Politics

China on Wednesday officially lifted its 76-day lockdown on Wuhan, the city at the coronavirus pandemic’s epicenter, where the disease was first detected. For the first time in 11 weeks, Wuhan’s more than 11 million residents were able to travel freely again, with tens of thousands choosing to leave by train, plane and automobile at

The condition of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who remains in hospital suffering from coronavirus, is improving, according to an update this afternoon from Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Sunak said that Johnson remains in intensive care in St Thomas’ hospital in London, but is now “sitting up in bed and engaging positively with the clinical team.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders has ended his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination, clearing the path for former Vice President Joe Biden to face off against President Trump in November. Sanders, the maverick independent from Vermont, announced his decision shortly before noon ET on Wednesday via a live webcast from Burlington, Vt. Sanders told supporters that

Stephanie Grisham is leaving her post as White House Press Secretary, a gig she took over from from Sarah Huckabee Sanders in July 2019. Grisham will return to the East Wing to serve as first lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff and spokesperson. Grisham begins her new role immediately and is taking over from Lindsay

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been placed in intensive care as he battles to defeat the coronavirus that has plagued him for more than 10 days. Johnson, 55, was admitted to hospital Sunday night for routine testing, but remained there on Monday. According to a Downing Street spokesperson, Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is in “good spirits” despite being admitted Sunday night to hospital, where he remains being treated for coronavirus. The Prime Minister was taken to St. Thomas’ Hospital in London on Sunday evening with persistent symptoms — including a temperature and cough — for routine tests. He has been

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been struggling with coronavirus, has been admitted to hospital, according to Downing Street. Johnson has been battling the virus for 10 days, and has remained in quarantine with a persisting high temperature. According to the BBC, he was admitted to hospital as a “precautionary step” advised by his

Queen Elizabeth used a rare televised address to the U.K. on Sunday evening to rally the nation as it battles one of the worst healthcare crises in its history. Speaking from Windsor Castle, the monarch said: “I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time. A time of disruption in

Singapore has announced a change of direction in its fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus. Schools will close and all but essential workplaces are ordered shut from next Tuesday. The high-tech island nation was one of the first outside China to discover virus infections. It had until recently been seen as a leading

Jane Fonda has a word for those who doubt the efficacy of celebrity activists: Poppycock.  Undeterred by stay-at-home restrictions intended to combat the coronavirus pandemic, she is pivoting from physical protests to virtual ones: She and Greenpeace will conduct their first virtual Fire Drill Friday tomorrow.   The climate change protest, an outgrowth of the series

The Democratic National Convention has been postponed to the week of Aug. 17 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The four-day convention was meant to take place from July 13 to July 16 in Milwaukee. The convention — which is expected to draw about 50,000 visitors to the key swing state — will now take place

Andrew Yang bowed out of the U.S. presidential race, but the businessman-turned-politico wants to keep his policy agenda on the national media stage. Less than two months after ending his 2020 presidential campaign, he’s set plans to launch a new podcast, “Yang Speaks,” in partnership with podcast studio and network Cadence13, Variety has learned. The

Germany’s Studio Babelsberg is seeking to find a settlement with hundreds of film crew members following the shutdown earlier this month of Warner Bros.’ “The Matrix 4” and Sony Pictures’ “Uncharted” amid the coronavirus outbreak. The production stop has left many independent film crew members without pay and more than 300 have formed a working

Coronavirus remains firmly in the royal orbit as one of Queen Elizabeth’s footmen has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. The royal footman, who regularly walks the Queen’s dogs and was in regular contact with the monarch, is now in self-isolation after falling ill with coronavirus, according to British tabloid The Sun. The revelation comes just

The House of Representatives passed the $2 trillion stimulus package on Friday, even as lawmakers said another rescue package would be needed. The bill passed on a voice vote, and now heads to President Donald Trump for his signature. Most Americans will receive a one-time payment of $1,200 plus $500 per child. The bill also

The Senate voted on Wednesday to approve a $2 trillion bill to cushion the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, including hundreds of billions for companies and a massive expansion of unemployment benefits. The Senate voted 96-0 to approve the measure, after two votes earlier in week failed along party lines. The House of Representatives

Senate leaders and the White House have reached a deal on a $2 trillion stimulus package, which includes a large increase in unemployment insurance and hundreds of billions of dollars to aid companies harmed by the coronavirus pandemic. Shortly before 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced on the Senate floor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India announced a sweeping, nationwide lockdown on Tuesday, declaring citizens across the country of 1.3 billion must stay at home for the next three weeks. Addressing the country for the second time in a week, the prime minister said the decree, which takes effect at midnight Tuesday, was a necessary

A reporter who works at the White House is believed to have the novel coronavirus, the White House Correspondents’ Association said on Monday. In a memo to its members, the WHCA said the reporter was at the White House four times in the last two weeks: on March 9, 11, 16 and 18. “We encourage

U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson has declared a partial lockdown of the country, effective immediately. In an address broadcast to the nation on Monday evening, Johnson urged Britons to stay home to save lives. The prime minister forbade leaving home for anything apart from shopping for basic necessities like food and medicines, medical needs, one

As the coronavirus crisis continues to devastate Germany’s entertainment industry, calls are growing ever louder for an official ban on shooting. At the same time, the country’s film funders have come together to finance an industry rescue package, while leading TV broadcasters are promising to bear a share of the costs of shuttered productions. The

March 22, 2020 5:03PM PT Originally set for April 25, this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been postponed. A new date will be announced at a later time. The White House Correspondents’ Association made the announcement on Sunday afternoon. “The White House Correspondents’ Association regrets to announce that it is unable to go ahead

March 22, 2020 11:04AM PT Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first U.S. senator to contract coronavirus. His office announced the diagnosis on Twitter Sunday morning, saying he is asymptomatic and currently in quarantine. The announcement said that he was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has expanded coronavirus-related restrictions in the Empire State, ordering non-essential businesses to keep all workers home in an effort to slow the spread of the contagion. “When I talk about the most drastic action we can take — this is the most drastic action we can take,” Cuomo said Friday

California residents have been ordered to stay at home, except to get food or other essential services, in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the order in a press conference on Thursday night, saying it will remain in place until further notice. The order mirrors one announced shortly beforehand

In order to stop the spread of coronavirus, millions of Americans are following the advice, or orders, of public health authorities and staying home. We don’t know how long this crisis will last, but we know that if we stay home and slow the spread of the virus, we can avert the worst outcomes that

Kim Foxx, the state’s attorney in Chicago, has survived the controversy over her handling of the Jussie Smollett case, defeating three challengers in her bid for re-election. Foxx was first elected four years ago on a platform of criminal justice reform. But last year she became entangled in the Smollett case, in which her office

Joe Biden swept the primaries in Florida, Illinois and Arizona on Tuesday, setting himself up to become the de facto Democratic nominee. With more than 90% of the vote counted in Florida, Biden was beating Sen. Bernie Sanders by nearly 40 points. He won Illinois by more than 20 points, and was leading in Arizona

China said Tuesday it will expel all American journalists working in the country for the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal whose credentials will expire in 2020. The journalists will have to turn in their press credentials within 10 days, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.  “They will not

The governor of Ohio on Monday called for Tuesday’s presidential primary to be delayed until June in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Ohio is one of four states set to vote on Tuesday. The others are Illinois, Florida and Arizona. Last week, the secretaries of state of all four states issued a joint statement saying