March 14, 2024 8:21 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is opposing the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan. Biden says in a statement obtained by The Associated Press the U.S. needs “strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers.” The announcement expected Thursday comes as the Democratic president campaigns in the Midwest and could have ripples in his race against Republican Donald Trump. Nippon Steel announced in December it plans to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14 billion in cash. That raised concerns within the federal government about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Nippon Steel promises no job losses and says it’s committed to keeping U.S. Steel’s Pittsburgh headquarters.
March 14, 2024 9:58 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – The Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads meant to be given away at Thursday’s Pittsburgh Penguins game against the San Jose Sharks were stolen. The team said the bobbleheads were stolen after arriving in California and are not in Pittsburgh. They learned of the cargo theft when they didn’t arrive as scheduled. The team worked with the manufacturer and transportation companies to alert the appropriate state and federal authorities who are currently working to locate the cargo. “We were shocked to be a victim of cargo theft, and we are working closely with local and federal authorities on the investigation” said Penguins President of Business Operations Kevin Acklin. “While this unfortunate incident adds to the legend of Jaromir Jagr, who will be in attendance as our guest at tonight’s game, we look forward to resolving this theft and delivering the prized Jagr bobbleheads to their rightful homes, with our fans.” All fans in attendance at Thursday’s game will receive a voucher that includes a one-time scannable barcode that will be required to pick up the bobblehead at a later date, the team said. The date and location of the pickup with be announced when the bobbleheads are found or new ones are made. (PHOTO; Pittsburgh Penguins)
March 14, 2024 4:58 am
MONROEVILLE, Pa. — (WPXI) – Hanging wires snarled traffic for hours along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville Wednesday. Police say it started when a semi-truck hit wires along the Northern Pike overpass around 3 p.m. The downed lines backed up traffic for miles. Officials say it was bumper to bumper for 7 miles in the eastbound lanes and 3 miles in the westbound lanes. The downed lines also led to a closure of the overpass itself. That’s where repair work was concentrated. It took workers a couple of hours to secure those downed lines – some hung over the turnpike in bucket trucks to reel them in.
March 14, 2024 5:08 am
(AP) – Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says he’s going to put together an investor group to buy TikTok after the House passed a bill that would ban the popular video app in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake. Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Mnuchin said he believes TikTok should be sold. He says the company should be owned by U.S. businesses and that China would never let a U.S. company own something similar in China. He offered no details about who may be in the group or about TikTok’s possible valuation. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
March 14, 2024 5:09 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors say they’re open to delaying the start of Donald Trump’s New York hush-money criminal trial to give the former president’s lawyers time to review evidence that was only recently turned over. The Manhattan district attorney’s office said in a court filing that it’s not opposed to adjourning the start of the trial for not more than 30 days. Jury selection in the trial is scheduled to begin March 25. The judge has yet to rule on the request. Trump’s lawyers are seeking an 90-day delay or the dismissal of charges against Trump, alleging violations of what’s known as the discovery process, where the sides exchange evidence.
March 14, 2024 5:04 am
LONDON (AP) — Artificial intelligence is supercharging the threat of election disinformation worldwide, making it easy for anyone with a smartphone to create fake – but convincing – content aimed at fooling voters. It’s a big leap from a few years ago, when creating phony photos or videos required teams of people with time and technical skill. Now, using free and low-cost generative artificial intelligence services from companies like Google and OpenAI, anyone can create high-quality “deepfakes” with a text prompt. A wave of AI deepfakes tied to elections in Europe and Asia has coursed through social media for months, serving as a warning for more than 50 countries heading to the polls this year.
March 14, 2024 5:06 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Massive chunks of hail has pelted parts of Kansas and Missouri and brought traffic to a standstill along Interstate 70. Meteorologists issued thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches Wednesday into Thursday. Alex Sosnowski of AccuWeather said some were calling it “gorilla hail” because of its potential to be so big. Descriptions of hail ranged from the size of golf balls and apples, to softballs and baseballs. At least one unconfirmed tornado was reported Wednesday in Alta Vista, Kansas. The National Weather Service in Topeka said quarter-size hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph were expected across northern Kansas overnight until 6 a.m. on Thursday.
March 13, 2024 10:23 am
One person has been flown to a Pittsburgh hospital after a crash involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck Wednesday morning in North Strabane. According to Washington County 9-1-1, it happened just before 7:30 a.m. along Morganza Road at Southpointe Boulevard. Dispatchers tell WJPA News that a man on the motorcycle was flown to Allegheny General Hospital. At this time, his identity and condition are unknown. The driver of the truck was not injured. The roadway was closed down for some time to allow for an investigation into the crash.
March 13, 2024 10:18 am
ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case has dismissed some of the charges against former President Donald Trump, but others remain. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote Wednesday in an order that six of the charges in the indictment must be quashed, including three against Trump. But the order leave intact many other charges in the indictment and the judge wrote that prosecutors could seek a new indictment on the charges he dismissed. The six charges in question have to do with soliciting elected officials to violate their oaths of office. That includes two charges related to the phone call Trump made to fellow Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021.
March 13, 2024 10:45 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell. Lawmakers are acting on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a U.S. national security threat. The bill passed Wednesday by a vote of 352-65. It now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear. TikTok has more than 150 million American users and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. The lawmakers contend ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok’s consumers in the U.S. TikTok denies it could be used as a Chinese government tool.
