November 22, 2022 4:13 am
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – American consumers and nearly every industry will be affected if freight trains grind to a halt next month. One of the biggest rail unions rejected its deal Monday over concerns about demanding schedules and the lack of paid sick time. The U.S. hasn’t seen an extended rail strike in a century. Many businesses only have a few days’ worth of raw materials and space for finished goods. If a strike goes past a few days, makers of food, fuel, cars and chemicals would all feel the squeeze, as would their customers. That’s not to mention the commuters who would be left stranded because many passenger railroads use tracks owned by the freight railroads.
November 22, 2022 4:11 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukrainian authorities are evacuating civilians from liberated areas in the southern Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. They fear that infrastructure damage is too severe for people to endure the winter without power, heat and water. The World Health Organization warned that millions in Ukraine face a “life-threatening” winter. Also Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife made a rare joint public appearance to observe a moment of silence at a Kyiv memorial for those killed in Ukraine’s pro-European Union protests in 2014. And the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that shelling of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant had not damaged key equipment and identified no nuclear safety concerns.
November 22, 2022 4:09 am
On the heels of a messy ticket rollout for Taylor Swift’s first tour in years, fans are angry. They’re also energized against Ticketmaster. While researchers agree that there’s no way to tell how long the energy could last, the outrage shows a way for young people to become more politically engaged through fan culture. This isn’t even the first time a fandom or an artist has targeted Ticketmaster. And Swifties say it’s not just about getting a ticket. The ticket debacle has spurred broader conversations about economic inequality and political action.
November 22, 2022 4:07 am
Indonesian authorities say the death toll from Monday’s earthquake on Java has leapt to 252 as more bodies have been discovered under collapsed buildings. The Cianjur regional disaster mitigation agency said Tuesday on its Instagram site that the number of dead has increased from 162 reported the night before. Another 31 people remain missing and hundreds were injured. Cianjur, south of Jakarta, was hardest hit by the 5.6 magnitude temblor that hit Monday afternoon. Blocked roads and damaged bridges prevented rescuers from bringing excavators and other heavy equipment to the rural area to help dig out survivors until Tuesday.
November 22, 2022 4:05 am
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) – An army veteran who helped subdue the gunman at a gay club in Colorado Springs credits his military training and instincts in helping him disarm the attacker. Rich Fierro told reporters Monday how he grabbed the gunman’s body armor and began punching him. Authorities say Fierro and another man, Thomas James, stopped the shooter after he began spraying bullets inside Club Q on Saturday night. The rampage killed five people and wounded 17. His daughter’s boyfriend, Raymond Green Vance, was among those fatally shot.
November 22, 2022 4:02 am
Sheetz lowered its Unleaded 88 fuel price to $1.99 a gallon for Thanksgiving week. That’s $2.03 cheaper than the average gas price in Pennsylvania, according to AAA, and $1.69 cheaper than the projected national average on Thanksgiving Day weekend. The limited time promotion lasts through Nov. 28. Unleaded 88 has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use in all 2001 and newer cars, trucks and SUVs. The difference in the makeup of Unleaded 88 and 87 is Unleaded 88 contains five percent more ethanol than Unleaded 87. Unleaded 88 reduces toxins, making it more environmentally friendly, according to Sheetz.
November 22, 2022 2:38 am
(WPXI) – A man is behind bars after authorities said he was selling drugs outside of a Cricket Wireless store in Westmoreland County while he was working. Melvin Payne has been charged with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, two counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a communication facility. On Nov. 17, members of the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, K9 Arko, along with Clairton police, Penn Hills police and Monroeville police, executed two simultaneous search warrants related to an ongoing drug investigation – one at the Cricket Wireless store in the Tri-County Plaza in Belle Vernon and another at a home along Union Avenue in Clairton. Melvin Payne was taken into custody at the Cricket store without incident, according to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office.
November 22, 2022 2:13 am
A Monongahela man is in custody after being charged with sexual assault, promoting prostitution, therroristic threats and false imprisonment. Authorities say 32-year-old Nikolaus Breland was arrested after an eighteen-year-old woman texted 9-1-1 on Sunday, claiming she was being held against her will. Police say they determined that she was at a home in the 700 block of West Main Street and a SWAT Team was called in. They say Breland met the woman through a dating app when she lived in New Jersey. Police say the woman claims they were living together in hotels and Breland would ask her to have sex with other people and she was not allowed to go anywhere without him. Police say a search of the residence turned up a chain with a pair of handcuffs leading to a mattress on the floor.
November 21, 2022 2:58 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – It’s holiday time at the White House. President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, were plunging into the holiday season. Biden participated in the annual pardoning of a Thanksgiving turkey on Monday. The first lady was set to accept delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And both Bidens were heading to North Carolina later Monday to share a Thanksgiving-style meal with members of the military and their families at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point. The burst of holiday activity follows the president’s granddaughter’s White House wedding and his 80th birthday over the weekend. (Photo: AP)
November 21, 2022 2:48 pm
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Consumers could quickly start seeing higher gas prices and shortages of some of their favorite groceries if railroads aren’t able to agree on contracts with al 12 of their unions ahead of next month’s deadline after the latest rejection vote Monday. Congress may ultimately have to step in to protect the economy. Monday’s votes by the two biggest railroad unions follows the decision by three other unions to reject their deals with the railroads that the Biden administration helped broker before the original strike deadline in September. Seven other smaller unions have approved the five-year deals that include 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. But all 12 must approve the contracts to prevent a strike.
