December 5, 2020 9:24 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Fire danger remains high amid unpredictable wind gusts and dry conditions in Southern California, as crews made progress against blazes that burned several homes and injured two firefighters. The region’s notorious Santa Ana winds decreased slightly but red flag warnings of extreme wildfire risk were in place into the weekend because of low humidity. After the weather calms in the southern part of the state, winds are expected to increase in Northern California. Firefighters were still busy trying to contain a number of blazes south and east of Los Angeles. The biggest, in Orange County’s Silverado Canyon, is 10% contained.
December 5, 2020 9:21 am
California has certified its presidential election and appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for Joe Biden, officially handing the Democrat the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House. Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s formal approval of Biden’s victory brought the Democrat’s tally of pledged electors so far to 279, according to a tally by The Associated Press. That’s just over the 270 threshold for victory. These steps are often ignored formalities. But the hidden mechanics of electing a U.S. president have drawn new scrutiny this year as President Donald Trump continues to deny Biden’s victory and pursues specious legal strategies aimed at overturning the results.
December 5, 2020 9:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Under pressure from moderates in both parties, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have initiated late-game negotiations in hopes of combining a relief package of, in all likelihood, less than $1 trillion with a separate $1.4 trillion governmentwide omnibus spending bill. After lengthy delays, optimism is finally building in Washington for a COVID-19 aid bill that would offer relief for businesses, the unemployed, schools and health care providers, among others struggling as caseloads are spiking. Success is not certain and considerable differences remain over details, such as whether to issue a second round of $1,200 direct payments to most Americans.
December 5, 2020 9:16 am
The Trump administration is suspending all federal student loan payments through the end of January and keeping interest rates at 0%, extending a moratorium that started early in the pandemic but was set to expire at the end of this month. By extending payments by one month, the administration is effectively leaving it to the Biden administration or Congress to decide whether to provide longer-term relief to millions of student borrowers. The measure was included in a March relief package and the White House extended it in August, but its fate was in doubt amid stalemate over a new relief bill. In announcing the extension, DeVos rebuked Congress for failing to act.
December 5, 2020 9:14 am
HOUSTON (AP) – A federal appeals court has ruled that a lower court was wrong to bar the Trump administration from taking $3.6 billion from military construction projects for a border wall. A panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Friday that El Paso County and the nonprofit Border Network for Human Rights did not have the standing to challenge President Donald Trump’s redirecting funds from more than 100 military construction projects, including a $20 million road project at a base located in the city. The appeals court found that neither the county nor the Border Network proved it was directly harmed by Trump’s move.
December 5, 2020 9:12 am
MOSCOW (AP) – Thousands of doctors, teachers and others in high-risk groups have signed up for a COVID-19 vaccination in Moscow starting Saturday, a precursor to a Russia-wide immunization effort. The vaccination effort comes three days after President Vladimir Putin ordered the launch of a “large-scale” COVID-19 immunization campaign even though a Russian-designed vaccine has yet to complete the advanced studies needed to ensure its effectiveness and safety in line with established scientific protocols. The Russian leader said Wednesday that more than 2 million doses of the Sputnik V jab will be available in the next few days, allowing authorities to offer jabs to medical workers and teachers across the country starting late next week.
December 5, 2020 4:22 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Fresh off another rejection in Pennsylvania’s courts, Republicans are again asking the U.S. Supreme Court to undo President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the battleground state. The state’s lawyers say fatal flaws in the original case mean justices are highly unlikely to grant it. Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly of northwestern Pennsylvania and the other plaintiffs on Thursday asked the high court to prevent the state from certifying any contests from the Nov. 3 election, and undo any certifications already made, such as Biden’s victory, while its lawsuit is considered. They maintain that Pennsylvania’s expansive vote-by-mail law is unconstitutional. Most mail-in ballots were submitted by Democrats. Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court threw out the case Saturday.
December 5, 2020 4:09 am
CUMBERLAND, Pa. (AP) – A fire that broke out at an apartment building in western Pennsylvania has left a child and two adults injured and displaced dozens of residents. It’s not yet known what caused the fire at the Parkview Knoll Apartments in Cumberland Township. The blaze was reported around 2:30 a.m. Friday and was brought under control about 90 minutes later. Authorities say a 12-year-old boy who firefighters found in a stairwell and an adult resident both suffered smoke inhalation and were being treated at a hospital, while a woman who jumped from an apartment suffered an ankle injury. Two of the building’s 23 apartments were destroyed, with the others sustaining smoke damage.
December 5, 2020 4:07 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania are drafting a boatload of voting-related legislation and are vowing to make a major initiative out of addressing what they deem to be problems arising from the election. Top Democrats quickly accused Republicans on Friday of setting up a “sham process” and undermining faith in elections. Republicans have already issued more than a half-dozen memos about forthcoming legislation stemming from the election. They will push to pass something before the May 18 primary election, although getting it signed into law will depend on Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat. Democrats say Republicans should have simply allowed counties to process mail-in ballots before Election Day.
December 5, 2020 4:03 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Temple University will pay the U.S. Department of Education $700,000 to settle claims regarding years of falsified data submitted to U.S. News & World Report. The department announced the settlement Friday, noting that Temple didn’t admit any wrongdoing or liability. The matter involves false reporting about the school’s online MBA program at the Fox School of Business that officials have said was done intentionally to boost the school’s rankings and revenues. Temple issued a statement Friday saying it was grateful to have reached a conclusion in the matter and noted the changes its made, including establishing an internal verification unit and making online and telephone hotlines available for whistle-blowers.
