March 14, 2024 8:21 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is opposing the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan. Biden says in a statement obtained by The Associated Press the U.S. needs “strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers.” The announcement expected Thursday comes as the Democratic president campaigns in the Midwest and could have ripples in his race against Republican Donald Trump. Nippon Steel announced in December it plans to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14 billion in cash. That raised concerns within the federal government about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Nippon Steel promises no job losses and says it’s committed to keeping U.S. Steel’s Pittsburgh headquarters.
March 14, 2024 5:09 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors say they’re open to delaying the start of Donald Trump’s New York hush-money criminal trial to give the former president’s lawyers time to review evidence that was only recently turned over. The Manhattan district attorney’s office said in a court filing that it’s not opposed to adjourning the start of the trial for not more than 30 days. Jury selection in the trial is scheduled to begin March 25. The judge has yet to rule on the request. Trump’s lawyers are seeking an 90-day delay or the dismissal of charges against Trump, alleging violations of what’s known as the discovery process, where the sides exchange evidence.
March 14, 2024 5:08 am
(AP) – Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says he’s going to put together an investor group to buy TikTok after the House passed a bill that would ban the popular video app in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake. Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Mnuchin said he believes TikTok should be sold. He says the company should be owned by U.S. businesses and that China would never let a U.S. company own something similar in China. He offered no details about who may be in the group or about TikTok’s possible valuation. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
March 14, 2024 5:06 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Massive chunks of hail has pelted parts of Kansas and Missouri and brought traffic to a standstill along Interstate 70. Meteorologists issued thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches Wednesday into Thursday. Alex Sosnowski of AccuWeather said some were calling it “gorilla hail” because of its potential to be so big. Descriptions of hail ranged from the size of golf balls and apples, to softballs and baseballs. At least one unconfirmed tornado was reported Wednesday in Alta Vista, Kansas. The National Weather Service in Topeka said quarter-size hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph were expected across northern Kansas overnight until 6 a.m. on Thursday.
March 14, 2024 5:04 am
LONDON (AP) — Artificial intelligence is supercharging the threat of election disinformation worldwide, making it easy for anyone with a smartphone to create fake – but convincing – content aimed at fooling voters. It’s a big leap from a few years ago, when creating phony photos or videos required teams of people with time and technical skill. Now, using free and low-cost generative artificial intelligence services from companies like Google and OpenAI, anyone can create high-quality “deepfakes” with a text prompt. A wave of AI deepfakes tied to elections in Europe and Asia has coursed through social media for months, serving as a warning for more than 50 countries heading to the polls this year.
March 14, 2024 4:58 am
MONROEVILLE, Pa. — (WPXI) – Hanging wires snarled traffic for hours along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville Wednesday. Police say it started when a semi-truck hit wires along the Northern Pike overpass around 3 p.m. The downed lines backed up traffic for miles. Officials say it was bumper to bumper for 7 miles in the eastbound lanes and 3 miles in the westbound lanes. The downed lines also led to a closure of the overpass itself. That’s where repair work was concentrated. It took workers a couple of hours to secure those downed lines – some hung over the turnpike in bucket trucks to reel them in.
March 14, 2024 4:55 am
Houston Borough Council voted on Wednesday to disband their police department. Council just barely gathered a quorum with council members David Bails, Lisa Minney and Walt Nesic absent. The four remaining council members President Larry Scears, Vice President Nick Galbraith, Paul Hatalsky and Jon Taylor voted unanimously to enter into an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement with the Borough of Canonsburg. Canonsburg will now provide something to Houston that Scears says the borough never had, 24 hour a day, seven day a week police protection. The agreement is a three year deal that will cost Houston $337,000 over the life of the contract. It will release four part time police officers and Pennsylvania State Police from their duties. The contract will provide all customary police duties. Scears says that this is something that had to be done because of all of the businesses that are locating to the borough that are staying open to 11 or 12 at night. He pointed to the new Sheetz store that will be open for 24 hours a day. Scears says that public safety was the main driver in entering into the agreement. Canonsburg voted to approve the deal on Monday and have already begun their preparations to serve Houston. The contract is expected to begin on June 1, but if all parties agree, it could begin sooner.
March 13, 2024 3:41 pm
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is unveiling a plan to fight climate change. Shapiro announced Wednesday that he’ll back legislation to make power plant owners in the state pay for their greenhouse gas emissions. The plan also would require utilities to buy more electricity from renewable sources. The legislation comes under pressure from activists for more action to fight climate change in the natin’s third-biggest energy-producing state. It would make Pennsylvania the first major fossil fuel-producing state to adopt a carbon-pricing program. But it’s likely to draw fierce opposition from business interests and faces long odds in a Legislature protective of the natural gas industry.
March 13, 2024 1:53 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Researchers have linked another kind of amoeba to nasal rinsing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday published a report that for the first time connects Acanthamoeba infections to use of neti pots and other nasal rinsing devices. For years, scientists have known people can become infected with a different germ — a brain-eating amoeba — through the misuse of neti pots. Officials also are renewing their warning against using common tap water for nasal rinsing. The CDC recommends using boiled, sterile or distilled water. If tap water is used, it must be boiled first. (Photo: ABC)
March 13, 2024 10:45 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell. Lawmakers are acting on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a U.S. national security threat. The bill passed Wednesday by a vote of 352-65. It now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear. TikTok has more than 150 million American users and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. The lawmakers contend ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok’s consumers in the U.S. TikTok denies it could be used as a Chinese government tool.
