SpaceX Starship Lands Upright, Then Explodes

March 4, 2021 4:21 am

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – SpaceX’s futuristic Starship has exploded after what looked to be a successful touchdown. The full-scale prototype soared more than 6 miles Wednesday after lifting off from the southern tip of Texas. It descended horizontally and then flipped upright just in time to land. The shiny bullet-shaped rocketship remained intact, prompting a SpaceX commentator to declare, “third time’s a charm.” But soon afterward, the Starship exploded and was hurled into the air by the force. Two previous test flights crash-landed in fireballs. SpaceX founder Elon Musk plans to use Starships to send people to the moon and Mars.

Dems Revive Bill To Overhaul Policing

March 4, 2021 4:20 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Democrats have rushed to pass the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing. Leaders avoided clashes with moderates in their own party who were wary of reigniting the “defund the police” debate that they say hurt them during last fall’s election. The sweeping measure was approved late Wednesday. The legislation bans chokeholds and “qualified immunity” for law enforcement while easing requirements for prosecutors to pursue misconduct charges. Some Republicans argue that the proposed legislation would slash police force budgets. It doesn’t do that. The bill will have a more difficult path in the Senate.

 

House Passes Sweeping Voting Rights Bill

March 4, 2021 4:19 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Democrats have approved sweeping voting and ethics legislation over unanimous Republican opposition, advancing to the Senate what would be the largest overhaul of the U.S. election law in at least a generation. The bill was approved on a near party-line 220-210 vote. It would restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, strike down hurdles to voting and bring transparency to a murky campaign finance system that allows wealthy donors to anonymously bankroll political causes. Democrats have presented it as a powerful counterweight to voting rights restrictions advancing in Republican-controlled statehouses across the country. Republicans have criticized it as an unwanted federal infringement in state elections.

Texas Power Grid CEO Fired

March 4, 2021 4:19 am

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas’ power grid manager has been fired following February’s deadly blackouts that left millions of people without electricity and heat for days. The board of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas fired CEO Bill Magness on Wednesday. He is the highest-ranking official to lose his job in the wake of one of the worst power outages in U.S. history. More than 4 million customers in Texas lost electricity as the state’s power grid buckled in subfreezing weather. The winter storm and ensuing blackout have been blamed for at least 40 deaths, but the exact toll likely won’t be known for months.

North Korea May Be Trying To Extract Plutonium

March 4, 2021 4:18 am

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Recent satellite imagery indicate North Korea may be trying to extract plutonium to make more nuclear weapons. The 38 North website said the satellite imagery indicated a coal-fired steam plant at North Korea’s main Yongbyon nuclear complex is in operation after about a two-year hiatus. The website says the plant could be operating to prepare for reprocessing spent fuel or handling of radioactive waste. The International Atomic Energy Agency said this week the North’s nuclear activities remain concerning. North Korean leader has vowed to expand his nuclear arsenal.

Police Uncover ‘Possible Plot’ To Breach U.S. Capitol

March 4, 2021 4:17 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. Capitol Police say they have uncovered intelligence of a “possible plot” by a militia group to breach the Capitol on Thursday. The threat appears to be connected to a far-right conspiracy theory, mainly promoted by supporters of QAnon, that Donald Trump will rise again to power on March 4, the original Inauguration Day under the Constitution. On Jan. 6 a mob of Trump supporters stormed the building to try to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s electoral victory. The threat of new violence led House lawmakers to abruptly finish their work for the week earlier than planned.

Catholics Urged To Avoid J&J Vaccine If Possible

March 4, 2021 4:14 am

PITTSBURGH — (WPXI)- The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is urging area Catholics to choose the Pfizer, Moderna vaccine over Johnson and Johnson, if given the choice, over concerns of using vaccines developed with the help of abortion-derived cells. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine and Committee on Pro-Life Activities issued a statement Tuesday saying the vaccine “raises questions about the moral permissibility of using vaccines developed, tested, and/or produced with the help of abortion-derived cell lines.” “Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines raised concerns because an abortion-derived cell line was used for testing them, but not in their production. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines raising additional moral concerns. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s,” according to the statement. The Diocese of Pittsburgh shares the sentiments of the USCCB on this issue, according to officials with the Diocese.

No Masks For Spring Athletes & Coaches

March 4, 2021 4:08 am

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Spring sports student athletes and coaches don’t need to wear masks when outside as long as they can keep 6 feet apart according to new PIAA guidelines.  According to our partners at Channel 11, the board met Wednesday and approved the new rules for baseball, softball, track and other spring sports. Preseason practices could start statewide on Monday. Spring sports were shut down last year because of the pandemic, meaning athletes had no season.

Pennsylvania Teachers Will Get J&J Vaccine

March 4, 2021 2:36 am

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf has formally announced at a news conference Wednesday morning that teachers will be moving up on the state’s priority list to get the COVID-19 vaccine. “We have all decided to recommend that this Johnson & Johnson stream go to our teachers, school employees. Public and private,” Gov. Wolf said. Teachers will now be moved into the Phase 1A tier of the vaccine rollout. The aim is to get students back to in-person learning across the state as soon as possible. Wolf’s office says giving the vaccine to teachers and other school staff will “help protect school communities and get more students back into classrooms.” So far, the state’s Phase 1A tier has included vaccines for health care workers, people age 65 and over and younger people with high-risk medical conditions. Gov. Wolf’s office says teachers will now get priority access to the state’s first shipment of 94,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. They say the hope is “to offer it to public and private school workers, early childhood education workers, and child care workers.”

SWAT Called Out For Reported Abduction

March 3, 2021 5:27 pm

Authorities in Allegheny County say several people have been taken into custody following a report of an abduction in Pittsburgh Wednesday afternoon. The reported abduction occurred in the 300 block of Bausman Street around 2:30 p.m. and a heavy police presence responded shortly thereafter to the Days Inn hotel in Pittsburgh’s Banksville neighborhood. A vehicle that was allegedly associated with the abduction was found in the parking lot of a hotel on Banksville Road. SWAT was called out due to the possible hostage situation. Police say no one is hurt and everyone involved is accounted for.