A private security guard walks through a market closed due to new restrictions announced by provincial government to help control the spread of the coronavirus, in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, July 30, 2021. (AP Photo\/Fareed Khan)<\/p>","preview":"ISLAMABAD \u2014 Pakistani authorities have imposed a lockdown in the southern Sindh province, including the commercial hub of Karachi and other urban centers, amid an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases.","headlineURL":null,"pdfURL":null,"fullText":"
ISLAMABAD \u2014 Pakistani authorities have imposed a lockdown in the southern Sindh province, including the commercial hub of Karachi and other urban centers, amid an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases.<\/p>\r\n
The lockdown began Saturday and is set to last until Aug. 8, despite opposition from the federal government and the local business community.<\/p>\r\n
Sindh\u2019s chief minister Murad Ali Shah said Friday that a sudden rise in virus cases has flooded hospitals in Karachi, the provincial capital. The new surge appears linked to many of the crowd-attracting activities earlier this month during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.<\/p>\r\n
The Sindh provincial government is closing all markets, except for pharmacies, bakeries, gas stations and grocery stores, which still must close by 6 p.m. All transport between cities is halted and public busses aren\u2019t operating. Private cars and taxis are limited to two people.<\/p>\r\n
Ongoing examinations at schools and universities are also postponed until after the lockdown.<\/p>\r\n
Nationwide, Pakistan on Saturday reported 65 deaths and 4,950 new virus cases in the past 24 hours. The South Asian country has reported 1,029,811 confirmed cases and 23,360 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic.<\/p>\r\n
___<\/p>\r\n
MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:<\/p>\r\n
\r\n \u2014 Study finds\r\n vaccinated people<\/a>\r\n can carry as much virus as others\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n \u2014 CDC team: \u2018War has changed\u2019\r\n as delta variant<\/a>\r\n dangers emerge\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n \u2014 Biden lands win, but virus surge\r\n threatens<\/a>\r\n to derail agenda\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n \u2014 Canadian official warns\r\n 4th virus wave<\/a>\r\n possible if steps not taken\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n \u2014 US passport delays lead\r\n to long lines of<\/a>\r\n would-be travelers\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n \u2014 Find more AP coverage at\r\n https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/coronavirus-pandemic<\/a>\r\n and\r\n https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/coronavirus-vaccine<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n ___<\/p>\r\n HERE\u2019S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:<\/p>\r\n DALLAS \u2014 An administrative court judge has ordered that anyone entering a Dallas County courthouse must be wearing a mask to be admitted.<\/p>\r\n The order Friday by Administrative District Judge Maricela Moore requires masks to be worn in the common areas of the George Allen Courthouse, which houses the county\u2019s civil courts; the Frank Crowley Courthouse, which houses its criminal courts; and the Henry Wade Building, which houses its juvenile courts. Those refusing could be barred from entering the buildings.<\/p>\r\n The order comes after Gov. Greg Abbott repeated his order banning any mask mandates by any state, county or local government entity. However, it cites as its authority a Texas Supreme Court order \u201cthat confirms the judiciary\u2019s authority to take reasonable actions to avoid exposing court proceedings and participants to the threat of COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Also cited is an opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton\u2019s office upholding broad judicial authority to control orderly court proceedings.<\/p>\r\n The order is effective starting Monday. A message to Abbott\u2019s office seeking comment was not immediately returned.<\/p>\r\n The order came as COVID-19 was on a renewed rampage across the state, fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 15,893 new cases Friday, the most since Feb. 3. Of those, 726 new cases came from Dallas County. Over the past two weeks, the rolling average of daily new cases has risen by 183% to 5,100.<\/p>\r\n As of Thursday, the most recent day reported by state health officials, 5,846 people were in Texas hospitals with COVID-19, the most since Feb. 26. Fifty-seven new COVID-19 deaths were reported Friday, five of them in Dallas County.<\/p>\r\n Texas had almost 44% of its population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That\u2019s well below the national average of 57.2%.<\/p>\r\n ___<\/p>\r\n HONOLULU \u2014 Hawaii officials announced 622 new COVID-19 cases, the highest number of confirmed infections since the start of the pandemic.<\/p>\r\n The total included cases from lab reporting delays from the past three days, officials said, but the number is still a significant spike for the state of about 1.4 million people. The seven-day positivity rate is now 5.1%, and officials said the average daily case count over the past three days is now over 300.<\/p>\r\n Previously, the record high total for confirmed cases in a single day was 355 set in August 2020.<\/p>\r\n Officials said the surge is associated with the highly contagious delta variant. Just over 60% of Hawaii residents are fully vaccinated.<\/p>\r\n ___<\/p>\r\n ATLANTA \u2014 Local officials in Georgia are scrambling to increase vaccination rates even as more schools continue telling students and employees to wear masks in the face of rising COVID-19 infection rates.<\/p>\r\n At least 23 districts statewide, covering nearly a third of the public school population, now say they will require everyone to wear a mask. Dooly County had already started class on Wednesday, and someone at the 1,200-student district\u2019s high school tested positive for the respiratory illness, prompting a mask mandate.<\/p>\r\n The Montgomery County school district on Friday delayed its start date by a week until Aug. 10, saying it had a staff shortage because too many teachers had been quarantined after exposure to COVID-19.<\/p>\r\n Districts have been shifting policy after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week advised universal mask use in schools.<\/p>\r\n Some parents are protesting mask mandates. Dozens of opponents gathered outside the administration building on Friday in Gwinnett County, Georgia\u2019s largest school district.<\/p>\r\n ___<\/p>\r\n NEW ORLEANS \u2014 New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is implementing a mandatory indoor mask mandate regardless of vaccination status and requiring that all city employees and city contractors be vaccinated against the coronavirus.<\/p>\r\n The mayor and top officials sounded the alarm during a quickly called Friday afternoon news conference, noting the alarming spike in coronavirus infections in a city that was an early hot spot for the pandemic.<\/p>\r\n \u201cAll of our people need to mask up when they are indoors,\u201d Cantrell said.<\/p>\r\n The city has a little over 4,000 employees, and all will be required to get vaccinated, effective immediately, she said. Contractors wanting to work for the city must also get vaccinated.<\/p>\r\n Officials said the average daily case count in the city has nearly tripled, and six people have died in the last week. Especially concerning were the number of children falling ill, officials said.<\/p>\r\n \u201cThis touches everyone in our community,\u201d said Cantrell. \u201cOur children are dying.\u201d<\/p>\r\n ___<\/p>\r\n CHICAGO \u2014 There is now an indoor mask advisory in Chicago for everyone over 2 years old.<\/p>\r\n The action taken Friday comes as the Centers for Disease Control recommended people, even if vaccinated, wear masks indoor in areas where there is a high transmission of COVID-19.<\/p>\r\n Chicago\u2019s health department has announced the city surpassed 200 new coronavirus cases per day on Friday.<\/p>\r\n Public health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady says the step advising indoor mask use was made to prevent further spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.<\/p>\r\n The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 2,348 new confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, the second time in three days the tally has topped 2,000.<\/p>\r\n ___<\/p>\r\n TORONTO \u2014 The Public Health Agency of Canada says two travelers who arrived in Toronto from the U.S. have been fined close to CDN$20,000 (US$16,029.37) for providing fake COVID-19 proof of vaccination documents and lying about pre-departure tests.<\/p>\r\n The pair also didn\u2019t comply with requirements to stay at a government-authorized hotel or to get tested upon arrival, the agency said in a new release Friday.<\/p>\r\n The travelers arrived last week and were handed four fines totaling CND $19,720 ( US$15,804.96) each.<\/p>\r\n \u201cFor all travelers coming to Canada, it is important to be informed and to plan in advance,\u201d the release said. \u201cIt is the traveler\u2019s responsibility to ensure they are eligible to enter Canada and that they meet all of the mandatory requirements.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Canada eased quarantine requirements on July 5 for fully vaccinated Canadians and foreign nationals with an exemption to enter the country, but they must upload their proof of vaccination documents to the ArriveCAN app before entry.<\/p>\r\n Those who are not fully vaccinated are still required to stay for three days at a government-approved hotel, quarantine for 14 days and undergo tests pre-departure, post-arrival and eight days later.<\/p>","updated_at":"2021-07-31 07:59:33","date":"2021-07-31"},{"newsID":"2158960","timestamp":"2021-07-30T23:19:55-05:00","format_date":"July 31, 2021 12:19 AM","source":"AP","categories":"stocks ","subCategories":"tech ","headline":"Justice Department says Russians hacked federal prosecutors","headline_escape":"justice-department-says-russians-hacked-federal-prosecutors","img_src":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/2ddb92bfc4820025eb506f9170f72814\/fcddb379f1a248a79420c3083445ce12_cybersecurity-solarwinds_42837.jpg","imageURL":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/2ddb92bfc4820025eb506f9170f72814\/fcddb379f1a248a79420c3083445ce12_cybersecurity-solarwinds_42837.jpg","imageCaption":" FILE - This May 4, 2021 file photo shows a sign outside the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice building in Washington. The Russian hackers behind the massive SolarWinds cyberespionage campaign broke into the email accounts some of the most prominent federal prosecutors\u2019 offices around the country last year, the Department of Justice said Friday, July 30, 2021. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky, File)<\/p>","preview":"WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The Russian hackers behind the massive SolarWinds cyberespionage campaign broke into the email accounts some of the most prominent federal prosecutors\u2019 offices around the country last year, the Justice Department said.","headlineURL":null,"pdfURL":null,"fullText":" WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The Russian hackers behind the massive SolarWinds cyberespionage campaign broke into the email accounts some of the most prominent federal prosecutors\u2019 offices around the country last year, the Justice Department said.<\/p>\r\n The department said 80% of Microsoft email accounts used by employees in the four U.S. attorney offices in New York were breached. All told, the Justice Department said 27 U.S. Attorney offices had at least one employee's email account compromised during the hacking campaign.<\/p>\r\n The Justice Department said in a statement Friday that it believes the accounts were compromised from May 7 to Dec. 27, 2020. Such a timeframe is notable because the SolarWinds campaign, which infiltrated dozens of private-sector companies and think tanks as well as at least nine U.S. government agencies, was first discovered and publicized in mid-December.<\/p>\r\n \r\n The Biden administration in April announced\r\n sanctions<\/a>\r\n , including the expulsion of Russian diplomats, in response to the SolarWinds hack and Russian interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Russia has denied wrongdoing.\r\n<\/p>\r\n Jennifer Rodgers, a lecturer at Columbia Law School, said office emails frequently contained all sorts of sensitive information, including case strategy discussions and names of confidential informants, when she was a federal prosecutor in New York.<\/p>\r\n \u201cI don't remember ever having someone bring me a document instead of emailing it to me because of security concerns,\u201d she said, noting exceptions for classified materials.<\/p>\r\n \r\n The Administrative Office of U.S. Courts\r\n confirmed in<\/a>\r\n January that it was also breached, giving the SolarWinds hackers another entry point to steal confidential information like trade secrets, espionage targets, whistleblower reports and arrest warrants.\r\n<\/p>\r\n The list of affected offices include several large and high-profile ones like those in Los Angeles, Miami, Washington and the Eastern District of Virginia.<\/p>\r\n The Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, where large numbers of staff were hit, handle some of the most prominent prosecutors in the country.<\/p>\r\n \u201cNew York is the financial center of the world and those districts are particularly well known for investigating and prosecuting white-collar crimes and other cases, including investigating people close to the former president,\u201d said Bruce Green, a professor at Fordham Law School and a former prosecutor in the Southern District.<\/p>\r\n The department said all victims had been notified and it is working to mitigate \u201coperational, security and privacy risks\u201d caused by the hack. The Justice Department said in January that it had no indication that any classified systems were impacted.<\/p>\r\n \r\n The Justice Department did not provide additional detail about what kind of information was taken and what impact such a hack may have on ongoing cases. Members of Congress have\r\n expressed frustration<\/a>\r\n with the Biden administration for not sharing more information about the impact of the SolarWinds campaign.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n The Associated Press previously reported that SolarWinds hackers had gained access to email accounts belonging to the\r\n then-acting<\/a>\r\n Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and members of the department\u2019s cybersecurity staff whose jobs included hunting threats from foreign countries.\r\n<\/p>\r\n ___<\/p>\r\n Suderman reported from Richmond, Va.<\/p>","updated_at":"2021-07-31 04:29:33","date":"2021-07-30"},{"newsID":"2158957","timestamp":"2021-07-30T23:12:57-05:00","format_date":"July 31, 2021 12:12 AM","source":"AP","categories":"stocks ","subCategories":"business ","headline":"Senate work on infrastructure plan slides into Saturday","headline_escape":"senate-work-on-infrastructure-plan-slides-into-saturday","img_src":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/1b3f22fa5c7e0440526272a99902bd06\/57b9476bffb447a7945c50f9b90543c3_congress_infrastructure_14752.jpg","imageURL":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/1b3f22fa5c7e0440526272a99902bd06\/57b9476bffb447a7945c50f9b90543c3_congress_infrastructure_14752.jpg","imageCaption":" Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, center, speaks with Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., left, while Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., walks by at right, as the Senate votes to formally begin debate on a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan, a process that could take several days, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, July 30, 2021. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>","preview":"WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Senators are returning to the Capitol for a rare Saturday session as they try to make further progress on a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan.","headlineURL":null,"pdfURL":null,"fullText":" WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Senators are returning to the Capitol for a rare Saturday session as they try to make further progress on a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan.<\/p>\r\n A bipartisan group of senators helped it clear one more hurdle Friday and braced to see if support can hold during the next few days of debate and efforts to amend it.<\/p>\r\n Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the chamber should be able to process the legislation quickly given the bipartisan support. But as Friday evening came around, the full text of what promises to be a massive bill was not finished by the time lawmakers adjourned.<\/p>\r\n \u201cWe may need the weekend, we may vote on several amendments, but with the cooperation of our Republican colleagues I believe we can finish the bipartisan infrastructure bill in a matter of days,\u201d Schumer said.<\/p>\r\n But Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, predicted, \u201cIt's going to be a grind.\"<\/p>\r\n The effort got off to a haphazard start Friday. Shortly after the Senate began the procedural vote, it was stopped. Cornyn said the reason was that some of the text in the draft bill did not comport with the agreement between the negotiators. The rare bipartisan work is testing senators' ability to trust one another.<\/p>\r\n Several moments later, the vote resumed and the effort to proceed to consideration of the bill passed by a vote of 66-28.<\/p>\r\n Earlier this week, 17 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting to start the debate, launching what will be a dayslong process to consider the bill. That support largely held Friday with Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky again voting yes to nudge the process along.<\/p>\r\n But whether the number of Republican senators willing to pass a key part of President Joe Biden\u2019s agenda grows or shrinks in the days ahead will determine if the president\u2019s signature issue can make it across the finish line.<\/p>\r\n Cornyn said he expects Schumer to allow all senators to have a chance to shape the bill and allow for amendments from members of both political parties.<\/p>\r\n \u201cI've been disappointed that Senator Schumer has seen to fit to try to force us to vote on a bill that does not exist in its entirety, but I hope we can now pump the brakes a little bit and take the time and care to evaluate the benefits and the cost of this legislation,\" Cornyn said.<\/p>\r\n Schumer had hoped to introduce the text of the bill later in the day with supporters aiming to complete action before leaving for the August recess. Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., released a statement saying they were close to finalizing the legislative text and hoped to make it public later in the day.<\/p>\r\n But Friday came and went without final paperwork that's now expected Saturday.<\/p>\r\n \u201cWhen legislative text is finalized that reflects the product of our group, we will make it public together consistent with the bipartisan way we\u2019ve worked for the last four months,\" the senators said.<\/p>\r\n The bipartisan plan is big, with $550 billion in new spending over five years beyond the typical highway and public works accounts. A draft circulating Capitol Hill indicated it could have more than 2,500 pages when introduced. It\u2019s being financed from funding sources that may not pass muster with deficit hawks, including repurposing untapped COVID-19 relief aid and relying on projected future economic growth.<\/p>\r\n Among the major investments are $110 billion for roads and bridges, $39 billion for public transit and $66 billion for rail. There's also $55 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure as well as billions for airports, ports, broadband and electric vehicle charging stations.<\/p>\r\n The outcome will set the stage for the next debate over Biden\u2019s much more ambitious $3.5 trillion spending package, a strictly partisan pursuit of far-reaching programs and services including child care, tax breaks and health care that touch almost every corner of American life. Republicans strongly oppose that bill, which would require a simple majority, and may try to stop both.<\/p>\r\n On the other side of the Capitol, a bipartisan group of senators and representative gathered to voice their support for the narrower, bipartisan infrastructure effort and to encourage House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to allow a quick vote on it after it passes the Senate. However, Pelosi has stated there won't be an infrastructure bill vote unless the Senate also passes the more ambitious package, too.<\/p>\r\n \u201cI'm not asking Speaker Pelosi today to support the bill. I'm asking for something a lot more basic than that. I'm asking to give us a vote,\" said Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D. \u201cLet us vote.\"<\/p>\r\n Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., also appealed for a stand-alone vote on the bipartisan plan because \u201cthat's what the country wants.\"<\/p>","updated_at":"2021-07-31 04:14:33","date":"2021-07-30"},{"newsID":"2158951","timestamp":"2021-07-30T23:08:07-05:00","format_date":"July 31, 2021 12:08 AM","source":"AP","categories":"stocks ","subCategories":"business ","headline":"Evictions loom after Biden, Congress fail to extend ban","headline_escape":"evictions-loom-after-biden-congress-fail-to-extend-ban","img_src":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/3065b165b8110c4238c698af8bcb8a42\/84301a827618462c93382652860c46a4_congress_eviction_moratorium_63985.jpg","imageURL":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/3065b165b8110c4238c698af8bcb8a42\/84301a827618462c93382652860c46a4_congress_eviction_moratorium_63985.jpg","imageCaption":" People from a coalition of housing justice groups hold signs protesting evictions during a news conference outside the Statehouse, Friday, July 30, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo\/Michael Dwyer)<\/p>","preview":"WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 A expired Saturday after President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress worked furiously but ultimately failed to align on a long-shot strategy to prevent millions of Americans from being forced from their homes during a COVID-19 surge.","headlineURL":null,"pdfURL":null,"fullText":" \r\n WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 A\r\n nationwide eviction moratorium<\/a>\r\n expired Saturday after President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress worked furiously but ultimately failed to align on a long-shot strategy to prevent millions of Americans from being forced from their homes during a COVID-19 surge.\r\n<\/p>\r\n More than 3.6 million Americans are at risk of eviction, some in a matter of days, as nearly $47 billion in federal housing aid to the states during the pandemic has been slow to make it into the hands of renters and landlords owed payments.<\/p>\r\n Tensions mounted late Friday as it became clear there would be no resolution in sight. Hours before the ban was set to expire, Biden called on local governments to \u201ctake all possible steps\u201d to immediately disburse the funds. Evictions could begin as soon as Monday.<\/p>\r\n \u201cThere can be no excuse for any state or locality not accelerating funds to landlords and tenants that have been hurt during this pandemic,\u201d Biden said in a statement.<\/p>\r\n \u201cEvery state and local government must get these funds out to ensure we prevent every eviction we can,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n The stunning outcome, as the White House and Congress each expected the other to act, exposed a rare divide between the president and his allies on Capitol Hill, and one that could have lasting impact as the nation's renters face widespread evictions.<\/p>\r\n Biden set off the scramble by announcing he would allow the eviction ban to expire, rather than challenge a recent Supreme Court ruling signaling this would be the last deadline. He called on Congress on Thursday to swiftly pass legislation to extend the date.<\/p>\r\n Racing to respond, Democrats strained to rally the votes early Friday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi implored colleagues to pass legislation extending the deadline, calling it a \u201cmoral imperative,\u201d to protect renters and also the landlords who are owed compensation.<\/p>\r\n Congress must \u201cmeet the needs of the American people: both the families unable to make rent and those to whom the rent is to be paid,\u201d she said in an overnight letter late Thursday.<\/p>\r\n But after hours of behind-the-scenes wrangling throughout the day, Democratic lawmakers had questions and could not muster support to extend the ban even a few months. An attempt to simply approve an extension by consent, without a formal vote, was objected to by House Republicans. The Senate may try again Saturday.<\/p>\r\n Lawmakers were livid at prospect of evictions in the middle of a surging pandemic.<\/p>\r\n \u201cHousing is a primary social indicator of health, in and of itself, even absent COVID,\u201d said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. \u201cA mass eviction in the United States does represent a public health crisis unto itself.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the Financial Services Committee chair who wrote the emergency bill, said House leaders should have held the vote, even if it failed, to show Americans they were trying to solve the problem.<\/p>\r\n \u201cIs it emergency enough that you\u2019re going to stop families from being put on the street?\u201d Waters testified at an hastily called hearing early Friday morning urging her colleagues to act. \u201cWhat the hell is going to happen to these children?\u201d<\/p>\r\n But Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, the top Republican on another panel handling the issue, said the Democrats\u2019 bill was rushed.<\/p>\r\n \u201cThis is not the way to legislate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n The ban was initially put in place to prevent further spread of COVID-19 by people put out on the streets and into shelters.<\/p>\r\n Congress pushed nearly $47 billion to the states earlier in the COVID-19 crisis to shore up landlords and renters as workplaces shut down and many people were suddenly out of work.<\/p>\r\n But lawmakers said state governments have been slow to distribute the money. On Friday, they said only some $3 billion has been spent.<\/p>\r\n By the end of March, 6.4 million American households were behind on their rent, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As of July 5, roughly 3.6 million people in the U.S. said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau\u2019s Household Pulse Survey.<\/p>\r\n Some places are likely to see spikes in evictions starting Monday, while other jurisdictions will see an increase in court filings that will lead to evictions over several months.<\/p>\r\n \r\n Biden said Thursday that the administration's<\/a>\r\n hands are tied after the Supreme Court signaled the moratorium would only be extended until the end of the month.\r\n<\/p>\r\n At the White House, deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration backs the congressional effort \u201cto extend the eviction moratorium to protect these vulnerable renters and their families.\u201d<\/p>\r\n The White House has been clear that Biden would have liked to extend the federal eviction moratorium because of the spread of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. But there are also concerns that challenging the court could lead to a ruling restricting the administration\u2019s ability to respond to future public health crises.<\/p>\r\n The administration is trying to keep renters in place through other means. It released more than $1.5 billion in rental assistance in June, which helped nearly 300,000 households. Biden on Thursday asked the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture and Veterans Affairs to extend their eviction moratoriums on households living in federally insured, single-family homes. In a statement late Friday the agencies announced an extension of the foreclosure-related ban through the end of September.<\/p>\r\n \r\n On a 5-4 vote last month,<\/a>\r\n the Supreme Court allowed the broad eviction ban to continue through the end of July. One of those in the majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, made clear he would block any additional extensions unless there was \u201cclear and specific congressional authorization.\u201d\r\n<\/p>\r\n Aides to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, the chair of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, said the two were working on legislation to extend the moratorium and were asking Republicans not to block it.<\/p>\r\n \u201cThe public health necessity of extended protections for renters is obvious,\" said Diane Yentel, executive director of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. \"If federal court cases made a broad extension impossible, the Biden administration should implement all possible alternatives, including a more limited moratorium on federally backed properties.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Landlords, who have opposed the moratorium and challenged it repeatedly in court, are against any extension. They, too, are arguing for speeding up the distribution of rental assistance.<\/p>\r\n The National Apartment Association and several others this week filed a federal lawsuit asking for $26 billion in damages because of the impact of the moratorium.<\/p>\r\n \u201cAny extension of the eviction moratorium equates to an unfunded government mandate that forces housing providers to deliver a costly service without compensation and saddles renters with insurmountable debt,\u201d association president and CEO Bob Pinnegar said, adding that the current crisis highlights a need for more affordable housing.<\/p>\r\n ___<\/p>\r\n Casey reported from Boston. Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe, Mark Sherman and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.<\/p>","updated_at":"2021-07-31 04:14:33","date":"2021-07-30"},{"newsID":"2158920","timestamp":"2021-07-30T22:08:09-05:00","format_date":"July 30, 2021 11:08 PM","source":"AP","categories":"stocks ","subCategories":"business ","headline":"US sues Kaiser Permanente over alleged Medicare fraud","headline_escape":"us-sues-kaiser-permanente-over-alleged-medicare-fraud","img_src":"https:\/\/www.traderspro.com\/images\/financial-markets.jpg","imageURL":"images\/corporate-news.jpg","imageCaption":null,"preview":"SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 The federal government has sued Kaiser Permanente, alleging the health care giant committed Medicare fraud and pressured doctors to list incorrect diagnoses on medical records in order to receive higher reimbursements, officials said Friday.","headlineURL":null,"pdfURL":null,"fullText":" SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 The federal government has sued Kaiser Permanente, alleging the health care giant committed Medicare fraud and pressured doctors to list incorrect diagnoses on medical records in order to receive higher reimbursements, officials said Friday.<\/p>\r\n The U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in San Francisco, consolidates allegations made in six whistleblower complaints.<\/p>\r\n Kaiser, based in Oakland, California, is a consortium of entities that together form one of the largest nonprofit health care plans in the U.S. with more than 12 million members and dozens of medical centers.<\/p>\r\n \r\n The lawsuit said Kaiser entities gamed the Medicare Advantage Plan system, also known as the Medicare Part C program, which gives beneficiaries the option of enrolling in managed care insurance plans, according to a\r\n statement<\/a>\r\n from the U.S. Department of Justice.\r\n<\/p>\r\n The lawsuit contends that Kaiser \u201cpressured its physicians to create addenda to medical records,\" often months or more than a year after an initial consultation with an enrollee, because more severe diagnoses for beneficiaries generally result in larger payments to the plan.<\/p>\r\n \u201cThe integrity of government health care programs must be protected,\u201d Stephanie Hinds, acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, said in the statement. \u201cThe Medicare Advantage Program maintains the health of millions, and wrongful acts that defraud the program cannot continue and will be pursued.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Kaiser defended its practices and called the lawsuit filing disappointing.<\/p>\r\n \r\n \u201cOur policies and practices represent well-reasoned and good-faith interpretations of sometimes vague and incomplete guidance\" from the agency that oversees Medicare, Kaiser said in a statement to the\r\n Sacramento Bee<\/a>\r\n .\r\n<\/p>\r\n If the government wins its case, Kaiser could wind up paying hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties and damages, Edward Baker, an attorney representing a whistleblower in the case, told the Bee.<\/p>\r\n The lawsuit names Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc.; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado; The Permanente Medical Group Inc.; Southern California Permanente Medical Group Inc. and Colorado Permanente Medical Group P.C.<\/p>","updated_at":"2021-07-31 03:14:33","date":"2021-07-30"},{"newsID":"2158850","timestamp":"2021-07-30T20:10:43-05:00","format_date":"July 30, 2021 9:10 PM","source":"AP","categories":"stocks ","subCategories":"tech ","headline":"Justice Department says Russians hacked federal prosecutors","headline_escape":"justice-department-says-russians-hacked-federal-prosecutors","img_src":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/5486323e455277b39cd3283d70a7fd64\/fcddb379f1a248a79420c3083445ce12_cybersecurity-solarwinds_42837.jpg","imageURL":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/5486323e455277b39cd3283d70a7fd64\/fcddb379f1a248a79420c3083445ce12_cybersecurity-solarwinds_42837.jpg","imageCaption":" FILE - This May 4, 2021 file photo shows a sign outside the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice building in Washington. The Russian hackers behind the massive SolarWinds cyberespionage campaign broke into the email accounts some of the most prominent federal prosecutors\u2019 offices around the country last year, the Department of Justice said Friday, July 30, 2021. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky, File)<\/p>","preview":"WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The Russian hackers behind the massive SolarWinds cyberespionage campaign broke into the email accounts some of the most prominent federal prosecutors\u2019 offices around the country last year, the Justice Department said Friday.","headlineURL":null,"pdfURL":null,"fullText":" WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The Russian hackers behind the massive SolarWinds cyberespionage campaign broke into the email accounts some of the most prominent federal prosecutors\u2019 offices around the country last year, the Justice Department said Friday.<\/p>\r\n The department said 80% of Microsoft email accounts used by employees in the four U.S. attorney offices in New York were breached. All told, the Justice Department said 27 U.S. Attorney offices had at least one employee's email account compromised during the hacking campaign.<\/p>\r\n The Justice Department said in a statement that it believes the accounts were compromised from May 7 to Dec. 27, 2020. Such a timeframe is notable because the SolarWinds campaign, which infiltrated dozens of private-sector companies and think tanks as well as at least nine U.S. government agencies, was first discovered and publicized in mid-December.<\/p>\r\n \r\n The Biden administration in April announced\r\n sanctions<\/a>\r\n , including the expulsion of Russian diplomats, in response to the SolarWinds hack and Russian interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Russia has denied wrongdoing.\r\n<\/p>\r\n Jennifer Rodgers, a lecturer at Columbia Law School, said office emails frequently contained all sorts of sensitive information, including case strategy discussions and names of confidential informants, when she was a federal prosecutor in New York.<\/p>\r\n \u201cI don't remember ever having someone bring me a document instead of emailing it to me because of security concerns,\u201d she said, noting exceptions for classified materials.<\/p>\r\n \r\n The Administrative Office of U.S. Courts\r\n confirmed in<\/a>\r\n January that it was also breached, giving the SolarWinds hackers another entry point to steal confidential information like trade secrets, espionage targets, whistleblower reports and arrest warrants.\r\n<\/p>\r\n The list of affected offices include several large and high-profile ones like those in Los Angeles, Miami, Washington and the Eastern District of Virginia.<\/p>\r\n The Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, where large numbers of staff were hit, handle some of the most prominent prosecutors in the country.<\/p>\r\n \u201cNew York is the financial center of the world and those districts are particularly well known for investigating and prosecuting white-collar crimes and other cases, including investigating people close to the former president,\u201d said Bruce Green, a professor at Fordham Law School and a former prosecutor in the Southern District.<\/p>\r\n The department said all victims had been notified and it is working to mitigate \u201coperational, security and privacy risks\u201d caused by the hack. The Justice Department said in January that it had no indication that any classified systems were impacted.<\/p>\r\n \r\n The Justice Department did not provide additional detail about what kind of information was taken and what impact such a hack may have on ongoing cases. Members of Congress have\r\n expressed frustration<\/a>\r\n with the Biden administration for not sharing more information about the impact of the SolarWinds campaign.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n The Associated Press previously reported that SolarWinds hackers had gained access to email accounts belonging to the\r\n then-acting<\/a>\r\n Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and members of the department\u2019s cybersecurity staff whose jobs included hunting threats from foreign countries.\r\n<\/p>\r\n ___<\/p>\r\n Suderman reported from Richmond, Va.<\/p>","updated_at":"2021-07-31 01:14:33","date":"2021-07-30"},{"newsID":"2158455","timestamp":"2021-07-30T16:47:31-05:00","format_date":"July 30, 2021 5:47 PM","source":"AP","categories":"stocks ","subCategories":"business ","headline":"Disney requiring US employees to be vaccinated against virus","headline_escape":"disney-requiring-us-employees-to-be-vaccinated-against-virus","img_src":"https:\/\/www.traderspro.com\/images\/corporate-news.jpg","imageURL":"images\/generic-news-photo.jpeg","imageCaption":null,"preview":"ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) \u2014 The Walt Disney Company has joined other large companies in requiring employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.","headlineURL":null,"pdfURL":null,"fullText":" ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) \u2014 The Walt Disney Company has joined other large companies in requiring employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.<\/p>\r\n The company said in a statement Friday that it will be requiring all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. who work on site to be fully vaccinated. The statement said employees who aren\u2019t already vaccinated will have 60 days to do so and that those still working from home will need to show proof of vaccination before returning. Disney said it was discussing the vaccine requirements with the union, and added that all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated before starting work at the company.<\/p>\r\n \u201cVaccines are the best tool we all have to help control this global pandemic and protect our employees,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\r\n The announcement comes days after the federal Centers for Disease Control changed course on masking guidelines, saying that agency had received new information showing the delta variant\u2019s ability to spread among vaccinated people.<\/p>\r\n \r\n New cases and hospitalizations\r\n are soaring in Florida<\/a>\r\n , which has again turned into the epicenter of the pandemic concentrating one fifth of the country's new cases.\r\n<\/p>\r\n Disney announced earlier this week that guests at U.S. theme parks would again be required to wear masks indoors.<\/p>","updated_at":"2021-07-30 21:59:32","date":"2021-07-30"},{"newsID":"2158310","timestamp":"2021-07-30T16:25:21-05:00","format_date":"July 30, 2021 5:25 PM","source":"AP","categories":"stocks ","subCategories":"business transportation construction ","headline":"Opening of I-40 bridge linking Arkansas, Tennessee moved up","headline_escape":"opening-of-i-40-bridge-linking-arkansas-tennessee-moved-up","img_src":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/fb1319c431d30e74c65eaa2388d06b70\/1e93ca955f134e80822fd3bc5f93c95a_interstate_40_bridge_closed_35710.jpg","imageURL":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/fb1319c431d30e74c65eaa2388d06b70\/1e93ca955f134e80822fd3bc5f93c95a_interstate_40_bridge_closed_35710.jpg","imageCaption":" FILE - This undated photo released by the Tennessee Department of Transportation shows a crack in a steel beam on the Interstate 40 bridge, near Memphis, Tenn. The Interstate 40 bridge linking Arkansas and Tennessee that was closed after a crack was found in the span will begin reopening ahead of schedule. The Tennessee Department of Transportation said the eastbound lanes of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge over the Mississippi River will reopen to limited traffic on Saturday July 31, 2021, night. (Tennessee Department of Transportation via AP, File)<\/p>","preview":"MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) \u2014 Transportation officials on Friday sped up their plans to reopen the Interstate 40 bridge linking Arkansas and Tennessee that was closed after a crack was discovered in the span.","headlineURL":null,"pdfURL":null,"fullText":" MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) \u2014 Transportation officials on Friday sped up their plans to reopen the Interstate 40 bridge linking Arkansas and Tennessee that was closed after a crack was discovered in the span.<\/p>\r\n \r\n The Tennessee Department of Transportation said the eastbound lanes of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge over the Mississippi River will reopen to limited traffic on Saturday night, moving up their\r\n original plan to partially reopen the bridge on Monday morning<\/a>\r\n .\r\n<\/p>\r\n \u201cThe contractor is ahead of schedule and the eastbound lanes will now reopen tomorrow night!\" the department said in a statement posted on its website Friday afternoon.<\/p>\r\n The department said it still planned to reopen the bridge's westbound lanes Aug. 6, though it said that could also get moved up. The opening schedule is barring any complications, the department said.<\/p>\r\n \r\n The I-40 bridge was shut down May 11<\/a>\r\n after inspectors found a crack in one of two 900-foot (275-meter) horizontal steel beams critical for the bridge\u2019s structural integrity. Road traffic had been diverted to the nearby Interstate 55 bridge during the I-40 bridge\u2019s repairs.\r\n<\/p>\r\n An estimated $9.5 million has been spent so far on the bridge\u2019s repairs, design and inspection after the closure, an Arkansas transportation official said this week. The cost will be split between the two states.<\/p>\r\n The Arkansas Department of Transportation, which is charge of the bridge\u2019s inspection, fired an inspector who missed the crack in 2019 and 2020. But pictures from a kayaker indicate the crack was visible in 2016.<\/p>\r\n I-40 is a key artery for U.S. commerce, running from North Carolina to California. Manufacturers and shippers rely on the interstate to move products and materials across the river. About 50,000 vehicles typically travel across the bridge when it\u2019s open, with about a quarter of those being commercial trucks, Tennessee transportation officials say.<\/p>","updated_at":"2021-07-30 21:29:32","date":"2021-07-30"},{"newsID":"2158326","timestamp":"2021-07-30T16:20:58-05:00","format_date":"July 30, 2021 5:20 PM","source":"AP","categories":"stocks ","subCategories":"business aero corporate ","headline":"Bezos loses appeal of NASA's plans to use Musk moon lander","headline_escape":"bezos-loses-appeal-of-nasas-plans-to-use-musk-moon-lander","img_src":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/3f7349427064a55cf85e60cd69c085a2\/feb59c23c6ca4dd89f04d43763356af5_moon_lander_appeal_61284.jpg","imageURL":"https:\/\/barchart-news-media-prod.aws.barchart.com\/ap\/3f7349427064a55cf85e60cd69c085a2\/feb59c23c6ca4dd89f04d43763356af5_moon_lander_appeal_61284.jpg","imageCaption":" This is an illustration provided by SpaceX shows the SpaceX Starship human lander design that will carry the first NASA astronauts to the surface of the Moon under the Artemis program. Jeff Bezos has lost his appeal of NASA's contract with Elon Musk's SpaceX to build its new moon lander. The Government Accountability Office Friday, July 30, 2021 ruled that NASA's award of the $2.9 billion contract to just SpaceX was legal and proper.(SpaceX\/NASA via AP)<\/p>","preview":"The federal government Friday rejected an appeal by billionaire Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin to get in on NASA\u2019s plans to return astronauts to the moon by using rival Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX.","headlineURL":null,"pdfURL":null,"fullText":" The federal government Friday rejected an appeal by billionaire Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin to get in on NASA\u2019s plans to return astronauts to the moon by using rival Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX.<\/p>\r\n