October 19, 2022 5:39 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – Former President Donald Trump answered questions under oath in a defamation lawsuit filed by a writer who says the Republican raped her in the mid-1990s. The deposition Wednesday provided lawyers for E. Jean Carroll a chance to interrogate Trump about the assault allegations and statements he made in 2019 when she first told her story publicly. Trump has said the rape allegation is “a hoax and a lie.” A judge last week rejected Trump’s request to delay the deposition. Details on how the deposition went weren’t immediately disclosed.
October 19, 2022 5:22 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Novavax. That company began offering its two-dose primary vaccinations in the U.S. over the summer. The FDA said the new booster option is for adults who can’t get one of the updated omicron-targeting Pfizer or Moderna boosters for medical or accessibility reasons – or who otherwise wouldn’t seek a COVID-19 booster shot at all. It’s to be used only as a first booster, not for people who’ve already had one or more booster doses already.
October 19, 2022 5:20 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims.. A report released Wednesday lays out grim trends across the country for expectant mothers and their newborn babies. It finds that pregnancy-related deaths have spiked nearly 80 percent since 2018, with COVID-19 being a factor in a quarter of the 1,178 deaths reported last year. The percentage of preterm and low birthweight babies also went up last year, after holding steady for years. And more pregnant or postpartum women are reporting symptoms of depression.
October 19, 2022 4:13 am
LONDON (AP) – U.K. inflation accelerated to a 40-year high in September as the soaring cost of food squeezed household budgets. The Office for National Statistics says consumer price index rose 10.1%, compared with 9.9% the previous month. The new data shows inflation returned to the July peak and is once again at the highest since early 1982. The increase was driven by food prices, which leapt by 14.5% from a year earlier, the biggest jump since 1980. The rise áincreases expectations that the Bank of England will raise interest rates further and faster as it struggles to return inflation to its 2% target.
October 19, 2022 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden announced the release of 15 million barrels of oil from the U.S. strategic reserve Wednesday as part of a response to recent production cuts announced by OPEC+ nations. He will also said more oil sales are possible this winter, as his administration rushes to be seen as pulling out all the stops ahead of next month’s midterm elections. The strategic reserve now contains roughly 400 million barrels of oil, its lowest level since 1984.
October 19, 2022 4:11 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin doubled down Wednesday on his faltering invasion of Ukraine with a declaration of martial law in four illegally annexed regions and preparations within Russia for draconian new restrictions and crackdowns. Putin’s drastic efforts to tighten his grip on Ukrainians and Russians follow a series of embarrassing setbacks: stinging battlefield defeats, sabotage and troubles with his troop mobilization. The martial law order belies the Kremlin’s attempts to portray life in the annexed regions as returning to normal. The reality is that a military administration has replaced civilian leaders in the southern city of Kherson and a mass evacuation from the city is underway as a Ukrainian counteroffensive grinds on.
October 19, 2022 4:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A new poll shows that many adults remain pessimistic about the state of U.S. democracy and the way elected officials are chosen. The results of the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey come nearly two years after a divisive presidential election spurred false claims of widespread fraud and a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. The poll found that just 9% of U.S. adults think democracy is working “extremely” or “very well.” In a reversal from two years ago, Republicans are now more likely than Democrats to say democracy is not working well.
October 19, 2022 4:05 am
North Strabane Township will have several reorganization items to vote on at their upcoming legislative meeting. Proposed at the agenda meeting on Tuesday was the reorganization of the police and fire departments and the reorganization of the planning, zoning and code enforcement departments. According to Township Manager Andrew Walz, under the proposal for the police and fire departments, the public safety director would handle the administrative tasks of the police and fire departments and the daily operations of the departments would be handled by a police captain and an assistant fire chief. A new department of Community Development is also under consideration. That proposal would combine the planning and zoning departments with code enforcement so that developers would be able to work with one person from the beginning to the end of the development whether the project is one building or one hundred buildings according to Walz. These items will be voted on at the legislative meeting on October 25.
October 19, 2022 4:02 am
Tuesday afternoon attorneys representing Rudy Zelak (pictured), owner of Bob’s Tavern in Finleyville failed in their opportunity to argue to have an emergency injunction lifted that is keeping that bar closed. Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh asked for that injunction calling the bar a nuisance bar. The action centered on the shooting and killing of Jaisen Irwin who was found in the middle of Washington Avenue in the wee hours of October 10. Police testimony told of numerous calls to the bar over the last several years and surveillance that police have done on the establishment as well. Zelak was called to testify by the commonwealth on activities that have occurred and his lack of interest in calling police when incidents of violence have occurred in the bar or at apartments adjoining the bar. Defense attorneys argued that no evidence of citations or convictions of patrons ever occurred so there are no grounds for the injunction to continue. Judge Michael Lucas saw otherwise granting the preliminary injunction citing Zelak’s reluctance to call police when events warrant, a lack of training for the staff and his not exercising control over his business. A November 30 hearing is scheduled to determine whether the injunction should remain permanent.
October 19, 2022 4:00 am
The Washington County Chamber of Commerce sponsored a Skills Gap Forum that gathered regional companies and school superintendents from Washington and Greene Counties to seek ways to address the growing need for people to enter into job markets that do not require a four year college degree. The forum opened with a presentation that showed how college costs have increased 250% from 1997 to 2022. It compared traditional private university costs and time frames for degrees showing a 5 year completion period costing on average $178,000 to that of a trade school taking 18 moths to complete costing $35,000 on average. Two panel discussions were held with local companies and corporations discussing the need for skilled workers and the difficulties finding them. The biggest obstacles companies are facing is the idea that trades are menial jobs. Panelists spoke to many of their technicians making six figure incomes. Several panelists spoke to the flexibility of work hours also. The Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board was on hand to enhance their role in working with local schools to enhance the communication that skilled trades jobs such as electricians, plumbers and carpenters along with cosmeticians are excellent earning opportunities for students that do not wish to attend a four year college degree program.
