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.
October 19, 2020 4:20 am
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) – President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden have been on offense, with each campaigning in states they’re trying to flip during the Nov. 3 election that’s just over two weeks away. Trump began Sunday in Nevada, making a rare visit to church before an evening rally in Carson City. Nevada was once considered a battleground, but the state hasn’t swung for a Republican presidential contender since 2004.áBiden attended Mass in Delaware before flying to North Carolina. A Democratic presidential candidate hasn’t won North Carolina since Barack Obama in 2008.
October 19, 2020 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – New virus relief will have to wait until after the November election. Congress is past the point at which it can deliver more coronavirus aid soon, with differences between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Republicans and President Donald Trump proving insurmountable. Trump’s Republican allies are reconvening the Senate this week to vote on a virus proposal, but it’s a bill that failed once before, and that Trump himself now derides as too puny. Once the measure fails, Republicans plan to turn the chamber’s full attention to confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
October 19, 2020 4:15 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s Legislature and governor are facing a deadline at the end of November to finish the state’s partial budget and plug a multibillion-dollar funding hole. The budget that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf signed in May was incomplete by design. It was passed amid uncertainty about the scale of federal support and the pandemic’s effect on revenues and costs. The $25.8 billion deal included just five months of funding for many governmental functions and programs. That five-month period runs out on Nov. 30, the last day of the two-year legislative session.
October 19, 2020 4:13 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – An appellate court judge in Pennsylvania has turned down an emergency petition from Republicans seeking to block the Philadelphia suburb of Delaware County from operating a three-day early voting center in the city of Chester. Commonwealth Court Judge Kevin Brobson, in a decision Friday night, wrote that a county judge had reasonable grounds to reject the emergency petition. Pennsylvania is a key battleground state in the contest between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. The voting center began operating Friday in the predominantly Black and Democratic city of Chester. The county’s solicitor, William Martin, called the litigation a baseless attempt at voter suppression.
October 19, 2020 4:12 am
DUNBAR TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI)- A car slammed into the side of a daycare in Fayette County on Sunday. The entire car ended up inside Desirae’s Playland Daycare on Dunbar Road in Dunbar Township. No one was hurt. State police are investigating the cause of the crash.
