February 13, 2020 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General William Barr is about to face some of his harshest critics in Congress. Barr has agreed to testify on March 31 before the House Judiciary Committee. The appearance comes as questions swirl about whether Barr intervened in the case of Roger Stone, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump. Democrats plan to ask Barr about the department’s decision to overrule four federal prosecutors on the amount of prison time recommended for Stone. After the decision, the prosecutors immediately quit. Trump tweeted a congratulations to Barr “for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have been brought.”
February 13, 2020 4:16 am
TOKYO (AP) – Japan’s health ministry says 44 more people on a quarantined cruise ship have tested positive for the virus that causes the new disease known as COVID-19. The ship has 218 people infected with the virus out of 713 people tested since the ship returned to the Yokohama Port on Feb. 3. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato says five patients now in hospitals have severe symptoms and are on artificial respirators or under intensive care. Japan’s government has decided to allow passengers older than 80 to get off the ship if they wish to do so after testing negative for the virus. Those with chronic health problems or in cabins without windows will be given priority.
February 13, 2020 4:15 am
BEIJING (AP) – China is reporting 254 new deaths and a spike in virus cases of more than 15,000, after its hardest-hit province applied a new system that broadens the scope of diagnoses for the outbreak, which has spread to more than 20 countries. Japan is also reporting its first death. The hardest-hit Chinese province has replaced its top officials in an apparent response to public criticism of local authorities’ handling of the epidemic. The total deaths in mainland China now are more than 1,300, with confirmed cases exceeding 59,000. That number now includes patients who have been diagnosed with a doctors’ analysis combined with lung imaging, as opposed to waiting for laboratory test results.
February 13, 2020 4:09 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati tells The Associated Press he will not seek re-election. Scarnati made the announcement Wednesday night. The 58-year-old is a fifth-term Republican senator from Jefferson County in northwestern Pennsylvania. He says he wrestled with the decision but thought it was the right time to step down after 14 years in a job steering a Republican majority through turbulent elections and fights in the Capitol. Scarnati rose quickly, becoming Senate president in 2007 with the endorsement of his predecessor after just six years in the chamber. He said he will remain in his role until the legislative term ends Nov. 30.
February 13, 2020 4:06 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – The University of Pittsburgh announced it will receive samples of the novel coronavirus to work on a potential vaccine. In a tweet Wednesday, Pitt officials said its Center for Vaccine Research will obtain samples of the virus from the CDC in an effort to prevent its spread in the U.S. and beyond. Pitt said its CVR is one of the few labs nationwide that is qualified to handle pathogens like the coronavirus. More than 45,000 people cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed globally, with more than 1,000 dead from it. CDC officials said some of the coronavirus test kits sent to states and at least 30 countries have proved to be flawed.
February 13, 2020 2:59 am
Officials say a great deal of progress has been made in stabilizing Clare Drive in South Strabane township and they believe at least one lane of the roadway will be reopened Thursday. PennDot Assistant Construction Engineer Scott Faieta says crews have been working to stabilize the roadway after a partial collapse late Monday night. Township officials closed the roadway and advised residents of nearly a dozen homes to evacuate. Some stayed at area hotels but others remained in their homes. Faieta say the goal is to get at least one lane open to allow those residents to return but admits there will still be plenty of work to do after that happens. The slide has also led PennDot to close the far right lane of Interstate 70 east in the area because of concerns with that hillside. Tune to WJPA 95.3FM/1450AM for the very latest developments. (Photo: WPXI)
February 12, 2020 2:48 pm
DETROIT (AP) – Honda is recalling 241,000 Odyssey minivans in the U.S. to fix a wiring problem that could cause a fire. The recall covers EX-L, Touring and Elite minivans from the 2018 through 2020 model years. The company says the wiring harness running to a third-row power outlet may have been pinched and damaged during manufacturing. That can cause a short circuit, which can ignite a plastic interior panel covering. The company has three reports of fires with no injuries. Honda says in a that owners will be notified of the recall by mail in mid-March. Dealers will reroute the wiring and cover it with insulating tape. If the wiring harness is damaged, it will be replaced.
February 12, 2020 1:49 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Two-time Emmy Award nominee and dancer Paula Kelly has died at 77. Kelly earned a Emmy nod in 1984 for portraying public defender Liz Williams on the first season of NBC’s “Night Court” and received another in 1989 for playing a lesbian on the ABC miniseries “The Women of Brewster Place.” One of her most important roles was Helene in “Sweet Charity,” which she played onstage in London and then reprised in Bob Fosse’s feature film debut. Her other film credits include “The Andromeda Strain” and “Soylent Green.” Her vast TV credits also include “Santa Barbara,” “Mission: Impossible” and “The Golden Girls.”
February 12, 2020 9:50 am
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Fire crews have responded to a fire inside an ExxonMobil refinery in Louisiana. News outlets report the fire erupted late Tuesday night at the facility in Baton Rouge. The fire turned the night sky a shade of orange and sent a large plume of smoke into the air. No injuries were reported. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fire. ExxonMobil says it responded to the situation and is monitoring the air quality. A spokesman for the Baton Rouge Fire Department says there is no off-site impact. The refinery is the fifth largest in the United States.
February 12, 2020 4:50 am
BEIJING (AP) – China has reported another drop in the number of new cases of a viral infection and 97 more deaths, pushing the total dead past 1,100 as postal services worldwide say delivery was being affected by the cancellation of many flights to China. The National Health Commission said Wednesday that 2,015 new cases had been reported over the last 24 hours. The total number of cases is around 45,000 globally. The death toll on the mainland rose to 1,113. Both the U.S. and Singapore Post said in notes to their global counterparts that they are no longer accepting items destined for China, “until sufficient transport capacity becomes available.”
