U.S. angling to secure more of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say they’re actively negotiating for additional purchases of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine after passing up a chance to lock in a contract this summer since it was still unclear how well the shots would work. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and special adviser Dr. Moncef...
MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, has given $4.2 billion to charity in 4 months
For many in the U.S. the coronavirus pandemic has brought insurmountable hardship and loss, while others have seen their fortunes soar. CBS News reports that MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos, is among those who have seen a substantial increase in their fortunes. Scott, however, has chosen...
Arizona ties, sets records for virus deaths, hospital usage
PHOENIX — Arizona on Wednesday tied a previous record of coronavirus deaths in one day during the current virus surge while its available hospital bed capacity dropped to a record-low since the start of the pandemic. As the state’s vaccination program began to ramp up, the state Department of Health...
Kenyan man charged with plotting 9/11-style attack on U.S.
NEW YORK — Federal authorities have unsealed an indictment charging a Kenyan man with trying to stage a 9/11-style attack on the United States on behalf of the terrorist organization al-Shabab. Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 30, who was arrested in the Philippines in 2019, was transferred to U.S. custody Tuesday on...
Pennsylvania reports over 10K coronavirus cases for 5th time in 7 days
Pennsylvania’s coronavirus case total grew by 10,049 on Wednesday, the fifth time in the past seven days with a total above 10,000. The new cases reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health bring the state’s total to 519,369. On Wednesday, Pennsylvania surpassed 500,000 cases, becoming the seventh state to reach...
Iran nuclear deal members urge Tehran return to compliance
BERLIN — World powers that are part of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran urged Tehran on Wednesday to roll back violations of the accord and return to full compliance during a virtual meeting in Vienna, a German official said. The meeting came as the signatories to the agreement...
Almost 140,000 people in U.K. have had coronavirus shot so far
Almost 140,000 people in the U.K. have been vaccinated against coronavirus in the first week of the rollout, the government said. Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said there were 108,000 vaccinations in England, 18,000 in Scotland, 7,897 in Wales and 4,000 in Northern Ireland — a total of 137,897 over seven...
McConnell warns GOP off Electoral College brawl in Congress
WASHINGTON — Fending off a messy fight that could damage Republicans ahead of Georgia Senate runoffs, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned fellow GOP senators not to join President Donald Trump’s extended assault on the Electoral College results. In public remarks and private warnings on Tuesday, McConnell worked to push ahead...
Negotiators near agreement on long-delayed covid-19 aid bill
WASHINGTON — Congressional negotiators closed in Wednesday on a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package that would deliver additional “paycheck protection” subsidies to businesses, $300 per week jobless checks, and $600 or so stimulus payments to most Americans. The long-delayed measure was coming together as Capitol Hill combatants finally fashioned difficult...
Turning the page? Republicans acknowledge Biden’s victory
WASHINGTON — More than a month after the election, top Republicans finally acknowledged Joe Biden as the next U.S. president, a collapse in GOP resistance to the millions of voters who decisively chose the Democrat. Foreign leaders joined the parade, too, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Speaking on Tuesday from the...
Nigerians anxious after 330 boys kidnapped by extremists
KANKARA, Nigeria — Anger, fear and exhaustion. Anxiety has overwhelmed many parents in Nigeria’s northern village of Kankara who await word on their sons who are among the more than 330 kidnapped by extremists from a government boys’ school late Friday. Nigeria’s Boko Haram jihadist rebels have claimed responsibility for...
N.J. seeks $124K in fines from gym that refused to stay closed despite pandemic order
The state of New Jersey is trying to collect on $123,900 in fines against the owners of a gym it says has been in “non-compliance and contempt” of state executive orders related to the coronavirus pandemic. The owners of the Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, Camden County, have turned their defiance...
China indicts 10 Hong Kong residents over attempt to flee
HONG KONG — Chinese prosecutors on Wednesday announced the indictment of 10 people from Hong Kong over an attempt to flee the city amid a crackdown on opposition political activity. The Yantian district prosecutor’s office in the city of Shenzhen just across the border from Hong Kong said on its...
Iran leaders: Biden arrival won’t guarantee better relations
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s supreme leader and the country’s president both warned America on Wednesday that the departure of President Donald Trump does not immediately mean better relations between the two nations. The remarks come as Iran approaches the first anniversary of the U.S. drone strike that killed Revolutionary Guard...
Investigation opened after women’s symbol put on Polish flag
WARSAW, Poland — Prosecutors have opened an investigation into whether the Polish flag was publicly insulted after a family in Warsaw hung a flag from their balcony combined with a lightning bolt, a symbol for women’s rights in Poland. It’s the latest incident to raise questions about freedom of expression...
Cyberattack may have exposed deep U.S. secrets; damage yet unknownVideo
BOSTON — Some of America’s most deeply held secrets may have been stolen in a disciplined, monthslong operation being blamed on elite Russian government hackers. The possibilities of what might have been purloined are mind-boggling. Could hackers have obtained nuclear secrets? Covid-19 vaccine data? Blueprints for next-generation weapons systems? It...
Biden selects former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to be energy secretary
DETROIT — President-elect Joe Biden has selected former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to be his energy secretary. The Washington-based news website Politico was among the first to report the story, which then appeared to be confirmed in a news release from U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who is...
Ex-Houston officer accused of assault in bogus voter fraud claim
HOUSTON — A former Houston police captain was charged with assault on Tuesday after running a man off the road and holding him at gunpoint in an effort to prove what authorities have called a bogus voter fraud scheme. Mark Aguirre claimed that an air conditioner repairman was the mastermind...
Trump’s company ordered to give evidence to New York investigators
NEW YORK — A New York judge on Tuesday ordered President Donald Trump’s company to give state investigators documents related to a suburban estate that’s the subject of a civil investigation into the family’s business practices. Judge Arthur Engoron said the Trump Organization must turn over to the New York...
Fashion mogul Peter Nygard arrested in Canada on sex charges
NEW YORK — Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard was arrested on charges alleging he sexually abused women and girls after luring them into his orbit with opportunities in fashion and modeling over the last 25 years. Nygard, 79, was detained after a Winnipeg, Canada, court appearance Tuesday after his Monday...
Santa took photos with about 50 kids before positive covid test, Georgia officials say
A Santa Claus who took photos with dozens of kids was diagnosed with covid-19, Georgia officials say. The man tested positive for the disease after playing the role of Santa at holiday-themed festivities last week, said Robert D. Parker, chairman of the Long County Board of Commissioners. Mrs. Claus, who...
Sen. Bob Casey, North Huntingdon mother highlight need for continued pandemic relief
Victoria Murrell had her ducks in a row last winter. The 32-year-old from North Huntingdon had spent four years waiting tables and attending classes at Seton Hill University on a full academic scholarship. She was on track to graduate with a degree in human resources. Then the covid-19 shutdown hit....
Pa. officials say winter storm won’t hinder vaccine distribution
Severe winter weather Wednesday won’t delay covid-19 vaccine shipments in Pennsylvania, state officials said, as more shipments of the vaccine arrived at hospitals across the commonwealth. “We’re not making changes (to distribution) according to the forecast, but we will make changes if the weather turns out to force us to...
Talks escalate on new covid-19 relief, top lawmakers to meetVideo
WASHINGTON — Talks on a long-delayed covid-19 aid package intensified Tuesday as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi summoned other top congressional leaders for a potentially critical meeting. Pelosi, D-Calif., spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for more than an hour, her office tweeted, and Mnuchin will join the make-or-break meeting of...
Biden to pick Pete Buttigieg as transportation chiefVideo
WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden is expected to pick former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg to head the Transportation Department, according to three people familiar with the plans. Buttigieg, one of Biden’s rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, was a breakout star of the primaries, sharing victory in the...
