June 17, 2020 4:11 am
BEIJING (AP) – Chinese media say more than 60% of commercial flights in and out of Beijing have been canceled as the city raises alert level amid a new coronavirus outbreak. The website of the Communist Party’s Global Times said that as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, a total of 1,255 flights to and from the capital’s two major airports have been scrapped. Beijing has enacted a number of measures to limit travel in and out of the city, especially among those coming from districts where new cases have been detected. Beijing had essentially eradicated cases of local transmission but in recent days has added a total of 137 new cases with no new deaths.
June 17, 2020 4:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – In a major legal setback for President Donald Trump on a high-profile consumer issue, a federal appeals court has ruled that his administration lacks the legal authority to force drug companies to disclose prices in their TV ads. The ruling denies Trump an easy-to-understand win on a major reelection priority for the White House, bringing down the cost of prescription medicines. Separate from the court case, legislation that would lower drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries with high bills is stuck in Congress. But Trump did get a win recently when his administration brokered an agreement to limit insulin copays for seniors.
June 17, 2020 4:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans are proposing changes to police procedures and accountability, according to a draft of a bill obtained by The Associated Press. It would establish an enhanced use-of-force database, restrictions on chokeholds and new training and commissions to study law enforcement and race. The JUSTICE Act is the most ambitious GOP policing proposal in years. It’s a direct response to the massive public protests over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans. The package is set to be introduced Wednesday. As the outlines emerged, Democrats said it didn’t go far enough. The 106-page bill is not as sweeping as a Democratic proposal. Votes on both could come next week.
June 17, 2020 4:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on policing following weeks of national protests after the death of George Floyd. But in his remarks Tuesday he made no mention of the roiling national debate over racism spawned by police killings of black men and women. Trump’s order is aimed at encouraging best practices and tracking officers with excessive use-of-force complaints. Democrats and other critics said the order doesn’t go nearly far enough, and the House is preparing more-far-reaching legislation. The Republican Senate is putting together legislation, too, but it is expected to be more in line with Trump’s thinking. He said he wants nothing to do with activists’ demands to “defund the police.”
June 17, 2020 4:04 am
A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter prohibited from covering the city’s Black Lives Matter protests because of a tweet sued the paper on Tuesday. Alexis Johnson, who is black, filed the lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania alleging the Post-Gazette was engaging in racial discrimination and retaliation. Johnson was not allowed to pursue planned stories related to the protests after sending a tweet that mocked the different treatment of property damage done by black and white people. The suit says the move illegally discourages black employees from speaking out against racial discrimination. An email seeking comment on the lawsuit was sent to Johnson’s editors.
June 17, 2020 4:03 am
Supervisors in North Strabane Township got their opportunity to go back to their normal two meeting per month schedule with their non-legislative meeting taking place on Tuesday. Prior to the supervisors meeting a Public Hearing was conducted to collect opinion on a proposed ordinance that would allow the township to collect fees and fines if anyone was found to be abusing the 9-1-1 emergency response system. The ordinance is being brought about by residents calling 9-1-1 and claiming a health issue and having first responders arrive only to help open windows, find keys or locate a television remote. Fire and Police Chiefs testified that it is an issue because they do not want to be doing something unnecessary when a real emergency arises. Action on the ordinance is pending. In departmental reports during the regular meeting, Police Chief Brian Hughes assured the public that extensive background checks, documentation from other departments and his own department and training above and beyond recommended standards make him feel comfortable that all of his officers would not commit the acts that have been brought to the nation’s attention in Minneapolis and Atlanta. Council will act on bringing back employees furloughed during the Covid-19 pandemic and will consider lifting the state of emergency declaration due to the pandemic.
June 16, 2020 5:44 pm
Washington and Jefferson College’s Center for Energy Policy and Management began their series on the “Effects of Covid-19 and the economic downturn on Western Pennsylvania shale gas development”. Daniel Weaver, President of the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association (PiOGA) spoke industry officials and local governmental officials about the state of the shale gas industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. Weaver’s statements were cautious in stating that just like all industries, work was disrupted while solutions on how to deal with the virus were developed. Positively speaking, pricing for natural gas stayed stable even though there has been a downturn in demand. Weaver is pleased that gas is now moving more easily to the east coast through pipeline development and sees a further need to develop more pipelines into the northeast especially in New York City and Boston. Weaver described “virtual pipelines” where gas was shipped via truck instead of pipeline. Weaver says that his organization supports research in the cases of high levels of Ewing’s Sarcoma throughout western Pennsylvania. He also recognized the recent penalty arrangement between Range Resources and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office. He said that Range Resources has taken responsibility for the actions of previous high level officials and credits them for their actions. He also welcomes oversight in the gas drilling industry. Weaver also says his group is monitoring regulators to make sure a level playing field is maintained.
June 16, 2020 9:40 am
BALTIMORE (AP) – U.S. retail sales jumped by a record 17.7% from April to May, with spending partially rebounding after the coronavirus had shut down businesses, flattened the economy and paralyzed consumers during the previous two months.The Commerce Department’s report Tuesday showed that retail sales have retraced some of the record-setting month-to-month plunges of March (8.3%) and April (14.7%) as businesses have increasingly reopened. Still, the pandemic’s damage to retail sales remains severe, with purchases still down 6.1% from a year ago.
June 16, 2020 4:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on policing following weeks of national protests after the death of George Floyd. The order is aimed at encouraging best practices and tracking officers with excessive use of force complaints. In the Rose Garden, Trump stressed the need for higher standards and commiserated with mourning families, even as he hailed the vast majority of officers as selfless public servants and held his law-and-order line. The order comes as Senate Republicans prepare to unveil their own package of policing proposals after Democrats did the same.
June 16, 2020 4:08 am
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas continued an upward trend in hospitalizations of coronavirus patients and set a new one-day high Monday for the seventh time in eight days. That trend has local officials in some of the state’s largest cities pleading with residents to be diligent about social distancing and other measures such as wearing masks. Texas health officials reported 2,326 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and 1,254 new cases. That’s the most new cases reported for a Monday, which is typically the lowest day of the week for new virus cases.
