December 27, 2021 10:28 am
New York City’s sweeping mandate requiring nearly all private-sector businesses to ban unvaccinated employees from the workplace has taken effect amid a spike in coronavirus infections. Workers at roughly 184,000 businesses were required to show proof they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Monday. Businesses that don’t comply could face fines starting at $1,000. But Mayor Bill de Blasio has said imposing penalties will be a last resort. Employers have to verify and keep a record of each worker’s proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Workers who have only received one shot will have to get a second one within 45 days.
December 27, 2021 4:22 am
DALLAS (AP) – Sarah Weddington, a Texas lawyer who at 26-year-old successfully argued the landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court, has died. She was 76. Weddington’s former student and colleague Susan Hays said she died in her sleep early Sunday morning at her Austin home. Hays told The Associated Press that Weddington had been in poor health for some time and it was not immediately clear what caused her death. Weddington was also a state lawmaker, general counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and an advisor to President Jimmy Carter.
December 27, 2021 4:20 am
COLFAX, Calif. (AP) – A major Christmas weekend storm caused whiteout conditions and closed key highways amid blowing snow in mountains of Northern California and Nevada, with forecasters warning that travel in the Sierra Nevada could be difficult for several days. Authorities near Reno reported a 20-car pileup on a snow-blow highway where drivers described whiteout conditions A 70-mile stretch of Interstate 80 was shut Sunday from Colfax, California, through the Lake Tahoe region to the Nevada state line. The California Department of Transportation also closed other mountain routes while warning of poor visibility and slippery conditions for drivers.
December 27, 2021 4:18 am
SYDNEY (AP) – Australia’s New South Wales state has reported more than 6,000 new COVID-19 cases and confirmed its first death from the omicron variant. The fatal case was identified as a man in his 80s who was infected at an aged care facility in western Sydney. He was fully vaccinated but had underlying health conditions. New measures came into force in New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, on Monday, including limits of one person per 2 square meters (22 square feet) in bars and restaurants and required “check-ins” with QR codes in hospitality venues. The health minister says the state government is considering lifting the requirement for health workers to isolate after being exposed to COVID-19 because of staff shortages.
December 27, 2021 4:17 am
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – The latest COVID-19 variant is upending holiday plans for tens of thousands of travelers – but it didn’t do much damage to holiday shopping. Airlines canceled hundreds more flights Sunday, citing staffing problems tied to COVID-19, as the nation’s travel woes extended beyond Christmas. There was no clear indication when normal schedules would resume. But shoppers shrugged off the omicron variant, and holiday sales rose at the fastest pace in 17 years. Omicron is likely to slow the economy’s unexpectedly strong rebound from last year’s coronavirus recession and could add more heat to already simmering inflation. But it’s not yet clear how deep the hurt will go or how long it will last.
December 27, 2021 4:15 am
Emergency crews were called to a tractor trailer crash along Interstate 70 early Monday morning. Washington County 9-1-1 says it happened just after 3:30 a.m. near mile-marker 7.5 in Donegal Township. Reports are that the tractor trailer was traveling in the eastbound lanes, but crossed into the westbound lanes and ended up on its side. Both westbound lanes were initially blocked. Dispatchers say there were no injuries and no other vehicles were involved.
December 27, 2021 4:10 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – At least one food court vendor has announced that it is pulling out of the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show citing concerns about the health of farmers and volunteers amid a rise in COVID-19 infection rates. PennLive.com reports that PennAg Industries Association said in a statement to members that it will not host its food court booth, one of the largest at the event. PennAg Industries cited anticipated spikes in illness, shortages of staff and space at medical facilities, and the enclosed Farm Show environment. The eight-day Farm Show begins Jan. 7 and celebrates the state’s agriculture industry. The in-person event was canceled in 2021.
December 27, 2021 4:08 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania is undertaking a comprehensive examination of the stories told by its 2,500 roadside historical markers. The state has undertaken a review of the markers, prompted in part by the 2017 racist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. It’s a process that’s found factual errors, inadequate historical context and inappropriate references. So far the state has removed two markers, revised two and ordered new text for two others. Disputes about how historical markers should be worded – or whether they should exist at all – have divided communities across the country in recent years. In Pennsylvania, the new markers getting approved are increasingly telling the stories of previously underrepresented people and groups.
December 26, 2021 7:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden marked his first Christmas in office by making calls to military service members stationed around the world, offering them holiday wishes and gratitude for their service and sacrifice for the nation. Joined by his wife, Jill, and their new puppy, Commander, the president on Saturday spoke via video to service members representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard, stationed at bases in Qatar, Romania, Bahrain and the U.S. Speaking from a studio set up at the White House, Biden told them they’re “the solid steel spine of the nation,” and emphasized the “truly sacred obligation” the nation has to care for soldiers and their families. Jill Biden expressed empathy for the difficulties their families experience spending the holidays away from their loved ones, noting that the Bidens experienced the same when their son Beau, who served as a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, was deployed to Iraq.
December 26, 2021 7:53 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines continued to cancel hundreds of flights Saturday because of staffing issues tied to COVID-19, disrupting holiday celebrations during one of the busiest travel times of the year. FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted nearly 1,000 canceled flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. Saturday, up from 690 flights scrapped on Friday. Over 250 more flights were already canceled for Sunday. FlightAware does not say why flights are canceled. Delta, United and JetBlue had all said Friday that the omicron variant was causing staffing problems leading to flight cancellations. United spokesperson Maddie King said staffing shortages were still causing cancellations and it was unclear when normal operations would return. “This was unexpected,” she said of omicron’s impact on staffing. Delta and JetBlue did not respond to questions Saturday.
