September 13, 2020 7:36 am
COMPTON, Calif. (AP) — The shooting of two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies in an apparent ambush prompted a manhunt for the shooter, reaction from the president and protests outside the hospital where the wounded deputies were being treated Saturday night in California. The 31-year-old female deputy and 24-year-old male deputy both underwent surgery Saturday evening, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a late-night news conference. Both graduated from the academy 14 months ago, he said. The deputies were shot while sitting in their patrol car at a Metro rail station and were able to radio for help, the sheriff said. Villanueva, whose department has come under fire during recent protests over racial unrest, expressed frustration over anti-police sentiment as he urged people to pray for the officers.
September 13, 2020 7:36 am
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Coronavirus infections in the Dakotas are growing faster than anywhere else in the nation, fueling impassioned debates over masks and personal freedom after months in which the two states avoided the worst of the pandemic. The argument over masks raged this week in Brookings, South Dakota, as the city council considered requiring face coverings in businesses. The city was forced to move its meeting to a local arena to accommodate intense interest, with many citizens speaking against it, before the mask requirement ultimately passed. Amid the brute force of the pandemic, health experts warn that the infections must be contained before care systems are overwhelmed. North Dakota and South Dakota lead the country in new cases per capita over the last two weeks, ranking first and second respectively, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers.
September 13, 2020 7:35 am
LONDON (AP) — Two former British prime ministers who played crucial roles in bringing peace to Northern Ireland joined forces Sunday to urge lawmakers to reject government plans to override the Brexit deal with the European Union, arguing that it imperils that peace and damages the U.K.’s reputation. In an article in The Sunday Times, John Major and Tony Blair slammed the current British government for “shaming” the country with legislation that, in places, goes against the very deal it signed to allow for the U.K.’s smooth departure from the EU earlier this year.
September 13, 2020 7:33 am
MINDEN, Nev. (AP) — Kicking off a Western swing, President Donald Trump barreled into Nevada for the weekend, looking to expand his path to victory while unleashing a torrent of unsubstantiated claims that Democrats were trying to steal the election. Trump defied local authorities by holding a Saturday night rally in tiny Minden after his initial plan to hold one in Reno was stopped out of concern it would have violated coronavirus health guidelines. Unleashing 90-plus minutes of grievances and attacks, Trump claimed the state’s Democratic governor tried to block him and repeated his false claim that mail-in ballots would taint the election result.
September 13, 2020 7:32 am
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The path of devastation spans thousands of miles where flames have consumed people, homes and cars while leaving a barren, gray landscape. But the massive wildfires aren’t done chewing through the West, shrouding the skies with choking smoke or driving residents from their homes. It’s an ominous harbinger of fall for the region that was the first to be hit hard by the coronavirus and where the cries for social justice have rung especially loud this summer with protests in Portland for more than 100 days. “What’s next?” asked Danielle Oliver, who had to flee her home southeast of Portland ahead of the deadly flames. “You have the protests, coronavirus pandemic, now the wildfires. What else can go wrong?”
September 13, 2020 7:29 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — A professor at Duquesne University was placed on paid leave after video surfaced showing him using a racial slur during a virtual lesson. The professor was not named by the university, but he did teach education. Effective Friday afternoon, he was put on paid leave pending an investigation. Multiple videos showing the portions of the virtual class lesson were posted om social media Friday afternoon. “He is not teaching,” Gabriel Welsch, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, said in a statement. “Please know that this matter is being taken very seriously by School of Education leadership, and please feel free to reach out to us if you have any ongoing questions or concerns. Duquesne University takes very seriously our work in creating an inclusive environment.”
September 13, 2020 7:25 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania voters will soon issue their verdict on the legislature’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic by either extending the gains Democrats made two years ago or further tightening Republicans’ longstanding grip on both chambers. The GOP-majority General Assembly has been in hybrid mode this year, after senators and representatives gave themselves the choice of attending floor sessions in person or casting votes remotely. In a string of bipartisan votes early in the crisis this spring, they gave schools flexibility on the 180-day instruction requirement, provided front-line workers with protective equipment and delayed the April primary election to June. But Republicans soured on elements of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s pandemic response, unsuccessfully attempting to overturn his business closure orders and prompting seven vetoes of COVID-19 legislation. More recently, the parties have struggled to find common ground on a bill to fine-tune mail-in voting, including changes sought by the counties that must implement it. State lawmakers rushed through a partial budget that avoided some difficult decisions in hopes the cloudy financial picture will become more clear.
September 13, 2020 6:53 am
BELLE VERNON, Pa. – State Representative, Bud Cook, who represents the 49th Legislative District, is calling on Governor Tom Wolf to sign House Bill 2787 to allow schools to make their own decisions regarding crowds attending high school sporting events. Cook told WJPA NEWS that, “This governor is not being truthful with the citizens of Pennsylvania because looking at the numbers, only a handful of tickets are left for fans after counting the players, bands, and other staff.” He went on to say that, “stadiums can safely accommodate more fans over the 250 limit.” Cook says the bill would allow schools to set their own safety protocols consistent with the CDC guidelines for youth sports and gatherings. The bill went to the governor’s desk Friday and he has 10 days to sign or veto the legislation. If he takes no action, the bill automatically becomes law. However, Cook says in the case of a veto, he expects the house and senate to take up the matter and override Wolf’s veto.
September 12, 2020 9:43 am
NEW YORK (AP) – One of reggae’s greatest stars, Toots Hibbert, died Friday at age 77. As leader of the Maytals, he wrote such classics as “Funky Kingston” and “Pressure Drop,” and his 1968 hit “Do the Reggay” is widely credited for giving reggae its name. Winner of a Grammy in 2005, Hibbert was a bandleader, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and showman whose concerts sometimes ended with dozens of audience members dancing with him on stage. His raspy vocals were likened to Otis Redding’s and his many admirers included Keith Richards, Bonnie Raitt and Willie Nelson. Hibbert had been in a medically-induced coma in Jamaica and before his death was awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test after showing symptoms.
September 12, 2020 5:23 am
SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (AP) – President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden marked the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at memorials Friday, and their differences in style were sharply on display. Trump vowed in a speech at the Shanksville, Pennsylvania, site where hijacked Flight 93 crashed in a field, that America will “always fight back.” In New York, meanwhile, Biden laid a wreath after attending the annual commemoration at Ground Zero and comforted family members of several people who died in the Twin Towers. He did the same later in Pennsylvania, though he and Trump never crossed paths. Vice President Mike Pence also visited the New York event, and Sen. Kamala Harris spoke a few miles from the Pentagon.
