April 9, 2020 3:58 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – In a first, small step toward reopening the country, the Trump administration has issued new guidelines to make it easier for essential workers who have been exposed to COVID-19 get back to work – if they have no symptoms. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says essential employees, such as health care and food supply workers, who had been within 6 feet of a confirmed or suspected case of the coronavirus can return to work under certain circumstances. The CDC recommends taking their temperature before shifts, wearing face masks and practicing social distancing.
April 9, 2020 3:57 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The Trump administration has quietly shut down the nation’s asylum system for the first time in decades amid the coronavirus. The U.S. has used an obscure public health law to justify one of its most aggressive border enforcement tactics ever. People seeking refuge in the U.S. are whisked to the nearest border crossing and returned to Mexico without a chance to seek asylum. The government has temporarily swept aside decades-old national and international laws, saying holding people in custody is considered too dangerous. A congressional aide tells The Associated Press that the U.S. has expelled more than 7,000 people in less than two weeks.
April 9, 2020 3:56 am
SYDNEY (AP) – Australian police wearing protective gear have boarded a cruise ship to seize evidence and question crew members after the vessel was linked to hundreds of COVID-19 cases and more than a dozen deaths. About 2,700 passengers disembarked from the ship on March 19 in Sydney and it has since become the largest source of coronavirus infections in Australia. More than 600 cases of COVID-19 and 15 deaths are linked the to the ship, the Ruby Princess. About 200 crew have shown symptoms of COVID-19, while 18 have tested positive for the virus that causes it. The workers remaining on the ship are from 50 countries.
April 9, 2020 3:54 am
MORGANTOWN, WV. – (WPXI) – West Virginia University says more than a dozen students in Morgantown have tested positive for coronavirus. The school has been closed since March 20, and according to officials the 14 students who tested positive were at private, off-campus housing and never went on campus. Health officials at WVU and from Monongalia County are working to trace the students’ movements so they can notify anyone who may have been exposed.
April 9, 2020 3:45 am
As in other municipalities, Covid-19 caused a different look to Charleroi Borough’s Council Meeting on Wednesday night. Only 10 people were allowed to gather, and to leave room for an audience, 3 council members called in to participate and give council a full slate of members. The agenda was brief but a spirited debate arose over the effectiveness of police in battling illegal drugs. Councilman Frank Paterra was disappointed in the police report that indicated only two arrests were made last month involving illegal drugs. He questioned whether a concentrated effort was being made to fight this battle. Councilman Jerry Jericho brought out statistics of arrests made during Paterra’s term as mayor and compared them to arrests made in the last two years. The figures showed that there were about 10% more arrests made for illegal drugs in the last two years compared to Paterra’s term as mayor. Councilman Mark Alterici also pointed out that with fewer people in the borough now as opposed to the mid 2000’s, those arrests are an even greater per capita arrest record. Paterra is going to work with code enforcement, and the new chief of police in hopes that they will be able to work closely with the FBI and District Attorney in an effort to “rid Charleroi of these parasites.”
April 8, 2020 5:41 pm
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – Authorities have recovered the body of a grandson of former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, two days after the body of the boy’s mother was found in the water after a canoeing accident. The Maryland Natural Resources Police said in a news release that the body of 8-year-old Gideon McKean was found Wednesday afternoon. The boy was found in roughly 25 feet of water more than 2 miles south of his grandmother’s residence in Shady Side, Maryland, where he and had mother had launched the canoe last Thursday. The body of Gideon’s mother, 40-year-old Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, was recovered on Monday about 2,000 feet from where her son’s body was recovered.
April 8, 2020 9:52 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is telling House Democrats that direct deposits to Americans will begin next week under the coronavirus aid package. Mnuchin is also telling the lawmakers that $98 billion has been approved for small business retention under a program in the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package. His comments came during a conference call with the coronavirus task force, according to a person not authorized to discuss the private call and granted anonymity. Congress is debating the next potential coronavirus aid package as President Donald Trump seeks $250 billion for small businesses and Democrats propose adding another $250 billion for small communities, protective gear and food stamps. A test vote is expected Thursday.
April 8, 2020 5:29 am
Singer-songwriter John Prine has died at 73. His family announced his death on Tuesday night. Revered for his wise and witty lyrics, he sang with a proud twang in “Angel from Montgomery,” “Sam Stone,” “Hello in There” and scores of other quirky original tunes. Prine’s voice was rough around the edges, particularly after throat cancer disfigured his jaw, but he kept performing for decades. He won admiration and respect from the likes of Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson, and mentored generations of singers in Nashville. His characters were common people, facing the simple indignities, absurdities or pleasures of life.
April 8, 2020 4:50 am
Washington County is calling for voluntary furloughs as they deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioners and SEIU Local 668, which represents workers in Washington County’s courts, as well as its Human Services and County Services departments, released a joint statement Tuesday. While the exact number of workers to be affected is unknown at this time, it is estimated that this action could impact approximately 50 workers. Chairman Diana Irey-Vaughn says “there is no real concensus on when this pandemic will end and how long we’ll have to provide reduced county services so in an effort to retain the county’s strong fiscal position we worked collaboratively with the SEIU on voluntary furloughs so that when we do emerge from this crisis, the County will be able to effectively help small businesses and residents get back to work.” SEIU Local 668 President Steve Cantanese says “while this action is unfortunate, we understand that it’s a good faith effort to protect worker safety and jobs, while ensuring the County can continue to serve the public through the duration of this crisis. We’ll continue to work with the Commission to ensure that this action causes the least possible harm to the County’s employees”.
April 8, 2020 4:02 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Los Angeles has embarked on an unprecedented effort to bring thousands of homeless people off the streets and into hotels to protect the most vulnerable as the coronavirus continues to spread. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that money from the federal government would help pay for at least 15,000 hotel rooms statewide during the pandemic. But Los Angeles County – with the state’s largest concentration of homeless people – has set its own goal of 15,000 rooms. The rooms are set aside for the most vulnerable people – those over 65 or those with underlying health conditions.
