October 2, 2024 2:11 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Voting has begun in the presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania. Counties are mailing out ballots, offering over-the-counter voting and opening satellite election offices. Seth Bluestein sits on Philadelphia’s election commission. He said Wednesday that voters in the state’s largest city have returned about 15,000 mail-in ballots. That’s about 10% of the 150,000 ballots the city mailed so far. It’s also opening 10 satellite election offices. Allegheny County, home to Pittsburgh, says voters who applied for mail-in ballots have started receiving them. Montgomery County, the state’s third-most populous county, is mailing out ballots and this week it’s unveiling eight satellite election offices and a mobile voter services van. (Photo: AP)
October 1, 2024 3:12 pm
(AP) — John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 84. He played James Evans Sr. on “Good Times,” which featured one of television’s first Black two-parent families. Produced by Norman Lear and co-created by actor Mike Evans, who co-starred on “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” it ran from 1974-79 on CBS. Among Amos’ film credits were “Let’s Do It Again” with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy and its 2021 sequel, “Die Hard 2,” “Madea’s Witness Protection” and “Uncut Gems” with Adam Sandler. He was in Ice Cube and Dr. Dre’s 1994 video “Natural Born Killaz.” Amos’ “Good Times” character, along with wife Florida, played by Esther Rolle, originated on another Lear show, “Maude.” James Evans often worked two manual labor jobs to support his family that included three children, with Jimmie Walker becoming a breakout star as oldest son J.J. (Photo: AP)
October 1, 2024 12:53 pm
A jackknifed tractor-trailer briefly shut down part of eastbound I-70 Early Tuesday afternoon, one mile past the West Alexander Exit. There’s been no word on what caused the crash or if there were any injuries.
October 1, 2024 12:46 pm
(AP) – DirecTV is buying Dish and Sling, a deal it has sought to complete for years as it seeks to better compete against streaming services that have become dominant. DirecTV said Monday that it will acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that includes a payment of $1, plus the assumption of debt. The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, with headlines about reported talks popping up over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked their owners’ then-$18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns. (Photo: AP)
October 1, 2024 6:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is making asylum restrictions at the southern border even tougher. The changes come in the middle of an election campaign where border security is a key concern, and the administration is increasingly eager to show voters it’s taking a hard stance. The rules announced Monday toughen restrictions imposed in June and will bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem that the southern border is overwhelmed. Immigration advocates already had harshly criticized the previous restrictions, saying the administration was slashing away at vital protections for people fleeing persecution. The new restrictions go into effect Tuesday.
October 1, 2024 6:53 am
JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran says it fired dozens of missiles into Israel, a sharp escalation of the monthslong conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militias Hezbollah and Hamas. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Israel on Tuesday as the country ordered residents to head to bomb shelters and as air raid sirens sounded. Earlier in the day, Israel warned people to evacuate communities in southern Lebanon to avoid harm from limited ground operations it said were launched against Hezbollah. Israel and the United States said there would be consequences for any direct attack by Iran on Israel. (Photo: AP)
October 1, 2024 6:50 am
State Police are investigating a homicide last night in Washington County. Authorities say they were called to Spring Street in Robinson Township just before six o’clock for reports of a shooting involving two men. Police have not released the identity of those involved, but said both men were taken to a hospital where one later died. Troopers say they do have a suspect in custody.
October 1, 2024 5:59 am
A shocking social media post is the latest attack on Charleroi’s immigrant population. The flyer promotes a white supremacy group and asks “white citizens of Charleroi” to arm themselves and “protect your families.” Local officials tell WPXI there weren’t physical flyers posted throughout the community, but one posted on a private community page on Facebook. The flyer includes several Ku Klux Klan logos. The flyer reads in part “arm yourself white America” and “these 3rd world immigrants are destroying every single city they arrive in.” It comes following remarks made about the borough by former President Trump during a campaign stop. Local leaders from both sides of the aisle have called for an end to this hateful rhetoric. Local officials say they’ll continue to remain vigilant to ensure the safety of all residents.
October 1, 2024 5:18 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 84. Amos’ publicist, Belinda Foster, confirmed the news of his death Tuesday. He played James Evans Sr. on “Good Times,” which featured one of television’s first Black two-parent families. Produced by Norman Lear and co-created by actor Mike Evans, who co-starred on “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” it ran from 1974-79 on CBS. Amos was Emmy nominated for playing the adult Kunta Kinte, the centerpiece of “Roots,” based on Alex Haley’s novel set during and after the era of slavery in the U.S.
October 1, 2024 5:15 am
SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden will survey the devastation in North and South Carolina as rescuers continued their search for anyone still unaccounted for since Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage across the Southeast. The death toll is at least 166. While Biden is in the Carolinas on Wednesday Vice President Kamala Harris will be in neighboring Georgia. Helene, one of the deadliest storms in recent U.S. history, knocked out power and cellular service for millions. More than 1.2 million customers still were in the dark early Wednesday in the Carolinas and Georgia. In Augusta, Georgia, people waited in line for more than three hours to try to get water from one of five centers set up to serve more than 200,000 people.
