September 9, 2019 12:21 pm
JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. (AP) – The U.S. Coast Guard says it has rescued three of four trapped crew members from an overturned cargo ship off the coast of Georgia. Lt. Lloyd Heflin tells The Associated Press in a text message that three men have been extracted and rescuers are working on extracting a fourth. Heflin said the four South Koreans who were trapped aboard the Golden Ray are in the propeller shaft room near the stern of the ship and that rescuers cut into the hull there to pull them out. Responders made contact with crew members Monday morning, more than 24 hours after the vehicle carrier overturned while leaving a port call in Brunswick, Georgia. The Golden Ray flipped onto its side and caught fire Sunday as it left Brunswick with more than 4,000 vehicles inside. (Photo: CNN)
September 9, 2019 8:18 am
LONDON (AP) – British Airways says it has had to cancel almost all flights as a result of a pilots’ 48-hour strike over pay. In a statement Monday, the airline said it had “no way of predicting how many (pilots) would come to work or which aircraft they are qualified to fly.” As a result, it said it had “no option but to cancel nearly 100%” of its flights. BA said it stands ready to return to talks with pilots’ union BALPA and that it is offering affected customers full refunds or the option to rebook. The union accuses BA is making massive profits at the expense of workers who made sacrifices during hard times. A further strike is penciled in for Sept. 27. BA operates up to 850 flights a day.
September 9, 2019 7:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Congress returns for the fall session with pressure mounting on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to address gun violence, election security and other issues.
The Kentucky Republican leader has promised a “Grim Reaper” strategy of burying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s legislative priorities from House Democrats. But without a robust GOP agenda it could prove unsatisfying for lawmakers facing restive voters ahead of 2020 elections. President Donald Trump has not fully explained what he’d like to see Congress accomplish, particularly on gun control. That leaves McConnell mainly focused on confirming the White House’s administrative and judicial nominees. Big-ticket legislative victories are highly unlikely as the legislative calendar folds into campaign season. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut complains that the Senate has become little more than an expensive lunch club.
September 9, 2019 7:57 am
JEANNETTE, Pa. — Counselors are available to students and faculty after a man was shot and killed outside of a western Pennsylvania stadium during the final minutes of a high school football game. Officials on Monday also will discuss security for future games at McKee Stadium in Jeannette. Authorities say 40-year-old Greg Harper shot and killed 48-year-old Dameian Williams. Harper is held without bail on homicide and reckless endangerment charges. Both are parents of high school students.
September 9, 2019 7:54 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WPXI) — The juvenile who was accidentally shot by another boy in Duquesne Heights Sunday has died. Reports say Alexander Alman, 16, was shot in the face at a home on the 300 block of Fingal Street around 3:30 pm Sunday when he and another teen were playing with a gun. Authorities arrived and found Alman unresponsive and he was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital in critical condition, but he died around 1:30 am Monday. Police say there are no charges at this time but they are still investigating to see who owned the gun and whether it was legal.
September 9, 2019 3:30 am
STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) – OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma says it’s continuing to negotiate a settlement over the toll of opioids, a day after some state attorneys general sent a letter to their colleagues saying talks with the company had reached an impasse and that they expected the company to file imminently for bankruptcy protection. In the statement, the company said it believes “a settlement that benefits the American public now is a far better path than years of wasteful litigation and appeals.” The company is being sued by more than 2,000 state, local and tribal governments. The first federal trial on opioids is scheduled to begin next month, adding pressure on the parties to settle. Two attorneys general told officials in other states the company had rejected offers from the states.
September 9, 2019 3:29 am
TORONTO (AP) – The government in the Bahamas says the death toll from Hurricane Dorian has risen by one to 44. Health Minister Duane Sands on Sunday confirmed the toll in a WhatsApp message to The Associated Press. Officials have warned that the number of deaths is likely to rise as security forces and other teams search devastated areas of the northern Bahamas. The government also announced a telephone hotline where Bahamians can call to report family members who have been unaccounted for since the storm. At least five deaths have been blamed on the storm in the Southeastern U.S. and one in Puerto Rico.
September 9, 2019 3:28 am
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – Afghans are bracing for a possible new wave of Taliban violence after President Donald Trump abruptly called off talks with the insurgent group, which vows to continue its fight against what it calls “foreign occupation.” Trump’s surprise weekend announcement came shortly before a string of highly sensitive days in Afghanistan, including Monday’s anniversary of the death of anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, the major Shiite Muslim holy day of Ashoura Tuesday and Wednesday’s 9/11 anniversary. The Taliban attacked at least two districts of northeastern Takhar province overnight, with no immediate reports of casualties. They attacked three provincial capitals earlier this month, even while finalizing a deal with the U.S. to end nearly 18 years of fighting. It’s not immediately clear whether the U.S.-Taliban talks will resume and when.
September 9, 2019 3:26 am
RANKIN, Pa. (WPXI) — One person is dead after a shootout in Rankin on Saturday night and police arrested a man they say was involved. On Sunday night, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Emery Brice Heard-Ellis, 21, of Pittsburgh. County police said they charged Marcus Carter, 29, with aggravated assault, firearm violations and other charges following the shooting. Police said at 9 p.m. officers were called to a gas station at the intersection of Gas Street and North Shore Alley. When they arrived the victim was lying dead in the road. Paramedics at the scene pronounced the man dead from a gunshot to the upper torso. Investigators said the victim and Carter were in an SUV when they shot at four people sitting on a porch on Gas Street. One or two people on the porch shot back. Police said Carter and the victim jumped out and the shootout continued. There was a heavy police presence along Gas Street. The Rankin Police chief said officers believe the shootout was drug and gang related.
September 9, 2019 3:21 am
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (AP) – A western Pennsylvania amusement park’s newest and biggest attraction has won an industry award as best new roller coaster of the year. Kennywood’s Steel Curtain won the Golden Ticket honor for best new coaster awarded by Amusement Today, an industry publication. The Steel Curtain is in the park’s new Steelers Country section, a collaboration with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 4,000-foot-long coaster contains nine inversions, which park officials say is the most in North America, and the world’s tallest inversion at 197 feet. It also placed second as 2019’s best new attraction installation. Amusement Today’s overall favorite steel roller coaster was Fury 325 at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. Europa-Park in Rust, Germany, was named best park.
