October 30, 2019 3:16 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is unveiling a website meant to help millions of Americans with substance abuse issues learn about and locate treatment options. FindTreatment.gov is the latest development in the administration’s effort to address the nation’s opioid crisis. The White House says it believes the site going up Wednesday will enable Americans with a variety of substance abuse and mental health issues to better access the care they need. The site modernizes an obscure directory maintained by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration with more user-friendly search criteria and tools. FindTreatment.gov was developed in-house by government coders and is managed by the White House. The administration calls the website an example of “American-First design” that places usability and education at the forefront without breaking the budget.
October 30, 2019 1:44 pm
UNIONTOWN, Pa. (AP) – Misdemeanor charges have been dropped against a Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker who had been accused of injuring his girlfriend during a fight in their western Pennsylvania hotel room this month. Backup linebacker Anthony Chickillo had been charged with simple assault, criminal mischief and harassment after the Oct. 20 fight at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower said Wednesday that the woman no longer wanted to pursue charges. Police said the pair got into an argument over table games at Lady Luck Casino that later became physical in their hotel room. Chickillo, a 26-year-old Tampa, Florida resident, has been with the Steelers for five years. He has one tackle and half a sack in three games this season, playing primarily on special teams.
October 30, 2019 8:19 am
LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) – Authorities say three people were fatally shot and nine others injured at a home in Long Beach, California. The Los Angeles Times reports that Long Beach fire spokesman Jake Heflin says firefighters arrived at the home around 10:44 p.m. on Tuesday to a scene “filled with chaos.” The department says three men were dead and the nine others were injured. Their conditions weren’t immediately available. It was not immediately known if the shooter had been taken into police custody. Some witnesses say there might have been a Halloween party going on at the house. Forty-seven-year-old Oswaldo Morales told the Times he heard as many as 17 shots. Some residents say they heard up to 20 shots. Morales says minutes later police and fire vehicles could be heard in the neighborhood.
October 30, 2019 5:43 am
ROSCOE, Pa. (WPXI) – A hazmat team was brought in after first responders were exposed to something after they were called for a death investigation early Wednesday morning in Washington County, Pennsylvania State Police said. The incident was reported about 2:30 a.m. at a home on Garfield Avenue in Roscoe. Police said the death is not suspicious. Officials said three firefighters and EMS personnel were taken to a hospital for treatment. All three people were listed in stable condition. It’s unclear what paramedics were exposed to.Officials said there is no threat to the community.
October 30, 2019 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Reserve is set to cut its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for a third time this year to help sustain the U.S. economic expansion in the face of widespread trade tensions and slower global growth. But the Fed’s policymakers will likely frustrate anyone who is hoping for a clear signal about what they may do next. The central bank may prefer instead to keep its options open, economists say. Analysts have forecast that the Fed will reduce the short-term rate it controls – which influences a broad range of consumer and business loans – by one-quarter percentage point year to a range of 1.5% to 1.75%. A third cut would nearly reverse the four rate hikes that the Fed made last year in response to a strengthening economy.
October 30, 2019 4:18 am
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (AP) – Californians are facing winds, wildfires and darkness from yet another power outage for more than 1 million people. Pacific Gas & Electric is blacking out about 1.5 million people in some 30 counties to prevent high winds from toppling power lines and sparking fires. It’s the third shutoff in a week. A fire in northern wine country and another in the wealthy Brentwood area of Los Angeles have burned dozens of homes. Both were driven by strong winds. The Sonoma County area was hit by gusts of 30 mph (48 kph) or more Tuesday but firefighters report little growth in the blaze, with winds were expected to ease Wednesday. But in the south, forecasters say hot, dry Santa Ana winds through Thursday could bring gusts of 50 to 80 mph (128.7 kph) at times.
October 30, 2019 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Russia interfered in the 2016 election and may try to sway next year’s vote as well. But it’s not the only nation with an eye on U.S. politics. American officials sounding the alarm about efforts to disrupt the 2020 election include multiple countries in that warning. Concerns abound not only about possible hacking of campaigns, but also about the spread of disinformation on social media and potential efforts to breach voting databases and even alter votes. The anxiety goes beyond the possibility that U.S. adversaries could directly affect election results: The mere hint of foreign meddling could undermine public confidence in vote tallies. U.S. intelligence agencies reported Russian, Chinese and Iranian influence operations targeting last year’s midterms. A senior FBI official recently singled out China as a particular concern.
October 30, 2019 4:14 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Sean Parnell, a Fox News contributor, says he’ll run for Congress in Pennsylvania, confirming what President Donald Trump announced during an address last week in Pittsburgh. Parnell said Wednesday that he’ll run for Pennsylvania’s politically divided 17th District, which runs from Pittsburgh’s suburbs through Ohio River towns to the Ohio border. The seat is held by freshman Rep. Conor Lamb, a Democrat who beat third-term Republican Keith Rothfus last year by 12 percentage points. Parnell made the announcement during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” and on social media, where he posted a photo of himself with Donald Trump Jr. Parnell is an Army combat veteran who served in Afghanistan and wrote a book about it. Lamb is a former Marine and federal prosecutor whose grandfather was the state Senate’s Democratic floor leader.
October 30, 2019 2:43 am
A two-vehicle accident shutdown both the north and southbound lanes of Interstate 79 for about two hours Wednesday, as crews worked to remove the wreckage from the road. Authorities say it happened around two o’clock, in the northbound lane of the interstate, between the Southpointe Exit and the Allegheny County line. According to reports, a Jeep and a tractor-trailer collided, causing the Jeep to catch fire. Emergency officials say no one was seriously injured and the interstate was reopened around four o’clock.
October 29, 2019 5:18 pm
ATLANTA (AP) – The chairman of the NCAA board of governors says the association hopes to avoid a court battle against states that are attempting to pass laws aimed at dismantling the NCAA’s rules. The NCAA board voted on Tuesday to allow athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses, but much work still needs to be done to determine how that will work within NCAA rules. Ohio State President Michael Drake said the board hopes that “all who are interested in the future welfare of student-athletes would work with us to get to that point and using reasonable processes to get there.” California passed a law last month that would prevent schools from prohibiting college athletes from being compensated for their names, images and likenesses. That law goes into effect in 2023, but other states are moving on similar legislation that could go into effect as soon as next year.
