October 12, 2024 5:47 am
(AP) The recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is a fast-dwindling group of atomic bomb survivors. They’re increasingly worried about their old age and the limited time to convey the firsthand horror they witnessed 79 years ago. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to Nihon Hidankyo for its activism against nuclear weapons. The Japanese organization of survivors, or hibakusha, see the prize and the international attention as their last chance to get their message out to younger generations. The Nobel committee noted that there is hope, and a youth movement is starting.
October 12, 2024 5:38 am
(AP) Vice President Kamala Harris’ doctor says she is in “excellent health” and “possesses the physical and mental resiliency” to serve as president. Dr. Joshua Simmons is the physician to the vice president. He wrote in a two-page letter released Saturday that the 59-year-old vice president maintains a healthy, active lifestyle and that her most recent physical last April was “unremarkable.” Harris’ advisers hope to use the moment to draw a contrast with Republican Donald Trump and raise questions about his fitness to serve. The 78-year-old former president has released only limited information about his health over the years.
October 12, 2024 5:23 am
(AP) The latest solar storm has triggered northern lights farther south than normal including into parts of Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York City. Locally we witnessed the stunning display as well. Social media lit up as residents from across Washington county flooded Facebook and X with dazzling pictures of the pink and purple sky. There were no immediate reports of disruptions to power and communications from Thursday’s storm. The weekend forecast shows continued higher-than-normal activity, but the chances for another overnight show are slim farther south of Canada and the northern Plains states. The sun is near the peak of its current 11-year cycle, sparking all the recent solar activity. In May, Earth got slammed by severe solar storms, the strongest in more than two decades.
October 11, 2024 5:01 am
A police chase ended with a crash overnight in Independence Township. Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers say Mount Pleasant Township officers were chasing a vehicle along Brush Run Road when the vehicle struck a utility pole. The pole and wire were reportedly brought down. The unidentified driver was injured but we have no word on their condition. No other details have been released. Power crews were called to the scene to make repairs.
October 11, 2024 4:51 am
BENTLEYVILLE, Pa. — A major drug bust was made in Bentleyville on Wednesday. Police said they pulled over a car with an expired plate, but it turned out that the driver had a warrant out for his arrest and a car full of drugs. Kenton Pinson, of Bentleyvillle, is now behind bars. Officers say they confiscated, a gun with a homemade silencer attached, an array of drugs and paraphernalia, including 22 ounces of methamphetamine, cash and more. Pinson was taken to the Allegheny County Jail and will be transferred to Washington to face new drug charges.
October 11, 2024 4:55 am
NEW EAGLE, Pa. — Ringgold has postponed its home football game with Thomas Jefferson as the school district investigates misconduct allegations. In a statement on the District’s website, Superintendent Randall Skrinjorich said that the “District was made aware of alleged incidents of misconduct. Given the serious nature of the alleged incidents that involve members of the football team, the District has made the difficult decision to postpone the football game.” The statement went on to say “We are continuing to gather information and will take all the appropriate steps to address these allegations.” WPIAL officials are handling the situation as a postponement at this moment and will address the situation later should the teams not be able to re-schedule.
October 11, 2024 5:07 am
PITTSBURGH — Former President Barack Obama made his first campaign stop in the City of Pittsburgh, rallying the vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. Joined by top state leaders like Gov. Josh Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, and Senator Bob Casey, his visit comes as the race for the White House remains close. “We are ready for a better story Pennsylvania, we are ready for a President Kamala Harris,” Obama said. Thursday night was Obama’s first visit to the city since 2022, his stop a part of a nationwide swing through battleground states – rallying support for Harris. During his speech, the former president laid out what he said is the stark contrast between Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump. “Donald Trump is a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems,” Obama said. He continued by addressing the crowded auditorium, “What I cannot understand is why anyone would think that Donald Trump would shake things up in a way that is good for you, Pennsylvania,” he questioned. This visit marks the first of several stops for the former president who is expected to make visits in other battleground states ahead of the election, while Harris will visit Erie on Monday.
October 11, 2024 5:11 am
Hurricane Milton brought powerful winds, storm surge and flooding to much of Florida after making landfall along the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm. It weakened as it plowed through Florida late Wednesday into Thursday. In its wake, it has left widespread power outages and caused at least eight deaths. The cyclone had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph when it roared ashore in Siesta Key, south of the populated Tampa Bay region. A storm surge affected a long stretch of Florida’s Gulf Coast, including densely populated areas such as Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers.
October 11, 2024 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A pair of unwelcome and destructive guests named Helene and Milton have stormed their way into this year’s presidential election. The unprecedented back-to-back hurricanes have jumbled the schedules of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, both of whom devoted part of their Thursdays to tackling questions about the storms. The two hurricanes are forcing basic questions about who as president would best respond to deadly natural disasters. And just weeks before the Nov. 5 election, the storms have disrupted the mechanics of voting in several key counties and forced the candidates to alter their plans.
October 11, 2024 5:13 am
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 22 people have been killed and 117 wounded in Israeli airstrikes that hit two areas in central Beirut. An Associated Press photographer who went to the scene Thursday evening said the first strike, in Ras al-Nabaa, appeared to have hit the lower half of an apartment building and explosions were ongoing inside the building. The second strike, in Burj Abi Haidar, collapsed an entire building, which was engulfed in flames. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reported strikes. Earlier in the day, a strike on a central Gaza school-turned-shelter killed 27 people.
