December 14, 2020 3:39 pm
CARROLL TOWNSHIP, Pa) On Dec. 14, Monongahela Valley Hospital was among the first health systems in Western Pennsylvania to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. “In order to receive the vaccine in the first shipment, we met all of the qualifications mandated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” explained Margaret Brown, PharmD., director of Pharmacy at Monongahela Valley Hospital. “We have the ability to maintain the vaccine at the temperatures required and the capabilities to vaccinate the number of people stipulated within the designated time frame.” “We are thrilled that Monongahela Valley Hospital is at the forefront of helping to put a stop to the spread of this virus,” said Louis J. Panza Jr., the Hospital’s president and CEO. “Since the pandemic began, we have been vigilant to provide our staff with the proper personal protective equipment and to maintain a clean and safe environment. Having the ability to immunize our staff and physicians is another key action in keeping our community safe.” MVH received the Pfizer vaccine which is administered in two doses approximately 21 days apart. The Pfizer vaccine is 50% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose. (Photo courtesy of MVH. Douglas Prentice, Monongahela Valley Hospital’s storeroom manager, (L) takes delivery of one of Western Pennsylvania’s first shipments of COVID-19 vaccine from UPS personnel Bryan Johnson (C) and Stephen Burdelski (R).
December 14, 2020 8:41 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Google users in the U.S., Europe, India and other parts of the world were briefly unable to access their Gmail accounts, watch YouTube videos or get to their online documents during an outage Monday. Thousands of complaints popped up around 7 a.m. Eastern along the East Coast of the U.S. The company said it’s aware of the problem on its dashboard page. That was followed by another message that said service has been restored for some users. and a a resolution for all users was expected in the near future. There were similar updates for Google’s many other services, such as Docs, Hangouts and Chat. The company did not reply immediately to a request for comment.
December 14, 2020 4:25 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Presidential electors are meeting across the United States on Monday to formally choose Joe Biden as the nation’s next president. Monday is the day set by law for the meeting of the Electoral College. In reality, electors meet in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to cast their ballots. The results will be sent to Washington, and tallied in a Jan. 6 joint session of Congress over which Vice President Mike Pence will preside. The electors’ votes have drawn more attention than usual this year because President Donald Trump has refused to concede the election and continued to make baseless allegations of fraud.
December 14, 2020 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Hackers broke into the networks of the Treasury and Commerce departments as part of a global cyber-espionage campaign revealed just days after a leading cybersecurity firm said it had been breached in an attack that industry experts said bore the hallmarks of Russian tradecraft. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm were investigating what experts and former officials said appeared to be a large-scale penetration of U.S. government agencies – apparently the same monthslong cyberespionage campaign that also afflicted the prominent cybersecurity firm FireEye.
December 14, 2020 4:22 am
TORONTO (AP) – The first of many freezer-packed COVID-19 vaccine vials have arrived in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted a picture of them being taken off a plane. Canada’s health regulator approved the vaccine made by U.S. rugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech last Wednesday. The vaccines are bound for 14 distribution sites across the country. Quebec is expected to be the first province to administer the vaccine, saying it’s prepared to start inoculating residents of two long-term care homes as early as Monday.
December 14, 2020 4:21 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he’s reversing an administration directive to vaccinate top government officials against COVID-19 while public distribution of the shot is limited to front-line health workers and people in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Trump made the announcement in a tweet Sunday night, hours after his administration confirmed that senior U.S. officials, including some White House aides who work in close proximity to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, would be offered coronavirus vaccines as soon as this week under federal continuity of government plans. It was not immediately clear what effect Trump’s tweet would have on the government’s efforts to protect top leadership.
December 14, 2020 4:20 am
The largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history is underway with health workers getting the first shots. “Relieved” is the reaction of one of the first health workers to get the shot Monday. Hospitals are rolling out the first small shipments, as boxes of precious frozen vials arrive at locations around the country. The injections begin what will be the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history to try to beat back the coronavirus – a day of hope amid grief as the nation’s death roll nears a staggering 300,000. How well initial vaccinations go will help reassure a wary public when it’s their turn sometime next year.
December 14, 2020 4:17 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Two years ago, the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia joined the long line of ambitious prosecutors investigating the Roman Catholic church’s handling of priest-abuse complaints. The Justice Department had never brought a conspiracy case against the church. U.S. Attorney William McSwain sent subpoenas to dioceses across Pennsylvania asking them to turn over their files and submit to grand jury testimony if asked. The dioceses pledged to comply. But as McSwain’s tenure likely nears its end with President-elect Joe Biden set to office next month, there’s no sign that any sweeping church indictment is afoot. One defrocked priest has been charged with lying to the FBI.
December 14, 2020 4:08 am
(WPXI) – One of the more popular outdoor venues for concerts in the Pittsburgh area seems to have another new name, and this one should sound very familiar. S&T Bank acquired the naming rights to what was then called KeyBank Pavilion and named it S&T Bank Music Park. However, it appears to have changed yet again. According to the venue’s Facebook page, the new name will be “The Pavilion at Star Lake.” If that sounds familiar, that’s because the pavilion was originally named Star Lake Amphitheater. Most of the planned concerts for 2020 were either canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there are a few still scheduled for 2021.
December 13, 2020 7:56 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A woman who plowed her car into protesters Friday in New York City, injuring six of them, has been arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, police said. Kathleen Casillo, 52, was released from custody after being given a notice to appear in court at a later date, police said. A message seeking comment was left at a number listed for Casillo. Online records did not list a lawyer who could speak on her behalf. Bystander video showed a black BMW sedan suddenly accelerating as protesters gathered around the vehicle around 4 p.m. Friday near 39th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. One person appeared to be leaning over the front of the car. Protester Sofia Vickerman, of Denver, Colorado, said people and a bicycle were tossed in the air. Six people were taken by ambulance to hospitals with injuries that officials said did not appear to be life-threatening. Casillo, of Rockaway Park, Queens, remained at the scene. She was taken into custody and questioned, police said. Another woman, whom police described as a protester, was arrested for interfering with ambulance workers at the scene, police said. Nicolle Besuden, 32, of Manhattan, was charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction of governmental administration. She called the allegations “false and incredibly damaging” and referred to an account of the incident from the injured protester she was helping, who said Besuden was providing care and comfort before EMTs arrived and that her arrest was uncalled for.
