February 3, 2022 7:24 am
ATMEH, Syria (AP) – President Joe Biden says an elite U.S. military force killed the leader of the Islamic State group, during an overnight raid in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province. The raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the militant group on Oct. 31, 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a U.S. raid in the same area. The operation came as IS has been trying for a resurgence, with a series of attacks in the region, including a 10-day assault late last month to seize a prison. Biden plans to address the American public later Thursday morning. First responders reported that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women.
February 3, 2022 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden is ordering 2,000 U.S. troops to Poland and Germany amid the stalled talks with Russia over the Kremlin’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders. The U.S. is also moving roughly 1,000 troops to Romania from an infantry squadron based in Germany. U.S. officials from Biden on down say no American forces will be sent to Ukraine itself to fight, even with the threat of a Russian invasion. Still, Russia reacted angrily to the latest troop announcement, calling it “destructive.” The United States says the new military movements are meant to reassure allies – and remind Russia – of America’s commitment to NATO’s eastern flank in the region.
February 3, 2022 4:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden had Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer over to the White House on Wednesday to talk about how to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Supreme Court. That’s according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity. Biden has promised to nominate the first Black woman to the high court as he fills the spot being vacated by Justice Stephen Breyer, who is retiring at the end of this term. The president has already amassed a list of potential candidates that includes women with a range of professional expertise, from federal defenders to longtime judges and academics.
February 3, 2022 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Army says it will immediately begin discharging soldiers who have refused to get the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, putting more than 3,300 service members at risk of being thrown out soon. The Army’s announcement makes it the final military service to lay out its discharge policy for vaccine refusers. The Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy have already discharged active-duty troops or entry-level personnel at boot camps for refusing the shots. So far, the Army has not discharged any. Roughly 97% of all Army soldiers have gotten at least one shot. More than 3,000 have requested medical or religious exemptions.
February 3, 2022 4:11 am
CHICAGO (AP) – A major winter storm has left more than 200,000 homes and businesses without power across the U.S. The multi-day storm dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Midwest and triggered weather warnings from Texas to the Northeast. Power companies have struggled to keep pace with freezing rain and snow that weighed down tree limbs and encrusted power lines. Travelers also are dealing with thousands of canceled flights around the U.S. The storm’s path stretched further from the central U.S. on Thursday into more of the South and Northeast. Forecasters say more heavy snow is expected, while heavy ice buildup was likely from Texas to Pennsylvania.
February 3, 2022 4:09 am
OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) – Authorities say one person is dead and others wounded after a shooting on a Greyhound bus in Northern California. It happened at around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Oroville. The Butte County Sheriff’s Office says the suspect fled after the shooting but was later found in a nearby Walmart and arrested. There’s no immediate word on how many people were hurt or their conditions, although Oroville’s mayor had earlier said five people were shot. There’s also no immediate word on a motive for the attack.
February 3, 2022 4:09 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 3, 2022 3:26 am
A mixed bag of precipitation has moved into southwestern Pennsylvania, prompting a Winter Storm Warning and a Flood Watch. Rain showers are slowly changing over to freezing rain and sleet. Ice accumulations are expected to be around a quarter of an inch and sleet accumulations could be anywhere from one to three inches. Flooding issues will be possible with all of the snowpack. Rain will mix with freezing rain and sleet at times, especially into the evening hours. A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for part of western Pennsylvania, including Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Mercer and Washington counties. It is in effect through 1ten a.m. Friday. The Flood Watch is in effect until one a.m. Friday. (Photo: WPXI)
February 3, 2022 2:49 am
Harrisburg, PA – In anticipation of potentially hazardous wintry and icy conditions in much of the state on Thursday and Friday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) are advising motorists to monitor local forecasts and avoid unnecessary travel. Additionally, the agencies anticipate implementing various speed and vehicle restrictions throughout the storm under Tier 1 restrictions (see below). Restrictions will be communicated via variable message boards, the 511PA traveler information website and smartphone apps. Motorists can also sign up for personalized alerts on the website.
In Effect As Of Thursday, February 3rd, vehicle restrictions are planned for the following roadways:
- Interstate 70 in Washington & Westmoreland counties
- Interstate 79 in Washington & Greene counties
- Interstate 79 from I-80 to Erie
- I-80 from the Ohio border to I-99
- I-86, entire length
- I-90, entire length
Effective at 6:00 PM Thursday, February 3, vehicle restrictions are planned for the following roadways:
- I-70, entire length;
- I-76 from the Ohio Line to Breezewood (Exit 161)
- I-79, entire length
- I-80, entire length
- I-81 from I-80 to the New York border;
- I-84, entire length
- I-99, entire length
- I-180, entire length
- I-279, entire length
- I-376, entire length
- I-380, entire length
- I-579, entire length
- All of PA Turnpike 43, 66, 376 and 576.
Under Tier 1 restrictions, the following vehicles are not permitted on affected roadways:
- Tractors without trailers;
- Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers;
- Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers;
- Enclosed cargo delivery trucks that meet the definition of a CMV;
- Passenger vehicles (cars, SUV’s, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers;
- Recreational vehicles/motorhomes;
- School buses, commercial buses and motor coaches not carrying chains or Alternate Traction Devices (ATD’s); and
- Motorcycles.
February 2, 2022 5:26 pm
DALLAS (AP) – The travel industry is lobbying Washington for changes it thinks will get more people on airplanes and staying in hotels. Airline and tourism groups want the U.S. to eliminate its requirement that travelers provide a negative test for COVID-19 before boarding a U.S.-bound plane. The United Kingdom made a similar change last month. And tourism industry officials also say they are talking to lawmakers about tax breaks to boost business travel, which is recovering much more slowly than leisure travel during the pandemic.
