January 24, 2024 4:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has picked up the endorsement of the United Auto Workers. The Democratic president addressed the powerful union’s political convention in Washington on Wednesday. He told a cheering crowd, “I’m honored to have your back and you have mine.” Biden is pushing to sway blue-collar workers his way in critical auto-making swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin. Biden is hoping to cut into the advantage Republican former President Donald Trump has enjoyed with white voters who don’t have a college degree. Labor experts say the UAW usually endorses candidates later as it contains a mix of Democratic, Republican and unaffiliated voters.
January 24, 2024 4:06 am
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces are battling Palestinian militants near the main hospital in Gaza’s second-largest city, Khan Younis. Medics said Wednesday that hundreds of patients and thousands of displaced people are unable to leave because of the fighting. Nasser Hospital is one of only two hospitals in southern Gaza that can still treat critically ill patients. The Israeli military says it has completed its encirclement of Khan Younis as part of its three-month-old offensive against Hamas. It has ordered residents to leave a swath of downtown Khan Younis that includes Nasser and two smaller hospitals. The United Nations humanitarian office says the area is home to 88,000 Palestinians and was hosting another 425,000 displaced by fighting elsewhere.
January 24, 2024 4:01 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military said Wednesday that North Korea fired several cruise missiles into waters off its western coast. The previous day, an analysis of commercial satellite images suggested that North Korea has torn down a huge arch in its capital that symbolized reconciliation with war-divided rival South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week described the Pyongyang monument as an “eyesore” while declaring that the North was abandoning long-standing goals of a peaceful unification with South Korea.
January 24, 2024 3:49 am
(WPXI) — The sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese Steelmaker Nippon made its way to Allegheny County Council on Tuesday. Tenth District Councilmember DeWitt Walton made a motion for council to come out against the sale. “I don’t want to put workers in Allegheny County at risk. As a result, I’m urging members of council to oppose that sale,” he said. The motion comes just eight days after United Steelworkers announced it had filed grievances against U.S. Steel alleging the company violated the terms of its contract when it agreed to the $14.9 billion sale. Council At-Large Sam DeMarco opposed the motion. “The good news for Allegheny County is this offer by Nippon Steel keeps a world-known headquarters and a thousand good-paying jobs here,” he said. “We want new companies and new investments to come to this region. What kind of signal does it send when you are telling folks that are willing to spend $15 billion here that you’re not welcome?” Several more council members spoke. In the end, the council voted 12 to one to tackle the issue another day. “There is a process of sending motions and bills to committees for a reason. I thought it would be fair to everyone if we got all the information,” council at-large Bethany Hallam said. WJPA news partner Channel 11 did reach out to U.S. Steel and received a statement saying “Following the closing of the transaction with Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC), U. S. Steel will retain its name, continue to mine, melt and make steel in America, and maintain its headquarters in Pittsburgh, which will retain 1,000 jobs in corporate, research, commercial, information technology and other areas. The Company has invested roughly $750 million in its Mon Valley Works facilities in the past five years and employs thousands of men and women in Allegheny County. We look forward to continuing to engage with community leaders about the benefits of the deal.”
January 24, 2024 3:48 am
A major change is on the way for the Carnegie Science Center because of a “transformational gift. Officials with the Carnegie Science Center gathered Tuesday, announcing that the museum had been gifted $65 million. It’s the largest gift the Carnegie Institute has received since its founding in 1895. “It’s truly transformation for the Science Center in that it will allow us to implement our vision, not only for today’s generation but for generations to come,” said Jason Brown, Director and Vice President, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. “This gift will pave the way for countless kids and adults to embark on their personal journey of discovery and curiosity here at the Science Center.” The gift will help the Science Center increase its endowment, provide greater opportunity to innovate and strengthen its role in science education. The gift comes from the hands of Dan and Carole Kamin, who brown says epitomizes the Science Center’s mission of connecting “people and science, igniting curiosity that endures for a lifetime.” In recognition of the gift and in honor of their generosity, Brown announced that the museum is being renamed to the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center. (Photo: Carnegie Science Center)
January 23, 2024 4:27 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Charles Osgood, who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, hosted the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence, has died. He was 91. CBS reported that Osgood died Tuesday at his home in Saddle River, New Jersey, and that the cause was dementia, according to his family. Osgood proved to be a broadcaster who could write essays and light verse as well as report hard news, a man who continued to work in both radio and television with equal facility. He joined the CBS network in 1971.
January 23, 2024 9:28 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The 2024 Oscar nominations have been announced. The nominees for best picture are: “American Fiction”; “Anatomy of a Fall”; “Barbie”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Past Lives”; “Poor Things”; “The Zone of Interest.” Lily Gladstone, star of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” became the first Native American nominated for best actress. For the 10th time, Scorsese was nominated for best director. Leonardo DiCaprio, though, was left out of best actor. Among the nominated films is the Ukraine war documentary “20 Days in Mariupol,” which is a joint production between The Associated Press and PBS’ Frontline and will compete in the best documentary category.
January 23, 2024 5:00 am
(AP) – TikTok is laying off dozens of workers in its advertising and sales unit, becoming the latest tech company to trim jobs in the new year. A spokesperson for the company confirmed Tuesday that the social media platform is cutting 60 jobs. The company did not provide a reason for the layoffs. It says impacted workers can apply to other open positions at TikTok, which currently has more than 120 similar job listings. The layoffs follow other job cuts at major tech companies this year. Social media platforms Discord and Amazon-owned Twitch have laid off hundreds of workers this month. Google and Amazon have also cut jobs.
January 23, 2024 4:58 am
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she has no intention of dropping out after the New Hampshire primary. However, Donald Trump is aiming for a commanding victory, which would secure a sweep of the first two GOP primary races and make a November rematch with President Joe Biden likelier than ever. But Haley says as she campaigns Tuesday that she plans to stick around for her home-state South Carolina primary next month. Trump answers that he doesn’t care what Haley chooses because he believes voters will nominate him anyway. Haley has dedicated time and money to New Hampshire, hoping to appeal to its independent-minded voters. Trump has concentrated on winning decisively enough to effectively end the competitive phase of the primary. (Photo: AP)
January 23, 2024 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and British militaries have bombed eight locations used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. It is the second time the two allies have conducted coordinated retaliatory strikes on the rebels’ missile launching capabilities. Officials say the U.S. and U.K. used warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets to take out Houthi missile storage sites and launchers. The joint operation comes about 10 days after U.S. and British warships and fighter jets struck more than 60 targets in 28 locations. That was the first U.S. military response to what has been a persistent campaign of Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
