February 4, 2024 7:52 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Another “Pineapple Express” storm is on its way to California, bringing with it the threat of dangerous flooding and mudslides. Californians spent Friday and Saturday preparing for what forecasters are saying could be the largest storm of the season, with the worst expected to hit Ventura and Santa Barbara counties on Sunday and Monday. Most of the state was under some sort of wind, surf or flood watch by Saturday afternoon. The storm marks the second time this week the state will be pummeled by an atmospheric river, a long band of moisture that forms over the Pacific. It’s called the “Pineapple Express” because its plume of moisture stretches back across the Pacific to near Hawaii.
February 4, 2024 7:51 am
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden has won South Carolina’s Democratic primary, notching a victory in the state that he pushed to lead the party’s nominating calendar. Biden on Saturday defeated the other Democrats on South Carolina’s ballot, including Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson. Black voters play an outsized role in South Carolina’s Democratic electorate, and Biden and other party leaders had recommended that the state lead off the party’s 2024 primary calendar. A big win in South Carolina helped revive Biden’s 2020 campaign and propel him to the nomination.
February 4, 2024 7:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans will move forward with a $17.6 billion package to provide military aid to Israel and replenish U.S. weapons. The bill leaves out more aid for Ukraine, underscoring the challenges facing supporters of a comprehensive national security package that would also include billions of dollars for immigration enforcement. The move gives Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans the chance to show support for Israel even though there is little chance the Senate would go along with the narrower effort. Meanwhile, text of a broader Senate compromise is expected to be released this weekend and a key test vote on that package will be held next week.
February 4, 2024 7:48 am
(AP) – Moscow-installed officials say Ukrainian shelling killed at least 28 people Saturday at a bakery in the Russian-occupied city of Lysychansk. At least one child was among the dead, local leader Leonid Pasechnik wrote in a statement on Telegram. A further 10 people were rescued from under the rubble by emergency services, he said. Ukrainian officials in Kyiv did not comment on the incident. Both Moscow and Kyiv have increasingly relied on longer-range attacks this winter amid largely unchanged positions on the 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) front line in the nearly 2-year-old war.
February 4, 2024 7:47 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Britain struck 36 Houthi sites in Yemen in a second wave of assaults meant to further disable Iran-backed groups that have relentlessly attacked American and international interests in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. In addition to the strikes on Saturday, U.S. Central Command says it conducted an additional “self-defense” strike on Sunday against a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile. Washington did not directly target Iran as it tries to find a balance between a forceful response and intensifying the conflict. The Saturday strikes against the Houthis were launched by U.S. warships and American and British fighter jets and followed an air assault in Iraq and Syria on Friday in retaliation for the drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan last weekend.
February 4, 2024 7:45 am
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio – WPXI – Saturday marked one year since a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The derailment resulted in home displacements, constant testing and health concerns from people who lived in and around the community. Local politicians are calling for change and support for the community after a year of recovery. Governor Josh Shapiro released a statement saying that his administration is continuing to test the soil and water in Beaver and Lawrence counties, which were also impacted by the derailment in the neighboring state. He said testing done by the DEP and PDA confirmed there is no long-term contamination in Western Pennsylvania but insisted that Norfolk Southern by held responsible for the incident. The train derailment was also remembered by Pennsylvania politicians doing work in Washington DC. Senator John Fetterman released a statement on Saturday calling for legislation to prevent similar situations from happening. Senator Bob Casey had similar thoughts and also called for steps to be taken to prevent further problems. He also said his thoughts are with the people still dealing with the repercussions of the derailment.
February 4, 2024 7:42 am
(WPXI) – Allegheny County dispatchers say police and medics were called to the Worship and Community Service Center on Broadhead Fording Road at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday. Pittsburgh police say the call to dispatchers reported six to seven gunshots inside the building where the baby shower was taking place. Authorities say the shooting happened in the men’s restroom of the building. One man was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified by the Office of the Allegheny County Medical Examiner as Antoine Elijah Devon Dorsey, 19, of Pittsburgh. Another man found in the building was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Officers and medics were later called to the 3000 block of Glen Mawr Street in Sheraden at 6:38 p.m., Allegheny County dispatchers say. A third man from the incident at the baby shower was found with a gunshot wound at a house on that street. Police say he was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Officers are currently talking with witnesses who were at the celebration. It is unclear how many people were inside the building at this time. There is no active threat to the public, police say.
February 4, 2024 7:00 am
A Washington man was sentenced to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release in a cyber-stalking case. Eric Scholl, 56, of Washington was sentenced on January 31, 2024, by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim, his ex-wife, whom he admitted cyber-stalking after she had obtained a Pennsylvania Protection from Abuse (PFA) order against him. Among other things, authorities say Scholl placed a GPS tracking device on the victim’s car to track her movements; directed harassing and intimidating emails, texts, and phone calls to her, including using a web-based service that allowed him to disguise his phone number; and posted lewd content about her on the internet.
February 3, 2024 5:04 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in a court filing has acknowledged having a “personal relationship” with a special prosecutor she hired for the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump. But Friday’s court filing argues there are no grounds to dismiss the case or to remove Willis from the prosecution. Willis hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade in November 2021 to assist her investigation into whether Trump and others broke any laws as they tried to overturn the Republican’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. An attorney for a Trump co-defendant has argued the case should be dismissed due to allegations of their relationship.
February 3, 2024 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate negotiators have reached a deal on a proposal to overhaul the asylum system at the U.S. border with Mexico. It clears the way for Democratic and Republican Senate leaders to begin the difficult task of convincing Congress to pass a national security package that will include tens of billions of dollars for Ukraine and immigration enforcement, as well as funding for Israel and other American allies. Sen. Chris Murphy, the lead Democratic negotiator, posted on social media Friday that a deal had been reached and text of the bill would be released over the weekend.
