By (Reuters) - A conversation during which President Donald Trump urged U.S. state governors to crack down on nationwide protests became testy on Monday when Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker accused Trump of making the situation worse.Trump, who last week tweeted “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” urged governors to get tough on disturbances following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in police custody in Minneapolis. A white officer has been charged.In a recording of the conference call heard by Reuters, Trump said: “You have to dominate, if you don’t dominate...…By (Reuters) - A conversation during which President Donald Trump urged U.S. state governors to crack down on nationwide protests became testy on Monday when Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker accused Trump of making the situation worse.Trump, who last week tweeted “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” urged governors to get tough on disturbances following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in police custody in Minneapolis. A white officer has been charged.In a recording of the conference call heard by Reuters, Trump said: “You have to dominate, if you don’t dominate...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday rejected a request from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn to void New York state’s limits on religious gatherings in coronavirus hot spots, which the diocese argued had effectively closed its churches.Brooklyn U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis declined to issue a preliminary injunction sought by the diocese that would have exempted more than two dozen of its parishes from the state’s temporary stringent restrictions.Garaufis said he was satisfied the restrictions were “guided by science, not a desire target religious...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday rejected a request from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn to void New York state’s limits on religious gatherings in coronavirus hot spots, which the diocese argued had effectively closed its churches.Brooklyn U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis declined to issue a preliminary injunction sought by the diocese that would have exempted more than two dozen of its parishes from the state’s temporary stringent restrictions.Garaufis said he was satisfied the restrictions were “guided by science, not a desire target religious...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bruce Springsteen was fined $500 on Wednesday after the rock ‘n’ roll legend pleaded guilty to a charge of consuming alcohol at a federally run New Jersey beach in November, and prosecutors dropped drunken driving and reckless driving charges.Springsteen, 71, whose songs have chronicled life in his home state of New Jersey and its shore scene for more than 50 years, entered his plea in an online arraignment before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Anthony Mautone in Newark.He admitted to downing “two small shots of tequila” on Nov. 14 at Sandy Hook beach, part of...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bruce Springsteen was fined $500 on Wednesday after the rock ‘n’ roll legend pleaded guilty to a charge of consuming alcohol at a federally run New Jersey beach in November, and prosecutors dropped drunken driving and reckless driving charges.Springsteen, 71, whose songs have chronicled life in his home state of New Jersey and its shore scene for more than 50 years, entered his plea in an online arraignment before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Anthony Mautone in Newark.He admitted to downing “two small shots of tequila” on Nov. 14 at Sandy Hook beach, part of...WW…

By , NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The governors of several states accused the Trump administration on Friday of deception in pledging to immediately distribute millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses from a stockpile that the U.S. health secretary has since acknowledged does not exist.Confusion over a vaccine supply windfall that was promised to governors but failed to materialize arose as scattered shortages emerged on the frontlines of the most ambitious and complex immunization campaign in U.S. history, prompting at least one large New York healthcare system to cancel a slew of...…By , NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The governors of several states accused the Trump administration on Friday of deception in pledging to immediately distribute millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses from a stockpile that the U.S. health secretary has since acknowledged does not exist.Confusion over a vaccine supply windfall that was promised to governors but failed to materialize arose as scattered shortages emerged on the frontlines of the most ambitious and complex immunization campaign in U.S. history, prompting at least one large New York healthcare system to cancel a slew of...WW…

By , NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The governors of several states accused the Trump administration on Friday of deception in pledging to immediately distribute millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses from a stockpile that the U.S. health secretary has since acknowledged does not exist.Confusion over a vaccine supply windfall that was promised to governors but failed to materialize arose as scattered shortages emerged on the frontlines of the most ambitious and complex immunization campaign in U.S. history, prompting at least one large New York healthcare system to cancel a slew of...…By , NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The governors of several states accused the Trump administration on Friday of deception in pledging to immediately distribute millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses from a stockpile that the U.S. health secretary has since acknowledged does not exist.Confusion over a vaccine supply windfall that was promised to governors but failed to materialize arose as scattered shortages emerged on the frontlines of the most ambitious and complex immunization campaign in U.S. history, prompting at least one large New York healthcare system to cancel a slew of...WW…

By (Reuters) - Voters in 32 U.S. states and the District of Columbia will have the opportunity on Tuesday to approve or reject a wide range of ballot questions, ranging from proposals on elections, abortion rights and taxes to even one on legalizing magic mushrooms.In all, at least 124 statutory and constitutional questions appear on this year’s state ballots, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).About two thirds of them were put there by the legislatures, usually because direct voter approval is required on tax and bond issues and on constitutional changes, the...…By (Reuters) - Voters in 32 U.S. states and the District of Columbia will have the opportunity on Tuesday to approve or reject a wide range of ballot questions, ranging from proposals on elections, abortion rights and taxes to even one on legalizing magic mushrooms.In all, at least 124 statutory and constitutional questions appear on this year’s state ballots, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).About two thirds of them were put there by the legislatures, usually because direct voter approval is required on tax and bond issues and on constitutional changes, the...WW…

By (Reuters) - Kentucky on Friday agreed to remove a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from its State Capitol building, the latest action in a renewed drive to take down such monuments in the wake of nationwide protests for racial justice.Slideshow In a bipartisan vote, a state historical commission agreed to remove the statue of Davis, president of the short-lived Confederate States of American, from its Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. Democratic Governor Andy Beshear lauded the move, saying it was overdue.“Today is a move toward showing that everybody is welcome in this...…By (Reuters) - Kentucky on Friday agreed to remove a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from its State Capitol building, the latest action in a renewed drive to take down such monuments in the wake of nationwide protests for racial justice.Slideshow In a bipartisan vote, a state historical commission agreed to remove the statue of Davis, president of the short-lived Confederate States of American, from its Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. Democratic Governor Andy Beshear lauded the move, saying it was overdue.“Today is a move toward showing that everybody is welcome in this...WW…

By , NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday pushed back against what he called premature demands that he reopen the state, saying he knew people were struggling without jobs but that more understanding of the new coronavirus was needed.As governors in about half of the United States partially reopen their economies over this weekend, Cuomo said he needed much more information on what the pandemic was doing in his state, the hardest hit by the disease, before he loosens restrictions aimed at curbing its spread.“Even when you are in uncharted waters, it doesn’t mean...…By , NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday pushed back against what he called premature demands that he reopen the state, saying he knew people were struggling without jobs but that more understanding of the new coronavirus was needed.As governors in about half of the United States partially reopen their economies over this weekend, Cuomo said he needed much more information on what the pandemic was doing in his state, the hardest hit by the disease, before he loosens restrictions aimed at curbing its spread.“Even when you are in uncharted waters, it doesn’t mean...WW…

By (Reuters) - Former President George W. Bush said on Tuesday the killing of George Floyd reflected a “shocking failure” concerning racism in the country, and urged that protesters be heard, in sharp contrast to fellow Republican Donald Trump’s get-tough approach.Without mentioning the president by name, Bush suggested it was out of step with the country’s values to have driven protesters from Lafayette Square across from the White House on Monday just before Trump walked through for a photo opportunity.“The only way to see ourselves in a true light is to listen to the voices of so many...…By (Reuters) - Former President George W. Bush said on Tuesday the killing of George Floyd reflected a “shocking failure” concerning racism in the country, and urged that protesters be heard, in sharp contrast to fellow Republican Donald Trump’s get-tough approach.Without mentioning the president by name, Bush suggested it was out of step with the country’s values to have driven protesters from Lafayette Square across from the White House on Monday just before Trump walked through for a photo opportunity.“The only way to see ourselves in a true light is to listen to the voices of so many...WW…