December 31, 2021 4:09 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – The University of Pittsburgh will begin the spring semester with two and a half weeks of remote learning due to the spread of omicron cases in the area. The university says that this change will allow for testing and shelter in place upon arrival back to campus. Classes will still begin on Jan. 10. Exceptions to remote learning may be made by the dean for programs and classes that need to meet in person. According to the university, if the dean approves an in-person class during the remote period, vaccinated students may attend as long as they are not symptomatic or COVID positive. Unvaccinated students will need to have an approved exemption and be compliant with the weekly testing process in order to have access to the university. In a letter to faculty and students, Provost Ann Cudd said that classes will return to fully in person learning on Jan. 27.
December 31, 2021 3:05 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Philadelphia police say six people were shot as six gunmen fired dozens of shots on a street full of businesses late Thursday. Officers responded to 911 calls for a shooting and found a 21-year-old woman with gunshot wounds lying near more than 65 casings from at least two different semi-automatic weapons. Officers rushed the woman to the hospital, and she was in critical condition Friday. Police say five other men with nonfatal gunshot wounds arrived at two other hospitals shortly after the shooting. City officials have recorded more than 1,800 nonfatal shootings in 2021. That’s an increase of more than 600 from 2019.
December 30, 2021 2:44 pm
(AP) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some harsh news for people planning to embark on a voyage — avoid all cruises no matter your vaccination status. The CDC has raised the travel health notice to level 4 — its highest, for cruise ships. The CDC said, “Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.” The agency said COVID-19 spreads easily on ships because of the close quarters and that the chance for someone to get the virus is very high even if a person has had all three shots. If travelers are still willing to take the risk, the CDC advises them to be fully vaccinated including the booster shot, and then self-quarantine for five days after returning home. Cruise Lines International Association said the group is disappointed by the announcement. The CDC is investigating more than 80 ships because of outbreaks on board. (Photo: ABC)
December 30, 2021 1:38 pm
(WPXI) – Will Monday night’s game at Heinz Field be the last home game of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s career? “This is the most important game of the season for us right now,” Roethlisberger said during a press conference. “All signs are pointing to: This could be it. In terms of regular seasons, signs are pointing this way that this could be it.”There’s been speculation that Roethlisberger would retire after this season. “It’s 18 years. It’s almost half my life I’ve given to this city and this team and the fans. I know I still have it in the tank this week to go out there this week and next week and give it everything I have, and do everything I can to get us into the post season,” Roethlisberger said. “I can’t sit here all week and just be nostalgic and think about everything that my career has been when I just have to focus on this game. This is the most important game of the season for us right now.” “My focus is winning this game,” Roethlisberger said. “If it is indeed my last regular season game, it’s going to be one of the most important games of my career.”
December 30, 2021 8:42 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell below 200,000, more evidence that the job market remains strong in the aftermath of last year’s coronavirus recession. Jobless claims dropped by 8,000 to 198,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, fell to just above 199,000, lowest level since October 1969. The numbers suggest that the fast-spreading omicron variant has yet to trigger a wave of layoffs. Altogether, 1.7 million Americans were collecting traditional unemployment aid the week that ended Dec. 18, lowest since March 2020 and down by 140,000 from the week before.
December 30, 2021 4:21 am
DENVER (AP) – A man accused of killing five people in a rampage in Denver is believed to have written fictional books self-published online that named some of his real-life victims and described similar attacks. Denver police spokesman Doug Schepman says the writings are part of the investigation into what led Lyndon James McLeod to carry out Monday’s shootings. Four of the people shot were attacked at tattoo shops, raising questions about why they were targeted. Police say McLeod knew most of the people he shot at several locations around the metro area, through either business or personal relationships. They were still investigating his motive.
December 30, 2021 4:20 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has been convicted of helping lure teenage girls to be sexually abused by the late Jeffrey Epstein. The verdict announced Wednesday capped a month-long trial featuring accounts of the sexual exploitation of girls as young as 14. Jurors deliberated for five full days before finding Maxwell guilty of every count except one. She faces years in prison. It’s an end long sought by women who spent years fighting to hold Maxwell accountable for abusing them. Her lawyers said she’s being used as a scapegoat for crimes committed by Epstein, who killed himself in 2019.
December 30, 2021 4:18 am
CHICAGO (AP) – More than a year after the vaccine was rolled out, new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average. The surge has been driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant. The previous mark was 250,000 cases per day, set in mid-January. The number of Americans now in the hospital with COVID-19 is running at around 60,000, or about half the figure seen last January. With New Year’s Eve approaching, Dr. Anthony Fauci says there is no need to cancel small home gatherings among vaccinated and boosted family and friends. But he is strongly recommending against 40- and 50-person parties with lots of hugging and kissing.
December 30, 2021 4:17 am
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) – Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin are set to discuss the Russian troop buildup at the Ukraine border. The call scheduled for Thursday afternoon would be their second in recent weeks amid little progress toward ending the smoldering crisis. The White House indicates that Biden will make clear to Putin that a diplomatic path remains open. The Russians have moved an estimated 100,000 troops toward Ukraine, and Putin has stepped up his demands for security guarantees in Eastern Europe. The call requested by Russian officials comes as senior U.S. and Russian officials are to hold talks on Jan. 10 in Geneva.
December 30, 2021 4:12 am
One person is in police custody following a crash early Thursday morning in North Strabane Township. Washington County 9-1-1 tells us it happened just before 3 a.m at the intersection of Route 19 and Weavertown Road. Dispatchers tell us the vehicle struck a utility pole near the entrance to the Sheetz store. The pole and wires came down. Dispatchers say a fire hydrant was also struck. As of 4 a.m. Weavertown Road remains closed in that area as crews will be making repairs. No other vehicles were involved. There is no word on the identity of the person taken into custody. (PHOTO: WPXI)
