July 20, 2020 4:29 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump met with top Republican congressional leaders Monday at the White House on the next COVID-19 aid package. As the virus worsens and aid is expiring Congress is considering what to do next. Trump said “good things” are happening. But the administration is stiffening its opposition to more testing money and interjecting other priorities that could complicate passage. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is prepared to roll out the $1 trillion package in a matter of days. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s House has already passed a sweeping $3 trillion measure from Democrats. Congress is returning to session as the coronavirus crisis shows no signs of easing.
July 20, 2020 4:27 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The House has honored the late Georgia Rep. John Lewis with a moment of silence. The civil rights leader died Friday after a battle of several months against advanced pancreatic cancer. He was beloved by members of both parties, and some grew emotional as the House reconvened Monday. Speaker Nancy Pelosi choked up during a TV interview as she recalled Lewis and their last conversation the day before he died. Pelosi said Lewis “always worked on the side of the angels and now he is with them.” When she gaveled the House to order, Pelosi called on everyone to rise “in a moment of silence in remembrance of the conscience of the Congress.”
July 20, 2020 4:23 am
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) – A small group of white supremacists staged a brief demonstration in a central Pennsylvania park over the weekend but disbanded as police arrived in force to break up the event, which was conducted without a permit. More than a dozen members of the National Socialist Movement, some of them armed, marched through Williamsport’s Brandon Park on Saturday afternoon and then spoke with the aid of a bullhorn. The event was ending as a city bus carrying more officers arrived. The march was originally scheduled in April but the city canceled it, citing the coronavirus pandemic. No arrests were made.
July 20, 2020 4:22 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, watching movies from cars at drive-ins has been making a comeback – and now there are plans for a floating cinema in western Pennsylvania with people watching from mini-boats. Beyond Cinema, an Australian production company, is bringing Floating Boat Cinema to cities worldwide with a stop in Pittsburgh in September. The location for the aquatic theater planned Sept. 16 to Sept. 20 hasn’t been released, and the movies to be shown haven’t been announced.
July 20, 2020 4:19 am
One lane of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was reopened late Sunday night following a crash in Mount Pleasant Township. State Police say the right lane was reopened around 10 p.m. after a tractor trailer collided with a van around 8 p.m. According to reports, a medical helicopter landed near the turnpike to transport the driver of the van. There is no word on the identity or condition of that driver. Police continue to investigate.
July 20, 2020 4:14 am
Whole Foods and ALDI have joined the mounting list of retailers requiring masks inside stores across the nation. So far, Kroger, Publix, Walmart, Target and CVS have already instituted similar policies. “The health and safety of our employees, customers and the communities we serve will always be our highest priority. With that focus in mind, effective July 27, face coverings will be required to enter ALDI stores”. The company said the move is in line with guidelines supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has encouraged mask wearing to slow the spread of coronavirus for the last three-plus months. All ALDI employees are required to wear masks and have been doing so for months, the grocery chain said. ALDI customers who do not wish to wear masks inside stores are encouraged to order groceries and items for delivery. Amazon-owned Whole Foods also said it will enforce a mask policy inside stores to support and protect the health and safety of store employees and customers. The company previously requested rather than required customers to wear face coverings inside facilities. Whole Foods staff have already been required to wear masks and have their temperatures taken at the start of their shifts. The mask mandate for customers goes into effect beginning July 20.
July 19, 2020 7:51 am
Pope Francis is assuring his closeness to all those grappling with COVID-19 and its “economic and social consequences.” Speaking on Sunday from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, Francis said that “the pandemic is showing no sign of stopping.” He said he was thinking in particular about all those whose suffering in the pandemic is worsened by conflicts. Citing a recent U.N. Security Council resolution, he renewed his appeal for a worldwide, immediate cease-fire that he said “will permit the peace and security indispensable to supplying the necessary humanitarian assistance.”
July 19, 2020 7:50 am
A federal appeals court has overruled a judge’s decision that allowed the Texas Republican Party to hold an in-person convention in Houston, marking a win for the the nation’s fourth-largest city in an ongoing battle with the state GOP. In an order issued Saturday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stayed Friday’s ruling that would have permitted the Republican Party of Texas to host an in-person convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Judge Lynn Hughes had ruled that the city of Houston violated the GOP’s constitutional rights by canceling the event. The in-person convention was initially set to run from Thursday to Saturday. James Dickey, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, had said the party was still on-track to try a virtual gathering this weekend.
July 19, 2020 7:50 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – A United Nations agency is acknowledging that a U.S.-sought oil tanker “hijacked” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates after allegedly smuggling Iranian crude oil is back in Iranian waters. The International Labor Organization said that the tanker was hijacked July 5, citing its captain. That mirrors earlier reporting by The Associated Press. The ILO earlier filed a report saying the vessel and its sailors had been abandoned by its owners without pay since March off the eastern coast of the UAE. Iranian state media and officials have not acknowledged the hijacking and arrival of the tanker to Iran.
July 19, 2020 7:47 am
JOHANNESBURG (AP) – The number of people around the world who have died as a result of the coronavirus has passed the 600,000 mark as countries from the U.S. to South Africa to India struggle to contain infections. Hong Kong also warned of a resurgence in the virus as it issued tougher new rules on the wearing of face masks. While the U.S. leads global infections, South Africa now ranks as the fifth worst-hit country in the pandemic with more than 350,000 cases, or around half of all those confirmed on the continent. India, which has now confirmed more than a million infections, on Sunday reported a 24-hour record surge of 38,902 new cases.
