Harris Says Nation Must Accept Election Results

November 7, 2024 5:15 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Faced with a sweeping rejection by American voters, Kamala Harris has conceded the presidential election to Donald Trump and is encouraging supporters to continue fighting for their vision of the country. The Democratic vice president said the battle would continue “in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.” “Sometimes the fight takes a while,” Harris said at Howard University, her alma mater, where she had hoped to make a victory speech after the election. “That doesn’t mean we won’t win.” Harris’ decisive defeat shattered hopes that she could rescue Democrats’ chances after President Joe Biden’s reelection effort stalled and she replaced him at the top of the ticket.

2 Dead In Fayette County Hostage Situation

November 6, 2024 5:06 am

NORTH UNION TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man and woman were found dead at a reported hostage situation in Fayette County. The public was asked to avoid an apartment building in North Union Township all day Wednesday due to an active police incident that, according to court documents, was a hostage situation. State Police told Channel 11 that there was an “extremely active scene” at Woodview Terrace. Troopers were called to the area at 8:07 a.m. Two people were found dead in an apartment. Fayette County Coroner Bob Baker identified them as Megan Kulenovic, 27, and Charles Nara, 36, both of Uniontown. “When police got there, they found smoke coming out of the apartment. Based on that and the info contained in the note, it led to us treating this as an active hostage,” according to Fayette County district attorney Michael Aubele. A criminal complaint Channel 11 obtained alleges Nara was holding a woman hostage in an apartment on Wednesday.“Mr. Nara has been a subject of previous investigations, including the sexual assault of a child. There was a response here earlier in the week. The police are very familiar with him,” Aubele added. People who live in Woodview Terrace were evacuated from their homes on Wednesday morning. Around 2 p.m., some tenants were able to go back home, but those who cannot are receiving assistance from the Red Cross. The lockdown was put in place out of an abundance of caution, district officials said.

Customers Asked To Reduce Water Use

November 7, 2024 5:00 am

Pennsylvania American Water is asking its customers to reduce their water usage amid drought concerns. In a press release issued on Tuesday state residents were asked to cut back on how much water they are using by around 10-15%. PAW said that would be about 11-16 gallons per day, according to the DEP. “We’re asking our customers to observe the DEP’s request and be mindful of their nonessential water use during this drought watch,” said Jim Runzer, vice president or operations for Pennsylvania American Water. “Our Sources of supply are currently adequate to meet the needs or our customers as we vigilantly monitor our drinking water sources, we want to mitigate the potential for more severe conditions that could lead to stricter conservation in the future.” The DEP issued a drought watch for many Pennsylvania counties last week.

Vote Gap Fuels False Election Narratives

November 7, 2024 4:55 am

Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, social media users began pushing two conflicting narratives of election fraud. In a narrative being pushed by Trump supporters, the vote total in 2020, which is much higher than 2016 and 2024, is used to suggest the votes must have been manufactured when Biden won. Harris supporters question how her numbers can be so much lower. But both narratives are unfounded. Votes are still being counted in the 2024 election, so the total is not known and claims of election fraud in 2020 have been investigated repeatedly and knocked down.

Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates Again

November 7, 2024 5:11 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key rate by a quarter-point in response to the steady decline in the once-high inflation that had angered Americans and helped drive Donald Trump’s presidential election victory this week. The rate cut follows a larger half-point reduction in September, and it reflects the Fed’s renewed focus on supporting the job market as well as fighting inflation, which now barely exceeds the central bank’s 2% target. Annual inflation has since fallen from a 9.1% peak in 2022 to a 3 1/2-year low of 2.4%. Asked how Trump’s election might affect the Fed’s policymaking, Chair Jerome Powell said that “in the near term, the election will have no effects on our [interest rate] decisions.”

China Bracing For Fresh Tensions With Trump

November 7, 2024 5:08 am

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — As U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares for his second term in office, China is bracing for unpredictability in its ties with the United States. The first time China faced Trump in the White House, there was a trade war, a breach of protocol over Taiwan’s former leader, and a president-to-president bromance that turned sour. Now, Trump has promised to slap blanket 60% tariffs on all Chinese imports, and even higher if Beijing makes a move to invade Taiwan. On the other hand, Trump has asked Taiwan to pay Washington for protection against China. And he has accused Taiwan of stealing the semiconductor industry years ago from the U.S.

Large Airstrikes Hit Beirut Suburbs

November 7, 2024 5:10 am

Several large airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs early Thursday morning, including one on a site adjacent to Lebanon’s only international airport. The Israeli military had issued an evacuation notice for the site, saying there were Hezbollah facilities there, without giving details. The Israeli military also announced it’s expanding its ground operation in northern Gaza to include part of Beit Lahiya, where Israel says Hamas militants have regrouped. The town has been heavily bombed since the earliest days of the war. Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem says the Lebanese militant group is open for cease-fire negotiations only once “the enemy stops its aggression.” His speech marked the 40-day mourning period for the former Hezbollah chief, who was assassinated in Beirut.

Cuba Reeling After Hurricane Rafael

November 7, 2024 5:17 am

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba is reeling after a powerful Category 3 hurricane ripped across the island and fierce winds knocked out the country’s power grid. The magnitude of the impact from Hurricane Rafael remained unclear through the early hours of Thursday. Forecasters had warned that Rafael could bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods to Cuba after ravaging parts of the Cayman Islands and Jamaica.

Harris Makes Concession Speech

November 6, 2024 5:41 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — Faced with a sweeping rejection by American voters, Kamala Harris has conceded the presidential election to Donald Trump and is encouraging supporters to continue fighting for their vision of the country. The Democratic vice president said the battle would continue “in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.” “Sometimes the fight takes a while,” Harris said at Howard University, her alma mater, where she had hoped to make a victory speech after the election. “That doesn’t mean we won’t win.” Harris’ decisive defeat shattered hopes that she could rescue Democrats’ chances after President Joe Biden’s reelection effort stalled and she replaced him at the top of the ticket.

Two Dead In Fayette County Hostage Situation

November 6, 2024 2:52 pm

(WPXI) – Two people were found dead at a reported hostage situation in Fayette County. The public has been asked to avoid an apartment building in North Union Township all day due to an active police incident that, according to court documents, is a hostage situation. Pennsylvania State Police said Wednesday morning that there is an “extremely active scene” at Woodview Terrace. Troopers were called to the area at 8:07 a.m. We’ve just learned that two people were found dead in an apartment. Their identities have not yet been revealed. A criminal complaint alleges Charles “Chuck” Nara was holding a woman hostage in an apartment. The complaint states the child of the woman being held in the apartment had a note that said in part “call cops hostage situation…do not approach door 50 gallons of gas and a gun.” When the child went to report the note at the apartment’s front office, they heard a boom and saw black smoke coming from Nara’s apartment. Police also viewed surveillance footage that shows a “large plume of smoke” pouring from the window.