Four-Year-Old Girl Dies After Being Shot In Pittsburgh

December 3, 2022 1:56 am

(WPXI) – A 4-year-old girl who was shot in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood last night has died. She, along with a woman, were shot in the 1500 block of Lincoln Avenue at around 6:40. The woman remains in critical condition. Police say there are two persons of interest at this time. Officers believe 15 rounds were fired. Drones and K-9 units were used in the search for the suspected shooters. Allegheny County dispatchers said three people were taken to a hospital but details about a third are unclear at this time.

U.S. Flu Season Is Getting Worse

December 2, 2022 3:48 pm

NEW YORK (AP) – The U.S. flu season keeps getting worse. Health officials say 7.5% of outpatient medical visits last week were due to flu-like illnesses. That’s as high as the peak of the 2017-18 flu season and higher than any season since. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday released its latest flu update. It says 44 states reported high or very high flu activity last week. That may not bode well for the near future. It’s likely there was more spread of respiratory viruses during Thanksgiving gatherings and at crowded airports.

U.S. Hiring Stayed Strong In November

December 2, 2022 8:54 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – The nation’s employers kept hiring briskly in November despite high inflation and a slow-growing economy – a sign of resilience in the face of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes. The economy added 263,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate stayed 3.7%, still near a 53-year low, the Labor Department said Friday. November’s job growth dipped only slightly from October’s 284,000 gain. Last month’s hiring, though down from the explosive pace at the start of 2022, amounted to a substantial increase. All year, as inflation has surged and the Fed has imposed ever-higher borrowing rates, America’s labor market has defied skeptics, adding hundreds of thousands of jobs, month after month.

For Hawaiians, Lava Flows Are Time To Honor, Reflect

December 2, 2022 4:21 am

HONOLULU (AP) – Glowing lava from the world’s largest volcano is a sight to behold, but for many Native Hawaiians, Mauna Loa’s eruption is a time to pray, make offerings and honor both the natural and spiritual worlds. An eruption of a volcano like Mauna Loa has a deep yet very personal cultural significance for many Native Hawaiians. It can be an opportunity to feel a connection with creation itself through the way lava gives birth to new land, as well as a time to reflect on their own place in the world and the people who came before them.

Court To Rule On Biden Student Loan Cancellation Plan

December 2, 2022 4:15 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court says the Biden administration program to cancel student loans will remain blocked for now, but the justices have agreed to take up the case in late winter. The court’s decision to hear arguments relatively quickly means it is likely to determine whether the widespread loan cancellations are legal by late June. That’s about two months before the newly extended pause on loan repayments is set to expire. The administration had wanted a court order that would have allowed the program to take effect even as court challenges proceed. But as a fallback, it suggested the high court hold arguments and decide the issue.

Congress Votes To Avert Rail Strike Amid Dire Warnings

December 2, 2022 4:14 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – Legislation to avert a freight rail strike in the United States is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. A bill to avoid the strike won final approval Thursday, clearing the Senate in a bipartisan vote. The bill will bind rail companies and workers to a proposed settlement that was reached between the rail companies and union leaders in September. That settlement had been rejected by four of the 12 unions involved, creating the possibility of a strike. The Senate vote was 80-15 and came one day after the House voted to impose the agreement. Biden has vowed to sign it quickly.

Court Halts Mar-A-Lago Special Master Review

December 2, 2022 4:13 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal appeals court has halted an independent review of documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, removing a hurdle the Justice Department said had delayed its criminal investigation into the retention of top-secret government information. The decision by the three-judge panel represents a significant win for federal prosecutors, clearing the way for them to use as part of their investigation the entire tranche of documents seized during an Aug. 8 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. It also rejects the arguments of Trump’s lawyers, who had said the former president was entitled to have a so-called “special master” conduct a neutral review of the thousands of documents taken from the property.

China Security Forces Well-Prepared For Quashing Dissent

December 2, 2022 4:11 am

BEIJING (AP) – Street protests that broke out in several Chinese cities over the weekend may have come as a surprise, but the ruling Communist Party has been preparing for this moment for years, decades even. Ever since the last major demonstrations culminated in the bloody military crackdown of 1989, China has been building an internal security force aimed at overwhelming, intimidating, imprisoning and silencing all challenges. By most estimates, China spends more on internal security than on national defense. This includes police, paramilitary troops and internet spies that have honed their skills against minority rights activists, pro-democracy advocates and independent labor organizers. That’s what faces anyone daring to protest China’s severe anti-COVID-19 measures.

Vigil Held For Monessen Teen

December 2, 2022 4:09 am

MONESSEN, Pa. — (WPXI) – The 9th Street Park was packed with family and friends of Amari Altomore who died after he was shot in Monessen. Altomore was shot on South 14th Street on Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital but died a short time after. Countless mourners consoled one another during a vigil Thursday night. Those who knew Altomore best spoke during the vigil, including his family. Many who spoke said the expected nature of Altomore’s death hurts like nothing they had ever felt before. “He was like a big teddy bear off the field,” said Wade Brown, Altomore’s football coach. “We really enjoyed having him on our team and it’s really heartbreaking that he won’t be with us anymore. We are really going to miss him.” Altomore’s coaches remembered him as cheerful and said he was known to play tricks, cheer up his teammates at a moment’s notice and always came to practice with a smile. Vernon Andres, another coach said the mourning process has been hard, but the sense of community is strong. Us as coaches, pulling the boys together, it will be a rough process but we will get through it. We have been up here two years and we have had the community behind our back,” said Andrews. he coaches said grief counseling is available for students at Monessen High School. uneral arrangements have not been made at this time.

Arrest Warrant Issued For Former NFL Star Antonio Brown

December 2, 2022 3:36 am

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is wanted on a battery charge in Tampa stemming from a domestic incident. Police say the 34-year-old Brown was involved in a verbal altercation with a woman at a home in Tampa on Monday. The report says Brown threw a shoe at the victim, attempted to evict her from the home and locked her out. Brown faces a court-issued warrant for his arrest. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released Brown in early January after he left the field mid-game and complained about his playing time.