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WASHINGTON -- The coronavirus crisis has sent U.S. unemployment surging to 14.7%, a level last seen when the country was in the throes of the Depression and President Franklin D. Roosevelt was assuring Americans that the only thing to fear was fear itself. And because of government errors and the particular way the Labor Department measures the job market, the true picture is even worse. By some calculations, the unemployment rate stands at 23.6%, not far from the Depression peak of nearly 25%. The Labor Department said Friday that 20.5 million jobs vanished in April in the worst monthly loss on record, triggered by the coast-to-coast shutdowns of factories, stores, offices and other businesses. "The jobs report from hell is here," said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, "one never seen before and unlikely to be seen again barring another pandemic or meteor hitting the Earth." On Wall Street, stocks pushed higher as investors reckoned that the worst of the job losses are over. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained more than 455 points, or close to 2%. Worldwide, the virus has infected at least 3.9 million people and killed over 270,000, including more than 76,000 in the U.S., according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University based on official data. The unemployment report indicated that the vast majority of those laid off in April -- roughly 75% -- consider their job loss temporary, a result of businesses that were forced to suddenly close but hope to reopen and recall their laid-off workers. The meltdown has occurred with startling speed. In February, unemployment was at a more than 50-year low of 3.5%, and the economy had added jobs every month for a record 9 1/2 years. In March, unemployment was 4.4%. "In just two months the unemployment rate has gone from the lowest rate in 50 years to the highest rate in almost 90 years," said Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial. Trump, who faces the prospect of high unemployment rates through the November elections, said the figures were "no surprise." "What I can do is I'll bring it back," he said. "Those jobs will all be back, and they'll be back very soon. And next year we'll have a phenomenal year."
Bison transfers planned
BILLINGS, Mont. -- Hundreds of wild bison would be transferred from federal lands to a South Dakota American Indian Reservation and a North Dakota national park as a first step in the latest initiative to restore the burly animals to Western U.S. lands that they once roamed by the millions. Up to 200 American bison, also known as buffalo, could be transferred to South Dakota's Rosebud Sioux Reservation this fall, according to tribal officials and Susan McCarthy with the World Wildlife Fund. An unspecified number of bison would be moved from Colorado's Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge to Theodore Roosevelt National Park within the next few months. Those animals would be studied to see how much they integrated with an existing herd at the park located in western North Dakota. The transfers are being coordinated with the U.S. Department of Interior. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Thursday announced a 10-year initiative to advance bison restoration efforts that have been slowed by worries about the animals spreading disease and opposition from some ranchers, who see bison as potential competition for grazing space. As many as 30 million to 60 million bison once roamed across most of North America, according to federal wildlife officials. Mass slaughters drove them to near extinction by the late 1800s, and today there are roughly 11,000 wild bison on public lands in 12 states.
No charges for family of driver, 5
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The family of a 5-year-old boy who drove the family car onto a Utah highway won't face criminal charges, authorities said Friday. His teenage sister was watching him while his parents worked, and he swiped the keys while she was asleep in hopes of traveling to California to buy a Lamborghini, officials said. Prosecutors reviewed the case, but didn't see any evidence of neglect, said Weber County Attorney Chris Allred. Adrian Zamarripa was pulled over Monday by a Utah Highway Patrol trooper who spotted the SUV swerving on Interstate 15 in Ogden at 32 mph. He thought the driver might need medical attention. The boy was sitting on the edge of his seat to reach the brake pedal. He told the trooper he was going to California to buy a Lamborghini, then showed the officer his wallet carrying $3 in cash.
Judge refuses to drop charges
A judge refused Friday to dismiss charges against actress Lori Loughlin, her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, and other prominent parents accused of cheating the college admissions process who argue they were entrapped by federal authorities. U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton rejected the defense's bid to toss the indictment over allegations of misconduct by FBI agents in the case that has rocked the world of higher education. The judge also denied their attempt to block prosecutors from presenting certain secretly recorded phone calls at trial. "The Court is satisfied that government's counsel has not lied to or attempted to mislead the Court or fabricated evidence," Gorton wrote in his ruling. Loughlin and Giannulli are scheduled to go on trial in October on charges that they paid $500,000 to get their daughters into the University of Southern California as crew recruits even though neither girl was a rower. They denied paying bribes and said they believed their payments were legitimate donations. They were among 50 people charged last year in the case dubbed "Operation Varsity Blues." Authorities said wealthy parents paid huge sums to secure students' admission at elite schools as fake athletic recruits or have someone cheat on their entrance exams.
Favre denies auditor's claim
MILWAUKEE -- Brett Favre on Friday disputed a Mississippi state auditor's report that said the Hall of Fame quarterback received $1.1 million in welfare money for multiple speaking engagements that he didn't actually attend. Favre told ESPN Wisconsin's "Wilde & Tausch" radio show he instead was being paid for his role in radio public service announcements and advertisements that ran for a few years in Mississippi. Favre reiterated that he is paying back the money. "I did ads that ran for three years, was paid for it, no different than any other time that I've done endorsements for other people, and I went about my way," Favre said. "For (the auditor) to say I took $1.1 million and didn't show up for speaking engagements is absolutely, 100% not true.'' An audit released Monday said Favre Enterprises received $500,000 in December 2017 and $600,000 in June 2018 from the Mississippi Community Education Center, a nonprofit group whose former leader has been indicted in an alleged welfare embezzlement scheme. According to the auditor's report, Favre was supposed to make speeches for at least three events but "upon a cursory review of those dates, auditors were able to determine that the individual contracted did not speak nor was he present for those events." Favre emphasized Friday the money had nothing to do with scheduled speaking engagements and that he has "never no-showed anybody." "That's not me," Favre said. "I mean, I would certainly never do anything like that.''
Wall Street rises again
Wall Street doubled down on its bet that the worst of the recession has passed, sending stocks higher again on Friday despite another historic, crushing report on the job market. Stocks around the world were already rising before the U.S. government gave its monthly report on jobs, in part on hopes that the U.S. and China won't restart their trade war. After the report showed employers cut a record-busting 20.5 million jobs last month, the gains actually accelerated. Instead of looking backward at last month's job losses, some investors focused instead on the prospect of growth resuming later this year. They bought stocks of retailers that laid out plans to reopen in coming weeks, energy companies that would benefit as people start driving again and banks that may skirt the worst-case avalanche of loan defaults. The S&P 500 rose 48.61, or 1.7%, to 2,929.80 for its fourth gain in the last five days, and it closed out its first winning week in the last three. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 455.43, or 1.9%, to 24,331.32, and the Nasdaq composite rose 141.66, or 1.6%, to 9,121.32.
CBS announces 3 new shows
NEW YORK -- Queen Latifah, Rebecca Breeds and Thomas Middleditch are set to star in three new CBS shows for the 2020-21 season as the network adds a reimagined "Equalizer," a show based on "The Silence of the Lambs" and a comedy about organ donation. Queen Latifah steps into the role of a retired special-ops agent who fiercely believes in justice in "Equalizer," playing a character previously portrayed on TV and film by Edward Woodward and Denzel Washington. Breeds, of "Pretty Little Liars" fame, will play FBI Agent Clarice Starling in "Clarice" as she returns to the field in 1993, six months after the events of "The Silence of the Lambs." Chris Noth and Lorraine Toussaint also star. Middleditch of "Silicon Valley" teams up with Broadway veteran Annaleigh Ashford from "Masters of Sex" for the comedy "B Positive," by creators Chuck Lorre and Marco Pennette. The show is about a newly divorced dad who finds a kidney donor in a woman from his past. Earlier this week, CBS announced the return of 23 series, including the "NCIS" family, "Young Sheldon," "All Rise," "Blue Bloods," "Bull," Magnum P.I.," "The Neighborhood," "The Unicorn," "Bob Hearts Abishola" and "Evil." CBS is dropping some big-name stars and their shows: the Edie Falco drama "Tommy" and sitcoms "Carol's Second Act" with Patricia Heaton, "Man with a Plan" starring Matt LeBlanc and "Broke" with Pauley Perrette. Previously canceled shows include "God Friended Me," "Hawaii Five-0" and "Criminal Minds."
Cruz gets haircut at salon
DALLAS -- Republican Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday got his hair cut at a Dallas salon that became a rallying cry for conservative protests against coronavirus lockdown orders in Texas after the owner refused to shut down and ultimately went to jail. Cruz, who spent two weeks in self-isolation in March after saying he came into contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, said he flew up from Houston to get his first haircut in three months at Salon ' la Mode. He did so one day after its owner, Shelley Luther, walked out of jail after a court ordered her released. Friday was the first day barbershops and hair salons could reopen in Texas. Luther spent less than 48 hours behind bars after a Dallas judge sentenced her to a week in jail for defying Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's emergency orders that did not allow hair salons to reopen yet. Abbott had said violators of his coronavirus orders could face up to 180 days in jail, but he rushed to Luther's defense Thursday and stripped his order of jail as a possible punishment for flouting the virus restrictions. Cruz called Luther's punishment "ridiculous" but sidestepped questions about what might have been an appropriate penalty for her for violating an order, The Dallas Morning News reported. The judge only sent her to jail after she refused to apologize for disobeying the order and said she would continue to do so. President Donald Trump also came to Luther's defense Friday on "Fox & Friends" and called her "an incredible representative for a large group of people that want to do the same thing." Abbott said that people who had "spent their life building up a business" should not be put behind bars. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted Friday that Abbott's actions were "hypocritical" for criticizing local officials who enforced the governor's own order.
Cruise crews beg to go home
MIAMI -- Carolina Vasquez lost track of days and nights, unable to see the sunlight while stuck for two weeks in a windowless cruise ship cabin as a fever took hold of her body. On the worst night of her encounter with COVID-19, the Chilean woman, a line cook on the Greg Mortimer ship, summoned the strength to take a cold shower fearing the worst: losing consciousness while isolated from others. Vasquez, 36, and tens of thousands of other crew members have been trapped for weeks aboard dozens of cruise ships around the world -- long after governments and cruise lines negotiated their passengers' disembarkation. Some have gotten ill and died; others have survived but are no longer getting paid. Both national and local governments have stopped crews from disembarking in order to prevent new cases of COVID-19 in their territories. Some of the ships, including 20 in U.S. waters, have seen infections and deaths among the crew. But most ships have had no confirmed cases.
Jet hits and kills man on runway
AUSTIN, Texas -- A man was struck and killed by a commercial jet landing on a runaway at an Austin, Texas, airport. The pilot of Southwest Airlines Flight 1392, a Boeing 737 arriving from Dallas, reported seeing a person on Runway 17R at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport shortly after the jet touched down at 8:12 p.m. Thursday. The FAA said the driver of an airport operations vehicle later found the body on the runway. Airport spokesman Bryce Dubee said the man was not authorized to be on the runway at the time, but officials have not released his identity or said whether he was an airport employee. The airport opened in 1999. The facility has had a handful of security breaches, but this was the first runway "incursion" by an unauthorized person, Dubee said. In April 2018, a man fleeing from police ditched his car and hopped the fence around the airport perimeter before he was caught.
Ex-NBAer accused of shooting at 2
TYRONE, Ga. -- Former NBA player Shannon Brown faces charges in suburban Atlanta after he was accused of firing a rifle at two people who were looking at homes for sale. Brown, 34, was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault stemming from an incident May 2 at his home in Tyrone, Georgia. He is free after he posted bond on Monday. The former Los Angeles Lakers guard and two-time NBA champion told police he thought the couple was trying to break into his home. The couple told police they were in the area looking for homes and noticed a "for sale" sign in front of Brown's home. They told investigators the front door was open and they entered after yelling out their intentions to tour the home. "They stated that they heard a voice acknowledge them and once inside, at some point, Mr. Brown came from upstairs with a rifle and detained them," said Lt. Philip Nelson. "Shortly thereafter he let them go and they stated he fired his rifle towards them as they were leaving." No one was injured, Nelson said. Investigators who responded found one empty shell casing at the scene. Brown's home in Fayette County is listed for sale, police said. Brown, who shares a daughter with ex-wife R&B singer Monica, played for several other NBA teams and currently plays in Ice Cube's Big3 league, which features three-on-three teams.
Northern border crossings rise
SWANTON, Vt. -- The number of people apprehended for illegally crossing from Canada into the United States along its northern border has nearly tripled over the past three years, and a growing portion are MexicAan citizens, according to federal data. One Mexican man who crossed illegally to work on a Vermont dairy farm said it was easier than trying the southern border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics obtained by The Associated Press after a public records request provide new detail on what was apparent anecdotally: Along the border from Maine to Washington, 446 of the 1,586 illegal crossers apprehended in the 2019 fiscal year were Mexican, or 28%. That's up from 20 of 558, or just 3.6%, in 2016. The numbers also increased for Romanians -- many identified as ethnic Roma -- and other nationalities, such as Haitians and Indians. Those tallies don't include apprehensions for reasons other than illegal crossings, such as overstaying visas.
2 shot at cemetery, suspect dead
BEAR, Del. -- A suspect in the shooting of two people at a veterans cemetery in Delaware was found dead after exchanging gunfire with police, authorities said Friday. It was not immediately clear whether the suspect was killed by police, although authorities said the body was found in a wooded area where the shootout took place. Troopers were dispatched to Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in New Castle County on Friday morning and found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds, police said. Authorities did not immediately release details about the initial shooting, including the ages of the victims or their conditions. After a shootout with officers, the suspect fled into nearby woods, said Senior Corporal Heather Pepper, a state police spokeswoman. Authorities used a reverse 911 system to warn area residents that there was an active shooter and that they should shelter in place. Some of the residents were evacuated as officers hunted for the suspect. Kelly Persons, who was sheltering inside her home with her husband and 16-month-old daughter, said she heard a series of three rounds of gunfire around noon, lasting over a span of about 15 minutes. "There was quite a few gunshots each time," Persons said.
WHO: Markets shouldn't be closed
LONDON -- The World Health Organization said Friday that although a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan selling live animals likely played a significant role in the emergence of the new coronavirus, it does not recommend that such markets be shut down globally. In a press briefing, WHO food safety and animal diseases expert Peter Ben Embarek said live animal markets are critical to providing food and livelihoods for millions of people globally and that authorities should focus on improving them rather than outlawing them -- even though they can sometimes spark epidemics in humans. "Food safety in these environments is rather difficult and therefore it's not surprising that sometimes we also have these events happening within markets," Ben Embarek said. He said reducing the risk of disease transmission from animals to humans in these often overcrowded markets could be addressed in many cases by improving hygiene and food safety standards, including separating live animals from humans. He added that it is still unclear whether the market in Wuhan linked to the first several dozens of coronavirus cases in China was the actual source of the virus or merely played a role in spreading the disease further.