April 21, 2020 10:36 am
This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee has been canceled after organizers concluded there was “no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020” because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision means kids who are in eighth grade this year will miss their final opportunity to compete in the national finals. Scripps will not change eligibility requirements for next year’s bee, which is scheduled for June 1-3, 2021. The bee has always been open to kids through the eighth grade. The bee had only previously been canceled between 1943-45 because of World War II. The first Scripps bee was held in 1925.
April 21, 2020 9:37 am
DETROIT (AP) – Subaru is recalling just over 200,000 cars and SUVs in the U.S. and Canada because fuel pumps can fail and cause engines to stall. The recall covers certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. Subaru says in government documents that the low pressure fuel pump can stop working properly. Engines could lose power while the vehicles are being driven. The engines also might not start or they could run rough. The documents say Subaru has no reports of crashes or injuries. Dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump at no cost to owners starting June 5.
April 21, 2020 9:29 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has approved a nearly $500 billion coronavirus aid bill after Congress reached an agreement with President Donald Trump. The measure would replenish a small business rescue program, provide hospitals with another $75 billion, and implement a nationwide virus testing program to facilitate reopening the economy. Trump has announced his support, saying he’ll sign the bill if it passes both chambers. The package now goes to the House. Most of the funding, more than $300 billion, would go to boost a small-business payroll loan program that ran out of money last week.
April 21, 2020 8:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he’ll sign an executive order “to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States” because of the coronavirus. National security adviser Robert O’Brien says the move is about protecting Americans’ health and livelihood. O’Brien on Tuesday cast a temporary immigration ban as similar to the restrictions on travel to the U.S. from China that Trump put in place in January. O’Brien says the administration believes those restrictions saved lives. Almost all visa processing by the State Department, including immigrant visas, has already been suspended due to the pandemic. Trump offered no details late Monday about which immigration programs might be affected by the executive order.
April 21, 2020 4:19 am
In what is becoming the new norm for governing bodies, the Chartiers Houston School Board met virtually for the first time. Agenda items were routine. The school board did agree to partner with the Allegheny Health Network for a new scoreboard in the football/soccer stadium. Superintendent John George answered questions from parents about grades, last school day and graduation. George stated that grades will still be letter based and any changes will be communicated to parents. The last day of school is still up in the air. It is currently scheduled for June 5. It could run as late as June 11. George is looking for more clarity from the state to make sure students will fulfill needed requirements. The prom is scheduled for June 17. Graduation Day is still in flux. Currently it is June 5, but it could also be scheduled for July 3 or July 31. George described steps taken to overcome technology issues. He says the school district distributed nearly 100 devices, some students do lack internet coverage and hot spots were issued. Intermittent problems with Comcast’s coverage were also addressed by the technology department. Finally, George went on to compliment the teachers, cafeteria workers, and administrative staff for their hard work to get the remote learning program running. He said he could not be prouder of everyone associated with the Chartiers Houston School District.
April 21, 2020 4:15 am
TORONTO (AP) – Canadian police say they believe there are at least 22 victims in the weekend attack by a gunman in rural communities across Nova Scotia. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Tuesday they have recovered remains from some of the locations of fires the suspect set. Earlier in the day, a young man said his his grandparents were missing and believed dead after their log cabin was set ablaze. It was not immediately clear, however, if the remains police said had been found Tuesday included those of Justin Zahl’s grandparents.
April 21, 2020 4:13 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia’s governor plans to restart the state’s economy before the end of the week. He says many businesses that closed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus could reopen as early as Friday. Georgia’s timetable is one of the most aggressive in the nation. It would allow gyms, hair salons, bowling alleys and tattoo parlors to reopen as long as owners follow strict social-distancing and hygiene requirements. By Monday, movie theaters may resume selling tickets, and restaurants limited to takeout orders could return to limited dine-in service. Neighboring Tennessee planned to let businesses in most of the state begin reopening as soon as next week.
April 21, 2020 4:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Governors from both parties are pushing back after President Donald Trump accused Democrats of playing “a very dangerous political game” by insisting there is a shortage of tests for the coronavirus. The governors countered Monday that the White House must do more to help states do the testing that’s needed before they can ease up on stay-at-home orders. Supply shortages have stymied U.S. testing for weeks. The needs range from basic supplies like swabs and protective gear to highly specialized laboratory chemicals needed to analyze patient results.
April 21, 2020 4:08 am
(AP) – More deaths, no benefit from malaria drug in VA virus study. A malaria drug widely touted by President Donald Trump for treating the new coronavirus showed no benefit in a large new study. Researchers reported there were more than twice as many deaths among patients getting hydroxychloroquine than usual care. The analysis involved 368 men with COVID-19 in U.S. veterans hospitals. Although it was not a rigorous experiment, it is the biggest report of results so far for the drug, with or without the antibiotic azithromycin, against the coronavirus. The analysis was posted on an online site for researchers, but has not been reviewed by other scientists.
April 21, 2020 4:05 am
An Associated Press investigation has found that a relief fund Congress created to protect small businesses amid the coronavirus crisis has helped companies with thousands of employees, past regulatory run-ins and risks of financial failure even before the economy got walloped. The Paycheck Protection Program was supposed to help small businesses, which typically have less access to quick cash and credit. Its $349 billion in emergency loans are intended to keep workers on the job and bills paid on time. But the AP found 75 companies that collectively received $300 million were publicly traded, and some had market values well over $100 million.
