A gym in New Jersey reopened for business early Monday, defying a state order that shut down nonessential businesses to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.
People began gathering outside the Atilis Gym in Bellmawr several hours before it reopened at 8 a.m. The owners have said the decision to resume operations at the members-only facility was not about financial gain, but rather a question of Constitutional rights.
We truly believe that if we don't do this, in the end, we will have zero rights and no say in what happens, co-owner Frank Trumbetti said in a video posted on the gym's Facebook page. Trumbetti has said he recently lost a loved one to the coronavirus.
Dozens of people came out to show their support for the gym, with many holding signs critical of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and others waving American flags. Only some were wearing face coverings and most people tightly clustered together on the sidewalk and parking area in front of the gym.
If they shut us down today, ..

New Jersey gym reopens in defiance of coronavirus measures

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The UN special envoy for Syria called Monday for talks between Russia and the United States to help end the more than nine-year-old war, saying the two major powers could play a key role.
Geir Pedersen's encouragement to Moscow and Washington to take a leading role was his first public appeal to the rival powers on opposing sides of the conflict  Russia which has been the key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the United States which supports the opposition.
Pedersen told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that the three countries that have taken the lead in arranging cease-fires in Syria  Assad allies Russia and Iran and opposition backer Turkey are key players too. He said members of a committee from the Syrian government, opposition and civil society who are supposed to draft a new constitution for the country and the 15 council nations are key players as well.
Pedersen said there have been too many fleeting opportunities in the past decades to move from conflict to a ...

UN envoy calls for Russia-US talks to help end Syrian war

Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Monday that the party will not be holding a virtual convention," pledging that the presidential nominating convention in late August will be conducted at least partly in-person.
The coronavirus outbreak forced Democrats to move their convention from July to August, and it's still unclear whether that event will be entirely online.
On a call with reporters about election lawsuits, McDaniel initially demurred when asked about the GOP gathering, slated for Aug. 24-27 in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the party is set to formally choose President Donald Trump as its nominee.
It's quite a ways away, and there's ample time for us to adjust, if necessary, McDaniel said. But later, in response to a question about the Minnesota Republican Party's online convention possibly being disrupted by hackers, McDaniel said: We will not be holding a virtual convention.
The RNC has hired a medical adviser for the convention, and McDaniel said 

GOP chair: 'We will not be holding a virtual convention'

The Supreme Court is allowing a bigger award of money to victims of the 1998 bombings by al-Qaida of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Despite the court's ruling, however, the victims may only ever collect a fraction of the billions of dollars a lower court awarded.
The nearly simultaneous truck bombings at the embassies killed 224 people and injured thousands. They were the first major attacks on U.S. targets by al-Qaida.
The case the Supreme Court ruled in involves lawsuits filed by victims and their families against Sudan. The lawsuits accused the country of causing the bombings by aiding al-Qaida and leader Osama bin Laden, who lived in Sudan in the 1990s.
The more than 500 people involved in the case are mostly foreign citizens, either U.S. government employees or contractors injured in the bombings or relatives of those who died.
A court initially awarded the group more than $10 billion, but an appeals court threw out about $4 billion of the ...

High court allows bigger award in 1998 embassy bombings case

The coronavirus outbreak disrupted what had been big plans to mark the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state.
The peak in the Cascade Mountain Range blew its top on May 18, 1980, killing 57 people, blasting more than 1,300 feet (396 meters) off the top of the mountain and raining volcanic ash around for hundreds of miles.
But there will be no public observances at the volcano on Monday. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the main highway into the national volcanic monument is closed due to COVID-19 and the multiple visitor centers and museums that had planned remembrances are also shuttered.
We've been thrown for quite a loop here, said Washington State Parks interpretive specialist Alysa Adams. Please stay tuned for next year because I think we're going to take all of this energy and passion and turn it into something productive for the 41st anniversary. Several agencies are presenting talks and experiences online.
The Oregon Museum of Science and ..

Virus interrupts St. Helens eruption anniversary plans

A former Syrian secret police colonel testified in a German court Monday that he was not involved in the torture of opponents of the regime of President Bashar Assad, in the first war crimes trial outside Syria linked to the country's years-long conflict.
Anwar R., 57, is accused of crimes against humanity, rape and murder as head of the Al Khatib detention center, also known as Branch 251, near Damascus.
As a senior member of Syria's General Intelligence Directorate, R. is accused of overseeing the systematic and brutal torture of more than 4,000 prisoners between April 2011 and September 2012, resulting in the deaths of at least 58 people, according to the indictment.
His co-defendant, 43-year-old Eyad A., is accused of being part of a police squad that detained protesters and brought them back to Branch 251, where they were then mistreated. Neither of their last names has been released, in line with German privacy laws.
In his first statement since his trial opened in April, Anwar .

Former Syrian secret police officer testifies he's innocent

Congressional Democrats say the State Department watchdog fired by President Donald Trump last week was investigating possible impropriety in a massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year, adding new questions to the watchdog's abrupt dismissal.
Democrats said Monday that ousted Inspector General Steve Linick was probing how the State Department pushed through a $7 billion Saudi arms sale over congressional objections. Democrats previously suggested the dismissal might have been tied to Linick's investigation of allegations that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may have improperly ordered staff to run personal errands for him.
Neither the White House nor the State Department has provided specific reasons for Linick's dismissal, which comes amid broader concerns over Trump's removal of numerous inspectors general at various executive branch departments.
Eliot Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was troubled that Linick was sacked before the completion of .

Democrats: Fired watchdog was looking into Saudi arms sales

Investigators on Monday began combing the wreckage of a fire and explosion at a downtown Los Angeles hash oil manufacturer as eight burned firefighters remained in the hospital.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is sending in special agents from around the country to help with the criminal investigation. They are expected to help reconstruct the scene, identify where the fire started and determine what caused it.
The blaze began late Saturday afternoon at a one-story commercial building in the city's Toy District. Firefighters entered the building amid light to moderate smoke and went on the roof, normal procedures to try to quickly knock down any flames, officials said.
One of the firefighters noticed that the pressure from the smoke and heat coming from the rear of the building were increasing. He ordered everyone to get out but a thunderous explosion rocked the building. Firefighters on the roof scrambled down ladders through a fireball, with their protective .

ATF joins probe of LA blast that injured 12 firefighters

Harnessing today's technology to the task of fighting the coronavirus pandemic is turning out to be more complicated than it first appeared.
The first U.S. states that rolled out smartphone apps for tracing the contacts of COVID-19 patients are dealing with technical glitches and a general lack of interest by their residents.
A second wave of tech-assisted pandemic surveillance tools is on its way, this time with the imprimatur of tech giants Apple and Google. But those face their own issues, among them potential accuracy issues and the fact that they won't share any information with governments that could help track the spread of the illness.
Contact tracing is a pillar of infection control. It's traditionally conducted by trained public health workers who interview those who may have been exposed, then urge them to get tested and isolate themselves. Some estimates call for as many as 300,000 U.S. workers to do the work effectively, but so far those efforts have lagged.
Other tech ...

Tech-assisted COVID-19 tracking is having some issues

As Walt Disney World prepares to allow some third-party shops and restaurants to open at its entertainment complex later this week, it's posting a warning.
While enhanced safety measures are being taken at Disney Springs, an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present," the company said Monday on a website for the entertainment complex.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and guests with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable," the warning said.
By visiting Disney Springs you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19." The opening of some shops and restaurants at Disney Springs on Wednesday marks the latest baby steps Orlando's theme park resorts are taking toward reopening since mid-March when the spread of the new coronavirus forced them to shut their gates.
Last week, Universal Orlando allowed the opening of about a half-dozen restaurants and eateries, as well .

Disney Springs reopening comes with a warning about risk

Small businesses hoping for more leeway in using coronavirus loan money were disappointed as the government released instructions for seeking forgiveness for the loans.
Forms the Small Business Administration released late Friday didn't address two concerns shared by many owners about the $659 billion Paycheck Protection Program. According to the instructions, loans can still be forgiven in full only if the money is spent within eight weeks of receiving it. And businesses must use at least 75% of it for workers' pay, with the remaining amount limited to rent, mortgage interest and utility expenses.
Many small businesses say the eight-week period is too restrictive. Those who laid off workers are afraid they'll have to let them go again if business hasn't returned to pre-virus outbreak levels at the end of the eight weeks, a situation likely for many restaurants whose revenue is down due to social distancing requirements.
Small businesses need flexibility on when the eight-week period .

SBA leaves businesses still hoping for more leeway on loans

Gunmen fired into a crowd of hundreds at a memorial for a Louisiana homicide victim, injuring 12 men and a woman, and people who were there need to tell police who did it, officials said Monday.
Satan has taken over in Bogalusa, and it's time we take it back by reporting who shot up the crowd, Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Country Seal said at a livestreamed news conference.
Five of the city's 28 officers were on duty when the first calls about a crowd came in Saturday evening. With accidents and other disturbances to deal with at the same time, the crowd estimated then at 500 people was beyond their power to disperse, Bogalusa police Maj. Wendell O'Berry said.
People were still shooting when police arrived several hours later in response to 911 calls about gunfire, he said. By then, he said, the crowd had swelled to as many as 800.
O'Berry said one or two people were critically wounded but their lives did not appear in danger Monday. The victims were 22 to 45 years old, he said, ...

Sheriff: 'Satan has taken over' after 13 shot at memorial

Rome's blockbuster exhibition of masterpieces by Renaissance artist Raphael will reopen to the public on the day it had been due to close.
Only three days after it had opened in early March, the exhibition at the Scuderie was forced to hastily lock its doors as part of pandemic containment measures ordered by the Italian government.
Organizers said on Monday that art lovers can see the works, including 120 paintings, drawings and sketches by Raphael, starting on June. 2. That day, a national holiday, was supposed to be the final date of the run.
Instead, lenders, including the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, which has the world's largest collections of Raphael works, agreed to let their pieces stay until Aug. 30, allowing for a significant extension of the show.
Under gradual easing of COVID-19 lockdown measures, Italians can resume traveling between regions on June 3. With tourism a key revenue-maker, Italy hopes other countries will allow their citizens to soon travel for pleasure. ...

Raphael exhibit in Italy to reopen, stay longer

Germany and France jointly proposed a 500 billion-euro ($543 billion) recovery fund Monday to boost European economies hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
In a joint statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said the fund would see European Union budget money used to help sectors and regions that are particularly affected by the outbreak.
Macron said that under the proposal, the 27 EU countries would use their collective weight to borrow money on financial markets.
We are proposing to do real transfers (of money) ... that's a major step, he said Monday.
The two leaders said they will seek a swift agreement from other EU members for the proposed recovery fund, which is likely to run into resistance from fiscal hawks in the bloc such as the Netherlands.
Germany, too, has long resisted the idea of joint borrowing, but Merkel said that because of the unusual nature of the crisis we are choosing an unusual path."
There has been concern in European ...

Germany, France propose recovery fund for pandemic-hit EU

European airlines are planning for a return to the skies this summer after being grounded almost completely for weeks over the coronavirus pandemic.
The outlook, however, remains uncertain, with companies forecasting a slow recovery even next year due to public health restrictions and concerns.  Finland's national airline, a major carrier between Europe and China, said Monday it will add more flights and routes beginning in July if governments ease their lockdowns enough for travel to resume.
It will restart in phases, with a strong focus on Asia, which is strategically important for the state-controlled airline. The Helsinki-based company said it will fly to Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, adding it was pending government approval, but also to Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo Narita in Japan; and to Singapore, Seoul and Bangkok.
We expect aviation to recover gradually, starting in July, Finnair Chief Commercial Officer Ole Orver said in a statement. "Our intention is to operate ...

European airlines hope to resume flights but outlook is dim

Tropical Storm Arthur brought heavy rain to North Carolina's coast on Monday as forecasters warned that the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season could also spread life-threatening surf and rip currents along U.S. East coast beaches in the days ahead.
It's another early start for the Atlantic hurricane season: Arthur formed Saturday in waters off Florida, marking the sixth straight year that a named storm has developed before June 1.
With Arthur's center passing off North Carolina, towns near the coast including Newport and Havelock recorded more than 4 inches (10 cm) of rain Monday morning as others approached that number, according to the National Weather Service. Wind gusts of at least 40 mph (64 kph) were recorded in at least two places on the Outer Banks, the weather service said.
The Hurricane Center said Arthur was moving north-northeast at 16 mph (26 kph) Monday on a path expected to take its center away from the North Carolina coast, as it takes a more eastward ..

Tropical Storm Arthur hits North Carolina coast with rain

Western New York, including the city of Buffalo, met the state's coronavirus containment goals and can begin to reopen its economy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.
Hospitals will be able to schedule elective surgeries as the region enters the first phase of reopening on Tuesday, but gatherings such as church services and sports events will still be banned, Cuomo said.
Personal disclosure  I want to watch the Buffalo Bills," said Cuomo, who held Monday's briefing in Buffalo. "But I'm still objective, I'm acting as governor.
Most of upstate New York will have started reopening by the end of this week, but it will likely be weeks before New York City and its suburbs meet metrics for reopening including the availability of hospital beds and the hiring of enough contact tracers to contain the spread of the virus.
As part of the reopening, judges and staff members will return courthouses in 30 upstate counties starting this week, Cuomo said.
The governor said 106 people died of COVID-19 ...

Western NY, including Buffalo, to start phased reopening

Italy has registered its lowest daily increases in both deaths and new cases of COVID-19 since before the national lockdown began in early March.
According to data from the Health Ministry, 99 deaths of persons with coronavirus infections were registered in a 24-hour period ending Monday evening.
That same period saw 451 confirmed new cases.
On Monday, Italians enjoyed a first day of regained freedoms, including being able to sit down at a cafe or restaurant, shop in all retail stores or attend church services such as Mass.
But until next month they still can't travel outside their regions except for work or other strict necessities, as lockdown rules are gradually lifted.
Italy now officially has 32,007 deaths, although many in nursing homes who died during the lockdown period weren't tested for coronavirus as the tests were mainly given to hospitalized patients.
Overall, there are 225,886 confirmed cases of COVID-in Italy, where Europe's outbreak began.

Italy has its fewest daily deaths in 2 months

The Treasury Department and Federal Reserve have lent hardly any money under a $500 billion fund created by economic rescue law passed in response to the coronavirus crisis, a congressional oversight panel says in a new report.
The Treasury fund is being used to guarantee new, expansive Federal Reserve lending programs to companies, states and cities that could be leveraged to reach as much as $4.5 trillion.
So far only one of the new Fed programs has started operating, a lending fund likely to be tapped by large public companies, the report by the Congressional Oversight Commission said. The program was started on May 11 with $37.5 billion from Treasury.
The oversight panel issued its first report Monday even though it still does not have a chairman. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have not agreed on a chair, leaving the five-member commission without a leader.
The commission has four other members appointed by congressional ...

Report: Treasury fund to ease virus crisis off to slow start

Local governments across Mexico pushed back Monday against President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador's call to reopen the economy in some 300 townships that do not have active cases of coronavirus, with leaders saying they preferred to wait until June before resuming normal activities.
Mexico, which has reported nearly 50,000 total cases and some 5,000 deaths, has seen a steep climb in new infections. Front-line doctors fear that a premature reopening could lead to a second wave of infections  a scenario that recently played out in Chile and Guatemala, where governments had to roll back reopening plans.
But Lpez Obrador has been pushing to reactivate the economy. In addition to opening virus-free communities, his health advisers have said that the mining, construction and automotive industries could resume operations as early as Monday.
The country's lockdown  which began in March  will remain in place, but those industries will be allowed to return to production because Mexico's top ...

Local leaders resist Mexico president's push for reopening

Uber has cut 3,000 jobs from its workforce, its second major wave of layoffs in two weeks as the coronavirus slashed demand for rides.
The San Francisco company has cut a quarter of its workforce since the year began, eliminating 3,700 people from the payroll earlier this month.
Uber will be re-focusing on its core business, moving people and delivering food and groceries, said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, in a note to employees.
The ride-hailing giant will be closing or consolidating 45 offices globally, and almost all departments will be affected by layoffs. The company is closing its Incubator and AI Labs and will pursue strategic alternatives for its job recruiting app, Uber Works, Khosrowshahi said.
This is a decision I struggled with, Khosrowshahi said. Our balance sheet is strong, Eats is doing great, Rides looks a little better, maybe we can wait this damn virus out...I wanted there to be a different answer...but there simply was no good news to hear. The rides business, Uber's main 

AP

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