National

Owner and founder Jeff Smith in front of what remains of Hourglass' winery and processing facility in California's Napa Valley. He's rebuilding, but wildfires have him rethinking everything about his land and business.

Deepening Drought Holds 'Ominous' Signs For Wildfire Threat In The West

12:31pm May 06, 2021

by Eric Westervelt

After one of the most destructive and extreme wildfire seasons in modern history, Californians are bracing again. Widening drought is creating conditions even worse than last year.

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President Biden arrives for a visit to Taqueria Las Gemelas restaurant in Washington as part of the opening of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, an coronavirus relief effort that opened this week.

Biden Opens Restaurant Fund With Visit To D.C. Taqueria That's Been On The Brink

11:40am May 06, 2021

by Alana Wise

President Biden encouraged restaurant owners who have been affected by the coronavirus crisis to apply for a grant under the $28.6 billion program.

Twitter on Wednesday announced it's released a feature that detects "mean" replies on its service before a user presses send.

National

Want To Send A Mean Tweet? Twitter's New Feature Wants You To Think Again

11:04am May 06, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

Twitter released a new feature that detects potentially offensive replies on its service and asks users to review a message before sending.

Google is also offering four weeks per year where employees can work from anywhere they want.

National

Google Adapts To Long-Term Telework, Offers Employees Hybrid Workweek

10:12am May 06, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

More than a year into telework, the tech giant has said about 60% of its employees will work remotely two days a week. Twenty percent will work from home permanently.

A patient in the COVID-19 ICU at Mercy Hospital of Folsom, Calif. is not allowed visitors. For many months during the pandemic, family weren't allowed to visit any hospital patients.

Some Question Whether Hospital Visitation Bans During Pandemic Were Too Strict

7:19am May 06, 2021

by Lesley McClurg

For more than a year, people couldn't sit with loved ones as they died in hospitals. Those lonely deaths took a toll on families. Now some doctors are questioning whether the rules were too strict.

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National

Retiree Finds Purpose Restoring Unwanted Bikes, Gives Them Away

5:45am May 06, 2021

About once a week, Manuel Vera hangs out in Silver Spring, Md., with a sign that reads "free bikes." The Washington Post reports he has given away 40 repaired bikes since November.

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Linn County Emergency Manager Neva Anderson and her husband, Erik Anderson, say they've never wasted a shot, but it's getting harder to find people who want a COVID-19 vaccination.

Oregon Public Health Workers Race To Vaccinate 'Extreme Risk' Counties

5:00am May 06, 2021

by Katia Riddle

Fifteen Oregon counties are designated "extreme risk" for COVID-19 due to high infection rates. Linn County's public health office is working to convince residents to get their shots.

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A screen grab taken from body camera video provided by the Atlanta Police Department shows Rayshard Brooks (right) speaking with Garrett Rolfe (left) last June in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta.

National

Garrett Rolfe, Officer Fired In Rayshard Brooks Killing, Reinstated But Put On Leave

11:01pm May 05, 2021

by Becky Sullivan

The Atlanta Police Department moved to dismiss Rolfe the day after he shot Brooks. Rolfe will remain on administrative leave until his criminal charges are resolved, the department said.

Protesters held a rally in March at San Francisco's Embarcadero Plaza in solidarity with Asian Americans who have recently been the targets of hate crimes across the United States.

National

Man Arrested In San Francisco Stabbing Of 2 Asian Women

9:54pm May 05, 2021

by Emma Bowman

The two women, aged 84 and 63, were attacked while waiting at a bus stop on Tuesday, police said. It's the latest in a string of nationwide violence against Asian Americans during the pandemic.

Jason Brissett, a kitchen worker who came to the U.S. last month from Jamaica through an H-2B visa, is bracing for 80-hour workweeks this summer to make up for staffing shortages.

Hotels And Restaurants That Survived Pandemic Face New Challenge: Staffing Shortages

7:44pm May 05, 2021

by Tovia Smith

Business owners who rely on seasonal foreign workers coming to the U.S. on H-2B visas are struggling to find help they need for what's expected to be a busy summer.

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