November 17, 2023 5:03 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Rescuers in Gaza don’t have the equipment to search properly for the living, let alone the dead. Every day, hundreds of people claw through tons of rubble with shovels and iron bars and their bare hands. They are looking for the bodies of loved ones killed in Israeli missile strikes. More than five weeks into Israel’s war against Hamas, some streets are now more like graveyards. U.N. humanitarian monitors say at least 2,700 people, including 1,500 children, are missing and believed buried under the rubble. More than 11,400 are dead.
November 17, 2023 2:50 am
Approximately 50 people attended a “Protect Patient Care Town Hall” meeting on Thursday night. The event was sponsored by the SEIU Healthcare PA union. The purpose of the event was to bring notice to the community at large to the negative effects hospital mergers have had on communities. The meeting was particularly important as the merger between Washington Health System and UPMC continues to make progress. Community members were concerned about wait times for care. One resident complained of sometimes 7-8 hour waits already in Washington Hospital and was concerned that wait could get longer. Staff pay, staff reductions and increases to the cost of care were also mentioned as community concerns. Statistics presented showed that private recovery room prices have remained flat over the last 10 years at Washington Hospital and at UPMC room rates haver nearly doubled. Prices for the 10 most common ailments treated by Medicare show that UPMC prices are often more that twice what is charged at Washington Hospital. The Town Hall was a community call to action to contact the Pennsylvania Attorney General to have them put a stop to the merger. Information on how to sign a petition to the Attorney General and to leave comments can be found at ProtectPatientCare.org.
November 17, 2023 2:43 am
Washington County Commissioners worked through an extremely lengthy agenda that satisfied contract needs and requests for bids. Chief among the 62 action items was a settlement with Peters Township and North Strabane Township along with individuals Michael McLaughlin, Jr and Mark Grimm. The commissioners approved a court order from October 26 that settled an injunction against the county over payment for portions of the 9-1-1 radio system, its oversight by an independent party to assure construction compliance and the dispatch of both townships that are cooperating on their own emergency radio system. Commissioners also approved advertising for proposals for engineering, installation, and maintenance of 9-1-1 Countywide communication equipment. Additionally, commissioners modified the contract with Verizon to provide broadband services in South Strabane Township. The contract will be reduced to 625 residential and commercial targets from the original 695.
November 16, 2023 4:49 pm
(WPXI) – Another dog has been found abandoned at Pittsburgh International Airport on Thursday. Police say that shortly after one o’clock Thursday afternoon. officers were told a dog was tied to a pole in the short-term parking garage. Police say they were able to untie the dog, but it was not microchipped and they are actively investigating to find out who left the animal behind. This is not the first time a dog was abandoned at the airport this year. In August, a French bulldog was left in a stroller. The owner of the French bulldog faces multiple charges, including animal cruelty and neglect. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-833-ALL-TIPS. (Photo: Allegheny County Police)
November 16, 2023 3:55 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Several leading Pennsylvania universities that receive millions of dollars in state aid must start publicly disclosing more records about their finances, employment and operation. That’s according to legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Josh Shapiro. He signed the bill a day after it passed the Senate unanimously. For years, lawmakers have sought to expand public-disclosure requirements over Pennsylvania’s four state-related universities: Pitt, Temple, Lincoln and Penn State. Under the legislation, the universities will be required to publish various pieces of information about their finances, employment and operations. Some of it they already voluntarily produce, such as open meeting minutes from their boards of trustees, enrollment and staff employment figures.
November 16, 2023 10:49 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Congressman George Santos of New York says he won’t run for reelection in 2024 after a scathing House Ethics Committee report on his conduct cited “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking. The Ethics panel says it has referred its findings about Santos to the Justice Department. Shortly after the panel’s report was released, Santos blasted it in a tweet on X as a “politicized smear” but said he would not be seeking reelection to a second term. A renewed effort to expel him has been launched. The committee said Thursday that Santos’ conduct warrants public condemnation, is beneath the dignity of the office, and has brought severe discredit upon the House.
November 16, 2023 7:51 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Workers at more than 200 U.S. Starbucks stores walked off the job Thursday. Organizers say it’s the largest strike yet in the 2-year-old effort to unionize the company’s stores. The Workers United union chose Starbucks’ annual Red Cup Day to stage the walkout since it’s usually one of the busiest days of the year. Starbucks expects to give away thousands of reusable cups Thursday to customers who order holiday drinks. The union says it’s expecting more than 5,000 workers to take part in its “Red Cup Rebellion.” Around 30 stores also staged walkouts on Wednesday. (Photo: AP)
November 16, 2023 5:09 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping is signaling that China will send new pandas to the United States. He calls the animals “envoys of friendship” between the Chinese and American peoples. During a speech before business leaders, Xi said that China was ready to continue its cooperation with the U.S. on panda conservation. The comment came at the end of a day in which Xi and President Joe Biden held their first face-to-face meeting in a year and pledged to try to reduce tensions. Xi did not share details on when or where pandas might be provided. There are only four pandas left in the United States, in the Atlanta Zo
November 16, 2023 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has ended the threat of a government shutdown until after the holidays. The Senate gave final approval to a temporary government funding package Wednesday night and sent it to President Joe Biden for his signature. The bill sets up a final confrontation on the government budget in the new year. The Senate worked into the night to pass the bill with days to spare before government funding expires Saturday. The spending package keeps government funding levels at current levels for roughly two more months while a long-term package is negotiated.
November 16, 2023 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Police and protesters have clashed outside Democratic National Committee headquarters during a demonstration for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas. Scores of Democratic representatives and candidates, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, were inside the building for a campaign reception when it was interrupted by chanting outside. Protesters said they wanted to block entrances and exits to force politicians to encounter their candlelight vigil Wednesday night. However, the situation swiftly devolved. U.S. Capitol Police said about 150 people were “illegally and violently protesting,” but protesters blamed police for the violence. Capitol Police said six officers were treated for minor injuries and one protester was arrested for assaulting an officer.
