August 8, 2021 4:04 am
The Diocese of Pittsburgh is announcing updated procedures as they relate to the Covid-19 virus. These updated safety procedures are effective immediately;
– All ministers of the Eucharist, ushers and greeters must be masked regardless of vaccination status
– Outdoor masses may continue until further notice.
The obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days will resume on August 14-15 as previously announced. People who are sick, at risk, are caregivers and those with concerns about being in a crowd due to Covid-19 are exempt from attending mass. Bishop Zubik urges everyone to follow CDC guidance with regard to masks and vaccinations, adding that public officials have given assurance that there is no shortage of vaccine for anyone living within the six county Diocese of Pittsburgh.
August 7, 2021 10:38 am
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – The Albany County sheriff plans to hold a news conference Saturday to discuss a criminal complaint his office received this week from a woman who says New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo groped her breast at the governor’s state residence. Sheriff Craig Apple says details will be limited at the 12 p.m. news conference. The complaint is the first known instance where a woman has made an official report with a law enforcement agency over alleged misconduct by Cuomo. The Democratic governor could be arrested if investigators or the county district attorney determine he committed a crime. Cuomo denies groping the woman.
August 7, 2021 10:34 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senators are convening for a rare weekend session on the bipartisan infrastructure bill as they edge toward a vote. Saturday’s action in the Senate could wrap up swiftly with passage of the $1 trillion package or drag out for days by opponents trying to slow President Joe Biden’s big priority. Biden praised the Senate for its work so far on the “historic investment.” He compared it to building the transcontinental railroad or the interstate highway system. Some senators want to further amend the 2,700-page bill. A key vote is set for Saturday.
August 7, 2021 10:13 am
GREENVILLE, Calif. (AP) – People living in the scenic forestlands of Northern California are facing a weekend of fear as wildfires threaten to reduce thousands of homes to ashes. The Dixie Fire that incinerated much of the gold rush-era town of Greenville this week threatens more than 10,000 buildings in the northern Sierra Nevada. Fire officials say it’s the largest current wildland blaze in the nation and the third-largest in recorded California history. Evacuations also remain in effect for a number of small communities threatened by lightning-sparked fires in and around national forests. The California blazes are among more than 100 burning in more than a dozen Western states.
August 7, 2021 10:10 am
The seven-day average for new daily COVID-19 infections has surpassed 100,000 in the U.S., returning to levels not seen since the winter surge. Cases and hospitalizations have skyrocketed in the last month, driven by the highly contagious delta variant. The country was averaging about 11,000 cases a day in late June. Now the number is over 107,000. The virus is spreading quickly through unvaccinated populations, especially in the Deep South. Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi have had hospitals overrun with patients. The U.S. first crossed the 100,000 average number in November and peaked at about 250,000 in early January before bottoming out in late June.
August 7, 2021 9:27 am
UNDATED (AP) – White House press secretary Jennifer Psaki said Friday that there are “early discussions about a range of options” for new vaccine mandates or penalties for certain situations, such as domestic travelers and nursing home workers. She added that the administration has “concern” about anti-mask, anti-vaccine mandate restrictions in some states. “If you don’t want to abide by public health guidelines, don’t want to use your role as leaders,” Psaki said, “then you should get out of the way.” She also applauded United Airlines’ announcement that it would require workers to get vaccinated, saying “support these vaccination requirements to protect workers, communities and our country…”
August 7, 2021 4:08 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The Pennsylvania prison system is stopping in-person visits for the thousands of inmates who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. The Corrections Department also said Thursday it will begin housing unvaccinated inmates together next week. Corrections Secretary John Wetzel says the policy limits the contact that the unvaccinated have with potential carriers of the coronavirus. The changes won’t affect inmates’ access to classes and programs. Additional terminals will be installed in the unvaccinated units for video visitation. Nearly 8,000 inmates in state prisons are not vaccinated. That’s about one in five. The prison system provides vaccinations to all inmates who want one. It also requires everyone to wear masks indoors.
August 7, 2021 3:32 am
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb says he is running for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat, joining a crowded Democratic field in one of the nation’s most competitive races. Lamb is seeking the nomination to replace outgoing GOP Sen. Pat Toomey. He’s a former Marine and federal prosecutor who rose to political prominence three years ago when he beat a Donald Trump-backed Republican in a special election that foreshadowed the 2018 Democratic takeover of the House. The Senate race is wide open on both sides and is expected to be among the most expensive in next year’s election. Toomey is retiring after two terms.
August 6, 2021 8:41 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Hiring surged in July as American employers added 943,000 jobs. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.4% as the U.S. economy continues to bounce back with surprising vigor from last year’s coronavirus shutdown. The July numbers exceeded economists’ forecast for more than 860,000 new jobs. Hotels and restaurants, reopening and doing brisk business, added 327,000 jobs last month. Local public schools added 221,000. The number of people who reported they had jobs surged by 1 million, pushing the jobless rate down from 5.9% in June.
August 6, 2021 4:26 am
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas’ ban on mask mandates faces a new legal challenge and defiance from the mayor of the state capital as the state’s coronavirus cases continue to spiral. The Little Rock and Marion school districts on Thursday asked a state judge to block the law Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed in April prohibiting schools and other governmental bodies from requiring masks. Little Rock’s mayor issued an order requiring masks in the city’s public spaces. The moves cam as Republican lawmakers appeared unlikely to roll back the prohibition.
