December 31, 2024 4:53 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says the United States will send nearly $2.5 billion more in weapons to Ukraine. Biden’s administration is working quickly to spend all the money it has available to help Kyiv fight off Russia before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in three weeks. The package announced Monday includes $1.25 billion in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the military to pull existing stock from its shelves and gets weapons to the battlefield faster. The deal also puts more long-term weapons packages on contract through a separate Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term weapons deliveries. Biden said all longer-term funds have now been spent and pledged to use the remaining drawdown money before leaving office.
December 31, 2024 4:52 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A team of U.S. investigators including representatives from Boeing have examined the site of a plane crash that killed 179 people in South Korea. Authorities meanwhile are conducting safety inspections on all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country’s airlines. All but two of the 181 people aboard the Boeing 737-800 operated by budget airline Jeju Air died in Sunday’s crash. The plane was seen having an engine trouble and preliminary examinations also say the pilots received a bird strike warning from the ground control center and issued a distress signal as well. But many experts say the landing gear issue was likely the main cause of the crash.
December 31, 2024 4:48 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – There’s been an uptick in Norovirus cases, an extremely contagious stomach bug. Channel 11 spoke with an AHN doctor about who’s at risk and how to protect yourself from the virus. “It’s all over the schools. It’s everywhere,” a local parent said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there’s been a nationwide increase of the illness, commonly known as the stomach flu. Dr. Brian Lamb with Allegheny Health Network said the surge is due to the holidays and a lot of people gathering inside because it’s cold. “We tend to see outbreaks like this on cruise ships all the time, we see it in prisons and daycares, we see it in dorms. Anywhere where people are in a very close contact with each other,” Dr. Lamb said. Dr. Lamb said common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, body ache, headache, and fever. People of all ages can get it. There’s no treatment so Dr. Lamb encourages those who are infected to stay hydrated. He said the best way to protect yourself is washing your hands.
December 30, 2024 2:44 pm
(AP) – Funeral arrangements for former President Jimmy Carter have been announced. The 39th president of the United States was a Georgia peanut farmer who sought to restore trust in government when he assumed the presidency in 1977 and then built a reputation for tireless work as a humanitarian. He earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter died Sunday, coming up on two years after entering hospice care, at his home in Plains, Georgia. At age 52, Carter was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Carter left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following his 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. Here’s the latest. President Joe Biden has scheduled a state funeral in Washington for former President Jimmy Carter on Jan. 9th. Biden also declared Jan. 9th as a National Day of Mourning across the U.S. Carter, the longest-lived former president, died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100. Biden also ordered U.S. flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days from Sunday. (Photo: AP)
December 30, 2024 4:55 am
Strong winds Sunday night caused power outages throughout Washington County. West Penn Power’s outage map showed more than 12-hundred customers without service as of 5 a.m. The hardest hit areas appear to be East Finley, Cecil, Donegal, Independence, Mt Pleasant and Robinson Townships. There is no word on estimated restoration times. West Penn Power is also reporting more than 19-hundred customers without power in Westmoreland County. There are about 180 customers without service in Fayette County and more than 150 in Greene County.
December 30, 2024 5:08 am
HOUSTON (AP) — A strong storm system is threatening to whip up tornadoes in parts of the U.S. Southeast, a day after severe weather claimed at least two lives as twisters touched down in Texas and Mississippi. Strong storms moving eastward Sunday are expected to continue producing gusty, damaging winds, hail and tornadoes through Sunday. That is according to National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Pereira. So far, the line of severe weather has led to about 40 tornado reports from southeastern Texas to Alabama, Pereira said, but those reports remain unconfirmed until surveys of damage are completed.
December 29, 2024 5:06 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent roughly 22 months in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife Rosalynn then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said he died peacefully Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family.
December 30, 2024 3:40 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about a new scam. Scammers are calling people in the area and impersonating a deputy. The scammer commonly refers to himself as Deputy Tony Androns and says they are calling about a “confidential matter.” They also ask for a return call. Officials said the number being given for return calls is 724-409-8449. This is not the sheriff’s office number or a Washington County number. Deputies reminded the public that they would never call anyone to collect money. This is the second scam impersonating the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in the past month. Anyone who receives a call like this is asked to contact their local police department.
December 30, 2024 5:02 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials plan to conduct safety inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country’s airlines, as they struggle to determine what caused a weekend plane crash that killed 179 people. Acting President Choi Sang-mok also instructed authorities on Monday to conduct an emergency review of the country’s aircraft operation systems. The plane operated by South Korean budget airline Jeju Air skidded off a runway at Muan International Airport, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into a fireball. All but two of the 181 people aboard were killed.
December 30, 2024 5:00 am
Cases of a wretched stomach bug are surging in parts of the United States this winter, according to government data. The most recent numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there were 91 outbreaks of norovirus reported during the week of Dec. 5, up from 69 outbreaks the last week of November. Numbers from the past few years show a maximum of 65 outbreaks reported during that first week of December. A norovirus infection is characterized by sudden vomiting and diarrhea. Outbreaks are often seen on cruise ships, in congregate living situations like nursing homes and jails, as well as schools and places where people are close together. Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, responsible for 58% of such infections acquired in the country each year, according to the CDC. Norovirus infections are caused by a group of viruses that spread easily, with as few as 10 viral particles having the ability to make someone sick, health experts say. There are about 2,500 norovirus outbreaks reported annually in the United States. The outbreaks can occur throughout the year but are most common from November to April. Along with with vomiting and diarrhea, common symptoms include nausea, stomach pain, body ache, headache and fever.
