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Suborbital space tourism finally arrives | FCC prepares to run public C-band auction | The big four in the U.S. launch industry — United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman — hope to be one of two providers that will receive five-year contracts later this year to launch national security payloads starting in 2022. | China’s launch rate stays high | The International Space Station is the largest ever crewed object in space.

 
In DC, only select restaurants and bars...
D.C. is attempting to clear up any confusion among bars and restaurants wondering if they’re permitted to start serving patrons outdoors. Starting Friday, only establishments with preapproved use of outdoor space, such as patios and rooftops, can reopen them, Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio told WTOP. But Falcicchio said the city will release a plan on the first day of reopening — Friday — for other places to apply for approval to use public space. “It’s a process by which...

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Chinese lawmakers endorse Hong Kong national security...
BEIJING (AP) — China’s legislature endorsed a national security law for Hong Kong on Thursday that has strained relations with the United States and Britain and prompted new protests in the territory. The National People’s Congress approved the bill as it wrapped up an annual session that was held under intensive anti-coronavirus controls. The vote was 2,878-1 with six abstentions, in line with the high-profile but largely ceremonial body’s custom of near-unanimous support for all legal changes decided by...

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Police arrest 26 people in UK truck...
BRUSSELS (AP) — Police in Belgium and France on Wednesday announced the arrests of 26 people suspected of human trafficking in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found in a refrigerated truck in Britain last year. Judicial authorities said a series of early morning raids took place simultaneously in Belgium and France on Tuesday as part of two legal investigations. One inquiry was launched following the investigation into the deaths of the 39 migrants found in October...

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The Latest: South Korea reports spike in...
The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. TOP OF THE HOUR: — South Korea reports 40 new virus cases, biggest jump in nearly 50 days. — Mexico reports more than 500 virus deaths in a day for 1st time. — President Trump tells Americans to “always be safe” as country...

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Players call MLB economic proposal `extremely disappointing’
NEW YORK (AP) — A rookie at the major league minimum would keep about 47% of his original salary this year while multimillionaire stars Mike Trout and Gerrit Cole would lose more than 77% under a sliding-scale proposal by big league teams that players found “extremely disappointing.” Major League Baseball made the proposal to the players’ union on Tuesday during a digital meeting rather than the 50-50 revenue-sharing plan that owners initially approved for their negotiators on May 11,...

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Georgia gov offers state as GOP convention...
WASHINGTON (AP) — Georgia’s governor is offering his state and its “world-class facilities” as the host of the Republican National Convention — a day after President Donald Trump threatened to pull the convention out of North Carolina if that state’s Democratic governor didn’t assure Trump that the August gathering can go forward despite coronavirus fears. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, sent an open plea to Trump on Tuesday to consider his state as an alternate site for the...

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Arlington County holds free COVID-19 testing Tuesday
Arlington County, Virginia, is holding a free COVID-19 testing Tuesday. It will be at the Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center at 4200 S Four Mile Run Drive from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. “Hosting testing in this location is a conscious effort to concentrate resources in an area easily reachable to those residents who may not otherwise be able to access testing and information,” said Dr. Reuben Varghese, Arlington County public health director, in a statement. The testing is...

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Biden makes 1st in-person appearance in more...
NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) — Joe Biden made his first in-person appearance in more than two months on Monday as he marked Memorial Day by laying a wreath at a veterans park near his Delaware home. Since abruptly canceling a March 10 rally in Cleveland at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has waged much of his campaign from his home in Wilmington. When Biden emerged on Monday, he wore a face mask, in...

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Northern Virginia could enter Phase 1 of...
Northern Virginia could transition to Phase One of reopening later this week, joining the rest of the state in easing coronavirus restrictions. In a letter to Gov. Ralph Northam, regional officials said their jurisdictions have met four of the critical benchmarks for moving to Phase One. These include a decrease in the percentage of positive tests over 14 days, a decrease in hospitalizations, increased testing, and adequate hospital beds and intensive care capacity. The two criteria that have not...

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Md. Dems plan celebrity-studded virtual rally, week...
Former vice president Joe Biden with Benjamin T. Jealous, the Democratic nominee for governor, at a Democratic reception in Baltimore in 2018. File photo. (Courtesy Maryland Matters) This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today. With the Maryland primary quickly approaching and Democratic leaders casting about for ways to engage voters in the months leading up to the November election, the Maryland Democratic Party and...

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Branson’s Virgin Orbit fails on first rocket...
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit failed Monday in its first test launch of a new rocket carried aloft by a Boeing 747 and released over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California. The inaugural launch had appeared to be going well until moments after the rocket was dropped from beneath the left wing of the jumbo jet dubbed Cosmic Girl. “We’ve confirmed a clean release from the aircraft. However, the mission terminated shortly into...

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The Latest: South Korea sending masks to...
The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. TOP OF THE HOUR: — South Korea sends masks to adoptees abroad. — Outdoor service restarts at bars in Spain’s biggest cities. — Syria reports 20 new cases, the largest number in a day since the outbreak began. — Outbreak linked to Dutch...

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Trump doubles up with Maryland, Virginia Memorial...
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump booked back-to-back Memorial Day appearances despite the coronavirus pandemic, at Arlington National Cemetery and at a historic fort in Baltimore. Trump recently called Baltimore a “rat and rodent infested mess,” and its mayor has suggested Trump stay home. Presidents typically honor fallen military members by laying a wreath and delivering a speech at the hallowed burial ground in Virginia. But the pandemic, which is expected to claim its 100,000th American this week, has...

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The Latest: Japan set to end Tokyo’s...
The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. TOP OF THE HOUR: — Japan set to remove state of emergency from Tokyo, 4 other prefectures. — Millions of children in Australia return to schools. — White House announces a ban on travel to the U.S. from Brazil due to the spread...

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Woods, Manning win a TV charity match...
Tom Brady delivered the shot of the match that made it easy to forget the rest of his swings. Tiger Woods didn’t miss a fairway and earned a small measure of revenge against Phil Mickelson. The PGA Tour is set to return in just over two weeks, and it has a tough act to follow. In the second and final charity match that brought live golf to TV, this exhibition was as entertaining as the real thing. Woods lagged...

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