August 16, 2023 4:49 am
In 2019, Governor Tom Wolf funded a $2.5 million study to be overseen by the Department of Health regarding effects of Unconventional Natural Gas Development otherwise known as “fracking” on the health of Pennsylvanians. In 2020 the DOH authorized the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health to perform an epidemiological study that asked the question “Does living near unconventional natural gas development activities or other environmental hazards in Southwest Pennsylvania increase the risk of specific health issues?” The study concentrated on three main areas, Asthma, Birth Outcomes and Childhood Cancer. Results of that study were revealed Tuesday at the Natali Student Center on the campus of PennWest California University. According to Alison Steele, Executive Director of the Environmental Health Project, the results were what she expected. Because epidemiological studies only show correlation and not causation she was not surprised at the results. In the area of adverse birth outcomes, the study learned that babies born to mothers living near actively producing wells had babies that were born 1 ounce lighter than average. That lighter weight poses no significant risk. In the Asthma study, there was a strong link between actively producing wells and severe exacerbations of asthma and hospital emergency department visits for people living within 10 miles of an active well. They also have a 4-5 times greater risk of having an asthma attack. The disappointing result for the audience was with Childhood Cancer. No associations were found between fracking activities and the development of childhood leukemia, brain or bone cancers including Ewing’s Sarcoma. Ther results did show that children living within a mile of one or more wells had a 5-7 times more likelihood of developing lymphoma. A two hour question and answer period displayed frustration from the audience. They wanted to know why this type of study was performed. They are looking for studies that relate to radioactive elements in the soil and water along with air pollution studies. A written statement put out by the DOH after the meeting states that they are working on implementing the findings of the Statewide 43rd Grand Jury report released by then Attorney General, now Governor Josh Shapiro regarding fracking activities.
August 16, 2023 2:09 am
(AP) – United States Steel Corp. seems poised to be soon purchased by a competitor, with two bidders revealed in a matter of days and more in the wings. It would mean the takeover of a symbol of American industrialization that for more than a century helped build everything from the United Nations building in New York City to the New Orleans Superdome. After rejecting a $7.3 billion buyout proposal from rival Cleveland-Cliffs on Sunday, U.S. Steel said it was considering alternatives. On Monday, industrial conglomerate Esmark offered $7.8 billion for Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel.
August 15, 2023 5:28 pm
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Movie theaters in Algeria have been ordered to stop showing the “Barbie” movie, almost a month after it’s been shown there. Online news outlet 24H says Algeria’s Ministry of Culture and Arts notified theaters to pull the movie immediately, without giving a reason. Authorities in Kuwait and Lebanon have banned “Barbie,” saying it goes against their values.
August 15, 2023 1:52 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Researchers in heavily drilled Pennsylvania are preparing to release findings from taxpayer-financed studies on possible links between the natural gas industry and pediatric cancer, asthma and poor birth outcomes. The four-year, $2.5 million project is wrapping up on Tuesday. It comes after other studies are finding higher rates of cancer, asthma and other afflictions among people who live near drilling fields. Pennsylvania’s former governor agreed to commission the study in 2019, under pressure from the families of pediatric cancer patients. There will be a public meeting Tuesday to discuss the findings, hosted by University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and the state Department of Health.
August 15, 2023 5:11 am
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russia’s central bank has made a large interest rate hike of 3.5 percentage points. The move Tuesday is designed to fight inflation and strengthen the ruble after the country’s currency reached its lowest value since early in the war with Ukraine. The decision to bring the key rate to 12% came after an emergency meeting of the bank’s board of directors was called a day earlier as the ruble declined. The fall comes as Moscow increases military spending and Western sanctions weigh on its energy exports. The Russian currency passed 101 rubles to the dollar Monday and has lingered there Tuesday, losing more than a third of its value since the beginning of the year.
August 15, 2023 5:10 am
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas wants Planned Parenthood to give back millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements and pay far more in fines on top of that. The case goes before a federal judge Tuesday in Texas. The lawsuit appears to be the first of its kind brought by a state against the nation’s largest abortion provider. At issue is money Planned Parenthood received for health services for low-income women before Texas removed the organization from the state’s Medicaid program in 2021. Planned Parenthood has about three dozen health clinics in Texas, where abortion has been outlawed since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. It’s unclear when the judge will rule.
August 15, 2023 5:08 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump and 18 allies have been indicted in Georgia over efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. The criminal case announced Monday is the fourth brought against the ex-president and the second this month to allege that he tried to subvert the results of the vote. The indictment details dozens of acts by Trump and his allies to undo his defeat in the battleground state. Other defendants include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and a Trump administration Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who advanced his efforts to undo his election loss in Georgia.
August 15, 2023 5:06 am
(AP) – Videos showing downed power lines apparently sparking some of the early blazes in the Maui wildfires have become key evidence in the search for a cause. Hawaiian Electric Co. faces criticism for not shutting off the power amid high wind warnings. A class-action lawsuit has already been filed seeking to hold the company responsible for the deaths of at least 99 people. The lawsuit cites the utility’s own documents from last year showing it was aware that preemptive power shutoffs such as those used in California were an effective strategy to prevent wildfires but never adopted them.
August 15, 2023 5:02 am
HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – The Hempfield Area School Board members voted Monday night and decided certain books can stay and others can ultimately be removed from the district’s libraries. The meeting got fiery at times with parents passionately speaking on both sides of the debate. With the start of school just 10 days away, students will be walking into classrooms with a new policy about the books they can check out. In a 7-to-1 vote, school board members decided to move forward with a revised book challenge policy that would allow community members to express concern with a list of books 30 days before the district’s librarians buy them. The policy sets guidelines to keep books with sexually explicit content off Hempfield’s school library shelves. The board claims they’ve spent the last 18 months carefully and thoughtfully revising the policy, adding they didn’t have to vote on this but did for transparency and to get public input. Board members say they will continue to review the policy going forward and can adjust and go back to the drawing board if it’s not working.
August 15, 2023 4:56 am
PLUM BOROUGH, Pa. — (WPXI) – Two Plum Borough employees died when a house exploded on Saturday. Sources tell our news partners at WPXI that Michael Thomas, the borough manager, lived one home over from where the explosion happened, but he was inside the home that exploded at the time. Heather Oravitz, community development director for the borough, lived in the house that exploded and was killed, the mayor confirms. Her husband remains in the hospital in critical condition. Thomas’ wife, daughter and their dog were next-door at their home at the time of the explosion. His wife was able to escape through a window, his daughter was able to run out with the dog, and the two of them are physically OK after being released from the hospital. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office has confirmed the house that exploded in Plum on Saturday had hot water tank issues. The tank was located in the basement of the home along Rustic Ridge Drive. The fire marshal said in an update that they will investigate that information, as well as any other possibilities that may explain what happened.
