North Strabane Honors First Responders

August 26, 2020 4:05 am

Supervisors in North Strabane Township kicked off what could be described as a mundane council meeting with recognition to all of the township first responders. Township Supervisors awarded commendations for the work of Emergency Service personnel during the Covid-19 pandemic. Township Manager Andrew Walz stated that supervisors recognize the hard work responders do and they wanted to make sure that they are aware that they and the members of the community appreciate their efforts. Additionally, supervisors recognized several police officers for exceptional actions during the line of duty. North Strabane Township Police Officers were instrumental in apprehending criminals in Canonsburg and in North Strabane Township. Officers foiled an attempted abduction, apprehended a homicide suspect and apprehended a bank robber. Supervisor Bob Ross handled the distribution of the commendations for the supervisors.

American Airlines Announces More Layoffs

August 25, 2020 5:45 pm

DALLAS (AP) – American Airlines says it will furlough or lay off 19,000 employees in October as it struggles with a sharp downturn in travel because of the pandemic. Flight attendants will bear the heaviest cuts, with 8,100 losing their jobs. The numbers announced today are in addition to 23,500 employees who accepted buyouts, retired early or took long-term leaves of absence. U.S. air travel has recovered slightly since April but remains down 70% from a year ago, and carriers say they need fewer workers.

Masks Contributing To Decline In Virus Diagnosis

August 25, 2020 1:58 pm

NEW YORK (AP) – The number of Americans newly diagnosed with the coronavirus is falling – a development experts credit at least partly to increased wearing of masks – even as the outbreak continues to claim nearly 1,000 lives in the U.S. each day. About 43,000 new cases have been reported daily over the past two weeks across the country, down 21 percent since early August. That’s according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

One-Year-Old Shot & Killed In Pittsburgh

August 25, 2020 12:43 pm

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Authorities say an infant struck by bullets that went into a Pittsburgh home has died from his wounds. Police responding to reports of shots fired around 6 LAST NIGHT – were directed by residents – to a home where they found a year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his head. The child, who has been identified as Zykier Young, was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead there several hours later. An initial investigation showed the shots emanated from outside the home, then traveled through a window and two walls before hitting Young. Police said there was a shootout with multiple people firing and Young was simply caught in the crossfire. Investigators said they do have multiple shell casings from the scene, and they are examining security camera footage of the shootout. (Photo:  WPXI)

Melania, Pompeo & Trump Headliners On Day Two Of RNC

August 25, 2020 10:29 am

LAS VEGAS (AP) – Tuesday’s program at the Republican National Convention is likely to wade into familiar waters, with a lineup expected to speak on divisive issues like abortion and “cancel culture,” while lambasting Democratic rival Joe Biden and the Democrats’ progressive wing. First lady Melania Trump is set to give the night’s marquee address from the Rose Garden of the White House. President Donald Trump is expected to make an appearance during prime-time programming. The program’s speakers include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, another Republican who is being closely watched for signs of future political aspirations. Trump appeared frequently during the first day of his party’s convention.

FDA Chief Apologizes For Overstating Plasma Effects

August 25, 2020 10:28 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – Responding to outcries from medical experts, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn is admitting he overstated the life-saving benefits of treating COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma. Medical experts have been pushing back against the claims about the treatment since President Donald Trump’s announcement on Sunday that the FDA had decided to issue emergency authorization for convalescent plasma. Trump hailed the decision as a historic breakthrough even though the treatment’s value has not been established. The announcement on the eve of Trump’s Republican National Convention raised suspicions that it was politically motivated to offset critics of the president’s handling of the pandemic.

Falwell Resigns As Head Of Liberty University

August 25, 2020 4:19 am

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Jerry Falwell Jr. says he has resigned as head of evangelical Liberty University. Falwell confirmed his departure in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, a day after the school said he had submitted, then rescinded his resignation. Falwell stepped down amid conflicting claims about a sexual relationship his wife had with a younger business partner. He had already been on a leave of absence after a photo he posted on social media caused an uproar. Falwell is the son of university founder the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.  (Photo:  CNN)

Jacob Blake’s Father Says Son Left Paralyzed

August 25, 2020 4:18 am

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) – The father of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot, apparently in the back, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, says his son was left paralyzed from the waist down. Blake’s father told the Chicago Sun-Times that he was told his son was shot eight times during the Sunday evening confrontation with police, which was captured on cellphone video and led to two nights of unrest in the city that’s along Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Chicago. The father, who is also named Jacob Blake, said he was driving from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Kenosha to be with his son. He said his son has “eight holes” in his body and that doctors don’t know if the paralysis will be permanent.

Global Tourism Lost $320 Billion In 5 Months

August 25, 2020 4:16 am

UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The United Nations chief says the global tourism industry has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, with $320 billion lost in exports in the first five months of the year and more than 120 million jobs at risk. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said international tourist arrivals also decreased by more than half. He said in a report Tuesday that tourism is the third largest export sector of the global economy, behind fuels and chemicals, and in 2019 it accounted for 7% of global trade. He said: “It employs one in every 10 people on Earth and provides livelihoods to hundreds of millions more.”

Trump Complains About Media Coverage Of RNC

August 25, 2020 4:15 am

NEW YORK (AP) – The Republican National Convention is off to a bumpy start with the news media. President Donald Trump complained about his coverage, CNN and MSNBC subjected him to aggressive fact-checking and Fox News Channel faced a social media backlash for not showing more of the convention. Trump, in an informal acceptance of his party’s nomination for a second term, complained about news networks not showing the full roll call of delegates voting for him. Networks juggled the roll call with coverage of the House Oversight Committee’s hearings into the Postal Service’s readiness for mail-in voting. The president made three TV appearances on the first day.