December 17, 2024 12:51 pm
DETROIT (AP) — Starting in September of 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don’t buckle up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it finalized the rule, which also requires enhanced warnings when front seat belts aren’t fastened. The agency estimates that the new rule will save 50 lives per year and prevent 500 injuries when fully in effect. The new rule will apply to passenger cars, trucks, buses except for school buses, and multipurpose vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds.
December 17, 2024 5:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk’s attachment to President-elect Donald Trump has created an unprecedented alliance between America’s most powerful politician and its richest businessman. Roughly the same percentages of Americans have favorable views of both of them, according to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Experts are split on whether that overlap in public opinion is a good or bad thing for Musk’s businesses or for Trump’s politics. But it could have far-reaching effects in both realms. Musk, whose net worth tops $400 billion, oversees six businesses while continuing to work closely with Trump. And for Trump, Musk is an important validator with his conservative base. (Photo: AP)
December 17, 2024 5:08 am
After months of deadlock, Israel and Hamas appear to be moving closer toward a ceasefire to end their 14-month war. Top officials from the U.S., Qatar and Egypt have resumed their mediation efforts in recent weeks and reported greater willingness by the warring sides to wrap up a deal. In a key concession, Hamas officials say they are prepared to show more “flexibility” on the timing of an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said Monday that a deal is closer than ever. The agreement is expected to take place in phases and include a halt in fighting, an exchange of captive Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to Gaza.
December 17, 2024 5:05 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has refused to dismiss President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity. But the overall future of the historic case remains unclear. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan’s decision Monday blocks one potential off-ramp from the case ahead of Trump’s return to office next month. His lawyers have raised other arguments for dismissal, however. It’s unclear when — or whether — a sentencing date might be set. A jury convicted Trump in May of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in 2016. Trump denies wrongdoing.
December 17, 2024 5:04 am
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials says Lt. General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces, has been killed by an explosive device planted near an apartment building in Moscow. Russia’s Investigative Committee said the bomb, which was triggered by the device placed in a scooter, also killed Kirillov’s assistant. Kirillov, who was named the head of Russia’s nuclear defense forces in April 2017, was under sanctions from several countries including the U.K. and Canada for his role in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Services on Dec. 16 charged Kirillov with the use of banned chemical weapons during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine that started in Feb. 2022.
December 17, 2024 4:59 am
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Drone-detecting devices deployed in New Jersey within the past week have shown little to no evidence of anything nefarious or threatening. That’s according to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who said Monday that 12 sightings of suspected drones were reported in the state overnight Saturday and one on Sunday. He also has echoed calls by officials in other states for Congress to give them more authority to deal with drones. Federal officials say there is no evidence that drones are being operated with bad intent or by foreign governments, and many sightings over the eastern U.S. have actually been of manned aircraft that look like drones.
December 17, 2024 4:56 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say security guards at the federal courthouse in Harrisburg shot and wounded a knife-wielding man who attempted to attack one of them. Few details of Monday’s shooting were immediately available, and authorities said the FBI was leading the investigation. In a statement, the U.S. Marshals Service says the security officers moved to stop the man after he entered the courthouse, brandishing a knife. The marshals service says the suspect attempted to attack one of the security officers before they shot him, striking him multiple times. He was in stable condition at a hospital, while the security officers were uninjured.
December 17, 2024 2:50 am
The Peters Township School Board held a public hearing pertaining to an application filed by the Dogwood Charter School to locate its facilities inside the school district. Beth Opat is the founder of the school and she said that she is searching for an appropriate building to house their kindergarten through eighth grade program. Dogwood had been open earlier this year in a former church school in Bethel Park. Township officials indicated that according to their zoning rules, the building did not conform to building codes designated for schools. Those decisions forced the closure of the school. Opat said that her school is looking to partner with the school district to offer an education based on the Charlotte Mason curriculum approach to education. That approach takes an active engagement process to education as opposed to the passive engagement found in traditional schools. Opat said that the approach is effective for divergent students and students identified with ADHD or ADD. After the presentation, school board members asked pointed questions about the organizational skills of the school. They asked about their successes academically and how they were measured. Questions about academic measures were not able to be answered. Directors seemed concerned about the ability for the school to operate. Several audience members did speak. All of them spoke of the emotional turnarounds their children experienced once they attended Dogwood Charter. The hearing was continued. Another hearing will be scheduled in early 2025 before directors vote on allowing the charter school to locate in the township.
December 17, 2024 2:48 am
Peters Township Council adopted their budget for 2025. There will not be a tax increase on the balanced budget. The numbers come in at $29.5 million in revenue and $43.8 in expenditures. The gap between revenue and expenditures will be made up from previously borrowed funds and funds that will be borrowed if council approves capital projects throughout the year. According to Council Chairman Dr. Tom Pirosko, council is pleased to hold the line on taxes but that may not be the case next year. According to Township Manager Paul Lauer, real estate development has leveled off compared to previous years. The earned income tax has remained flat also. Recreational projects will highlight the township’s spending this year. Artificial turf will be installed on baseball fields 1 and 2 at Peterswood Park. A splash pad is being built at Rolling Hills Park. Phase 2 of the development of Rolling Hills Park will also be considered. Amenities that could be included in that expansion are increased parking, basketball courts, pickleball courts and dek hockey. A dog park is also under consideration. The splash pad could open in early summer of 2025. If council approves any or all of the Rolling Hills Park expansion, those improvements could begin in early fall of 2025.
December 17, 2024 2:45 am
(WPXI) – Transportation Security Administration officers at Pittsburgh International Airport stopped a .25 caliber handgun at the security checkpoint on Monday. The handgun, which was loaded with six bullets, was in a Washington County man’s backpack. Police confiscated the gun after the bag was removed from the X-ray machine. Monday marked the 41st firearm that TSA officers have intercepted at Pittsburgh so far this year.
