May 11, 2024 5:12 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – An unusually strong solar storm could allow the Aurora Borealis to become visible across much of the northern United States. The lights are typically seen in northern latitudes but the severity of the storm tonight could allow the natural light display to be seen further south than usual, including in western Pennsylvania. And the good news is that cloud cover will actually cooperate across our side of the state, with afternoon clouds and showers expected to dissipate by this evening. Be sure to look up toward the northern sky any time after midnight. The best viewing conditions will be found for areas further north and away from lights. This is considered a rare event by space scientists and could potentially be the strongest solar storm we’ve seen since 2003. Some forecasts indicate the possibility of the lights being seen as far south as Alabama!
May 11, 2024 2:24 am
The Washington County Chamber of Commerce announced their ATHENA Award winner for 2024. Laural Ziemba of Range Resources was honored with the award at a luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe. Other finalists included Christine Blaine of the Washington Wild Things, Leslie LaPosta of JW Ebert/McDonalds Restaurants, Denise J. Leigh of the McGuffey School District and Holly Martin of New Directions Mental Health. Criteria to qualify for the award are achieving the highest level of professional excellence, contribution of time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community and active assistance to others, particularly women in realizing their full leadership potential. The chamber also awarded the Diana Irey Vaughan ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award to Shana Brown of the Washington Business District Authority. This award honors emerging leaders who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession.
May 10, 2024 1:53 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors in Donald Trump’s hush money trial narrowed their focus to checks and phone records as they laid the groundwork for jurors to hear eventually from their star witness: Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney. With the third week of the testimony drawing to a close Friday, the case that ultimately hinges on the issue of record-keeping returned to deeply technical testimony. It’s a sharp contrast from Stormy Daniels’ dramatic, if not downright seamy, account of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump that riveted jurors earlier this week. Trump denies they ever had sex. He has denied wrongdoing in the case.
May 10, 2024 1:51 pm
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The U.N. says heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in the southern Gaza city of Rafah has left crucial nearby aid crossings inaccessible and caused over 110,000 people to flee north. A U.N. official says the World Food Program will run out of food for distribution in southern Gaza by Saturday. The United States is deeply opposed to Israel’s plans for a full-scale invasion of Rafah and is stepping up pressure by threatening to withhold arms to Israel. But even a more limited incursion earlier this week could worsen Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe. Heavy fighting was underway Friday in northern Gaza, where Hamas appears to have again regrouped in an area where Israel had already launched punishing assaults.
May 10, 2024 1:48 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld the criminal conviction of Donald Trump’s longtime ally Steve Bannon for defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday rejected Bannon’s challenges to his contempt of Congress conviction. Bannon had been sentenced to four months in prison, but the judge overseeing the case had allowed him to stay free pending appeal. Bannon’s attorneys didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
May 10, 2024 5:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed a $105 billion bill designed to improve air safety and customer service for air travelers, a day before the law governing the Federal Aviation Administration expires. The bipartisan bill now goes to the House, which is out of session until next week. The Senate has also passed a one-week extension that would give the House time to pass the bill while ensuring the FAA isn’t forced to furlough around 3,600 employees. The bill stalled for several days this week after senators from Virginia and Maryland objected to a provision that would allow an additional 10 flights a day to and from the heavily trafficked Reagan Washington National Airport.
May 10, 2024 5:14 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Some universities are vowing to provide information about how much university endowment money is invested in companies profiting from the Israel-Hamas war amid calls from pro-Palestinian protesters. As part of that effort, the University of Minnesota disclosed this week that about $5 million of its $2.27 billion endowment investments are tied to Israeli-based companies or U.S.-based defense contractors. To protesters it is a first step. A meeting with the university’s Board of Regents is scheduled for Friday. But Jewish leaders have concerns, and endowment experts stress that the potential fallout from disclosure is hard to predict.
May 10, 2024 5:13 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The third week of testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial is drawing to a close. It comes after jurors heard the dramatic, if not downright seamy, account of Stormy Daniels’ alleged sexual encounter with the former president. Meanwhile, prosecutors are gearing up for their most crucial witness: former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. Daniels’ story was a necessary building block for prosecutors. They are seeking to show that Trump and his allies bought up and buried potentially damaging stories in the waning weeks of the 2016 presidential election in an effort to illegally influence the race. Trump denies any wrongdoing, telling reporters Thursday, “I’m innocent.”
May 10, 2024 5:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have long managed a complicated relationship. But now they find themselves running out of space to maneuver as their interests diverge and their political futures hang in the balance. Their ties have hit a low point this week: Biden confirmed he ordered the suspension of delivery of heavy bombs to Israel as Netanyahu resists White House pressure to scrap plans to move forward with a widescale operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Netanyahu has grown increasingly resistant to Biden’s public charm offensives and private pleading, prompting the president’s more assertive pushback in the past several weeks.
May 10, 2024 5:08 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania election officials say the rate of mail-in ballots rejected for technicalities saw a significant drop in last month’s primary election. That is after state officials tried anew to help voters avoid mistakes that might get their ballots thrown out. Pennsylvania’s top election official, Secretary of State Al Schmidt, said counties reported a 13.5% decrease in mail-in ballots that were rejected for reasons the state had tried to address with a redesigned ballot envelope and instructions for voting by mail. That is compared to the 2023 primary election. The success of the mail-in vote could be critical to determining the outcome of November’s presidential election in Pennsylvania.
