September 25, 2020 3:25 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans are expecting President Donald Trump to announce Saturday that he is nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, as he aims to put a historic stamp on the high court just weeks before the election. Even before Trump unveils the pick, conservative groups and congressional allies are laying the groundwork for a swift confirmation process for Barrett. They, like the president, are wasting little time moving to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, organizing multimillion-dollar ad campaigns and marshalling supporters both to confirm the pick and to boost Trump to a second term.
September 25, 2020 3:24 am
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Police in Louisville, Kentucky, say at least 24 people were arrested from a protest in the city on Thursday. A statement says charges included unlawful assembly, failure to disperse and riot in the first degree. Authorities allege the protesters broke windows at a restaurant, damaged city buses, tried to set a fire and threw a flare into the street. Protests have broken out across the country following the announcement Wednesday that no officers were directly charged in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor. The Black woman was killed during a police raid in March. Police pulled back from the Louisville protest on Thursday night after negotiating an ending with demonstrators.
September 25, 2020 3:21 am
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WPXI) — A loaded handgun was found in a passenger’s carry-on bag at the main security checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport Thursday evening. According to a release from Allegheny County police, TSA screeners saw the loaded 9mm gun in the person’s bag and alerted police. Investigators said the 34-year-old man had a valid concealed carry permit and accidentally left the firearm in his bag. The passenger was permitted to fly after authorities notified the FBI of what happened. No charges are expected to be filed, but county police still have the man’s weapon.
September 25, 2020 2:10 am
The Allegheny County Health Department announced Thursday its stricter COVID-19 orders have been lifted, effective immediately. Instead, Allegheny County will abide by the limitations set by the state – which were less restrictive in terms of gathering limits. The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s orders related to mask-wearing, mandatory telework, worker safety, building safety and hospital safety all remain in place. Officials said business occupancy restrictions “applicable to personal care service, indoor recreation and health and wellness facilities, entertainment venues, and bars and restaurants are also in effect.” The previous gathering limits in Allegheny County – indoors of 25 or less people and outdoors of 100 – are being lifted in favor of the state guidelines, which allow for 250 people outside.
September 24, 2020 4:09 pm
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft will not face trial on charges he paid for massage parlor sex. Florida prosecutors announced Thursday that they are dropping a misdemeanor charge against Kraft after a court blocked their use of video that allegedly shows him paying for sex at the Orchids of Asia spa in early 2019. A court ruled last month that the video cameras police secretly installed in the spa violated the customers’ right to privacy. Kraft could still face a suspension from the National Football League.
September 24, 2020 1:59 pm
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Officials from six states and the District of Columbia have asked a federal judge to halt what they say are slowdowns at the U.S. Postal Service that threaten the upcoming presidential election. They argued Thursday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia that on-time delivery dropped sharply in July and has not fully rebounded as the nation battles a pandemic and prepares for an election that could hinge on mail-in ballots. Judges in Washington state and New York issued emergency orders this month in similar cases. The states involved in Thursday’s hearing are Pennsylvania, California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts and North Carolina.
September 24, 2020 12:50 pm
BALDWIN, Pa. (AP) – The parents of a 1-year-old child who authorities say died of a drug overdose have been charged with homicide. Tracy Humphreys and Thomas Snelsire, both 45, also face numerous drug counts in the death of Thomas Humphreys. His body was found Sept. 13 in the family’s home. Investigators noted that the boy had likely been dead “for a long period of time” before authorities were alerted. It wasn’t clear Thursday if either parent was in custody or had retained an attorney. The infant’s body was found about a month after a county child welfare caseworker had inspected the home and didn’t see “illegal drugs or inappropriate conditions.” (Photo: WPXI)
September 24, 2020 9:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid rose slightly last week to 870,000, a historically high figure that shows that the viral pandemic is still squeezing restaurants, airlines, hotels and many other businesses six months after it first erupted. The figure coincides with evidence that some newly laid-off Americans are facing delays in receiving unemployment benefits as state agencies intensify efforts to combat fraudulent applications and clear their pipelines of a backlog of jobless claims.
September 24, 2020 9:10 am
LONDON (AP) – Top officials of two firms developing COVID-19 vaccines say pharmaceutical companies are working together to see how much information they can release to the public about their testing regimes as drugmakers and public health officials try to boost confidence that any vaccine approved by regulators will be safe to use. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot and Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of Johnson & Johnson, said Thursday during a panel discussion sponsored by the World Economic Forum that they recognize the coronavirus emergency demands increased transparency from vaccine developers to ensure the public has faith in the end product. But they stressed that there are limits to this transparency because they must protect patient confidentiality.
September 24, 2020 9:07 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — A man was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital after being hit by a train in Washington Wednesday afternoon. Washington police said the man was struck behind the Chestnut Veterinary Clinic off of West Chestnut Street about 2:30 p.m. Authorities say the man had been identified, but his name was not released pending notification of the victim’s next of kin. Police say the man was conscious when crews arrived, but he was in serious condition and needed immediate attention. He was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. There is no update on the man’s current condition or identity at this time.
