Month: July 2020

Iconic broadcaster Hugh Downs died peacefully in his Scottsdale home at the age of 99 Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the family. His family said his death was not related to coronavirus. 

Downs’s career spanned more than 60 years, leading shows like 20/20, The Today Show and as an announcer for Tonight Starring Jack Paar. He was a Emmy-award winning broadcaster, author and host..

Downs hosted NBC’s Today Show from 1962-1971, subsequently anchoring the ABC News magazine 20/20, joined by Barbara Walters, from 1978-99. Downs hosted the program from the show’s second episode in 1978 until his retirement in 1999. 

Downs was married to Ruth Shaheen from 1944 until she died in 2017. He is survived by their two children, Hugh Raymond and Deirdre Downs, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Hugh Downs, whose broadcasting career spanned a century, dies at 99

Via abcnews.go.com

Among a litany of other shows, Hugh Downs co-hosted “20/20” with Barbara Walters.

07/02/2020 7:30 PM

 

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Herman Cain, a 2012 GOP presidential candidate, is being treated for the coronavirus at an Atlanta-area hospital, according to a statement posted on his Twitter account. Cain was hospitalized less than two weeks after attending President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma; however, he did not meet with the President. Cain, 74, was hospitalized after developing “serious” symptoms but is “awake and alert,” according to the statement. 

Cain was named by the Trump campaign as a co-chair of Black Voices for Trump. Dan Calabrese, who has been editor of HermanCain.com, wrote, “I realize people will speculate about the Tulsa rally, but Herman did a lot of traveling the past week, including to Arizona where cases are spiking. I don’t think there’s any way to trace this to the one specific contact that caused him to be infected. We’ll never know.”

Asked whether Cain met at the rally with other senior campaign or administration officials, Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh responded that “contact tracing was conducted after the Tulsa rally but we do not comment regarding the medical information of individuals.”  At least six campaign staffers and two members of the Secret Service working in advance of the Tulsa rally tested positive for COVID-19. An Oklahoma-based journalist has also confirmed testing positive soon after attending the rally.

Coronavirus updates: Herman Cain, who attended Trump Tulsa rally, hospitalized

Via abcnews.go.com

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 517,000 people worldwide.

07/02/2020 9:23 PM

 

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Seattle have cleared out the city” durkan. Police in Seattle were ordered to clear out the city’s ‘autonomous zone’ and arrested over 30 protesters following an executive order from Mayor Jenny Durkan. The “occupied” zone, which has been dubbed the Capitol Hill Organized Protest area, was cleared by police on Wednesday. The order from Durkan came after four shootings, two of which were fatal, occurred in the area within the last month.

Seattle have cleared out the city” durkan. The Seattle Police Department wrote on Twitter, “due to ongoing violence and public safety issues in the East Precinct/Cal Anderson Park area, Mayor Jenny Durkan has issued an executive order to vacate the area. Seattle police will be in the area this morning enforcing the Mayor’s order.”

statement shared by Chief Carmen Best of the Seattle Police Department, he added, "Black Lives Matter, and I too want to help propel this movement toward meaningful change in our community, but enough is enough." Tensions over how to handle the area, which was set up as protests against police brutality and systemic racism started to take place across the country, have been fraught for some time now. Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of the area, while local business owners have shared their intentions to sue the city of Seattle over the situation.” data-reactid=”21″ type=”text”>In a statement shared by Chief Carmen Best of the Seattle Police Department, he added, “Black Lives Matter, and I too want to help propel this movement toward meaningful change in our community, but enough is enough.” 

Seattle police move in to clear Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone

Via www.nbcnews.com

Police Chief Carmen Best reiterated her support for Black Lives Matter movement, but said of the…

07/01/2020 10:03 PM

 

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Fox News has fired national correspondent Ed Henry after the network was made aware of sexual harassment allegations.

Sandra Smith, Henry’s co-anchor on the weekday current affairs program “America’s Newsroom,” addressed the issue on air, reading from an internal memo issued to staffers: “On Thursday, June 25, we received a complaint about Ed Henry from a former employee’s attorney involving willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago. Based on the investigative findings, Ed has been terminated.”

Henry’s attorney, Catherine Foti, said in a statement Wednesday that “Ed Henry denies the allegations referenced in the Fox announcement and is confident that he will be vindicated after a full hearing in an appropriate forum.”

Fox News will put rotating anchors in place on “America’s Newsroom” until a replacement is found, the network said.

Fox News’ Ed Henry fired after sexual misconduct allegation

Via abcnews.go.com

Fox News has fired news anchor Ed Henry after it received a complaint about workplace sexual…

07/01/2020 8:29 PM

 

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New charges have been filed against an Idaho woman after the remains of two of her children were found months after they disappeared. Lori Vallow was charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to destroy, alter or conceal evidence, according to court documents.

Human remains were found on the property of Vallow’s fifth husband, Chad Daybell, and were identified as those of Tylee Ryan, 17, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7. The children were reported missing in September. Authorities have not said how the children died, and Daybell and Vallow have not been charged in their deaths.

A search for the siblings began in November; Vallow and Daybell refused to cooperate and left the state. They were found the following month in Hawaii, and Vallow was arrested and extradited to Idaho. Vallow is also being investigated in the death of Daybell’s former wife, Tammy Daybell, who was found dead in her home in October. Chad Daybell and Vallow married weeks after Tammy Daybell’s death.

Vallow was initially jailed on charges of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children. Her bond remains at $1 million. The next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10.

Police say missing kids’ mom helped keep their bodies hidden

Via abcnews.go.com

Prosecutors say the mother of two children who were found dead in rural Idaho months after they…

06/30/2020 9:17 PM

 

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The U.S. Senate unanimously voted on Tuesday to extend a $660 billion lending program in an effort to help small businesses that have been hit hard by the coronavirus. The House of Representatives must also approve the extension, which would keep the Paycheck Protection Program operating through August 8.

The measure passed unanimously in the Senate. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers that a full economic recovery is unlikely until people feel safer going out. Congress has signed off on roughly $3 trillion in aid so far, but Powell and other policymakers have said more will be needed.

The Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration have handed out $515 billion since April to help companies make rent and keep workers employed.

Senate extends small business coronavirus relief program through August

Via www.nbcnews.com

The loans been a lifeline to more than 4 million businesses during the pandemic

06/30/2020 10:11 PM