Month: May 2020

Sheila Keen-Warren’s trial was originally set for May 30, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, there is no guarantee it will move forward as planned.

Source: Florida ‘killer clown’ cold case broken open thanks to DNA

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — To prevent the gathering of crowds and to encourage social distancing, Giant Eagle is supporting legislation that would allow beer and wine to be purchased at any registers and checkout locations in its stores.

Alcohol sales are currently limited to one part of the store and can not be paid for at regular checkout aisles.

State Senator Judy Ward has proposed legislation that would allow restaurant licensees with a wine expanded permit the ability to sell wine and beer at any register.

In a statement, Giant Eagle said the following:

As the spread of COVID-19 has limited access to many establishments in our region, Giant Eagle guests have responded very well to the availability of our already popular beer and wine offerings.

We are committed to creating a safe in-store environment and recognize the vital role that strong social distancing measures play in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of those who work and shop at Giant Eagle.

In recent months, we have made numerous safety-focused modifications to our traditional checkout lanes, making them the most effective place to process transactions.

We believe that temporarily enabling our guests to have a singular checkout experience in our traditional checkout lanes, including both their grocery items and alcoholic beverage selections, would be beneficial in limiting contact between guests and Team Members and eliminate the need for multiple guests to congregate in the limited space surrounding the designated beer and wine registers.

It is unclear if or when this legislation will be voted on.

More information on the Coronavirus pandemic:

• CDC Coronavirus Information
• CDC Global Map of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
• Pennsylvania Department of Health Information
• Allegheny County Health Department Information

Source: Giant Eagle In Support Of Proposed Legislation That Would Allow Beer And Wine Purchases At Any Checkout Locations In Stores – CBS Pittsburgh

A man wanted for shooting an elderly couple at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery was found dead after exchanging gunfire with police.

Source: Gunman dead after shooting at Delaware veterans cemetery leaves elderly couple dead | Fox News

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed son Archie in May 2019.

Source: Meghan Markle will ‘carve out a work-life balance’ that includes a lot of time with Archie, royal expert says | Fox News

House Democratic leaders face a wide range of challenges that will influence how and when they resume legislative business in Washington during the pandemic.

Source: Five factors influencing when the House returns

New York has now seen at least 85 children stricken by a new coronavirus-linked inflammatory syndrome — along with two more possible deaths, Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed Sunday.

Source: 85 NY kids stricken with mysterious coronavirus-linked disease: Cuomo

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has a brewing rebellion on his hands as counties set out to defy his plans.

Source: Pennsylvania counties rebel against governor’s phased reopening plan

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Despite Gov. Wolf is giving Allegheny County permission to move into the yellow phase of reopening on May 15, Allegheny Courts have extended their closure.

A court order has extended the closure through June 1.

This is the second closure extension for the courts, as it was originally ordered closed through April 14, then extended through May 8.

“All provisions of the March 16, 2020, Fifth Judicial District Emergency Operations Plan, as amended most recently on May 6, 2020, shall remain in effect through the duration of the judicial emergency,” the order read.

Governor Wolf announced on Friday that most Southwestern Pennsylvania counties can begin a slow reopening beginning on May 15.

Source: Allegheny Courts Extend Closure Through June 1 – CBS Pittsburgh

Three members of the White House coronavirus taskforce have placed themselves in self-quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19. It comes as the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, prepares to unveil his “roadmap” to a new normality in a national broadcast and global infections pass four million.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn, are all expected to work remotely due to potential exposure to Covid-19.

Fauci’s institute said that he has tested negative for Covid-19 and will continue to be tested regularly. It added that he is considered at relatively low risk based on the degree of his exposure, and that he would be taking appropriate precautions to mitigate the risk to personal contacts while still carrying out his duties. While he will stay at home and telework, Fauci will go to the White House if called and take every precaution, the institute said.

Source: Global report: Anthony Fauci and two other White House Covid-19 taskforce members to self-quarantine | World news | The Guardian

Pennsylvania became the third state in the U.S. to ban child marriage as Governor Tom Wolf signed a bill Friday prohibiting issuing of a marriage license to any individual under the age of 18.

“Setting the minimum age to obtain a marriage license will help prevent child exploitation,” Governor Wolf said in a Friday press release. “Marriage is a sacred and serious commitment that should be undertaken with love by two adults, not by children being exploited by unscrupulous adults.”

Currently, the only other states with an outright ban on child marriage are Delaware and New Jersey.

Source: Pennsylvania Governor Signs Bill Banning Child Marriage, Similar Legislation Passes in Minnesota Senate

A couple from New York City with Oklahoma roots fled the country’s coronavirus epicenter in hopes of having a safe pregnancy and delivery.

Source: Couple flees from NYC to OKC to give birth to twin boys amid coronavirus pandemic

A new at-home coronavirus test kit has been approved by the FDA, the administration announced Friday, and all it requires is a saliva sample.

Another home testing kit approved last month requires a nasal swab, the more established method that is also seen as more invasive. Users complained of discomfort and some weren’t able to collect proper samples for testing, Market Watch reported.

The spit test, developed by Rutgers University, is the only authorized saliva-based COVID-19 test available, according to the FDA. The FDA had given emergency approval for the saliva test in mid-April, but could only be administered by Rutgers in New Jersey.

The home kit is priced at around $100 and can only be ordered through a physician, the university told The New York Times.

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Source: New at-home coronavirus saliva test gets FDA approval | McClatchy Washington Bureau

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP/KDKA) — Gov. Tom Wolf has announced that 13 western Pennsylvania counties, including the heavily populated Pittsburgh metropolitan area, can shed his most restrictive Coronavirus pandemic orders on movement and businesses.

The counties announced Friday for reopening in a week are Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Those comprise nearly 2.7 million residents.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto issued statements on the announcements:

Source: Gov. Tom Wolf Announces 13 Western Pa. Counties Moving Into Coronavirus ‘Yellow Phase,’ Including Pittsburgh Metro Area – CBS Pittsburgh

Seventy-five years after Victory in Europe, what has changed and is a new world order forming?

Victory in Europe – or VE day – was clearly not the final chapter of the conflict. Japan remained to be fully defeated. But it was, nonetheless, a major milestone and marked an essential step towards ushering in a new kind of global order.

The US emerged from the conflict as a military superpower, having stolen a march on Moscow in terms of the development of nuclear weapons – henceforth the prime currency of global strategic power.

But the Russians soon caught up. Their decision to retain control over much of Eastern Europe dashed some of the more ambitious hopes for a less confrontational new order.

This prompted the creation of Nato and a seemingly permanent military and diplomatic linkage between the US and Western Europe. As journalist and historian Anne Applebaum noted in a Rusi webinar this week, it “created the idea of ‘the West’; a values-based alliance system not just about borders but about ideas too”.

• What is defence alliance Nato?
• US-China battle behind the scenes
• What’s behind new US strategy on China?

Source: What will emerge when post-WW2 order ends? – BBC News

Tara Reade offers to take a lie detector test about her claim, on condition Mr Biden do so also.

Source: Biden sex attack accuser calls on him to quit race

Two state representatives posted on social media that Gov. Wolf will announce several southwestern Pennsylvania counties will be moved into the yellow reopening phase next week, KDKA’s Lisa Washington has the latest.

Source: Gov. Wolf Expected To Annnounce More Counties Reopening – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of Pittsburgh

OKLAHOMA CITY —

Oklahoma City police identified a woman accused of firing shots inside a McDonald’s restaurant after being told by employees that the dining room was closed due to coronavirus restrictions.

According to police, officers responded just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a shooting at McDonald’s near Southwest 89^th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Police said original reports indicated there were two suspects. However, they later determined there was only one suspect involved.

According to police, the suspect entered the restaurant and was told by employees the dining area was closed. She was asked to leave but refused, and police said a physical altercation ensued between the suspect and an employee.

Police said the suspect was then forced out of the restaurant by employees. She reentered the restaurant with a handgun and fired about three rounds in the restaurant, according to police.

Source: MCDONALD’S SHOOTING: Police identify woman accused of firing shots at McDonald’s after she was told dining room was closed

Washington, DC (CNN)Miami-Dade County bus driver Miakeya Rolle says she hasn’t had a good night’s rest since a passenger intentionally spit on her.

On the afternoon of April 19, a homeless woman boarded Rolle’s bus and began coughing on passengers, according to a police report. Rolle told her she needed to wear a mask. The woman spat on Rolle and fled the bus.

Miami, like many transit systems, requires passengers to wear masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rolle cleaned herself off with Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer as she waited for police to respond. She was later tested at a hospital. When she returned home, she undressed outside and threw her uniform in the garbage.

Rolle has yet to return to driving a bus.

Source: A bus driver told a rider to wear a mask. Then the passenger spit on her. – CNN