August 14, 2020 4:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is intensifying his efforts to block mail-in voting. He acknowledged on Thursday that he’s starving the U.S. Postal Service of funding in order to make it harder to process an expected surge in ballots that he worries could cost him reelection. Meanwhile, his campaign is suing two Iowa counties that are making it easier to vote by mail during the pandemic. The Republican president said on Fox Business Network that among the sticking points on a new virus relief package are Democrats’ demand for billions of dollars to assist states in protecting the election and helping postal workers process mail-in ballots. The campaign of Trump’s Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, jumped on the comments, likening the president’s actions to sabotage.
August 14, 2020 4:12 am
NEW YORK (AP) – An analysis by The Associated Press and Core Logic found that the average home price in the U.S. in May was up 4.2% compared to a year ago. The data shows that prices for cheaper homes – those found in the lower third of prices in metropolitan areas and a typical target for first-time buyers – grew faster than the rest of the market. The coronavirus pandemic helped shape the housing market by influencing everything from the direction of mortgage rates, to the inventory of homes on the market to the types of homes in demand and the desired locations.
August 13, 2020 5:20 pm
JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel and the United Arab Emirates say they are establishing full diplomatic relations in a U.S.-brokered deal that required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians. The historic agreement delivered a key foreign policy victory to President Donald Trump as he seeks re-election and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians. A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the deal amounts to “treason,” and should be reversed. The agreement makes the UAE the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to have full diplomatic ties with Israel.
August 13, 2020 4:35 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – The nation’s largest movie theater chain will reopen in the U.S. on Aug. 20 with retro ticket prices of 15 cents per movie. AMC Entertainment said Thursday that it expects to open the doors to more than 100 cinemas – or about a sixth of its nationwide locations – on Aug. 20 with throwback pricing for a day. AMC theaters have reopened in numerous international countries but have remained shuttered in the U.S. since March. The chain touted the reopening as “Movies in 2020 at 1920 Prices.” Regal Cinemas, the second largest chain, is to reopen some U.S. locations on Aug. 21.
August 13, 2020 1:36 pm
(WPXI) – A grand jury has indicted nearly 30 people associated with the Fayette County government and jail in what is being called Operation Clean Sweep. The investigation uncovered a drug deal ring and contraband operation in and outside the Fayette County Jail, Fayette County District Attorney Rich Bower announced during a news conference Thursday. “We never had any clue how deep the corruption was that we were going to find,” Bower said, of the investigation that ultimately resulted in two federal investigations. The 30 indictments include nine inmates; four corrections officers; a deputy warden; a law clerk and an assistant to the court administrator. The inmates were helping to move in synthetic drugs, according to Bower. The investigation started in November of 2019. Bower had heard rumors of corruption and went to county commissioners to ask for the grand jury to become involved, he said during the news conference Thursday.
August 13, 2020 12:57 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. The Republican president said Thursday on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” that among the sticking points over a new virus relief package were Democrats’ demand for billions of dollars to assist states in protecting the election and to help postal workers process mail-in ballots. The campaign of Trump’s Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, jumped on Trump’s comments, likening the president’s actions to sabotage.
August 13, 2020 8:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of laid-off workers in the U.S. applying for unemployment aid has fallen below 1 million for the first time since the pandemic intensified in March. It’s the second straight drop, but applications remain at an extraordinarily high level. The Labor Department says applications fell to 963,000 from 1.2 million the previous week. The decline suggests that layoffs are slowing, though last week’s figure is still above the pre-pandemic record of just under 700,000.
August 13, 2020 5:33 am
PennDOT is displaying plans for a new road bridge over Catfish Creek on West Wheeling Street in the City of Washington. Due to the pandemic, the plans for this project are virtual. The new 46-foot box-beam bridge will replace the current 52-foot arch bridge that has been in place since 1919. A portion of West Wheeling Street would be closed during construction, with a half-mile detour in place utilizing Jefferson Avenue, West Maiden Street and Oregon Street. The project is currently in preliminary design, with the final design expected to take place in October of this year. Residents can take a look at the overview of the project, as well as specs and maps at the PennDOT District 12 website. The virtual plans display will be available until August 28th. Construction is set to be started on the bridge in the Spring of 2022.
August 13, 2020 4:19 am
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – A central Florida sheriff says his deputies won’t be allowed to wear face masks except under some conditions, and neither will visitors to the sheriff’s office. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods made the announcement the same week that Florida had some of its highest days of coronavirus deaths. On Wednesday, state health officials reported 213 new deaths from COVID-19. Also on Wednesday, there were more than 8,100 new infections reported, for a total of 550,000 cases in the state since the pandemic started. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July asked Americans to wear masks to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
August 13, 2020 4:17 am
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) – Joe Biden raised $26 million for his presidential campaign in the 24 hours that followed his announcement that California Sen. Kamala Harris would be his running mate. Biden’s campaign says the sum more that doubled the campaign’s previous record. It also received contributions from more than 150,000 new donors. Harris is a prolific fundraiser, and she is expected to play a prominent role bringing in money for the campaign. Democrats are close to matching the massive $300 million cash stockpile President Donald Trump and the Republicans reported in July.
