February 25, 2021 4:21 am
A large real-world test of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine confirms that it’s very effective at preventing serious illness or death, even after one dose. The results come from a mass vaccination campaign in Israel. They give strong reassurance that the benefits seen in smaller tests persisted when the vaccine was used in a general population. The vaccine was 92% effective at preventing severe disease after two shots and 62% after one. Its estimated effectiveness for preventing death was 72% two to three weeks after the first shot. The New England Journal of Medicine published results Wednesday.
February 25, 2021 4:19 am
NEW YORK (AP) – After weeks of going dormant, shares of GameStop have suddenly shot higher again, jumping 75% in the last hour of trading Wednesday and another 60% Thursday. It’s reminiscent of the shocking 1,625% surge for GameStop in January, when bands of smaller-pocketed and novice investors helped trigger a supernova for the stock of the struggling video game retailer. Last month’s surge underscored questions about whether the broad market is in a bubble. No clear reason seems to be behind this most recent move, leaving market observers to grasp at what little news is out there.
February 25, 2021 4:16 am
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Guy Reschenthaler joined several other Republican lawmakers in introducing a resolution urging the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Winter Olympics from Beijing, China. Additionally, if the games are not moved, the resolution calls for the U.S. to lead an international boycott. In a news release, Reschenthaler cites the Chinese Communist Party committing genocide against Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang. He said in the release that the Chinese government needs to be held accountable. “Freedom-loving countries around the world must join together to condemn China’s behavior and show the CCP that the United States and the international community will not idly stand by while they commit atrocities against the Uyghurs, Hong Kongers and other Chinese dissidents,” Reschenthaler said in the release.
February 24, 2021 4:45 am
BUTLER, Pa. — (WPXI) – County commissioners feeling left out as though they didn’t get a seat at the table when the COVID-19 pandemic began are proposing creating a regional health department. They’re not happy with the decisions the state Department of Health is making in terms of COVID-19 testing and the vaccine rollout. Leaders from seven counties are talking about creating a new agency: Washington County, Beaver County, Butler County, Fayette County, Westmoreland County, Greene County, and Lawrence County. “We would be able to have more local control where we would be able to make decisions closest to the local level,” said Butler County Commissioner Kim Geyer. Washington County Commissioner Diana Vaughan kick-started the idea and organized the first formal meeting Tuesday. “The first step we decided to take as a seven-county group is to find out from the state what components the Department of Health we would be required to take under a regional umbrella,” Vaughan said. She said the group doesn’t expect to strictly adhere to everything the state department recommends, including restaurant safety or environmental issues. “The second step is each county is going back and compiling their own list of all of the issues with the state health department throughout the pandemic,” Vaughan said. The discussion is still in its very early stages. If the state replies and requires too much, Vaughan said some or all of the counties may drop out. If that happens, county leaders said they may end up taking their concerns and frustrations to state health officials.
February 24, 2021 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Leading technology companies say a monthslong breach of corporate and government networks was so sophisticated, focused and labor-intensive that a nation had to be behind it and the evidence points to Russia. On Tuesday, in the first congressional hearing on the breach, representatives of technology companies involved in the response described a hack of almost breathtaking precision, ambition and scope, with the perpetrators stealthily scooping up specific emails and documents on a target list from the U.S. and at least seven other countries. It comes as the U.S. weighs punitive measures against Russia that the White House says will occur in “weeks, not months.”
February 24, 2021 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican leaders in the House and Senate say a proposed plan for an independent commission to study the Capitol insurrection is overly tilted toward Democrats. They say the panel should be an even party split in the mold of a similar panel formed more than 15 years ago to study the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. A draft proposed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would create an 11-member commission with four Republicans and seven Democrats, three of whom would be chosen by President Joe Biden. That’s according an aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the details, which have not yet been publicly released.
February 24, 2021 4:14 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Authorities say golf star Tiger Woods car crash was purely an accident, although they are waiting to see if a black box that is included in some SUV’s can shed any light on the crash, if his vehicle was equipped with one. Woods was seriously injured when his SUV crashed into a median and rolled over several times on a steep road in suburban Los Angeles. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s chief medical officer says Woods shattered tibia and fibula bones on his right leg in multiple locations, with additional injuries in the ankle and foot. A statement on his Twitter account says he was awake, responsive and recovering. Authorities had to extricate Woods through the front windshield. They say he’s fortunate to be alive. The accident left him with a shattered ankle and multiple broken bones in his leg. The injuries were repaired with rods, pins and screws. Woods is 45 and had back surgery back in December. The crash happened on a sweeping, downhill stretch of road.
February 24, 2021 4:06 am
North Strabane Supervisors ended February by getting ready for the spring and summer paving projects and hiring two new police officers. At the beginning of the meeting supervisors looked back to 2020 and Township Manager Andrew Walz presented final budget numbers for 2020. Walz said that measures taken by the township to protect against any shortfalls paid off with all township accounts finishing 2020 in the black. Both the general fund and the capital fund finished the year with amounts in excess of $1 million dollars. Supervisors approved a paving program of $930,000 and according to Walz that number came in roughly $70,000 under budget. Two police officers were hired to fill a spot left open due to retirement and a spot open due to an officer leaving. Walz points out that one of the candidates is female and will become the second female police officer in the township.
February 24, 2021 2:14 am
LAS VEGAS (AP)- Class action lawsuits were filed in Nevada against 10 major auto insurance companies on Tuesday, contending that the companies charged excessive insurance premiums during the pandemic by failing to account for a drop in driving and crashes. The lawsuits acknowledge that some insurers provided discounts over the emptier roads and drop in accidents and claims, but the discounts did not offer “any meaningful relief that actually reflects the reduction in cars on the road and reduced driving during the pandemic.” The lawsuits were filed against State Farm, USAA, Geico, Acuity, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, Progressive, Travelers, Nationwide and Allstate.
February 23, 2021 2:52 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Authorities and Tiger Woods’ manager say the golf star has suffered leg injuries in a vehicle rollover in suburban Los Angeles and is undergoing surgery. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says Woods was alone in the vehicle and had to be extricated from it Tuesday. No other cars were involved in the wreck that injured the golfer. Authorities say an ambulance took Woods to a hospital in serious condition. Authorities are saying that it does not appear alcohol was a factor in the crash. Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera.
