Police use anti-KKK law to arrest people protesting neo-Nazis

Police in South Florida on Saturday arrested a woman who claimed her 9-year-old autistic son, who was found dead in a pond a day earlier, was kidnapped from her van, authorities said. >> Amber Alert canceled after abducted 9-year-old boy found dead in Florida, police say Patricia Ripley, 47, was booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail at 2:47 a.m. Saturday, according to jail records. She was charged with first-degree murder in the death of her son, Alejandro Ripley, the Miami Herald reported. Alejandro Ripley was found dead Friday in a pond at the Miccosukee Golf & Country Club in western Miami-Dade County, the newspaper reported. The boy was last seen around 8:47 p.m. Thursday in Miami-Dade County, the Sun-Sentinel reported. According to investigators, Ripley claimed her son, who was autistic and nonverbal, was abducted by two men driving a light blue, four-door sedan, the newspaper reported. Ripley also told police the two men had cut her off while she was driving, forcing her to the side of the road, the Sun-Sentinel reported. Ripley said the men had demanded drugs, and when she said she di not have any they took her cellphone and her son, the newspaper reported. An Amber Alert for the boy was issued late Thursday but was canceled after Alejandro Ripley’s body was found around 7:50 a.m. Friday, WFTV reported. According to WPLG-TV, detectives became suspicious after watching surveillance video at a Home Depot in Miami-Dade County. The video showed Patricia Ripley waiting in her parked car for 15 minutes before reporting that her son was missing, the television station reported. Miami-Dade homicide detectives interviewed Ripley for several hours before arresting her, the Herald reported.

Lady Gaga stormed through her latest single, “Rain On Me,” with some help from Ariana Grande. The catchy song, released Friday morning, is the second to be released off Gaga’s upcoming “Chromatica” album. Gaga previously premiered “Stupid Love,” CNN reported. “Sine From Above,” from the same album, features Elton John. Gaga also released a music video of the song Friday afternoon. In the video, the two singers take a trip to a faraway, futuristic land and dance with their respective crews, Variety reported. The skies open with rain, although Gaga later has to deal with knives falling from the skies. “I’d rather be dry but at least I’m alive,” Gaga and Grande sing in the second chorus. Gaga and Grande are dressed in plastic and leather and dance in a rainstorm against a futuristic backdrop. The video ends with both singers hugging. “Chromatica” was initially scheduled for an April 10 release but Gaga announced in March she was postponing its debut because of the coronavirus pandemic, CNN reported. The album will be released May 29 on Interscope Records.

More than 5.2 million people worldwide -- including more than 1.6 million in the United States – have been infected with the new coronavirus, and the number of deaths from the outbreak continues to rise. While efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak continue, states have begun to shift their focus toward reopening their economies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking cases in the U.S. here. Live updates for Saturday, May 23, continue below:  Spain’s prime minister says soccer league will resume June 8 Update 8:40 a.m. EDT May 23: Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain, said the country’s soccer league will resume play June 8, according to The Associated Press. Global deaths near 339K, total cases soar past 5.2M Update 7:55 a.m. EDT May 23: The global death toll attributed to the novel coronavirus reached 338,612 early Friday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. In the four months since the virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, it has infected at least 5,235,452 people worldwide. Meanwhile, 12 nations now have total infection counts higher than China’s 84,081.  The 10 nations with the highest number of infections recorded to date are as follows: • The United States has reported 1,601,434 cases, resulting in 96,007 deaths. • Russia has confirmed 335,682 cases, resulting in 3,249 deaths. • Brazil has recorded 330,890 cases, resulting in 20,047 deaths. • The United Kingdom has reported 255,544 cases, resulting in 36,124 deaths. • Spain has confirmed 234,824 cases, resulting in 27,940 deaths. • Italy has reported 228,658 cases, resulting in 32,486 deaths. • France has confirmed 182,015 cases, resulting in 28,218 deaths. • Germany has reported 179,0730 cases, resulting in 8,212 deaths. • Turkey has recorded 154,500 cases, resulting in 4,249 deaths • Iran has recorded 133,521 cases, resulting in 7,359 deaths. FDA warns groups to stop pushing fake vaccines, CBD oil to fight COVID-19 Update 7:25 a.m. EDT May 23: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission have placed two groups on notice for selling fraudulent products to fight the novel coronavirus. Both Apollo Holding LLC and North Coast Biologics received warning letters Thursday for their virus-related products, CNN reported. According to the letters, Apollo Holding was selling “NoronaPak” products, including “cannabidiol (CBD),” derived from the cannabis plant, according to one of the warning letters. The federal agencies chastised the company for marketing the products as “intended to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19 in people” because the drugs do not carry federal approval and have been sold in violation of federal law. Meanwhile, the letters state North Coast Biologics was offering an “nCoV19 spike protein vaccine” and that someone associated with the program bragged about the unverified vaccine in a March 21 Facebook post, saying “Just vaccinated 12 people in west Seattle tonight . . . 12 more to vaccinate in Burien . . . off to Anchorage and PHX next.” Brazil surpasses Russia for 2nd-highest coronavirus cases worldwide, trails only US Update 5:27 a.m. EDT May 23: The COVID-19 infection count in Brazil surpassed that of Russia early Saturday, meaning the nation has now confirmed the second-highest number of novel coronavirus cases worldwide. According to a Johns Hopkins University tally, Brazil has reported a total of 330,890 cases, resulting in 21,048 deaths, and the South American country’s pace of new infections continues to increase. Health officials confirmed Friday that 20,803 new cases had been confirmed in the prior 24 hours. The latest figures drop Russia’s 326,446 cases to third-most globally, but the United States’ more than 1.6 million coronavirus cases are nearly five times higher than Brazil’s. US hairstylist who exposed 91 people to coronavirus highlights reality of community spread Update 5:05 a.m. EDT May 23: A hairstylist who exposed as many as 91 customers and coworkers to the novel coronavirus has emerged as the poster child for the threat of community spread, Missouri health officials said. Clay Goddard, director of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, told CNN the stylist worked for eight days in May while symptomatic, exposing 84 clients and seven Great Clips colleagues to the virus. “The individual and their clients were wearing face coverings. The 84 clients potentially directly exposed will be notified by the Health Department and be offered testing, as will seven coworkers,” the Springfield-Greene County Health Department said in a statement. “It is the hope of the department that because face coverings were worn throughout this exposure timeline, no additional cases will result.” Weight Watchers executes mass firing via Zoom, cites coronavirus for restructuring Update 4:15 a.m. EDT May 23: WW International, the company formerly known as Weight Watchers, fired an undisclosed number of employees one week ago during simultaneous Zoom calls across the country, multiple media outlets reported. Not only did the move shock many longtime staffers who believed they were simply participating in a standard company Zoom meeting, but the health and wellness company declined to confirm the exact number of its roughly 17,000 mostly part-time employees let go, The New York Times reported. Company representatives attributed the restructuring in part to the novel coronavirus and in part to a shifting digital strategy. “This is supposed to be a caring, wellness corporation,” Joanne Patten of Houston, a part-time WW employee for 11 years, told the newspaper adding, “The way they did it, it was just heartless.” Numerous governors moving cautiously to reopen places of worship, despite Trump’s demands Update 2:25 a.m. EDT May 23: Several governors responded late Friday to President Donald Trump’s threat earlier in the day to override state leaders who do not allow places of worship to reopen amid the lingering novel coronavirus. Asked about the president’s declaration, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam told CNN he stands by his state’s policy of allowing services with 50% capacity, while a spokesman told the network Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan supports reopening churches and has no plans to force local county officials to enforce a recent 50% capacity order. Meanwhile, David Postman, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s chief of staff, told The New York Times, “We don’t believe the president has the ability to dictate what states can and cannot open.” Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo said her state continues to work toward resuming worship services on May 30 but not before protective social-distancing measures can be enacted. “We’re not ready. Honestly, that would be reckless,” Raimondo said during a news conference. US coronavirus cases top 1.6M, deaths surpass 96K Published 12:23 a.m. EDT May 23: The number of novel coronavirus cases in the United States surged past 1.6 million early Saturday across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to a Johns Hopkins University tally, there are at least 1,601,251 confirmed U.S. cases of the virus, which have resulted in at least 96,001 deaths.  The hardest-hit states remain New York with 358,154 cases and 28,853 deaths and New Jersey with 152,579 cases and 10,985 deaths. Massachusetts, with 90,889 cases, has the third-highest number of deaths with 6,228, while Illinois has the third-highest number of cases with 105,444. Only 16 states and territories have confirmed fewer than 5,000 cases each. Seven other states have now confirmed at least 41,000 novel coronavirus cases each, including: • California: 90,454 cases, resulting in 3,667 deaths • Pennsylvania: 70,211 cases, resulting in 5,010 deaths • Michigan: 53,913 cases, resulting in 5,158 deaths • Texas: 53,539 cases, resulting in 1,470 deaths • Florida: 49,451 cases, resulting in 2,190 deaths • Maryland: 44,424 cases, resulting in 2,207 deaths • Georgia: 41,482 cases, resulting in 1,808 deaths Meanwhile, Connecticut, Louisiana, Virginia, Ohio and Indiana each has confirmed at least 30,000 cases; Colorado and North Carolina each has confirmed at least 22,000 cases; Tennessee, Washington and Minnesota each has confirmed at least 19,000 cases; Iowa, Arizona and Wisconsin each has confirmed at least 14,000 cases; Rhode Island and Alabama each has confirmed at least 13,000 cases, followed by Mississippi with 12,625; Missouri and Nebraska each has confirmed at least 11,000 cases, followed by South Carolina with 9,638; Kansas, Delaware, Kentucky and Utah each has confirmed at least 8,000 cases; the District of Columbia and Nevada each has confirmed at least 7,000 cases, followed by New Mexico with 6,625; Oklahoma and Arkansas each has confirmed at least 5,000 cases. Click here to see CNN’s state-by-state breakdown.

Bed Bath & Beyond announced Friday it plans to reopen 600 stores across the United States and Canada beginning next month and recall as many as 11,000 workers furloughed by the novel coronavirus by June 13. According to a news release, the home goods retailer estimates about half its shuttered stores could be reopened by June 13, with plans to roll out contactless, curbside pickup to an additional 600 locations. “Our financial flexibility allows us to take this patient, market-by-market approach, while we invest in rebuilding our business and introducing new services for our loyal customers,” President and CEO Mark Tritton said in the release. According to MarketWatch, the company had 1,500 stores across the United States and Canada as of February, employing about 55,000 workers. The reopenings will affect 500 brick-and-mortar Bed Bath & Beyond locations as well as about 50 Christmas Tree Shops and 50 Cost Plus World Market locations. 'Our homes have become even more central to our lives during this crisis, yet we know that for many people that sense of home has been affected by the health and economic impacts of COVID-19,” Tritton said in the release. “We’re doing what we can to bring home everywhere, creating comfort and providing essential support to communities suffering in the face of this pandemic,” he added.

WW International, the company formerly known as Weight Watchers, fired an undisclosed number of employees one week ago during simultaneous Zoom calls across the country, multiple media outlets reported. Not only did the move shock many longtime staffers who believed they were simply participating in a standard company Zoom meeting, but the health and wellness company declined to confirm the exact number of its roughly 17,000 mostly part-time employees let go, The New York Times reported. Company representatives attributed the restructuring in part to the novel coronavirus and in part to a shifting digital strategy. “This is supposed to be a caring, wellness corporation,” Joanne Patten of Houston, a part-time WW employee for 11 years, told the newspaper adding, “The way they did it, it was just heartless.” The saga began eight days ago when an anonymous post on TheLayoff.com claimed thousands of WW staffers had been laid off. In a statement to Fox Business, the company thanked all dispatched employees for “their efforts on behalf of our members during their years of service.” “As the COVID-19 crisis has forced the closure of our physical studios around the world, we have had to make some difficult decisions that have directly impacted the lives of some of our valued team members,” the statement said. Nick Hotchkin, WW’s chief financial officer, told the Times that laid-off workers were encouraged to contact their managers for follow-up after the video meetings, which were conducted on Zoom for efficiency. “It wasn’t practical to have all of the conversations be one-on-one,” Hotchkin told the newspaper. The restructuring, he said, began in late April when WW announced plans to trim $100 million in costs because of the financial squeeze caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Last week’s cuts, along with potential permanent closures of some locations, represent the execution of those plans, he said. “Even as we start a phased reopening of some of our locations, we know our business will continue to be impacted by this crisis. That was the context in which we decided to restructure our studio business and make substantial changes to our corporate structure and workforce,” Hotchkin told the Times. Founded by Queens, New York, housewife Jean Nidetch in 1963, Weight Watchers’ “points” system has helped millions of people lose weight. The company broadened its focus to general wellness in recent years under CEO Mindy Grossman, appointed after media mogul Oprah Winfrey paid $43 million in 2015 for a 10% stake in the company and a seat on its board of directors. By 2018, the company rebranded as WW, introducing the slogan “Wellness That Works.” In its statement to Fox Business, WW called the steps being taken “challenging but necessary moves best prepare us for the future as we continue to support our members and meet them where they need us most.” Read more here and here.

More than 5.1 million people worldwide – including nearly 1.6 million in the United States – have been infected with the new coronavirus, and the number of deaths from the outbreak continues to rise. While efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak continue, states have begun to shift their focus toward reopening their economies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking cases in the U.S. here. Live updates for Friday, May 22, continue below: Hertz files for bankruptcy protection Update 10:50 p.m. EDT May 22: Hertz filed for bankruptcy protection Friday, unable to withstand the coronavirus pandemic that has crippled global travel and with it, the heavily indebted 102-year-old car rental company’s business. The Estero, Florida-based company’s lenders were unwilling to grant it another extension on its auto lease debt payments past a Friday deadline, triggering the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. Hertz and its subsidiaries will continue to operate, according to a release from the company. Hertz’s principal international operating regions and franchised locations are not included in the filing, the statement said. By the end of March, Hertz Global Holdings Inc. had racked up $18.7 billion in debt with only $1 billion of available cash. Starting in mid-March, the company — whose car-rental bands also include Dollar and Thrifty — lost all revenue when travel shut down due to the novel coronavirus, and it started missing payments in April. Hertz has also been plagued by management upheaval, naming its fourth CEO in six years on May 18. Judge orders Los Angeles to move thousands of homeless Update 9:25 p.m. EDT May 22: A federal judge on Friday ordered Los Angeles city and county to move thousands of homeless people living near freeways after an agreement on a plan fell through. U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter issued a preliminary injunction requiring the relocation, by Sept. 1, of an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 people camping near freeway ramps and overpasses, saying they face a health risk emergency. Carter ordered a status report on the relocation plan to be ready by June 12, with updates to follow, and warned that he would move up the deadline if he doesn’t see “satisfactory progress.” The city didn’t immediately release any comment on the ruling. US warns Los Angeles stay-at-home extension could be illegal Update 8:45 p.m. EDT May 22: The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday warned the mayor of Los Angeles and the county’s top health officer that an extension of the coronavirus stay-at-home order may be unlawful. The vague letter sent to Mayor Eric Garcetti and LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer did not spell out any specific violations, but noted concern about statements both had made publicly that restrictions may be prolonged without a vaccine. “Reports of your recent public statements indicate that you suggested the possibility of long-term lockdown of the residents in the city and county of Los Angeles, regardless of the legal justification for such restrictions,” Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband wrote. “We remain concerned about what may be an arbitrary and heavy-handed approach to continuing stay-at-home requirements.” Garcetti received the letter, but his office declined comment, spokesman Alex Comisar said. The letter came the same day the White House coronavirus response coordinator named the LA region as an area where spread of the virus is a concern. Los Angeles County, with a quarter of the state’s 40 million residents, accounts for nearly half of its COVID-19 cases and about 55% of the state’s more than 3,600 deaths. Dr. Deborah Birx asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help look into the source of new cases to help prevent future outbreaks. Patrick Ewing hospitalized after testing positive for coronavirus Update 7:30 p.m. EDT May 22: Georgetown men’s basketball coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing announced in a statement on social media that he has tested positive for coronavirus and is being treated at an area hospital. 'I want to share that I have tested positive for COVID-19. This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly. I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Now more than ever, I want to thank the healthcare workers and everyone on the front lines. I’ll be fine and we will all get through this,” Ewing said in the statement. Michigan Gov. Whitmer extends stay-at-home order Update 6:50 p.m. EDT May 22: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has extended Michigan’s stay-at-home order by slightly more than two additional weeks, through June 12, while keeping theaters, gyms and other places of public accommodation closed until at least then. A day after a judge ruled in her favor in a lawsuit filed by the Republican-led Legislature, the Democratic governor also extended her coronavirus emergency declaration through June 19. Both the stay-at-home measure and state of emergency had been set to expire late next Thursday, though Whitmer said extensions were likely. The state on Friday reported 5,158 confirmed deaths due to COVID-19 complications, which is the fourth-most of any state. The daily death toll rose by 29 and the number of new confirmed cases in the state increased by 403, to nearly 54,000 since the pandemic started. Federal prison system to begin moving nearly 7K inmates Update 5:40 p.m. EDT May 22: The federal Bureau of Prisons will begin moving about 6,800 inmates who have been waiting in local detention centers across the U.S. to federal prisons to avoid jail overcrowding in the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Friday. It’s not clear when it would begin. The inmates will be sent to one of three designated quarantine sites — FCC Yazoo City in Mississippi, FCC Victorville in California and FTC Oklahoma City — or to a Bureau of Prisons detention center. All the inmates who are being moved will be tested for COVID-19 when they arrive at the Bureau of Prisons facility and would be tested again before they are moved to the prison where they would serve their sentence. The prisoners have already been sentenced to federal crimes but were unable to be moved from local facilities as the coronavirus pandemic struck over concerns the virus would spread rampantly. In a memo issued to staff earlier this week, Bureau of Prisons officials said the inmates would be held there “until such time that inmates can be moved safely to their final destination.” The BOP says it has suspended most transfers of inmates already in the federal system, but there are still exceptions for forensic studies, medical or mental health treatment, residential reentry and inmates who are wanted by other juristictions. Nevada’s 28% joblessness is worst in US and in state history Update 4:50 p.m. EDT May 22: More than one-fourth of Nevada’s workers don’t have jobs after the state’s unemployment rate hit unemployment rate of 28.2% in April — the highest rate in the U.S. and the worst joblessness showing in Nevada history. The previous record for Nevada unemployment was estimated at 25% during the Great Depression. “They are all sobering numbers, far in excess of anything we have experienced as a state before now,” said David Schmidt, chief economist for the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. Nevada was hit especially hard by the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic because so many of its jobs are tied to the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, Schmidt said. He said Nevada’s accommodation and food service industry alone lost nearly 41% of its jobs compared with April 2019 Nearly 37,000 coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana Update 3:50 p.m. EDT May 22: Officials in Louisiana reported 421 new coronavirus infections Friday, raising the state’s total number of infections to 36,925. Statewide, at least 2,545 people have died of COVID-19 and at least 26,249 people have recovered from the viral infection, officials with the state Department of Health said. Harley-Davidson to restart production Update 3:40 p.m. EDT May 22: After suspending production for about two months because of the coronavirus, thunder is about to roll again at the Harley-Davidson manufacturing plant in Milwaukee. Work is expected to resume after the Memorial Day weekend for about 1,000 employees at the Menomonee Falls engine and drivetrain facility, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. A worker at the plant who tested positive for the coronavirus is expected to recover. >> Read more Pence visits Atlanta for restaurant roundtable Update 3:30 p.m. EDT May 22: Vice President Mike Pence traveled to the Atlanta metropolitan area Friday for a roundtable discussion with restaurant executives who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, according to WSB-TV. >> Read more on WSBTV.com Social distancing ‘very important’ over Memorial Day weekend, Birx says Update 2:20 p.m. EDT May 22: Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus task force coordinator, stressed the importance of continued social distancing efforts over Memorial Day weekend during a news conference Friday. “When you go out for this weekend, Memorial Day, and you want to do some kind of social gathering, it’s very important to maintain that six feet distance and very important to have your mask with you in case that six feet distance cannot be maintained,” Birx said. Officials in all 50 states have begun reopening efforts after swaths of the economy were closed by the threat of the novel coronavirus. Trump says houses of worship ‘essential,’ urges governors to reopen Update 2 p.m. EDT May 22: President Donald Trump urged governors to reopen houses of worship and said he has directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to classify them as essential amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Today I am identifying houses of worship -- churches, synagogues and mosques -- as essential places that provide essential services,” Trump said Friday at a news conference. “Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have left out churches and other houses of worship. It’s not right.' Trump holding news briefing amid questions about antimalarial drug he touted Update 1:45 p.m. EDT May 22: President Donald Trump is holding a news conference Friday after a study published earlier in the day in the medical journal The Lancet found an increased risk for death in coronavirus patients treated with antimalarial drugs hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine or a combination of the drugs and an antibiotic. Voting centers reopen in Washington DC ahead of June 2 primary Update 1:40 p.m. EDT May 22: Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington D.C. said Friday that the area’s primary election is set to go on as scheduled June 2. Voters will be required to wear masks or face coverings while voting, Bowser said. Business owners sue Pennsylvania governor over closure orders Update 12:30 p.m. EDT May 22: Business owners in four counties are suing Pennslyvania Gov. Tom Wolf over his order to close businesses deemed non-essential amid the coronavirus pandemic, WPXI reported. Tom King, the attorney who filed suit on behalf of the business owners, told WPXI that the case was about Americans’ rights, which he said had been limited by the closures and Wolf’s planned phased reopening. “The imposition on people’s constitutional rights even in war time, even in a pandemic … this is America, and people have constitutional rights.' King said. “That’s the message that we want to send to the governor.” >> Read more on WPXI.com 1,394 new cases of COVID-19 reported in New Jersey Update 11:55 a.m. EDT May 22: Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey said Friday that 1,394 new coronavirus infections have been reported, raising the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 152,719. Murphy said the number of hospitalizations, patients in intensive care units and ventilators in use “have all fallen dramatically.” “Each day brings with it more signs that we’re moving closer to being able to enter Phase 2 of our restart,” the governor said in a post on Twitter. Murphy raised the capacity for outdoor recreational businesses like driving ranges from 10 to 25, though he stressed that social distancing measures would need to continue at the businesses. Indoor gatherings remained limited to no more than 10 people. Officials said Friday that 146 more people have died of COVID-19 in New Jersey. Statewide, 10,985 people have died of coronavirus. Summer camps, youth activities allowed to reopen in Florida Update 11:45 a.m. EDT May 22: Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said Friday that summer camps and youth activities will be allowed to immediately reopen without restrictions, according to WFTV. DeSantis said local governments and organizations can put restrictions in place on their own but that the state would not preempt them, WFTV reported. “We trust parents to use common sense,” the governor said. >> Read more on WFTV.com 109 new fatal coronavirus cases reported in New York Update 11:20 a.m. EDT May 22: Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York said Friday that 109 more people have died of COVID-19 statewide. The number was slightly more than the 105 new fatal cases reported one day earlier. Cuomo said the number of fatal cases “has been stubborn on its way down” but he added that other key indicators -- such as the number of new hospitalizations and the number of people admitted to intensive care units -- continued to fall Friday. Defense secretary confident coronavirus vaccine will be ready by end of 2020 Update 11:15 a.m. EDT May 22: Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Friday that officials are “completely confident” the U.S. will have a vaccine for the novel coronavirus by the end of the year. “I’m confident we’ll get it,” Esper said Friday during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show. “(The Department of Defense) has the expertise and the capacity of course, to get the manufacturing done and the logistics and i’m confident that we will deliver.” Scientists have expressed concern over the fast-paced timeline to a given by federal officials, noting that a vaccine would likely take 12 to 18 months to test and approve. The fastest ever vaccine developed, for mumps in 1967, took four years to make it to the market, according to The Verge. Esper said Friday that researchers in America “have been working on this vaccine now and therapeutics and diagnostics for a few months.” “This is the next phase of this battle and we will deliver on time the vaccines,” he said. 105 new cases of COVID-19 reported in DC Update 10:50 a.m. EDT May 22: Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington D.C. said Friday that 105 new coronavirus infections have been reported in the area, raising the total number of cases in the area to 7,893. Bowser also said six more people between the ages of 86 and 95 died of COVID-19. As of Friday, 418 Washington D.C. residents have died of coronavirus, officials said. Study finds increased risk of death for COVID-19 patients treated with antimalarial drug Update 10:10 a.m. EDT May 22: Scientists studying the efficacy of treating novel coronavirus patients with an antimalarial drug touted by President Donald Trump found an increased risk of death and heart arrythmias for patients who received the drug. A large study published Friday in the medical journal The Lancet looked at COVID-19 cases from late December to mid-April in which patients were hospitalized. Those included in the study had died or been discharged by April 21. Using data from 671 hospitals on six continents, researchers reviewed more than 96,000 cases of COVID-19, including nearly 15,000 in which patients were treated with the antimalarial drugs hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine or a combination of the drugs and an antibiotic. “We were unable to confirm a benefit of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine ... on in-hospital outcomes for COVID-19,” researchers said in a summary of their findings. “Each of these drug regimens was associated with decreased in-hospital survival and an increased frequency of ventricular arrhythmias when used for treatment of COVID-19.” Wall Street opens lower, but still on track for weekly gain Update 9:50 a.m. EDT May 22: Stocks opened mostly lower Friday on Wall Street following a mixed showing in overseas markets. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% in early trading Friday, but it’s still on track for a weekly gain. Hong Kong’s main index fell 5.6% after China made more moves to limit political opposition in the former British colony. China also abandoned its longstanding practice of setting economic growth targets. European markets shook off some early weakness and were mostly higher. Oil prices headed lower after six straight gains, which weighed on energy stocks. Trading was subdued ahead of the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. 3,287 new coronavirus infections reported in the UK Update 9:30 a.m. EDT May 22: Officials in the United Kingdom reported 3,287 new coronavirus infections Friday morning, raising the country’s total number of infections to 254,195. Officials said that as of 9 a.m. local time, 36,393 people had died nationwide of COVID-19. Global deaths top 333K, total cases soar past 5.1M Update 7:44 a.m. EDT May 22: The global death toll attributed to the novel coronavirus reached 333,382 early Friday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. In the four months since the virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, it has infected at least 5,125,612 people worldwide. Meanwhile, 12 nations now have total infection counts higher than China’s 84,081.  The 10 nations with the highest number of infections recorded to date are as follows: • The United States has reported 1,577,758 cases, resulting in 94,729 deaths. • Russia has confirmed 326,448 cases, resulting in 3,249 deaths. • Brazil has recorded 310,087 cases, resulting in 20,047 deaths. • The United Kingdom has reported 252,246 cases, resulting in 36,124 deaths. • Spain has confirmed 233,037 cases, resulting in 27,940 deaths. • Italy has reported 228,006 cases, resulting in 32,486 deaths. • France has confirmed 181,951 cases, resulting in 28,218 deaths. • Germany has reported 179,021 cases, resulting in 8,212 deaths. • Turkey has recorded 153,548 cases, resulting in 4,249 deaths • Iran has recorded 131,652 cases, resulting in 7,300 deaths. Trump orders flags lowered on federal buildings for 3 days in memory of coronavirus victims Update 6:02 a.m. EDT May 22: President Donald Trump announced via Twitter Thursday he has ordered all flags on federal buildings to be lowered to half-staff for three days in memory of Americans lost to the novel coronavirus. As is customary, the flags will also fly at half-staff on Memorial Day to honor military veterans who lost their lives in combat. Young adults also contracting coronavirus-linked inflammatory syndrome, doctors say Update 5:25 a.m. EDT May 22: The mysterious coronavirus-linked inflammatory disease affecting children and adolescents has now been confirmed in a small number of young adults, The Washington Post reported. The condition is similar to Kawasaki disease, a rare illness that causes inflamed blood vessels.  According to the Post, a 20-year-old is being treated for the condition in San Diego; a 25-year-old has been diagnosed at Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Medical Center; and several patients in their early 20s are being treated for the syndrome at NYU Langone in New York City. Doctors told the Post that because Kawasaki disease is typically diagnosed in young children only, they fear the COVID-19-related inflammatory syndrome - dubbed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C – is being overlooked as a possible diagnosis in young adults by non-pediatric physicians. Jennifer Lighter, a pediatric infectious diseases doctor at NYU Langone, told the Post that teens and young adults have more of an “overwhelming” response to MIS-C involving multiple organs, especially the heart. “The older ones have had a more severe course,” Lighter said. Catholics, Lutherans in Minnesota set May 26 reopening of churches as coronavirus lingers Update 3:48 a.m. EDT May 22: Two of Minnesota’s largest faith denominations announced plans Thursday to resume indoor worship services May 26, bucking the governor’s stay-at-home order enacted to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. According to a Johns Hopkins University tally, Minnesota has reported a total of 18,200 COVID-19 infections caused by the virus to date, resulting in 818 deaths. In a news conference conducted by phone, Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Catholic leader for the state, and the Rev. Lucas Woodford, president of the Minnesota South District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, said the time for loosening restrictions on houses of worship has arrived, The Washington Post reported. Specifically, the faith leaders called it “extreme and prejudicial” for Gov. Tim Walz’ order to impose stricter restrictions on houses of worship than on retail stores, the Post reported. “Our community members are suffering from financial and social and emotional strain,” Hebda said on the call. “It’s our sacred duty to meet the spiritual needs of the suffering,” he added. Drug smugglers concealed meth shipments in hand sanitizer bottles Published 2:28 a.m. EDT May 22: Australian authorities discovered nearly 4.5 pounds of smuggled methamphetamine hidden in shipments of hand sanitizer and face masks sent in early May to help the nation combat the novel coronavirus. “We know criminals will go to any length to smuggle drugs into the country, so it’s no surprise they’re trying to use in-demand items such as masks and hand sanitizer to hide them in,” John Fleming, superintendent of the Australian Border Force, said in a news release. The drugs were detected as officers inspected shipments at the Sydney Gateway Facility, CNN reported. According to the news release, officers inspecting the packages, shipped from Canada, found bottles of hand sanitizer wrapped in bubble wrap. Further investigation revealed the bottles had false bottoms, creating secret compartments in which a crystal-like substance later confirmed to be methamphetamine was discovered. US coronavirus cases approach 1.6M, deaths near 95K Update 12:38 a.m. EDT May 22: The number of novel coronavirus cases in the United States continued to climb past 1.5 million early Friday across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to a Johns Hopkins University tally, there are at least 1,577,287 confirmed U.S. cases of the virus, which have resulted in at least 94,702 deaths.  The hardest-hit states remain New York with 356,458 cases and 28,743 deaths and New Jersey with 151,586 cases and 10,846 deaths. Massachusetts, with 90,084 cases, has the third-highest number of deaths with 6,148, while Illinois has the third-highest number of cases with 102,688. Only 16 states and territories have confirmed fewer than 5,000 cases each. Seven other states have now confirmed at least 42,000 novel coronavirus cases each, including: • California: 88,031 cases, resulting in 3,583 deaths • Pennsylvania: 69,252 cases, resulting in 4,869 deaths • Michigan: 53,510 cases, resulting in 5,129 deaths • Texas: 53,053 cases, resulting in 1,460 deaths • Florida: 48,675 cases, resulting in 2,144 deaths • Maryland: 43,531 cases, resulting in 2,159 deaths • Georgia: 40,663 cases, resulting in 1,775 deaths Meanwhile, Connecticut, Louisiana, Virginia and Ohio each has confirmed at least 30,000 cases; Indiana, Colorado and North Carolina each has confirmed at least 20,000 cases, followed by Washington with 19,117; Tennessee and Minnesota each has confirmed at least 18,000 cases, followed by Iowa with 16,170 and Arizona with 15,348; Wisconsin, Rhode Island and Alabama each has confirmed at least 13,000 cases, followed by Mississippi with 12,222; Missouri and Nebraska each has confirmed at least 11,000 cases, followed by South Carolina with 9,381; Kansas, Delaware and Kentucky each has confirmed at least 8,000 cases; Utah, the District of Columbia and Nevada each has confirmed at least 7,000 cases, followed by New Mexico with 6,472; Oklahoma and Arkansas each has confirmed at least 5,000 cases. Click here to see CNN’s state-by-state breakdown. The Associated Press contributed to this report.