October 13, 2021 4:12 am
VAN HORN, Texas (AP) – Hollywood’s Captain Kirk, 90-year-old William Shatner, has blasted into space and safely returned to Earth in a convergence of science fiction and science reality. He set out Wednesday morning for the final frontier aboard a ship built by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company. The “Star Trek” hero becomes the oldest person to ride a rocket. The fully automatic spacecraft reached an altitude of 66.5 miles over the West Texas desert. The up-and-down flight lasted about 10 minutes, with Shatner and his three fellow passengers parachuting back to Earth in the capsule. (Photo: CNN)
October 13, 2021 4:11 am
A recording shows that the pilot of a twin-engine plane was repeatedly warned to fly straight and to climb before he crashed into a San Diego suburb, killing himself and someone on the ground. An air traffic controller repeated warnings more than a dozen times to Dr. Sugata Das before the plane plowed into a neighborhood in Santee on Monday, burning and damaging several homes. The crash also killed 61-year-old Steve Krueger, a UPS driver who was nearing retirement. The crash is under federal investigation. But some experts say the pilot may have been distracted by something or may have become disoriented in cloudy weather.
October 13, 2021 4:10 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The union representing film and television crews says its 60,000 members will begin a nationwide strike on Monday if it does not reach a deal that satisfies demands for fair and safe working conditions. A strike would bring a halt to filming on a broad swath of film and television productions and extend well beyond Hollywood, affecting productions in Georgia, New Mexico and other North American shoots. International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees International President Matthew Loeb said Wednesday that the strike would begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday unless an agreement is reached on rest and meal periods and pay for its lowest-paid workers.
October 13, 2021 4:08 am
SEATTLE (AP) – The Boeing Co. has told employees they must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or possibly be fired. The Seattle Times reports the deadline for workers at the aerospace giant is Dec. 8. Employees can request exemptions “due to a disability or sincerely held religious belief.” The policy will apply to roughly 125,000 US-based employees company-wide, with about 57,000 of those in Washington state. Boeing may face more resistance to the new policy in some Republican-controlled states. On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order barring private companies or any other entity from requiring vaccines. Boeing has more than 5,000 employees in Texas. It has about 32,000 more at facilities in Alabama, Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
October 13, 2021 4:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Biden administration says the United States will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All international visitors will need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Vehicle, rail and ferry travel between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico has been largely restricted to essential travel, such as trade, since the earliest days of the pandemic. The new rules to be announced Wednesday will allow fully vaccinated foreign nationals entry to the U.S. regardless of the reason for travel. That starts in early November, when a similar easing of restrictions is set to kick in for air travel.
October 13, 2021 4:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Members of the House have approved a short-term hike to the nation’s debt limit. The vote Tuesday evening ensures the federal government can continue fully paying its bills into December. The legislation next goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. A default would have had immense fallout on global financial markets, and routine government payments to Social Security beneficiaries, disabled veterans and others would have been called into question. But the relief provided will only be temporary, forcing Congress to revisit the issue in December, with Republicans promising that Democrats will have to lift the cap without their assistance.
October 13, 2021 3:59 am
The Washington County Democratic Committee held their annual banquet to kick off the election season on Tuesday night. Democratic candidates for office from around the commonwealth attended the event. Christina Proctor, Chair of the Washington County Democratic Committee stated that the event was important because democrats need to get their voters out to vote. She also indicated that this is an important election because democrats are needed in office to keep a check on the republicans already in office to make sure oversight is in place. Echoing Proctor’s comments was the keynote speaker of the night, Attorney General Josh Shapiro. In a ten minute speech he urged the crowd to make sure that they and their friends and neighbors get out and vote to prevent the lies that republicans keep repeating do not become law. He stated that all of the elections this year are important in an effort to save democracy in Pennsylvania.
October 13, 2021 2:58 am
Police in Bethel Park say one person is in custody after reportedly making threats at South Hills Village Mall around two o’clock Tuesday afternoon. Authorities say the man had a black or green duffel bag which they thought may contain a weapon. They say Macy’s was on lockdown because at one point, he was inside of the department store, but the rest of the mall was not affected. Police say he fled on foot in the parking lot near the food court and was eventually captured behind the liquor store at Village Square Mall. They say the mall quickly resumed normal operations and no one was injured. The Bethel Park Police Chief said the man may have mental health issues.
October 13, 2021 2:51 am
Two men involved in a shooting incident in California Borough earlier this month were scheduled for preliminary hearings in front of District Justice Joshua Kanalis on Tuesday. According to police, Zachary Hooks, 29 of California was arguing with Demetrius Ward, 25, of Ellsworth on the morning of October 6 outside of Hooks’ apartment. During the argument Hooks fired several shots out of his window toward Ward. Ward fled the scene. Police pulled Ward over. Ward gave police permission to search his car where they found 30 grams of marijuana. Ward faces a felony possession with intent to deliver charge. Hooks was later arrested after admitting to the shooting and police recovered a .40 caliber handgun from his apartment. Hooks faces felony attempted homicide and aggravated assault charges. Hooks had his hearing continued until a later date. Ward did not show up for his hearing and Judge Kanalis issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
October 12, 2021 4:58 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – A top Netflix executive says Dave Chappelle’s special “The Closer” doesn’t cross “the line on hate” and will remain on the streaming service despite fallout over the comedian’s remarks about the transgender community. In an internal memo, reported by Variety, co-CEO Ted Sarandos told Netflix managers that while some celebrities may join third parties in calling for the show’s removal, Chappelle’s special won’t be pulled. The company responded to news reports it had suspended three employees, including one who’d criticized Chappelle’s special online. Netflix said it supports open disagreement by workers. One employee was suspended, but a person familiar with the situation said it was for unauthorized attendance at a Netflix management meeting.
