October 16, 2020 4:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska has told constituents that President Donald Trump mocks Christian evangelicals in private and “kisses dictators’ butts.” Sasse made the comments Wednesday during a telephone town hall this week when he was asked why he has been so critical of a president of his own party. Sasse is running for a second term representing the reliably red state. He criticized Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and said Trump’s family has treated the presidency “like a business opportunity.” The comments were first reported by the Washington Examiner after it obtained an audio recording of the senator’s comments.
October 16, 2020 4:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s campaign and Republicans raised $247.8 million in September – better than the month before, but still lagging far behind his Democratic challenger Joe Biden, who raised $383 million over the same stretch. Trump’s campaign, the Republican National Committee and its joint fundraising committees finished the month with $251.4 million cash on hand – dramatically less than the $432 million Biden reported having in the bank just weeks before the Nov. 3 election. Trump and Republicans jointly raised $210 million in August, a robust sum dwarfed by the record $364.5 million raised by Democrats and Biden.
October 16, 2020 4:01 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The Trump White House has installed two political operatives at the nation’s top public health agency to try to control the information it releases about the coronavirus pandemic as the administration seeks to paint a positive outlook, sometimes at odds with the scientific evidence. The two appointees assigned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Atlanta headquarters in June have no public health background. They have instead been tasked with keeping an eye on Dr. Robert Redfield, the agency director, as well as scientists, according to a half-dozen CDC and administration officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal government affairs.
October 16, 2020 4:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden showed striking differences in temperament, views on racial justice and approaches to the pandemic that has reshaped the nation in dueling televised town halls. They squared off, in a way, Thursday night, their scuttled second debate replaced by the separate events. Trump was defensive about his administration’s handling of the coronavirus, and evasive when pressed about whether he took a required COVID-19 test before his first debate with Biden. Trump refused to denounce the QAnon conspiracy group, and only testily did so regarding white supremacists. Biden, for his part, denounced the White House’s handling of the virus.
October 16, 2020 3:57 am
BRADDOCK, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania State Police say they won’t charge a woman who was recorded directing a racial slur against the wife of Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor at a grocery store. In a release issued Thursday, police said investigators concluded the woman’s actions were a violation of state criminal law, but Gisele Fetterman (pictured) and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman don’t wish to see her prosecuted. The woman followed as Fetterman retreated to her vehicle in the store parking lot, and was seen using a slur during a two-second clip that Fetterman posted to social media. Gisele Fetterman says she’d prefer that the woman get assistance from social service agencies and other help.
October 16, 2020 3:55 am
(WPXI) – Controversial radio host Wendy Bell and KDKA Radio have officially parted ways. A spokesperson for Entercom said in a statement Friday that “Wendy Bell is no longer with KDKA, and we mutually agreed to part ways.” Bell declined to comment further about the situation with KDKA Radio but said she will continue to stream her show on her website. She also streams the show on a Facebook page. Bell was taken off the air on Sept. 4th after making controversial comments on her live show in June. She suggested park rangers “shoot on sight” people who deface public monuments: “My easy solution for the park rangers and hopefully snipers who are going to be watching for this is to shoot on sight.” Bell then mimics the sound of a gunshot. “Shoot! Done! No more messing with monuments. You want to mess with a monument? Done! Get out!” Bell was let go from her position with WTAE-TV in 2016 after making comments on social media regarding a shooting at a backyard barbecue that left 5 people dead.
October 16, 2020 2:11 am
(WPXI) – Gov. Tom Wolf has vetoed a bill that would have allowed restaurants and other businesses to return to full capacity despite the continued COVID-19 pandemic. The bill, known as HB 2513, was passed in the State House of Representatives on Sept. 23. Under that bill, restaurants, bars, clubs and banquet halls could return to full capacity under each business’ discretion and it would eliminate the requirement that a meal must be purchased to get an alcoholic beverage. The bill also allowed for bar seating again, with social distancing/barriers. In the governor’s veto, he said the bill would endanger public health and safety by allowing restaurants to open up to full capacity without regard for state and federal COVID-19 mitigation guidelines. Wolf also said in his letter to state representatives that removing the meal requirement for alcohol consumption “increases the likelihood of COVID-19 outbreaks” in Pa. Now that the governor has vetoed the bill, it goes back to the state legislature where they would need a two-thirds majority to override it.
October 15, 2020 1:29 pm
HELENA, Mont. (AP) – The U.S. Postal Service agreed Wednesday to reverse changes that slowed mail service nationwide. The agreement settles a lawsuit filed by Montana Gov. Steve Bullock. The lawsuit filed against Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the U.S. Postal Service on Sept. 9 argued changes implemented in June harmed access to mail services in Montana. The postal service agreed to reverse all changes, which included reduced retail hours, and removal of collection boxes and mail sorting machines. The agreement also requires the Postal Service to prioritize election mail. The settlement agreement reached in the U.S. District Court in Great Falls applies to all states.
October 15, 2020 1:19 pm
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Philadelphia has filed a lawsuit against Juul Labs, accusing the company of being responsible for what city health officials call an epidemic of e-cigarette use among teens and young people. The city is the latest in a long string of states, cities and other municipal entities to file a lawsuit against the company over use of electronic nicotine devices by young people. The lawsuit announced Wednesday was filed in California, the home of Juul Labs. Philadelphia officials allege that Juul intentionally marketed its products to young people. Juul said Wednesday that it will continue to work to “combat underage use” and and will respond to the allegations “through the appropriate legal channels.”
October 15, 2020 1:17 pm
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) – Classes are resuming at Youngstown State University following a three-day strike by faculty members. The university announced early Thursday the school and the union reached “an understanding for the general framework on a new three-year contract.” The parties will “work out details for a tentative agreement.” Terms were not disclosed. Proposed salary increases and related issues had been the sticking points. A fact-finder had recommended that faculty members get a 6% pay increase over three years. School officials said that didn’t take into account financial challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic.
