THE LATEST NEWS FROM KHWK/HAWK TV
9/14/2020
State and Local News
Lincoln and Lancaster County are continuing to see an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department reported 86 new cases yesterday, bringing the total to 53-hundred-88. Twenty-one people in Lancaster County have died from the coronavirus during the pandemic.
Lancaster County residents will have to wear face coverings in public for a few more weeks. According to a new Directed Health Measure, people will be required to wear facemasks in public until October 31st at 11:59 p.m. The order applies to anyone over the age of five.
The COVID-19 pandemic will impact the game day experience for University of Nebraska football fans. University officials say no fans will be allowed inside Memorial Stadium this fall, and no tailgating on campus will be allowed. Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos says student athletes are being urged to avoid social gatherings outside the classroom in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Lincoln police are seeing an increase in the amount of counterfeit money being passed in local businesses. Authorities say 21 incidents of people using counterfeit bills have been reported this month including six since Tuesday. Officials say more than 18-hundred-dollars worth of counterfeit money has been used at restaurants, gas stations and at a high school sporting event. Investigators say all of the fake bills were missing security features.
National News
One of the leading candidates to develop a COVID-19 vaccine says it’s unlikely it will be ready to go this year. Moderna released a 135-page report today detailing its late-stage trial. The document says an analysis of the large-scale trial may not start until late December, and there may not be enough information to determine if the vaccine works. It says later analyses in March and May will likely have an answer.
It appears there will be a college basketball season. The NCAA Division One Council said the men’s and women’s seasons can begin on November 25th, the day before Thanksgiving. Full preseason practices can start on October 14th, but no exhibition games or scrimmages will be allowed before the season starts. The council says the starting date is a good compromise as fall semesters will be concluding and the general student body will be home for winter break into January.
SpaceX’s next launch is coming in a couple of hours. The company will put another 60 Starlink satellites into orbit after the Falcon 9 rocket launches this afternoon from Cape Canaveral. The satellites are part of SpaceX’s project to spread broadband internet around the world. This is the 13th launch in that mission. Blast off from Kennedy Space Center is set for 2:19 Eastern time this afternoon. Weather conditions are 60-percent Go.
The director of the F-B-I is warning the nation Russia is once again trying to sway the U.S. election. Chris Wray told a House hearing Moscow intends to sow divisiveness and discord as the election nears. Wray said the FBI is working aggressively to combat the growing threat. He insisted foreign interference in American elections will not be tolerated.