December 3, 2021 4:17 pm
A new variant of COVID-19 that first emerged in South Africa was detected in Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced that a Philadelphia resident has tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19. This person is a man in his 30’s from Northwest Philadelphia. The Heath Department is working to get more information on the case. Those variations, or mutations, are concerning to scientists who believe the omicron variant could be more easily transmitted. So far, symptoms reported are fatigue, body aches, a sore throat and cough. Doctors are working to learn more about it, including how the current COVID-19 vaccine responds to it.
December 3, 2021 2:08 pm
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) – The parents of a teen accused of killing four students at a Michigan high school have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. A prosecutor described chilling moments that day when a teacher found a drawing of a gun, a person bleeding and the words “help me” at the boy’s desk. Prosecutor Karen McDonald says Jennifer and James Crumbley committed “egregious” acts, from buying the gun for Ethan Crumbley and failing to intervene when they were summoned to the school and confronted with the drawing. Police say he returned to class and later emerged from a bathroom with a gun, firing at students in the hallway.
December 3, 2021 10:44 am
The Pa. Office of Attorney General will investigate the incident that occurred when Washington County Clerk of Courts Brenda Davis refused to turn over juvenile court files. Davis was handcuffed and claims she was assaulted by county deputies. Davis and County Prothonotary Laura Hough both filed reports with the Washington Police Department following the incident. The pair also asked the Washington County District Attorney’s office to investigate. District Attorney Jason Walsh tells WJPA News that he referred the matter to the State Attorney General’s office on Monday and has learned that they will look into the matter.
December 3, 2021 4:21 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – America’s employers slowed the pace of their hiring in November, adding a still-solid 210,000 jobs, the fewest in nearly a year. Friday’s report from the Labor Department also showed that the unemployment rate fell sharply to 4.2% from 4.6%. That is a historically low level though still above the pre-pandemic jobless rate of 3.5%.
December 3, 2021 4:19 am
LANSING, Mich. (AP) – A judge has ordered nine lawyers allied with former President Donald Trump to pay Detroit and Michigan a total of $175,000 in sanctions for abusing the court system with a sham lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results. The money, which must be paid within 30 days, will cover the legal costs of defending against the suit, which were more than $153,000 for the city and nearly $22,000 for the state. U.S. District Judge Linda Parker, who agreed to impose sanctions in August, rejected most of the attorneys’ objections to Detroit’s proposed award, but she did reduce it by about $29,000. Among the sanctioned lawyers were Sidney Powell (pictured) and L. Lin Wood.
December 3, 2021 4:17 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The omicron variant of COVID-19 has been discovered in at least five states, showing yet again how mutations of the virus can circumnavigate the globe with speed and ease. Just a day after the first known U.S. case was found in California, tests showed Thursday the omicron variant had infected at least five people in the New York City metropolitan area, plus a man from Minnesota who had attended an anime convention in Manhattan in late November. Officials reported another case in a Colorado woman who had recently traveled to southern Africa. The variant was also confirmed in an unvaccinated Hawaii resident with no recent travel history.
December 3, 2021 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has passed a stopgap spending bill that avoids a short-term shutdown and funds the federal government through Feb. 18 after leaders defused a partisan standoff over federal vaccine mandates. The measure now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Earlier in the day, congressional leaders announced they had finally reached an agreement to keep the government running for 11 more weeks, generally at current spending levels, while adding $7 billion to aid Afghanistan evacuees. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he is “glad that in the end, cooler heads prevailed.”
December 2, 2021 3:08 pm
Eddie Mekka, who most famously played Carmine, the “Big Ragu,” on “Laverne & Shirley” has died … TMZ has learned. Eddie’s brother, Warren Mekjian, tells TMZ … Eddie was found dead at his home in Newhall, CA on Saturday. We’re told friends and neighbors became concerned when they hadn’t heard from him in a few days and called cops to go over and check on him. Warren tells us Eddie had recently been hospitalized for blood clots and could barely walk … there’s no indication his death was suspicious or that there was any foul play involved. Eddie played Carmine Ragusa — Shirley’s boyfriend on the show from 1976-1983. Carmine would regularly sing on the show. Eddie also had a role on one of “Laverne & Shirley” producer Garry Marshall’s other shows, “Blansky’s Beauties” — and he’d been nominated for a Tony Award for his role in “The Lieutenant” … prior to his TV career taking off.
December 2, 2021 12:50 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – Health officials say the omicron variant of the coronavirus has been found in a Minnesota man who attended an anime convention in New York City in November. Officials said Thursday that the man tested positive after returning home and that his symptoms have subsided. Officials in New York say they are working to trace attendees at the convention held Nov. 19-21 at the Javits Convention Center. Vaccinations were required for the event. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says there are no confirmed omicron cases among state residents. Much remains unknown about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious and whether it can thwart vaccines.
December 2, 2021 9:51 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week even though the U.S. job market has been rebounding from last year’s coronavirus recession. Jobless claims climbed by 28,000 to 222,000 from the previous week’s pandemic low 194,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, fell below 239,000, a pandemic low. Since topping 900,000 in early January, the weekly applications – a proxy for layoffs – have been falling more or less steadily.
