December 23, 2020 4:40 am
The Greater Washington County Food Bank wants residents to know that they are not closing their doors and will continue their mission of the past 35 years to feed those in need. The organization, Tuesday, released a detailed response to the recent move by Washington County Commissioners to remove $280,000 of federal and state food aid and re-allocate it with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to oversee administration and distribution of food products. Commissioner’s Chairman Diana Irey-Vaughn and fellow Republican Nick Sherman voted in favor of the move. Democrat Larry Maggi voted against. Irey-Vaughn and Sherman say they were responding to recent complaints and the consolidation of numerous food pantries within the Greater Washington COunty Food Bank. They call the commissioner’s move another ‘obstacle’ in a year that has seen them distribute three times as much food as normal. A transition meeting with the Pittsburgh Food Bank is to occur in the coming weeks.
December 23, 2020 4:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The coordinator of the White House coronavirus response says she plans to retire. But first, Dr. Deborah Birx says, she’s willing to help President-elect Joe Biden’s team with its coronavirus response if needed. Birx in an interview with the news site Newsy did not give a specific timetable on her plans. Her comments come just days after The Associated Press reported that she traveled out of state for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was urging Americans to forgo holiday travel. She says the scrutiny she’s come under in her job has been a “bit overwhelming.”
December 23, 2020 4:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. government is close to a deal with Pfizer to acquire tens of millions of additional vaccine doses in exchange for helping the pharmaceutical giant gain better access to manufacturing supplies. A person with knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press that the deal is under discussion but has not been finalized. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations. Pfizer’s vaccine was the first to gain approval from the Food and Drug Administration, and initial shipments went to states last week. It has since been joined by another vaccine, from Moderna.
December 23, 2020 4:08 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – California’s health care system is buckling under the strain of the nation’s largest coronavirus outbreak and authorities say it may fracture in weeks if people ignore holiday social distancing. Top executives from the state’s largest hospital systems said Tuesday that increasingly exhausted staff are now attending to COVID-19 patients stacked up in hallways and conference rooms. California is closing in on 2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. The state on Tuesday reported nearly 32,700 newly confirmed cases. Nearly 700 more patients were admitted to hospitals – one of the biggest one-day hospitalization jumps. Authorities blame the surge on people ignoring social distancing rules for Thanksgiving and they’re begging people to be safe for Christmas.
December 23, 2020 4:07 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has pardoned 15 people, including Republican allies, a 2016 campaign official ensnared in the Russia probe and former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad. Trump commuted the sentences of five others. The acts of clemency announced Tuesday night include pardons for former Republican Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and Chris Collins of New York and a commutation for former Rep. Steve Stockman of Texas. Trump also announced a pardon for George Papadopoulos, his 2016 campaign adviser whose conversation unwittingly helped trigger the Russia investigation that shadowed Trump’s presidency for nearly two years.
December 23, 2020 4:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is threatening to torpedo Congress’ massive pandemic relief package in the midst of a raging pandemic and deep economic uncertainty. He’s suddenly demanding changes fellow Republicans have opposed, like a huge jump in the $600 payments planned for most Americans. Trump assailed the bipartisan $900 billion package in a video he tweeted out Tuesday night, and suggested he may not sign it. He said the bill would deliver too much money to foreign countries, but not enough to Americans. The House and Senate cleared the package by lopsided votes, enough to override a veto should Trump decide to take that step.
December 23, 2020 4:03 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf is giving a mixed review of Congress’ newly passed pandemic relief package, as Philadelphia extended its coronavirus restrictions affecting indoor dining, in-person instruction at colleges and other activities. Also Tuesday, the state Department of Health reported 231 new deaths caused by the coronavirus, as hospitalizations continue to rise. Wolf says the $900 billion in federal aid will provide vital support for people, small businesses and efforts to combat the virus. But, he says it lacks direct aid to state and local governments trying to prop up crucial services, while more aid is needed for a hard-hit service industry and for individuals and families.
December 23, 2020 4:02 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court says police must have probable cause as well as “exigent circumstances” in order to legally search a vehicle without a warrant. The divided court ruling Tuesday was based on an analysis that the state constitution’s privacy protections are greater than the U.S. Constitution’s. The court overruled its own 2014 decision that probable cause alone was sufficient, given that vehicles are inherently mobile. Four Democrats voted for the more rigorous search standard, while the court’s two Republicans and one Democrat dissented. The dissenters argued the 2014 ruling should remain in place.
December 23, 2020 4:00 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Police are investigating a scene in Brighton Heights where a man’s body was found wrapped in plastic on the front steps of a duplex. Officers were at the home on California Avenue in connection with a missing person’s case. When they got there, they discovered the body. “When officers arrive to the door they noticed an object wrapped in plastic near the front door,” said Pittsburgh Public Safety Public Information Officer Maurice Matthews. “Officers looked and discovered it was a deceased body. Officers then did a protective sweep inside of the house where they found a woman hiding in the basement.” The woman was taken into custody for questioning. Police would not say which missing person case led them to the home on California Avenue, or if they think the body was brought to the home after the man died or was wrapped in plastic at the home. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating.
December 23, 2020 2:45 am
The Washington Health System received their first shipment of the Pfizer corona virus vaccine on Monday. At 7 a.m. Tuesday they administered their first dose. The first person to receive the vaccine was Joseph (J.T.) Sciascia. He is the nurse manager of the Washington Hospital Emergency Department. As of 2 p.m. J.T. said he was feeling great. He also said that “it is an honor to be a small part of history and experience the advances of modern medicine first hand.”
