Half of US adults have received at least one COVID-19 shot

Half of US adults have received at least one COVID-19 shot
By HOPE YEN and JONATHAN MATTISE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Half of all adults in the U.S. have now received at least one COVID-19 shot. That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The announcement on Sunday marks another milestone in the nation’s largest-ever vaccination campaign. It also leaves more work to do to convince skeptical Americans to roll up their sleeves. The CDC says almost 130 million people 18 or older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, or 50.4% of the total adult population. Almost 84 million people adults, or about 32.5% of that population, have been fully vaccinated.

Attorney apologizes for assault accusation against Donald

Attorney apologizes for assault accusation against Donald
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The attorney for a man who accused NFL star Aaron Donald of assaulting him at a Pittsburgh nightclub last weekend has apologized, saying it was a case of mistaken identity. Attorney Todd Hollis represents DeVin­cent Spriggs. Hollis told Pittsburgh reporters Friday that his client mis­took some­one else for Don­ald dur­ing the al­ter­ca­tion. He said his client had believed Donald was responsible, but after reviewing the tapes “I realized that it was not Aaron Donald.” He said “Aaron has certainly been through enough so we want to put this to rest.” Earlier, an attorney for the Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman said witnesses and surveillance video refuted the accusation.

Moran HR, RBI double in 10th leads Pirates over Brewers 6-5

Moran HR, RBI double in 10th leads Pirates over Brewers 6-5
By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Colin Moran doubled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and also hit a three-run homer as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5. The Pirates withstood a two-homer performance from Milwaukee’s Daniel Vogelbach to win the deciding game of this series. Pittsburgh has won two of three in each of its last three series to recover from an early six-game skid. Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds and Milwaukee’s Avisaíl García also homered.

States Play Major Role as U.S. Convenes Global Climate Summit

Keystone State News Connection

April 19, 2021 Available files: mp3 wav jpg

States Play Major Role as U.S. Convenes Global Climate Summit

Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. — President Joe Biden convenes a virtual Leaders Summit on Climate this week, putting the U.S. back into a leadership role after four years when states were leading the way.

Forty world leaders are invited to participate in the summit, which starts Thursday.

Biden also wants to reestablish the federal partnership with state and local leaders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build out clean-energy infrastructure.

Jesse Barlow, president of the State College Borough Council, noted Gov. Tom Wolf is pushing to have Pennsylvania join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state effort to cut carbon emissions from the power sector.

“It’s extremely important, because Pennsylvania is basically a polluter state,” Barlow explained. “And so, joining it would be a big deal and would help Pennsylvania on the road to reducing its carbon footprint.”

The Leaders Summit on Climate will focus on the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the economic benefits of transitioning to clean energy, including job creation.

According to a fact sheet released by the White House, in 2019 almost 94,000 Pennsylvanians had jobs in the clean-energy sector.

Barlow thinks transitioning to a clean-energy economy is critical for the Commonwealth’s economic future.

“I see new solar industries popping up all over the place, wind industries,” Barlow observed. “So, the transition for Pennsylvania is, if anything, necessary. The fossil fuel industries are not going to support us in the long term.”

The Biden administration’s American Jobs Plan invests in creating more clean-energy jobs in Pennsylvania, through tax credits for clean-energy generation and manufacturing.

The effects of climate change are already being felt in Pennsylvania and worldwide, but combatting it has become a partisan issue, making progress difficult.

Barlow believes the new federal commitment can help build new momentum.

“I hope Pennsylvania joins in and becomes a partner with the federal government on this issue,” Barlow stated. “And if that happens, then we have a brighter future to look forward to.”

Pennsylvania sounds alarm on vaccine hesitancy

Pennsylvania sounds alarm on vaccine hesitancy
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
A growing number of unfilled appointments and low uptake among nursing home workers are early signs that vaccine hesitancy is becoming an issue in Pennsylvania. That prompted state officials to sound the alarm Friday and urge residents to get their COVID-19 shots as quickly as possible. After months of demand outstripping supply, vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are more readily available. The administration of Gov. Tom Wolf says the challenge now is to assuage the concerns of people who are reluctant to get it.

Monday on Teleforum

Teleforum holds forth every weekday morning with host Eddy Crow; on Monday he will be talking about the latest news in Beaver county, as well as whatever other lunacy the world serves up over the weekend. These days planning on lunacy is a safe bet, and plan on Teleforum every weekday on am1230WBVP, am1460WMBA, and 99.3fm presented by St. Barnabas.

Pennsylvania jobless rate fell in March, as payrolls grew

Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) released its employment situation report for March 2021.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to 7.3 percent in March. The U.S. rate declined two-tenths of a percentage point from February to 6.0 percent. The commonwealth’s unemployment rate was 2.2 percentage points above its March 2020 level while the national rate was up 1.6 points over the year.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force – the estimated number of residents working or looking for work – increased 1,000 over the month as employment rose slightly more than unemployment declined.
Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were up 24,000 over the month to 5,678,500 in March, the 10th gain in the past 11 months. Jobs increased in 10 of the 11 industry supersectors with the largest volume gain in education & health services (+8,500). Over the year, total nonfarm jobs were down 369,200 with declines in all supersectors.