September 10, 2023 7:53 am
MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — A rare, powerful earthquake has struck Morocco, sending people racing from their beds into the darkened streets and toppling buildings in mountainous villages and ancient cities not built to withstand such force. More than 2,000 people were killed. The toll is expected to rise as rescuers struggle to get through boulder-strewn roads to remote areas hit hardest. State television showed people clustered in the streets of Marrakech late at night, afraid to go back inside buildings that might still be unstable. Morocco’s Interior Ministry said late Saturday that at least 2,012 people died in the quake, mostly in Marrakech and five provinces near the epicenter. At least 2,059 more people were injured, 1,404 critically.
September 10, 2023 7:52 am
PHOENIX (AP) — How hot is Phoenix? Amid the hottest summer ever measured, the sizzling desert city set yet another record Saturday when temperatures topped 110 degrees. It was the 54th day this year that the official reading at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport made the mark. The previous record of 53 days was set in 2020. The National Weather Service says the streak could reach 55 days with temperatures forecast at 111 degrees on Sunday. It’s expected to reach just 106 on Monday. Meteorologist Matt Salerno says Phoenix has experienced its hottest three months since record-keeping began in 1895. That’s included the hottest July on record and the second-hottest August.
September 10, 2023 7:50 am
September 10, 2023 7:49 am
HANOI (AP) — President Joe Biden has opened a short visit to Vietnam by telling its leadership that their countries have a chance to shape the Indo-Pacific for decades to come. Biden told Vietnam’s general secretary that their countries are critical partners at what he thinks is a critical time. General secretary Nguyen Phu Trong agreed that they have an excellent opportunity to expand the relationship. Vietnam is elevating the U.S. to the status of being a comprehensive strategic partner, but Washington n the same level with China and Russia. Biden was welcomed to Vietnam on Sunday with a pomp-filled outdoor ceremony outside the mustard-colored Presidential Palace.
September 10, 2023 7:47 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI)— A Pittsburgh Police detective and one other person were injured after a crash on the North Side. Emergency crews responded to the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Tripoli Street at around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Pittsburgh Police say a Chevy Traverse hit another vehicle and then crashed into the detective’s cruiser. Both the detective and the driver of the Traverse were taken to a hospital to be treated. Authorities believe the driver suffered a medical emergency before crashing. The detective was not responding to an active call when the crash happened.
September 10, 2023 7:45 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Majority control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will once again come down to a special election. Republican voters face a strongly Democratic lean in a Pittsburgh district to flip power back to their caucus on Sept. 19. Democrat Lindsay Powell and Republican Erin Connolly Autenreith will go up against each other for the Allegheny County seat. They are vying to replace progressive Democrat Sara Innamorato, who resigned in July to seek the county executive job. Her departure left the House at a 101-101 tie. The Democratic House has been able to advance its priorities with a newfound majority. If the House flips back to the Republicans, the GOP-controlled Senate will have a more favorable chamber for its goals.
September 10, 2023 4:35 am
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation wants to make travelers aware of several projects taking place in and around Washington County. A portion of Brush Run Road/Route 331 will close between Breezy Heights Ridge Road/Route 231 and Hickory nut Road in Independece Township. That will be for a bridge replacement over Brush Run. The closure will begin September 11 and last through mid November. A detour is posted. Interstate 70 bridge inspections continue and single lane restrictions will be in effect on the bridge that carries Interstate 70 over the Monongahela River in Speers Borough and Belle Vernon Borough. The restrictions will be in effect on September 11 through September 15 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm each day. Route 19 in Upper St. Clair is also experiencing lane restrictions for paving activities. Those restrictions are in the northbound lanes between Concourse Drive and Fort Couch Road. They run from 8:00 am to 4 pm daily through September 29. Motorists may check for updates at www.511PA.com.
September 10, 2023 1:14 am
PLUM, Pa. – The Allegheny County Fire Marshal said the Plum explosion that killed six people last month came from inside the house at 141 Rustic Ridge Drive. According to the fire marshal, several levels of testing have been conducted and completed since the start of the investigation, including all potential outside factors, like wells, pipelines, ground gas propagation and other utilities, which were all inspected and tested by each associated agencies and companies. The results of the testing confirm there are no factors outside of the house that led to the explosion, the fire marshal said. The property at 141 Rustic Ridge Drive will be turned back over to the property owners and representatives, the fire marshal said. Follow up interviews are still being completed with some first responders and witnesses. The cause of the explosion continues to be investigated.
September 9, 2023 4:52 am
The Biden administration is putting more money into aviation safety and taking the first steps toward requiring that all planes be equipped with technology designed to prevent close calls around airports. The White House said Friday it’s investing $26 million in things like more use of technology for tracking planes on the ground at airports. And the Federal Aviation Administration is asking one of its advisory panels to suggest how the government can require technology to warn pilots, for example, when they are lined up to land on the wrong runway. The moves are designed to counter an increase in close calls this year.
September 9, 2023 4:48 am
ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has denied Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ request to move his Georgia election subversion case from state court to federal court. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones’ ruling Friday is a win for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Willis spent 2 1/2 years building the case against Meadows, Republican ex-President Donald Trump and 17 others before obtaining the indictment under Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. Willis wants to try the defendants together. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges they participated in a scheme to illegally try to overturn Trump’s 2020 presidential election loss in Georgia. Meadows says his actions were taken as part of his role as chief of staff.
