FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2017, file photo, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter sits at a meeting in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office is attempting to return $2 million worth of an anti-malaria drug once touted by former President Donald Trump as an effective treatment for COVID-19, a spokesman said Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Alex Gerszewski, a spokesman for Attorney General Mike Hunter, said Hunter is attempting to negotiate a return of the 1.2 million hydroxychloroquine pills Oklahoma acquired in April from a California-based supplier, FFF Enterprises. He said the office was acting on a request from the Oklahoma State Department of Health, which authorized the purchase. The attempt by Oklahoma to return the hydroxychloroquine was first reported by the online news publication The Frontier.

Fifteen states already allow concealed carry without a permit, and lawmakers in nine others have proposed allowing or expanding the practice. Against that backdrop, the efforts to loosen concealed carry requirements are a frightening trend for Shannon Watts, founder of the gun control group Moms Demand Action. He pointed to a multistate study published in 2018 by the Journal of the American College of Surgeons that found loosening concealed carry permit laws didn’t lead to more homicides or violent crime. In Montana, the House recently passed a bill to allow people to carry concealed firearms without a permit in most places. Similar bills that would allow or expand concealed carry without a permit have been introduced in Texas, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Alabama and Georgia.

In this Nov. 5, 2020, file photo, the Supreme Court in Washington. The Supreme Court has rejected Republicans' last-gasp bid to reverse Pennsylvanias certification of President-elect Joe Bidens victory in the electoral battleground. “But it’s worth it for the Supreme Court to weigh in and settle it once and for all,” he said. Spencer Cox, who will become governor in January, blasted Attorney General Sean Reyes for deciding to join the suit. Despite the political pressure, Idaho’s Republican attorney general chose not to join the Texas suit.

In this Nov. 5, 2020, file photo, the Supreme Court in Washington. The Supreme Court has rejected Republicans' last-gasp bid to reverse Pennsylvanias certification of President-elect Joe Bidens victory in the electoral battleground. “But it’s worth it for the Supreme Court to weigh in and settle it once and for all,” he said. Spencer Cox, who will become governor in January, blasted Attorney General Sean Reyes for deciding to join the suit. Despite the political pressure, Idaho’s Republican attorney general chose not to join the Texas suit.

Experts have urged the government to reduce social and business activity before the holiday season because of a rise in serious coronavirus cases. The 583 new cases reported Thursday was the first time that South Korea’s daily tally had exceeded 500 since March. KCCI reports that the Iowa Department of Public Health reported 3,331 new positive COVID-19 cases as of 10 a.m. to bring the total to 222,278. The 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 of population, a recognized measure of the pandemic’s spread, also fell Thursday, to 325. The Reno-Sparks area has recorded 59 COVID-19 deaths the last 30 days — half of those this past week.

Pete Ricketts warned that he could impose tighter social-distancing restrictions before Thanksgiving if hospitalizations continue to rise. In Washington state, elective procedures such as joint and heart valve replacements and some cancer surgeries could be postponed to make room for coronavirus patients, said Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer. Even so, health officials are trying everything they can to slow the spread and address an even worse surge that many say is inevitable. New York Gov. New York state has averaged nearly 5,500 new cases per day over the past seven days.

“If our health care system exceeds capacity, it’s not just COVID-19 we’ll be fighting. GOP governors in Ohio and West Virginia have also recently strengthened existing mask mandates, while Mississippi's governor expanded the state’s partial mandate to cover more counties. Still, 13 other states with GOP governors still have no statewide mask mandates, and many of them have affirmed their opposition in recent days even as cases, hospitalizations and deaths rise in their states. “I don’t think mask mandates are appropriate,” Nebraska Gov. “Mask mandates will likely have the opposite effect of what was intended,” Rep. Steven Holt, chair of the Iowa House Judiciary committee, wrote on his Facebook page.

At the same time, she claimed “there’s science on both sides” about whether masks reduce the spread of the coronavirus. With Thanksgiving coming up next week, public health officials are bracing for a holiday-fueled surge. The national death toll is on pace to keep climbing in the coming days as states set new records. In South Dakota, the state with the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths per capita in November, Republican Gov. The state recorded more than 4,400 cases during the week ending Sunday, a 63% increase from the previous week.

Ned Lamont is self-quarantining after his chief spokesperson tested positive for COVID-19, his administration announced late Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. Ned Lamont is self-quarantining after his chief spokesperson tested positive for COVID-19. Another governor, Democrat Steve Sisolak of Nevada, announced Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19. DeWine tested positive using a rapid test before testing negative later that day after using a more sensitive laboratory-developed test. The latest state health department figures also show hospitalizations have edged back up statewide — hitting 684 after dipping to 676 a day earlier.

Gary Herbert speaks as he joins state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn at a press conference at the Capitol in Salt Lake City, clarifying the state's mask mandate on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. Minnesota’s per-capita new case counts are better than neighboring Wisconsin and the Dakotas, which have some of the country’s highest transmission rates, but have still raised alarm with the state's health officials. In Idaho, where 1 of every 223 residents tested positive for the virus over the last week, Republican Gov. With Trump still not conceding the race, some Republican governors have greeted Biden’s efforts in a more measured way. In Oklahoma, where cases also are on the rise, Republican Gov.

State officials said testing sites in Lee County also were forced to close due to the storm’s impact. ___MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin health officials reported another dip in new COVID-19 infections Monday from a record high over the weekend. Of the 707 people in the hospital, the state reported 168 were in intensive care. New daily confirmed cases are up more than 60% over the past two weeks, to an average of nearly 109,000 a day. The U.S. accounts for about one fifth of the world’s 50 million confirmed cases.

Gary Herbert declared a state of emergency and ordered a statewide mask mandate in an attempt to stem a surge in coronavirus patient hospitalizations that is testing the state’s hospital capacity. State officials sent out an emergency alert to state residents on their phones Sunday to alert them to Herbert's televised address outlining the orders. Earlier Sunday, Utah health authorities announced a new high in the number of coronavirus hospitalizations and 2,386 more confirmed COVID-19 cases as the pandemic surged. At least 659 state residents have died of the coronavirus and more than 132,000 have been infected. Herbert has said he’s concerned that people are feeling fatigued from the pandemic and urged Utah residents to follow masking and social distancing requirements.

Larry Hogan warned of a major surge in coronavirus cases and urged residents Thursday to wear masks to prevent the virus’s spread. State Health Officer and Department of Health Services Interim Division of Public Health Administrator Stephanie Smiley is the second state health officer to resign in the last six months. Lujan Grisham says people can’t get numb to the troubling data or the threat of the state’s health care system being overwhelmed. State health officials added 45 more coronavirus-related deaths Thursday, raising the overall toll to 4,511 including confirmed and presumed infections. Spain has a 14-day average of 527 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people, one of the highest in Europe.

FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 file photo, Missouri Republican Gov. Its the most hotly contested of the nations 11 governors races this fall. Which party holds the governor's office could be especially consequential over the next few years. In governor’s races, many of the attack ads are funded by each party’s governors association. In the governor’s race, he said Gianforte’s financial support of a Montana museum dedicated to creationist beliefs was a big problem.

They include Nebraska and South Dakota, where the number of new cases topped previous highs for each state. But this fall's resurgence of the virus, despite being far more widespread, has brought a decidedly more limited response in many states. Most are led by Republican governors backing a president who insists, falsely, that the country is getting the virus under control. “At the end of the day, personal responsibility is the only way. “I believe in personal responsibility and that it is our responsibility as American citizens to choose if we want to wear it or not,” she said.

State lawmakers who used federal COVID-19 aid to plug budget holes instead of beefing up testing and contact tracing. “The inconsistency of the response is what’s been so frustrating,” said Dr. Irwin Redlener of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University. The handling of the crisis has emerged as a central issue in the race between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has mocked Biden's mask-wearing and repeatedly assured the country that it is “rounding the corner” on the outbreak. Biden has hammered the president for downplaying the virus and undermining scientists.

The United States is approaching a record for the number of new daily coronavirus cases in the latest ominous sign about the disease's grip on the nation. The total U.S. caseload reported on the site Friday was 83,757, topping the 77,362 cases reported on July 16. We’ve bought more hospital beds,” said Dr. Robert Scoggins, a pulmonologist at the Kootenai Health hospital in Coeur d’Alene. Gary Herbert proclaimed Friday to be “a record day for Utah — but not a good one” as COVID-19 cases reached an all-time high for the state. The seven-day rolling average for new daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. surpassed 61,140 Thursday, compared with 44,647 two weeks ago.

It is not appropriate for us to do that now.”″Victoria reported seven new coronavirus cases on Sunday, with six linked to the latest outbreak, which involves 39 people across 11 households. Eight countries now have more than 1 million confirmed cases, and three are in Latin America. Argentina hit 1 million confirmed cases on Monday. ___OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma has registered more than 1,800 newly confirmed coronavirus cases. ___ATHENS, Greece — Greece officials introduced mandatory wearing of masks everywhere Saturday, with the country reaching records for new daily coronavirus cases.

Virus cases are surging across Europe and many U.S. states, but responses by leaders are miles apart, with officials in Ireland, France and elsewhere imposing curfews and restricting gatherings even as some U.S. governors resist mask mandates or more aggressive measures. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, reiterated Tuesday that he has no plans to do so and would instead leave such decisions to local officials. Doug Burgum’s approach of leaving management of the virus to local officials. Mahoney, himself, cast the deciding vote against a city mask mandate early this month. Associated Press writers Adam Causey in Oklahoma City, Dave Kolpack in Fargo, North Dakota, and Jill Lawless and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this story.

(AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)HONOLULU -- Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell says the city plans to allow some activities that were shut down last month to control the spread of the coronavirus to resume under new guidelines. Gary Herbert will increase pandemic restrictions in two Utah cities as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the state. The county accounted for 42% of the state’s cases despite having only 20% of state’s population. Eric Holcomb’s statewide mask mandate and other coronavirus restrictions poses a possible disruption to his reelection campaign. But the real toll is thought to be much higher, in part because many COVID-19 deaths were probably ascribed to other causes, especially early on, before widespread testing.

It’s the first time for South Korea’s daily jump to fall to double digits since Aug. 13. But even before Sunday, South Korea’s daily virus tally had been staying in the 100s for more than two weeks, after it once surpassed 400 in late August. Like other countries in Europe, the number of virus cases has spiked in recent days in Romania. ___TEL AVIV, Israel — Dozens of Israelis held a beach demonstration against a new lockdown prompted by a surge in coronavirus cases. ___NEW DELHI —India has maintained its surge in coronavirus cases, adding 93,337 new confirmed infections in the past 24 hours.

India's coronavirus cases jumped by another 96,424 in the past 24 hours, showing little sign of leveling. The announcement came as the university reported 130 newly confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 671 cases since classes began about a month ago. Little says Idaho residents have done well in their precautions, such as wearing face coverings, but virus infections have continued. John Hopkins University says that through Thursday, Idaho had more than 36,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 434 deaths. That tally raised the state’s rolling average number of daily new confirmed coronavirus cases to 726, more than double 381 just one week ago.

Utah has been experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases - but not around the densely populated capital city, where cases are dropping nearly a month after Salt Lake County instituted a mask mandate. Today were sharing data that indicates that face coverings and other interventions implemented by Salt Lake County are having a positive impact, county Mayor Jenny Wilson said. These actions are saving lives, protecting health and stabilizing the spread of COVID-19 cases.Based on data in Salt Lake County, Wilson called on the governor to order a statewide mask requirement. The number of new cases reported daily in Salt Lake County is nearly down to levels seen in June. The county used to consistently report 60% of the states cases, but now typically sees about 40% of those cases, Wilson said.

Trump's persistent salesmanship about the prowess of testing in the United States is colliding with a far different reality for those affected by the explosion in coronavirus cases. We have the best testing in the world, the president insisted Tuesday. 'Whoever is responsible for testing shortfalls, the result is working against Trump's own goals to move beyond the virus and get the economy moving. In Pennsylvanias Allegheny County, which encompasses Pittsburgh and 1.2 million residents, health officials are trying to triage the demand for tests. This week U.S. health officials announced they would begin shipping rapid testing machines and kits to nursing homes in COVID-19 hot spots.

Trump's persistent salesmanship about the prowess of testing in the United States is colliding with a far different reality for those affected by the explosion in coronavirus cases. We have the best testing in the world, the president insisted Tuesday. 'Whoever is responsible for testing shortfalls, the result is working against Trump's own goals to move beyond the virus and get the economy moving. In Pennsylvanias Allegheny County, which encompasses Pittsburgh and 1.2 million residents, health officials are trying to triage the demand for tests. This week U.S. health officials announced they would begin shipping rapid testing machines and kits to nursing homes in COVID-19 hot spots.

Angry residents react when the Utah County Commission meeting was adjourned before it even started, Wednesday, July 15, 2020, in Provo, Utah. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)SALT LAKE CITY People crowding into a public meeting in Utah to push for an exception to mask requirements in schools was rather foolish" and reflects an almost mob mentality, Republican Gov. Herbert spoke the day after local officials in Utah County abruptly canceled the meeting because the crowd did not follow social-distancing guidelines meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The county commissioners had planned to vote on whether or not to ask for a partial exemption from Herbert's statewide mask mandate for schools. Video footage showed the meeting was packed with people who opposed the mandate, very few of whom were wearing masks.

Here is a look at what several school districts are planning and discussing. -NEW DANCELike many schools, the Forth Worth Independent School District in Texas will give parents a choice between in-person and remote learning. Among the considerations: Plexiglas separators for multi-student desks, separating individual desks and even using gyms, cafeterias and auditoriums as spaces distancing students. The district is working off a plan it devised with local health officials and is modeled after the Nashville district's plan, he said. -MOVING TARGETIts an ever-moving target, Superintendent Chris Knutsen said about the reopening framework for the Florence Unified School District, southeast of Phoenix.

When we have people dying in this state as a result of this virus, we should be taking personal responsibility for this, the Republican governor said. Elevating a message of personal responsibility over statewide crackdowns on businesses and requirements for people in public spaces has been a consistent approach among certain governors during the coronavirus crisis. She has consistently invoked personal responsibility as a key strategy in combating the virus. The personal responsibility ethos has been GOP orthodoxy for decades, often used to justify smaller government and promote individualism. In the current climate, personal responsibility is being used to encourage wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding large crowds without making those steps mandatory.

With reported coronavirus cases rising rapidly in many states, governors are getting lots of advice on what they should do. Dr. Brian Labus, an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Public Health and a member of the medical team advising Sisolak, said he knows the governor has to weigh public health advice against political and economic considerations. The number of confirmed new coronavirus cases per day in the U.S. hit an all-time high of 40,000 Friday. In Utah, coronavirus cases have been surging since most businesses were allowed to reopen in May. As West Virginia has seen a spike in reported virus cases, Gov.

(Guido Kirchner/dpa via AP)BERLIN A German meat company says it plans to perform daily coronavirus tests on all 5,000 workers involved in the production process amid concerns about a series of outbreaks at slaughterhouses in the country. Westfleisch, one of Germanys biggest meat processing companies, said Friday that it is already conducting weekly tests on the workers but from next week wants to perform them daily. Westfleisch suffered a COVID-19 outbreak involving hundreds of workers at its plant in the western town of Coesfeld in May, but that has since passed. ___PHOENIX An Arizona nightclub faces a misdemeanor charge for alleged failure to enforce its own social distancing polices as the number of COVID-19 cases continued rising. The state Department of Health Services reported 3,056 additional COVID-19 cases Thursday, the fourth day in a week in which the state had daily increases over 3,000.

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)AUSTIN, Texas Utah and Oregon put any further reopenings of their economies on hold amid a spike in coronavirus cases, but there was no turning back Friday in such states as Texas, California, Arkansas and Arizona despite flashing warning signs there, too. So far, only a small number of governors have shown a willingness to retreat, or at least hit pause. As I've said before, reopening comes with real risk, Brown said in announcing a one-week pause that will affect, among other places, Portland, the state's biggest city. California Gov. Associated Press writers Andrew Selsky in Salem, Ore.; Kimberly Chandler in Montgomery, Ala.; and Bob Christie in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Jon Huntsman, Jr., speaks during the Utah Gubernatorial Republican Primary Debate in Salt Lake City. He stepped down as U.S. ambassador to Russia under Donald Trump to return to Utah and make a run and reclaiming his seat. Now, it's showcasing conservative fault lines over the coronavirus crisis response and what recovery looks like. Hes still deciding between Huntsman and Cox, but has so far been impressed with the states handling of the coronavirus crisis. You keep hearing over and over that Utah wasn't locked down, Utah is doing so great, he said.

Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. ___PORTLAND, Ore. Police in Portland deployed tear gas to disperse a large crowd downtown late Sunday night after authorities said projectiles were thrown at officers. Thousands of people marched throughout Oregons largest city on Sunday, the third day of George Floyd protests in Portland. Unlike Dallas, where police made dozens of arrests to enforce a downtown curfew, Austin doesnt have a curfew and demonstrators have been roaming downtown from the police station to the state Capitol several blocks away for nearly 10 hours. The demonstration over the death of George Floyd came after turbulent protests that led to the arrest of 83 people Saturday night.

In this Sunday, March 22, 2020 photo, hundreds of people gather to welcome missionaries returning home from the Philippines at the Salt Lake City International Airport. While Utah residents welcoming returning missionaries are an airport tradition, officials this time asked for only one or two family members of each returning missionary to come and to stay in their cars — guidance that wasn't followed by many people, said airport spokeswoman Nancy Volmer. “What occurred Sunday afternoon at the Salt Lake airport causes us deep concern with missionaries and their families disregarding important instructions regarding self-isolation and congregating at airports,” the letter said. Airport staff will direct the missionaries to the designated spot while airport security will ensure compliance. The city rules were agreed to by the city, church and the airport.

Conversion therapy is a practice used to try to change peoples’ sexual orientation or gender identity. The Utah rule proposal is set to go to a 30-day public comment period beginning Dec. 15 and take effect as soon as Jan. 22, Herbert said. The success in getting the church’s crucial support for the regulatory rule generated praise from LGBTQ advocates and conversion therapy survivors who had expressed frustration with the yearslong battle in Utah to ban conversion therapy. “It means youth will be getting adequate services that will help them rather than harm them,” said Nathan Dalley, 20, who had conversion therapy when he was 16. Church government affairs director Marty Stephens reiterated in the governor’s news release that the faith denounces conversion therapy and wants a ban.

During an appearance in southern Utah, Huntsman responded to speculation about his unusual political pivot by saying he would serve out a full term rather than leave if offered another national job. After two years, Huntsman left Russia amid heavy speculation about a potential gubernatorial run. Republican state Sen. Todd Weiler said Huntsman is going to have to convince voters that Utah isn’t an “overlooked girlfriend” or a platform between more high-profile roles. Herbert has served as governor since Huntsman left for China but is not running again in 2020. Other Republicans who have already declared include Utah County businessman Jeff Burningham and Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton.

"Our state was founded by religious refugees fleeing persecution in the Eastern United States. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, also sent Trump a letter last month, noting that his state would welcome any refugees rejected by other states. The Utah governor notes that the number of refugees resettled in Utah "has dropped for the past two years and is on track to decrease more this year." More than 1,500 refugees resettled in Utah in 2016, according to state statistics. So far this fiscal year, which began on October 1, no refugees have been resettled in the United States.

Utah Highway Patrol(CNN) - The four Chinese tourists killed in a bus crash in southern Utah have been identified, the Utah Highway Patrol said on Twitter. "They (the bus crash victims) told me they never expected this kind of accident and they just don't know what to do or how to react," Chang said. "We are saddened to hear about the accident in Utah involving a bus carrying Chinese tourists. The wreck was about 7 miles northwest of the entrance of the Bryce Canyon National Park. It connects a number of national and state parks, including Bryce Canyon National Park and Red Canyon on the Dixie National Forest.