During a nearly hour-and-a-half campaign stop to HoverTech International in Hanover Township, Northampton County midday Monday, President Trump told supporters a Joe Biden presidency would mean lockdowns like the country saw this spring. The President says Pennsylvanians don't have to remember those days because they're still living them. "You guys are already locked done. Are you ever going to open up? Are you ever going to get this clown to open up,"? The President complained that state restrictions make it difficult for him to hold rallies and he blames the governor. "I'll remember it Tom. I'm going to remember it Tom," the President said. After speaking in Northampton County, the President campaigned in Lancaster County and in the Altoona area.
Today is the last day to submit applications for mail-in and absentee ballots for the upcoming election. The deadline to submit an application is by 5pm today and it can be done either in-person at a county elections office or online at www.votespa.com. People who have already applied, but have yet to return their ballots, have until Election Day, November 3rd, to do so.
To nobody's surprise, Pennsylvania's two senators had opposite votes Monday on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. Republican Pat Toomey joined 51 others in approving Barrett's nomination. Toomey said, "Judge Barrett has shown a deep commitment to the proper role of a federal judge in our constitutional system. She understands that a judge must act as a neutral umpire who applies the law, including the U.S. Constitution, as written." Democrat Bob Casey opposed the confirmation, saying, "This evening's U.S. Supreme Court confirmation vote means that 1 million Pennsylvanians are one step closer to having their health care coverage ripped away and 5.3 million Pennsylvanians are one step closer to losing legal protections for their pre-existing conditions."
The person shot late Saturday afternoon at Nockamixon State Park in Bucks County has now died. 18-year-old Jason Kutt died Monday morning at St. Luke's Hospital about 36 hours after being shot. Bucks County DA Matt Weintraub says Kutt was with his girlfriend at the time and she has told investigators she saw what appeared to be a hunter up the trail after Kutt was shot. "If you are, in fact, responsible, and you have an explanation and have a version of events that you'd like us to consider, please come forward. Jason Kutt and his family deserve it," Weintraub says. The DA says, at this point, it can't be said definitively that the fatal shot came from that hunter.
An unidentified 32-year-old woman and 6-year-old girl are dead after a Monday morning crash on I-78. The crash happened just before 6:30 when the woman's van left eastbound 78 about three miles east of the Summit Lawn exit and hit a tractor-trailer parked alongside the road. Investigators say the tractor-trailer had its emergency flashers on and the driver was out of the vehicle at the time of the accident.
Police are investigating gunfire late Monday night in Allentown. It happened in the area of Fourth and Gordon streets around 11 pm. One person was apparently shot. That person's condition has not been released.
Pennsylvania's Department of Health has added nearly 3100 positive cases of COVID-19 to its total. That number covers a two-day period. That puts Pennsylvania at 195,695 confirmed cases. Another 19 new deaths related to coronavirus-related complications were also reported over the same two days, bringing the death toll to 8673.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are on the rise in Pennsylvania, but are still below where they peaked in April, according to Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine. She added that Pennsylvanians should take measures to avoid contracting the virus by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. Levine also said seven-in-ten COVID-19 positive people cannot fully answer who they've been around when it comes to contact tracing.
Lehigh Career and Technical Institute will be closed all week after three staff members tested positive for COVID-19. LCTI will reopen next Monday. Instruction will continue remotely for all students.
After one member of its football team tested positive for the coronavirus, Notre Game-Green Pond has decided to cancel its last two regular season games against Old Forge and Wilson. The school's athletic director says team members will quarantine through November 2nd and practice will resume the following day. Notre Dame-Green Pond is 6-0 and in second place in the District 11 Class 3A standings. Playoffs are scheduled to begin November 6th.
Temple University is making changes to its schedule for next year. The spring semester will now be delayed until January 19th. This will give two weeks for students to quarantine coming off of winter break travel. In addition, spring break will be eliminated because of the delayed start.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says the Garden State will be ready for a COVID-19 vaccine. He announced a loose outline that calls for at least 70-percent of the state's adult population to receive a vaccine within the first six months of its release. He says the goal is to ensure people are getting vaccinated, but he didn't say it would be mandatory. Murphy also added the state will move quickly to bring the immunization to areas hit hardest by the virus.
The victims of the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history are being remembered. Today is the second anniversary of the attack on Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue. The attack killed eleven people. Events remembering the victims will be held online this year due to coronavirus concerns.
New Jersey officials are pushing to spend millions of dollars to equip officers throughout the state with body cameras. Gov. Phil Murphy vetoed two bills last week, saying there wasn't enough money to purchase at least 26,000 cameras. Local officials are responding with legislation that would put $58 million into the program. The governor's office says the money would be enough to implement the tools, but might not be enough to pay for maintenance.
New Jersey is working to tackle hate among young people. New Jersey's Interagency Task Force To Combat Youth Bias released a report earlier this month, focusing on how to address hate in the young communities and calling for broad legislative reforms. Gov. Phil Murphy says he wants to see these recommendations in action, so local officials are meeting to talk about next steps.