July 19, 2020 7:46 am
LONDON (AP) – Russia’s ambassador to Britain has rejected allegations that his country’s intelligence services tried to steal information about a coronavirus vaccine. Andrei Kelin said in a BBC interview broadcast Sunday that there was “no sense” in the allegations made last week by the United States, Britain and Canada. Kelin also said his country had no interest in interfering in British politics. Intelligence agencies in the U.S., Britain and Canada on Thursday accused the hacking group APT29, known as Cozy Bear, of attacking academic and pharmaceutical research institutions involved in COVID-19 vaccine development. Britain Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also said that “Russian actors” had tried to interfere in last year’s general election.
July 19, 2020 7:45 am
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Police say protesters broke into a building, set it on fire and started dumpster fires late Saturday in Oregon’s largest city. Portland police declared the protest a riot and were working to clear the downtown area. Tear gas had been deployed. The fire at the Portland Police Association building was put out a short time later. Demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality have happened daily in Portland since Minneapolis police killed George Floyd on May 25. President Donald Trump has decried the disorder, and Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as “lawless anarchists.”
July 19, 2020 7:42 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — A man was killed and at least one person was hurt in a shooting in Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood. According to investigators, the shooting happened around 10 p.m. Saturday in the area of Sherwood Avenue and Bergman Street. At least one person was taken to the hospital following the shooting. Police said they were shot in the arm and were listed in stable condition. A man was found dead on the street in that area after being shot. He was identified as Clarence Thomas IV. Crews at the scene saw Pittsburgh police placing evidence markers at the scene. Officials said police were initially called to the scene when a shotspotter reported eight rounds fired in that area. Authorities did not release any information about a suspected shooter, and no arrests have been made at this point. It’s unclear what led to the shooting.
July 19, 2020 7:36 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — Another very hot day is expected Sunday with high temperatures in the 90s again. The heat and humidity could cause heat related illnesses as heat index values are expected to climb to 101 degrees. A Heat Advisory goes into effect from noon to 8 p.m. People should stay indoors and try to stay in an air conditioned space if possible. If you have to be outdoors, you’re urged to stay out of the sun and limit your time to early morning or evening when it will be cooler. You may want to check on your neighbors if they have trouble keeping their home cool and keep an eye on any pets. Double check when getting out of your car that you are not leaving kids or pets behind. It can turn deadly in minutes. Sunshine will be with the area through the morning. More clouds will build in during the second half of the day. A cold front will approach from the northwest, sparking showers and strong storms later in the day. The biggest threat with any storm that does pop up is damaging winds.
July 19, 2020 4:01 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – As Pennsylvania approached 100,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Friday, restaurant and bar owners say they’ll fight back against Gov. Tom Wolf’s orders to further limit the number of patrons they’re allowed to serve. Meanwhile, sports teams have submitted plans to the Pennsylvania Department of Health to allow fans in stands. The Wolf administration isn’t discussing details, but discourages spectators from attending games to prevent transmission of the coronavirus. Professional and college sports remain subject to Pennsylvania’s state-ordered limit of fewer than 250 people on site for games and practices, meaning that Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Penn State football games cannot have fans in the stands.
July 18, 2020 10:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – When Congress approved the eye-popping $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill in March, it was the biggest rescue of its kind in U.S. history. Now, with the pandemic worsening, it’s clear that package was only the start, and Congress returns to work Monday to try to draft another one. The current round of aid is running out. Extra employment benefits expire and so does a federal eviction freeze. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is poised to roll out his $1 trillion-plus proposal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already has pushed through a more sweeping $3 trillion effort. Big spending that Congress hoped to avoid now seems inevitable.
July 18, 2020 4:17 am
(AP)-A surge of 34,884 new coronavirus cases has taken India’s tally to 1,038,716, as local governments continue to reimpose focused lockdowns in several parts of the country. The Health Ministry on Saturday also reported 671 deaths in the past 24 hours for a total of 26,273. The ministry says the recovery rate has slightly come down to 62.9%. About a dozen states, including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam, have put high-risk areas under lockdowns, only allowing essential food supplies and health services. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take concrete steps to contain the pandemic. He warned that the number of infections will double to 2 million by Aug. 10 at the current pace.
July 18, 2020 4:14 am
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The mayor of Portland is demanding that President Donald Trump remove militarized federal agents he deployed to the city after some detained people on streets distant from federal property they were sent to protect. Democratic Gov. Kate Brown said Trump is looking for a confrontation in the hopes of winning political points elsewhere. The protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis have often devolved into violent clashes between smaller groups and the police. The unrest has caused divisions in a city that prides itself on its activism and progressive reputation.
July 18, 2020 4:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Joe Biden says he’s begun receiving intelligence briefings as he warned that Russia, China and other adversaries were attempting to undermine the upcoming U.S. election in November. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee wasn’t specific and offered no evidence while addressing a virtual fundraiser Friday. But, in the process, he confirmed receiving classified briefings after suggesting as recently as late last month that he wasn’t getting them. Biden received intelligence briefings while vice president but told reporters he wasn’t getting them as of June 30. Classified briefings are traditionally provided to major-party nominees once they win the primary, but Biden won’t formally become the nominee until the party’s convention next month.
July 18, 2020 4:06 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s unemployment slid a bit down in June after hitting a pandemic peak in April, but it was well above the national rate even as payrolls rebounded by more 230,000. The state Department of Labor and Industry reported Friday that Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was 13% in June, down four-tenths of a percentage point from May’s adjusted rate. The state’s rate went over 16% in April, the highest rate in over four decades of record-keeping. A survey of employers showed seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls grew by more than 230,000 in June to surpass 5.4 million. That was about 1 in 5 jobs lost during the pandemic.
