FDA Okays First Menthol-Flavored E-Cigarettes

June 21, 2024 3:44 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the first menthol-flavored electronic cigarettes for adult smokers. Friday’s action is the government’s strongest acknowledgment that switching to flavored vaping can reduce the harms of smoking. The FDA authorized four menthol e-cigarettes from Njoy, the vaping brand recently acquired by tobacco giant Altria, which also makes Marlboro cigarettes. The decision gives new credibility to vaping companies’ longstanding argument that their products can help blunt the toll of smoking. But parent groups and anti-tobacco advocates immediately criticized the decision, saying flavors like menthol are more popular with teens.

Actor Donald Sutherland Dead At 88

June 20, 2024 1:39 am

NEW YORK (AP) — The film and television actor whose prolific career stretched from “M.A.S.H” to “JFK” to “The Hunger Games,” Donald Sutherland has died at 88. The tall and gaunt Canadian actor was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Piece in Robert Altman’s “M.A.S.H.,” the hippie tank commander in “Kelly’s Heros” and the stoned professor in “Animal House.” But over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down parts in Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People” and Oliver Stone’s “JFK.” His son Kiefer Sutherland also became a star.  (Photo:  AP)

Beau Street Accident Injures At Least One

June 20, 2024 5:59 pm

At least one person was reportedly injured in an accident that occurred Thursday afternoon at the height of rush hour.  The accident, which reportedly involved a vehicle and scooter, occurred around four o’clock in the area of Beau Street and Claire Drive.  There’s been no word on the nature of the injuries or how the crash occurred.  The road was closed for a brief period of time and traffic was detoured around the crash.

TSA At Pittsburgh Airport Stops Man With Grenade

June 20, 2024 12:42 pm

(WPXI) – A man was stopped at Pittsburgh International Airport for trying to bring a grenade onto his flight. Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said while most people plan on having a blast on their trip, the passenger wasn’t thinking along those lines. The grenade was inert. However, inert and live grenades are not allowed on planes, TSA said.

Water Main Break On East Pine Avenue Repaired

June 20, 2024 9:29 am

Crews worked through the day Thursday to repair a water main break. Pennsylvania American Water says it occurred along East Pine Avenue in the City of Washington.  Officials tell WJPA News the break involved an 8-inch line and repairs were expected to take about eight-hours to complete. Some six to eight homes in the area were affected. Once water service was restored, customers who experienced discolored water were asked to run the cold water taps only at the lowest level of their home for about three to five minutes until the water ran clear.

Home Destroyed In Peters Township Fire

June 20, 2024 5:00 am

PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – A Peters Township family lost their home in what may have been an electrical outlet fire. Patrick Cullen told Channel 11 he opened up his door Tuesday night to smoke and tried to put out the flames himself. “I came home and opened the front door, and there was a bunch of smoke and I ran to my truck and got a fire extinguisher, and came around the back to try and put it out but it was too smokey,” Cullen said. An indoor camera caught the flames going up the wall. Patrick said there was nothing plugged into that socket. “We are assuming it was an electric outlet. That’s where the fire came from… luckily we had video from inside the house,” Cullen said. Medics treated him for smoke inhalation. The state police fire marshal is still investigating.

Air Quality Alert Issued For Friday

June 20, 2024 4:47 am

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has forecast a Code ORANGE Air Quality Action Day for ozone for Friday, June 21st in the Pittsburgh area, which includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. In addition, an Air Quality Action Day has also been declared for the Indiana county area with respect to ozone.  Mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the middle 90s will create conditions for robust ozone development and formation into the code ORANGE range during the afternoon hours. Any afternoon or evening thunderstorm activity is expected to be isolated in nature, and only affect a small fraction of the area.  On air quality action days, young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.  Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Action Day area(s) are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce air pollution by:  Conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature; combining errands to reduce vehicle trips; limiting engine idling; and refueling cars and trucks after dusk.

Hold On…Heatwave Moving Closer To Breaking Point

June 20, 2024 5:06 am

SQUAM LAKE, N.H. (AP) — A heat wave is moving closer to the breaking point from the Midwest to New England, but there’s no immediate relief in sight for much of the rest of the country. The National Weather Service says the heat and humidity could send heat index readings above 100 degrees in many locations, possibly breaking all-time records. At one campground in New Hampshire, guests were keeping cool using blocks of ice harvested months earlier from a frozen lake. They were packed in sawdust until now, a tradition workers have kept for more than a century. The Weather Service predicts another scorching weekend elsewhere, with triple-digit highs in California and Arizona.

At Least Three Dead In Tropical Storm Alberto

June 20, 2024 5:09 am

TAMPICO, Mexico (AP) — Tropical Storm Alberto, the season’s first named storm, has weakened as it moves inland over northeast Mexico — but not before bringing heavy rains to the parched region and leaving at least three dead. The storm weakened rapidly over land, but carried several inches of desperately needed rain inland to Mexico’s Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila states, as well as south Texas. Alberto had spurred tropical storm warnings covering most of the western Gulf of Mexico’s coastline from Texas to Veracruz. Schools were closed across Tamaulipas state where Alberto came ashore and would be through Friday. Shelters were prepared across the state to receive residents trying to escape high water.

Robert F. Kennedy Fails To Qualify For Debate

June 20, 2024 5:52 pm

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has failed to qualify for next week’s debate in Atlanta. Host network CNN said Thursday the independent presidential candidate fell short of benchmarks both for state ballot qualification and polling. The missed markers mean the June 27 showdown will be solely between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Kennedy wanted to stand alongside the leading candidates, to lend legitimacy to his longshot bid and convince potential supporters that he has a shot at winning. Both major-party campaigns fear Kennedy could play spoiler in what’s anticipated to be a close general election. Kennedy has filed an election complaint alleging the debate markers were created to disfavor him.