Postal employee accused of dumping 1,800 pieces of mail
NEWARK, N.J. — A postal employee in New Jersey dumped more than 1,800 pieces of mail, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny, faced arraignment later in the day on charges of delay, secretion or detention of mail and obstruction of mail. It was not known if he...
Pence, Harris face off on covid-19 in VP debate
SALT LAKE CITY — Vice President Mike Pence defended the Trump administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 210,000 Americans Wednesday night, while his Democratic challenger, Kamala Harris, condemned “the greatest failure of any presidential administration” during a largely civil debate dominated by the coronavirus. With...
Top White House security official contracted covid-19 in September
WASHINGTON — A top White House security official, Crede Bailey, is gravely ill with covid-19 and has been hospitalized since September, according to four people familiar with his condition. The White House has not publicly disclosed Bailey’s illness. He became sick before the Sept. 26 Rose Garden event President Donald...
Marine Gen. Gary Thomas has covid after Pentagon meeting
WASHINGTON — The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps has tested positive for the coronavirus, days after he and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were in a Pentagon meeting with a Coast Guard leader who was infected with the virus. The Marine Corps said Wednesday that Gen. Gary...
‘A blessing in disguise’: Trump hails experimental treatment for his coronavirus recoveryVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday credited an experimental drug treatment with helping his recovery from covid-19 and suggested his diagnosis could be a “blessing in disguise” in the nation’s battle against the pandemic. But there is no way for the president or his doctors to know whether the...
Facebook braces for contested election, voter intimidation
OAKLAND, Calif. — Facebook said it’s readied new safeguards for the 2020 U.S. elections that have it better prepared to deal with candidates who prematurely declare victory or contest official results and the possibility of voter intimidation by alleged — and potentially armed — “poll watchers.” In the former case,...
Now a covid-19 hot spot, White House struggles to workVideo
WASHINGTON — In a tableau befitting a surreal election season, there may be more raccoons around the White House than actual staff now — and a contagious president sneaking into the West Wing. With the iconic white-columned building now a coronavirus hot zone, and a pack of hungry raccoons near...
Man pleads not guilty in death of former Pittsburgh resident over mask confrontation in New YorkVideo
WEST SENECA, N.Y. — A New York bar patron accused of giving a fatal shove to an 80-year-old man during a confrontation about the need to wear a mask has pleaded not guilty to criminally negligent homicide. Donald Lewinski, 65, entered a plea of not guilty at a court on...
Pennsylvania reports 2nd-highest new coronavirus case total since May
Pennsylvania added more than 1,300 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, its second-highest daily total since May. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, there were 1,309 positive cases of covid-19, bringing the state total to 166,552. Besides the two-day total of 2,251 reported on Oct. 3, it’s the highest daily total...
Wisconsin activates field hospital as covid-19 keeps surging
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin health officials announced Wednesday that a field hospital is opening in the coming days at the state fairgrounds near Milwaukee as a surge in COVID-19 cases threatens to overwhelm hospitals. Wisconsin has become a hot spot for the disease over the last month, ranking third nationwide...
Ex-cop Chauvin charged in George Floyd’s death freed on $1 million bond
MINNEAPOLIS — The former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in the death of George Floyd posted bail on Wednesday and was released from prison. According to court documents, Derek Chauvin posted $1 million bond, and the Department of Corrections confirmed he was no longer in custody at the state’s...
N.C. city apologizes for deaths at 1979 anti-KKK rally
GREENSBORO, N.C. — A city council in North Carolina has approved a resolution which apologizes for the shooting deaths of five demonstrators at a 1979 rally against the Ku Klux Klan and American Nazi Party. The Greensboro City Council voted 7-2 on Tuesday night to approve the resolution, which says...
Protests greet move to impose new virus shutdowns in NYC
NEW YORK — A New York City neighborhood erupted in protests after Gov. Andrew Cuomo moved to shut down schools and businesses and restrict capacity at houses of worship in areas where coronavirus cases are spiking. Many areas that stand to be affected are home to large enclaves of Orthodox...
Belgium’s 1st transgender vice premier target of verbal barb
BRUSSELS — Belgium’s first transgender politician to reach the higher echelons of government has come under stinging attack from the country’s extreme right, only days after she was appointed. The new Belgian government sworn in Saturday includes Green Vice Premier Petra De Sutter, a professor specializing in gynecology and fertility...
Google, Oracle meet in copyright clash at Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court justices discussed restaurant menus, computer keyboards, songs and even the periodic table Wednesday in trying to resolve a copyright dispute between tech giants Google and Oracle. The justices were hearing arguments Wednesday in a dispute that is worth billions and important to the future of...
Clorox develops device for classrooms to detect ‘illness indicators’Video
The Clorox Co. said today it has developed an experimental device to be used in school classrooms that can detect “illness indicators” in real time. “Each year, schools face the challenge of preventing one cough or sneeze from turning into a cold or flu outbreak. For schools that have decided...
In about-face, Trump seeks to salvage parts of virus aid
WASHINGTON — The White House on Wednesday tried to salvage its favorite items lost in the rubble of COVID-19 relief talks that President Donald Trump blew up, with his administration pressing for $1,200 stimulus checks and a new wave of aid for airlines and other businesses hard hit by the...
Appeals court: Trump must turn over taxes to prosecutor
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s accountant must turn over his tax records to a New York state prosecutor, an appeals court ruled Wednesday in a decision that likely sets up a second trip to the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in...
Texas high court blocks Houston plan to offer mail ballots
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that 2 million Houston voters cannot receive unsolicited mail ballot applications from local elections officials who are dramatically expanding ways to vote in November in the nation’s third-largest county, a key battleground in Texas. The decision by the all-Republican court is...
Prince William and Kate welcome Ukraine president at palace
LONDON — London’s Buckingham Palace held its first royal event in more than six months on Wednesday as Prince William and his wife Kate welcomed Ukraine’s president and his wife. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge greeted Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his wife Olena in a brief meeting at the palace’s...
Airline shares get a boost from Trump’s late tweets
SILVER SPRING, Md. — Shares in major U.S. airlines were poised for gains Wednesday after President Donald Trump tweeted his support for a relief package for the struggling industry and prodded Congress to take action. “The House & Senate should IMMEDIATELY Approve 25 Billion Dollars for Airline Payroll Support,” Trump...
Election HQ: A Pennsylvania voter guide to the 2020 elections
Election Day in Western Pennsylvania is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and voters are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing inside polling places because of the coronavirus pandemic. For more information on polling places, go to the official election pages...
Nobel Peace Prize awaited as ray of hope after a tough year
In a year of the coronavirus pandemic, military conflicts, democratic backsliding and accelerating climate change, Friday’s announcement of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is being awaited as a chance to impart hope to a world in turmoil. From climate activists to political dissidents to international organizations, there is no shortage...
Russia reports successful test launch of hypersonic missile
MOSCOW — The Russian military on Wednesday reported a successful test launch of the new Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, giving Russian President Vladimir Putin something to smile about on his 68th birthday. Speaking to Putin via a video call, Russian General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov said the test launch was...
Hurricane Delta makes landfall in Mexico as a Category 2
Hurricane Delta made landfall in Mexico Wednesday as an extremely dangerous Category 2 storm, coming ashore near Puerto Morelos along the northeastern coast of Yucatan Peninsula. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said satellite imagery, radar data from Cuba and surface observations in Mexico indicate that the center of...
