August 6, 2020 8:45 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Nearly 1.2 million laid-off Americans applied for state unemployment benefits last week, evidence that the coronavirus keeps forcing companies to slash jobs just as a critical $600 weekly federal jobless payment has expired. The Labor Department’s report marked the 20th straight week that at least 1 million people have sought jobless aid. Before the pandemic hit hard in March, the number of Americans seeking unemployment checks had never surpassed 700,000 in a week, not even during the Great Recession of 2007-2009. The new jobless claims were down by 249,000 from the previous week after rising for two straight weeks.
August 6, 2020 4:20 am
BEIRUT (AP) – Investigators probing the deadly blast that ripped across Beirut are focused on possible negligence in the storage of tons of a highly explosive fertilizer in a waterfront warehouse, while the government ordered the house arrest of several port officials. International help began to arrive as Lebanon’s leaders struggled with the widespread damage and shocking aftermath of Tuesday’s blast. The Health Ministry says 135 people were killed and about 5,000 were injured. Public anger mounted against the ruling elite that is being blamed for the chronic mismanagement that led to the disaster. The Port is Beirut and customs office is notorious for being one of the most corrupt institutions in Lebanon, where various factions and politicians, including Hezbollah, hold sway.
August 6, 2020 4:19 am
Facebook has deleted a post by President Donald Trump, citing its coronavirus misinformation policy. The post in question featured a link to a Fox News video in which Trump says children are “virtually immune” to the virus. Facebook said in a statement Wednesday that the video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from COVID-19. It says that is a violation of its policies around harmful COVID-19 misinformation. A tweet from Trump with the same video remained up on Twitter as of Wednesday afternoon. A few hours later, Twitter temporarily blocked the Trump campaign from tweeting until it removed the same video.
August 6, 2020 4:18 am
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota National Guard says mechanical failure and human error led to the crash of a Black Hawk helicopter that killed three Guard members last December. The Guard released a summary on Wednesday that said the crew was conducting a maximum power check on the number one engine near St. Cloud. That engine failed during the check, and the number two engine was in the idle setting, causing a dual engine-out condition. The summary also says the maintenance test pilot failed to respond to a critical situation during the routine maintenance test flight. The St. Cloud Times reports the summary did not include names of any of the positions listed.
August 6, 2020 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic challenger Joe Biden joined President Donald Trump on Wednesday in scrapping plans to accept his party’s presidential nomination in a convention extravaganza. Neither campaign has announced an alternative to the Democrats’ original plans for Milwaukee and the Republicans’ shifting plans spanning Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida. It’s yet another striking demonstration of how the COVID-19 pandemic has upended American life and the 2020 presidential campaign. It’s denying Trump and Biden coveted personal experiences with party faithful and leaving their campaigns looking for alternative ways to capitalize on a moment that still can reach millions of Americans via television and online.
August 6, 2020 4:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump took in $165 million for his reelection effort in the month of July, a sum that surpasses what his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, raised during the same period. But a massive cash-on-hand advantage that once gave the Republican a significant competitive edge has largely been closed. Biden and the Democratic Party report that they are just $6 million shy of the $300 million that the president and the Republican National Committee have in the bank. The sums suggest that Trump has continued to spend at a vigorous pace while Biden has cut expenses and stockpiled cash.
August 6, 2020 4:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – After more than a week’s worth of meetings, at least some clarity is coming to bipartisan Washington talks on a huge COVID-19 response bill. Negotiators are still stuck, but still trying. A combative meeting Wednesday involving top Capitol Hill Democrats and the postmaster general and a souring tone from both sides indicate that a long slog remains. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows says President Donald Trump is exploring options to use executive authority to address issues like extending a partial eviction ban and addressing student loan payments.
August 6, 2020 2:52 am
(WPXI) – When it comes to sports, Pennsylvania guidance is that they shouldn’t be played until Jan. 1, Gov. Tom Wolf said Thursday. The governor’s comment was made at the end of a news conference during which he and other officials addressed expanding COVID-19 testing in the state. Wolf’s latest remark about sports in Pennsylvania comes after he said Monday that if students aren’t physically in class, there shouldn’t be any sports. While the governor’s statement on Monday wasn’t a formal announcement, it raises a lot of questions for school districts in western Pennsylvania as they finalize back-to-school plans amid the coronavirus pandemic. Some districts are offering options for online, in-person or hybrid learning. During a news briefing Monday, Wolf said what happens in school should be consistent with what happens on the playing fields.
August 6, 2020 2:37 am
(WPXI) – Allegheny County police arrested two men early Wednesday in a series of robberies that spanned three counties. Officers arrested Rexford Enoch Prince-Wright, 23, and Elijah Sayon, both of Hagerstown, Maryland, for robberies in Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties over the past few days. They are responsible for an armed robbery at a convenience store in Kennedy Township early Tuesday morning, according to police. One of the men walked to the counter to buy something and during the purchase, the man pulled out a double barrel shotgun, pointed it at the clerk and demanded cash before taking off, investigators said. Allegheny County police got a description of the car and learned the men were believed to be involved in several other similar robberies, including two in Westmoreland County on August 3, and another in Washington County on Tuesday. Both men were found with the vehicle and the shotgun in Swissvale and were arrested, and are facing several charges.
August 6, 2020 2:31 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Two days of legislative hearings are giving Pennsylvania state lawmakers little reason for optimism about the set of problems ahead as schools plan to reopen during the pandemic. The state House Education Committee heard experts say there’s been lots of planning but much concern about what lies ahead. Among the issues are questions about what standards schools should use to decide whether to shut down a school or a district when an outbreak occurs, a prospect that looms large as the school year is about to begin.
