October 31, 2020 10:27 am
LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is holding an unscheduled Cabinet meeting to discus a new national lockdown for England, after scientific advisers warned that hospitalizations and deaths from the coronavirus could soon surpass the levels seen at the outbreak’s spring peak. Johnson’s office said Saturday’s meeting would discuss “the government’s coronavirus response.” áIt came after the Times of London reported that Johnson could announce a month-long lockdown as soon as Monday, though the government said no final decisions had been made. Epidemiologist John Edmunds said coronavirus cases were running “significantly above” a reasonable worst-case scenario drawn up by modelers. He said there needs to be “radical action” to avoid deaths in the high tens of thousands.
October 31, 2020 10:25 am
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has strongly condemned terrorist attacks in Paris and Nice and comments by French President Emmanuel Macron that were deemed offensive toward Islam and the global Muslim community. Widodo, the leader of the world’s most populous Muslim nation, told a televised news conference Saturday that his government strongly condemns the recent vigilantism in France against a teacher who was beheaded near Paris and a knife attack at a church in Nice that killed three people. Flanked by religious leaders and Cabinet ministers, Widodo also condemned comments made by Macron at an Oct. 21 national memorial for the teacher as an insult to Islam.
October 31, 2020 10:23 am
SFAX, Tunisia (AP) – A third suspect is in French custody Saturday in the probe into an Islamic extremist knife attack that killed three people in a Nice church. Meanwhile the family of the suspected Tunisian assailant is demanding to see video footage of what happened and is pleading for peace. Investigators in France, Tunisia and Italy are trying to determine the chief suspect’s motive, whether he acted alone and whether Thursday’s attack on the Notre Dame Basilica was premeditated. Authorities have labeled it an Islamist terrorist attack, which hit France amid growing global tensions around cartoons published by a French newspaper mocking Islam’s prophet.
October 31, 2020 10:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Starting Sunday, millions of Americans who have lost health insurance in an economy shaken by the coronavirus can sign up for taxpayer-subsidized coverage. It’s not a new COVID relief program from the government but the return of annual sign-up season under the Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare.” Open enrollment takes place Nov. 1-Dec. 15. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which runs HealthCare.gov, says premiums are down slightly on average for 2021 and most people will have at least three insurers from which to pick plans. President Donald Trump is pressing the Supreme Court to overturn “Obamacare,” but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is urging people to sign up anyway.
October 31, 2020 4:34 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania is living up to its billing as a premier battleground state. President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will devote big chunks of their last three days of campaigning before Election Day to being in Pennsylvania. Trump is scheduled to spend his day in Pennsylvania on Saturday, attending four rallies in the state. Those are scheduled for Bucks County, Reading, Butler and Montoursville. He has another scheduled for Monday afternoon in Scranton. Biden will attend an event in Philadelphia on Sunday. On Monday, the Biden campaign said that Biden, wife Jill, Sen. Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will campaign in the state.
October 31, 2020 4:10 am
The Diocese of Pittsburgh announced on Friday that Christmas Eve Vigil Masses may begin as early as 2:00 pm this year. These Masses would be in addition to any previously scheduled Masses. Pastors of each parish would make decisions on the addition of the earlier masses based on available staff. Christmas Vigil Masses are typically celebrated in the evening. Special dispensation to begin earlier is being granted by Bishop David Zubik because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Diocese reminds the faithful that the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday and Holy Day Masses remains in effect. The Diocese and many parishes will continue to live stream Masses including Christmas Masses.
October 31, 2020 3:52 am
You will get an extra hour of sleep on Sunday when daylight saving time ends. As the saying goes, it’s once again time to “fall back.” At 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, you will need to turn your clocks back one hour. So where did daylight saving time actually come from – initially the idea of setting clocks ahead in the spring was presented as a way to help farmers with crops and harvesting by having more daylight. A congressional act passed in 2007 extended daylight saving time from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Now, every state observes daylight saving time it except for Hawaii and most of Arizona. Daylight saving time begins again on Sunday, March 8.
October 31, 2020 3:47 am
St. Paul’s AME Church in Washington was the scene for a NAACP sponsored “Get Out The Vote” Rally on Friday afternoon. A cloudy and chilly afternoon did not stop nearly 30 attendees from making sure that everyone that has not already voted does vote. Candidates for office, and representatives from lobby groups spoke about the importance of voting in the upcoming general election and all elections to make sure each voice is heard. Dr. Andrew Goudy, President of the Washington NAACP expressed the importance for voting in this election and stated that the NAACP is there to help anyone that may not be able to cast their ballot. The office will be open on Election Day to assist voters and he also said that they will assist if anyone feels intimidated at any voting poll. For assistance voters may call the main office of the NAACP at 724-222-7820.
October 31, 2020 3:08 am
(WPXI) – Police officials said a man was taken into custody Friday evening after they obtained a search warrant for his hotel room at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Washington. Channel 11’s crew at the scene and in Chopper 11 could see a number of police vehicles outside the hotel and in the nearby Aldi parking lot. State police confirmed they had troopers on scene as well. Police said backup was brought in due to the behavior of the man and there is no danger to the public.
October 30, 2020 4:59 pm
UNDATED (AP) – Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows that the U.S. now has 9 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, as infections continue to rise in nearly every state. It took two weeks to reach the mark from 8 million, the fastest jump of 1 million yet. It had taken more than three weeks for the total to rise from 7 million to 8 million. Confirmed U.S. cases are on the rise in 47 states. Deaths are up 14% over the past two weeks, averaging more than 800 every day. The virus has now killed more than 229,000 Americans.
