January 4, 2021 4:21 am
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Court documents show that a Wisconsin pharmacist told police he tried to ruin hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine because he believed the shots would mutate people’s DNA. Police in Grafton, about 20 miles north of Milwaukee, arrested Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist Steven Brandenburg last week following an investigation into the 57 spoiled vials of the Moderna vaccine. Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol said during a virtual hearing Monday that Brandenburg believed the vaccine was unsafe. Detectives say in court documents that Brandenburg was an admitted conspiracy theorist. Health experts say there is no truth to claims that the vaccines can genetically modify humans.
January 4, 2021 4:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration will include a “virtual parade across America” consistent with crowd limits during the coronavirus era. Following the swearing-in ceremony on Inauguration Day on Jan. 20 on the west front of the U.S. Capitol, Biden and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, will join Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband in participating in a socially distanced Pass in Review on the Capitol’s opposite front side, organizer said Sunday. Those are military traditions where Biden will review the readiness of military troops. Biden will also receive a traditional presidential escort from 15th Street to the White House that will be socially distanced. Organizers said the virtual parade will be designed to let people across the nation participate.
January 4, 2021 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – With mounting desperation, President Donald Trump is calling on Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden. Trump is whipping up support ahead of a joint session of Congress this week to confirm the Electoral College vote. But more and more Republicans are turning against him. Many current and former officials, including all living former defense secretaries, are saying the time to dispute the election “has passed.” The unprecedented attempt to overturn the presidential election is splitting the Republican Party. It’s unclear the extent to which GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesday’s joint session, which could drag into the night.
January 4, 2021 4:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is heard on tape pleading with Georgia’s election chief to overturn Joe Biden’s win in the state, suggesting in a telephone call that the official “find” enough votes to hand Trump the victory. The conversation was the latest step in an unprecedented effort by a sitting American president to reverse the outcome of a free and fair election that he lost. The Associated Press obtained a copy of a recording of Trump’s conversation with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Trump tells Raffensperger at one point that he wants him to “find” 11,780 votes for Trump. Georgia previously certified that Democratic President-elect Biden won the state by 11,779 votes.
January 4, 2021 4:14 am
WHITE OAK, Pa. — After three weeks, restaurant owners were finally allowed to reopen their doors for indoor dining at 8 a.m. Monday. They are limited to 25% capacity or 50% capacity if they complete an online certification. The online certification is basically a form that indicates they will follow all COVID-19 guidelines set forth by the state, city or county. This includes social distancing and mask-wearing. Alcohol still can’t be served without a meal, and alcohol sales must stop at 11 p.m.
January 4, 2021 4:11 am
ERIE, Pa. (AP) – Prosecutors in northwestern Pennsylvania are expected to begin a review this week of the state police investigation into a shooting death at a gun range three days before Christmas. The Erie Times-News reports that Erie County District Attorney Jack Daneri said last week that police investigators were getting all of their reports and videotaped interviews of witnesses to his office, and a review was anticipated during the first week of January. State police said earlier that a man firing shots at the State Gamelands gun range in Greene Township on Dec. 22 began firing at another man and was then shot to death by a third man.
January 4, 2021 2:16 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania Turnpike officials are reminding drivers that toll increases went into effect this past weekend along with a hefty surcharge on non-EZ-Pass users. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in July approved a 6% increase to begin Sunday for EZ-Pass users as well for those without passes in the “Toll by Plate” program. They also approved a 45% surcharge on people whose tolls are assessed by mail based on their license plates. Under the Toll by Plate option, high-speed cameras capture license-plate images as vehicles pass by. The registered owner then receives an invoice for trips made through the tolling point.
January 4, 2021 2:01 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — U.S. Senator Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, blasted his fellow GOP Senators opposing certification of the 2020 presidential election. In a statement released over the weekend, he said “A fundamental, defining feature of a democratic republic is the right of the people to elect their own leaders. The effort by Senators Hawley, Cruz, and others to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in swing states like Pennsylvania directly undermines this right. The senators justify their intent by observing that there have been many allegations of fraud. But allegations of fraud by a losing campaign cannot justify overturning an election. They fail to acknowledge that these allegations have been adjudicated in courtrooms across America and were found to be unsupported by evidence.” “I acknowledge that this past election, like all elections, had irregularities. But the evidence is overwhelming that Joe Biden won this election.” “I voted for President Trump and endorsed him for re-election. But, on Wednesday, I intend to vigorously defend our form of government by opposing this effort to disenfranchise millions of voters in my state and others.” Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and 10 other senators are planning to fight the Electoral College results unless an audit commission is appointed.
January 3, 2021 8:14 am
Before he blew himself up in a Christmas Day attack that devastated blocks of downtown Nashville, Anthony Warner sent materials about his views to people he knew, federal investigators said Saturday. In a statement to The Associated Press, FBI Special Agent Jason Pack said authorities are “aware the suspect sent materials which espoused his viewpoints to several acquaintances throughout the country.” Authorities have said Warner, 63, was responsible for the explosion, which damaged dozens of buildings and injured several people. Officials have not released a motive. Pack did not release additional details about what the packages from Warner contained but he urged anyone who may have received material from Warner to contact the FBI at 800-CALL-FBI.
January 3, 2021 8:12 am
HELSINKI (AP) — Rescue teams searching for survivors four days after a landslide carried away homes in a Norwegian village found no signs of life Saturday amid the ruined buildings and debris. Three bodies have been recovered but searchers are still looking for seven more people believed to be missing. The landslide in the village of Ask is the worst in modern Norwegian history and has shocked citizens in the Nordic nation. Search teams patrolled with dogs as helicopters and drones with heat-detecting cameras flew amid harsh winter conditions over the ravaged hillside in Ask, a village of 5,000 people 25 kilometers (16 miles) northeast of Oslo. Norwegian police pledged not to scale down the search even though a rescue team from neighboring Sweden has already returned home.
