November 17, 2020 4:12 am
ATLANTA (AP) – President-elect Joe Biden is drawing from the senior ranks of his campaign to fill out an increasingly diverse White House leadership team. People familiar with Biden’s initial decisions have confirmed that former campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon will serve as a deputy chief of staff, while campaign co-chair Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond and campaign adviser Steve Ricchetti will play senior roles in the new administration. Those familiar with the decisions were not authorized to disclose internal discussions ahead of a formal staffing announcement expected for Tuesday. Late last week, Biden tapped former senior campaign adviser Ron Klain to serve as his chief of staff.
November 17, 2020 4:11 am
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) – President-elect Joe Biden is warning of dire consequences if President Donald Trump and his administration continue to refuse to coordinate with his transition team on the coronavirus pandemic and block briefings on national security, policy issues and vaccine plans. The remarks Monday marked Biden’s toughest to date on Trump’s failure to acknowledge his election loss and cooperate with the incoming administration for a peaceful transfer of power. Biden told reporters during a news conference in Delaware: “More people may die if we don’t coordinate.”
November 17, 2020 4:07 am
The Peters Township School Board met Monday night and much of the meeting was business as usual. The board was updated on the progress of the new high school building and the schedule says that all will be ready for when students return after their Christmas Break. The board also adopted their Extracurricular Health and Safety Plan for the winter season. The plan was adopted by a 7-2 vote. At issue was the classification of high risk sports and should the district participate in those sports. Wrestling was the sport that caused most concern. Building closures continue in the district as well. The high school is currently closed due to coronavirus cases. It was scheduled to open on November 20. Four new cases were disclosed on Monday and the district issued parents an email on Monday evening stating that the high school will be closed until December 1. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Michael Fisher is the district’s pandemic coordinator and he states that Washington County’s current shift from moderate to substantial in its percent positive rating of community spread causes stricter guidance on building closures. Fisher says the district strictly follows Department of Health guidelines for building closures and parents are notified as each case in each building is discovered.
November 16, 2020 3:48 pm
LONDON (AP) – A new study by researchers at Oxford University suggests that time spent playing video games can be good for mental health. The paper released Monday is based on survey responses from people who played two games, Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In a first, the study used data provided by the game makers, Electronic Arts and Nintendo of America, on how much time the respondents spent playing, unlike previous research that relied on imprecise estimates from the players. The researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute said they found the actual amount of time spent playing was a small but significant positive factor in people’s well-being.
November 16, 2020 3:42 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – Close to 90,000 sex abuse claims have been filed against the Boy Scouts of America as the deadline arrived for submitting claims in the organization’s bankruptcy case. The number filed by Monday far exceeds initial projections of lawyers who have been signing up clients since the Boy Scouts filed for bankruptcy protection in February in the face of hundreds of lawsuits alleging decades-old sex abuse by Scout leaders. Eventually, the proceedings in federal bankruptcy court will lead to the creation of a compensation fund to pay settlements to abuse survivors whose claims are upheld. The potential size of the compensation fund isn’t yet known and will be negotiated.
November 16, 2020 3:28 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – Sinbad is recovering from a stroke. The family of the comedian-actor has shared that news in a statement to The Associated Press. The statement doesn’t say when or where it happened – or what Sinbad’s current condition is. But it says he is “beginning his road to recovery” – and his family is “faithful and optimistic” that he will bring laughter into their hearts again soon. Sinbad, born David Adkins, is 64. He’s known for his work as a stand-up comedian and for appearances in the TV sitcom “A Different World” and in several movies.
November 16, 2020 7:39 am
There’s more promising news on the COVID-19 vaccine front as Moderna says its shot provides strong protection against the coronavirus. Monday’s announcement comes a week after a competitor, Pfizer, revealed its own vaccine to be similarly effective. The announcements come as the virus surges in the U.S. and around the world. Moderna said of 95 infections so far in its 30,000-person study, all but five were in people who got dummy shots. Both Moderna and Pfizer are on track to seek permission for emergency use in the U.S. within weeks. Still, initial supplies will be limited and rationed.
November 16, 2020 6:45 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – President Donald Trump’s campaign is withdrawing a central part of its lawsuit seeking to stop the certification of the election results in Pennsylvania. Democrat Joe Biden captured the state to help win the White House. Ahead of a Tuesday hearing in the case, Trump’s campaign dropped the allegation that hundreds of thousands of mail-in and absentee ballots were illegally processed without its representatives watching. The campaign’s slimmed-down lawsuit was filed in federal court on Sunday. It maintains its claim that Democratic voters were treated more favorably than Republican voters in fixing mail-in ballots that were going to be disqualified for a technicality.
November 16, 2020 4:33 am
(AP) – Michigan has joined Washington and several other states in announcing renewed efforts to combat the coronavirus as more than 11 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported in the United States. The most recent million came in less than a week, and as many Americans prepare to observe a Thanksgiving holiday marked by the pandemic. The latest actions also follow grim milestones passed by Texas and California last week as the states each marked more than 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases. Health experts and officials across the nation are now cautioning people to forego or revise gatherings and holiday travel plans as celebrations approach.
November 16, 2020 4:31 am
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – SpaceX’s second crew includes two military officers who played college football, a former space shuttle flight controller and a longtime Scout from Japan. The four astronauts blasted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday night, riding atop a SpaceX Falcon rocket. They should reach the International Space Station late Monday for a five- to six-month stay. The launch follows SpaceX’s shorter test flight with two pilots by just a few months. The flight kicks off regular crew rotations at the space station from the U.S.
