July 24, 2021 4:37 am
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – The Justice Department says it has decided not to open a civil rights investigation into government-run nursing homes in New York over their COVID-19 response. Under former President Donald Trump, the department’s civil rights division requested data from several states about COVID-19 deaths in public nursing homes. The request came amid questions about whether New York inadvertently worsened the pandemic death toll by requiring nursing homes to accept residents previously hospitalized for COVID-19. In a letter sent Friday to several Republican members of Congress, the Justice Department said it had decided not to open an investigation after reviewing data sent by the state.
July 24, 2021 4:36 am
MIAMI (AP) – Pandemic restrictions on Florida-based cruise ships are no longer in place under the latest ruling by a federal appeals court, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention try to fight a Florida lawsuit challenging the regulations. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had temporarily blocked a previous ruling last Saturday that sided with Florida officials, but the court reversed that decision on Friday, explaining that the CDC failed to demonstrate an entitlement to a stay pending appeal. Last weekend’s temporary stay had kept the CDC regulations regarding Florida-based cruise ships in place while the CDC appeals the Tampa judge’s June decision.
July 24, 2021 4:35 am
MIAMI (AP) – Firefighters have officially ended their search for bodies in the debris of the collapsed Surfside condo building. The decision concludes a month of painstaking work removing layers of dangerous debris that were once piled several stories high. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s urban search-and-rescue team pulled away from the disaster site Friday in a convoy of firetrucks and other vehicles, slowly driving to their headquarters for the announcement. The June 24 collapse at the oceanside tower killed 97 people, with at least one missing person yet to be identified. The site has been mostly swept flat and the rubble moved to a Miami warehouse.
July 24, 2021 4:33 am
BLY, Ore. (AP) – Out-of-state crews are heading to Montana to battle a blaze that injured five firefighters as the West struggles with a series of fires that have ravaged rural lands and destroyed homes. Authorities say progress is being made on the nation’s largest blaze, the Bootleg Fire in Oregon, but less than half of it has been contained and thousands of homes remain threatened. Meanwhile, crews from California and Utah are coming to Montana where five firefighters were injured Thursday as they worked the Devil’s Creek blaze near the town of Jordan. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for four northern counties because of wildfires that he said were causing “conditions of extreme peril.”
July 24, 2021 4:32 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Nancy Pelosi and Liz Cheney have the most unlikely of partnerships. The two longtime political adversaries have joined forces to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Pelosi tapped Cheney to join the committee that will hold its first hearing next week. Rarely has there been a meeting of the minds like this – two of the strongest women on Capitol Hill, partisans at opposite ends of the political divide. They share a belief that the truth about the insurrection must come out and those responsible held accountable
July 24, 2021 4:29 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — There has been an increase in violence in recent months in the South Side, including shootings and fights. Also, as more people return to the area following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, sidewalks have become more crowded and more people are walking into streets, leading to some instances in which people have been hit by cars. Police are now investigating a deadly shooting in the South Side Slopes, hours after a violent night rocked a different part of the neighborhood. According to police, after the shooting, a friend of the victim started to drive them to the hospital but stopped after seeing police patrolling the area. The friend then asked the officers for help. Unfortunately, after they tried to render aid, the victim died. Witnesses said this happened near a youth football game. Police said children as young as 12 are hanging out in the middle of the night along Carson Street. Police have increased patrols, as well as the presence of surveillance cameras. Spotlights have also been added to improve lighting in the area. In addition, there have been talks about setting up a police substation in the South Side. Public safety officials said bars and restaurants are cooperating. Public safety leaders said they’re concerned the violence could worsen in the coming weeks when colleges go back, as many bars and restaurants in Oakland are closed.
July 24, 2021 3:56 am
The Washington County Commissioners tasked their Elections Review Committee to make a recommendation to them as to whether the county should entertain the possibility of auditing past elections specifically the 2020 Presidential election. The committee voted 7-4 against recommending an audit. Nearly 100 people, the vast majority Democrats, turned out to witness the two and a half hour meeting and offer their opinions on the possibility of an audit. Committee Chairman Dave Ball, Chairman of the county Republican Party worked hard to make the audience understand that a forensic audit turning over voting machines and ballots to a third party was not what was being discussed. What was being discussed was third party review of processes employed by the county during elections. The meeting nearly got out of control with audience allegations of voter suppression and illegal aliens voting before sheriff’s deputies were brought in. Once discussion began, several committee members said they were caught by surprise that a request for proposal for a third party audit was being discussed. Chairman Ball stated that the committee should be looking for ways to improve on an already stellar voting performance. Committee member Peter Marcoline wondered aloud what the problems with elections were, or was the committee looking to spend money trying to find a problem. New committee member Ashley Duff presented the committee several pages of research that she performed indicating voter fraud and held out for a full forensic audit and hoped the decision would be tabled until the committee had time to digest her presentation.
July 24, 2021 1:42 am
Another chapter in the battle between Washington County officials and some row officers. Washington County President Judge John DiSalle issued a five-page order Thursday threatening to hold Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans Court James Roman in contempt. The order claims the office “has failed to maintain accurate and up to date docket, scanned images of filings, orderly physical files and timely (or actual) service of decrees and/or orders.” The order focuses on adoption cases says ‘the failure to carry out this statutory duty is causing harm to adopted children and their families.” Judge DiSalle says the court has received numerous complaints “among judicial officers, staff, and members of the Bar.” Back in January, the court issued an administrative order to the office setting procedures for offices including; hours of operation and regulations for timely processing of filings. Earlier this month, Judge DiSalle threatened to hold Clerk of Courts Brenda Davis in contempt if her office did not follow his orders to ‘cooperate fully and in good faith to ensure a successful transition of collection functions’ with the Adult Probation Office.
July 23, 2021 4:12 pm
A 15 year old boy has been arrested in connection with the early morning shooting of three men that occurred at 18th and Carson Streets on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Our news partner WPXI states that the 15 year old boy is from Clairton and will be charged as an adult. He remains unidentified. He will face charges of criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault, gun offenses, criminal mischief and recklessly endangering another person. One of the victims remains in critical condition the other two men are in serious condition.
July 23, 2021 3:54 pm
DETROIT (AP) – General Motors is recalling some older Chevrolet Bolts for a second time to fix persistent battery problems that can set the electric cars ablaze. Until repairs are done, GM says owners should park the cars outdoors and limit charging to 90% of battery capacity. They also should not deplete batteries below 70 miles of range. GM says the Bolts should not be charged overnight, and should be parked outside immediately after they are charged. The second recall comes after two Bolts that had been fixed under a previous recall caught fire. It covers about 69,000 Bolts worldwide from 2017, 2018 and part of the 2019 model year. GM says it’s still working on repairs but it’s likely battery parts will be replaced.
