April 6, 2024 4:22 am
GUANGZHOU, China (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the U.S. and China had agreed to hold talks that will address a key American complaint about China’s economic model. The agreement came on the second day of an official visit to China during which Yellen has appealed to Chinese leaders to change their domestic manufacturing policies. Yellen started her five-day visit in Guangzhou and has focused the trip on what the U.S. considers to be unfair Chinese trade practices. The official Xinhua News Agency said that the two sides had agreed to discuss a range of economic and financial issues; and, without details, that China had responded fully on the issue of production capacity.
April 6, 2024 4:25 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is demanding a new judge just days before his hush-money criminal case is set to go to trial, rehashing longstanding grievances with the current judge in a long-shot, eleventh-hour bid to disrupt and delay the case. Trump’s lawyers urged Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan to step aside from the case, alleging a conflict of interest and bias because his daughter is a Democratic political consultant. The judge rejected a similar request last August. In court papers made public Friday, Trump’s lawyers said it is improper for Merchan “to preside over these proceedings while Ms. Merchan benefits, financially and reputationally, from the manner in which this case is interfering” with Trump’s presidential campaign.
April 6, 2024 4:28 am
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Rescuers are planning to bring in heavy equipment to try to recover two bodies buried under boulders on a hiking trail, three days after Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years. Search and recovery work was set to resume Saturday after being called the previous afternoon because of aftershocks. At least 12 people were killed by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Wednesday morning off Taiwan’s east coast, and 10 others are still missing. More than 600 people, including about 450 at a hotel at a national park, remained stranded in various locations cut off by rockslides and other damage.
April 6, 2024 12:15 am
Many communities are dealing with flooding issues after a storm system dumped plenty of rain on Washington County this week. Bentleyville and Marianna have declared states of emergency and in South Strabane Township, Fire Chief Jordan Cramer tells us they are closely monitoring a landslide in the 2000 block of Route 40 near Interstate 79. Cramer says in happened Thursday afternoon on private property, but because of several poles and lines owned by Verizon that are affected, multiple agencies were called in and Route 40 in that area and Interstate 79 were shut down for a brief period of time. Meanwhile, PennDOT is making progress on reopening roads that had been closed due to flooding or downed trees. As of Friday afternoon, only one area roadway remained closed in Washington County, and that is Route 2020 (Ten Mile Road) between Route 2047 (Little Creek Road) and Route 2049 (Jefferson Avenue) due to a landslide. (Photo: South Strabane Township Fire Department)
April 7, 2024 4:14 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Efforts to ban TikTok from government devices have picked up steam in the past year in state legislatures and Congress even as politicians continue to use it to connect with and expand their base. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is a prolific poster, but legislation seeking to ban the app from state networks and devices could reach his desk soon. Researchers say using social media to connect with constituents has a long history. And it’s largely Democrats having the internal debate about using TikTok while weighing a significant ban over security concerns.
April 5, 2024 5:18 pm
(WPXI) – A man has been charged more than a month after a woman was sexually assaulted in Oakland, Pittsburgh police said. The alleged assault happened along Melwood Avenue in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 3rd. Pittsburgh police said the woman had just gotten off a PRT bus and was walking to her apartment while on the phone when a man came up behind her, said he had a weapon and told her to stop talking on the phone. He then assaulted her in an alley, threatened to kill her and punched her in the eye. The suspect has been identified as Javonne Thompson, 35. Police said Thompson was already in the Allegheny County Jail on unrelated charges. Thompson is facing multiple new charges in connection to this case, including sexual assault and robbery.
April 5, 2024 10:49 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The East Coast earthquake has snarled travel by air, road and rail around the region. Friday’s quake was centered in northern New Jersey and registered a magnitude of 4.8. It shook skyscrapers and suburbs across the northeastern U.S. for several seconds. It caused no major damage but startled millions of people in an area unaccustomed to such tremors. It diverted flights and disrupted travel on roads and rails during runway, bridge, and tunnel inspections. Flights to the Newark, New York and Baltimore airports were held at their origins for a time while officials inspected runways for cracks. (Photo: AP)
April 5, 2024 2:49 pm
BALTIMORE (AP) — President Joe Biden has gotten a firsthand look at efforts to clear away the hulking remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Cranes, ships and diving crews are working to reopen one of the nation’s main shipping lanes. Biden was planning to meet during his Friday visit with relatives of the six people killed in the collapse. The cleanup and rebuild has high economic and political stakes. Though the federal government has provided quick-release funds to start recovery, the White House has called on Congress to approve all that will be needed without seeking a separate, emergency appropriations request. The House Freedom Caucus responded that such funding would have to come with conditions. (Photo: AP)
April 5, 2024 8:54 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers delivered another outpouring of jobs in March, adding a sizzling 303,000 workers to their payrolls and bolstering hopes that the economy can vanquish inflation without succumbing to a recession in the face of high interest rates. Last month’s job growth was up from a revised 270,000 in February and far above the 200,000 economists had forecast. By any measure, it amounted to a strong month of hiring, and it reflected the economy’s ability to withstand the pressure of high borrowing costs resulting from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes. With the nation’s consumers continuing to spend, many employers have kept hiring to meet steady customer demand. The unemployment rate dipped to 3.8% from 3.9% in February.
April 5, 2024 4:50 am
Washington City Council has heard from residents concerning flooding on W. Prospect Avenue and Elm Street. The W. Prospect issue is an ongoing concern, the Elm Street issue concerned flooding and a landslide. The resident speaking to council was concerned about proposed new construction and water run off. Overall, Mayor JoJo Burgess felt that because this recent storm system is a somewhat rare event, he praised city first responders for their efforts to help residents with flooded basements and to keep residents safe when roads needed to be blocked or debris cleared from streets. City Fire Chief Chris Richer said that 28 homes had flood waters pumped out of basements in a 48 hour time frame. Burgess did go on to say that the infrastructure in the city performed well for its age. He also stated that any issues with flooding should be called into the city so that they may be addressed as quickly as possible. Other city activities are a Bottle Cap Sorting event sponsored by Clean and Tidy Our County, Inc. That will take place on Saturday April 6, from 9 AM to 6 PM at the Holy Trinity Church on Hewitt Avenue. They also have a parks and playground clean up day scheduled for April 20.
