March 12, 2020 9:21 am
BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Union has condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to restrict travel from Europe to the United States. Two top EU officials lamented that the decision was taken without consultation and they say the disease does not respect borders in any case. The restrictions announced by Trump would hit 26 European nations but don’t apply to the United Kingdom, where the number of confirmed cases is above 400. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s latest figures, more than 17,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across Europe, and more than 700 people have died on the continent.
March 12, 2020 4:22 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Defying a veto threat, Congress has approved a bipartisan measure to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to launch military operations against Iran. The House gave final legislative approval to the measure Wednesday, sending it to Trump. The president has promised to veto the resolution, warning that if his “hands were tied, Iran would have a field day.” The resolution, sponsored Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, declares that Trump must win approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran. Supporters say the measure is not about Trump, but is an important reassertion of congressional power to declare war.
March 12, 2020 4:21 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Tom Hanks says he and wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for the coronavirus. Hanks says in a statement Wednesday that the couple are in Australia and felt tired, with colds, body aches and slight fevers. áThe Oscar-winner says they were tested because of their symptoms and in his words, “to play things right.” The 63-year-old actor said they will be tested, observed and isolated for as long as necessary. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
March 12, 2020 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he is sharply restricting travel from Europe to the U.S. for 30 days beginning Friday night as he seeks to combat a viral pandemic. Trump made the announcement Wednesday in an Oval Office address to the nation. He blames the European Union for not acting quickly enough to address the coronavirus and says U.S. clusters were “seeded” by European travelers. Trump says the restrictions won’t apply to the United Kingdom and the U.S. will monitor the situation to determine if travel can be reopened earlier. The White House has also cancelled a planned trip by the president to Nevada and Colorado this week, “out of an abundance of caution.”
March 12, 2020 4:09 am
Charleroi Borough Council is actively addressing dilapidated homes in the borough. Councilwoman Jody Cheplic informed council of one building scheduled to be demolished very soon and asked the code enforcement office to proactively search for homes that seem to be falling into severe disrepair. Cheplic and the rest of council received a preview of the Strategic Management Planning Program report that will be finalized for the Department of Community and Economic Development. A section of the report deals with housing stock and condition. According to Cheplic, 200 properties were identified as being in some form of blighted condition. Cheplic explained that many times owners are out of state and find it easier to pay fines instead of addressing the issues for which their property was cited. Cheplic is hopeful that a loan program sponsored by the Redevelopment Authority of Washington County will spur first time home buyers to buy in Charleroi and current home owners to invest in the upkeep of their current homes.
March 12, 2020 2:48 am
(WPXI) – Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been cancelled because of concerns over the coronavirus, the city announced Wednesday. “The health of our residents and visitors to our city must be our main priority,” Mayor William Peduto said. “This mitigation measure will help keep people in Pittsburgh and Western Pa. safe.” Pittsburgh is now among cities including Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dublin, Ireland, that have decided to cancel their parades. Pittsburgh’s was scheduled for Saturday. City officials said they are following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to avoid mass gatherings and observe “social distancing.” There have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Allegheny County,
March 11, 2020 1:54 pm
ROME (AP) – The World Health Organization is declaring that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic. The assessment comes as Italy is weighing even tighter restrictions on daily life and has announced billions in financial relief to cushion economic shocks from the coronavirus. Premier Giuseppe Conte says he will consider requests to toughen an already extraordinary lockdown. The hardest-hit region of Lombardy is pushing for a shutdown of nonessential businesses and public transportation on top of travel and social restrictions. The death toll in Italy has risen to 631. In the U.S., more than 1,000 people have been infected.
March 11, 2020 11:44 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. It’s a sight the Hollywood mogul’s multitude of accusers thought they would never see. Weinstein was convicted last month of raping a woman in a New York City hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on another woman at his apartment in 2006. He faced a maximum of 29 years in prison. Both women that Weinstein was convicted of assaulting spoke in court Wednesday before Judge James Burke announced the sentence.
March 11, 2020 10:33 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Stocks are opening sharply lower on Wall Street as fears of economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak grip markets again. Major indexes are off 3% in early trading Wednesday, taking more than 800 points off the Dow Jones Industrial Average. European indexes were up slightly. The Bank of England cut its key interest rate as an emergency measure in response to the outbreak of the virus, following similar moves by central banks in the U.S. and Canada. The European Central Bank is likely to offer support on Thursday. Countries are shifting into damage-control as infections spread, prompting sweeping controls on travel and other public activities.
March 11, 2020 9:04 am
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia University will temporarily suspend in-person classes once students return from spring break late this month. The university made the announcement Tuesday night as it continues to monitor the threat of the new coronavirus in a state with no confirmed cases. WVU’s weeklong spring break starts Saturday. The university is calling off classes for a week after students return. Then, starting March 30, students will be offered online instruction or other alternative learning options. The university is telling students to take essential items with them when they leave. Officials say as of Tuesday, West Virginia has tested five people for the virus, with three negative results and two tests pending.
