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COVID-19

Trump Taps Congressional Ally Elise Stefanik For UN Ambassador Post, Picks Border Czar Trump Taps Congressional Ally Elise Stefanik For UN Ambassador Post, Picks Border Czar
Trump Taps Congressional Ally Elise Stefanik For UN Ambassador Post, Picks Border Czar President-elect Donald Trump has picked one of his strongest allies in Congress to serve as United States ambassador to the United Nations and a former member of his first administration as border czar. Rep. Elise Stefanik, age 40, was first elected to New York's 21st District in 2014 and is the House Republican Conference Chair, the youngest woman to hold that post. "Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter," Trump said in a statement to CBS News. CNN first reported the news late Sunday, Nov. 10. Trump also decided on another native New Yorker for a…
TGI Fridays Files For Bankruptcy Weeks After Sudden Closures Of At Least 12 Restaurants TGI Fridays Files For Bankruptcy Weeks After Sudden Closures Of At Least 12 Restaurants
TGI Fridays Files For Bankruptcy Weeks After Sudden Closures Of At Least 12 Restaurants Casual dining chain TGI Fridays has filed for bankruptcy several weeks after at least 12 of its restaurants suddenly closed. The company filed the Chapter 11 petition on Saturday, Nov. 2, in Texas, near its Dallas headquarters. Founded in New York City in 1965, TGI Fridays has 95 restaurants in the US, 39 of which the company owns and operates. The other 56 are independent franchises not involved in the bankruptcy petition. The company said that all those locations will remain open. According to the TGI Fridays website and other reports, the following locations are now listed as permanent…
Owner of MontCo Restaurant Gets Prison Time For Defrauding COVID Programs: Authorities Owner of MontCo Restaurant Gets Prison Time For Defrauding COVID Programs: Authorities
Owner of MontCo Restaurant Gets Prison Time For Defrauding COVID Programs: Authorities The owner of a Montgomery County Italian restaurant is getting prison time for defrauding several federal COVID-19 relief programs, authorities said. Giuseppina “Josephine” Leone, 62, of North Wales, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and one year of supervised release on Tuesday, Oct. 22, the US Department of Justice said in a news release. She must also pay a $50,000 fine and a $300 special assessment for pandemic program fraud, the news release states. Leone has also paid full restitution in the amount of $972,861. Her request for a sentence involving an alternative to jail time was de…
PA Judge Indicted For 31 Counts Of Fraud, Witness Tampering: USDOJ PA Judge Indicted For 31 Counts Of Fraud, Witness Tampering: USDOJ
PA Judge Indicted For 31 Counts Of Fraud, Witness Tampering: Usdoj A federal grand jury has indicted a Pennsylvania judge and lawyer on 31-counts of wire and mail fraud, as well as witness tampering and obstruction of justice, the US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday, Oct. 8.  Steven Stambaugh, age 61, of York, has been charged with twenty-six counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of tampering with a witness, and one count of obstruction of justice for a COVID-19 scheme, according to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam explained.  Stambaugh is accused of defrauding the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania "to ob…
Harris, Trump Come Out Swinging In Presidential Debate In Philadelphia Harris, Trump Come Out Swinging In Presidential Debate In Philadelphia
Harris, Trump Come Out Swinging In Presidential Debate In Philadelphia Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump came out swinging at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Sept. 10 in their first and possibly only presidential debate before the Tuesday, Nov. 5 election. Harris made the first move by shaking Trump's hand on stage — in their first face-to-face encounter. Political observers noted how Harris "baited" the former president, prompting him to look increasingly angry. But Trump entered the "spin room" less than an hour after the debate, saying, "I think it was the best debate, personally, that I've ever …
Sean Higgins Worked At Substance Abuse Center, Was Member Of NJ National Guard: Reports Sean Higgins Worked At Substance Abuse Center, Was Member Of NJ National Guard: Reports
Sean Higgins Worked At Substance Abuse Center, Was Member Of NJ National Guard: Reports More information about Sean Higgins, the suspected DUI driver who killed Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau last week, is coming to light. The 43-year-old Woodstown resident who police say struck 31-year-old Johnny and 29-year-old Matthew in Oldmans Township last week, was a New Jersey National Guardsman who worked at a substance abuse treatment center. Photos on the Department of Defense website show Higgins receiving a COVID-19 vaccination in January 2021, and embracing a child in Kosovo in 2019. A state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs spokesperson confirmed Higgins is a f…
'We're Not Going Back': Harris, Walz Lay Out Vision For Future In First Rally Together 'We're Not Going Back': Harris, Walz Lay Out Vision For Future In First Rally Together
'We're Not Going Back': Harris, Walz Lay Out Vision For Future In First Rally Together Kamala Harris introduced her new running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the "Vice President America deserves" during their first campaign stop at Temple University in Philadelphia. Speaking together on Tuesday, Aug. 6, in their first joint rally since Harris tapped Walz as her running mate, Vice President Harris, age 59, said this election will come down to one thing: freedom.  "The freedom from gun violence, freedom to vote, freedom to love who you wish to with pride, and the freedom for women to do what they wish with their body and not have the government tell them what to do," she…
Biden Withdraws From 2024 Presidential Race, Endorses VP Kamala Harris To Be New Nominee Biden Withdraws From 2024 Presidential Race, Endorses VP Kamala Harris To Be New Nominee
Biden Withdraws From 2024 Presidential Race, Endorses VP Kamala Harris To Be New Nominee President Joe Biden has just announced he is pulling out of the 2024 race against Republican nominee Donald Trump. In a letter to "My Fellow Americans" released just before 2 p.m. Sunday, July 21, Biden said: “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. “And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.” The news comes amid concerns over the 81-year-old Biden's health, which were loudly …
Fully Vaxxed, Boosted President Biden Gets COVID-19 Again Fully Vaxxed, Boosted President Biden Gets COVID-19 Again
Fully Vaxxed, Boosted President Biden Gets Covid-19 Again Despite being fully vaccinated and boosted, President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 — again, White House officials announced on Wednesday, July 17. The 81-year-old Biden has tested positive for COVID while in Las Vegas, Nevada ahead of the DNC, officials with the White House explained. His symptoms are mild. His doctor noted that he presented with upper respiratory symptoms, such as a runny nose, a non-productive cough, and "general malaise," as stated in the release.  Since his condition did not improve throughout the day, a COVID test was conducted on Wednesda…
COVID-19: Change In Isolation Guidelines For Those Infected With Virus Announced By CDC COVID-19: Change In Isolation Guidelines For Those Infected With Virus Announced By CDC
Covid-19: Change In Isolation Guidelines For Those Infected With Virus Announced By CDC New isolation guidelines for those infected with COVID-19 or other respiratory infections have just been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency said there is no longer a need to isolate for five days before returning to work or school in a statement issued Friday, March 1. The CDC said it's making updates to the recommendations now because the US is seeing "far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and because we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID, and RSV." Three "core prevention tips" were also detaile…
Surge In COVID-19, Flu, RSV Hospitalizations Leads To Winter Virus Warning By CDC Surge In COVID-19, Flu, RSV Hospitalizations Leads To Winter Virus Warning By CDC
Surge In Covid-19, Flu, RSV Hospitalizations Leads To Winter Virus Warning By CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sounding the alarm, warning that low vaccination rates for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) could strain healthcare systems across the nation in the weeks ahead. Hospitalizations among all age groups in the last month increased by 200 percent for influenza, 51 percent for COVID, and 60 percent for RSV, the CDC said. Meanwhile, coverage for the seasonal 2023-2024 flu shot is low in all age groups compared with the same period of the 2022–2023 season. Just 17 percent of adults had received the updated COVID vac…
Philly Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw Stepping Down Philly Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw Stepping Down
Philly Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw Stepping Down Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw is resigning her post, said Mayor Jim Kenney in a statement early Tuesday, Sept. 4.  Effective after Friday, Sept. 22, Outlaw will leave PPD to start in a leadership position with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, officials said.  “Commissioner Outlaw has worked relentlessly for three and a half years during an unprecedented era in our city and a number of crisis situations, and she deserves praise for her commitment to bring long-overdue reform to the Department after years of racism and gender discrimination prior to …
COVID-19: These Are Most Likely Symptoms Of New Pirola Variant Identified In Five States COVID-19: These Are Most Likely Symptoms Of New Pirola Variant Identified In Five States
Covid-19: These Are Most Likely Symptoms Of New Pirola Variant Identified In Five States The most likely symptoms of a new COVID-19 variant with around 30 mutations are expected to be similar to the highly contagious Omicron strain based on reports so far. COVID-related hospitalizations have increased in the US for six straight weeks, with a 19-percent increase reported in the most recent week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The BA.2.86 strain, known as Pirola, has now been identified in five states: New York, Texas, Michigan, Virginia, and Ohio. The strain was first detected in Israel around Sunday, Aug. 20, and cases have also been identif…
COVID-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed COVID-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed
Covid-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed The first case of the newly identified COVID-19 variant with 30 mutations has been identified in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded BA.2.86 to a “variant under monitoring," citing the "large number of mutations it carries." BA.2.86, which has now been nicknamed "Pirola," was first detected in Israel, and cases have also been identified in the United Kingdom and Denmark. The initial case in the US has been detected in Michigan. The patient, an older person with mild symptoms, is from Washtenaw County, the Michigan Department of Health and Hu…
Do Not Use These COVID-19 At-Home Tests Due To Bacteria Concerns: FDA Do Not Use These COVID-19 At-Home Tests Due To Bacteria Concerns: FDA
Do Not Use These Covid-19 At-Home Tests Due To Bacteria Concerns: FDA Americans have been advised by federal officials to stop using and dispose of specific COVID-19 at-home tests that could have potentially harmful bacteria inside the kits. SD Biosensor, Inc. announced on Friday, May 5, that the company is requesting that consumers stop using “Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Tests” due to contaminants found in the tube with liquid inside, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The tube with the liquidFDA The affected tests can be identified by the lot number on the outer packaging (see below) and should be discarded in the trash. The liquid should n…
COVID-19: Highly-Infectious 'Arcturus' Variant Detected In PA COVID-19: Highly-Infectious 'Arcturus' Variant Detected In PA
Covid-19: Highly-Infectious 'Arcturus' Variant Detected In PA A new COVID-19 variant first detected in New York in January has now been identified in 27 states, including Pennsylvania. The so-called Arcturus strain — officially known as XBB.1.16 — is believed to be one of the most infectious versions of Omicron to date.  Shortly after the World Health Organization began monitoring the variant in late March, cases had been reported in about two dozen countries. The WHO says Arcturus is a "recombinant" of COVID subvariants BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75. In addition to New York, XBB.1.16 has also been confirmed in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, V…
COVID-19: New Study Reveals How Long 'Durable Protection' May Last After Catching Virus COVID-19: New Study Reveals How Long 'Durable Protection' May Last After Catching Virus
Covid-19: New Study Reveals How Long 'Durable Protection' May Last After Catching Virus A past COVID-19 infection provides "durable" but temporary protection against getting severely sick no matter the variant, according to a brand-new study. Researchers from the University of Washington say it's the most comprehensive data compiled so far showing national immunity protection against the virus. The findings were released Thursday, Feb. 16 in the peer-reviewed journal, The Lancet. The research identified and analyzed 65 studies from 19 different countries.  "Our meta-analyses showed that protection from past infection and any symptomatic disease was high for (COVID-19) an…
Customers Slam Lehigh Italian Restaurant Over Lack Of Transparency After Sudden Closure Customers Slam Lehigh Italian Restaurant Over Lack Of Transparency After Sudden Closure
Customers Slam Lehigh Italian Restaurant Over Lack Of Transparency After Sudden Closure The lights were off and the doors were locked at A Ca Mia when patrons showed up for their reservations over the weekend, they said. No phone call, no social media post. Nothing to let them know that one of their favorite Northampton County Italian restaurants was closing, they said. According to a report by WFMZ, the Lehigh Township restaurant had a sign on the front doors saying it was closed due to the effects of COVID and inflation as of Saturday, Jan. 28. The restaurant made a Facebook post on Jan. 12 saying only that its hours were changing. As of Saturday, Jan. 28, it had apparently…
NJ Deli Fraud Scheme Mastermind Arrested In Thailand: Feds NJ Deli Fraud Scheme Mastermind Arrested In Thailand: Feds
NJ Deli Fraud Scheme Mastermind Arrested In Thailand: Feds An international company chairman charged over a purported scheme to manipulate the stock market — one that resulted in a bogus $100M valuation for a Gloucester County deli despite minimal sales — was arrested in Thailand, the feds confirmed. Peter Coker Jr., 54, had been a fugitive since September when prosecutors filed 12 federal charges against him, his father, Peter Coker Sr., 80, and associate James Patten, 63. The trio allegedly boosted the share prices of Hometown International Inc. and another firm, E-Waste Corp. Matthew Reilly, a spokesperson for the New Jersey US Attorney’s Offic…
ABC News Producer Dax Tejera Dead At 37 ABC News Producer Dax Tejera Dead At 37
ABC News Producer Dax Tejera Dead At 37 ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" producer Dax Tejera died suddenly on Friday, Dec. 23. He was 37 years old. The Chevy Chase native is survived by his wife, Veronica, and their daughters, Sofia and Ella. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dax Tejera (@daxtejera) Tejera joined the ABC News team in 2017 and worked as a senior producer in Washington DC. He helmed the Sunday show since just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, Tejera was the executive producer of Jorge Ramos' program with ABC-Univision and worked fo…
Bam Margera, 'Jackass' Star From PA, In ICU With COVID: Report Bam Margera, 'Jackass' Star From PA, In ICU With COVID: Report
Bam Margera, 'Jackass' Star From PA, In ICU With COVID: Report Bam Margera, a West Chester native and former star of MTV's "Jackass," was hospitalized with pneumonia "complicated by" COVID-19, and has been placed on a ventilator, TMZ reports.  Margera was admitted to a San Diego hospital "some time" before Thursday, Dec. 8 and that he's in the intensive care unit but in stable condition, the outlet said The pro skateboarder does not appear to have addressed the matter on his official Twitter or Instagram accounts.  Margera's spinoff show on MTV, "Viva La Bam," was filmed in and around West Chester during its five-season run in the early 2000…
CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive COVID-19 Variant Growing In Northeast CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive COVID-19 Variant Growing In Northeast
CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive Covid-19 Variant Growing In Northeast With more than 300 COVID-19 Omicron sublineages circulating around the globe, a new potentially more contagious variant called XBB is being closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). XBB is considered more immune-evasive than other Omicron variants, Chief White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week. But government officials said they don't think XBB will become a threat at the level of Omicron, which first emerged on the global scene almost exactly a year ago. Though XBB now accounts for just over 3 percent of new cases in t…
PA Community Mourns Loss Of Longtime Teacher Who Died After Long COVID-19 Battle PA Community Mourns Loss Of Longtime Teacher Who Died After Long COVID-19 Battle
PA Community Mourns Loss Of Longtime Teacher Who Died After Long Covid-19 Battle Chris Hamsher was a bright light who impacted every student whether he taught them or not, those who knew him said. Though, what the English teacher's pupils didn't realize was that after catching COVID-19 in January, he'd only be in their lives for a little while longer. "Mr. Chris Hamsher, an 8th grade English teacher and member of our Abington School District family for more than two decades, passed away this week after a battle with long COVID," the Abington School District announced in a Saturday, Oct. 8 Facebook post. Mr. Chris Hamsher, an 8th grade English teacher and member of …
Pennsylvania Casino Fined $160K For Underage Gambling Pennsylvania Casino Fined $160K For Underage Gambling
Pennsylvania Casino Fined $160K For Underage Gambling A Pennsylvania casino has been ordered to pay up to $160,000 in fines for allowing underage gambling, officials announced. The agreement between the owners of the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was approved Wednesday, Sept. 21. The agency detailed three instances in which people under the age of 21 were given access to the casino floor and gambled.  These occasions are listed below: An 18-year-old male who gambled at two different slot machines; An 11-year-old female who gambled at 10 different slot machines while both parents…
Jehovah's Witnesses Resume Trademark Door-Knocking For First Time Since Pandemic Jehovah's Witnesses Resume Trademark Door-Knocking For First Time Since Pandemic
Jehovah's Witnesses Resume Trademark Door-Knocking For First Time Since Pandemic Who's there? Jehovah's Witnesses will resume their trademark door-to-door ministry after a two-and-a-half-year suspension due to COVID-19. The Sept. 1 launch kicked off with a global campaign featuring an interactive program for Bible study. The decision to resume their door-to-door ministry marks the complete restoration of all pre- pandemic in-person activities for the nearly 1.3 million Jehovah’s Witnesses in the 12,000 congregations in the United States.  “We believe that the early decision to shut down all in-person activities for more than two years has saved many lives,” s…
PA Trip Canceled As President Joe Biden Tests Positive For COVID-19 PA Trip Canceled As President Joe Biden Tests Positive For COVID-19
PA Trip Canceled As President Joe Biden Tests Positive For Covid-19 President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, July 21, according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. He was experiencing “mild symptoms” and has begun taking Paxlovid, the Pfizer antiviral drug designed to reduce the severity of the disease. His trip to Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has evidently been canceled as he “will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned…
President Biden Tests Positive For COVID-19 President Biden Tests Positive For COVID-19
President Biden Tests Positive For Covid-19 President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting Massachusetts, the White House announced on Thursday, July 21.  The president, who is vaccinated and boosted, will start taking Paxlovid and isolate while he battles the virus, the White House said.  He had been scheduled to visit Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Thursday. #Breaking- President Biden has been diagnosed with Covid-19. pic.twitter.com/5CZtw5L2nq — WBZ NewsRadio (@wbznewsradio) July 21, 2022 This comes after President Biden visited Massachusetts to discuss new ways to combat climate change and push for clean ene…
SEEN HIM? Two Years Later, Missing Englewood Man Still Hasn't Been Found SEEN HIM? Two Years Later, Missing Englewood Man Still Hasn't Been Found
Seen HIM? Two Years Later, Missing Englewood Man Still Hasn't Been Found Ruben Wilson had a habit of wandering off and sometimes traveling significant distances from his Englewood home despite dementia and other challenges. The 6-foot, 240-pound Wilson always turned up, though -- from as close as Teaneck, Hackensack and Tenafly, and as far as the Jersey Shore. He was once found with his dog in Englewood Cliffs. Another time, he drove nearly 70 miles to Wall Township. That changed after Wilson went missing more than two years ago. Ruben always enjoyed an early cup of coffee with his son, Shalom Kennedy, loved ones said. That didn't happen the morning of May 2…
$6.8M COVID-19 Scam: Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Gets 4+ Years, No Parole $6.8M COVID-19 Scam: Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Gets 4+ Years, No Parole
$6.8M Covid-19 Scam: Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Gets 4+ Years, No Parole A dual New York/Florida resident was sentenced in New Jersey to a plea-bargained 51 months in federal prison for fraudulently collecting more than $6.8 million in COVID-19 payroll protection loans -- $3 million of which he lost in the stock market. Gregory J. Blotnick, 35, will have to serve just about all of the sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti sentenced Blotnick in Newark to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $4,577,631. Blotnick told the judge last f…
ABC's Jonathan Karl Tests COVID Positive After Sitting Next To Kim Kardashian In DC: Report ABC's Jonathan Karl Tests COVID Positive After Sitting Next To Kim Kardashian In DC: Report
ABC's Jonathan Karl Tests COVID Positive After Sitting Next To Kim Kardashian In DC: Report ABC News' Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl tested positive for COVID-19 days after sitting next to Kim Kardashian at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Politico reports. Karl also spoke into the microphone and shook hands with several people, including President Joe Biden, after receiving an award for “Excellence in Presidential Coverage Under Deadline Pressure," the outlet reports.  “He tested positive for COVID Monday night, but tested negative on Saturday afternoon before the White House Correspondents Dinner by medically-supervised staff,” a person familiar wi…
Federal Judge Fines Mahwah Company $67,668 For Jacking Up Price Of N95 Masks By 400% Federal Judge Fines Mahwah Company $67,668 For Jacking Up Price Of N95 Masks By 400%
Federal Judge Fines Mahwah Company $67,668 For Jacking Up Price Of N95 Masks By 400% A Mahwah-based company that admitted selling N95 protective masks at a 400% markup to a grocery store chain at the beginning of the pandemic was fined $67,668 by a federal judge. TSC Agency LLC -- a logistics and freight forwarding company located off southbound Route 17 near the State Line Diner -- will also remain on probation for a year under the terms of a plea deal with the government, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said on Tuesday, April 26. TSC and two partners bought 250,000 of the filtering facepiece respirators at $1.09 apiece mask from a foreign manufacturer in mid-March 2020…