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Coronavirus live updates: Georgia school district says 100 students, staff test positive

More than 19.3 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. Princeton University will not bring freshman and juniors back to campus in the fall, as originally planned, due to coronavirus cases that have "soared" in recent weeks, according to a statement from the president of the university.

It is the state’s largest PPP loan scheme. Three from South Florida have been charged

Three South Florida people have been charged with collaborating in a $24 million loan scheme to bilk a federal program meant to aid businesses ailing from the coronavirus pandemic, authorities said. It is the state’s largest alleged fraud case involving the Small Business Administration’s relief program.

Timeline: Tracking Trump alongside scientific developments on hydroxychloroquine

President Donald Trump's continued embrace of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug with unproven efficacy against the novel coronavirus, directly contradicts guidance from the nation's top public health agencies and officials. Approved decades ago to prevent and treat malaria, the prescription medicine hydroxychloroquine and a similar drug chloroquine are used to treat autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Instead, the FDA has warned against its use outside of a hospital setting due to the risk of heart rhythm problems.

UK military asked to help stem Channel migrant crossings

Britain’s military said Saturday it has been asked by the government to help prevent people from reaching the U.K. from France in small boats, after a surge in the number of vessels making the dangerous journey. The Ministry of Defense said it had received a request from the Home Office to "support U.K. Border Force operations in the Dover Straits.” Britain’s Conservative government has talked tough after dozens of crossings by migrants during recent weeks of warm summer weather.

Remains of 7 Marines, sailor who died in training accident recovered

The remains of seven Marines and a Navy Sailor who were killed when their amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) sank during a training exercise on July 30 off of San Clemente Island in Southern California have been recovered, the Marine Corps announced Friday night. After initially saying recovery efforts would likely be unsuccessful, officials with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) positively identified the AAV on Aug. 3, nearly 400 feet underwater. "Our hearts and thoughts of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit are with the families of our recovered Marines and Sailor," Col. Christopher Bronzi, commanding officer of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said in a statement Friday.

Backstory: Covering the Beirut blast, bruised and bloodied

Reuters senior television producer Ayat Basma provided the world with some of the first images of the damage caused when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, stored at the Beirut port, ignited and caused a blast that would end up killing at least 150 people and destroying a swathe of the city. "I was lying on the ground, and all I could hear was the sirens of the car alarms," said Basma, who had taken a day off work on Tuesday. Bleeding from a gash in her head, with wet hair and hastily dressed, Basma rushed into the street and began filming with the only camera she had at hand - her smartphone.

After Joe Biden's comments on diversity in Black community, some worry blunders could impact support

Amid the fallout from comments by former vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden about a lack of diversity of thought and heritage within the African American community, some worry that a pattern of blunders could impact support within the Black community. Biden drew criticism on Thursday when he compared the diversity of African American and Latino communities at a pretaped virtual talk with the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Former US soldiers sentenced to 20 years for bungled Venezuelan coup plot

A Venezuelan court sentenced two former US special forces soldiers to 20 years in prison for their part in a failed beach attack aimed at overthrowing President Nicolas Maduro, prosecutors announced late on Friday. Former Green Berets Luke Denman and Airan Berry admitted to taking part in the May 4 operation orchestrated by a third ex-US soldier who remains in the United States, Venezuelan's chief prosecutor Tarek William Saab announced on Twitter. "THEY ADMITTED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FACTS," Saab wrote, adding that the case will continue for dozens of other defendants. He did not offer details. "Operation Gideon" was launched from makeshift training camps in neighbouring Colombia and left at least eight rebel soldiers dead while a total of 66 were jailed. Former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, who operated a private, Florida-based security firm called Silvercorp USA, claimed responsibility for the failed attack. Venezuelan prosecutors announced that Denman and Berry, both decorated former US service members, were found guilty of conspiracy, trafficking in illegal arms and terrorism.

Colorado DA to investigate after Black women, girls ordered to ground in mistaken stolen-car stop

If the officers involved are found to have committed wrongdoing "I will not hesitate" to charge them, District Attorney George Brauchler said.

Amber Guyger appeals murder charge in death of Botham Jean

Guyger has requested to be either acquitted of murder or receive a lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide because "she had the right to act in deadly force."

Jerry Falwell Jr. takes indefinite leave from Liberty University post

The woman was his wife' assistant, who is pregnant, he said, according a WLNI clip from the interview. The board moved on Friday to oust Falwell, issuing a statement that read: "The Executive Committee of Liberty University’s Board of Trustees, acting on behalf of the full Board, met today and requested that Jerry Falwell, Jr. take an indefinite leave of absence from his roles as President and Chancellor of Liberty University, to which he has agreed, effective immediately."

After fatal great white shark attack in Maine, debate intensifies over culling seals

Some business owners and politicians in the Northeast, worried that more shark sightings and beach closures could lead to a downturn in tourism, want the seal population culled, but not everyone thinks that’s the answer.

'America's toughest sheriff' narrowly defeated in bid for old job

Former lawman Joe Arpaio, the nationally known Arizona sheriff who found common cause with President Donald Trump on a hard-line stance against illegal immigration, narrowly lost his bid to regain his old job, vote tallies showed on Friday. Arpaio, 88, who billed himself as "America's toughest sheriff," trailed his former chief deputy, Jerry Sheridan, by 6,280 votes out of 443,056 ballots cast in Tuesday's four-way Republican primary, according to the county elections department. In the November general election, Sheridan will face incumbent Democrat Paul Penzone, who ousted Arpaio from office in a 2016 landslide victory.

Trump calls audience at his Bedminster golf club a 'peaceful protest'

President Trump said his audience of well-to-do supporters was involved in a “peaceful protest” and therefore did not need to adhere to state coronavirus guidelines prohibiting large gatherings.

Trump says he's working on health insurance executive order on pre-existing conditions

President Donald Trump said on Friday he would be working over the next couple of weeks on an executive order to require health insurers to cover pre-existing conditions. Insurance companies were prohibited from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions under the Affordable Care Act passed under former President Barack Obama, known as Obamacare, which the Trump administration has tried to scrap. "Over the next two weeks I'll be pursuing a major executive order requiring health insurance companies to cover all pre-existing conditions for all customers," Trump said at a news conference at his golf property in Bedminster, New Jersey.

MTV's Video Music Awards drops plans for indoor show due to coronavirus

MTV has abandoned the idea of holding its Video Music Awards show at an indoor venue in New York because of the complications of the coronavirus epidemic. The VMA show on Aug. 30, which traditionally features live performances from music's biggest stars, will instead go ahead with some artists performing at outdoor locations, MTV and the Barclays Center arena said on Friday. The VMA ceremony was to be the first major awards show since the pandemic began to take place in a physical location, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Off-duty cop driving for USPS shot to death after truck stalls, Mississippi cops say

“Local, state and federal agents will work tirelessly to ensure justice,” MBI commissioner Sean Tindell said.

Why a Black man from Louisiana is serving a life sentence for stealing hedge clippers

Louisiana's highest court won't review a life sentence for Fair Wayne Bryant, who was convicted of attempting to steal a pair of hedge clippers in 1997.

Trump to hold news conference at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT)

"I will be doing a news conference on the ChinaVirus, the just announced very good economic numbers, and the improving economy," Trump said in a subsequent tweet. Talks on new coronavirus relief legislation between the White House and Democratic lawmakers broke down on Friday and Trump has threatened to sign executive orders on aid if no deal was reached.

Russia working to boost Trump's reelection and 'denigrate' Biden, as China undermines Trump: US intelligence

Three of America's top adversaries are actively meddling in U.S. presidential politics ahead of the November election, including efforts by Russia to advance President Donald Trump's reelection efforts, according to a public statement issued Friday by the U.S. intelligence community. "We assess that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia 'establishment,'" the statement said, adding that, "Some Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trump's candidacy on social media and Russian television."

Oprah unveils billboards seeking justice for Breonna Taylor

26 billboards have been put up around Louisville, Kentucky — one for each year of Breonna Taylor's life.

Pentagon awards United Launch Alliance, SpaceX launch contracts

The U.S. Air Force said on Friday it awarded United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Elon Musk's SpaceX $653 million in combined military launch contracts under the Pentagon's next-generation, multibillion-dollar launch capability program. The contracts are for launch service orders beginning in 2022 and allocate $337 million to ULA, a joint venture between Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp, and $316 million to SpaceX for the first missions of roughly 34 total that the two rocket firms will support through 2027.

Bars over schools: Why your kids will probably learn from home this fall

Lawmakers and educators battle over how to reopen schools safely this fall amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Fugitive tries to escape cops through a chimney, Indiana cops say. It didn’t end well

Photos show how cops found a fugitive inside a chimney.

Rare syndrome linked to COVID-19 found in nearly 600 U.S. children: CDC

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) is a rare but severe condition that shares symptoms with toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, including fever, rashes, swollen glands and, in severe cases, heart inflammation. It has been reported in children and adolescent patients about two to four weeks after the onset of COVID-19. With rising COVID-19 cases, there could be an increased occurrence of MIS-C, but this might not be apparent immediately because of the delay in development of symptoms, said the report's authors, including those from the CDC's COVID-19 response team.

Woman confronting vandals covered in paint during renewed Portland protests

Protesters in Portland allegedly threw white paint over a woman, as demonstrators clashed with police for a third consecutive day.On Friday, following two days of protests marred by vandalism, more than 200 people clashed with police, as two other Black Lives Matter protests marched peacefully through the city.

Ex-Angels employee charged in overdose death of Tyler Skaggs

Skaggs, who was 27, was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas, in 2019.

'We let her down': Army secretary vows changes after Vanessa Guillén killing

Ryan McCarthy said that Fort Hood has some of the the highest rates of murder, sexual harassment and assault of any Army installation in the country.

26 billboards throughout Louisville demand justice for Breonna Taylor

Dozens of billboards demanding justice for Breonna Taylor are popping up around her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. On Thursday, Oprah Winfrey and O, The Oprah Magazine began erecting 26 billboards -- one for each year she was alive -- throughout the city. All billboards will be installed by Monday and they will remain up for a month, according to the publication.

COVID-stricken Anchorage wins court ruling in diner dispute

As COVID-19 cases spike and hospital bed space dwindles in Alaska's largest city, Anchorage officials on Friday won a key ruling in favor of a ban on indoor restaurant dining after a standoff over the issue moved to court. Anchorage city officials this week sued to halt indoor dining at Kriner’s Diner, a popular eatery that defied an emergency ordinance issued on July 31 restricting restaurants to outdoor service and take-out due to a surge in coronavirus infections. On Friday, following two days of court hearings, state Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth sided with city officials and issued a temporary restraining order against the restaurant.

Intelligence community warns Russia wants to hurt Biden, while China 'prefers' Trump not be reelected

Following a push from Democratic lawmakers to be more forthcoming in declassifying evidence of foreign interference in the upcoming presidential election, a top counterintelligence official on Friday published new, specific details about how Russia, China and Iran are seeking to manipulate American voters.

He reported being assaulted by Minneapolis police. No one investigated.

An NBC News review of Minneapolis police misconduct reports suggests the filing process is difficult and unclear and a large number are going uninvestigated.

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. CLAIM: Photos in a campaign ad for President Donald Trump show that former Vice President Joe Biden is “alone, hiding, diminished.” The ad, which circulated widely on social media, opens by zooming in on Biden’s home in Delaware.

Jeffrey Epstein: Appeals court offers sex offender's victims a second chance at justice

An appeals court announced on Friday it will review the legality of a secretive plea deal that allowed disgraced billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his possible co-conspirators to receive a light sentence from federal prosecutors.The court said it would determine whether a previous decision not to charge Epstein, who killed himself in federal custody last year while awaiting child sex trafficking charges, was signed in violation of his alleged victims’ rights.

Employee of U.S. college admissions scandal's mastermind to plead guilty

Mikaela Sanford, 34, of Folsom, had been accused of completing online courses and creating bogus athletic "profiles" for high school students to bolster their college admission chances, making them appear to be successful student-athletes. Sanford had worked at Key Worldwide Foundation, which was run by college consultant and accused mastermind William "Rick" Singer, who pleaded guilty to racketeering and other conspiracy charges and has cooperated with prosecutors.

Vaccine for COVID-19 will need outside expert review, U.S. regulator says

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said COVID-19 vaccine candidates will be reviewed according to established legal and regulatory standards for medical products, including by an outside advisory committee. "Given the widespread potential use of a COVID-19 vaccine, transparent discussion at FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will be needed...", Hahn and colleagues wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

‘Con artist’ fakes daughter’s death — and his own — to trick wife in Virginia, feds say

Russell Geyer used an app to disguise his voice while posing as an attorney in Florida to get money from his wife, according to federal prosecutors.

Farm groups ask U.S. for more time to apply for COVID-19 aid

Twenty-eight U.S. farm groups asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday to extend the deadline for farmers to apply for coronavirus assistance payments and try harder to reach more growers hurt by the pandemic. The American Farm Bureau Federation, with organizations representing producers of goods ranging from apples to cotton and cattle, said in a letter that USDA's Aug. 28 deadline may prevent farmers from participating in the $16 billion aid program. The USDA paid out $6.8 billion in the program as of Aug. 3, with cattle, milk and corn producers the biggest recipients.

U.S. counterspy chief warns Russia, China, Iran trying to meddle in 2020 election

The top U.S. counterintelligence official on Friday warned that Russia, China and Iran will all try to interfere in the 2020 presidential election, with Russia already trying to undercut Democratic candidate Joe Biden. In an unusual public statement, William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said the three countries were using online disinformation and other means to try to influence voters, stir up disorder and undermine American voters' confidence in the democratic process. President Donald Trump, asked at a news conference in New Jersey how he would respond to interference in the Nov. 3 vote, said: "We're going to watch all of them, we have to be very careful."

North Carolina inmate who died following restraint repeatedly said 'I can't breathe'

John Neville died at a hospital in December days after Forsyth County Detention Center officers placed him in handcuffs and restrained him following a medical emergency.

Rape suspect freed due to COVID-19 went on to kill his accuser, Virginia police say

The woman was shot to death in late July, spurring a manhunt for the suspect, police say.

Condemned Tennessee inmate pushes for DNA tests in his case

A Tennessee inmate scheduled to be executed in December continued to push Friday for DNA testing of the evidence in his case, arguing that would exonerate him. Pervis Payne, 53, has always maintained his innocence in the 1987 stabbing deaths of Charisse Christopher and her 2-year-old daughter, Lacie Jo. At the time of Payne's trial, DNA testing of evidence was unavailable, and no testing has ever been done in his case.