Barack Obama will headline televised prime-time commencement

Barack Obama will headline televised prime-time commencement
By The Associated Press undefined
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Barack Obama will deliver a televised prime-time commencement address for the high school Class of 2020. It will be part of an hour-long event that also features LeBron James, Malala Yousafzai and Ben Platt, among others. ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC will the special May 16, along with more than 20 other broadcast and digital streaming partners. Organizers said Tuesday the event is titled “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020.” It’s hosted by the education advocacy group XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation and The Entertainment Industry Foundation.

Intel chief nominee says he won’t be swayed by politics

Intel chief nominee says he won’t be swayed by politics
By MARY CLARE JALONICK and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of national intelligence pledged at his confirmation hearing Tuesday to deliver intelligence free of bias, prejudice or political influence and said he believed that Russia had interfered in the most recent presidential election and could try to do so again. The comments from Rep. John Ratcliffe, a Texas Republican, were aimed at quelling Democratic concerns that the Trump loyalist could be swayed by political pressure from a president who has been openly dismissive of the government’s spy agencies and once derided them as being “run amok.”

Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro: Travel, Event Refund Policies Must Be Honored During COVID-19 Emergency

AG Shapiro: Travel, Event Refund Policies Must Be Honored During COVID-19 Emergency

 

HARRISBURG― Attorney General Josh Shapiro today urged businesses to honor their promised refund policies for customers who had their trips and events cancelled due to COVID-19 closures.

“If the policy says a consumer gets a full refund if an event is cancelled, that consumer better get a full refund,” said Attorney General Shapiro.  “These businesses cannot sail away with consumers’ money when the trip isn’t happening or a concert is cancelled with no reschedule date.”

Entertainment, travel, and event companies typically have a refund policy for consumers for unplanned and emergency circumstances, like COVID-19, that require an unexpected or emergency cancellation.

Attorney General Shapiro is reminding companies of these obligations to their customers:

Businesses cannot legally retain a penalty if an event is cancelled because of COVID-19. In most cases, they may only retain a reasonable fee for their time and expenses, not the full cost of an event. For example, if a wedding reception is cancelled because of COVID-19, the venue cannot retain the entire cost of the venue rental as a penalty for the cancellation—however, they may keep a fee for the cost of holding the venue date and planning logistics of the event, if the contract allows.

Businesses that don’t honor their written cancellation policies could be violating state consumer protection laws. The Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law allows for restitution to consumers and penalties of up to $1,000 for each violation and $3,000 for each violation involving a consumer age 60 or older. If this same wedding venue alters their cancellation policy after a couple has cancelled their event, and the venue’s policy change retroactively affects them, they may be eligible for restitution under state law.

The Office of Attorney General also urges businesses to be flexible with their cancellation policies, asking businesses without an existing refund date-cutoff to offer customers full refunds for events and trips being rescheduled more than 60 days from the original cancellation.

Consumers who have not been refunded for canceled trips and events can dispute charges with their credit card companies, or file a complaint with the AG’s Bureau of Consumer Protection if they believe they have been harmed. Consumers  who need airline refunds should file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation, at https://airconsumer.dot.gov/escomplaint/ConsumerForm.cfm.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 5/5/20; Beaver County up 5 Deaths All in Nursing Homes

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 865 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 50,957

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., May 5, that there are 865 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 50,957. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

As a result of our continued work to reconcile data from various sources, the state is reporting an increase of 554 new deaths today bringing the statewide total to 3,012 deaths in Pennsylvania. These deaths have occurred over the past two weeks. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here.

Locally in Beaver County we are at 466 positive cases an increase of 8 since yesterday. 2187 people have tested negative in the county and the county is up 5 deaths to 73. All 5 Deaths being reported in nursing homes in the County.

In the 3 nursing homes that are reporting positive cases in the county there are now 305 positive cases an increase of 3 since yesterday. Employee cases remain at 23 and the death toll has increased by 5 to 66.

 “As we prepare to move a number of counties from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare workers and our first responders. I am proud of the work that Pennsylvanians have done so far, but we cannot stop now, we must continue to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from COVID-19.”

There are 199,925 patients who have tested negative to date. Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

  • Nearly 1% are aged 0-4;
  • Nearly 1% are aged 5-12;
  • 1% are aged 13-18;
  • Nearly 6% are aged 19-24;
  • Nearly 38% are aged 25-49;
  • Nearly 27% are aged 50-64; and
  • 27% are aged 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are aged 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older. There have been no pediatric deaths to date. More data is available here.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 9,625 resident cases of COVID-19, and 1,284 cases among employees, for a total of 10,909 at 495 distinct facilities in 44 counties. Out of our total deaths, 2,029 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

Approximately 3,012 of our total cases are in health care workers.

All non-life-sustaining businesses are ordered to be closed and schools are closed statewide through the remainder of the academic year. Currently the entire state is under a stay-at-home order.

Virus-afflicted 2020 looks like 1918 despite science’s march

Virus-afflicted 2020 looks like 1918 despite science’s march
By CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Science has ticked off some major accomplishments over the last century. The world learned about viruses, cured various diseases, made effective vaccines, developed instant communications and created elaborate public-health networks. Yet in many ways, 2020 is looking like 1918, the year the great influenza pandemic raged. Like then, science is unable to crush an insidious yet avoidable infectious disease before hundreds of thousands die from it. In 1918, no one had a vaccine, treatment or cure for the misnamed Spanish flu as it ravaged the world and killed more than 50 million people. No one has any of that for the coronavirus now.

Stock Markets, Oil Price Rebound as Countries Ease Lock Downs

Stock markets, oil price rebound as countries ease lockdowns
By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer
BANGKOK (AP) — World stock markets and the price of oil are up as more countries ease restrictions on business and public life, raising hopes for a recovery from a historic economic plunge. Some major Asian markets were closed for holidays. European indexes and Wall Street futures are up over 1%. The U.S. benchmark for oil is up about 10%. This is another busy week for markets, with a slew of corporate earnings reports due, including more than 150 companies in the S&P 500. On Friday, the U.S. government will also show how many jobs were lost during April.

Pittsburgh appeals judge’s rejection of firearm restrictions

Pittsburgh appeals judge’s rejection of firearm restrictions
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Attorneys for the city of Pittsburgh are asking a state court to overturn a judge’s order striking down firearm restrictions approved after a mass shooting at a synagogue. The three ordinances were approved in April 2019 following the October 2018 shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue that killed 11 worshippers. A judge struck down the ordinances in October, saying Pennsylvania law forbids municipalities from regulating firearms. City lawyers argue in briefs filed last week that local governments’ authority to regulate firearms to protect citizens “may be limited, but it is not extinguished.”

Teen shot during neighborhood chase dies from his wounds

Teen shot during neighborhood chase dies from his wounds
CHESTER, Pa, (AP) — Authorities say a 13-year-old boy who was shot multiple times after he jumped over several fences while trying to escape some gunmen has died from his wounds. The shooting in Chester occurred shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday. Nyqueis Farlow was shot in the head and abdomen and was taken to a hospital, but he died there on Monday afternoon. It wasn’t clear what sparked the chase or the shooting or how many shooters were involved. Witnesses said the boy ran through several yards and jumped over fences in a bid to escape. The shooters fled in the scene in a vehicle and remain at large.

Body Found in Refrigerator in Mc Kees Rocks Apartment Building

MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. — Police have found the body of a women who was reported missing last week. Neighbors at a Mc Kees Rock apartment complex reported a foul smell coming from a refrigerator in the hallway. A neighbor opened it and discovered the body of Kristy Jefferson.

Police have charged Daryl Jones with abuse of a corpse. The refrigerator was located on the second-floor hallway at the top of the stairs and had been turned so that the doors faced the wall. It no longer worked and was placed there to likely be thrown out.

The refrigerator where her body was found is roughly 20 feet from the front door of Jones’ apartment. Jefferson was last seen on April 26.

Jefferson’s cause of death has not yet been determined.

Anyone with information about the woman’s death is asked to call the Allegheny County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.

Biden pressed to choose a black woman as his running mate

Biden pressed to choose a black woman as his running mate
By KAT STAFFORD and BILL BARROW Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — As Joe Biden’s search for a vice presidential running mate heats up, he is facing growing pressure to choose a black woman. The move could further energize the Democratic Party’s loyal base of African American voters. But the public conversation is more nuanced. Biden has already committed to selecting a woman as his second-in-command, but the choice won’t be easy. While some believe race shouldn’t necessarily drive his selection, experts are warning it could be risky for his camp to assume black voters would still turn out in record numbers in November without a diverse ticket and tangible return for their fierce loyalty.