October 10, 2021 8:00 am
LONDON (AP) — Ireland’s foreign minister has warned that British demands risk a “further breakdown in relations” with the European Union ahead of talks this week aimed at resolving the impasse over the Brexit agreement. Simon Coveney posted the remarks on Twitter after the U.K.’s Brexit minister reiterated his insistence that the European Court of Justice must not be allowed to oversee implementation of the deal. Coveney described this as a new “red line” that will impede progress in the negotiations. “Does (the U.K. government) actually want an agreed way forward or a further breakdown in relations?” he wrote. The European Commission is expected this week to publish its proposals for breaking the deadlock over trade arrangements for Northern Ireland, the only part of the U.K. that has a land border with the 27-nation bloc. The British government has sought to renegotiate part of its divorce deal with the EU that requires customs and border checks on some goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K.
October 10, 2021 7:58 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the frantic bid to avert a default on the nation’s debt, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell held a position of unusual power — as the one who orchestrated both the problem and the solution. McConnell is no longer the majority leader, but he is exerting his minority status in convoluted and uncharted ways, all in an effort to stop President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda and even if doing so pushes the country toward grave economic uncertainty. That said, the outcome of this debt crisis leaves zero confidence there won’t be a next one. In fact, McConnell engineered an end to the standoff that ensures Congress will be in the same spot in December when funding to pay America’s bills next runs out. That means another potentially devastating debt showdown, all as the COVID-19 crisis lingers and the economy struggles to recover.
October 10, 2021 7:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Raymond T. Odierno, a retired Army general who commanded American and coalition forces in Iraq at the height of the war and capped a 39-year career by serving as the Army’s chief of staff, has died, his family said Saturday. He was 67. “The general died after a brave battle with cancer; his death was not related to COVID,” a family statement said. “There are no other details to share at this time. His family is grateful for the concern and asks for privacy.” Odierno died Friday; the family declined to say where. It said funeral and interment information was not yet available. President Joe Biden lauded Odierno as a “hero of great integrity and honor.” In a joint statement, the president and First Lady Jill Biden recalled that Odierno spoke at the funeral of their son Beau, who served under Odierno in Iraq and died of brain cancer in 2015.
October 10, 2021 7:53 am
FINDLAY TWP., Pa. — Transportation Security Administration agents caught another loaded handgun in a passenger’s bag at Pittsburgh International Airport on Saturday. The loaded 9mm handgun was found around 6:36 a.m. in the passenger’s purse, according to Allegheny County Police. Police were able to determine that the 39-year-old woman possessed a valid concealed carry permit. At this time, charges are not expected to be filed by County Police. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified. The firearm is in the possession of County Police. Passengers who bring firearms into an airport checkpoint can face federal civil fines from the Transportation Security Administration of up to $10,000. Repeat offenders can be fined up to $13,910. This is the 29th gun found this year, and comes after a Beaver Falls man was found with a gun on Friday.
October 10, 2021 5:03 am
PENNSYLVANIA — The proportion of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations among vaccinated Pennsylvania residents rose sharply last month, though the shot remained broadly protective, according to new statewide health data released Friday. The latest Department of Health data on so-called “breakthrough” infections shows that between Sept. 5 and Oct. 4, vaccinated people represented just over a quarter — 26% — of more than 135,000 new infections and nearly 5,000 hospital admissions across the state. Death statistics for the last 30 days were not available because of lags in reporting and verification. When the Health Department released its initial set of data on breakthrough cases Sept. 14, just 6% of cases and 5% of hospitalizations since January were among vaccinated residents. State health officials attributed COVID-19’s increased impact on vaccinated people to the rise of the highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus, along with waning immunity among some populations that have received the vaccine, among other factors.
October 10, 2021 4:56 am
WASHINGTON COUNTY — We are days away from big local changes in transportation, including the much-anticipated Southern Beltway. On Saturday, The State Turnpike Commission allowed residents to walk, run and even bicycle along the new toll road. The five-mile stretch from South Fayette Way to McDonald/Midway will be open to the public. A lot of people in Washington County are very excited about it since this will make it much easier to get to the airport. “I cant wait for it to open,” said Janet Yenchik of Canonsburg. “It will be great to avoid the parkway to get to the airport.” The Southern Beltway will open Friday Oct. 15, connecting I-79 to the Pittsburgh International Airport. The road project has been in the works since 2013 to help alleviate traffic on the Parkway West. Yenchik, who lives in Canonsburg, said she flies several times a year, so this new major highway will save her a lot of time driving to the airport.
October 9, 2021 5:13 am
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – The owner of seven Louisiana nursing homes that evacuated patients to a warehouse where conditions quickly deteriorated said the problems arose when Hurricane Ida took an unexpected turn. Coroners have linked five of the evacuated patients’ deaths to the storm. The state health department cited neglect and failure to report problems among reasons for revoking Bob Dean’s seven nursing home licenses. In his appeal, Dean says there was “no cruelty or indifference” to any resident’s welfare. He says the storm’s unexpected turn interrupted essential services such as portable toilet maintenance. Dean’s appeal letter doesn’t respond to allegations that he lied about a matter being investigated during what the department calls a campaign to derail its work.
October 9, 2021 5:12 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Cruise ships are returning to San Francisco after a 19-month hiatus brought on by the pandemic in what the city’s mayor says is sure to be a boost to its economy. Mayor London Breed announced Friday the Majestic Princess will sail into the port of San Francisco on Monday. It’s the first cruise ship to dock in the San Francisco Bay Area since March 2020, when the Grand Princess captured the world’s attention. The ship was carrying people infected with the coronavirus, and thousands on board were quarantined as it idled off the California coast. The port of San Francisco expects to welcome 21 cruise ships through the remainder of the year.
October 9, 2021 5:10 am
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) – Coast Guard investigators say an underwater Southern California oil pipeline was likely struck by an anchor several months to a year before a leak spilled tens of thousands of gallons of crude. The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday that a large ship may have snagged the pipeline off Huntington Beach, but that incident might not have actually fractured the pipe. Capt. Jason Neubauer said other ships’ anchors may have struck the pipe later. The pipeline was dragged along the sea floor and ultimately ruptured, sending oil into the ocean that came ashore on some of Southern California’s signature beaches.
October 9, 2021 5:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he will not again help Democrats extend the government’s borrowing authority. His warning raises fresh doubts about how Congress will avert a federal default when a temporary patch expires in December. The Kentucky Republican issued his warning in a letter to President Joe Biden a day after the Senate approved a $480 billion boost in the federal debt limit, enough to last about two months. McConnell was among 11 GOP senators who provided decisive support Thursday for a procedural move that opened the door for subsequent Senate passage of that measure with only Democratic support.
