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Trump administration to roll back curbs on methane from oil, gas operations

The Trump administration on Thursday will roll back regulations aimed at reducing emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane from oil and gas operations, its latest move to unwind environmental rules ahead of November's presidential election. During a visit to election swing state Pennsylvania, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler will formally rescind 2016 Obama administration limits on oil and gas industry emissions of methane, a move criticized by environmentalists when initially proposed last August. The EPA is expected to retain some of the rules issued in 2012 that control methane emissions and also limit those of so-called volatile organic compounds (VOC) that cause smog.

Flu season prep, complicated by COVID-19, starts early this year

Flu vaccination for the fall has taken on increased urgency because of the potential for serious complications if patients contract both viruses at once. Vaccine makers will provide nearly 200 million flu vaccines to the United States this year, potentially 20% more than typical, said LJ Tan, chief strategy officer for the Immunization Action Coalition, a nonprofit that promotes vaccination. CVS expects to more than double the number of flu shots it provides to around 18 million people and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc is stockpiling extra vaccines, the companies told Reuters.

Vietnam reports 25 more COVID-19 infections, three additional deaths on Thursday

Vietnam's health ministry reported 25 more coronavirus infections and three additional deaths on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian country to 905, with 20 fatalities. More than 430 of the total cases are linked to the central city of Danang, where the new outbreak began late last month.

Apple readies subscription bundles to boost services: Bloomberg News

The bundles, dubbed "Apple One" inside the Cupertino, California-based company, are planned to launch as early as October alongside the next iPhone line, the report said, citing people with knowledge of the effort. The bundles are designed to encourage customers to subscribe to more Apple services, which will generate more recurring revenue, according to the report. Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

England says 4,973 people referred to test and trace service in latest week

Britain said 4,973 people who tested positive for coronavirus were referred to the English test and trace system in the week to August 5, 7% up on the previous week, of whom 80% were reached and asked to provide contacts. It said 20,638 contacts were identified and of these 74.2% were reached and asked to self isolate.

Georgia Republican primary win sets 'QAnon' conspiracy buff on path to U.S. Congress

A Georgia businesswoman's win in a U.S. House of Representatives primary this week set a path for supporters of the online conspiracy theory known as "QAnon" to get a toehold in the U.S. Congress this fall. As many as a dozen Republican candidates have voiced some measure of support for the theory, which posits President Donald Trump has been working to take down a global child sex ring. At least two, including businesswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, appeared to be on paths to winning their districts.

Could little-known 1921 'Tulsa Race Massacre' screenplay become big-budget Hollywood movie?

After being hidden away for nearly a century in the shadows of America's collective memory, the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 has sharpened into a powerful cultural focal point, with multiple film projects underway -- all vying for a June 2021 release to mark the centennial anniversary of one of the nation's worst incidents of racial violence. Cineflix is producing a scripted miniseries called "Black Wall Street," directed by Dream Hampton of the "Surviving R. Kelly" documentary. NBA superstar Russell Westbrook has partnered with director Stanley Nelson for a documentary series, "Terror in Tulsa: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street."

Letters to the Editor: Alleged LAPD gangs in 2020? Nothing's changed after Rampart and Rodney King

After numerous scandals the LAPD promised to reform from within. That obviously had not been enough.

Iran's coronavirus death toll passes 19,000 as new cases spike: TV

Iran recorded 174 deaths from coronavirus and 2,625 new cases on Thursday to take its death toll to more than 19,000 and total cases to 336,324, the Health Ministry said. "In the past 24 hours 2,625 new cases have been recorded," ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV. Iran is one of the worst-hit countries from the outbreak in the Middle East.

Coronavirus updates: US records nearly 56,000 new cases, over 1,500 additional deaths

The novel coronavirus has now killed more than 749,000 people worldwide. Over 20.6 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.

In a small Maryland town, a deadly police shooting dredges up an officer's past

BALTIMORE - The family of James Meadows doesn't know what set off the frightening breakdown of his final hours. The 45-year-old construction worker was suicidal and mumbling to God in the sky. Before police came, he bashed in his father's locked cabinet and snatched two handguns. "They are going to shoot you!" Joseph Meadows shouted to his armed son, according to a police report. Three ...

Kamala Harris receives strong marks as Joe Biden's VP: POLL

Harris receives strong marks as the pick and Biden receives credit for choosing the California senator, as she is the only contender across both presidential tickets who enjoys a net positive favorability rating, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Thursday. Harris, who is less well-known than the three men, has a favorability rating of 35%, while 31% view her unfavorably. Just over one-third of Americans have a favorable opinion of President Donald Trump, while a clear majority -- 58% -- have an unfavorable view of the president.

How a college with zero COVID-19 cases in 3 months safely reopened

A community college in Ohio has had no reported cases of COVID-19 traced to the school since reopening for in-person classes three months ago. As of Wednesday, the school, Stark State College, said it hasn't had any confirmed cases across its multiple locations. A New York Times report, looking at a mix of public and private four-year universities, found that at least 6,600 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were traced to about 270 colleges during the pandemic.

Kamala Harris's foreign policy favors a U.S.-built world order, with a wary eye to China and Russia

Kamala Harris is best known for her rise to the U.S. Senate, but she has also forged a foreign policy agenda with a hard edge, calling out U.S. adversaries while saying Washington must reclaim its “moral authority” on the world stage.

Navajo Nation turns the corner on coronavirus

The Navajo community suffered one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates per capita in the country just three months ago but with the implementation of strict public health measures such as curfews and mandatory mask-wearing, Navajo Nation has curbed the spread of coronavirus. Overall, the number of coronavirus cases have declined in the Navajo community. The latest figures from the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 19 new COVID-19 positive cases, 6,893 recoveries and no recent deaths, according to a press release from the office of the President and Vice President of Navajo Nation.

Belarus: Hundreds form 'lines of solidarity' with protesters

Hundreds of people were back on the streets of Belarus' capital on Thursday morning, protesting for a fifth straight day against an election they say was rigged to extend the rule of the country's authoritarian leader and against a crackdown on rallies that followed the vote. In several areas of Minsk, large groups of people formed long “lines of solidarity." More than 100 women carrying flowers and portraits of their loved ones detained during protests gathered in the southwestern part of the city, where police had shot rubber bullets at people chanting and clapping on balconies the night before.

As nursing homes battle coronavirus, study finds key defense: full staffs

At a time when nursing homes continue to be among the hardest hit settings in the coronavirus pandemic, new studies are beginning to offer insight as to why some facilities are seeing more cases than others -- and, according to one, how important nursing home employees themselves are to the fight. A study released on Monday by The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that across eight states those facilities that were able to maintain more staffing in the homes had fewer COVID-19 cases than staffing in homes the study rated as low-performing. Researchers used federal reviews based on health inspections, quality measures and nurse staffing to see if facilities with poor performance ratings in those categories had more viral infections or deaths.

For company behind coronavirus drug, sharp questions over pricing, potentially cheaper option

After initial excitement about the discovery of a promising treatment for some coronavirus patients, executives with Gilead Sciences are now facing harsh criticism over the initial business decisions they’ve made in the midst of a pandemic. In recent days, state leaders and a government watchdog group have leveled complaints against the company for the price point it set for its antiviral drug remdesivir, a promising treatment shown to diminish recovery time in hospitalized coronavirus patients, and for allegedly not more quickly pursing a potentially cheaper alternative. “Gilead, on the one hand, has a product that helps people” said Dr. Erin Fox, the senior pharmacy director at the University of Utah.

Facebook launches hub to help users with U.S. poll related information

The hub will connect Facebook and Instagram users to accurate and easy-to-find information about voting wherever they live and help them hold their elected officials accountable, the social media company said in a blog https://bit.ly/30RZP0z. Facebook said it was also speaking with election officials about misinformation surrounding election results as an emerging threat. The company is also offering free ad credits to U.S. state election authorities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to help them recruit poll workers.

Limited COVID-19 testing? Researchers in Rwanda have an idea

Like many countries, Rwanda is finding it impossible to test each of its citizens for the coronavirus amid shortages of supplies. Rwanda’s mathematical approach, the researchers say, makes that process more efficient. Sema Sgaier, a Harvard assistant professor of global health, called the Rwanda approach an example of the “incredible solutions in very resource-poor settings” that have come out of the continent.

In China, fears of financial Iron Curtain as U.S. tensions rise

A sharp escalation in tensions with the United States has stoked fears in China of a deepening financial war that could result in it being shut out of the global dollar system - a devastating prospect once considered far-fetched but now not impossible. Chinese officials and economists have in recent months been unusually public in discussing worst-case scenarios under which China is blocked from dollar settlements, or Washington freezes or confiscates a portion of China's huge U.S. debt holdings.

Briton arrested in South Korea on charges of secretly filming women

South Korean police have confirmed a British man is in custody on charges of illegally filming women using hidden cameras and then distributing the footage on his website. The man, who has not been named, allegedly approached 10 women on the street and filmed them without their consent during a visit to South Korea in August 2018, the Korea Times reported. He is also suspected of committing similar crimes in Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong. The problem of secret spy-cam pornography, known locally as “molka”, has long been widespread in South Korea, prompting tens of thousands of women in recent years to take to the streets in mass protests and instigating a police awareness campaign about its devastating impact. The epidemic of high-tech voyeurism has often involved men – sometimes boyfriends and relatives – filming women without their knowledge in schools, offices, trains, toilets and changing rooms. The footage is often lucrative. One porn website that attracted more than a million users and hosted thousands of spy-cam videos was shut down in 2016, but the number of reported incidents remained at about 6,000 in 2018. Police this year stepped up efforts to crack down on digital sex crimes, setting up a special investigation headquarters following public outrage over scandals involving the abuse of women in social media chat rooms. In the case of the alleged British offender, officers began an investigation in September 2019 following media reports of the incident and requested an Interpol red notice on the man because he had already left Korea. The man was arrested by police in Denmark in November last year and extradited to South Korea on July 31. Access to his website has been blocked and an investigation has been launched into paid subscribers.

Philippines eyes clinical trials for Russian COVID-19 vaccine in October

The Philippines plans to launch clinical trials for a Russian coronavirus vaccine in October, with President Rodrigo Duterte expected to be inoculated as early as May next year, the presidential spokesman said on Thursday. Harry Roque, Duterte's spokesman, made the announcement a day after Philippine scientists met with representatives of the vaccine developer, research facility Gamaleya, to discuss trials and information about the inoculation. Russia on Tuesday became the world's first country to grant regulatory approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, to be named “Sputnik V” in homage to the Soviet Union’s launch of the world’s first satellite.

Protesters in Minneapolis say they won't clear barricades around the George Floyd Memorial until the city leaders meet their 24 demands

Some of the demands include recalling Hennepin County Attorney, Mike Freeman, and ending qualified immunity.

Salt Lake police suspend K9 program after video shows dog biting Black man with his hands up

The video appears to show an officer telling his dog "good boy" while it bites a man kneeling on the ground.

No motive seen in SUV driver accused of striking woman and her daughter, then circling back and killing mother

CHICAGO - Zoraleigh Ryan was just steps away from safety. She didn't like walking down Hubbard Street with her daughter late Monday night, so she decided to duck into a hotel and call for a ride. They were crossing Hubbard, about to enter the Courtyard Marriott, when they heard the screech of tires and saw a silver Ford Explorer racing straight for them. Ryan was hit first, then her ...

AMC announces timing for reopening theaters

The novel coronavirus has now killed more than 747,000 people worldwide. Over 20.5 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.

Argentina, Mexico to produce AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Argentina and Mexico will produce the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for most of Latin America, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said on Wednesday after a meeting with company executives involved in the project. An agreement signed between British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the biotechnology company mAbxience of the INSUD Group includes transfer of technology to initially produce 150 million doses of the vaccine to supply all of Latin America with the exception of Brazil, the Argentine government said.

'Antifa' website cited in conservative media attack on Biden is linked to — wait for it — Russia

One America News chief White House correspondent Chanel Rion used a Russian-linked site to take a shot at the Democratic ticket.

China port warns public after coronavirus found in Brazilian chicken wings

A sample of frozen chicken wings imported into the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen from Brazil has tested positive for coronavirus, the city government said on Thursday, raising fears that contaminated food shipments could cause new outbreaks. Local disease control centres tested a surface sample taken from the chicken wings as part of routine screenings carried out on meat and seafood imports since June, when a new outbreak in Beijing was linked to the city's Xinfadi wholesale food centre. China has been stepping up screenings at ports amid the concerns over food imports.

Mainland China reports 19 new coronavirus cases on August 12

China reported 19 new coronavirus cases on the mainland on Aug. 12, down from 25 on the previous day, the country's health authority said on Thursday. The National Health Commission said in its daily bulletin that 11 of the new cases were imported, versus 16 a day earlier. It also said 20 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases had been found on Wednesday, the same as the day before.

Exclusive: Harris could help Biden with women, young voters, maybe some Republicans too - Reuters/Ipsos poll

Nearly nine out of 10 Democrats approve of U.S. Senator Kamala Harris as their party's vice presidential nominee, and she is more popular than presidential candidate Joe Biden among women, young voters and some Republicans, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. The Aug. 11-12 public opinion survey also found that 60% of Americans, including 87% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans, considered the selection of Harris - the first Black woman and Asian American nominated for vice presidency - to be a "major milestone" for the United States. The U.S. Senator from California is viewed about as favorably or better than Biden in most major demographic groups, the poll showed, highlighting her potential to help the former vice president expand his support in November's election.

Two Savannah cops fired for use of excessive force during arrest

The Savannah Police Department announced Wednesday that it terminated two of its officers following a three-month investigation into excessive force used in an arrest. District Attorney Meg Heap told reporters at a news conference that she will call for a grand jury in September to look into the April incident involving Corporal Daniel Kang and Sergeant Octavio Arango. Heap, the police officers and Mayor Van R. Johnson did not disclose specific details about the incident -- which was caught on body cameras -- but they did say excessive force was used during a warrant sweep on a suspect who, ultimately, was misidentified.

LA police officer accused of groping corpse sued by dead woman's family

A Los Angeles police officer is being sued by the family of a woman after camera footage allegedly showed him fondling her corpse.In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, officer David Rojas is alleged to have sexually molested Elizabeth Baggett, a young mother, after she was found dead in October.

Bond star Naomie Harris backs new Extinction Rebellion climate change film

British actress Naomie Harris and musician Brian Eno have teamed up to produce a short film backing calls for urgent action to slow climate change, in support of civil disobedience campaign Extinction Rebellion. Harris, who plays Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond movies "Skyfall," "Spectre" and the forthcoming "No Time To Die", provides the voice-over for the animation, which also explores the threat posed by the accelerating loss of species. "I'm proud to be able to lend my voice to this project, which I hope will inspire viewers to get behind the ambitions of Extinction Rebellion with a great deal of urgency," Harris said in a statement ahead of the film's release on Thursday.

L.A. officials still can't answer why Andres Guardado was fatally shot in back by deputy

Both an official county autopsy and an independent autopsy by the family showed the teen was shot in the back five times by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy.

Blake Shelton to help fans still waiting on refunds for canceled shows

The confusion began Wednesday morning on Twitter, when a fan asked Blake to cancel -- not postpone -- his Chicago tour date, so that ticketholders could get refunds. If an artist postpones a date, fans are usually advised to hold on to their tickets. If a show is canceled, refunds are available.

Stars of 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' reflect on series finale

Tonight, after seven seasons, ABC's "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." says goodbye with a two-hour finale starting at 9 p.m. ET. The episode, "The End Is At Hand," has our heroes making a final stand against the nefarious Chronicoms, who want to erase S.H.I.E.L.D. from history. Clark Gregg, who plays Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel movies and on the show, told ABC News that over the years, the cast was convinced the show was kaput several times -- but now, it's for real.

Officer suspended after ordering dog to attack Black man on his knees

Jeffery Ryans, 36, is seen in disturbing police bodycam footage being bit on the leg in his own yard as police responded to a domestic disturbance call.