Study: Antibody drug may help prevent virus
INDIANAPOLIS — Drugmaker Eli Lilly said Thursday its antibody drug can prevent covid-19 illness in residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care locations. It’s the first major study to show such a treatment may prevent illness in a group that has been devastated by the pandemic. Residents...
Buttigieg aims for ‘generational’ change at Transportation DepartmentVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of transportation, Pete Buttigieg, is pledging to carry out the administration’s ambitious agenda to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, calling it a “generational opportunity” to create new jobs, fight economic inequality and stem climate change. “We need to build our economy back, better...
Pope moves Down syndrome MD-advocate closer to sainthood
ROME — The French doctor who discovered the genetic basis of Down syndrome but spent his career advocating against abortion as a result of prenatal diagnosis has taken his first major step to possible sainthood. Pope Francis on Thursday approved the “heroic virtues” of Dr. Jerome Lejeune, who lived from...
Vermont bill would ban guns in government buildings, hospitals
MONTPELIER, Vt. — A state Senate committee is considering a bill that would ban the possession of guns in government buildings, hospitals and child care centers, following the siege of the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. The Senate Judiciary Committee heard nearly three hours of testimony Wednesday, the Bennington Banner...
World leaders laud U.S. return to climate fight under Biden
BERLIN — World leaders breathed an audible sigh of relief that the United States under President Joe Biden is rejoining the global effort to curb climate change, a cause that his predecessor had shunned. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron were among those welcoming Biden’s decision...
Keystone XL pipeline halted as Biden revokes permit
TORONTO — Construction on the long disputed Keystone XL oil pipeline halted Wednesday as incoming U.S. President Joe Biden revoked its permit on his first day in office. The 1,700-mile pipeline was planned to carry roughly 800,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta to the Texas Gulf Coast, passing...
Warm Up This Winter with Fun, Socially-Distanced Events at the National Aviary
The holidays are behind us, grey skies are above us, and spring isn’t coming anytime soon. Isn’t it time you treat yourself to a tropical getaway? But, if a tropical getaway isn’t in the cards this year, you can go on a Tropical Retreat right here in Pittsburgh. Tucked away...
China hopes for cooperation, better relations under Biden
BEIJING — China on Thursday expressed hope the Biden administration will improve prospects for people of both countries and give a boost to relations after an especially rocky patch, while getting in a few final digs at former Trump officials. “I think after this very difficult and extraordinary time, both...
Amazon offers assist with U.S. covid vaccine distribution
SEATTLE — Amazon is offering its colossal operations network and advanced technologies to assist President Joe Biden in his vow to get 100 million covid-19 vaccinations to Americans in his first 100 days in office. “We are prepared to leverage our operations, information technology, and communications capabilities and expertise to...
Nearly 70K chickens perish in fire at Pennsylvania farm
SHARLESVILLE — Nearly 70,000 chickens perished early Thursday as fire swept through several buildings at a Pennsylvania farm. Firefighters were faced with flames and thick smoke when they arrived at A&L Farms in Berks County. A fire official told WFMZ-TV two buildings were burned to the ground and an egg...
Biden puts forth virus strategy, requires mask use to travel
WASHINGTON — As the U.S. enters “what may well be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus,” President Joe Biden is putting forth a national covid-19 strategy to ramp up vaccinations and testing, reopen schools and businesses and increase the use of masks — including a requirement that they...
‘Just move on’: Republicans grapple with post-Trump future
For the first time in more than a decade, Republicans are waking up to a Washington where Democrats control the White House and Congress, adjusting to an era of diminished power, deep uncertainty and internal feuding. The shift to minority status is always difficult, prompting debates over who is to...
Harrisburg woman accused of helping steal Pelosi laptop freed from jail
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania woman facing charges that she helped steal a laptop from the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the attack on the U.S. Capitol will be released from jail, a federal judge decided Thursday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin Carlson directed that Riley June Williams be released...
Twin suicide bombings rock central Baghdad, at least 28 dead
BAGHDAD — Twin suicide bombings ripped through a busy market in the Iraqi capital Thursday, killing at least 28 people and wounding 73 others, officials said. The rare suicide bombing attack hit the Bab al-Sharqi commercial area in central Baghdad amid heightened political tensions over planned early elections and a...
Powerball jackpot winner worth $731.1M sold in Maryland
DES MOINES, Iowa — A single Powerball ticket sold in Maryland is the winner of an estimated $731.1 million jackpot, the first to get the top prize in months. Thanks to math and bad luck, lottery players had another shot at a giant jackpot Wednesday night that earlier had been...
Military helicopter crash kills 3 in training exercise in New York
MENDON, N.Y. — Three National Guard members on a training flight were killed Wednesday when their helicopter crashed in a farmer’s field in western New York. The craft, a UH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter, crashed around 6:30 p.m. in Mendon, N.Y., a rural town south of Rochester, officials said....
Inauguration sows doubt among QAnon conspiracy theorists
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — For years, legions of QAnon conspiracy theory adherents encouraged one another to “trust the plan” as they waited for the day when President Donald Trump would orchestrate mass arrests, military tribunals and executions of his Satan-worshipping, child-sacrificing enemies. Keeping the faith wasn’t easy when Inauguration Day...
Protesters gather, damage Democratic headquarters in OregonVideo
PORTLAND, Ore. — A group of protesters carrying anti-President Joe Biden and anti-police signs were marching Wednesday in Portland, Ore., streets and damaged the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Oregon, police said. Some in the group of about 150 people smashed windows and spray-painted anarchist symbols at the political...
Confederate Soldiers, Richard Nixon and Chelsea Manning: a look back at famous presidential pardonsVideo
The list of pardons and commutations issued Wednesday by President Donald Trump includes some household names, like rapper Lil Wayne and political strategist Steve Bannon. They’re not the only notable people to receive clemency from the president. Here’s a look back at some famous examples of pardons past: Every Confederate...
Pittsburgh Public Schools Board expected to push in-person learning back to April
Pittsburgh Public Schools Board members are expected to make the “tough decision” next week to postpone the return of in-person learning until April 6, after the district’s spring break, board president Sylvia Wilson said Wednesday. “No one wants students back in school more than I do,” Wilson said. With covid-19...
Pa. lawmakers react to swearing-in of Biden, Harris
Congressmen and senators representing Southwestern Pennsylvania weighed in on Wednesday’s swearing-in of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris with messages focusing largely on Biden’s call for unity in addressing the major problems facing the nation. Here’s what they had to say in statements and on social media:U.S. Sen....
Proud Boys organizer arrested in Florida for riot at U.S. Capitol
ORLANDO — Two Florida men, including a self-described organizer for the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, were arrested Wednesday for taking part in the siege of the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, authorities said. Joseph Biggs, 37, was arrested in central Florida and faces charges of obstructing an official...
On Day One, Biden targets Trump policies on climate, coronavirusVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is moving swiftly to dismantle Donald Trump’s legacy on his first day in office, signing a series of executive actions that reverse course on immigration, climate change, racial equity and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The new president signed the orders just hours after...
Connecticut man charged with pinning officer during U.S. Capitol attackVideo
HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut man seen in a widely viewed video pinning an officer into a doorway during the attack on the U.S. Capitol has been charged with assaulting police officers, federal authorities said Wednesday. Patrick McCaughey III, 23, of Ridgefield, was arrested Tuesday in South Salem, N.Y., on...
Next up: $730M Powerball prize after no Mega Millions winner
DES MOINES, Iowa — Thanks to math and bad luck, lottery players will have another shot at a giant jackpot tonight as a $730 million Powerball prize is on the line. The Powerball jackpot is the fifth-largest ever, and it will come only a day after nobody won the even-larger...
