Car sought after construction worker struck, killed on I-81
HARLEIGH, Pa. (AP) — State police are searching for a vehicle that fled the scene after striking and killing a construction workers on Interstate 81 in northeastern Pennsylvania over the weekend. Police in Luzerne County say the sedan was heading north on the interstate in the right lane, which was closed due to active nighttime construction. Police said the vehicle struck 30-year-old Kevin Dendulk shortly before 1:30 a.m. Saturday in Hazle Township and didn’t stop, continuing to travel in the closed right lane of I-81 north. Police said a deputy county coroner pronounced the Royersford resident dead at the scene less than an hour later.

SpaceX capsule and NASA crew make 1st splashdown in 45 years
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Two NASA astronauts have returned to Earth in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown carried out by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company. The capsule carrying Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, Sunday afternoon. It is the first splashdown in 45 years for NASA astronauts and also the first time a private company has brought people back from orbit. Their return clears the way for another SpaceX crew flight as early as next month. The astronauts’ homecoming comes a day after they departed the International Space Station and two months after they blasted off on the historic mission.

House Education Committee to Host Two-Day Public Hearing on Reopening Schools in Fall

HARRISBURG – The House Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie), will host a two-day public hearing next week to discuss safely reopening schools this fall.

The hearings will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 4, and Wednesday, Aug. 5. Tuesday’s hearing will be a continuation of a previous hearing the committee held in June where teachers, administrators and directors from public and nonpublic schools discussed their plans and concerns for getting students back to the classroom in the fall. Wednesday’s hearing will focus on stakeholders recommended legislation to the committee designed to ensure better flexibility as school administrations navigate and adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As the American Academy of Pediatrics has said, our school policies must be guided by what is best for the children, their health and well-being. So, getting our students back in the classroom this fall is a top priority,” Sonney said. “Across the board there has been a lack of communication, direction and transparency from the Wolf administration on how our schools should reopen.

“These hearings will help the public, and us as legislators, gain better insight on the concerns and struggles our schools are currently facing and help create better policy to ensure our students’ educational needs are met,” continued Sonney. “We are running out of time; we need answers and solutions. We must prioritize our students – we cannot let them fall through the cracks.”

House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) also noted the importance of getting students back in the classroom this fall and the lack of clear direction from the administration.

“As the first day of school approaches, it is important that we give both parents and students predictability and confidence that there is a plan to reopen schools safely,” said Benninghoff. “As we continue to learn to live with COVID-19, students should not be deprived of the choice of having important in-classroom instruction and parents should not be forced to make the difficult choice between earning a living and being full-time, in-home educators. Unfortunately, the administration has come up short on answers and school leaders are calling for firm direction and not loose guidelines. I hope these hearings will help show the problems facing those trying to reopen schools without a concrete plan and highlight areas where more direction is needed. From there, it is our hope that the Wolf administration will see this as an opportunity to work with the people’s representatives to develop a well-thought-out plan to open schools safely for the benefit of educators, parents and our children.”

The hearings will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4, and Wednesday, Aug. 5, in the House Majority Caucus Room, Room 140, Main Capitol. 

Those invited to testify during Tuesday’s hearing include members of the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools, Alliance of Approved Private Schools, PA Cyber Charter School, Agora Cyber Charter School, the ARC of PA and the Association of School Nurses and Practitioners.

Wednesday’s panel of testifiers will include representatives invited from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), PA Association of School Administrators (PASA), PA Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) and PA State Education Association (PSEA).

Barring any technical difficulties, the hearings will be streamed live at www.RepSonney.com and www.pahousegop.com.

Chicago removes its third and last Columbus statue
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago has removed its last remaining statue of Christopher Columbus, which had stood on display in the city for nearly 130 years but drew criticism from those who say the explorer doesn’t deserve veneration because of how he treated Indigenous peoples. The removal of the statue Thursday from its spot overlooking an intersection on the city’s South Side followed the removal last week of Columbus statues in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park and in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood. The mayor’s office decided to temporarily remove the statues after demonstrators calling for their removal clashed with police.

Here are the latest readings of the major market indexes:

New York Stock Exchange 12392.34 down 140.95

NYSE MKT Composite Index 2057.11 down 16.35

NASDAQ: Composite 10657.27 up 69.46

Standard and Poors 500 3245.46 down 0.76

By JOSEPH PISANI AP Retail Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is one step closer to space. The online shopping giant received government approval to put more than 3,200 satellites into orbit that would beam down internet service to earth. Amazon said the satellites could provide internet to parts of the world that don’t have it. It could also become a new business for Amazon, selling internet service to people or companies who want it. Amazon said it will spend $10 billion on the initiative, called Project Kuiper. It’s opening a research facility in Redmond, Washington, where the satellites will be designed and tested.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wages and benefits for U.S. workers rose at the slowest pace in three years in the April-June quarter, a sign that businesses are holding back on pay as well as cutting jobs in the coronavirus recession. Pay and benefits increased 0.5% in the second quarter, down from 0.8% in the first three months of the year. Wages and salaries rose just 0.4%, while benefits jumped 0.8%.

 

Big Tech surge props up Wall Street, though caution reigns
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Strong gains for Big Tech stocks are helping to prop up Wall Street in early Friday trading following blowout profit reports from some of the market’s most influential companies. The S&P 500 was 0.1% higher, on track to close out its fourth straight winning month. Despite the steadiness, caution was still clearly present across markets as the pandemic continues to cloud the economy’s prospects. The 10-year Treasury yield hovered close to its lowest level since it dropped to a record low in March. Gold also briefly rose above $2,000 per ounce, while nearly three out of four stocks in the S&P 500 were lower.