September 30, 2021 4:13 am
A second hospital in Alaska is beginning to ration health care as the state deals with a spike in coronavirus cases. Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp. in Bethel announced the move Wednesday as it reported it is operating at capacity. Rationing of care had already been imposed by Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, which is the state’s largest hospital. Coronavirus infections in Alaska have risen 42% in the last week. The president of the Bethel region hospital says it did everything possible to delay rationing but had to take the step. Hospital CEO Dan Winkelman is urging “every resident of the Yukon-Kuskokwim region to get vaccinated, wear a mask in indoor public areas, and social distance.” He warns that “this is our last stand against this virus.”
September 30, 2021 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. The votes will help avert one crisis, but efforts to stave off a second crisis seem likely to continue for the next couple of weeks as Democrats and Republicans dig in on a dispute over how to raise the government’s borrowing cap. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that failure to raise the debt limit will lead to a financial crisis and economic recession.
September 30, 2021 4:07 am
BURGETTSTOWN, Pa. — (WPXI) – If you’ve got tickets to an upcoming show at Star Lake, make sure you take your COVID-19 vaccination card or have proof you’ve tested negative. The venue announced the new rules on their website. Here’s the message in full:
“Starting October 4th, prior to entry into The Pavilion at Star Lake, ALL shows will require attendees to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of the event OR full COVID-19 vaccination (at least two weeks after final dose). Proof must be a PRINTED copy of a negative test result or vaccination, or the original vaccination card.”
September 30, 2021 2:31 am
All Allegheny County employees will be required to get a COVID-19 vaccination, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced Wednesday. Unvaccinated employees have until Dec. 1 to comply, subject to such exceptions as required by law. It’s the latest in an effort to promote the health and safety of Allegheny County’s workforce and to protect the public, Fitzgerald said in a news release. Employees will need to provide proof of vaccination to department management. While employees do not have to be considered fully vaccinated by Dec. 1, they will have to have received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or received the second dose of the two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, on or before Dec. 1st. On Dec. 2nd, anyone in violation of the requirement who does not meet any exception will face termination. Vaccinated employees who still get COVID-19 or have been ordered or directed to quarantine will also have an additional benefit of being provided 10 days of paid leave.
September 29, 2021 5:25 pm
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia’s largest outdoor festival has been canceled, a week after a group representing parachutists bailed out. The Bridge Day Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to cancel the Oct. 16 event on the New River Gorge Bridge. A parachutists’ group organizer last week cited concerns about available health care in case of an emergency because of the coronavirus pandemic. He also was concerned whether enough bus drivers would be available to transport the parachutists. Bridge Day is the only day of the year that the nation’s third-highest bridge is open to pedestrian traffic. Last year’s event in Fayetteville was canceled due to the pandemic.
September 29, 2021 4:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senior Pentagon officials say the collapse of the Afghan government and its security forces in August could be traced to a 2020 U.S. agreement with the Taliban that promised a complete U.S. troop withdrawal. Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of Central Command, told the House Armed Services Committee that once the U.S. troop presence was pushed below 2,500 as part of President Joe Biden’s decision in April to complete a total withdrawal by September, the unraveling of the U.S.-backed Afghan government accelerated. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he agreed with McKenzie’s analysis.
September 29, 2021 4:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden is hunkering down at the White House to try to strike a deal on his potentially historic $3.5 trillion government overhaul. Biden canceled a Wednesday trip to Chicago to keep negotiating with members of his own party. All eyes are turning to Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona to see what they can live with. Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated she may shelve a Thursday vote on a companion $1 trillion public works bill without movement on Biden’s package. As if that’s not enough, Congress has more votes set to prevent a federal shutdown and debt default.
September 29, 2021 4:06 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – It’s premiere time for the film academy’s long-awaited museum. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opens Thursday in Los Angeles. The project has been in the works for a decade and fulfills an idea nearly a century old. Visitors can see the ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” the sled from “Citizen Kane” and the droids from “Star Wars.” The featured inaugural exhibit is on the works of legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. One of the two buildings is topped by a glass dome that architect Renzo Piano hopes will lead to the nickname “The Soap Bubble.”
September 29, 2021 4:05 am
CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) – Dollar Tree, the national chain of stores that promises everything for a buck, will begin introducing items on its shelves that will exceed $1. The company said this week that it’s responding to customer requests and said pushing the $1 barrier will allow for a better mix of products. However, the change to prices at Dollar Tree, which have been unchanged for decades, comes with inflation rising above 4% in July. Prices have risen across the spectrum as the global economy emerges from the pandemic.
September 29, 2021 4:04 am
UNDATED (AP) – Video-sharing tech platform YouTube on Wednesday announced immediate bans on false claims that vaccines are dangerous and cause health issues like autism, cancer or infertility. áThe tech company also deleted the accounts belonging to some of the most notable propagators of vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories. The ban on vaccine misinformation extends to all approved immunizations and comes as countries, including the U.S., struggle to ramp up vaccination rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
