January 1, 2022 4:24 am
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) – After tough talk between Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin over the Russian troop buildup on the Ukraine border, both sides insist they are hopeful that a pathway to easing tensions could open during diplomatic talks set for January. But with less than two weeks to go before senior U.S. and Russian officials are to meet in Geneva, the chasm is deep and the prospect of finding an exit to the crisis faces no shortage of complications. Biden told reporters Friday that he advised Putin the upcoming talks could only work if the Russian leader “deescalated, not escalated” the situation in the days ahead.
January 1, 2022 4:22 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Two people have been shot and wounded following an apparent altercation at the Mall of America, sending New Year’s Eve shoppers scrambling for safety and placing the Minneapolis mall on temporary lockdown. Bloomington Police Department officials say the shooting happened about 4:30 p.m. Friday. One man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during and another person was grazed. Shoppers ran for cover and the mall was evacuated until the lockdown ended about 45 minutes later. Police say no arrests have been made and the suspect is believed to have fled the mall. They say the shooting did not appear to be random.
January 1, 2022 4:22 am
LONDON (AP) – Scientists and medical chiefs who have led Britain’s response to the pandemic have been awarded knighthoods in the country’s annual New Year Honors List, which recognized the achievements of hundreds of people from James Bond star Daniel Craig to teenage tennis star Emma Raducanu. Queen Elizabeth II also made former Prime Minister Tony Blair a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior British order of chivalry. In another year dominated by the pandemic, officials said almost one in five of the honors were for coronavirus-related service. In total, the Honors List recognized more than 1,200 people in the U.K., including scientists, actors, politicians, Olympic athletes and people who worked for charities.
January 1, 2022 4:21 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The annual New Year’s Eve ball drop in New York City’s Times Square has arrived just as the year prior began, with the pandemic clouding an already uncertain future. Confetti and cheers spread across Times Square as a New Year’s Eve tradition returned to a city beleaguered by a global pandemic.T he city limited the number of people Friday to about 15,000 in-person spectators. That’s far fewer than the 50,000 revelers initially envisioned. Doubts swirled whether New York would have to cancel this year’s bash as the city posted record numbers of COVID cases in the days leading to it.
January 1, 2022 4:16 am
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for portions of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia Saturday, with areas set to see close to two inches of rain in some spots. Greene and Fayette Counties are currently under the watch, which is expected to last until early Sunday morning. Washington County is not under and watches or warnings at this time, but the area could see up to 1.5 inches of rain throughout New Year’s Day. Officials says to watch for rising creeks and streams as well as flooded roadways. (Photo: National Weather Service Facebook Page)
January 1, 2022 4:09 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — Thousands gathered in downtown Pittsburgh to ring in 2022 with the return of Highmark First Night Pittsburgh. Live music, art, fireworks and the raising of “The Future of Pittsburgh Ball” were part of the festivities. Last year, COVID-19 prompted organizers to shift the celebrations online. Safety was at the forefront of planning for the in-person event, according to Sarah Aziz, director of festival management at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “We’ve got 14 blocks of the Cultural District. There’s a lot of space. Plenty of room to social distance.” Those who attended the indoor events, with reduced capacity, were required to show proof of vaccination and wear a mask. (Photo: WPXI)
January 1, 2022 1:45 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Actress Betty White, whose saucy, up-for-anything charm made her a television mainstay for more than 60 years, has died. She was 99. People and the Washington Post reported White’s death. Her witty style gave life to a roster of quirky characters over more than a half-century. They included the oddball Rose Nylund in “The Golden Girls” and the outspoken caretaker on “Hot In Cleveland.” She also drew laughs in the 2009 comedy “The Proposal” and the horror spoof “Lake Placid.” By popular demand, she hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 2011. White once said her character Sue Ann Nivens in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” could be “icky-sweet” but was “really a piranha type.” That role brought her two Emmys.
January 1, 2022 1:25 am
For a second time in a week, residents at the Thomas Campbell Apartments in South Strabane were evacuated from their apartments, but, less than twenty-four hours later, were allowed to return. Residents were evacuated Wednesday after a sensor connected to an elevator in the building failed an inspection. Officials say the state inspector found that the elevator would still function even during an emergency when it is supposed to return to the ground floor. As they did following last week’s fire, residents were transported to an extended stay facility. Arthur Keys, the President of the Board of Directors at the complex says 55 residents were moved. He says repairs were made Wednesday evening and a follow-up inspection Thursday morning showed that everything was in working order and residents could return to their apartments. Residents living on the ground floor were able to stay since they do not require the elevator. Residents in more than fifty units were displaced by the fire that sent six people to area hospitals. One resident, a 78 year old woman, died this past weekend at a Pittsburgh hospital. Keys says repair work on the damaged units has already begun, but he declined to say when they would be ready to be occupied again.
December 31, 2021 4:57 pm
CANTON, Ohio (AP) – An Ohio high school football player who says coaches forced him to eat a pizza covered with pepperoni grease in violation of his religious beliefs is suing his former district and ousted coaches. The athlete says in the federal civil rights suit filed this week that Canton coaches ordered the athlete to eat the pizza as punishment for missing an offseason workout despite being told he doesn’t eat pork or pork residue as a member of the Hebrew Israelite religious faith. The coaches say that he chose to remove pepperoni and eat the pizza rather than an alternative food and that they weren’t aware it violated his religious beliefs.
December 31, 2021 4:24 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol says the Supreme Court should let stand an appeals court ruling that the National Archives turn over documents from former President Donald Trump that might shed light on the events. In a filing Thursday with the court, lawyers for the committee argue that it is within its jurisdiction to seek the information. Earlier this month Trump’s lawyers asked the court to hear arguments on his claim that executive privilege prevents the release of the documents, describing the committee as engaged in “meandering fishing expeditions.”
