National Lifestyle

SAN FRANCISCO — Denver's mayor flies to Mississippi to spend Thanksgiving with his family — after urging others to stay home. He later says he was thinking with “my heart and not my head.

Reports from Britain and South Africa of new coronavirus strains that seem to spread more easily are causing alarm, but virus experts say it’s unclear if that’s the case or whether they pose any concern for vaccines or cause more severe disease.

TORONTO — Fear of contracting COVID-19 in hospitals or doctors' offices has prompted some moms-to-be to choose to take on midwives and have their babies at home, midwifery groups say.

As the coronavirus spread throughout the U.S., bigotry toward Asian Americans was not far behind, fueled by the news that COVID-19 first appeared in China.

CALGARY — The familiar ringing of handbells has gone silent at many Canadian shopping malls this year as the Salvation Army tries to cope with COVID-19 rules at a time of dropping donations.

MONTREAL — Telefilm Canada says "14 Days 12 Nights" will compete for best international feature film at the Oscars following the disqualification of another film.

MONTREAL — Eric Salvail, who used to host some of Quebec's most popular television shows such as Star Academie, was found not guilty in a Montreal courtroom Friday on three sex-related charges.

TORONTO — Telefilm Canada says Deepa Mehta's "Funny Boy" has been disqualified from competing for best international feature film at the Oscars because it falls short of the non-English language requirements.

OTTAWA — The federal government says it wants to reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in vaping products as part of greater efforts to curb their appeal to young Canadians.

NEW YORK — The New York Times admitted Friday that it could not verify the claims of a Canadian man whose account of committing atrocities for the Islamic State in Syria was a central part of its 2018 podcast “Caliphate.