September 4, 2021 4:56 am
(WPXI) – Two new studies from the University of Pittsburgh reveal this flu season could be particularly bad. “There was a dramatic decrease in the number of influenza cases last season because of all protection measures we did to prevent COVID-19 and that has the potential to dramatically increase the cases this coming season,” said Pitt scientist Dr. Mark Roberts. Last year, the flu was almost non-existent. According to the Allegheny County Health Department, there were about 300 cases, one hospitalization and one death from the flu. For comparison, there were more than 13,000 cases, 177 hospitalizations and 15 deaths the year before. “This is a real problem. This is the potential for the ‘twin-demic,’ the pandemic of both the increase in COVID-19 from the delta variant and the potential dramatic increase in influenza,” Roberts said. The studies are hopeful, however. The research showed that if there’s a 20% to 50% increase in people getting the flu shot, it can help keep them out of the hospital.
September 4, 2021 4:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin says Congress should hit a “strategic pause” on more spending. The West Virginia Democrat said Thursday he does not support President Joe Biden’s plans for a sweeping $3.5 trillion effort to rebuild the economy. Manchin’s comments, in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, would deny his party a crucial vote in the evenly split Senate. His remarks come as lawmakers are laboring behind the scenes to draft the legislation ahead of this month’s deadlines. He cited inflation, national security and other concerns in suggesting they hit pause “instead of rushing to spend trillions on new government programs.”
September 4, 2021 4:53 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Republican leader of the state Senate and a group of parents have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Wolf administration’s new mask mandate for Pennsylvania schools. The suit was filed Friday in Commonwealth Court. It asserts that Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam failed to comply with state law when she ordered masks to be worn in all Pennsylvania public and private schools, as well as child care facilities. That order is scheduled to take effect Tuesday. Wolf’s spokesperson dismissed what she called the GOP’s “effort at undermining public heath.”
September 4, 2021 4:50 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — (WPXI) – A Washington County woman pleaded guilty Thursday to keeping her developmentally disabled adult sister in a wooden cage with a dirty mattress and little to no medical care. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s Office said Leona Biser was sentenced to up to 23 months in prison followed by two years probation. Biser’s sister, Loretta Lancaster, was found by agents in November 2019 locked in a “small, dirty wooden cage in the living room of the family home.” When confronted about her sister’s condition, Biser said she was her primary caretaker since the death of their mother in 2018. Biser was wanted at one point for failing to show up to a court hearing last year.
September 4, 2021 4:50 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The most sought-after endorsement in Pennsylvania’s wide-open Republican primary for U.S. Senate went early to Sean Parnell. But the backing of former President Donald Trump isn’t clearing the field for Parnell and it’s yet to be seen whether Trump will campaign for or help him raise money. Trump’s endorsement, issued Wednesday afternoon, came early in the race, nearly nine months before next May’s primary in what is expected to be one of the nation’s most competitive Senate contests next year. No poll shows Parnell has established substantial name recognition with voters. Polling shows no clear leader and Parnell’s fundraising numbers through June 30 were uninspiring.
September 4, 2021 4:43 am
PHOENIX (AP) – An Arizona man who sported face paint, no shirt and a furry hat with horns when he joined the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 pleaded guilty Friday to a felony charge. Jacob Chansley is now seeking release from jail while he awaits sentencing. Chansley was among the first wave of pro-Trump rioters to force its way into the Capitol building and was widely photographed in the Senate chamber with a flagpole topped with a spear. A prosecutor estimated Chansley would face 41 to 51 months in prison under sentencing guidelines. He has been jailed for nearly eight months since his arrest.
September 3, 2021 4:24 am
MIAMI (AP) – Florida is reporting its deadliest peak since the pandemic began, surpassing previous coronavirus surges in the state. Data provided to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that at least eight days in August have produced more daily deaths than at the last peak in August 2020. The typical lag times in the reporting of deaths means the true toll of the pandemic can take weeks to come to light. The figures show the seven-day average in daily deaths reached 244 last month, as compared with their highest previous rate of 227 in August 2020. The numbers for mid to late August of this year could still rise as the Florida Department of Health reports more data to the federal government.
September 3, 2021 4:22 am
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Almost instantly after most abortions were banned in Texas, Democrats were decrying the new law as unconstitutional, an assault on women’s health that must be challenged. But the reaction from many Republicans on the other side hasn’t been nearly as emphatic. Wary of political backlash, a number of GOP candidates and officeholders are minimizing the meaning of the Supreme Court’s Wednesday midnight decision that allowed the bill to take effect. A few are even slamming the court and the law. Polls show a solid majority of Americans favor at least some basic access to abortion.
September 3, 2021 4:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – America’s employers added just 235,000 jobs in August, a surprisingly weak gain after two months of robust hiring. The number reported by the Labor Department Friday fell far short of the roughly 940,000 that employers had added in each of the previous two months, when widespread vaccinations allowed the economy to fully reopen from pandemic restrictions. Still, the number of job openings remains at record levels, and hiring is expected to stay solid in the coming months. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.2% from 5.4% in July.
September 3, 2021 4:19 am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) – Fire crews are taking advantage of decreasing winds to battle a California wildfire near Lake Tahoe but dry weather and a weekend warming trend mean the battle is far from over. The Caldor Fire remains only a few miles from South Lake Tahoe, which was emptied of 22,000 residents days ago, along with casinos and shops across the state line in Nevada. However, fire crews say they’re steadily carving out fire lines and making progress as gusty winds ease. However, the fire danger continues because of extremely dry weather Friday and a warming trend expected over the weekend.
