August 21, 2024 5:03 am
TORONTO (AP) — Both of Canada’s major freight railroads have come to a full stop because of a contract dispute with their workers, an impasse that could bring significant economic harm to businesses and consumers in Canada and the U.S. if the trains don’t resume running soon. Canadian National and CPKC railroads both locked out their employees after the deadline of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Thursday passed without new agreements with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference that represents some 10,000 engineers, conductors and dispatchers. Business groups had urged the government to intervene, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has declined to force both sides into arbitration yet. The railroads offered binding arbitration and said the shutdown would end if the union accepts it.
August 21, 2024 4:49 am
North Strabane Township Supervisors set their agenda for their Legislative Meeting next week. Supervisors anticipate awarding two contracts, for parks and recreation and road construction. Supervisors will open bids on Friday for the reconstruction of McDowell Lane. According to Township Manager Andrew Walz, if there is an acceptable bid, the goal is to award the contract for that construction next week. Supervisors will also look to approve a contract to replace the synthetic field in North Strabane Park. That contract is just under $550,000. Supervisors will also look to approve a takeover agreement with an insurance agency to restart construction on the Public Safety building. The project has been stalled because of the inability of the contractor of record, Spartan Construction, to be able to complete the project. Supervisors will meet on August 27 at 7:00 pm.
August 21, 2024 2:56 am
CONSOL Energy and Arch Resources, in a conference call with investors Wednesday morning, announced plans to merge, creating an energy company valued at more than five-billion-dollars. The new company will be called Core Natural Resources, and will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under a new ticker symbol that the companies have not yet disclosed, Once the merger is complete, the new company will own eleven mines across six states that produce thermal and metallurgical coal that will be used for heat generation at power plants and in steel-making. Core Natural Resources will be headquartered in Canonsburg, at their Southpointe location, while still maintaining a presence in St. Louis, where Arch is based. The use of coal in the United States has fallen almost every year since 2005 as energy plants switch over to natural gas and that has led to mine closures and job cuts across the sector. Coal companies that have survived need to lower costs and that can be achieved both through new technology, and mergers like the one announced by CONSOL and Arch.
August 21, 2024 2:47 am
(ABC) – Sources say Robert Kennedy Jr. is planning to drop out of the race for President and may endorse former President Trump. Robert F. Kennedy Jr, – the Independent candidate for president struggled to gain momentum on the national stage, and now sources say he’s calling it quits. Kennedy’s team is teasing a speech where he will address the nation on Friday from Phoenix, Arizona. The latest poll showed Kennedy polling at 5 percent – down from 10 percent a month ago, before Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket.
August 21, 2024 2:10 am
ASHEBORO, N.C. (AP) — Donald Trump held his first outdoor rally since an attempted assassination last month in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump’s podium at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame is surrounded by panes of bulletproof glass that form a protective wall across the stage. Storage containers have also been stacked around the perimeter of the space to create additional walls and block sight lines at the venue, where old aircraft have been positioned behind the podium and a large American flag is suspended from cranes. He is set to deliver remarks on national security Wednesday afternoon as part of his counter-programming efforts during the Democratic National Convention. (Photo: AP)
August 20, 2024 5:32 pm
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois will soon become just the fifth state in the nation to prohibit corporal punishment in all schools. Legislation that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law this month bans physical punishment in private schools while reiterating a prohibition on the practice in public schools, first implemented 30 years ago. The law takes effect in January. Illinois will join New Jersey, Iowa, Maryland and New York in prohibiting paddling, spanking or hitting in all its schools. Chicago Democratic Rep. Margaret Croke was inspired to take up the issue after the American Association of Pediatrics’ updated call to end the practice. Seventeen U.S. states allow some sort of corporal punishment in all schools.
August 20, 2024 6:37 am
The Peters Township School Board quickly disposed of their agenda filled largely with procedural voting items. The board of directors is looking forward to a new year that will begin Wednesday August 21. Superintendent Dr. Jeannine French says she is looking forward to greeting the students this year. She says that crews were hard at work making sure the facilities are nice and fresh for students when they arrive. She says that the district will keep focusing on the basics of education. That way the district should be able to maintain its local, state and national recognition that it has enjoyed for the last several years. According to USNews.com, the district ranks third in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Region, 11th in Pennsylvania and 503rd in the nation last year. French also expressed her gratitude to the union leaders, teachers negotiating team and staff for coming together on a five year labor agreement last month.
August 20, 2024 5:10 am
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it has recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that started the war in Gaza. The operation came as U.S. and Arab mediators try to advance an agreement to halt the fighting and release scores of other militant-held captives. The military announced the recovery on Tuesday, without saying when or how the six died. Hamas says some captives have been killed and wounded in Israeli airstrikes. The recovery is a blow to Hamas, which hopes to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting cease-fire. But it was also likely to increase pressure on Israel’s government to reach a deal to release dozens of hostages who are still believed to be alive.
August 20, 2024 5:09 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Dozens of protesters broke through a security fence near the site of the Democratic National Convention on its opening day as thousands took to the streets to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza. Families with babies in strollers, students, elected leaders and others holding signs and flags joined the march on Monday to the United Center, where the convention is being held, to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. As the larger group marched peacefully, a few dozen who broke away tore down pieces of the security fence. Several protesters who had managed to get through the fence were detained and handcuffed by officers.
August 20, 2024 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tim Walz and JD Vance have vaulted themselves out of national obscurity as they hustle to introduce themselves to the country, but the senator from Ohio has had a rockier start than the Minnesota governor. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that Walz had a smoother launch as a running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris than Vance did for former President Donald Trump. Overall, about one-quarter of Americans have a positive opinion of Vance, and about one-third have a favorable view of Walz. Significantly more also have an unfavorable view of Vance than Walz, 44% to 25%.
