May 22, 2020 4:01 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WPXI) – Fitness centers are not allowed to open until their county is in the green phase, and the governor has given stern warnings about what could happen if a business owner defies that order. Our news partners at Channel 11 say they have found at least two gyms in the region that have opened. “We have painted every square inch. We have cleaned everything. We moved every piece of equipment six foot apart or more,” said Linda Webb, owner of Webb’s World of Fitness in Penn Hills. “We spaced our cardio equipment six feet apart. We bought cases and cases of disinfectant exactly for COVID-19, on top of all the other germs, and have that throughout our facility.” Webb has owned her business for nearly 32 years. She made the decision to reopen despite stern warnings from the governor and the state health department. She told Channel 11 it was necessary to open now or risk closing for good. In Pleasant Hills, Life Force Fitness also opened on Thursday. The owner said he is open because exercise is so important to personal health. He noted that police officers are among his first clients back. Locally, we were told a complaint would have to be filed with the Allegheny County Health Department or Pleasant Hills Police Department. The Pennsylvania Department of Health sent us the following statement: “Gyms are businesses that are not licensed in Pennsylvania. In the event of a gym not complying with the Secretary and Governor’s orders, a letter will be sent regarding non-compliance. If it is discovered that there are significant public health concerns, the Departments of Health can impose a fine on the business.”
May 21, 2020 9:46 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – More than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession. Roughly 38.6 million people have now filed for jobless aid since the coronavirus forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces, the Labor Department said Thursday. Another 2.2 million people sought aid under a new federal program for self-employed, contractor and gig workers, who are now eligible for jobless aid for the first time.
May 21, 2020 9:17 am
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) – A naval air station in Texas is on lockdown after an active shooter was reported near one of the facility’s gates. Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi says the shooter was “neutralized” and all gates remain closed. There were no immediate reports of what happened to the shooter or other injuries. The station had a similar lockdown last December. In another incident at the base last year, a man pleaded guilty to destruction of U.S. government property and possession of a stolen firearm for ramming his truck into a barricade at the Corpus Christi station.
May 21, 2020 4:23 am
YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) – Pandemic politics have shadowed President Donald Trump’s trip to Michigan. On Thursday, he toured a Ford Motor plant that had been repurposed to manufacture ventilators for the COVID-19 epidemic. But Trump and officials from the electoral battleground state were clashing in the meantime over federal aid, mail-in ballots and face masks. As usual, he refused to wear a protective mask, though Ford requires them and its officials wore them for the tour. The visit to Ypsilanti, outside Detroit, came a day after Trump criticized top state leaders and threatened to withhold federal funding over the state’s mail-in balloting effort. The White House didn’t invite Michigan’s Democratic governor.
May 21, 2020 4:21 am
Ford temporarily halted production at two assembly plants Tuesday and Wednesday after three workers tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The shutdowns show the difficulty that automakers and other businesses will have in trying to reopen factories in the midst of the pandemic. Aerospace engine maker Rolls-Royce plans to cut about 9,000 jobs globally as it grapples with the collapse of air travel due to the pandemic. The new CEO of United Airlines says it may take until there is a vaccine for COVID-19 before most people feel comfortable about air travel.
May 21, 2020 4:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The USS Theodore Roosevelt has left Guam and gone out to sea for training after nearly two months sidelined at the pier with a coronavirus outbreak. The crew will do about two weeks of training to prepare to return to duty in the Pacific. The ship has been docked in Guam since March 27, as the 4,800 crew members went through rotations of quarantine, and more than 1,000 of them have tested positive for the virus over that time. Navy Capt. Carlos Sardiello says the ship will sail with a scaled-back crew of about 3,000.
May 21, 2020 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s longtime personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen was released from federal prison Thursday to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press. Cohen has been serving a federal prison sentence at FCI Otisville in New York after pleading guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress. Cohen was released on furlough to serve the remainder of his sentence at home as part of an attempt to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in federal prisons.
May 21, 2020 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A sharply divided Senate has confirmed John Ratcliffe as director of national intelligence. Democrats refused to support the nomination over fears that he will politicize the intelligence community’s work under President Donald Trump. All Democrats opposed Ratcliffe, making him the first DNI to be installed on a partisan vote since the position was created in 2005. The Texas Republican seemed unlikely to get the position when he was nominated in February, but GOP senators warmed to him as they grew concerned about the upheaval in the intelligence community and wanted a permanent, confirmed director. (Photo: CNN)
May 21, 2020 4:17 am
MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) – Floodwaters that overtook dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people in Central Michigan now threaten a Dow Superfund site and downstream communities. The Tittabawassee River crested in Dow’s hometown of Midland Wednesday at just over 35 feet, about 3 feet under what officials previously forecasted. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had warned the city could end up under about 9 feet of water by Wednesday evening. Dow says floodwater has begun mixing with on-site containment ponds, prompting the company and U.S. Coast Guard to activate emergency plans. A city official says no one has been reported hurt or killed in the flooding. Whitmer says the state will investigate the operators of the Edenville and Sanford dams.
May 21, 2020 3:58 am
PITTSBURGH — The Pennsylvania Gaming Control board said the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt state casinos an unexpected and unprecedented blow over the last few months. They released a 10-page document, including a long list of what will change when doors open again. For example, everyone – players and staff – must wear masks. No one with a fever will be permitted inside. Hand sanitizing stations will be at the entrance and throughout the building, and floor markings will assist with six-feet distancing. They also released specific changes for gambling, with some of the most noticeable guidelines coming at the slot machines. The control board wants the following changes:
Plexiglass barriers between slot machines a
Removing chairs from certain machines
Disabling some slot machines to create more distance
Sanitizing wipes next to slots
For table games, they want casinos to:
Develop new protocol for sanitizing chips on daily basis
Increase distance between players
Allow no spectators to stand behind players
Sanitize equipment frequently
And the poker rooms would not be allowed to open.
None of these new restrictions can be implemented until the county enters the green phase.
