February 2, 2022 3:36 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Whoopi Goldberg has been suspended for two weeks as co-host of “The View” because of what the head of ABC News called her “wrong and hurtful comments” about Jews and the Holocaust. ABC News President Kim Godwin announced the decision Tuesday night, saying despite an apology by Goldberg she wanted the host to take the time to “reflect and learn about the impact of her comments.” Goldberg has apologized for saying the Holocaust was not about race during a discussion on Monday’s “The View” show. On Tuesday she explained how she was educated that her comments on the show the day before were wrong.
February 2, 2022 3:33 am
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – A major winter storm was expected to affect a huge swath of the United States, with heavy snow starting in the Rockies and freezing rain as far south as Texas before it drops snow and ice on the Midwest. The forecast comes nearly a year after a catastrophic winter storm devastated Texas’ power grid, causing hundreds of deaths. Winter storm watches and warnings covered a wide swath of the country from El Paso, Texas, through the Midwest and parts of the Northeast to Burlington, Vermont. During the multi-day storm, some areas may see a mix of rain and freezing rain before it changes to snow. More than a foot of snow is forecast in places. Airlines had canceled more than 1,000 flights in the U.S. scheduled for Wednesday.
February 2, 2022 3:30 am
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) – It’s Groundhog Day we now know there will be six more weeks of winter. People gathered Wednesday at Gobbler’s Knob as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned him from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow. According to folklore, there will be six more weeks of winter if he sees his shadow. If he doesn’t, spring comes early. Records dating to the late 1800s show Phil has predicted longer winters more than 100 times. The 2020 forecast called for an early spring. The event took place virtually last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. This was the 136th meeting of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Phil had a crowd of over 10,000 people, which is one of the largest crowds on hand for the ceremony. Officials from the Inner Circle say the crowd gathered at 3:00 am with no sleep to attend the annual event. People from across the country and around the world were able to watch the festivities on live streams.
February 2, 2022 3:28 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s highest court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting law, after a lower court ruled the law violates the state constitution. The state Supreme Court said Wednesday it will hear oral arguments at its March 8 session in Harrisburg. The mail-in voting law – which allows no-excuse mail-in voting by any registered voter – remains in force while the state Supreme Court hears the appeal by Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration. Three Republican judges on a Commonwealth Court panel of five judges agreed Friday with Republican challengers and ruled that no-excuse mail-in voting is prohibited under the state constitution. The two Democratic judges on the panel dissented.
February 2, 2022 2:15 am
A West Pike Run Township woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend asked for a non-jury trial on Wednesday. Back in July, Pennsylvania State Police were called to the residence of Brianna Payton, 23 of Daisytown and her boyfriend Daniel Spires about an argument. During the argument Payton went to the kitchen and retrieved a knife and tried to stab Spires through a hole in a door. Spires was taken to a hospital with stab wounds to his chest and ribs. During a search of the home, police found marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Payton is facing attempted homicide, aggravated assault and drug possession charges. Spires is awaiting a preliminary hearing on drug possession charges. Payton’s trial will begin on April 1.
February 2, 2022 1:07 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 1, 2022 1:52 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – The New York Times has has bought Wordle, the free online word game that has exploded in popularity and, for some, become a daily obsession. It listed the purchase price as being in the “low-seven figures,” but did not disclose specifics. Wordle was created by Josh Wardle, a Brooklyn software engineer. On Nov. 1, only 90 people played it. In two months, that number grew to 300,000 after people began sharing their scores on social media. Now, The Times says the simple puzzle that lets players guess a daily five-letter word in six tries with no hints has millions of daily players.
February 1, 2022 8:51 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Cash is pouring in to Pennsylvania’s hotly contested race for U.S. Senate, as wealthy and well-connected candidates moved in from out of state, followed by millions of dollars. Filings posted online by the Federal Election Commission before Monday night’s deadline showed Mehmet Oz – best-known as host of “the Dr. Oz Show” – loaned himself $5.2 million. Meanwhile, a super PAC supporting a Republican rival, former hedge fund CEO David McCormick, raised more than $5 million from the world of finance. In the Democratic primary race, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman kept a strong cash advantage over his nearest rival, Conor Lamb, a third-term congressman from suburban Pittsburgh.
February 1, 2022 4:06 am
UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Russia accused the West of “whipping up tensions” over Ukraine and said the U.S. had brought “pure Nazis” to power in Kyiv as the U.N. Security Council held a stormy debate Monday on Moscow’s troop buildup near its southern neighbor. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield shot back that Russia’s growing military force of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders was “the largest mobilization” in Europe in decades. Hours later, the Russian government sent a written reply to a U.S. proposal aimed at deescalating the crisis. A State Department official declined to offer details of the response.
February 1, 2022 4:03 am
TORONTO (AP) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has tested positive for COVID-19 but is “feeling fine.” The prime minister is fully vaccinated and has received one booster shot. After announcing his infection Monday, Trudeau blasted the behavior of anti-vaccine protesters who filled Canada’s capital to complain about pandemic restrictions. His announcement followed a weekend of protests in Ottawa against vaccine mandates, masks and lockdowns. Some demonstrators travelled in truck convoys and parked on the streets around Parliament Hill, blocking traffic. Some urinated on the National War Memorial and danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, others carried signs and flags with swastikas. A smaller but significant number of protesters remained on Monday.
