January 3, 2020 4:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. officials are sending nearly 3,000 more Army troops to the Mideast. As well, they’ve placed a brigade in Italy on alert to fly into Beirut if needed to protect the embassy there. Reinforcements were ordered as U.S. officials said they had compelling intelligence that the Iranian general killed in a U.S. strike áwas planning a significant campaign of violence against the United States. The reinforcements are part of a series of military moves to protect U.S. interests in the Middle East.
January 3, 2020 4:13 am
NORTH UNION TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WPXI) — A couple was found dead New Year’s Day in their North Union Township home after what Pennsylvania State Police are calling a murder-suicide. Investigators identified the couple Friday as William and Tina Allen. Both were found shot to death in their bedroom. Police said Tina came back to the house on Republic Street Wednesday morning. Not long after, a gunshot was heard. Relatives of the couple discovered the bedroom door was locked and became suspicious. Tina was found on the bed. Authorities said William was found in a chair with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower said a suicide note was found, but he did not elaborate on what it said. Neighbors said Tina was well-known in the community for which she cared deeply. They said she was heavily involved in politics and the community, even decorating Uniontown City Hall for Christmas and helping to raise money to get lighted decorations for downtown.
January 2, 2020 5:28 pm
PHOENIX (AP) – U-Haul International has announced plans to stop interviewing and hiring nicotine users, including people who use e-cigarettes and vaping products. The Arizona Republic reported Wednesday that the well-known truck and trailer rental company approved the nicotine-free policy set to go into effect Feb. 1 in 21 states where the company operates. Company officials say people hired before the policy goes into effect won’t be affected. Officials say the company expects the nicotine-free hiring policy would help create a more healthy corporate culture. Officials say the company employs around 30,000 people across the U.S. and Canada.
January 2, 2020 2:55 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Three of Pennsylvania’s professional sports mascots are depicted in the Farm Show’s butter sculpture, an annual feature of the state’s massive agricultural exposition. The sculpture was unveiled Thursday, two days before the Harrisburg event formally opens to the public. This year’s sculpture, crafted from about 1,000 pounds of donated butter, shows Gritty, Swoop and Steely McBeam, mascots for the Philadelphia Flyers and Eagles, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. This year’s Farm Show includes 12,000 competitive exhibits. It runs from Saturday through Jan. 11. Admission is free but parking in Farm Show lots is not.
January 2, 2020 10:30 am
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Former Obama housing secretary Julián Castro is ending his run for president. Castro’s announcement Thursday comes after he failed to garner enough support or donations to make the recent Democratic presidential debates. The former San Antonio mayor languished around 1% in polls and lagged behind his 2020 rivals in fundraising. Castro was the only Latino candidate in the field and one of the biggest voices on immigration. Castro says he’s “proud of the campaign” he ran. He says he and his supporters have “shaped the conversation on so many important issues.” Castro had warned supporters that failing to make the November debate stage would spell the end of his campaign.
January 2, 2020 8:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. health officials will begin cracking down on most flavored e-cigarettes that are popular with underage teenagers. But the plan from the Trump administration includes major exceptions that benefit companies that make and sell e-cigarettes and adults who use the nicotine-delivery devices. The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday the policy won’t affect menthol or tobacco flavors. The policy also won’t affect large, tank-based vaping products sold in vape shops that cater to adults. Those changes are a major step back from President Donald Trump’s original plan announced in September, which would have banned nearly all flavors in all vaping products.
January 2, 2020 5:47 am
WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) – Police in West Virginia say a fire has destroyed a former skating rink. Wheeling police spokesman Philip Stahl tells news outlets the large fire took several hours to bring under control Tuesday night in the building located next to a casino and a high school football stadium on Wheeling Island. No injuries were reported. Stahl says the fire did not threaten any other structures. Operations at the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack were unaffected by the fire. Stahl said the former rink was being used for storage for the casino. The building was constructed in 1924 as a state fairgrounds exposition hall. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
January 2, 2020 5:41 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Pete Buttigieg’s campaign says he raised more than $24.7 million in the last three months and now has a campaign staff of 500 people nationwide. It’s a show of financial and organizational strength heading into the presidential primaries. Buttigieg’s campaign said Wednesday he raised $76 million since he launched his bid for president, including more than 2 million contributions from over 733,000 people. Buttigieg’s average contribution was around $38. Buttigieg’s campaign staff includes 100 people on the ground in Iowa, the first state where Democrats make their primary preference known. Buttigieg now has 35 field offices open in Iowa and 30 more field offices spread across the other three early nominating states.
January 2, 2020 4:10 am
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) – The defense ministry has confirmed Taiwan’s top military officer and seven other people were killed in a crash of an air force helicopter. Five people survived the crash of the Blackhawk helicopter in mountains outside the capital. Gen. Shen Yi-ming was responsible for overseeing the island’s defense against China, which threatens to use military force to annex what it considers it own territory. Shen had taken over as chief of the general staff in July after serving as commander of Taiwan’s air force, which is undergoing a substantial upgrade with the arrival of the most advanced version of the U.S. F-16V fighter.
