Groups sow doubt about COVID vaccine before one even exists
By DAVID KLEPPER and BEATRICE DUPUY Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Public health experts say a vaccine may be the best chance of stopping the coronavirus. Yet even though it could be months or years before a working vaccine is ready, groups that have spread misinformation about immunizations in the past are raising doubts. Some claim vaccine trials will be dangerously rushed; others say better treatments are being ignored to enrich vaccine makers. Then there are more far-reaching claims that Microsoft founder Bill Gates plans to use a vaccine to inject microchips into people or reduce the world’s population. Experts say such claims could prove lethal if they undermine support for vaccines.

Pennsylvania preps reopening without mass testing capacity
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration plans to announce Friday which parts of Pennsylvania can begin seeing a step-by-step relaxation of coronavirus-related shutdown directives. Still, Wolf and administration officials weren’t projecting Tuesday when the state will have widespread mass-testing capacity. Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said the administration will announce which regions or counties can see some relief from shutdown orders by moving from a “red” designation to a “yellow” designation. Those changes would take effect the following Friday, May 8, a previously announced date. Meanwhile, Levine says one of the state’s hardest-hit areas, southeastern Pennsylvania, appears to be past its peak.

North Carolina governor OKs NASCAR to race at Charlotte
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The governor of North Carolina says NASCAR can hold the Coca-Cola 600 without fans at Charlotte Motor Speedway at the end of May if health conditions do not deteriorate in the state. Gov. Roy Cooper says he and state public health officials have had discussions with NASCAR and the speedway. Cooper says he believes the race can go forward on Memorial Day weekend for the 60th consecutive year. NASCAR, like other sports, has been shutdown for weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Police: Pennsylvania troopers wound Ohio man with knife
BEDFORD, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say state police in western Pennsylvania shot and wounded an Ohio man they accused of having “brandished a knife” after they answered a domestic call. Police say two troopers responded to a Bedford apartment complex shortly before 5 p.m. Monday but 45-year-old James Best of Canal Fulton, Ohio “brandished a knife and failed to obey commands.” Police said both troopers fired and Best was taken for “further medical treatment.” Court documents indicate Best faces charged including attempted homicide and attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer. Court documents don’t list a defense attorney.

Blood test helped detect cancer before symptoms, study finds
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP Chief Medical Writer
For the first time, a blood test has been shown to help detect many types of cancer in a study of thousands of women with no symptoms of the disease. The test is still experimental and even its fans say it needs to be improved. Yet the results released on Tuesday show what benefits and drawbacks might come from using these gene-based tests, called liquid biopsies, in routine care. In the study published in Science, the test doubled the number of cancers detected when used along with standard screening tools like mammograms.

Trump to sign order keeping meat processing plants open
By JILL COLVIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Tuesday meant to stave off a shortage of chicken, pork and other meat on American supermarket shelves because of the coronavirus. The order will use the Defense Production Act to classify meat processing as a critical industry to ensure that production plants stay open. The order comes after industry leaders warned that consumers could see meat shortages in a matter of days after workers at major facilities tested positive for the virus. A senior White House official outlined the order on condition of anonymity to discuss it before its release.

AP source: Hillary Clinton to endorse Biden later Tuesday
By BILL BARROW Associated Press
Hillary Clinton will endorse Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy on Tuesday. That’s according to a Democrat familiar with the plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Clinton, the former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, is expected to announce her support in a virtual town hall with Biden later Tuesday.  Clinton teased the announcement by tweeting a picture of her, Biden and President Barack Obama laughing in the Oval Office. As the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, Clinton made history by becoming the first woman to lead a major party’s ticket. Her endorsement is the latest sign of the Democratic Party rallying around its nominee to challenge President Donald Trump.

Department of Health Provides Update on COVID-19, 1,214 Positives Bring Statewide Total to 43,264

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., April 28, that there are 1,214 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 43,264. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

Today, the state is reporting 1,716 deaths in Pennsylvania. County-specific information and a statewide map are available here. All people are either in isolation at home or being treated at the hospital.

Locally in Beaver County we are up 1 case since yesterday to 388 cases. 1805 people have tested negative and the county is up 13 deaths to 59.

In the 3 Nursing homes in the county that are reporting positive cases there is 247 positive cases. There are no increases since yesterday 19 employees have tested positive and the deaths have increased by 13 to 52

“As we see the number of new COVID-19 cases continuously change across the state that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing,” Sec. of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community. If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but others. We need all Pennsylvanians to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our health care workers and frontline responders.”

There are 165,824 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;
• 38% are aged 25-49;
• 27% are aged 50-64; and
• 26% 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 7,360 resident cases of COVID-19, and 920 cases among employees, for a total of 8,280 at 452 distinct facilities in 41 counties. Out of our total deaths, 1,089 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here.

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.

Pennsylvania schools could see 5% revenue loss, group says
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts are facing a projected loss of up to 5% in the revenue from local taxes as coronavirus pandemic shutdowns take a heavy toll on the economy. The Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officers said Tuesday it is projecting a loss of $1 billion, or 5%, in revenue from local taxes if an economic recovery lags. The group says a quicker turnaround could limit losses to $850 million, or 4%. School districts reported spending about $30 billion in the 2017-2018 school year, the latest data available. About $17.5 billion in revenue that year came from local sources, primarily property taxes.

AG Shapiro To Consumer Reporting Agencies: If You Don’t Protect Consumer Credit, We Will

HARRISBURG―Attorney General Shapiro today led a group of 22 Attorneys General warning the nation’s three Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) that they will not hesitate to enforce safeguards set in place to ensure consumers’ credit is properly protected and that their credit reports are fairly and accurately reported as Americans continue to struggle from the economic fallout of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis.

In a letter to Experian Information Solutions, Inc.; Equifax Information Services, LLC; and TransUnion LCC, the group outlines their commitment to enforcing the consumer credit protections outlined in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) passed last month, as well as in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), despite the federal government’s failure — under the Trump Administration — to commit to enforcing the FCRA’s 30- to 45-day deadline to investigate consumer disputes. The letter emphasizes that the coalition will continue to actively monitor and enforce compliance during the COVID-19 crisis and will hold the CRAs accountable for failure to meet their obligations.

“I won’t leave Pennsylvanians’ financial security up to the interests of credit reporting agencies,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “During this emergency, people across the Commonwealth need more financial security, not less. These financial protections are critical to consumers and to our overall economy. My Office will enforce the CARES Act and the FCRA to make sure these credit reporting agencies don’t harm Pennsylvanians.”

In March 2020, Congress enacted the CARES Act to extend relief to struggling consumers and amend the FCRA to enable consumers to obtain CARES Act relief without incurring lasting harm to their credit scores. To prevent such harm, the CARES Act requires furnishers to report a credit obligation as “current” if the obligation was current prior to the grant of a CARES Act accommodation. The FCRA also protects consumers by requiring CRAs to take no more than 30 days (or in some cases 45 days) to investigate when consumers dispute the accuracy of information on their credit report. But the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — under the Trump Administration’s leadership — recently issued guidance that suggests that it will not enforce these deadlines during the COVID-19 crisis, instead imposing a weaker requirement that CRAs make “good faith efforts to investigate disputes as quickly as possible.”

In today’s letter, the group warns the three CRAs that each state will enforce the requirements of the FCRA and agreements between CRAs and states to conduct meaningful and timely investigations of consumer disputes of credit information.

“This CARES Act provision is critically important both to individual consumers and to the overall recovery of the economy because it ensures that consumers obtain essential relief without jeopardizing their future ability to secure employment, rent or buy a home, obtain a credit card, or purchase a car,” the Attorneys General write in their letter. “The state Attorneys General expect compliance with this vital provision of the CARES Act, and we will actively monitor for and enforce such compliance.”

At a time when the nation faces significant economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever that CRAs meet their obligations under the law to protect consumers against incorrect information in their credit reports that could prevent them from conducting all of the normal activities they would be able to do before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Today’s letter follows a letter the coalition sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on April 13, urging the agency to rescind its announcement that it would not enforce certain provisions of the CARES Act and the FCRA.

The letter, co-led by Attorney General Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Attorney General James of New York, was joined by Attorneys General from California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, the District of Columb