AP-US-RACIAL-INJUSTICE-PORTLAND

Oregon sues feds over Portland protests as unrest continues

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s attorney general is seeking an order to stop federal agents from arresting people in Portland as the city continues to be convulsed by nightly protests that have gone on for seven weeks and have now pitted local officials against the Trump administration. Federal agents, some wearing camouflage and some wearing dark Homeland Security uniforms, used tear gas at least twice to break up crowds late Friday night. Demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality have happened daily in Oregon’s largest city since Minneapolis police killed George Floyd on May 25. President Donald Trump has decried the disorder, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as “lawless anarchists.”

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TEXAS GOP CONVENTION

US appeals court overrules Texas GOP’s in-person convention

A federal appeals court has overruled a judge’s decision that allowed the Texas Republican Party to hold an in-person convention in Houston, marking a win for the the nation’s fourth-largest city in an ongoing battle with the state GOP. In an order issued Saturday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stayed Friday’s ruling that would have permitted the Republican Party of Texas to host an in-person convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Judge Lynn Hughes had ruled that the city of Houston violated the GOP’s constitutional rights by canceling the event. The in-person convention was initially set to run from Thursday to Saturday. James Dickey, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, had said the party was still on-track to try a virtual gathering this weekend.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TEXAS

Texas coronavirus cases include more than 80 infants

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A health official on the Texas Gulf Coast says 85 infants have tested positive for the coronavirus. Corpus Christi Nueces County Public Health Director Annette Rodriguez said during a Friday public health update that the 85 infants are each younger than 1, but offered no details. Rodriguez did not return messages for comment Saturday from The Associated Press. Texas health officials reported more than 10,000 new cases for a fifth consecutive day and said 130 more people have died due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

BC-VIRUS OUTBREAK-GLOBAL

Virus deaths top 600,000 as cases rise in India, SAfrica

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Countries from the U.S. to South Africa to India are struggling to hold down rising rates of the coronavirus as global deaths from COVID-19 surged past 600,000. While the U.S. leads global infections, South Africa now ranks as the fifth worst-hit country in the pandemic with 350,879 cases. Its struggles are a sign of trouble to come for nations with even fewer health care resources. India reported a 24-hour record surge of 38,902 new cases, taking the country’s total to 1,077,618. Elsewhere, China confirmed 13 new cases in the northwestern city of Urumqi while South Korea reported less than 40 for a second day. After a one-day respite, cases in the Australian state of Victoria have risen again, prompting a move to make masks mandatory.

AP-BBA-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BLUE-JAYS

No Canada: Blue Jays barred from playing games in Toronto

TORONTO (AP) — The Blue Jays won’t play their home games in Toronto this year because Canada’s government doesn’t think it’s safe for players to travel back and forth from the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic. Canada has flattened the curve of virus infections, while the U.S. is one of the world’s hardest-hit countries. Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said Saturday the federal government had denied the Blue Jays’ request to play at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays’ spring training facility is in Florida, which is a virus hotspot. The team has been examining the possibility of playing in Buffalo, New York.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS

No end in sight, Congress confronts new virus crisis rescue

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Congress approved the eye-popping $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill in March, it was the biggest rescue of its kind in U.S. history. Now, with the pandemic worsening, it’s clear that package was only the start, and Congress returns to work Monday to try to draft another one. The current round of aid is running out. Extra employment benefits expire and so does a federal eviction freeze. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is poised to roll out his $1 trillion-plus proposal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already has pushed through a more sweeping $3 trillion effort. Big spending that Congress hoped to avoid now seems inevitable.

AP-US-ELECTION-2020-VOTING-BALLOT-POSTAGE

Cost, hassle of stamps questioned as mail-in voting surges

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — As more states embrace mail-in balloting, an often overlooked detail has emerged as a partisan dividing line: postage. Questions over whether to require postage for absentee ballot applications and the ballots themselves, who pays for it and what happens to envelopes without stamps are the subject of lawsuits and statehouse political brawls. Lawsuits in Florida, Georgia and other states argue that stamps constitute a monetary requirement akin to a poll tax. Voting-rights groups say they’re just another impediment to voting. The debate has become vehement in Ohio, where legislation would explicitly prohibit the state’s elections chief from pre-paying postage.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA

Asia Today: Masks mandatory as cases rise in Australia state

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — After a one-day respite, COVID-19 cases in the Australian state of Victoria have risen again, prompting a move to make masks mandatory in metropolitan Melbourne and the nearby shire of Mitchell. Health officials on Sunday recorded 363 new cases in the past 24 hours. Two men and a woman in their 90s died, taking the national death toll from COVID-19 to 122. By Wednesday, masks or face coverings will be mandatory for people who leave their homes for exercise or to purchase essential goods. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews says up to 3 million face masks are on order by the state government and the first batch of 300,000 is due to arrive this week. China reported another 13 cases in the northwestern city of Urumqi.

ISRAEL-NETANYAHU TRIAL

Netanyahu’s graft trial resumes amid Israeli virus anger

JERUSALEM (AP) — The corruption trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resumed following a two-month hiatus. Netanyahu was not expected to appear at Sunday’s hearing, which is taking place at a Jerusalem court and is mostly a procedural deliberation. Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of scandals in which he is alleged to have received lavish gifts from billionaire friends and exchanged regulatory favors with media moguls for more favorable coverage of himself and his family. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing. The trial began in May. It resumes as Netanyahu faces widespread discontent over his government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.

COMMERCE SECRETARY

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross hospitalized, ‘minor’ issues

WASHINGTON (AP) — A department spokesperson says Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has been hospitalized for “minor, non-coronavirus related issues.” The spokesperson says in a statement that the 82-year-old Ross is “doing well” and is expected to be released from the hospital soon. The department hasn’t immediately responded to a request for additional details. Ross is a former banker known for acquiring and restructuring failed companies. He was confirmed as commerce secretary in February 2017.

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