July 5, 2020 3:18 am
The Meadows Racetrack and Casino is changing its smoking policy inside the casino. As of 8:00 AM on July 4, smoking will be banned in all areas of the casino. This policy change appeared on a Facebook post and on the casino’s website. The change was brought about by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Outdoor smoking lounges will be provided.
July 4, 2020 10:32 am
LONDON (AP) – England is embarking on perhaps its biggest lockdown easing yet as pubs and restaurants have the right to reopen for the first time in more than three months. In addition to the reopening of much of the hospitality sector, couples can tie the knot once again, while many of those who have had enough of their lockdown hair can finally get a trim. In all cases, social distancing rules have to be followed. Though the easing of the lockdown will be warmly welcomed by many, there are concerns that the British government is being overly hasty, even reckless, in sanctioning the changes, given the country’s still-high coronavirus infection and death rates.
July 4, 2020 10:30 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea is reiterating it has no immediate plans to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States unless Washington discards what it describes as “hostile” polices toward Pyongyang. The statement by North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui came days after President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, told reporters that Trump might seek another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as an “October surprise” ahead of the U.S. presidential election. Kim and Trump have met three times since embarking on their high-stakes nuclear diplomacy in 2018, but negotiations have faltered since their second summit in February last year in Vietnam.
July 4, 2020 10:29 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Intelligence alleging that Afghan militants might have accepted Russian bounties for killing American troops didn’t scuttle the U.S.-Taliban agreement or President Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw thousands more troops from the war. But it’s given critics of the deal more reason to claim the Taliban shouldn’t be trusted. The U.S. agreed to remove all its troops by May 2021 and the Taliban pledged, among other things, to break ties with al-Qaida. Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, says he remains skeptical that the Taliban will honor its commitment. So far, Trump has reduced U.S. troops from 12,000 to 8,600 and is contemplating how quickly to pull out more
July 4, 2020 3:58 am
MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL, S.D. (AP) – President Donald Trump has delivered a fiery speech at Mount Rushmore, charging that protesters have waged “a merciless campaign to wipe out our history” amid demonstrations against racial injustice and police brutality. The president dug further into American divisions on Friday, offering a discordant tone to an electorate battered by a pandemic and wounded by racial injustice following the high-profile killings of Black people. He zeroed in on the desecration by some protesters of monuments and statues across the country that honor those who have benefited from slavery, including some past presidents. Trump said, “This movement is openly attacking the legacies of every person on Mount Rushmore.”
July 4, 2020 3:56 am
MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL, S.D. (AP) – President Donald Trump says he will establish a “National Garden of American Heroes,” which he is describing as “a vast outdoor park that will feature the statues of the greatest Americans who ever lived.” Trump made the announcement as he opened the Fourth of July weekend with a speech and fireworks at the iconic Mount Rushmore. The executive order released Friday by the White House says the garden will feature statues of several presidents as well as other historic notables, including Davy Crockett, Amelia Earhart, Billy Graham, Harriet Tubman and Orville and Wilbur Wright.
July 4, 2020 3:54 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – While public health officials are urging Americans to hold more muted Independence Day celebrations amid a spike of coronavirus cases, President Donald Trump is going big for what he is promising will be a “special evening” in the nation’s capital. Trump is set hold his “Salute for America” celebration Saturday with a speech from the White House South Lawn that he says will celebrate American heritage, a military flyover over Washington, and an enormous fireworks display that is expected to draw thousands to the National Mall. Trump is taking part in the big gatherings even as many communities have decided to scrap fireworks, parades and other holiday traditions to try to stem further spread of the virus.
July 4, 2020 3:52 am
UNDATED (AP) – The U.S. is heading into the Fourth of July weekend with many parades and fireworks displays canceled, beaches and bars closed, and health authorities warning that this will be a crucial test of Americans’ self-control. They say this could determine the trajectory of the surging coronavirus outbreak. With confirmed cases climbing in 40 states, governors have ordered the wearing of masks in public, and families are being urged to celebrate their independence at home. Even then, they are being told to keep their backyard cookouts small.
July 4, 2020 3:49 am
BEIRUT (AP) – Syrian families are hoping that newly imposed U.S. sanctions will force Damascus to reveal news about their loved ones who disappeared into government prisons during the country’s civil war. Activist groups say more than 12,000 Syrians are missing after being detained, and that thousands more are known to have been tortured to death. Anguished families are searching through leaked photos of torture victims, and in some cases are finding their slain loved ones, tragic evidence of their fate years after they disappeared.
July 4, 2020 3:42 am
Officials from The Meadows Casino Racetrack Hotel announced that they are suspending onsite race wagering effective at 11:59PM on July 3. Vice President and General Manager of The Meadows, Tony Frabbiele says that “It is out of an abundance of caution that we are suspending onsite race wagering and prohibiting spectators at Live Races.” Racing will continue as scheduled at 12:45 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. Casinos remain open 8 AM to 4AM Sundays through Thursdays and 8 AM to 5 AM Fridays and Saturdays. Casinos will close each night to disinfect and sanitize the property.
