October 21, 2020 4:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Former President Barack Obama is returning to Philadelphia for his first in-person 2020 campaign event for Joe Biden. He’ll be speaking Wednesday at a drive-in rally, where supporters will listen to him over the radio inside their cars. The format underscores the challenge Democrats face in ginning up enthusiasm and getting out the vote in a year when they’ve eschewed big rallies in favor of small, socially distanced events. But Democrats say Obama remains one of the party’s greatest assets in the final stretch. Obama has already been helpful to the Biden campaign. He’s appeared at virtual fundraisers and encouraged young Americans to vote.
October 21, 2020 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s most powerful Senate ally is pressing the White House not to move ahead on a pandemic relief package. This, as talks inched forward. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told fellow Republicans that he has warned the White House not to divide Republicans by sealing a lopsided $2 trillion relief deal with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi before the election. Pelosi’s office says talks with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday were productive. But other veteran lawmakers say there is still too much work to do and not enough time to do it to enact a relief bill by Election Day.
October 21, 2020 4:08 am
Judge Gary Gilman continued two cases for men charged with felony assault. Apipat Vutipawat, 26 of Arlington, VA is charged with statutory sexual assault for having sex with a 14 year old girl in a North Strabane Township hotel. Gilman granted a continuance until December 2 so that DNA evidence due to arrive from the crime lab can be examined by both the DA’s office and the defense. Douglas Schrecengost, 37 of North Strabane Twp. had his case continued pending the acceptance of a plea deal by the victim. Schrecengost is accused of abusing a woman for several days and trying to set her on fire. He faces several charges including aggravated assault, arson and in a second case, interception of communications. Schrecengost’s case was continued until November 4.
October 21, 2020 4:07 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump on Tuesday abruptly ended an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” that is set to air this Sunday. Trump’s interview with Leslie Stahl ended acrimoniously, according to one person familiar with the exchange who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. In a subsequent Twitter message, the president declared his interview with Lesley Stahl to be “FAKE and BIASED” and threatened to release a White House account of the interview before its Sunday airtime. Trump’s Democratic rival, Joe Biden, sat for his own interview with the award-winning newsmagazine on Monday.
October 21, 2020 4:04 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. — (WPXI) – Just days after Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a bill that would have allowed restaurants and other businesses to return to full capacity despite the continued COVID-19 pandemic, the State House failed to override it. The bill, known as HB 2513, was passed in the State House of Representatives on Sept. 23. Under that bill, restaurants, bars, clubs and banquet halls could return to full capacity under each business’ discretion. In the governor’s veto, he said the bill would endanger public health and safety by allowing restaurants to open up to full capacity without regard for state and federal COVID-19 mitigation guidelines. Wolf also said in his letter to state representatives that removing the meal requirement for alcohol consumption “increases the likelihood of COVID-19 outbreaks” in Pa. After the governor vetoed the bill, it went back to state legislature where they need a two-thirds majority to override it. However, the chamber was two votes short of the required count (133-69). Tuesday marked the fourth time the Pa. State House failed to override the governor’s veto.
October 21, 2020 2:56 am
Two people charged with selling fatal overdoses of drugs appeared in plea court before Judge Gary Gilman. Nyieka Speeer, 26 of Canton Township is charged with selling a fatal overdose of morphine laced with fentanyl to 25 year old Sara Nicole Morrison Jones of Somerset Twp. In what appeared to be a tense misunderstanding between Speer and her public defender, Speer rejected the plea deal and asked for a trial but indicated that she wanted to seek different representation. Gilman scheduled a pre trial conference for December 4. A second case was continued for Robert Hayes. The 38 year old Washington man is also charged with selling fatal overdoses of cocaine laced with fentanyl to Brandon Howard and Joseph Francis, both of Washington. The public defender’s office asked for and was granted a continuance pending a plea deal from the district attorney. Hayes’ hearing is scheduled for November 4.
October 20, 2020 5:40 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is calling on Attorney General William Barr to launch an investigation of Democrat Joe Biden and his son Hunter, effectively demanding that the Justice Department muddy his political opponent and abandon the department’s historic resistance to getting involved in elections. Trump for the first time explicitly called on Barr to investigate the Bidens and even pointed to the nearing Nov. 3 election as a reason that Barr should not delay taking action. Trump’s pressuring of Barr comes as national and most battleground polls show him facing an increasingly narrow path to reelection.
October 20, 2020 4:38 pm
LONDON (AP) – British guitarist and bandleader Spencer Davis, whose eponymous rock group had 1960s hits including “Gimme Some Lovin”‘ and “I’m a Man,” has died at the age of 81. Davis’ agent, Bob Birk, said Tuesday that he died in a hospital while being treated for pneumonia. Davis formed the Spencer Davis Group in 1963, with a teenage Steve Winwood on keyboards and guitar, his brother Muff Winwood on bass and Pete York on drums. With Steve Winwood as lead vocalist, the band had two No. 1 U.K. singles, “Keep on Running” in 1965 and “Somebody Help Me” in 1966, and seven British top 40 hits.
October 20, 2020 1:47 pm
(WPXI) – The driver of a car was killed in a wrong-way crash involving a Pepsi truck on Interstate 279 north in Pittsburgh. Police said the car was going the wrong way and collided head on with the truck, which was traveling in the right direction, just before 12 a.m. Tuesday. The front end of the car became wedged under the front of the truck. Investigators said the car caught fire and the driver of the truck put out the flames. The 34-year-old driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His name has not been released. The truck driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. I-279 north was closed for several hours just before the Chestnut Street exit. It reopened about 6 a.m. Investigators are working to determine where the driver of the car got onto I-279.
October 20, 2020 1:43 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Jeff Bridges says he is being treated for lymphoma and his prognosis is good. The actor channeled his The Dude character from “The Big Lebowski” in a statement on social media about the diagnosis Monday evening. He said he understands the disease is serious and expressed gratitude to his family, friends and medical team. Bridges, the son of the late actors Lloyd and Dorothy Bridges, is a seven-time Oscar nominee known for his roles in “Starman,” “True Grit,” “The Last Picture Show” and many other films. He won an Academy Award in 2010 for “Crazy Heart” and was most recently nominated for playing a grizzled lawman in “Hell or High Water.”
