April 27, 2024 5:15 am
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A tornado has plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, demolishing homes and businesses as it moved for miles through farmland and into subdivisions. Some injuries have been reported but there were no immediate reports that anyone was killed in the Friday storms. Multiple tornadoes were reported in Nebraska and Iowa, but the most destructive storm moved from a largely rural area into suburbs northwest of Omaha, a city of 485,000 people. Photos from social media show damaged homes and shredded trees. Photos on social media also show heavily damaged homes in Minden, Iowa, about 30 miles northeast of Omaha. The National Weather Service forecast for Saturday is ominous, with tornado watches across parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
April 27, 2024 5:13 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine directed at energy facilities. The energy minister said facilities in Dnipropetrovsk in the south of the country and Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv in the west had been attacked. A psychiatric hospital was damaged and one person was wounded after Russia launched a missile attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defense systems had intercepted more than 60 drones over the southern Krasnodar region. The regional governor said that Ukrainian forces targeted an oil refinery and infrastructure facilities but that there were no casualties or serious damage.
April 26, 2024 5:10 am
No injures are reported after a house fire in Houston Thursday night. The blaze broke out just after 11 p.m along McNary Street. The home was occupied at the time. The Red Cross has been called in to assist the occupants. There is no word on what may have sparked the fire.
April 26, 2024 5:07 am
SOUTH FAYETTE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – Multiple kids were on board when a school bus and a pickup truck collided in South Fayette Township on Thursday. The crash happened near the intersection of Robinson Run Road and Battle Ridge Road at 3:55 p.m. A school bus and a pickup truck were involved in the crash. The school district confirmed four children and two employees were on the bus at the time of the crash. Minor injuries were reported.
April 26, 2024 5:04 am
A Pennsylvania school district has reversed the cancellation of an appearance by actor and children’s book author Maulik Pancholy. The Cumberland Valley School District’s board voted 5-4 Wednesday to allow Pancholy, who is gay, to speak against bullying during a May 22 assembly at Mountain View Middle School. The event was canceled after a board member cited concerns about what he described as the actor’s activism and “lifestyle.” The board reversed the decision after hearing from district leaders, residents and students. Pancholy said in a statement Thursday that he looks forward to the event. He said it was moving to see students speak out and share messages of inclusion.
April 26, 2024 5:01 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania wants a series of three debates with his Republican challenger David McCormick ahead of the November election, and McCormick is readily accepting. Casey says in a statement Thursday he intends to participate in debates in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. Asked about it at a campaign event, McCormick said it’s a great idea. A series of three such meetings would give the debate stage the most robust presence in a Senate race in Pennsylvania since 2006, when Casey and then-GOP Sen. Rick Santorum joined four debates. Pennsylvania’s last five Senate contests featured either two debates or one.
April 26, 2024 5:16 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Trump has exited the Manhattan courtroom where his hush money trial is being held, exhaling and with a stern expression. It marks the end of the trial’s fourth day of witness testimony. So far, prosecutors have called three witnesses. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker spent about 10 hours on the stand over the course of four days. Then Trump’s longtime executive assistant Rhona Graff answered questions for about 30 minutes. The current witness, Cohen’s former banker Gary Farro, was on the stand for a little under an hour Friday. He will return when the trial resumes Tuesday, with Monday being a long-scheduled day off.
April 26, 2024 5:15 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University students who inspired pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country say they have reached an impasse with administrators and intend to continue their encampment until their demands are met. The announcement Friday after exhaustive negotiations comes as Columbia’s president faces harsh criticism from faculty. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested across the nation, sometimes amid scuffles with police. Other schools have been quick to call law enforcement to douse demonstrations before they can take hold. Columbia officials have said they will seek other options if the negotiations with protesters fail.
April 26, 2024 5:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the Pentagon is expected to announce that it will provide about $6 billion in long-term military aid to Ukraine. It will include much sought after munitions for Patriot air defense systems and other weapons. The officials say the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defense industry and means that it could take many months or years for the weapons to arrive. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.
April 26, 2024 5:36 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — TikTok is gearing up for a legal fight against a U.S. law that would force the social media platform to break ties with its China-based parent company or face a ban. A battle in the courts will almost certainly be backed by Chinese authorities as the bitter U.S.-China rivalry threatens the future of a wildly popular way for young Americans to connect online. Beijing has signaled TikTok should fight what it has called a “robbers” act by U.S. lawmakers “to snatch from others all the good things that they have.” But should a legal challenge fail, observers say Chinese authorities are unlikely to allow a sale, a move that could be seen as surrendering to Washington.
