November 27, 2021 4:11 am
LONDON (AP) – South African scientists identified a new version of the coronavirus this week that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province. It’s unclear where the new variant emerged, but scientists in South Africa first alerted the World Health Organization and it has also been seen in Botswana and travelers to Hong Kong, Belgium, Israel and elsewhere. Health minister Joe Phaahla said the variant was linked to an “exponential rise” of cases in the last few days, although experts are still trying to determine if the new variant is actually responsible. In a statement on Friday, the WHO designated it as a “variant of concern,” naming it “omicron.”
November 27, 2021 4:06 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf is releasing priorities for drawing Pennsylvania’s new congressional districts given to him by the panel he picked, with an emphasis on openness, fairness and reflecting statewide voter preferences. In theory, the principles given to Wolf and released Wednesday will guide the Democrat in his dealings with a Republican-controlled Legislature, less than four years after a divided state Supreme Court redrew the map. Pennsylvania’s task is complicated by the need to draw 17 districts to replace its 18 districts. If Wolf and the Legislature cannot agree on a map, it could be left to the state Supreme Court to draw districts again.
November 27, 2021 4:05 am
GROVE CITY, Pa. (AP) – A small plane crashed near a landfill in western Pennsylvania, killing one person and injuring another. The Federal Aviation Administration says the single-engine Cessna 210 went down around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday in a wooded area near the Grove City airport in Mercer County. Authorities haven’t said if the plane had departed from the airport or if it was trying to land when the crash occurred. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the FAA and state police. The names of the two people aboard the plane have not been released. The injured person was being treated at a hospital for burns and related injuries, but further details on their condition were not disclosed.
November 26, 2021 4:15 am
MOSCOW (AP) – Russian officials say 52 miners and rescuers have died after a devastating blast in a Siberian coal mine about 250 meters (820 feet) underground. Hours after a methane gas explosion and fire filled the mine with toxic fumes, rescuers found 14 bodies but then were forced to halt the search for 38 others because of a buildup of methane and a high concentration of carbon monoxide gas. The state Tass and RIA-Novosti news agencies cited emergency officials as saying that there was no chance of finding any more survivors. The Interfax news agency cited a representative of the regional administration who also put the death toll from Thursday’s fire at 52, while 239 were rescued.
November 26, 2021 4:14 am
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 6.1 earthquake has hit northwest Myanmar near India’s border but there is a low likelihood of casualties and damage. It said the earthquake occurred early Friday at a depth of 32.8 kilometers (20.4 miles) near Hakha city, the capital of Chin state, sending tremors that spread across the border to towns and cities in India and Bangladesh. The agency says recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses, but predicted the current quake exposed little or no population and areas to such risk.
November 26, 2021 4:13 am
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) – Five U.S. lawmakers have met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen during a surprise one-day visit intended to reaffirm the United States’ support for the self-governing island. The bi-partisan group of lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives touched down in Taiwan on Thursday night and were planning to meet with senior leaders including Tsai. No further details were provided about their itinerary. The visit comes as tensions between Taiwan and China have risen to their highest level in decades. Representatives Mark Takano, D-Calif., Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Colin Allred, D-Texas., and Sara Jacobs, D-Calif. are all part of the visiting delegation. The visit comes just a few weeks after a group of six Republican lawmakers visited the island.
November 26, 2021 4:09 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Retailers are expected to usher in the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season Friday with bigger crowds than last year in a closer step toward normalcy. But the fallout from the pandemic continues to weigh on businesses and shoppers’ minds. Buoyed by solid hiring, healthy pay gains and substantial savings, customers are returning to stores and splurging on all types of items. But the spike has also resulted in limited selection across the board as suppliers and retailers have been caught flat-footed. Shortages of shipping containers and truckers have helped to delay deliveries, while inflation continues to creep. The combination of higher prices and lack of inventory could make for a less festive mood.
November 26, 2021 4:04 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Joseph Traynor, affectionately called Joe or Joey, had plans for Thanksgiving evening. The 44-year-old was set to meet with his best friend, South Side bar owner, Ray Bennett. “Everyone thought we were brothers,” said Bennett. “You could recognize his voice anywhere you went. He would be here probably right now. In fact, that’s what we were planning on doing.” Unfortunately, Bennett would be one of the last people to see Traynor alive. Early Saturday morning, a fire was reported at an apartment above Dunbar’s Place on East Carson Street. When firefighters arrived, they found flames coming from the second floor. During a search, they found Traynor inside his third-floor apartment. Traynor was taken to the hospital but died a day later. The cause of the fire is still under investigation but Bennett tells our news partners at Channel 11 that while authorities continue to look into what happened, he’s taking on a new mission. “The biggest thing I’m trying to promote is making sure everyone has smoke detectors in their apartment. That’s the biggest thing,” said Bennett.
November 26, 2021 1:11 am
It will be a happy Thanksgiving for many families throughout Washington County thanks to the community and its support of our 2000 Turkeys campaign. The total collected as of Wednesday morning was $189,859. 2000 Turkeys board member and Canonsburg Mayor Dave Rhome says that is the second highest total every collected and nearly double our annual goal of $100,000. All funds collected will help put a turkey dinner on the table for families served by Washington County’s food pantry network. That includes 13 community food pantries and a dozen senior high-rises that work in partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. On Tuesday, Range Resources held a one-hour telethon that was streamed live for one-hour on their Facebook page and raised more than $34,000 in donations. Range Resources then matched $20,000 of those funds putting the grand total for the event at more than $54,000. Donations of any amount are still being taken and can be sent to; 2000 Turkeys, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, Pa. 15301.
November 25, 2021 4:31 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General Merrick Garland is directing U.S. attorneys across the nation to swiftly prioritize prosecution of federal crimes that happen on commercial flights. The directive comes as federal officials face a historic number of investigations into passenger behavior. The Federal Aviation Administration said earlier this month that it had launched 950 investigations into passenger behavior on flights this year. Garland’s memo, issued Wednesday, emphasizes the Justice Department is committed to aggressively prosecuting violent passengers who assault crew members or endanger the safety of other passengers. So far this year the FAA has reported dozens of incidents of unruly airline passengers to the FBI for possible criminal prosecution.
