Another Dog Abandoned At Pittsburgh International Airport

November 16, 2023 4:49 pm

(WPXI) – Another dog has been found abandoned at Pittsburgh International Airport on Thursday. Police say that shortly after one o’clock Thursday afternoon. officers were told a dog was tied to a pole in the short-term parking garage. Police say they were able to untie the dog, but it was not microchipped and they are actively investigating to find out who left the animal behind. This is not the first time a dog was abandoned at the airport this year. In August, a French bulldog was left in a stroller. The owner of the French bulldog faces multiple charges, including animal cruelty and neglect. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-833-ALL-TIPS.  (Photo:  Allegheny County Police)

Public Records Requirements Expanded For Universities

November 16, 2023 3:55 pm

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Several leading Pennsylvania universities that receive millions of dollars in state aid must start publicly disclosing more records about their finances, employment and operation. That’s according to legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Josh Shapiro. He signed the bill a day after it passed the Senate unanimously. For years, lawmakers have sought to expand public-disclosure requirements over Pennsylvania’s four state-related universities: Pitt, Temple, Lincoln and Penn State. Under the legislation, the universities will be required to publish various pieces of information about their finances, employment and operations. Some of it they already voluntarily produce, such as open meeting minutes from their boards of trustees, enrollment and staff employment figures.

George Santos Says He Won’t Run For Re-Election

November 16, 2023 10:49 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Congressman George Santos of New York says he won’t run for reelection in 2024 after a scathing House Ethics Committee report on his conduct cited “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking. The Ethics panel says it has referred its findings about Santos to the Justice Department. Shortly after the panel’s report was released, Santos blasted it in a tweet on X as a “politicized smear” but said he would not be seeking reelection to a second term. A renewed effort to expel him has been launched. The committee said Thursday that Santos’ conduct warrants public condemnation, is beneath the dignity of the office, and has brought severe discredit upon the House.

Thousands Of Starbucks Workers Walk Off Their Jobs

November 16, 2023 7:51 am

NEW YORK (AP) — Workers at more than 200 U.S. Starbucks stores walked off the job Thursday. Organizers say it’s the largest strike yet in the 2-year-old effort to unionize the company’s stores. The Workers United union chose Starbucks’ annual Red Cup Day to stage the walkout since it’s usually one of the busiest days of the year. Starbucks expects to give away thousands of reusable cups Thursday to customers who order holiday drinks. The union says it’s expecting more than 5,000 workers to take part in its “Red Cup Rebellion.” Around 30 stores also staged walkouts on Wednesday.  (Photo:  AP)

More Pandas Will Be Coming To The United States

November 16, 2023 5:09 am

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping is signaling that China will send new pandas to the United States. He calls the animals “envoys of friendship” between the Chinese and American peoples. During a speech before business leaders, Xi said that China was ready to continue its cooperation with the U.S. on panda conservation. The comment came at the end of a day in which Xi and President Joe Biden held their first face-to-face meeting in a year and pledged to try to reduce tensions. Xi did not share details on when or where pandas might be provided. There are only four pandas left in the United States, in the Atlanta Zo

Congress Approves Temporary Funding

November 16, 2023 5:02 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has ended the threat of a government shutdown until after the holidays. The Senate gave final approval to a temporary government funding package Wednesday night and sent it to President Joe Biden for his signature. The bill sets up a final confrontation on the government budget in the new year. The Senate worked into the night to pass the bill with days to spare before government funding expires Saturday. The spending package keeps government funding levels at current levels for roughly two more months while a long-term package is negotiated.

Police & Protesters Clash Outside Democratic HQ

November 16, 2023 5:01 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Police and protesters have clashed outside Democratic National Committee headquarters during a demonstration for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas. Scores of Democratic representatives and candidates, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, were inside the building for a campaign reception when it was interrupted by chanting outside. Protesters said they wanted to block entrances and exits to force politicians to encounter their candlelight vigil Wednesday night. However, the situation swiftly devolved. U.S. Capitol Police said about 150 people were “illegally and violently protesting,” but protesters blamed police for the violence. Capitol Police said six officers were treated for minor injuries and one protester was arrested for assaulting an officer.

Palestinians In Southern Gaza Told To Evacuate

November 16, 2023 4:58 am

(AP) – Palestinians in parts of southern Gaza say they received evacuation notices. The signal that fighting is about to expand in the south comes a day after Israeli forces began searching a north Gaza hospital where they claimed Hamas militants operate — a claim that Hamas and hospital staff deny. The Israeli military displayed what it said were Hamas weapons and military equipment it uncovered in Shifa Hospital. But so far, its search showed no signs of tunnels or a sophisticated command center. Saudi Arabia condemned the raid on Shifa Hospital. The World Health Organization says only a quarter of Gaza’s hospitals are still functioning, either because they have been damaged or because they ran out of fuel.

Biden-Xi Meeting; Putting Relations Back On Course

November 16, 2023 4:56 am

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Perhaps just shaking hands and sitting down together can be enough sometimes. At their meeting Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping didn’t resolve any of the major geopolitical issues dividing the world’s two largest economies and chief rivals for influence, particularly among developing nations. But it did seem to put a floor beneath a relationship that had been in free-fall over issues from trade to investment to U.S. support for Taiwan, along with human rights in regions from Tibet to Sichuan and the Asian financial hub of Hong Kong, which China administers as a semi-autonomous region while gutting its civil liberties handed over from the former British administration.

Jimmy Kimmel Returning As Host Of The Oscars

November 15, 2023 5:39 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Kimmel is returning as host of the Academy Awards for the second straight year and fourth time overall. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Kimmel’s return on Wednesday. ABC is returning to its late-night host a year after bringing Kimmel back for a 2023 ceremony that drew 18.7 million viewers, the most since 2020’s pre-pandemic broadcast. In the wake of Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, Kimmel led a cautious ceremony that helped stabilize the Academy Awards after years of turmoil. The 96th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on March 10 from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.