October 20, 2020 2:14 am
ERIE, Pa. (AP) – Dozens of Pennsylvania doctors have called on President Donald Trump to cancel his Erie campaign rally on Tuesday night, citing the rising number of coronavirus cases in the state. A letter signed by more than 75 physicians from around the state said such campaign events endanger public health and give a false impression that the coronavirus is “no longer with us.” The doctors also raised concerns about what they claimed was Trump spreading misinformation about the virus. If Trump does not cancel the rally, the doctors urged people not to attend.
October 19, 2020 3:34 pm
MIAMI (AP) – Tropical Storm Epsilon has formed in the central Atlantic, the latest in what has been a very active hurricane season. The storm has maximum sustained winds near 40 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says additional strengthening is expected and Epsilon is forecast to be at or near hurricane strength by early Thursday. The storm is centered about 735 miles southeast of Bermuda and is currently stationary. This year’s hurricane season has had so many storms that the Hurricane Center has turned to the Greek alphabet for storm names after running out of official names.
October 19, 2020 3:19 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – Six Russian military officers sought to disrupt through computer hacking the French election, the Winter Olympics and U.S. businesses. That’s according to a Justice Department indictment unsealed Monday that details attacks on a broad range of political, financial and athletic targets. The indictment also accuses the defendants, all alleged officers in the Russian military agency known as the GRU, in destructive attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and in a hack-and-leak effort directed at the political party of French President Emmanuel Macron during the 2017 election. The indictment does not charge the defendants in connection with interference in American elections.
October 19, 2020 3:17 pm
LAS VEGAS (AP) – President Donald Trump is trying to buck up his campaign staffers two weeks from Election Day as he campaigns in the West. He’s also dismissing the cautionary coronavirus advice of his scientific experts as well as polling that shows him trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden across key battleground states. Trump said during a conference call with campaign aides on Monday that he believes he’s going to win, allowing that he didn’t have that same sense of confidence two weeks ago when he was hospitalized with COVID-19. Trump blasted his government’s own scientists for their criticism of his handling of the coronavirus and called Dr. Anthony Fauci “a disaster.” (Photo: CNN)
October 19, 2020 2:56 pm
(AP) – Monday is the last day in Pennsylvania to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election in which the presidential battleground state is playing a central role in the contest between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. Voter registration in Pennsylvania has hit a record high in this cycle, and as of Friday, the latest statistics available, voter rolls were about 17,000 short of hitting 9 million. That includes nearly 4.2 million Democrats and nearly 3.5 million Republicans. Democrats continue to hold a substantial registration edge, but Republicans have narrowed the gap by about 200,000 from 2016’s presidential election to about 700,000 now.
October 19, 2020 7:50 am
A two vehicle crash closed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 in South Strabane Township Monday morning. The crash occurred just before 6 a.m. at mile-marker 21.5 near the south junction to Interstate 79. The crash involved a truck and a car. There has been no word on injuries. Unconfirmed reports said the driver of the truck got out on his own and several people were reportedly in the car. Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers say Hazmat crews were called to the scene because of a diesel fuel spill. Traffic finally began moving again eastbound just after 9 a.m.
October 19, 2020 4:24 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Twitter has blocked a post from an adviser to President Donald Trump who suggested that masks do not work to stop the spread of coronavirus. Scott Atlas joined the White House in August as a science adviser. He had tweeted “Masks work? NO.” The post said widespread use of masks is not supported. It was blocked Sunday. A Twitter spokesperson says the tweet violated a company policy that prohibits sharing false or misleading misinformation about COVID-19. In such cases, Twitter disables the account until its owner deletes the post in question. Atlas called Twitter’s action censorship.
October 19, 2020 4:23 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Liam Neeson’s thriller “Honest Thief” stole the top spot at the box office in yet another quiet weekend of moviegoing. The Open Roads Films movie brought in $3.7 million in North America the weekend of its U.S. debut. The film starring Neeson as a notorious bank robber who turns himself in but was double crossed by two FBI agents, opened in Canada last week. According to the studio, the film played well in markets including Miami, Chicago, San Diego and Atlanta. “Honest Thief” overtook “The War with Grandpa,” which claimed No. 1 last week. Despite coming in second, the comedy starring Robert De Niro earned $2.5 million, and garnered $7.3 million domestically in 10 days.
October 19, 2020 4:22 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Police unions nationwide have largely supported President Donald Trump’s reelection, amid mass demonstrations over police brutality and accusations of systemic racism. But a number of Black law enforcement officers are speaking out against those endorsements, saying their concerns over entering the 2020 political fray were ignored. Trump has touted his support from the law enforcement community, tapping into a strain of anger and frustration by law enforcement who believe they are being unfairly accused of racial discrimination. He’s received endorsements from national, city and state officers’ unions, but minority officers say those don’t reflect their voices.
October 19, 2020 4:21 am
BEIJING (AP) – China’s shaky economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is gaining strength as consumers return to shopping malls and auto dealerships while the United States and Europe endure painful contractions. Official data show the world’s second-largest economy expanded by 4.9% over a year ago in the latest quarter. Retail spending rebounded to above pre-virus levels for the first time and factory output rose, boosted by demand for exports of masks and other medical supplies. China, where the pandemic began in December, became the first major economy to return to growth after the ruling Communist Party declared the disease under control in March and began reopening factories, shops and offices.
