Maricopa County refuses Arizona Senate’s subpoena in election audit
PHOENIX — Maricopa County officials refused Monday to turn over routers sought by two top Republicans in the Arizona Senate in the latest subpoenas related to the contentious 2020 election audit and unprecedented review of former President Donald Trump’s loss in Arizona’s largest county. The subpoenas issued on July 26...
Louisiana reinstates indoor mask mandate amid covid surgeVideo
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana on Monday reinstated a mask mandate in all indoor locations, including schools and colleges, as the state experiences the highest per capita covid-19 growth in the nation, driven by the delta variant and one of the country’s lowest vaccination rates. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards said...
Construction firm expected to resolve huge wage-theft case
STATE COLLEGE — A Pennsylvania construction contractor is expected to resolve a massive wage-theft case in which it was accused of stealing tens of millions of dollars from its own workers by systematically violating state and federal prevailing wage laws on taxpayer-funded public infrastructure projects. Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. of...
Tracking Pa.’s pandemic spending, by the numbers
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Spotlight PA’s tallying of Pennsylvania’s pandemic-related spending led us to the state’s emergency procurement program — a faster and, critics say,...
Appeals court upholds Indiana University’s vaccine mandate
INDIANAPOLIS — A federal appeals court ruled Monday that Indiana University can proceed with its plan to require students and employees to get vaccinated for covid-19, in what is the highest court decision regarding college immunization mandates. The Chicago-based appeals court upheld an Indiana district court judge’s ruling that found...
U.S. health official: Masks are frustrating, but country can get past them
ATLANTA — A top federal health official said Monday that he understood frustration with new mask requirements, but the country could overcome them if people accepted responsibility for combatting the coronavirus. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra was in Georgia as covid-19 infections and hospitalizations in the state...
Democrats demand Kevin McCarthy to recant Pelosi taunt as tensions rise
WASHINGTON — Several House Democrats have called on House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy to apologize to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or resign after audio surfaced of him saying at a weekend fundraiser that it would be “hard not to hit her” with a gavel if he’s sworn in as speaker...
Lindsey Graham 1st vaccinated senator to test positive for covid-19
COLUMBIA, S.C. — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has tested positive for the coronavirus, the first senator to disclose a breakthrough infection after being vaccinated. In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the South Carolina Republican said that he “started having flu-like symptoms Saturday night” and went to the doctor Monday morning....
U.S. hits 70% vaccination rate — a month late, amid a surgeVideo
The United States on Monday finally reached President Joe Biden’s goal of getting at least one covid-19 shot in the arms of 70% of American adults — a month late and amid a fierce surge by the delta variant that is swamping hospitals and leading to new mask rules and...
Biden bipartisan infrastructure bill timeline: What’s next?Video
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of senators is hoping to approve an expansive infrastructure bill this week after months of negotiation, compromise and delay. The bill, which contains $550 billion in new spending on roads, bridges and broadband internet access, is the first part of President Joe Biden’s “Build Back...
Most Indonesians want to get vaccinated but lack access to doses
Most Indonesians cited a lack of available doses as the reason why they’re not vaccinated against covid-19. Among those who haven’t had their shots, 80% said they’re waiting for their appointment, are looking for available doses or haven’t been able to get inoculated due to other reasons, including health conditions...
Denver mayor mandates workers to be vaccinated
DENVER — Denver Mayor Michael Hancock says the city will mandate all city employees and private sector workers in high-risk settings to be vaccinated against covid-19 by Sept. 30. Denver’s public health measure announced Monday applies to more than 10,000 municipal employees like police officers, firefighters, and sheriff’s deputies. Hancock...
PennDOT opens survey to learn about drivers’ safety habits
PennDOT is seeking input on drivers’ safety habits in an annual online survey. The responses to the department’s Highway Safety Survey will help officials determine ways to make roads safer for motorists. “The results from this annual survey help us gauge participants’ attitudes on highway safety and potentially allow us...
19 people arrested at Lollapalooza, with daily crowds around 100,000
CHICAGO — Nineteen people were arrested at the four-day Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago’s Grant Park, according to figures the city released Monday morning. The Office of Emergency Management and Communications said in a news release that there also were seven violations and 102 transports. The largest number of arrests...
R. Kelly’s legal team says prosecutors ‘blindsided’ them with new allegations, ask they be kept out of trial
CHICAGO — Lawyers for indicted singer R. Kelly have hit back on a request by federal prosecutors to admit new evidence of sexual abuse at his upcoming trial in New York, saying in a court filing over the weekend they were “blindsided” and have no time to prepare an adequate...
Pennsylvania reports 2,283 new covid cases since Friday
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 913 additional coronavirus cases on Monday, and 2,106 total cases for Saturday and Sunday, for a three-day total of 3,019. Northampton County’s 131 additional cases since Friday were enough to give it the highest population-adjusted seven-day case rate among the state’s 67 counties. Northampton...
U.S. employers ratchet up the pressure on the unvaccinated
NEW YORK — Employers are losing patience with unvaccinated workers. For months, most employers relied on information campaigns, bonuses and other incentives to encourage their workforces to get the covid-19 shot. Now, a growing number are imposing rules to make it more onerous for employees to refuse, from outright mandates...
Police officer shoots, wounds armed man in Cleveland suburb
ELYRIA, Ohio — A man armed with a gun was shot and wounded early Monday by a police officer in a Cleveland suburb, authorities said. The shooting in Elyria occurred around 3 a.m., shortly after a 911 caller reported that Darnell Delaney, 37, was causing a disturbance and threatening people...
New theory: Earth’s longer days kick-started oxygen growth
Scientists have a new idea for how Earth got its oxygen: It’s because the planet slowed down and days got longer. A study published Monday proposes and puts to the test the theory that longer, continuous daylight kick-started weird bacteria into producing lots of oxygen, making most of life as...
Mask opponents at risk after virus case at Missouri meeting
O’FALLON, Mo. — Many people were maskless as they expressed their displeasure with a mask mandate during a boisterous, four-hour St. Louis County Council meeting, and now contact tracers are trying to determine if anyone picked up the coronavirus after someone at the meeting tested positive for covid-19. The delta...
Stunned fans mourn TikTok star Anthony Barajas, killed in movie theater shooting
LOS ANGELES — In his final TikTok video July 22, Anthony Barajas pans to each of his family members, who lovingly poke fun at one another as they share a meal at a crowded eatery in Hawaii. Just four days later, the 19-year-old would be shot execution-style inside a Corona...
Pa. college to use stimulus money to erase unpaid student bills
CHEYNEY — Cheyney University, the nation’s oldest historically black college, has announced that it will erase unpaid student bills since the start of the covid-19 pandemic. The southeastern Pennsylvania university said on its Facebook page Friday that, in light of the hardships students and their families have experienced, it will...
Cuomo mandates vaccines or testing for NYC transit workers
NEW YORK — Gov. Andrew Cuomo said workers in New York City’s airports and public transit system will have to get coronavirus vaccinations or face weekly testing, but he stopped short Monday of mandating either masks or inoculations for the general public, saying he lacks the legal authority to do...
U.S. expands Afghan refugee program as Taliban violence rises
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Monday expanded its efforts to assist at-risk Afghan citizens flee Taliban violence as fighting intensifies ahead of the U.S. military pullout at the end of the month. The State Department said it is widening the scope of Afghans eligible for refugee status in United...
Pennsylvania Lottery sets record for sales, profit
Pennsylvania Lottery officials on Monday announced that the Lottery generated a record profit of more than $1.3 billion during the 2020-21 fiscal year. Officials said this is the tenth consecutive year that it has generated more than $1 billion for senior programs, which include property tax and rent rebates, free...
