November 5, 2023 7:02 am
WPXI – Pittsburgh Public Safety says an early morning fire at a downtown apartment complex may have been caused by an electric scooter. According to public safety, firefighters responded to an apartment building on the 300 block of Third Avenue around 8:30 a.m. When first responders arrived, the building was already being evacuated. They found the fire in an apartment on the second floor. Public safety says the exact cause of the fire is still to be determined by the Fire Investigation Unit. But, the initial investigation indicates it was caused by lithium-ion batteries in an electronic scooter that “catastrophically failed.” (Photo: Pittsburgh Public Safety)
November 5, 2023 7:00 am
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Villagers in the mountains of northwest Nepal have cremated the bodies of some who perished in an earthquake that shook the area Friday night. The strong tremblor killed 157 people and left thousands homeless. The 13 bodies were carried on Sunday to the banks of the Bheri River and placed on pyres made of stacked wood before being set on fire in a Hindu cremation ceremony. All 13 were from Chiuri village in Jajarkot district, which authorities said was the epicenter of the quake. The government said its main focus is to supply food and set up temporary shelters for the thousands who spent Saturday night in the bitter cold.
November 5, 2023 7:00 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say Israeli warplanes struck a refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, killing at least 40 people and wounding dozens. Sunday’s strike came as Israel vowed to press on with its offensive to crush the territory’s Hamas rulers, despite U.S. appeals for a pause in fighting to get aid to civilians. The soaring death toll in Gaza has sparked growing international anger, with tens of thousands from Washington to Berlin taking to the streets Saturday to demand an immediate cease-fire. The United States and Arab partners disagreed Saturday on the need for such a cease-fire. Israel said Hamas was “encountering the full force” of its troops.
November 5, 2023 6:56 am
WPXI – A woman from Morgantown who was last seen on Oct. 3 has been found dead. Police say Melanie Marie Gardner, 32, was found on Nov. 4 in Preston County after an investigation was done by the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office. Gardner was seen driving a 2016 black Jeep Patriot, which was found off of Casteel Road in Hazelton. Authorities say Gardner’s body was found and identified by the medical examiner. Police are still investigating. Gardner’s cause of death has not been released at this time.
November 5, 2023 6:00 am
SALTLICK TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – The woman killed in a crash in Fayette County on Tuesday was driving a stolen vehicle, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The crash happened at the intersection of White Road and Sycamore Lane in Saltlick Township around 7:15 a.m. State police said the car was going through a curve when it crossed into the southbound lane and left the roadway. The car struck two utility poles and then a tree. The woman who died was identified as Brittany Nicholson, 31. State police said she was driving a 2000 Subaru Outback, which was reported stolen before the crash.
November 4, 2023 5:06 am
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump wants not only to beat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination, but to embarrass him in their shared home state. Trump recently earned the endorsement of Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and a state lawmaker who has been a longtime ally of DeSantis. More endorsements are expected in the coming days. Trump and DeSantis will be among the GOP hopefuls speaking Saturday at the Florida Freedom Summit. DeSantis is still a powerful governor who enacted policies long sought by conservatives. But he’s well behind Trump in the 2024 race. Their rivalry in recent days has turned more personal and crude.
November 4, 2023 5:03 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Almost every major city in the United States generally allows drivers to turn right at red lights, but that could be changing. A dramatic rise in automobile accidents killing or injuring pedestrians and bicyclists has led to a myriad of policy and infrastructure changes. The debate over whether to ban right on red has sparked the most intense sentiments on both sides. Washington, D.C.’s City Council last year approved a right-on-red ban that takes effect in 2025. Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle have considered it too. Most U.S. cities have maintained the right-on-red rule since a 1970s mandate from the federal government aimed at conserving energy by preventing cars from idling at stop lights.
November 4, 2023 5:00 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Sheryl Crow and Olivia Rodrigo kicked off the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday night and Missy Elliott closed the show more than four hours later with a roof-shaking set, as the hall celebrated a strong representation of women and Black artists. Chaka Khan, Kate Bush, “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius, The Spinners and DJ Kool Herc were also inducted in a celebration of funk, art-rock, R&B and hip-hop, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Country music was represented by Willie Nelson, punk had Rage Against the Machine, the late George Michael repped pure pop and Link Wray defined guitar heroes.
November 4, 2023 4:52 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania voters will settle four statewide judicial contests in Tuesday’s election, filling an open seat on the state Supreme Court and three seats on two lower appellate courts. The state Supreme Court election is the marquee race on the ballot in the presidential battleground state. In recent years, justices have settled legal challenges emerging from a politically divided statehouse and a closely fought 2020 presidential election. The court is in line to reprise that role, with Pennsylvania expected to be one of several swing states that determine the winner of 2024’s presidential election. Judges and justices serve 10-year terms before they must run for retention to stay on the court.
November 3, 2023 8:43 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s employers scaled back their hiring in October, adding a modest but still decent 150,000 jobs, a sign that the labor market remains resilient despite economic uncertainties and high interest rates that have made borrowing much costlier for companies and consumers. Last month’s job growth, though down sharply from a robust 297,000 gain in September, was solid enough to suggest that many companies still want to hire and that the economy remains sturdy. The United Auto Workers’ strikes against Detroit’s automakers likely shrank October’s job gain by at least 30,000, economists say. The strikes ended this week with tentative settlements in which the companies granted significantly better pay and benefits to the union’s workers.
