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.
August 5, 2020 3:59 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano have been signed on to be in the reboot of the old-school sitcom “Who’s the Boss?” But what about the other actors who were in the original? Sony Pictures Television says the door is open for the return of Judith Light and Danny Pintauro. Sony says the two actors are “supportive of the new series” – and they hope to find a way to get them back on the show.
August 5, 2020 10:22 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Joe Biden’s Democratic presidential campaign is reserving $280 million in digital and television ads through the fall. It’s nearly twice the amount President Donald Trump’s team has reserved. The Biden campaign announced in a Wednesday memo it’s reserving $220 million in television airtime and $60 million in digital ads. A review of Kantar/CMAG data by The Associated Press finds that’s in contrast to the $147 million Trump’s campaign has reserved. Biden’s campaign also plans to launch what it calls an “unprecedented” paid media campaign to educate people on voting options during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump’s campaign has tried to frame Biden’s expanding footprint as a sign Biden’s challenge is in peril.
August 5, 2020 9:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he’s considering delivering his Republican convention speech from the White House. Such a move would mark an unprecedented use of public property for partisan political purposes. Trump told Fox News on Wednesday that he’s thinking about delivering the speech from the White House because of the security and cost advantages. The Republican convention is scheduled for Aug. 24-27, with Trump’s speech capping the final night. The speech was going to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, until Trump feuded with the governor over health restrictions. Trump then moved it to Jacksonville, Florida, but scrapped that plan because of a resurgence of the coronavirus.
August 5, 2020 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Frustrated Senate Republicans re-upped their complaints on Tuesday that Democratic negotiators are staking too hard a line in talks on a sweeping coronavirus relief bill, but pressure is mounting for progress so senators can return to their home states for the August recess. Another negotiating session is underway, and Trump administration negotiators said they are bringing fresh proposal to the table. One glimmer of hope emerged as a key Senate Republican telegraphed that the party may yield to Democrats on an increase in the food stamp benefit as part of the huge rescue measure, which promises to far exceed a $1 trillion target set by the GOP.
August 5, 2020 4:15 am
BEIRUT (AP) – Residents of Beirut have awoken to a scene of utter devastation, a day after a massive explosion at the port of the Lebanese capital killed at least 100 people and wounded thousands. Smoke was still rising from the port, where a towering grain silos was toppled. Major downtown streets were littered with debris and damaged vehicles; building facades were blown out. Authorities say at least 70 people were killed and 3,000 wounded, with the toll likely to rise as more bodies are being pulled from the rubble. It’s unclear what caused the blast, which appeared to have been triggered by a fire and struck with the force of an earthquake.
August 5, 2020 4:10 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic airline is seeking protection from creditors as it tries to survive the pandemic that is slamming air travel. The U.K.-based airline filed for help Tuesday in U.S. federal bankruptcy court in New York. A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic cast the Chapter 15 bankruptcy filing as part of a court process to carry out a restructuring plan that the airline announced last month. The airline hopes to emerge from the restructuring in September. Virgin Atlantic is the latest airline to wind up in court because of the financial harm from the coronavirus outbreak.
