April 14, 2020 3:51 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Some of Pennsylvania’s most populous counties are starting to press Gov. Tom Wolf to allow them to conduct the June 2 primary election entirely by mail amid fears that the coronavirus would pose a threat to poll workers and voters. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald on Monday said holding an in-person election in the midst of the coronavirus crisis would be a “disaster.” Wolf’s office says the governor is evaluating options to increase the percentage of voters who vote by mail. Also Monday, the state Supreme Court upheld Wolf’s decision to shutter non-life-sustaining businesses during the pandemic.
April 14, 2020 3:50 am
Giant Eagle has announced updates to it’s pandemic plan that include limiting the number of shoppers in each store at one time, making aisles one-way and providing protective equipment to all staff members. The company started introducing one-way aisles for shoppers several days ago at locations that included West View. Security guards were also seen posted outside of stores around the same time, with some shoppers saying there were lines forming.
April 13, 2020 5:59 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – Bernie Sanders is endorsing Joe Biden for president. The two former rivals made a joint online appearance on Monday, with Sanders asking all Americans to come together to support Biden’s candidacy. The backing is a crucial development for Biden, who must bridge the Democratic Party’s ideological divide to unify voters against President Donald Trump in the fall. Biden and Sanders clashed throughout the primary over policy issues such as “Medicare for All.” The endorsement stands in contrast to the extended 2016 fight between Sanders and Hillary Clinton. (Photo: CNN)
April 13, 2020 10:41 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court says it will hold arguments by teleconference in May in key cases, including President Donald Trump’s bid to shield his tax and other financial records. The court will make live audio of the arguments available for the first time. It had previously postponed courtroom arguments for March and April because of the coronavirus. The court will hear 10 cases in all between May 4 and May 13. Other cases concern whether presidential electors are required to cast their Electoral College ballots for the candidate who won their state.
April 13, 2020 9:49 am
UNDATED (AP) – The U.S. Navy says an aircraft carrier crew member who was hospitalized in intensive care on the island of Guam last week has died of what officials called COVID-19-related complications. The sailor was among nearly 600 crew members of the USS Theodore Roosevelt to have tested positive for the new coronavirus. In announcing the death on Monday, the Navy said the sailor had been found “unresponsive” during an April 9 medical check while in isolation on Guam. The Navy said fellow sailors and an onsite medical team at the house in which the sailor was staying administered CPR. The USS Roosevelt pulled into port in Guam on March 27 shortly after the first coronavirus cases on board were detected.
April 13, 2020 9:48 am
NEW YORK (AP) – ABC ‘Good Morning America’ anchor George Stephanopoulos says he has tested positive for the coronavirus, but is relatively symptom-free. He said on Monday’s show that other than a brief backache and diminished sense of smell, he’s been feeling fine. His wife, journalist Ali Wentworth, has the disease and has said she’s never felt sicker. Stephanopoulos made the announcement on the show Monday; like many in television news, he’s been working from home. His disclosure led to a discussion on the air with a medical expert about why some people are hit hard or killed by the disease, and some people feel next to nothing.
April 13, 2020 4:18 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York’s death toll from coronavirus has topped 10,000, with hospitals still seeing 2,000 new patients a day. The death tally hit the milestone only about a month after the state recorded its first death. The state tallied 671 new deaths on Sunday. It was the first time in a week the daily toll dipped below 700. Still, the governor noted Monday that people are still dying at a “horrific level of pain and grief and sorrow.” Meanwhile, New York City’s health department says the city is in danger of running out of swabs for COVID-19 tests and should test only hospitalized patients.
April 13, 2020 4:16 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – OPEC, Russia and other oil-producing nations have finalized an unprecedented production cut of nearly 10 million barrels, or a tenth of global supply, in hopes of boosting crashing prices amid the coronavirus pandemic and a price war. The group of nations agreed on a video conference Sunday to cut 9.7 million barrels a day to begin May 1. Mexico had initially blocked the deal. Iran’s oil minister also says several Middle Eastern nations agreed to an additional cut of 2 million barrels a day. They reached the deal just hours before Asian markets were set to reopen Monday.
April 13, 2020 4:14 am
NEW YORK (AP) – More than 3,600 deaths have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities nationwide, an alarming rise in just the past two weeks. Because the federal government has not been releasing a count of its own, The Associated Press has kept its own running tally based on media reports and state health departments. The latest count of at least 3,621 deaths is up from about 450 deaths just 10 days ago. Experts say even that is likely an undercount because most state numbers don’t include those who died without ever being tested for COVID-19.
April 13, 2020 4:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The United States’ top infectious disease expert says the economy in parts of the country could have a “rolling reentry” as early as next month, provided health authorities can quickly identify and isolate people who will inevitably be infected with the coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci also says he “can’t guarantee” that it will be safe for Americans to vote in person on Election Day, Nov. 3. Fauci says a gradual return to normal will be required based on the status of the new coronavirus pandemic in various parts of the country and the availability of rapid, widespread testing.
