January 19, 2021 4:29 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – California has become the first state to record more than 3 million known coronavirus infections. That’s according to a tally Monday by Johns Hopkins University. The grim milestone wasn’t entirely unexpected in a state with 40 million residents but its speed was stunning. The state only reached 2 million reported cases on Dec. 24. Its count far outpaces other large states, such as Texas. California also has seen more than 33,600 deaths due to COVID-19. A caseload surge that began last fall has strained hospitals. Officials warn that a recent slight downward trend could reverse when the full impact of holiday gathering transmissions is felt.
January 19, 2021 4:26 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration. It would provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal status, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the legislation. It’s a massive reversal from the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies. The legislation puts Biden on track to deliver on a major campaign promise after four years of President Donald Trump’s restrictive policies. But it does not include beefed-up border security, which makes passage in Congress in doubt. It is set to be introduced after Biden takes the oath of office Wednesday.
January 19, 2021 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen is calling on Congress to do more to fight a deep pandemic-induced recession. In testimony prepared for her Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Yellen says the threats of a longer and even worse downturn are too great to cut back on support now. She says that without further action, the U.S. risks a longer, more painful recession now and long-term scarring of the economy later. Yellen would be the first woman to lead the Treasury Department. She was the nation’s first female chair of the Federal Reserve.
January 19, 2021 4:21 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Capitol complex temporarily locked down during a rehearsal for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration after a fire in a homeless encampment roughly a mile away sent a plume of smoke into the air and caused security concerns. But law enforcement officials say there was no threat to the public and that Monday’s fire was not believed to be a threat to the inauguration. Local firefighters put out the blaze quickly. Meanwhile, the Secret Service has issued a bulletin about what it sees as an “uptick” in National Guard troops in Washington posting pictures and details of their operations online. It is urging them to stop immediately.
January 19, 2021 4:18 am
The White House COVID-19 Task Force is recommending that Pennsylvania ban indoor dining for the fourth time. In a report issued last week, there is a list of recommended additional mitigation measures for Pennsylvania to help slow the spread of COVID-19. That included extending the indoor dining ban until at least Jan. 25. The state lifted the ban on Jan. 4, after a three-week shutdown during the holiday. Restaurant owners told Channel 11 they are still playing catch-up after that tremendous blow and trying to make enough to pay the bills, as well as staff. Channel 11 asked an infectious disease doctor with UPMC why the task force could’ve made the recommendation. “My guess is Pennsylvania has really been behind in terms of vaccination of the general public a number of other states have started vaccinating people over 65 years old, so I think the only people coming into restaurants have not started the immunization process,” said Dr. Dave Weber. Dr. Weber went on to say that the COVID-19 surge is worse than what we saw over the summer, but with proper restrictions, he says indoor dining can be done safely.
January 19, 2021 4:15 am
UNDATED (AP) – Pennsylvania is expanding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine in the initial phase of the rollout to include people age 65 and over as well as younger people with serious health conditions that put them at higher risk. State health officials made the announcement Tuesday. The Health Department says its updated coronavirus vaccine plan tracks recommendations from the federal government, but it’s uncertain how the expanded rollout will work given the slow pace of vaccinations so far and limitations on supplies. The major expansion comes amid word that the state’s top health official, Dr. Rachel Levine, is President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to be assistant secretary of health
January 19, 2021 4:12 am
WASHINGTON, CO. (WPXI) – Police are actively searching for a man accused of leading police on a chase on Interstate 70 that ended in a crash at Bentleyville. The search started just before 5 p.m. and is still ongoing. State troopers have not released the name of the suspect but tell our news partners at Channel 11 people in the area need to be on alert. A burglary was also reported in the area. The burglar was encountered by the homeowner and then fled on foot, police said. The suspect is described as a white man, about 5 feet, 2 inches tall and is believed to be wearing a gray T-shirt and jeans. There was no report of any weapons. State police said they believe that incident is connected to the chase.
January 18, 2021 3:50 pm
ATLANTA (AP) – The annual celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in his hometown in Atlanta is calling for renewed dedication to nonviolence following a turbulent year. The slain civil rights leader’s daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, said in an online church service Monday that physical violence and hateful speech are “out of control” in the aftermath of a divisive election followed by a deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump. Bernice King quoted her father’s words from more than 50 years ago, saying mankind must choose between “nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation” and that it’s possible to respond too late.
January 18, 2021 4:27 am
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – A New Mexico county official who runs a group called Cowboys for Trump and who had vowed to return to Washington after last week’s riot at the U.S. Capitol to place a flag on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk has been arrested by the FBI. Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin was arrested Sunday on charges of illegally entering the U.S. Capitol. Griffin did not immediately respond to phone or text messages seeking comment. On Thursday, Griffin, said he planned to travel with firearms to Washington, D.C., for Biden’s inauguration.
January 18, 2021 4:26 am
UNDATED (AP) – U.S. Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham says he plans to resign with the change in presidential administrations. Dillingham had been facing criticism over efforts to produce citizenship data to comply with an order from President Donald Trump. Dillingham said in a statement Monday that he would resign on Wednesday. That’s the day President-elect Joseph Biden takes office. The Census Bureau is still crunching the numbers for the 2020 census. Democratic lawmakers last week called on Dillingham to resign after a watchdog agency said he had set a deadline that pressured statisticians to produce a report on the number of people who are in the U.S. illegally.
