January 9, 2024 5:03 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The National Park Service is retracting a proposal to take down a statue of William Penn at a Philadelphia historical site as part of a renovation that touched off a torrent of criticism over the legacy of the man who founded the province of Pennsylvania. In a statement Monday, Independence National Historical Park said it withdrew the proposal it had announced quietly before the weekend about the wider renovation of Welcome Park, just blocks from the Liberty Bell. The proposal, it said, was released “prematurely” and hadn’t undergone a complete internal review. The retracted plan had also involved expanding the telling of the Native American history of Philadelphia.
January 9, 2024 4:58 am
SOUTH FAYETTE TOWNSHIP, Pa. – (WPXI) – Two people are dead after a house fire in South Fayette Township, according to Oak Ridge Volunteer Fire Chief Bill Supan. Flames tore through the home on Thoms Run Road Monday, eventually causing the roof to collapse. Firefighters were called to the scene just after 1:00 p.m. and spent around seven hours there. According to Supan, a hoarding situation at the home made rescuing two people inside impossible. Supan said two bodies were pulled from the rubble. They were found on the second floor of the home. The victims have been identified as 81 year old Benito Bonilla and 77 year old Barbara Bonilla. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Allegheny County Fire Marshal.
January 9, 2024 4:54 am
Snow showers could slow the morning commute again early Wednesday. Heavy snow is not expected but steady snow at times could create icy spots on untreated surfaces. Most areas will see an inch or less through the day, with higher amounts east in the ridges of Westmoreland and Fayette counties. Strong winds will also disrupt your plans on Wednesday with gusts up to 50 mph possible. As for power outages, as of 10 a.m, West Penn Power was reporting more than 160 customers without service in Washington County. They are widespread and it is unclear when those customers will have their service restored. Another strong system moves in on Friday bringing more rain, wind and snow with much colder air expected this weekend. Highs will struggle to get back into the 20s and lows will drop into the teens.
January 8, 2024 5:36 pm
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — United Airlines says it has found loose bolts and other problems on a key part of its grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners. The planes are being inspected after federal officials grounded Max 9s after a plug used to replace a door blew out of an Alaska Airlines Max 9 on Friday night. A federal official says the that plane wasn’t being used for flights to Hawaii after a warning light that could have indicated a pressurization problem lit up on three different flights. Alaska Airlines decided to restrict the aircraft from long flights over water so the plane could land quickly if the warning light reappeared. Aviation officials also have found the chunk of the fuselage that was expelled from the aircraft.
January 8, 2024 5:29 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS has announced January 29 as the official start date of the 2024 tax season, and expects more than 128.7 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 tax deadline. The announcement comes as the agency undergoes a massive face-lift, attempting to improve its technology and customer service processes with tens of billions of dollars allocated to the agency through Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022.
January 8, 2024 5:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on overall spending levels for the current fiscal year that could help avoid a partial government shutdown later this month. House Speaker Mike Johnson is hailing the agreement in a letter to colleagues as “the most favorable budget agreement Republicans have achieved in over a decade.” President Joe Biden says the agreement is one step closer “to preventing a needless government shutdown and protecting important national priorities.” Lawmakers needed an agreement on overall spending levels so that appropriators could write the bills that set line-by-line money for agencies. Funding is set to lapse Jan. 19 for some agencies and Feb. 2 for others.
January 8, 2024 5:09 am
The Golden Globes had a bit of everything: Silliness, seriousness, history, a few good jokes and many bad ones, loads of stars — and Taylor Swift, who didn’t ascend the podium but still made her presence known as perhaps only Swift can. In the great “Barbenheimer” showdown of awards season 2024, round one went decisively to Christopher Nolan’s sweeping biopic. “Oppenheimer” dominated the evening, winning best drama and key acting awards, while Greta Gerwig’s candy-colored “Barbie” lost to upset victor “Poor Things.” The emotional highpoint: Lily Gladstone’s best actress win in the drama “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the first Indigenous winner in the category.
January 8, 2024 5:08 am
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal official says the Boeing jetliner that suffered an inflight blowout over Portland, Oregon, was not being used for flights to Hawaii after a warning light that could have indicated a pressurization problem lit up on three different flights. Alaska Airlines decided to restrict the aircraft from long flights over water so the plane could land quickly if the warning light reappeared. Aviation officials also have found the chunk of the fuselage that was expelled from the aircraft. More than 140 Boeing planes are grounded while the airlines await instructions on how to inspect them. The depressurized jet with 171 passengers and six crew returned safely with no serious injuries Friday night.
January 8, 2024 5:06 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials say Russia has launched its latest barrage of hypersonic and cruise missiles against Ukrainian targets, striking near the front lines of fighting in the east as well as in central and western parts of the country. Officials said Monday that at least four civilians were reported killed and at least 30 injured. Western officials and analysts had previously warned that Russia was stockpiling its cruise missiles in preparation for a strategy of winter bombardment, as bad weather keeps the 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) front line largely static after 22 months of war. Unlike last winter, when the Kremlin’s forces targeted Ukraine’s power grid, Russia is now aiming at Kyiv’s defense industry, they say. But the barrages have repeatedly hit civilian areas.
January 8, 2024 5:00 am
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A moon landing attempt by a private U.S. company appears doomed because of a fuel leak on the newly launched spacecraft. Astrobotic Technology managed to orient the lander toward the sun Monday so its solar panel could capture sunlight and charge its onboard battery. The propulsion system problem was reported hours after a successful liftoff from Florida. Astrobotic was aiming to be the first private company to successfully land on the moon, something only four countries have accomplished. A second lander from a Houston company is due to launch next month. NASA gave the companies millions to build landers and make deliveries to the moon.
