September 12, 2024 5:12 am
MORGAN CITY, La. (AP) — Francine has weakened to a tropical storm after slamming into Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane, causing widespread power outages and sending a dangerous storm surge rushing into coastal communities. The National Hurricane Center predicted the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season will weaken further on Thursday to a tropical depression as it moves northward across Mississippi. Francine made landfall Wednesday evening with 100 mph winds, knocking out power to more than 275,000 customers in Louisiana and dumping heavy rains around the state, including in New Orleans. Heavy rains and possible flash floods are in the forecast for Mississippi as well as parts of Alabama, Georgia and west Tennessee.
September 12, 2024 5:19 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi and a video production assistant have talked down a woman standing on the ledge of a pedestrian bridge in Nashville. Police say the encounter happened Tuesday on the Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. The Tennessean reports that Bon Jovi was filming a music video on the bridge, which remained open to the public. Video of the encounter showed the assistant talking to the woman. Bon Jovi approached slowly, waved to her and joined in the conversation. Eventually the woman turned around to face the two, and they helped her over the railing to safety. Bon Jovi hugged her.
September 11, 2024 4:40 pm
(WPXI) – The FBI Pittsburgh has issued a statement after multiple schools across the region received threats this week. The bureau says they are aware of the threats and remain in close coordination with police to assist however possible. In the statement, the FBI reminds neighbors that issuing a threat of any kind can be a violation of state or federal law. Anyone found responsible for threats will be investigated. Threats were made at multiple local districts throughout the week, including Trinity, Canon McMillan and the Burgettstown school districts in Washington County, along with the Butler Area School District and Armstrong High School. In their statement, they said that the FBI Pittsburgh stands committed and ready to respond to any immediate threat involving any educational institution 24 hours a day. We encourage students, teachers, administrators, and parents to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities that could represent a threat to 911, to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or online at tips.fbi.gov.”
September 11, 2024 4:56 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Some 9/11 victims’ relatives have appealed to presidential candidates for accountability as the U.S. marks an anniversary laced with election-season politics. President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris stood together Wednesday at ground zero just hours after Trump and Harris faced off in their first-ever debate. The image was one of putting politics aside at a solemn commemoration of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in 2001. But some loved ones took the occasion to deliver political messages of their own. More than one spoke out against a now-revoked plea deal with alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. (Photo: AP)
September 11, 2024 4:54 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kamala Harris has pressed a forceful case against Donald Trump in their first and perhaps only debate before the presidential election. The event Tuesday night showcased their starkly different visions for the country on abortion, immigration and American democracy. The Democratic vice president seemed to get under the skin of the Republican former president, provoking him with reminders about the 2020 election loss that he still denies, mocking his rally crowds and delivering derisive asides at his other false claims. Trump questioned why Harris was proposing ideas she hadn’t accomplished while serving as vice president. He often launched into the sort of freewheeling personal attacks from which his advisers and supporters have tried to steer him away.
September 11, 2024 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president shortly after the debate ended on Tuesday night. She made the endorsement in an Instagram post. Swift is one of the country’s biggest pop stars with a dedicated following among young women, a key demographic in the November election. Swift signed her message “Childless Cat Lady,” a reference to comments made by JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate.
September 11, 2024 5:01 am
They faced the challenge of moderating what is probably the only general election debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. And ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis learned the difficulty of satisfying a polarized country. Trump and his supporters bitterly criticized ABC for conducting a biased debate, while Harris fans suggested their opponent hanged himself with his own words. The ABC moderators corrected misstatements by Trump four times, none for Harris. There was some question before the debate whether ABC would follow CNN’s lead in staying away from in-the-moment fact checks, as happened in June’s debate between Trump and President Joe Biden.
September 11, 2024 9:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The post-pandemic spike in U.S. inflation eased further last month as year-over-year price increases reached a three-year low, clearing the way for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates next week. Consumer prices rose 2.5% in August from a year earlier. It was the fifth straight annual drop and the smallest such increase since February 2021. From July to August, prices rose just 0.2%. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core prices rose 3.2% in August from 12 months earlier, the same as in July. For months, cooling inflation has provided gradual relief to America’s consumers, who were stung by the price surges that erupted three years ago, particularly for food, gas, rent and other necessities.
September 10, 2024 2:26 am
Several school districts throughout Washington County have received – over the past few days – several threats that have been deemed “non-credible” by police. Included in that list, was the Canon-McMillan, Trinity, Chartiers, and Burgettstown School Districts. Emails were sent out to parents and guardians in the school districts notifying them that there would be an increased police presence at the schools Tuesday. Canon-McMillan officials say they became aware of an internet post as students were walking into the building Tuesday morning, After a sweep of the building, they say police deemed that threat non-credible. That was also the case in the three other school districts as well. State Police had told WJPA on Monday that they were investigating what they called “an incident” that occurred over the weekend, after a video was supposedly uploaded to a social media sight, but then taken down, directing a threat to a Trinity area school. Troopers said they would offer more information once their investigation was complete. Authorities in each school district have said they are continuing to investigate each and every incident to ensure the safety of all students.
September 11, 2024 4:45 am
North Franklin Township Supervisors took an unusual step and voted on a non-binding resolution calling on the Trinity Area School District to hold the line on tax raises for the next five years. Supervisors unanimously approved the motion and they are going to be asking the other municipalities in the school district, Canton, Amwell and South Strabane Townships, to follow suit. Supervisor Bob Sabot said that “Enough is enough” stating that municipalities set their budgets and work within those budgets year after year. He pointed out that in the last five consecutive years that Trinity has raised taxes, North Franklin Township has not, in fact, they cut taxes a couple years back. Supervisor Mike Quinn pointed out that the township collects $470,000 in taxes from its residents and Trinity collects $5.5 million from those same residents. He pointed to the school buildings in the township that do not generate revenue. The supervisors want to send a message that they perceive the district to be on an unchecked spending spree that is creating a hardship for residents, especially senior citizens.
