HealthReutersU.S. CDC reports 2,789,678 coronavirus cases, 129,305 deaths
It had earlier reported 52,492 cases 749 deaths. CDC did not respond to requests for clarification on Saturday. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on July 3 compared with its previous report a day earlier.
NewsAssociated PressPolice: 2 women hit by car on Seattle highway amid protest
A 27-year-old man drove a car onto a closed freeway in Seattle early Saturday and barreled through a panicked crowd of protesters, critically injuring two women, officials said. Dawit Kelete of Seattle drove the car around vehicles that were blocking Interstate 5 and sped into the crowd about 1:40 a.m., according to a police report released by the Washington State Patrol. Summer Taylor, 24, of Seattle, was in critical condition while Diaz Love, 32, of Portland, Oregon, was upgraded to serious condition in the intensive care unit, Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.
- NewsAssociated Press
Top Asian News 2:09 a.m. GMT
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike is poised to be reelected in Sunday’s polls, buoyed by public support for her coronavirus handling despite a recent rise in infections that has raised concerns of a resurgence of the disease. The first woman to head the Japanese capital, Koike. 67, is also viewed as a potential candidate to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when his term ends in September 2021.
NewsReutersIncumbent Koike seen ahead as Tokyo votes for governor amid pandemic
Voters in Tokyo went to the polls on Sunday to elect their governor, with incumbent Yuriko Koike forecast to clinch a victory, as Japan's capital struggles with rebounding coronavirus infections and prepares for next year's Olympics. The metropolis accounts for 11% of Japan's population, but has represented half of the country's daily infections in recent weeks. Koike, who became Tokyo's first woman governor in 2016, saw her popularity surge this year as her straight-talking approach to the outbreak won the public's support.
PoliticsReutersTrump repeats vow to defeat 'radical left' in July Fourth speech
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday vowed to defeat the "radical left," in an Independence Day speech at the White House that condemned recent protests against monuments to historical figures as attempts to destroy the United States. Trump claimed without evidence that 99% of coronavirus cases in the United States were "totally harmless." Trump, who has faced criticism over his handling of the pandemic, said China must be "held accountable" for failing to contain the disease.
NewsAssociated PressKansas newspaper's post equates mask mandate with Holocaust
A weekly Kansas newspaper whose publisher is a county Republican Party chairman posted a cartoon on its Facebook page likening the Democratic governor's order requiring people to wear masks in public to the roundup and murder of millions of Jews during the Holocaust. The cartoon on the Anderson County Review's Facebook page depicts Gov. Laura Kelly wearing a mask with a Jewish Star of David on it, next to a drawing of people being loaded onto train cars. Its caption is, “Lockdown Laura says: Put on your mask ... and step onto the cattle car.”
NewsReutersChina reports eight new coronavirus cases in mainland
China reported eight new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 4, compared with three cases a day earlier, the health authority said on Sunday. Six of the new infections were imported cases, according to a statement by the National Health Commission, while the capital Beijing reported two new cases. China reported seven new asymptomatic patients, up from four a day earlier.
NewsAssociated PressFor nation's birthday, Trump slams the enemy within
On a day meant for unity and celebration, President Donald Trump vowed to “safeguard our values” from enemies within — leftists, looters, agitators, he said — in a Fourth of July speech packed with all the grievances and combativeness of his political rallies. Trump watched paratroopers float to the ground in a tribute to America, greeted his audience of front-line medical workers and others central in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and opened up on those who “slander” him and disrespect the country's past.
PoliticsAssociated PressAmid furor over monuments, Trump seeks `garden' of US heroes
President Donald Trump has a vision for his second term, if he wins one, of establishing a “National Garden of American Heroes” that will pay tribute to some of the most prominent figures in U.S. history, a collection of “the greatest Americans to ever live.” The group of 30-plus features Founding Fathers and presidents, civil rights pioneers and aviation innovators, explorers and generals. Absent from Trump’s initial list are any Native American, Hispanic or Asian-American individuals.
HealthReutersGlobal coronavirus cases rise to more than 11 million
Global coronavirus cases exceeded 11 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than half a million people in seven months. The number of cases is more than double the figure for severe influenza illnesses recorded annually, according to the World Health Organization. The United States reported more than 55,400 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, a new daily global record as infections rose in a majority of states.
NewsAssociated PressTokyo governor favored to win reelection for handling virus
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike is poised to be reelected in Sunday’s polls, buoyed by public support for her coronavirus handling despite a recent rise in infections that has raised concerns of a resurgence of the disease. The first woman to head the Japanese capital, Koike. 67, is also viewed as a potential candidate to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when his term ends in September 2021.
HealthReutersAlmost a third of COVID-19 samples show mutation, but not worse disease - WHO
Almost 30% of genome sequencing data from samples of the COVID-19 virus collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) have shown signs of mutation, but there is no evidence this has led to more severe disease, a top WHO official said on Friday. "I think it's quite widespread," Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, told Reuters on the sidelines of a briefing held by the U.N. journalists' association ACANU in Geneva. The U.N. agency has so far collected 60,000 samples of the disease, she said.
HealthReutersChina says G4 swine flu virus not new; does not infect humans easily
China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Saturday that the so-called "G4" strain of swine flu virus is not new and does not infect or sicken humans and animals easily, rebuffing a study published earlier this week. An analysis by the ministry concluded that sampling of the published study is too small to be representative, while the article lacks adequate evidence to show the G4 virus has become the dominant strain among pigs.
- BusinessAssociated Press
California firm's rocket fails in launch from New Zealand
Rocket Lab, which specializes in putting small satellites into orbit, failed to deploy a payload of seven satellites during its 13th launch, the Long Beach, California, company said Saturday. The failure occurred during the second-stage burn approximately four minutes after the Electron rocket lifted off from the company's launch site in Mahia, New Zealand. The liftoff and first-stage burn and separation were successful, Rocket Lab said in a statement.
NewsAssociated PressAustralian Finance Minister Cormann to resign at end of year
Australian Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, one of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s most senior Cabinet members, says he is retiring from politics at the end of the year. Belgium-born Cormann, who has been finance minister since 2013, entered federal politics in 2007 and became the leader of the government in the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, in 2017.
- SportAssociated Press
Bellagio error may be biggest sportsbook loss for Vegas
The nearly quarter-million dollars in winning wagers reportedly placed at MGM Resorts last Sunday might be the largest sportsbook loss in Las Vegas history on bets made after an event has started. Seven longtime Las Vegas bookmakers can’t recall a larger loss, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. According to an ESPN report, Sunday’s bets were allowed to be placed because incorrect start times were posted on some Korean and Chinese baseball games due to a manual entry error.
SportAssociated PressYanks' Tanaka hit in head; LeMahieu, Cessa test positive
With Masahiro Tanaka crumpled motionless on the mound, Aaron Judge repeatedly waved behind home plate and scolded a video journalist for taking images. Tanaka was alert and sent to a hospital after being hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of New York slugger Giancarlo Stanton during live batting practice Saturday, a frightening scene moments into the team’s first official summer camp workout. “That took a little air out,” manager Aaron Boone said.
SportAssociated PressThe Latest: Yankees' LeMahieu, Cessa test positive for virus
Yankees All-Star infielder DJ LeMahieu and right-hander Luis Cessa tested positive for the coronavirus before traveling to New York for preseason camp and are self-isolating at home. Manager Aaron Boone said LeMahieu was asymptomatic and Cessa had mild symptoms. A few other players, including closer Aroldis Chapman and catcher Gary Sanchez, did not participate in New York’s first official workout Saturday at Yankee Stadium.
SportAssociated PressDetermined Ohtani charging back into 2-way role for Angels
Shohei Ohtani is doing twice as much work as his Los Angeles Angels teammates again, and he's thrilled about it. The majors' first serious two-way player in decades is alternating between batting practice and bullpen sessions this week at the Big A. Ohtani is determined to contribute on the mound and at the plate when the Angels return to action later this month for the short major league season. Ohtani will pitch roughly once a week, and he'll serve as the Halos' designated hitter for a few games in between.
NewsAssociated PressUS holiday weekend adds to virus worries as case counts grow
Florida and Texas reported record daily increases in confirmed coronavirus cases Saturday, the latest sign that the virus is surging in many parts of the United States, casting a pall over Fourth of July celebrations. Officials and health authorities warned people to take precautions or simply stay home on Independence Day, as confirmed cases are climbing in dozens of states. The U.S. reported more than 50,000 confirmed cases on Saturday for the third day in a row, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
SportAssociated PressChris Kirk, Webb Simpson share Rocket Mortgage Classic lead
Webb Simpson and Bryson DeChambeau were expected to be contenders at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, taking advantage of a relatively weak field and course by PGA Tour standards. Chris Kirk was not. A year after taking a leave of absence from the PGA Tour to address alcohol abuse and depression, though, he has turned around his life and revived his career.
PoliticsThe GuardianTrump claims 'victory' as US sees Covid-19 case records in multiple states
Trump claims 'victory' as US sees Covid-19 case records in multiple states. Florida says confirmed cases up by record 11,458 but president claims US on the way to ‘tremendous victory’ over coronavirus
NewsAssociated PressEnglish pubs reopen but little normal elsewhere in the world
Pubs, hair salons and movie theaters across England reopened Saturday as part of Britain’s biggest step toward post-outbreak normal, while South Africa and other parts of the world signaled anything but — reporting another day of record confirmed coronavirus cases. Many people relished the easing of restrictions on public life that had shuttered U.K. restaurants and bars, although a trade group estimated that only about half of England's pubs elected to open on the first possible day. “Let’s not blow it now,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said as some in England rushed to restaurants or barbers for the first time in more than three months.
NewsReutersFlorida, Texas post daily COVID-19 records as 'positivity' rates climb
For a sixth straight day, Texas also registered an all-time high in the number of people hospitalized with the highly contagious respiratory illness - 7,890 patients after 238 new admissions over the past 24 hours. By comparison, New York state - the U.S. epicenter of the outbreak months ago, reported just 844 hospitalizations on Saturday, far below the nearly 19,000 hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients at the peak of its coronavirus crisis. During the first four days of July alone, a total of 14 states have posted a daily record increases in the number of individuals testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has killed nearly 130,000 Americans.
LifestyleAssociated PressHot dog champs repeat as July 4 gluttony fest moves indoors
The coronavirus outbreak moved the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest from the Coney Island boardwalk to an undisclosed indoor location but the results were familiar: Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo repeated as men's and women's champions of the annual gluttony fest on Saturday. Chestnut downed 75 wieners and buns in 10 minutes and Sudo downed 48 1/2 in the same span, setting new world records for both the men's and women's events. “I’m always pushing for a record,” Chestnut said before the contest started.