July 28, 2022 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan. That’s according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also revealed Wednesday that he has asked to speak with his Kremlin counterpart for the first time in months. The statement marked the first time the U.S. government has publicly revealed any concrete action it has taken to secure the release of Griner. áHe did not offer details on the proposed deal outlined to the Russians, though a person familiar with the matter said the U.S. government has offered to trade convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Whelan and Griner.
July 28, 2022 4:06 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania representative attended the same-sex wedding of his son three days after voting against legislation to protect the recognition of same-sex marriages. Rep. Glenn Thompson, a Republican who represents a large swath of conservative northern Pennsylvania, voted against the bill brought by Democrats to the floor of the U.S. House. The vote came amid concerns that the Supreme Court ruling overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion access could jeopardize other rights aside from access to abortion. The bill protecting the recognition passed 267-157 Tuesday, July 19, with 47 Republicans — including three from Pennsylvania — joining every Democrat in backing it. On Friday, Thompson attended the same-sex wedding of his son. Thompson’s press secretary also called the bill “nothing more than an election-year messaging stunt for Democrats in Congress who have failed to address historic inflation and out of control prices at gas pumps and grocery stores.”
July 28, 2022 4:00 am
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – The Allegheny County Health Department is making the monkeypox vaccine available to more people in the county by distributing it in more locations. The county is offering the vaccine at four new locations. Those locations are:
Central Outreach Wellness Center, 127 Anderson Street, Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Allies for Health + Wellbeing, 5913 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Metro Community Health Center, 1789 S Braddock Ave #410, Pittsburgh, PA 15218. AHN Positive Health Clinic, 1307 Federal Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (only vaccinating current patients). Vaccine eligibility varies on a case-by-case basis. Anyone who has been exposed to a person who has been diagnosed with monkeypox is eligible for the vaccine.
“The Health Department is offering the JYNNEOS vaccine to individuals at our Immunization Clinic who have had a high-risk exposure,” said ACHD medical epidemiologist Dr. Kristen Mertz. “The vaccine can prevent disease if given within four days of exposure to the virus. There have been 20 cases of monkeypox reported in Allegheny County.
July 28, 2022 3:56 am
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – A person was flown to a Pittsburgh area hospital after being hit by a train in Washington County. According to Washington County 911, the person was hit by a Norfolk Southern train at around 6:45 p.m. near Lincoln Street in Elco Borough. There is no information on the person’s condition at this time.
July 28, 2022 2:19 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The Justice Department says a Pennsylvania mortgage company owned by billionaire businessman Warren Buffett’s company discriminated against potential Black and Latino homebuyers in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware. Officials are calling it the second-largest redlining settlement in history. Trident Mortgage Co. deliberately avoided writing mortgages in minority-majority neighborhoods in West Philadelphia, Camden, New Jersey and in Wilmington, Delaware. That’s according to a Justice Department Consumer Financial Protection Bureau settlement with Trident. As part of the agreement with the government agencies, Trident will have to set aside $20 million to make loans in underserved neighborhoods.
July 27, 2022 4:52 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – “Leave It to Beaver” actor Tony Dow has died. Agent Frank Bilotta says Dow died Wednesday at age 77. áAs Wally Cleaver on the beloved sitcom that ran on CBS and ABC from 1957 to 1963, Dow helped create the popular and lasting image of the 20th century American teenager. Wally was the just-a-little-wiser big brother “Beaver” Cleaver, played by Jerry Mathers. Dow would revive the role of Wally in a 1980s sequel series and also worked as a television director. Dow announced in May that he had been diagnosed with prostate and gall bladder cancer. Frank Bilotta, who represented Dow in his work as a sculptor, confirmed his death in an email to The Associated Press. (Photo: AP)
July 27, 2022 4:51 pm
DENVER (AP) – A wealthy dentist accused of killing his wife on a remote African safari in 2016 and later collecting nearly $5 million in insurance money was expected to testify in his defense Wednesday afternoon during his murder trial. Federal prosecutors allege Lawrence “Larry” Rudolph confessed during a fight with his longtime lover at a restaurant after learning that the FBI was investigating his wife Bianca Rudolph’s shooting death. His lawyer has argued Rudolph was worth more than $15 million when his wife died and had no financial motive to kill her.
July 27, 2022 10:24 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden has emerged from five days of isolation after contracting the coronavirus, telling Americans that “COVID isn’t gone” but saying serious illness can be avoided with vaccines, booster shoots and treatments. President Joe Biden ended his COVID-19 isolation after testing negative for the virus Tuesday night and again Wednesday morning. Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, says the president has completed his course of treatment with the drug Paxlovid and remains free of fever. O’Connor says that given those factors and the pair of negative tests, Biden will discontinue his “strict isolation” measures. The 79-year-old Biden tested positive last week and had mild symptoms.
July 27, 2022 4:10 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A giant Mega Millions lottery jackpot ballooned to $1.02 billion after no one matched all six numbers and won the top prize. After no winner on Tuesday, the estimated jackpot for Friday’s drawing will be the nation’s fourth-largest lottery prize. The jackpot has grown so large because there have been 29 consecutive drawings without anyone winning the top prize. Tuesday’s numbers were: 07-29-60-63-66, with a Mega Ball of 15. The $1.02 billion prize is for winners who choose the annuity option, paid annually over 30 years. Most winners opt for the cash option, which for the next drawing is an estimated $602.5 million.
July 27, 2022 4:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by a hefty three-quarters of a point for a second straight time in its most aggressive drive in three decades to tame high inflation. The Fed’s move will raise its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, to its highest level since 2018. The central bank’s decision follows a jump in inflation to 9.1%, the fastest annual rate in 41 years. By raising borrowing rates, the Fed makes it costlier to take out a mortgage or an auto or business loan. Consumers and businesses then
