 percent in the week that ended May 9.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Broward County officials have permitted the reopening, Trantalis added. But there will still be restrictions, he said, including that restaurants and retail stores can't be at more than half their normal capacities and must still follow certain social distancing guidelines. Other places that can reopen are hair and nail salons, museums and drive-in theaters. Gyms and community rooms in condo complexes can also open to members.
Trump names ex-pharma executive, Army general to lead coronavirus vaccine effort
President Donald Trump on Friday announced a team of two men to lead his administration’s effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine, dubbed “Operation Warp Speed.”
The team consists of Moncef Slaoui, the former head of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline's vaccines division, and Gen. Gustave Perna, a four-star U.S. Army general, Trump said during a press conference in the White House Rose Garden.
Slaoui will serve as the chief scientist for the White House initiative and Perna will serve as its chief operating officer, said Trump, whose suggestions that a coronavirus vaccine could come within months have been repeatedly refuted by prominent health experts and veteran vaccine developers.
Trump repeated his timeline objective Friday, saying he wanted a vaccine ready "by the end of the year if we can." He also indicated that he would urge state governments to reopen their economies regardless of whether the timeline was met.
Connecticut to distribute 50,000 infrared thermometers
Connecticut will distribute 50,000 infrared thermometers for small businesses, nonprofits and places of worship to aid in COVID-19 monitoring efforts, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday.
The thermometers will be delivered to municipalities, which in turn will contact organizations that fill out an online form with instructions on picking up the thermometer.
The state partnered with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and its affiliate CONNSTEP to distribute the thermometers. Businesses with between 2 and 100 employees are eligible to receive a thermometer.
Beaches in New York, New Jersey, neighboring states to reopen for Memorial Day weekend
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware will open beaches the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday, a day after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced his plan to open the Jersey Shore.
Cuomo said group sports such as volleyball will be prohibited, and picnic areas, playgrounds, arcades and concession stands will remain closed to help prevent a resurgence of coronavirus infections. Beaches will only open to 50 percent capacity, according to the governor.
Social distancing will be enforced, and visitors who cannot keep a distance of at least six feet from another person will have to wear a mask, Cuomo said. The reopening does not include pools.
Coronavirus vaccine: This week's updates from Oxford and the NIH
The race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine is on, as scientists work as quickly as they can to find a way to prevent the disease that has sickened more 4.4 million people and killed more than 300,000 worldwide.
On Friday, Dr. Francis Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health, said the agency is planning to begin large-scale testing of several of the most promising vaccine candidates this summer. Despite such efforts, and despite statements from President Donald Trump this week, a vaccine most likely won't be ready by the end of the year.
Here are all the major retail companies who have filed for bankruptcy since the coronavirus pandemic hit
From iconic department stores to entertainment giants, the coronavirus has seemingly spared no one in its devastation of the U.S. economy.
With bankruptcy currently hovering over household staple JCPenney, factors such as falling consumer demand, reduced entertainment spending, and stay-at-home orders mandating certain businesses stay closed continue to take their toll.
Even with the slow reopening of the economy as lockdowns beginning to lift, social distancing measures may continue for months. That will impact store capacity for retail and restaurants. For some businesses, these temporary changes could indicate bigger problems.
While bankruptcy doesn’t inherently mean that a company will go out of business — it's more a financial restructuring — it does spell news of changes to come.