May 20, 2024 6:10 pm
The Center for Coalfield Justice (CCJ) issued a statement Monday afternoon, saying they are deeply concerned about the chemical fire that broke out at the Omnis Bailey Plant, located on the CONSOL Energy property in Greene County. They say the fire has necessitated an extended response from local and regional fire crews and first responders, raising significant environmental and public health concerns. CCJ officials say CONSOL and Omnis Bailey have not shared information with the public, leading to understandable speculation, since first responders don’t know exactly which chemicals they’re battling and being exposed to. They say they are alarmed by the fire at the Bailey Omni Plant and the potential dangers it poses to the surrounding communities and their primary concern is the health and safety of the workers, residents, and first responders in Washington and Greene Counties. They are urging immediate and transparent communication from CONSOL Energy and Omnis Bailey about the nature and extent of the hazardous materials involved and the steps being taken to mitigate any environmental impact.
May 20, 2024 12:39 pm
Gov. Josh Shapiro and other state officials announced the launch of Pennsylvania’s new state tourism brand and summer travel marketing campaign on Monday. The campaign is called Pennsylvania: The Great American Getaway and is meant to encourage more people to visit the Commonwealth. Officials are promoting the state as a “premier weekend getaway destination,” highlighting the close driving proximity to hubs on the East Coast — like New York City, Baltimore and Washington D.C. — and boasting the towns throughout that have world-class dining options, renowned historical sites, outdoor recreation, and top tier sports teams. Shapiro says all of those experiences can be had in a single weekend by nearly 72 million people who live within a four-hour drive of the state. “More people deserve the chance to come here and experience the magic of Pennsylvania for themselves,” Shapiro said. Pennsylvania is the Great American Getaway, and my Administration is making tourism a top priority for the first time in more than a decade – it is a central part of our economic development strategy and my new budget calls for an $18 million increase for tourism and business marketing. This new brand and funding will help us grow small businesses, support our communities, and create opportunity for more Pennsylvanians.” To promote this brand, VISIT PA launched a marketing campaign titled “Your Great American Getaway Starts Here” which runs in nearby regional markets until August. Travelers will also see the brands at sports games, concerts, festivals, and transit stations across Pennsylvania and New York throughout the summer.
May 20, 2024 5:12 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike has killed 27 people in central Gaza, mostly women and children, and fighting again rages across the north. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces criticism from the two other members of his War Cabinet over the war that is now in its eighth month. Popular centrist War Cabinet member Benny Gantz has threatened to leave the government if a plan for Gaza, including a postwar vision, isn’t created by June 8. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has met with Netanyahu to discuss a plan for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel and help the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza.
May 20, 2024 5:10 am
LONDON (AP) — A British court has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal against an order that he be extradited to the U.S. on espionage charges. Two High Court judges on Monday said Assange has grounds to challenge the U.K. government’s extradition order. The ruling sets the stage for an appeal process likely to further drag out a years-long legal saga. Assange faces 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website’s publication of a trove of classified U.S. documents almost 15 years ago. The Australian computer expert has spent the last five years in a British high-security prison after taking refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for seven years.
May 20, 2024 5:08 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and several other officials have been found dead after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest. State media announced the deaths after the crash site was found on Monday, after hours of searching. The crash comes as the Middle East remains unsettled by the Israel-Hamas war, during which Raisi under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month. Under Raisi, Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. Meanwhile, Iran has faced years of protests against its Shiite theocracy over its ailing economy and women’s rights – making the moment that much more sensitive for the country.
May 20, 2024 5:03 am
NORTH VERSAILLES, Pa. — A man is dead after a van and motorcycle crash in North Versailles. Allegheny County dispatchers say first responders were called to the intersection of Lincoln Highway and Clyde Avenue at around 9:31 p.m. Allegheny County Police say both vehicles were traveling westbound on Lincoln Highway. The van was making a left-hand turn onto Clyde Avenue and was hit by the motorcycle. The driver of the motorcycle was taken to a local hospital where he later died. The driver of the van was not injured. This is the second fatal motorcycle crash to happen in North Versailles on Sunday.
May 20, 2024 5:00 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI)- The recent tornadoes in or near western Pennsylvania are now the most on record by the National Weather Service Pittsburgh in May. According to NWS Pittsburgh, there have been 14 confirmed tornadoes this month in its county warning area. That surpasses the 11 tornadoes from the 1985 outbreak for the most on record in May. During the 1985 tornado outbreak, 43 tornadoes tore through Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Canada, leaving a path of death and destruction that still ranks as one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. Of those tornadoes, 23 touched down in Pennsylvania, 11 of which were in the NWS Pittsburgh region. It’s still the largest single-day tornado outbreak in Pennsylvania history. Eighty-nine people lost their lives, 75 of those were in the Keystone State. There were more than a thousand injuries and $600 million in damage. Throughout the last several weeks, severe storms have produced tornadoes that touched down in the Pittsburgh region, including an EF-2 tornado in Washington County, a high-end EF-2 tornado in West Virginia near the border with Pennsylvania and the first tornado within the Pittsburgh city limits since 1998. Many of the tornadoes were on the stronger side for this region. Significant damage has been reported from these 14 tornadoes. There have only been minor injuries. On average, Pennsylvania averages six tornadoes a year. The state’s peak tornado season is in June.
May 19, 2024 12:38 pm
ATLANTA (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday told Morehouse College graduates during his commencement speech that he heard their voices of protest over the Israel-Hamas war, and that scenes from the conflict in Gaza have been heartbreaking. The speech, and a separate one Biden is giving later Sunday in the Midwest, is part of a burst of outreach to Black constituents by the president, who has watched his support among these voters soften since their strong backing helped put him in the Oval Office in 2020. There were scattered demonstrations but no major disruptions to the event.
May 19, 2024 6:37 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike has killed 20 people in central Gaza, mostly women and children, and fighting raged across the north. Israel’s leaders are meanwhile airing divisions over who should govern Gaza after the war, now in its eighth month. Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s three-man War Cabinet, has threatened to leave the government if a plan is not formulated by June 8 that includes an international administration for postwar Gaza. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected in Israel on Sunday to discuss an ambitious U.S. plan for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel and help the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza in exchange for a path to eventual statehood.
May 19, 2024 6:35 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia says it shot down some 60 drones and several missiles over its territory while Ukraine in turn says it destroyed over 30 Russian drones. At least four people were reported killed in an attack on the outskirts of Kharkiv on Sunday as Russia pushed ahead with its renewed offensive in Ukraine’s war-ravaged northeast. Russian officials say air defenses shot down 57 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region, while nine long-range ballistic missiles and a drone were destroyed over the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula. A further three drones were shot down over the Belgorod region. Ukraine says its air defenses shot down all 37 Russian drones launched overnight.
