January 8, 2025 5:06 am
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A developing winter storm is threatening to drop snow, sleet and freezing rain on parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. National Weather Service meteorologists predicted wintry precipitation across the southern Plains region starting Wednesday night. The new storm comes on the heels of an arctic blast that descended on much of the country east of the Rockies over the weekend. The wintry weather caused car accidents, flight cancellations and school closures. Crews in Arlington, Texas, were preparing the roads for an expected snowstorm Thursday that could make driving tricky ahead of Friday’s Cotton Bowl game between Ohio State and Texas.
January 7, 2025 5:03 am
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he won’t rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland as he declared U.S. control of both to be vital to American national security. Speaking to reporters less than two weeks before he takes office on Jan. 20 and as a delegation of aides and advisers that includes his son Donald Trump Jr. is in Greenland, Trump left open the use of the American military to secure both territories. Trump has floated having Canada join the United States. The Republican said Tuesday he would not use military force to do that, saying, he would rely on “economic force.”
January 7, 2025 5:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Florida has temporarily blocked the release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on investigations into Donald Trump, who says it would be a “fake report” anyway. An appeals court is weighing a challenge to the disclosure of a much-anticipated document just days before the Republican president-elect reclaims office. Tuesday’s ruling from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon may represent a short-lived victory for Trump. But it’s the latest instance of the Trump-appointed jurist taking action in Trump’s favor. The halt came in response to an emergency request Monday by defense lawyers to block the release of a report they said would be one-sided and prejudicial. Smith’s team is expected to respond later Tuesday.
January 8, 2025 4:58 am
NEW YORK (AP) — CNN is on trial for libel this week before a jury in Florida, and it comes at a particularly inopportune time for legacy media. The media is already the frequent target of criticism by President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters. Now it will face scrutiny over its operations — and a lawyer for the plaintiff suggested jurors should send a message. At issue is a Navy veteran who helped rescue Afghans at the time of the Taliban takeover in 2021, and how he was included in a story that CNN did about a “black market” of people who faced steep charges to be extracted from the country.
January 8, 2025 2:46 pm
(AP) – “Wicked” topped nominations to the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday, landing a leading five nominations including best ensemble, and individual nods for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey. Out-of-control wildfires that swept across Los Angeles and Southern California on Tuesday night forced the Screen Actors Guild to cancel its plans to announce the nominations live Wednesday morning. The nominations were instead issued by press release by SAG and Netflix, which began a multiyear deal to stream the SAG Awards last year. The other nominees for best ensemble are: “Anora,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez” and “A Complete Unknown.” It was an especially strong showing for the Bob Dylan drama “A Complete Unknown,” which scored four nominations. (Photo: AP)
January 7, 2025 5:42 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jimmy Carter’s state funeral has moved to Washington after observances in his native Georgia. The 39th president’s remains left the Carter Presidential Center on Tuesday morning and flew to the Washington area aboard Special Air Mission 39. The Carter family and former president arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, with a motorcade following to the U.S. Navy Memorial. Carter’s flag-draped casket was transferred to a horse-drawn caisson for his final journey to the Capitol. Carter is the only U.S. Naval Academy graduate to become president. Members of Congress will honor Carter in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday afternoon. The ceremonies carry some irony for the one-term president who campaigned as an outsider in 1976 and never mastered the city. (Photo: AP)
January 7, 2025 3:12 am
Washington City Council held their agenda meeting and they will begin the year quite busy. Council will look to update its ordinance on fees for trash collection. The annual fee for trash collection in 2025 will be $300. A $50 late fee will be added for anyone paying after June 1. Fines and penalties will be assessed to any delinquent account beginning on November 1. Council is poised to hire two firemen and two police officers. They will also make a change in title to one of the council positions. The title of Chief Fiscal Officer will replace Councilman Ken Westcott’s title of Financial Director. According to Westcott revisions roughly 10 years ago in the class 3 city code made this alteration. Council will make that change on Thursday.
January 6, 2025 2:55 am
West Penn Power has delayed a planned outage in the Scenery Hill, Coal Center, Eighty Four and Cokeburg areas indefinitely. Spokesman Todd Meyers says the outage, which had been planned for Monday, and then pushed back until Tuesday, has been postponed to a date yet to be determined. Meyers says it was pushed back because of the weather and the possibility that some students would have remote instruction.
January 6, 2025 4:55 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Democratic state representative’s health problems could complicate the vote for speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Lawmakers are expected to kick off a new two-year session on Tuesday by picking the House speaker and voting on chamber rules. Democrats say Rep. Matthew Gergely of Allegheny County had a medical emergency over the holidays requiring hospitalization. It’s not clear if he’ll be in Harrisburg for the start of the session. The House has a 102-101 Democratic majority. Republicans control the state Senate with a 28-22 majority, but one of those GOP seats is vacant due to a recent resignation.
January 7, 2025 5:46 pm
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man convicted of injuring an officer with a homemade explosive at a 2023 campus protest over transgender rights at the University of Pittsburgh has been sentenced to five years in prison. Brian DiPippa’s wife, Krystal Martinez-DiPippa, will serve three years of probation for her role in the incident. The DiPippas were part of a group protesting an April 2023 panel sponsored by the Pitt College Republicans that featured speakers opposed to transgender rights. A campus police sergeant told the court that she suffered burns to her legs, hearing loss and back injuries that required surgery.
