February 22, 2023 4:05 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – For the third time this month, warm winds could push temps back to record levels again Thursday. Highs will climb into the 60s through the day and could touch 70 degrees or more. The current record is 70 degrees set in 1922. For comparison, the average high temperature is 42. The warmth won’t stick around though with colder winds dropping the temperature more than 30 degrees by Friday morning. Wind chills in the low 20s will make it chilly at the th bus stop. Temperatures will rebound back into the mid 40s to start the weekend, with highs climbing near 50 by Sunday.
February 22, 2023 4:02 am
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants the nation’s freight railroads to immediately act to improve safety while regulators try to strengthen safety rules in the wake of a fiery derailment in Ohio that forced evacuations when toxic chemicals were released and burned. Buttigieg announced the reforms Tuesday — two days after he warned Norfolk Southern to fulfill its promises to clean up the mess just outside East Palestine, Ohio, and help the town recover. The railroad reiterated its commitment to safety and aiding East Palestine but didn’t directly respond to Buttigieg’s criticism. The head of the EPA plans to return to the town Tuesday to talk about the next steps in the cleanup and efforts to keep people safe.
February 21, 2023 1:53 pm
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) – Federal environmental regulators have taken charge of the cleanup from the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and chemical burn and ordered Norfolk Southern to foot the bill. The Environmental Protection Agency told Norfolk Southern to take all available measures to clean up contaminated air and water. Regulators also said the company would be required to reimburse the federal government for a new program to provide cleaning services for impacted residents and businesses. The EPA warned Norfolk Southern that if failed to comply with its order, the agency would perform the work itself and seek triple damages from the company.
February 21, 2023 4:24 am
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – It’s Mardi Gras – or Fat Tuesday in New Orleans – and the annual, ebullient climax of the city’s Carnival season comes this year with some political intrigue. Mild weather is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of tourists and locals to city streets, many of them in costume, to mark the raucous end of Carnival season. Among the revelers will be opponents of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who are gathering last-minute signatures ahead of a Wednesday deadline to force a recall election. There’s also an undercurrent of worry about recurring violent crime. One person was killed and four wounded when gunfire broke out during a Sunday night parade.
February 21, 2023 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court is taking up its first case about a federal law that is credited with helping create the modern internet. The law shields Google, Twitter, Facebook and other companies from lawsuits over content posted on their sites by others. The justices are hearing arguments Tuesday about whether the family of a terrorism victim can sue Google for helping extremists spread their message and attract new recruits. The case is the court’s first look at Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, adopted early in the internet age to protect companies from being sued over information their users post online.
February 21, 2023 4:16 am
ISTANBUL (AP) – Authorities and media in Turkey and Syria say the death toll has risen to eight in a new and powerful earthquake that struck two weeks after a devastating temblor killed nearly 45,000 people. Turkey’s disaster management authority said Tuesday that six people were killed and 294 others were injured with 18 in critical condition after Monday’s 6.4-magnitude quake. Pro-government media outlets said in Syria reported that a woman and a girl died as a result of panic during the earthquake in the provinces of Hama and Tartus. The earthquake’s epicenter was in the town of Defne in Turkey’s Hatay province bordering Syria. It was also felt in Jordan, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon and as far away as Egypt. It was followed by a 5.8 temblor and dozens of aftershocks.
February 21, 2023 4:13 am
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Western countries of igniting and sustaining the war in Ukraine. He has dismissed any blame for Moscow almost a year after the Kremlin’s unprovoked invasion of its neighbor that has killed tens of thousands of people. In his long-delayed state-of-the-nation address, Putin cast Russia and Ukraine as victims of Western double-dealing. He said Russia, not Ukraine, was the one fighting for its very existence. The speech reiterated a litany of grievances that the Russian leader has frequently offered as justification for the widely condemned war and ignored international demands to pull back from occupied areas in Ukraine.
February 21, 2023 4:10 am
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — (WPXI) – All eyes are on East Palestine as the city prepares for a clinic to open up in town. Several residents said they’ve become ill since the train derailment. Doctors who specialize in chemical exposure will be in East Palestine Tuesday to assess neighbors who have major concerns about their health. Families surrounding the Ohio town, including Pennsylvanians, said they’re experiencing headaches, rashes, dizziness and nausea. They want to know why. Neighbors said their confidence in what officials are telling them is safe is quickly waning. The EPA and other official agencies continue to test and monitor the quality of both the air and water. Right now, they say the levels aren’t a concern. Monday, residents started booking appointments for a clinic that the Ohio Department of Health and the county health department will provide Tuesday beginning at noon on West Martin Street, where doctors with chemical exposure expertise will assess those who are feeling sick.
February 21, 2023 4:07 am
EL PASO, Texas — (WPXI) – A student at Central Catholic is in custody in El Paso, Texas facing charges after a field trip gone very wrong. This happened Friday as a group of students and chaperones from Central Catholic were returning home from a humanitarian trip to the border. As their American Airlines flight was taxiing in El Paso, headed to Chicago, passengers on the plane were airdropped a message that read: “I have a bomb. Would like to share a photo.” This forced the plane back to the gate, where the FBI West Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force got involved. The Texas Department of Public Safety said the juvenile admitted to sending the message. He’s currently in custody in El Paso in a juvenile facility and he will be prosecuted for felony false alarm or report. Others who were on the trip returned home Monday.
February 21, 2023 4:02 am
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Hundreds of Penn State students have raised more than $15 million for pediatric cancer patients in the annual 46-hour dance marathon known as Thon. The $15,006,132.46 total was announced Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, billed as the world’s largest student-run philanthropy. It topped last year’s total of $13,756,374.50, Money raised benefits pediatric cancer patients and their families at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Officials say the dance marathon, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, has raised $204 million and the fund has helped over 4,800 families.
