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Simon Property, Amazon look at turning mall space into fulfillment centers: WSJ

The two companies have explored converting retail space formerly occupied by J.C. Penney Co Inc and Sears Holdings Corp into Amazon distribution centers, while in some cases, Simon and Amazon explored buying out occupied space from the retailers, the report said, citing sources. Simon's discussions with Amazon have been under way for months and began before the coronavirus pandemic, according to the report.

Kudlow defends Trump's coronavirus executive actions against accusations they are ineffective

White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow defended President Donald Trump's executive actions on coronavirus relief Sunday, saying the administration had to take measures after Democrats “rejected various compromises.” "(The action) provides significant economic assistance," he told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" in an interview following Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called the orders -- signed by the president on Saturday -- "unworkable, weak and far too narrow." "There's still a lot of hardship out there, there's a lot of heartbreak out there, and the point that President Trump made yesterday is that -- on several occasions -- we tried to get for example, a compromise deal on the unemployment assistance," Kudlow said.

Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself one year ago, setting off wave of conspiracy theories and celebrity denials

When Jeffrey Epstein took his life in a jail cell one year ago - dozens of his victims feared their hope for justice died with him. The registered sex offender, who made a mockery of the legal process since at least 2007, undermined the law one last time. Using orange sheets tied to the railing of a bunk bed in his cell, Epstein hanged himself, snapping a bone in his neck in three places. The ...

Schumer denounces 'paltry' and 'unworkable' Trump coronavirus executive actions

One day after President Donald Trump's response to Congress' impasse over additional coronavirus relief spending by signing a series of executive actions, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the directives as "paltry ... unworkable, weak and far too narrow" a solution to address the needs of millions of out-of-work Americans. "The event at the country club is just what Trump does -- a big show, but it doesn't do anything," Schumer, D-N.Y., said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday about the president's Saturday signing ceremony. "If the American people look at these executive orders, they'll see that they don't come close to doing the job."

Coronavirus updates: Texas reports highest average positivity rate

The novel coronavirus has now killed more than 727,000 people worldwide. More than 19.5 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.

5.1 magnitude earthquake reported near North Carolina-Virginia border

The earthquake was reported near Sparta, North Carolina, at 8:07 a.m., according to the USGS. The tremors were felt from Virginia to South Carolina. If you felt the 5.1 Sparta, NC earthquake then be sure to submit a “Did You Feel It” report.

'Unconstitutional slop': Democrats blast Trump's executive actions on coronavirus relief

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the "kindest thing I could say" after looking at President Trump's executive orders was that he "doesn't know what he's talking about."

New Zealand records 100 days without domestic virus case but warns against complacency

New Zealand marked 100 days without a domestic transmission of the coronavirus on Sunday, but warned against complacency as countries like Vietnam and Australia which once had the virus under control now battle a resurgence in infections. New Zealand's successful fight against COVID-19 has made the Pacific island nation of 5 million one of the safest places in the world right now. "We have seen overseas how quickly the virus can re-emerge and spread in places where it was previously under control, and we need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand," he said.

As Black Lives Matter murals are disposed of or defaced, Minneapolis activists launch effort to preserve the art

As protests over the police killing of George Floyd spread across all 50 states, Black Lives Matter art popped up on walls, streets, signs and thousands of boarded up businesses that have been shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The murals and graffiti by protesters and professional artists tell a story of pain and resistance – expressions that will become historical artifacts from the largest civil rights movement in U.S. history. Protesters used black paint to deface a Black Lives Matter mural painted in front of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City, marking the third time in a week the mural had been vandalized.

Pelosi, Mnuchin eye narrower U.S. COVID-19 aid through 2020

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Sunday said they were open to restarting COVID-19 aid talks, after weeks of failed negotiations prompted President Donald Trump to take executive actions that Democrats argued would do little to ease Americans' financial distress. Discussions over a fifth bill to address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic crumbled on Friday, a week after a critical boost in unemployment assistance and eviction protections expired, exposing people to a wave of economic pain as infections continue to rise across the country. Trump on Saturday sought to take matters into his own hands after the talks collapsed, signing executive orders and memorandums aimed at unemployment benefits, evictions, student loans and payroll taxes.

Vaccine nationalism: Experts warn countries against taking 'me-first' approach

As the race for a novel coronavirus vaccine continues, there's growing concern from scientists and economic experts that wealthy nations are prioritizing getting doses for their own citizens at the cost of poorer nations and thus failing to control the global pandemic. In the midst of this debate, wealthy countries have invested heavily in ensuring that their own citizens get the vaccine first.

Sweden looks to US model to curb deadly gang shootings

Police in Stockholm are considering using a strategy against gun violence pioneered in gang-ridden US cities to counter a wave of shootings including an incident in which a 12-year-old girl was killed in crossfire last week. Senior officers from the Swedish capital have visited the southern city of Malmö, which has greatly reduced its shootings by using the Group Violence Intervention (GVI) methods pioneered in the 1990s in US cities. “They reacted very positively,” Rolf Landgren, the police commissioner who leads the Group Violence Intervention (GVI) programme in Malmö, said. The shooting of the girl at a petrol station in Stockholm has led to renewed calls for police to clamp down on the gang violence that has resulted in close to 100 shootings in the first four months of this year alone. Police believe she was hit by a bullet fired at two men with links to a known gang. Malmö is on track this year to record its lowest number of shootings in a decade, with only nine registered so far, down from a peak of 65 in 2017. This is in line with results in US cities. A study of GVI in Boston found that it led to a 63 per cent fall in youth homicide. Mr Landgren said it had taken years of deadly violence before Malmö’s police began to consider GVI – a method developed by David Kennedy, a criminologist, for Boston during the peak of its gun violence in the Nineties. “We had figures way, way higher than we had ever seen before. We needed to break that spiral,” he said. In Malmö, the programme, called Ceasefire, was launched in late 2018. Known or suspected gang members are offered help to leave gang life and warned that if they continue to engage in gun crime, they risk continual police harassment. Suspects are continually targeted using laws that were designed to tackle football hooligans. The bullet-proof car owned by a 30-year-old suspected gang leader was stopped so frequently that he reported the police to Sweden’s parliamentary ombudsman for harassment. The man has since been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison, after drugs and weapons were found during a raid. He has appealed the sentence.

Man who was given life sentence for $30 marijuana sale to be freed

A man in Louisiana serving a life sentence for selling less than a gram of marijuana is due to be released from prison, his lawyer has said.Derek Harris, who is a military veteran, was arrested in 2008 for selling 0.69 grams of marijuana — an amount worth less than $30 (£23) — to an undercover officer who came to his door.

The way forward: How experts would clean up our COVID nightmare if they were in charge

With no end in sight for the United States' coronavirus outbreak, which has now topped 5 million infections and 162,000 virus deaths -- accounting for roughly a quarter of the world's fatalities -- many Americans are wondering if anything could help turn the tide. The list of mistakes critics say the U.S. government has made is well-documented, including relying on a slow and patchwork state-led effort instead of a national plan; mixed messaging and politicization of key protective measures like masks; lack of testing and personal protective equipment for front-line workers; and decades-long defunding of America's public health infrastructure. Many state and local governments have similarly faltered in their coronavirus response, delaying restrictions, pushing reopening despite cases not being on the decline and wavering on requiring masks.

Summertime storms roll through upper Midwest, August heat is on across Plains

A line of thunderstorms is moving across portions of Missouri and Illinois this morning. Flash Flood Watches are in effect as some spots could see as much as 2 to 4 inches of rain with due to thunderstorms. Another round of storms is expected to follow a cold front across Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska as it moves through the region this afternoon and evening.

UK names 'Channel threat commander' as boat crossings surge

The British government has appointed a former Royal Marine commando to try to stop people crossing the English Channel from France in small boats. The government said Sunday that Dan O’Mahoney, who currently heads the U.K.’s Joint Maritime Security Center, has been named “clandestine Channel threat commander.” Home Secretary Priti Patel said O‘Mahoney would work with French authorities on stronger enforcement measures, including intercepting boats at sea, “to make this route unviable.”

NASA drops 'insensitive' celestial nicknames in effort to address systemic discrimination

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that they will stop using nicknames of celestial bodies that are culturally insensitive. In a statement released on Wednesday, August 5, NASA said that it had become clear that certain cosmic nicknames were not only insensitive but actively harmful and that they were taking these initial steps to address systemic discrimination and inequality in all aspects of the field.

They tweeted, retweeted photo of a cop at a Black Lives Matter protest. Then came felonies.

Legal experts say charging Twitter users with felonies over posts of a New Jersey cop during a Black Lives Matter protest is "a bit of a stretch."

With reservations, we recommend Katherine Fernández Rundle for Miami-Dade state attorney | Editorial

These are both fragile and explosive times. They call for leaders who are battle-tested, compassionate and possessing the will to find the best path forward for all in our community.

'Don't shut up!' Film spotlights Filipino journalist

Maria Ressa says she didn’t take Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte seriously when he declared four years ago that “corrupt” journalists weren’t “exempted from assassination.” Ressa began wearing a bulletproof vest because of threats.

Brazil becomes 2nd country to cross 100,000 COVID-19 deaths

The novel coronavirus has now killed more than 725,000 people worldwide. More than 19.5 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.

A military veteran who was sentenced to life in prison for selling under $30 of marijuana is set to be released

Derek Harris' lawyer told CNN that Louisiana prosecutors agreed to his client's release from prison after the military veteran served 9 years.

9 people test positive for coronavirus at Georgia school that went viral for crowded photo

Six students and three staff members who were at the school last week have tested positive, according to a letter sent to parents Saturday that was acquired by ABC News. "We have anticipated that COVID-19 would impact us as it has nearly every community, and the district has worked in partnership with the Department of Public Health (DPH) to proactively implement safety precautions and response plans," the letter reads. The photo showed students crammed wall-to-wall at North Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia.

O: The Oprah Magazine will post 26 billboards around Louisville to demand justice for Breonna Taylor

The 26 billboards will be placed around Louisiville, Kentucky, to push for the police involved in Breonna Taylor's death to be "arrested and charged."

Arrest made in shooting that injured an 11-year-old and a woman in Fort Lauderdale, police say

Update Aug. 9 at 11 a.m.: An arrest has been made in the Saturday night shooting that sent an 11-year-old child and a woman to the hospital, Fort Lauderdale police confirmed Sunday morning.

Trump signs 4 executive actions on coronavirus relief

President Donald Trump signed multiple excecutive actions one day after coronavirus relief negotiations fell apart in Congress. Trump on Saturday signed a memorandum that is supposed to provide $400 a week for additional unemployment insurance benefits -- down from the $600 benefit that expired July 31. An executive order would extend a moratorium on evictions in addition to memoranda that would provide deferments for student loan payments and create a payroll tax holiday for those making less than $100,000 annually.

Pearson supporters make familiar request of Miami-Dade State Attorney Fernández Rundle

Supporters of Miami-Dade State Attorney candidate Melba Pearson gathered in front of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office Saturday to call on incumbent Katherine Fernández Rundle to resign.

Twitter expressed interest in buying TikTok's U.S. operations

It is far from certain that Twitter would be able to outbid Microsoft Corp and complete such a transformative deal in the 45 days that U.S. President Donald Trump has given ByteDance to agree to a sale, the sources said on Saturday. The news of Twitter and TikTok being in preliminary talks and Microsoft still being seen as the front-runner in bidding for the app's U.S. operations was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal.

Eastman Kodak's $765 million U.S. loan agreement on hold after recent allegations

Earlier this week, senior Democratic lawmakers asked federal regulators to investigate securities transactions made by the company and its executives around the time it learned it could receive the government loan. "Recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns," DFC said late on Friday in a tweet.

Lebanese protesters storm ministry buildings as anger over Beirut blast grows

Lebanese protesters stormed government ministries in Beirut and trashed the offices of the Association of Lebanese Banks on Saturday as shots rang out in increasingly angry demonstrations over this week's devastating explosion. The protesters said their politicians should resign and be punished for negligence they say led to Tuesday’s blast, the biggest ever to hit Beirut, that killed 158 people and injured more than 6,000, compounding months of political and economic meltdown. A policeman at the scene said the officer died when he fell into an elevator shaft in a nearby building after being chased by protesters.

U.S. sets record as coronavirus cases top 5 million

With one out of every 66 residents infected, the United States leads the world in COVID-19 cases, according to a Reuters analysis. The grim milestone comes as President Donald Trump signed executive orders intended to provide economic relief to Americans hurt by the coronavirus pandemic after the White House failed to reach a deal with Congress. On Friday, the U.S. Labor Department reported that U.S. employment growth slowed considerably in July, underscoring an urgent need for additional government aid.

Many questions remain two years after NY mother was gunned down while driving with children in Buffalo

La’Kendra Tillmon, 31, was gunned down as she drove on Butler Avenue in Buffalo, New York, on August 2, 2018. Her boyfriend, his son and two of her kids were also in the car. They were not injured. No one has been arrested in her death. The Buffalo Police Department is investigating.

Newly released video footage shows a jailed North Carolina man repeatedly telling officers 'I can't breathe' days before he died in a hospital

John Elliot Neville, 56, died in the hospital on December 4, two days after he suffered a medical episode while in jail on assault charges.

U.S. CDC reports 4,920,369 coronavirus cases

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Aug. 7 versus its previous report a day earlier. The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.

The former Dallas police officer who killed Botham Jean in his own apartment is appealing her murder conviction

Lawyers for Amber Guyger, who is serving 10 years for Jean's murder, argue in the appeal she had the "right to act in deadly force in self-defense."

Murder charge against woman over stillborn baby is condemned by state AG

Our laws "do not convict women who suffer the loss of their pregnancy," the California AG said in denouncing charges against a woman whose stillborn baby had toxic levels of methamphetamine.

Conspiracy-mongering Republican seeking John Lewis seat gets social media boost from Trump

Besides parroting many of President Trump’s talking points, Angela Stanton-King, a Republican congressional candidate, has frequently repeated ideas related to the conspiracy theory QAnon.

$14K reward offered in suspected arson case that killed 5 members of a family

Officials in Denver are offering a $14,000 reward for information on a suspected arson fire that killed five members of a family, including an infant and 3-year-old girl. Denver Police Division Chief Joe Montoya said Friday that investigators still do not have a motive and are asking for tips from the community as the homicide investigation gets underway. “The fire appeared to be deliberately set by unknown persons who fled the area,” according to a Metro Denver Crime Stoppers bulletin.

Venezuelan court sentences two former US Green Berets to 20 years in prison for failed coup

Two former US special forces soldiers have been sentenced to 20 years in prison by a court in Venezuela over their role in a failed beach attack aimed at overthrowing President Nicolas Maduro.Former Green Berets Luke Denman and Airan Berry admitted to taking part in the May 4 operation, Venezuela’s chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab announced on Twitter.

With PPP ending, struggling small businesses seek new lifeline

When Genevieve Villamora left her house for the first time after battling the novel coronavirus for six weeks, she was struck by how much her neighborhood had changed -- "For Rent" signs plastered on storefronts, one block after the next. Villamora is co-owner of Bad Saint, once deemed the second best restaurant in the U.S. by Bon Appetite. The line to get a table there, in the trendy Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Columbia Heights, used to stretch down the block.

'We're tired of being patient': 10 months after Hard Rock collapse, bodies inside to be removed

Frank Wimberly began grieving for his brother, Quinnyon, last fall after learning that he was one of three construction workers killed in the collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans. Authorities have been working to remove the 36-year-old's body and that of a second victim, 63-year-old Jose Ponce Arreola, since the hotel crumbled on Oct. 12, 2019, but safety concerns and the instability of the building have remained an issue. "I think we have gone through the beginning stages of grief, shock and denial, but we have been stuck at the third stage of pain," Wimberly told ABC News.