April 4, 2021 7:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The man who rammed a car into two officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol, killing one of them before he was shot to death by police, had been suffering from delusions, paranoia and suicidal thoughts, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Saturday. Investigators believe it was an isolated incident from a disturbed young man. Video of the Friday afternoon attack shows the driver emerging from the crashed car with a knife in his hand and starting to run at the pair of officers, Capitol Police acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told reporters. Police shot the suspect, 25-year-old Noah Green, who died at a hospital. Investigators are increasingly focused on Green’s mental health as they work to identify any motive for the attack, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity. The official said investigators had talked to Green’s family, who spoke of his increasingly delusional thoughts. In online posts since removed, Green described being under government thought control and said he was being watched. He described himself as a follower of the Nation of Islam and its longtime leader, Louis Farrakhan, and spoke of going through a difficult time when he leaned on his faith. Some of the messages were captured by the group SITE, which tracks online activity.
April 4, 2021 7:01 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Vaccine passports being developed to verify COVID-19 immunization status and allow inoculated people to more freely travel, shop and dine have become the latest flash point in America’s perpetual political wars, with Republicans portraying them as a heavy-handed intrusion into personal freedom and private health choices. They currently exist in only one state — a limited government partnership in New York with a private company — but that hasn’t stopped GOP lawmakers in a handful of states from rushing out legislative proposals to ban their use. The argument over whether passports are a sensible response to the pandemic or governmental overreach echoes the bitter disputes over the past year about masks, shutdown orders and even the vaccines themselves. Vaccine passports are typically an app with a code that verifies whether someone has been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID-19. They are in use in Israel and under development in parts of Europe, seen as a way to safely help rebuild the pandemic- devastated travel industry. They are intended to allow businesses to more safely open up as the vaccine drive gains momentum, and they mirror measures already in place for schools and overseas travel that require proof of immunization against various diseases.
April 4, 2021 6:59 am
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Christianity’s most joyous feast day was celebrated worldwide with faithful sitting far apart in pews and singing choruses of “Hallelujah” through face coverings on a second Easter Sunday conditioned by pandemic precautions. From Protestant churches in South Korea to St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, worshippers followed national or local regulations aimed at preventing the transmission of the coronavirus. At a hospital in the Lombardy region of Italy, where the pandemic first erupted in the West in February 2020, a hospital gave a traditional dove-shaped Easter cake symbolizing peace to each person who lined up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Many of the ones who came were in their 80s and accompanied by adult children. In Jerusalem, air travel restrictions and quarantine regulations prevented foreign pilgrims from flocking to religious sites during Holy Week, which culminates in Easter celebrations. Inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis sprinkled incense near an icon of Jesus and said, “May the joy of Easter extend to the whole world.” The 200 or so faithful who were allowed to attend looked lost in the cavernous cathedral. Normally, thousands would attend the popular service and a crowd would gather outside in St. Peter’s Square, with more than 100,000 sometimes assembling to receive the pope’s special Easter blessing after Mass.
April 4, 2021 6:55 am
The Center for Disease Control announced Saturday that the state ranks 12th among all 50 states for first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered by percentage of population and 5th among all 50 states for total doses administered. According to the news release, Pennsylvania has administered first doses of vaccine to 33.5% of its eligible population, with 3,694,176 people having received at least their first dose. The release also states that 1,960,809 people are fully vaccinated, with a seven-day moving average of close to 89,000 people per day receiving vaccinations. More than 5.5 million vaccinations have been administered, the release states.
April 4, 2021 4:25 am
HEMPFIELD, Pa. – One individual has died following a head-on collision in Hempfield Township Friday night. Westmoreland County 911 confirmed the incident took place just after 7:00 p.m. that evening on State Route 136 between Fallow Deer Lane and Harry Long Road. According to officials, one patient was pronounced dead on scene, while the other was airlifted to Allegheny General Hospital. Route 136 in Hempfield was closed for a time while authorities cleared the scene. There is no word on the reason for the accident, status of the hospitalized patient or the identities of anyone involved.
April 4, 2021 4:10 am
Cecil Township officials are warning residents of a black bear that has been spotted in the area. Cecil Police posted this on their Facebook page; A black bear has been spotted in the Cherrybrook housing plan off Morganza rd. The Pa Game Commission is aware. Please keep all potential food sources (garbage, bird seed, etc.) to a minimum and avoid contact with it. This is the time of year when young bears tend wander from their traditional habitats and will probably be out of the area shortly.
April 3, 2021 4:32 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The head of the Minneapolis Police Department’s homicide division has testified that kneeling on the neck of someone who is handcuffed and lying on his stomach is “totally unnecessary” deadly force. Lt. Richard Zimmerman testified Friday at the trial of former Officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with killing George Floyd last year. His testimony came a day after a Minneapolis police supervisory sergeant who was on duty the night Floyd died testified that he believes the officers who restrained Floyd could have ended it after Floyd stopped resisting. Chauvin is charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
April 3, 2021 4:30 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The University of California is warning students and staff that a ransomware group might have stolen and published their personal data and that of hundreds of other schools, government agencies and companies nationwide. The school this week said a cybersecurity attack targeted a vulnerability in a third-party vendor that is used to securely transfer files. The university system on Friday said the cyberattack affected about 300 organizations. They have included Stanford University’s School of Medicine, Yeshiva University in New York City, university systems in Miami, Maryland and Colorado, and a Washington state agency.
April 3, 2021 4:29 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a bill that will make handgun carry permits and background checks on unlicensed sales optional in Iowa. As of July 1, people will be able to buy handguns from private, non-licensed sources such as websites, gun shows and individuals without a permit or background check. People also will be able to carry a gun into public places such as grocery stores and malls without prior safety training or a permit. The bill Reynolds signed Friday passed the House and Senate with support from only one Democrat. Most Democrats called the measure a dangerous reversal of commonsense safety measures. Republicans insist it recognizes that keeping and bearing arms is a fundamental right for law-abiding citizens.
April 3, 2021 4:29 am
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued an executive order Friday banning businesses from requiring customers to show proof they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to get service. In his executive order, DeSantis asserts that “vaccination passports reduce individual freedom and will harm patient privacy.” As of this week, more than 2 million Floridians have been infected by the virus, and nearly 33,500 have died. The governor’s order scrapped a plan by a private university near Fort Lauderdale that would have required students and staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19 when they returned for the fall semester. Nova Southeastern University had previously said vaccinations would be mandatory by Aug. 1.
