(Beaver Falls, Pa,) Tune into 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, 99.3 FM, and beavercountyradio.com at 2:00 p.m. today for a virtual press conference with  Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine. They will provide an update on the coronavirus known as COVID-19 and efforts to mitigate the virus in Pennsylvania. Governor Tom Wolf  is also expected to announce more counties moving from the yellow phase to green phase starting next Friday June 12, 2020.

We will have full coverage of the Governor’s Press Conference at 2:00 p.m. Courtesy of Common Wealth Media Services.

US unemployment drops unexpectedly to a still-high 13.3%
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. unemployment rate fell unexpectedly in May to 13.3% — still on par with what the nation witnessed during the Great Depression — as states loosened their coronavirus lockdowns and businesses began recalling workers. The government said Friday that the economy added 2.5 million jobs last month, driving unemployment down from 14.7% in April.

AG Shapiro: Price Gouging Complaints Top 5,000 Tips

HARRISBURG― Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that the Office has received more than 5,000 complaints from Pennsylvanians reporting price hikes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Attorney General’s office has followed up on every verifiable tip — issuing 466 cease and desist letters, issuing subpoenas to 200 targets for further investigation, and finding 27 businesses where the Attorney General’s Office believed actual price gouging occurred.

“We won’t tolerate illegal price gouging during this emergency, and we’re taking action every day to stop it. Nearly a third of Pennsylvanians are out of work and figuring out how to put food on the table. Gouging the prices of basic necessities to help keep us safe from the pandemic—face masks, hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol—is outrageous and illegal,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “If you see suspicious price increases on goods, I encourage you to email pricegouging@attorneygeneral.gov and fill out a complaint form so we can put a stop to price gouging.”

Governor Wolf’s declaration triggered protections under state law against price gouging for consumers and businesses. Under rules governing a disaster emergency, companies and vendors are prohibited from charging a price for consumer goods or services that exceeds 20 percent of the average price at which those goods or services were sold for in the 7 days preceding March 6, 2020.

Any instance of price gouging should be reported to pricegouging@attorneygeneral.gov

9 firefighters hospitalized in Florida after ship explosion
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say nine firefighters responding to a fire aboard a ship in Florida have been hospitalized after the ship exploded. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department official said the explosion Thursday injured eight and sent one to the hospital for heat exhaustion. The ship was a Norwegian vessel carrying old and used cars. The fire department said four were taken to a hospital for burns. Authorities say one firefighter was taken into surgery for injuries and another was in intensive care. Nearly 150 firefighters were continuing to battle the blaze. The shipping company thanked the fire department in a statement sent Friday.

Dallas officials remove Texas Ranger statue from Love Field
DALLAS (AP) — A published account of brutal and racist chapters in the history of an elite Texas investigative agency has prompted Dallas officials to remove a statue from Love Field’s passenger terminal that honored the agency. The bronze statue of a Texas Ranger, called “One Riot, One Ranger,” has been a focal point in the terminal since 1963. A new book on the Rangers, “Cult of Glory,” offered chilling details about dark chapters of the Rangers’ history. Arriving amid acute racial tension aroused by the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, the book prompted officials to remove the statue Thursday.

(File Photo)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pittsburgh man who authorities say left a backpack full of homemade explosive devices in a bush outside of a complex in the city’s downtown area is now facing several charges. Authorities say 52-year-old Matthew Michanowicz was seen on surveillance video placing the military-style backpack at PNC Plaza on Sunday. Police were notified about the backpack on Monday and found it contained makeshift explosives. When officers showed Michanowicz photos of him placing the backpack in the bushes, authorities say he confirmed he was the person in the photos but still denied having the backpack. He’s charged with three counts each of arson and possessing weapons of mass destruction.

Testimony: Shooter used racist slur as Arbery lay dying
By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A state investigator is alleging that the white man accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery was heard saying a racist slur as he stood over the black man, moments after hitting him with three shots from a pump-action shotgun. During a probable cause hearing Thursday, the investigator said Arbery was repeatedly boxed in by two pickup trucks as he desperately tried to escape. Special Agent Richard Dial says Travis McMichael then shot him in the chest, the hand, and the chest again during a struggle. The evidence challenges claims of self-defense during a citizens’ arrest attempt, and could factor into a federal hate crime investigation. A judge ruled there is enough evidence against the three defendants charged in the case to proceed to trial.

Another huge blow to US workers expected in May jobs report
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Reporter
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s workers likely suffered another devastating blow in May, with millions more jobs lost to the viral pandemic and an unemployment rate near or even above 20% for the first time since the Great Depression. Economists have forecast that the U.S. government will report that employers shed 8.5 million more jobs last month on top of the 21.4 million lost in April. A figure that large would raise the total losses since the coronavirus intensified in March to nearly 30 million — more than triple the number of jobs lost during the entire 2008-2009 Great Recession.