December 1, 2020 4:23 am
New research shows students have fallen behind in math since the pandemic disrupted school, while most are progressing at a normal pace in reading. The findings released Tuesday by the not-for-profit NWEA show that, compared to last year, students in grades 3-8 scored considerably lower on standardized math tests this fall. áEnglish language arts scores were largely the same. But the researchers caution they may be underestimating the pandemic’s impact on minority and economically disadvantaged students. That is because a sizable number of those students were missing this fall when the standardized testing was done.
December 1, 2020 4:22 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Some establishment Republicans are sounding alarms that President Donald Trump’s conspiratorial denials of his own defeat could threaten the party’s ability to win a Senate majority and counter President-elect Joe Biden’s administration. The concerns come ahead of Trump’s planned Saturday visit to Georgia to campaign alongside Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. They face strong Democratic challengers in Jan. 5 runoffs that will determine which party controls the Senate. Republicans uniformly acknowledge Trump as the GOP’s biggest turnout driver. But some Republicans worry of potential fallout should Trump use the platform to amplify his baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud.
December 1, 2020 4:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Dr. Scott Atlas, a science adviser to President Donald Trump who was skeptical of measures to control the coronavirus outbreak, is leaving his White House post. A White House official confirmed that the Stanford University neuroradiologist, who had no formal experience in public health or infectious diseases, resigned at the end of his temporary government assignment. Atlas confirmed the news in a Monday evening tweet. Atlas joined the White House this summer, where he clashed with top government scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, as he resisted stronger efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 267,000 Americans.
December 1, 2020 4:18 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s governor is rejecting a bill that would have made it harder to sue schools, health care providers and other businesses for coronavirus-related claims. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the measure Monday. Wolf argues its liability protections were so broad the legislation would have invited “the potential for carelessness and a disregard for public safety.” The bill passed both chambers with mostly Republican support and Democratic opposition. It would have applied to cases of exposure to the coronavirus during a governor-declared disaster emergency. Supporters argued the pandemic should not impose on businesses and others expensive or even ruinous litigation.
December 1, 2020 4:14 am
PITTSBURGH — Snow will impact your travel plans through the day Tuesday. A winter weather advisory went into effect at 1 a.m. Tuesday and will continue until 7 a.m. Wednesday. Gusty winds will make it feel even colder, with wind chills in the teens to low 20s throughout the day. Periods of snow will continue at times Tuesday, with a steady round of snow possible during the afternoon and evening commute. If you are headed out, allow extra time, and give road crews plenty of distance as they battle to get roads treated. Temperatures will fall below freezing again Tuesday night into early Wednesday causing melted snow to refreeze if not treated. Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers reported numerous accidents, mostly minor, throughout the county during the morning rush. State Police also reported several minor accidents on both Interstates 70 and 79. One crash did close a portion of Route 40 after a vehicle struck a utility pole at Beatty Lane in Beallsville. Two schools did close their buildings for the day; the McGuffey School District and Faith Christian School.
December 1, 2020 4:11 am
PITTSBURGH – (WPXI) – The Baltimore Ravens’ struggle to contain an extended outbreak of the coronavirus forced their rescheduled game Tuesday night against the unbeaten Steelers to be moved back to Wednesday afternoon. It’s the third fix to a matchup originally slated to be played Thanksgiving night. The game will be played at 3:40 p.m. Also, the Steelers’ home game in Week 13 against Washington has been moved from Sunday to Dec. 7 at 5 p.m. The Ravens home game against Dallas will be on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 8:05 p.m. on Fox and NFL Network. It was originally set for Thursday night, then moved to Dec. 7. Ravens-Steelers was moved back one more day for medical reasons, but now Baltimore gets some time for workouts. The NFL has permitted the Ravens to return to their facility on Monday night under doctors’ supervision, which is similar to what happened when the Tennessee Titans had a coronavirus outbreak earlier this season. The Titans got three days of workouts in that scenario.
November 30, 2020 5:16 pm
(WPXI) – The Steelers game against the Ravens has been postponed until Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported. This is the third time the game has been postponed. A day before the rescheduled game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens’ practice was cancelled Monday morning by the NFL, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. With snow forecasted in Pittsburgh Tuesday morning, Schefter also said in a tweet that the Ravens’ travel plans are “in flux.”
November 30, 2020 2:46 pm
(AP) – The TSA says nearly 1.2 million people went through U.S. airports on Sunday. That’s the highest number since the coronavirus pandemic gripped the country back in March. And the uptick came despite the pleadings of public health experts for people to stay home over Thanksgiving to limit further spreading the virus. The Transportation Security Administration screened at least 1 million people on four of the last 10 days through Sunday. But that’s still far lower than normal. Last year, airport crowds often topped 2 million people per day over the Thanksgiving period. (Photo: CNN)
November 30, 2020 9:33 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Joe Biden is unveiling the committee that will lead arrangements for his Jan. 20 inauguration. Biden is naming Delaware State University president Tony Allen to serve as CEO of his presidential inaugural committee. The inaugural committee works with Congress’ planning group around arrangements for the ceremony, and organizes inaugural balls and other events surrounding the swearing-in. The format of those events is up in the air amid the global coronavirus pandemic. In a statement Monday, the inaugural committee said it will prioritize “keeping people safe and preventing the spread of COVID-19 while engaging all Americans” in the festivities.
November 30, 2020 7:45 am
Moderna Inc. says it will ask U.S. and European regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine as new study results confirm the shots offer strong protection. Multiple vaccine candidates must succeed for the world to stamp out the coronavirus pandemic. Moderna is just behind Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech in seeking to begin vaccinations in the U.S. in December. The Massachusetts company revealed the new results Monday. It says of 196 COVID-19 cases so far in its huge U.S. study, only 11 were trial participants who received the real vaccine. Thirty people got severely ill, and all of them got the placebo.
