February 5, 2022 10:24 am
A decision by Twitter and Facebook to ban former President Donald Trump a year ago has prompted many conservative social media users to join new platforms that claim to offer a refuge from overzealous content moderation. A year later, so-called alt-tech platforms like Gab, Parler and Gettr are growing fast. And while they’ve failed to replicate the success of the major sites, experts in extremism see their growth as a cause for concern and possibly leading to radicalization and even violence. While the promise of loose moderation is a selling point, it has also led to a proliferation of hate speech and harmful misinformation.
February 5, 2022 10:17 am
BEIJING (AP) – Chinese leader Xi Jinping says his country and Egypt share similar visions and strategies in defending their own interests. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi was one of at least four heads of state who met Xi after attending the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, seeking closer ties with China while shunning Western criticism of their heavy-handed rule. On Friday, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored the growing alignment of their countries as they push back against the world order dominated by the U.S. By around midday Saturday, Xi had also met with heads of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Serbia. The leaders of Argentina, Ecuador, Qatar, Poland and are also among those in town.
February 5, 2022 10:14 am
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) – Authorities in Virginia say one person was killed and another four people were injured during a shooting at a hookah lounge. The Blacksburg Police Department says officers responded to reports of shots fired at Melody Hookah Lounge in downtown Blacksburg on Friday just before midnight. Police did not identify the deceased person or any of the people who were injured in the shooting. Authorities say they were taken to local hospitals, but that their conditions are unknown. No additional information was made available, including details on potential suspects or a motive.
February 5, 2022 6:47 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. employers stepped up hiring in January, adding 467,000 jobs despite a wave of omicron inflections that sickened millions of workers, kept many consumers at home and left businesses from restaurants to manufacturers short-staffed. The Labor Department’s Friday report also showed the unemployment rate ticked up to 4% from 3.9%. Job gains in December were also revised much higher.
February 5, 2022 4:25 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Val Arkoosh, a trained anesthesiologist who chairs the board of Pennsylvania’s third-most-populous county, is ending her campaign for U.S. Senate and leaving a tough Democratic Party primary field. In a video message Friday, Arkoosh stressed the importance of a Democrat winning the Senate seat being vacated by retiring two-term Republican Sen. Pat Toomey and said she’d work to help that happen. The 61-year-old Arkoosh is a former chair of anesthesiology at Drexel University College of Medicine who now chairs the board of commissioners in Montgomery County. Also in the Democratic primary race are Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of Philadelphia and U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of suburban Pittsburgh.
February 5, 2022 4:17 am
PITTSBURGH(WPXI) — A Port Authority-owned and maintained bridge that carries the South Busway over Saw Mill Run Boulevard in Pittsburgh’s Mt. Washington neighborhood will remain closed indefinitely. Engineers on Friday discovered that a portion of the bridge had shifted. The Saw Mill Run Boulevard Bridge — sometimes known as the Palm Garden Bridge — a 1,052-foot span constructed in 1977 that is used only by Port Authority buses and light rail vehicles, is stable but will remain closed until repairs can be made. Following the bridge’s last inspection in October 2020, it was rated Satisfactory (6). Port Authority, in coordination with third-party contractors, is developing a timetable for repairs. The cause of the shift has not been determined. At about 9 a.m. on Friday, a Port Authority employee noticed that a joint on the deck of the bridge appeared to have expanded. Port Authority suspended bus and rail traffic immediately, and dispatched engineers and a bridge consultant to begin examining and surveying the joint for signs of distress and movement. Engineers determined that the bridge is stable, but that it must be repaired before it is used. Therefore, Port Authority and contractors will soon begin to mobilize to make the necessary repairs. The work will consist of removing a portion of the concrete bridge deck to access the bridge’s superstructure; removing the existing anchor bolts and resetting the position of the bridge; repairing and/or replacing the rail joint; and replacing the portion of the concrete deck that they remove. Because of the nature of the work, Port Authority crews will also need to make sure the overhead power lines are removed before construction begins and replaced once construction is completed. Red Line rail cars will detour via the Blue/Silver Line from Overbrook Junction to Downtown. A rail shuttle will operate between Overbrook Junction to Potomac Station. Bus shuttles will operate between Potomac Station and Station Square. Bus detours are still being finalized and will be posted on Port Authority’s website and social media channels as soon as they are complete.
February 5, 2022 4:05 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI)— Pittsburgh is reportedly out of the running to host the 2024 Republican National Convention. According to a report from Politico, RNC members will visit the other cities still being considered, but not Pittsburgh. Other locations include Salt Lake City, Nashville and Milwaukee. Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey told Politico that he “has concerns about problems that could arise from hosting the convention.” He said in a statement late Friday that he signed a letter of support for the event “as a matter of procedure.” “I look forward to engaging with our business community to find opportunities for economic growth and empowerment for our city,” said Mayor Gainey. “While I still had questions regarding the RNC’s impact on safety, covid-19 mitigation, and effect on Pittsburgh, I am committed to bringing in events that showcase Pittsburgh’s incredible values. We are one of the most welcoming cities in America and I look forward to sharing our home with the world. As we look for future events to come to Pittsburgh I am dedicated to ensuring the benefits are shared equitably with our small, local, and diverse businesses and that these events reflect and embody the values of Pittsburgh.” County Councilmember and Republican Committee Chair for Allegheny County Sam DeMarco applauded the possibility. “The economic impact of this event should it be held in Pittsburgh, if selected, runs in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said in early January. DeMarco said he was thrilled that appeared to be bipartisan support coming from city offices. Other local leaders expressed concerns about holding such an event in Pittsburgh. “There is no amount of money that’s worth the danger, violence and hate that will be patrolling our streets if the RNC comes to Pittsburgh,” said Democratic Allegheny County Council person at large Bethany Hallam.
February 4, 2022 10:18 am
Uniontown, PA – PennDOT is advising motorists that portions of the following state roadways are closed or restricted due to flooding, downed trees, or downed utilities:
Washington County:
- McKee Road (Route 3011) between Boone Road in Canton Township and Prigg Road in Buffalo Township is closed due to a downed utility
- Route 980 in Cecil Township at the intersection of Crothers Lane is closed due to a downed utility.
- Joffre Bulger Road (Route 4012) in Smith Township between Columbia Drive and Joffre Cherry Valley Road is closed due to a downed tree.
- West Finley Road (Route 3037) in West Finley Township between Beham Ridge Road and Robison Run Road is closed due to a downed utility.
- Dutch Fork Church Road (Route 3004) in Donegal Township between Route 231 and Lake Road is closed due to a downed utility.
February 4, 2022 3:58 am
NEW YORK (AP) – President Joe Biden is pledging to New Yorkers and the nation that the federal government will step up its fight against gun violence by working more closely with police and communities to stop the surging bloodshed. Biden told police, law enforcement officials and others Thursday at the city’s police headquarters that “We can do something about this.” But Biden’s crime-fighting strategy relies heavily on buy-in from state and local officials as he suggests ways to spend federal dollars and expands on initiatives already under way. The modest initiatives demonstrate the limits to what he can do when there is no appetite in Congress to pass gun legislation.
February 4, 2022 3:56 am
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) – A California mayor says a San Francisco 49ers fan in a medically-induced coma fell after he was punched during a parking lot confrontation with an apparent Rams fan at the NFC championship game. Inglewood Mayor James Butts said Thursday that Sunday’s confrontation lasted less than five seconds. Daniel Luna, a 40-year-old Oakland restaurant owner, remains hospitalized. The mayor says blurry video shows Luna pushing a man in a Rams jersey in the parking lot. The man then pushes back and punches him, causing Luna to fall and hit his head. Authorities don’t have a good description of the suspect but they’re looking for a car that was at the scene.
