December 29, 2023 4:26 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped on the final trading day of the year, which nonetheless boasted surprisingly robust gains for Wall Street. The benchmark S&P 500 index inched lower Friday but ended 2023 with a 24.2% gain for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 13% this year. The Nasdaq soared 43% for the year, driven by gains in big technology companies, including Nvidia, Amazon and Microsoft. Treasury yields were mixed and crude oil prices were relatively stable.
December 29, 2023 5:10 am
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Hawaii’s governor and mayor are welcoming tourists back to the west side of Maui months after August wildfires killed at least 100 people and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings. They want the economic boost tourists will bring, particularly heading into the year-end holidays. But some residents are struggling with the return of an industry requiring workers to be attentive and hospitable even though they are trying to care for themselves after losing their loved ones, friends, homes and community. One server at a Lahaina restaurant was so worn out by customer questions about the fire she quit five weeks after going back to work.
December 29, 2023 5:08 am
Bentleyville Police say they are looking for help in their search for a wanted man. According to their Facebook page, police have multiple arrest warrants for 40-year old William Roderick. Police say he is wanted on 8 outstanding warrants out of Washington County. Anyone with information concerning his whereabouts is asked to contact Bentleyville Police or call 9-1-1. Callers can remain anonymous. (PHOTO; Bentleyville Police Facebook)
December 29, 2023 5:03 am
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The United Nations says tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have streamed into the town of Rafah at the southernmost end of Gaza in recent days. That influx adds further pressure on an already overwhelmed area of the embattled territory. Israeli forces, meanwhile, continued to blast through dense areas in the center of the strip on Friday, killing dozens. Residents said many houses were hit overnight across the central Nuseirat and Maghazi camps and heavy fighting was also reported in Bureij. Israel’s widening campaign is now focused on built-up areas in central Gaza, but fighting rages elsewhere as well.
December 29, 2023 5:01 am
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s Democratic secretary of state is removing former President Donald Trump from that state’s primary ballot. Shenna Bellows becomes the first election official to take action unilaterally to bar Trump under the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. The Civil War-era clause bans those who “engaged in insurrection” from office. It’s the same provision cited recently by the Colorado Supreme Court to remove Trump from the ballot in that state. The Trump campaign says it will appeal Bellows’ decision to Maine’s state courts, and Bellows suspended her ruling until that court system rules. The U.S. Supreme Court will likely rule on whether the provision applies to Trump and whether he is still eligible to return to the White House.
December 29, 2023 4:59 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials say Russia has launched 122 missiles and 36 drones against Ukrainian targets, killing at least 13 civilians in what an air force official says was the biggest aerial barrage of the 22-month war. Ukraine’s military chief said the Ukrainian air force intercepted 87 of the missiles and 27 of the Shahed-type drones overnight. Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his official Telegram channel: “The most massive aerial attack” since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. According to the Ukrainian air force, the previous biggest assault was in November 2022 when Russia launched 96 missiles against Ukraine. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Kremlin’s forces used a wide variety of weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
December 29, 2023 4:56 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – A man wanted by the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department was arrested after leading officers on a chase and crashing into a pool, police say. According to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department, James Neal, 31, was arrested Thursday night. Neal was wanted by authorities after allegedly brandishing a gun at sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday. Authorities say police began chasing Neal in the city of Pittsburgh. The pursuit continued onto the Parkway East and ended after the vehicle sank into a swimming pool in Forest Hills off of the Ardmore Boulevard exit. Neal was arrested by Pittsburgh Police officers.
December 29, 2023 2:42 am
Washington County Republican Commissioner Nick Sherman and Commissioner-Elect Electra Janis announced on Thursday that Washington-based attorney Gary Sweat will be the county’s new solicitor in 2024. Sweat, who is the managing partner of Sweat Law Offices will assume his duties in the new year. Sherman noted that Sweat’s background will allow him to navigate the county’s legal, business and government worlds and they are excited that he is bringing his considerable legal expertise to Washington County. As solicitor, Sherman says Sweat will provide legal counsel and opinions related to county government’s operational and administrative matters.
December 28, 2023 5:22 pm
MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — The house where four University of Idaho students were killed last year has been demolished. Jodi Walker is the university’s executive director of communications. She says she hopes the demolition on Thursday will bring closure and healing to the community. Prosecutors told the university they don’t anticipate needing the house for further purposes. Earlier this month, the defense team for a man accused of killing the students accessed the home to gather photos, measurements and other documentation. Bryan Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in connection with the November 2022 deaths at the rental house near the university campus in Moscow, Idaho.
December 28, 2023 5:20 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Powerful surf is rolling onto beaches on the West Coast and Hawaii as a big swell generated by the stormy Pacific Ocean pushes toward shorelines. Forecasters are urging people to stay off rocks and jetties Thursday, and to not turn their backs to the ocean because of the danger of “sneaker waves.” A high surf warning for parts of Northern California says waves will range from 28 to 33 feet and up to 40 feet at some locations. With high astronomical tides contributing to the problem, some low-lying coastal areas are experiencing localized flooding.
