April 5, 2024 10:49 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The East Coast earthquake has snarled travel by air, road and rail around the region. Friday’s quake was centered in northern New Jersey and registered a magnitude of 4.8. It shook skyscrapers and suburbs across the northeastern U.S. for several seconds. It caused no major damage but startled millions of people in an area unaccustomed to such tremors. It diverted flights and disrupted travel on roads and rails during runway, bridge, and tunnel inspections. Flights to the Newark, New York and Baltimore airports were held at their origins for a time while officials inspected runways for cracks. (Photo: AP)
April 5, 2024 2:49 pm
BALTIMORE (AP) — President Joe Biden has gotten a firsthand look at efforts to clear away the hulking remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Cranes, ships and diving crews are working to reopen one of the nation’s main shipping lanes. Biden was planning to meet during his Friday visit with relatives of the six people killed in the collapse. The cleanup and rebuild has high economic and political stakes. Though the federal government has provided quick-release funds to start recovery, the White House has called on Congress to approve all that will be needed without seeking a separate, emergency appropriations request. The House Freedom Caucus responded that such funding would have to come with conditions. (Photo: AP)
April 5, 2024 8:54 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers delivered another outpouring of jobs in March, adding a sizzling 303,000 workers to their payrolls and bolstering hopes that the economy can vanquish inflation without succumbing to a recession in the face of high interest rates. Last month’s job growth was up from a revised 270,000 in February and far above the 200,000 economists had forecast. By any measure, it amounted to a strong month of hiring, and it reflected the economy’s ability to withstand the pressure of high borrowing costs resulting from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes. With the nation’s consumers continuing to spend, many employers have kept hiring to meet steady customer demand. The unemployment rate dipped to 3.8% from 3.9% in February.
April 5, 2024 4:50 am
Washington City Council has heard from residents concerning flooding on W. Prospect Avenue and Elm Street. The W. Prospect issue is an ongoing concern, the Elm Street issue concerned flooding and a landslide. The resident speaking to council was concerned about proposed new construction and water run off. Overall, Mayor JoJo Burgess felt that because this recent storm system is a somewhat rare event, he praised city first responders for their efforts to help residents with flooded basements and to keep residents safe when roads needed to be blocked or debris cleared from streets. City Fire Chief Chris Richer said that 28 homes had flood waters pumped out of basements in a 48 hour time frame. Burgess did go on to say that the infrastructure in the city performed well for its age. He also stated that any issues with flooding should be called into the city so that they may be addressed as quickly as possible. Other city activities are a Bottle Cap Sorting event sponsored by Clean and Tidy Our County, Inc. That will take place on Saturday April 6, from 9 AM to 6 PM at the Holy Trinity Church on Hewitt Avenue. They also have a parks and playground clean up day scheduled for April 20.
April 6, 2024 12:15 am
A local youth baseball organization is asking for the community’s help to clean up their field after heavy rain. The Bentworth Youth Baseball field was hit hard by the rain and is “in need of some serious TLC,” the organization said. The organization said any help counts, including clearing debris, raking the infield or simply lending a hand. Those who are interested in helping are asked to arrive at the field on Sunday, April 7. Cleanup starts at 10 a.m. and people can come and go as they please. If you’d like to help, you can message Bentworth Youth Baseball on Facebook. (Photo: Bentworth Youth Baseball)
April 6, 2024 12:15 am
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — Residents of Washington County who meet certain criteria can get their tuition covered at Washington & Jefferson College. The Anica Donnan Rawnsley Scholarship will cover the cost of tuition after accounting for federal, state, institutional, external and merit-based awards and aid. To qualify, students must be full-time and permanent residents of Washington County. Interested students must submit a FAFSA application by May 1st.
April 4, 2024 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Opinion Research finds that while Americans say they respect the Constitution’s checks and balances and don’t want a president to have too much power, that view shifts if the candidate of their party wins the presidency. Overall, only about 2 in 10 Americans say it would be “a good thing” for the next president to have the power to change policy without waiting on Congress or the courts. But nearly 6 in 10 Republicans say it would be good for a future President Donald Trump to take unilateral action, while about 4 in 10 Democrats say the same if President Joe Biden is reelected.
April 5, 2024 5:11 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s former Defense Secretary Mark Esper has called the former president a “threat to democracy” and says he won’t vote for him in 2024. Former Vice President Mike Pence has declined to endorse his former running mate. His former national security adviser John Bolton has described him as “unfit to be president.” As Trump seeks the presidency a third time, he’s being shadowed by a chorus of people who served in his administration who have become sharp critics, some offering dire predictions about his return to power. While past presidents may have occasional detractors or public critics among those who served them, the stark messages from many former Trump insiders are very unusual.
April 5, 2024 5:05 am
Israel says it’s taking steps to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, including reopening a key border crossing into hard-hit northern Gaza. The United Nations says much of the population in northern Gaza is on the brink of starvation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the new steps early Friday. Hours earlier, President Joe Biden told Netanyahu that future U.S. support for the war in Gaza depends on Israel doing more to protect civilians and aid workers. Gaza officials say the Palestinian death toll has passed 33,000, with another 75,600 people wounded.
April 5, 2024 5:10 am
Russia is renewing its strikes on Ukraine’s energy system. Ukrainian officials, energy workers and analysts say Moscow is using more missiles and better intelligence to strike the electrical grid across the country. In an unexpected springtime campaign Russia unleashed the most devastating wave of attacks since the early days of the full-scale invasion, plunging tens of thousands of Ukrainians into darkness and leaving Ukrainian officials scrambling to find better ways to defend their energy facilities. The Associated Press was given rare access to two power plants struck in a deadly attack on March 22.
