A plane crashed Monday in Afghanistan's eastern Ghazni province

A plane crashed Monday in Afghanistan's eastern Ghazni province, and within hours, a swarm of conflicting reports had coalesced around the wreckage.
According to a U.S. official, the plane was a small American fixed-wing aircraft with two people on board, both of whom died in the crash. The official told NPR that the plane went down because of mechanical problems.
But that's not the only account of the incident.
A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, told NPR that insurgents with the group shot down the plane and that it had CIA officials on board. Earlier Monday, Mujahid referred to the plane on Twitter as an "enemy intelligence aircraft" and said the bodies of the intelligence officials were still lying near the crash site in the Sado Khelo region of Ghazni.
The militant group frequently exaggerates battlefield actions, and the claims could not be confirmed.

Source: Afghanistan Plane Crash: Conflicting Reports From U.S. And Taliban : NPR

Three rockets struck the US Embassy in Baghdad

(CNN)Three rockets struck the US Embassy in Baghdad on Sunday, a US official told CNN.

The official said one person was injured in the attack, but that the injury was minor and the individual had since returned to duty.

A State Department spokesperson said Sunday evening that they "are aware of reports of rockets landing in the International Zone," but did not address the US embassy itself. The State Department did not respond to a query as to whether any embassy employees were injured.

"We call on the Government of Iraq to fulfill its obligations to protect our diplomatic facilities," the spokesperson said.

 

 

The State Department did not directly blame Tehran for the rocket strikes in the Iraqi capital, but the spokesperson's statement made reference to Iranian threats in the region and past attacks by Iranian-backed militias on US interests. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

"The security situation remains tense and Iranian-backed armed groups remain a threat. So, we remain vigilant," the spokesperson said. Since September there have been more than 14 attacks by Iran and Iranian-supported militias on US personnel in Iraq, according to the State Department.The spokesperson said the State Department would not comment further on the security situation in Baghdad.

Source: US embassy attack: Rockets strike embassy in Baghdad - CNNPolitics

A former Illinois State trooper was killed

(CNN)A former Illinois State trooper was killed and two others were injured when a woman opened fire in a cigar lounge before taking her own life, police say.

The Friday night shooting, which was captured on surveillance footage, appeared to show several people watching television in a media room when the woman sitting behind the victims stands up “without apparent provocation,” the Lisle Police Department said in a news release.

The woman draws a handgun, shoots one victim in the head and then fires several rounds at the other two victims, the department said, before turning the gun on herself.

One of the victims, 51-year-old retired Illinois State Police Trooper Gregory Rieves succumbed to his injuries in a nearby hospital, Illinois State Police said.

Source: A woman shot and killed an ex-Illinois State Trooper and injured two other law enforcement officers at a cigar lounge – CNN

DC Stabbing

D.C. Police and Metro Transit Police are looking for a man and a woman in their 20s after a person was fatally stabbed at the Union Station Metro.
Police responded to a stabbing before 9 a.m. Sunday, less than an hour after Metro opened for the day. D.C. Fire confirmed the victim was declared dead at the scene.
Officers say they are looking for two suspects: A black woman wearing a brown jacket and blue jeans and a clean-shaven white man wearing a denim bandana, a dark jacket and carrying a black bag with white stripes. It's unclear how the suspects left the scene.

DC Police Department

 

✔@DCPoliceDept

 

 

Stabbing in the Unit block of Massachusetts Avenue, NE. Lookout for S(1) B/F, 20's, medium build, wearing a brown jacket, blue jeans, and brown boots; S(2): W/M, 20's, clean shaven, medium build, wearing a denim bandana, dark jacket carrying a black bag with white stripes.

 

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The stabbing appears to have occurred at a ticketing area near the Metro station entrance.

Red Line trains are bypassing the station as police investigate, Metro says. Entrances to the Metro station are closed. Shuttle buses have been requested.

Source: Manhunt for Suspects in Fatal Stabbing Near Union Station, Red Line Service Impacted: Police – NBC4 Washington

SpaceX Launches Falcon 9

A commercial space launch industry, with companies such as SpaceX and Boeing competing against one another, has every potential to lower the cost of space travel.

The commercial spaceflight company launched a Falcon 9 rocket with a crewed Dragon on top. About 90 seconds into the flight, the Falcon 9’s engines switched off. Detecting that an anomaly had taken place, the Crewed Dragon fired its Draco rocket engines, separating it from the Falcon 9. As the Falcon 9 broke apart in midflight, the crewed Dragon soared away in safety. The spacecraft eventually splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean using parachutes. NASA and SpaceX will spend the next several months examining data garnered by the flight.

While the possibility of an inflight abort is an extreme event, it is not a theoretical one. In October 2018, a crewed Soyuz launch suffered an unplanned inflight abort. After the booster failed, the Soyuz capsule broke away and eventually landed near the launch site with its crewmembers, Russian cosmonaut Alexsey Ovchinin and American astronaut Nick Hague, shaken but alive and well.

Source: SpaceX’s inflight abort test paves way to commercial human spaceflight | TheHill

Downtown Greensburg Project

Greensburg wants to show off its good side, and the Downtown Greensburg Project is looking for public feedback on how to do that.

“We’re not the same old city we’ve been for a long time, we want more collaboration, we want a stronger city,” said Jessica Hickey, director of the Downtown Greensburg Project. “So we wanted to create a new brand to help move it along a little bit.”

DGP organizes events and promotes businesses in the city.

City council hired DGP last year at a rate of $1,250 a month to help market the city. Part of that work has been a major rebranding.

Hickey is in the early stages of that project. She’s collecting feedback from an online survey and public focus groups to learn how people see Greensburg, what they like about the city and what they don’t.

Feedback so far has included some complaints — parking is a perennial gripe — but the tone has been generally optimistic, Hickey said.

Source: Downtown Greensburg Project prepares marketing push for city | TribLIVE.com

UK Heating and Cooling

London (CNN Business)The United Kingdom made history last year when it became the first major economy to commit to pumping no more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than it removes by 2050.

Dozens of countries have since followed its lead to achieve "net zero" emissions, and with three decades to go before the deadline, Britain's progress provides a promising blueprint.

Its carbon emissions were 44% below 1990 levels in 2018, with renewable energy now accounting for 33% of its energy mix and coal contributing just over 5%. That is thanks in large part to its success with offshore wind and focus on nuclear energy.

Source: Britain has to solve its heating problem to meet its ambitious climate goals - CNN

Martin Luther King Jr. January 20, 2020

On Jan. 18-19, the Westmoreland Museum of American Art hosted a weekend of events celebrating the legacy of civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr.
Honoring King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, visitors were invited to stop in the Greensburg museum’s Center for Creative Connections and post their own dreams on a vision wall. The center also featured photos of King, along with many of the slain civil rights leader’s most inspiring quotes.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@tribweb.com or via Twitter .
Source: Out & About: The Westmoreland celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. | TribLIVE.com

Who is your all-time favorite DJ

PITTSBURGH, PA - National Disc Jockey Day occurs every January 20 to commemorate the death date of Alan Freed, one of the nation's early influential DJs. Freed is credited with popularizing the term "rock and roll" while working at radio stations in Akron, Cleveland and New York in the 1950s.

 

Pittsburgh has had numerous talented DJs since Freed coined that term. Given that today is meant to honor them, it's an appropriate time to ask: Who is your all-time favorite DJ and why?

• Randy Baumann (WDVE)
•  
• Big Bob (96.1 KISS)

• Jack Bogut (KDKA, WTAE, WSHH, WJAS)

• Bubba (B-94, Star 100.7)

• Chuck Brinkman (KQV, WTAE, WFFM-WMYG)

• Bill Cardille (WJAS)

• Porky Chedwick (WAMO, WEDO)

• Jeff Christie a.k.a.Rush Limbaugh (KQV)

• Rege Cordic (KDKA)

• Chris DeCarlo (WYDD, WDVE, Y108)

• John Garry (WTAE, WHTX)

• Steve Hanson (WDVE, WMYG, 3WS)

• George Hart (KQV, WXKX, 3WS, WPNT)

• Jim Krenn (WDVE)

• Terry Lee (WMCK, WIXZ)

• Sean McDowell (WYDD, WYTK, WRRK, WDVE)

• Jim Merkel (WPEZ, 3WS)

• Michele Michaels (WDVE)

• Mikey (96.1 KISS)

• Larry O'Brien (WTAE, WHTX)

• Scott Paulsen (WHTX, WDVE, WRKZ)

• Clark Race (KDKA)

• Jimmy Roach (WDVE, WMYG, Y108)

• Cris Winter (WXXP, WDVE, WISH)

Source: Who Is Your All-Time Favorite Pittsburgh Disc Jockey? | Pittsburgh, PA Patch

Virginia gun sales soared

RICHMOND, Va. — Gun dealers in Virginia say sales soared in December due to growing fears of increased firearms restrictions backed by Democrats who control the state government.
Estimated firearm sales totaled 73,849 last month, a 47% increase over December 2018,the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, citing mandatory criminal background checks on Virginia gun buyers.
A review of data that goes back to 1990 shows that tally is second only to December 2012, when when 75,120 transactions were recorded.
Several gun dealers told the newspaper many of the customers are first-time buyers. Others said customers are purchasing guns and accessories they believe will be banned.

Source: Data show Virginia gun sales soared ahead of session | WTOP

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced his initial plan

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced that his initial plan of a pre-trial dismissal of the impeachment case against President Trump is now unlikely to happen, but he is pushing for trial to now begin and end as quickly as possible.

Source: Graham calls for swift end to impeachment trial, warns Dems against calling witnesses | Fox News

Plane dumps fuel

An airplane returning to Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday morning dropped jet fuel onto a school playground, dousing several students at Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy, officials said.
Delta Flight 89 — a Boeing 777 — had taken off from LAX with more than 140 passengers on board and was en route to Shanghai when it turned around and headed back to the L.A. airport.
“Shortly after takeoff, Flight 89 from LAX to Shanghai experienced an engine issue requiring the aircraft to return quickly to LAX,” Delta said in a statement released Tuesday night. “The aircraft landed safely after a release of fuel, which was required as part of normal procedure to reach a safe landing weight. Delta is in touch with Los Angeles World Airports and the L.A. County Fire Department as well as community leaders, and shares concerns regarding reports of minor injuries to adults and children at schools in the area.”

Source: Elementary school kids doused as jet dumps fuel before emergency landing - Los Angeles Times

No More Plastic Bags By 2025

PITTSBURGH —
Giant Eagle is eyeing a future without plastic bags, and for several stores, it begins Wednesday.
Some Giant Eagle stores are part of a six-month pilot program that eliminates single-use plastic bags.

As an alternative, reusable bags will be sold for 99 cents. Paper bags will cost a dime.

For a limited time, a "one perk per reusable bag used" promotion will be available to customers who bring their own bags.
The program is being tested at Giant Eagle's Waterworks Market District store in the Pittsburgh area, as well as at stores in Cuyahoga County and Bexley, Ohio.
According to a press release, Giant Eagle is committed to phasing out the blue-colored plastic bags in all city of Pittsburgh stores "in the coming months."
Giant Eagle aims to eliminate single-use plastics by 2025.
For more information about Giant Eagle's sustainability efforts, go to GiantEagle.com/AllOfUs.

Source: Giant Eagle testing elimination of plastic bags at 3 stores, including one in Pittsburgh

Iowa Democratic Debate

The top six candidates debated Tuesday night in Iowa, the last chance for them to stand beside their rivals before Iowa voters kick off the nomination fight in 20 days' time.

Source: Democratic debate winners and losers, according to Chris Cillizza - CNNPolitics

Movie Making In Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — If you noticed helicopters flying and hovering over the city last night, there was no cause for alarm; it was just film crews continuing work on Jason Momoa’s newest Netflix movie.

“Sweet Girl” started filming right here in and around the Pittsburgh area in late 2019. Production is now continuing into the new year.

Crews were spotted near the Golden Triangle over the weekend.
A camera rig, attached to the back of a car, was set up along Stanwix Street and Liberty Avenue.
There were also lighting crews and service trucks in Gateway Center.
The helicopters flying over PNC Park and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center were also part of the excitement.
However, there were no Momoa sightings.
IMDb says he will play a grieving father protecting his daughter while trying to get justice in his wife’s death.

Source: Helicopters Over City Part Of Jason Momoa’s Netflix Movie Shoot – CBS Pittsburgh

Man Tries Breakin

Charles Beiter, 33, facing several charges
Police said after the confrontation, Charles Beiter, of Delmont, tried to break into a detached garage and then ran off.
Police said Beiter was wearing firefighter apparel and was driving a silver Mitsubishi SUV.
Investigators said home surveillance video helped them identify Beiter as the suspect.
Louis Gradisek lives in the home and told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that he was home as this all was unfolding.
"I just happened to look out on the deck and I just happened to see him walking around out there,' Gradisek said.
Investigators said troopers searching nearby heard about a man with the same description stealing items from a car and then running away.
Police also said Beiter was streaming on Facebook live around the time of the incident but attempts to locate him based on that were unsuccessful.
Police said he was later discovered in the area and taken into custody after a traffic stop.
Beiter is now in the Westmoreland County Prison facing several charges including attempted burglary and impersonating a public servant.
He is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Jan. 23.

Source: Investigators say a man tried to break into a home, said he was a firefighter, and then ran off. Now he's in the Westmoreland County Prison.

Pittsburgh Fire In Oakland

The residential fire was reported around 4 a.m. on the 200 block of Robinson Street.
When firefighters arrived, they found the roof on fire and downed power lines on the roof, according to Chris Togneri, public safety spokesman.
Togneri said the blaze went to two alarms about an hour after it was reported, but crews were able to put it out after Duquesne Light shut off power to the lines.
The Fire Investigation Unit, which made up of police detectives and fire investigators, will determine the cause of the fire.
Source: No one hurt when roof catches fire in Oakland | TribLIVE.com

Intruder Shot In Baldwin

BALDWIN (KDKA) — Allegheny County Police say the man shot and killed last night in Baldwin was armed and allegedly trying to break into a family’s apartment.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has now identified the alleged intruder as 22-year-old Joshua Brandon Long of West Mifflin.

According to police, Long was shot and killed just after 7 p.m. Sunday while attempting an alleged armed robbery at an apartment on Rosewood Court.

(Photo Credit: KDKA)

Police say the 25-year-old man living in the apartment retrieved his own gun during the incident and shot the suspect. The man was at home with his 24-year-old fiancée and their 10-month-old child.

Officers took a 19-year-old man into custody nearby shortly after arriving at the scene. He is facing drug charges.

Allegheny County Police detectives continue to investigate the incident.

They will be working with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether any charges will be filed in the incident.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Allegheny County Police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477).

Source: Police: Alleged Armed Intruder Shot, Killed At Baldwin Apartment – CBS Pittsburgh

Fire In Jeannette PA

Firefighters were called Sunday afternoon to a blaze at an abandoned building in Jeannette, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher.
The fire was reported at 4:28 p.m. on the second floor of a home along South 12th Street. No injuries were reported.
Source: Fire damages abandoned home in Jeannette | TribLIVE.com

Anti-Government Protests In Iran

(CNN)Apologies from Iranian leaders over the downing of an airliner last week have done little to quell mass anti-government protests spreading across the country.

Thousands of demonstrators hit the streets this weekend condemning Iranian authorities for shooting down a Ukrainian passenger plane and killing all 176 people on board.

The airliner disaster came hours after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi military bases housing US troops. That was retaliation for a drone strike at Baghdad airport that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.

Amid rising tensions in the region, eight Katyusha rockets hit Iraq's Balad Air Base, north of Baghdad, on Sunday, wounding four Iraqi air force officers, the Iraqi military said in a statement. No American or coalition forces were at the base when the rockets struck, a US military official told CNN.

 

 

In Iran, demonstrators are calling for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down and for those responsible for downing the plane to be prosecuted.

Source: Thousands of Iranian protesters hit streets condemning leaders over downed plane - CNN

Taal Volcano spewed smoke

The Taal Volcano spewed smoke, increasing the risk of a serious eruption.

The Philippines raised the alert level for the Taal Volcano after it spewed a multi-kilometer high column of smoke and ash, prompting officials to close a Manila’s international airport and call for the evacuation of some 8,000 residents.

Rappler

 

✔@rapplerdotcom

 

 

WATCH: Lightning follows Taal Volcano eruption, ash spews continue
Following its eruption Sunday afternoon, January 12, Taal Volcano continues to spew ash as lightning occurs in the area.
Full story: https://www.rappler.com/nation/249103-taal-volcano-phreatic-explosion-january-12-2020 …

 

 

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Continued volcanic activity could result in a more dangerous eruption. The volcano’s alert level was raised to “Level 4” by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), indicating an “effusive eruption” is underway. “Level 5” is the highest alert, indicating a life-threatening magmatic event that endangers nearby communities.

 

About 8,000 residents in communities near the volcano required immediate evacuation, according to Reuters. A PHIVOLCS “Level 4” alert indicates a danger zone of 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) or more around the active crater. Manila, the capital, is some 40 miles from the eruption. Flights were suspended to the Philippines’ main international airport, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, by the Manila International Airport Authority.

NAIA@MIAAGovPH

 

 

Due to the suspension of flights in NAIA, due to Taal Volcano eruption, all passengers are advised to coordinate with their respective airlines before proceeding to the airport.

 

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The eruption also risks causing a volcanic tsunami in caldera lakes (formed by a collapsed volcano), like Taal Lake, according to a New York Times report. Such tsunamis can be caused by shock waves and underwater explosions from volcanic activity, Scientific American reported earlier this year.

Source: Philippines Volcano Taal spewed ash, prompting evacuations and airport closure — Quartz

Network Buyout Possible

President Trump’s allies are seeking to buy out the president’s new favorite cable-news channel, One America News Network, in a move that would shake up the conservative media landscape currently dominated by Fox News, The Wall Street Journal reports. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the Journal reports that investment firm Hicks Equity Partners, which is owned by the family of the co-chairman of the Republican National Committee, Thomas Hicks Jr., is trying to persuade Republican donors to pitch in on a $250 million bid for an OANN buyout. Hicks Jr., who is also a friend of Donald Trump Jr., is said not to be involved in efforts to buy the network and has resigned at Hicks Holdings to avoid any conflicts of interest, but he could still opt in to a buyout deal, according to the Journal.
“Over the last 25 years, we have been active media investors. Any interest in OANN is from a purely business standpoint,” Rick Newman, a partner at Hicks Equity Partners, told the Journal. The network comes nowhere close to drawing the same viewership as other big names in cable news, but Trump has repeatedly singled out OANN for praise in recent months while at the same time disparaging Fox News over perceived criticism.

Source: Trump Allies Eye Buyout of One America News Network: WSJ

Suspected Carjacker At Large

JOHNSTOWN, Pa (WJAC) — Police in Cambria County continue to search for a man following an altercation with an officer earlier Friday.
The Ferndale police chief says an officer suffered minor injuries Friday afternoon after getting into a struggle with a man who said he had a weapon.
Chief John Blake says the officer responded to the 100 block of Quaker Avenue in Ferndale for a parking complaint and reports of a man, who Blake identified as John Hoffman of Middle Taylor Township, trying to unsuccessfully carjack a vehicle.
Blake says the officer noticed Hoffman was intoxicated; Hoffman told the officer he had a gun, and they began to struggle.
According to Blake, Hoffman ran away, and a chase ensued involving other officers.
The injured officer was treated and is okay.
Hoffman remains at large and the Ferndale Police Department is currently consulting with the Cambria County district attorney to press charges.

Source: Johnstown man still at large following altercation, chase with police | WJAC

Record high temperature in Pittsburgh

A new record high temperature in Pittsburgh was set for the date Saturday, breaking a 130-year-old record.
The high temperature recorded at Pittsburgh International Airport was 70 degrees which beats the record high of 68 set in 1890.

 

A normal high for this time of year is 36 degrees, with a normal low around 21 degrees.

Source: Pittsburgh breaks 130-year record for high temperature

Earthquake In Puerto Rico

It was the strongest shake yet since a magnitude 6.4 quake struck before dawn on Tuesday.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake shook Puerto Rico on Saturday, causing further damage along the island's southern coast where previous recent quakes have toppled homes and schools. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit 8 miles south of Indios at a shallow depth of 6 miles.

There were no immediate reports of the extent of damage or injury.

It was the strongest shake yet since a magnitude 6.4 quake struck before dawn on Tuesday, knocking out power across the island and leaving many without water. In the southwestern part of the island, that quake knocked some homes right off their foundations.

Source: Puerto Rico earthquake - magnitude 6.0 earthquake hits 8 miles south of Indios, United States Geological Survey says today - live updates - CBS News

New Retirement Law

The Secure Act is intended to make it easier for small employers to offer retirement benefits. But some analysts say it doesn't go far enough because it's optional and doesn't apply to gig workers.
Small employers are the biggest segment lacking coverage, he says. That's because many small businesses lack time and money to set such programs up, he says.
The new law, called the Secure Act, aims to help with that in part by allowing smaller employers to band together to share the administrative burden — making it cheaper and easier to offer retirement benefits. How many will do so and expand their retirement benefits is far from clear, because the program is optional.
And, Certner says, the law won't apply to many other workers who aren't classified as employees. That's because they're contractors or gig workers who aren't eligible for those benefits.

 

Source: Secure Act Aims To Help Americans Without Retirement Plans. Will It Work? : NPR

Neil Peart, the longtime drummer and lyricist of the band Rush, has died at age 67

Neil Peart, the longtime drummer and lyricist of the band Rush, has died at age 67. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer died in Santa Monica, California, on January 7 after battling brain cancer, CBS Los Angeles confirmed.

Peart's bandmates made an emotional tribute to him on Twitter, saying he battled the cancer for three-and-a-half years and calling him their "soul brother and band mate of 45 years." In asking for privacy, they urged those who want to express condolences to do so by donating to a cancer research group or charity. 

Rush

 

✔@rushtheband

 

 

Neil Peart September 12, 1952 - January 7, 2020

 

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The type of tumor Peart had, glioblastoma, is a brain tumor that often recurs after it is initially treated. Senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy died of the same cancer. 

Source: Neil Peart has died; Rush drummer and lyricist dies at 67 after battling brain cancer - CBS News

Voting Rights

Washington, DC (CNN)A voting rights group wants Georgia legislators to change the law that allows the state to remove voters it deems are "inactive."

Fair Fight Action, founded by former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, has called on the state's Republican-led General Assembly to "fix" and "clarify" the state election law that determines the time frame in which voters have before being considered "inactive" and later removed from election rolls. The move, first reported by the Atlanta Constitution Journal, comes after a federal judged denied last month a motion from the group to restore 98,000 voters to the rolls after they were removed under the 2019 law.

Source: Georgia voting rights group wants state to change election law on inactive voters - CNNPolitics

Pittsburgh police arrested 10 people

By Tom Davidson
Pittsburgh police arrested 10 people in an undercover prostitution sting this week at a city hotel.
Among those charged were:
• Moriah Asefi, 29, of Jeannette, charged with prostitution and possessing instruments of crime.
• Heather Madhat, 49, of Akron, Ohio, was charged with promoting prostitution.
• Scott Porter, 40, of Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood. Porter is charged with prostitution. He worked under the name “Desire” and was billed as a female, according to a complaint.
• Clara Bass, 40, South Union Township, Fayette County. Bass is charged with prostitution and possessing instruments of crime.
• Patricia Scarlett, 43, of Farmington, was charged with promoting prostitution.
• Two passengers in a car, Brian Funk, 26, of Uniontown, and Joseph Chism, 22, also of South Union, were charged with prohibited acts after marijuana and a pipe allegedly were found by police.
• Cody Singletary, 24, of Mt. Oliver. Singletary is charged with prostitution and possessing instruments of crime.
• Two others, Russell Hogue, 39, of Petrolia, and Kalil Bryant, 26, of Emsworth, were charged with patronizing prostitutes and possessing instruments of crime.
.Tom Davidson is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tom at 724-226-4715, tdavidson@tribweb.com or via Twitter .
Source: 10 charged in Pittsburgh prostitution sting | TribLIVE.com

MacDill on Lockdown

(CNN)Florida's MacDill Air Force Base was briefly locked down Friday morning over concerns about an armed person outside it, officials said.

The base just south of Tampa was locked down around 7 a.m. ET after police reported that an armed and dangerous suspect was near the Tanker Way gate, base spokesman Terry Montrose said.

By 8 a.m., the lockdown was lifted and all of the base's gates except for the one at Tanker Way were opened, base officials said.

"There were no shots fired on MacDill and no injuries to MacDill employees," Montrose said.

 

 

Details about the suspect weren't immediately available.

Earlier, US Special Operations Command spokesman Phillip Chitty said the lockdown came amid reports of a shooter and that commands on base were told it wasn't a drill.

Source: MacDill Air Force Base in Florida was briefly under lockdown over concerns of a suspect nearby - CNN

Australian Fires

Two fires have merged into a single blaze more than three times as big as California's largest-ever known fire. A quarter of a million people have been urged to evacuate towns south of Sydney.

Source: Enormous 'Megafire' In Australia Engulfs 1.5 Million Acres : NPR

Boeing hands over internal employee messages describing 737 Max as “designed by clowns.”

The messages describe coverups, safety concerns, and profit-seeking at the expense of safety.
Things appear to only get worse for Boeing these days and Thursday was no different, as the American company disclosed more than a hundred pages of internal emails and instant messages to congressional investigators that showed employees describing coverups and concern over the safety of the 737 Max airliner. Whether employees are grousing or exaggerating or being darkly sardonic, the internal comments give an unvarnished view of some of those closest to the aerospace manufacturing company’s production of the 737 Max, the plane that has since crashed twice and been grounded worldwide. The nature of the crashes—particularly the functioning of the airliner’s software system—has raised troubling questions about the Boeing’s willingness to pursue profit at the expense of safety, its relationship with regulators, and what exactly it knew about the problems in its marquee aircraft.

Source: Boeing hands over internal employee messages describing 737 Max as “designed by clowns.”

Iranian official: Ukrainian plane wasn't hit by a missile

While speaking at a press conference in Tehran, the head of Iran's Civil Aviation Authority, Ali Abedzadeh, reiterated the country's stance that the plane was not hit by a missile. CNN's Matthew Chance reports with Ukraine's reaction.

Source: CNN
While speaking at a press conference in Tehran, the head of Iran's Civil Aviation Authority, Ali Abedzadeh, reiterated the countrys stance that the plane was not hit by a missile.

Did You Really See More Snow When You Were A Kid?

Pittsburgh Weather: Did You Really See More Snow When You Were A Kid?
Kids in the 1960s did see more snow.
That was the snowiest decade since 1900, with 541.1 inches of snowfall over that 10-year stretch.
WEATHER LINKS:
Current Conditions | School Delays & Closings | Local Radar | Weather App | Photos
One thing you will notice on this graph, though, is that 2010-19 was the second snowiest decade.
It lagged behind the snowiest decade by almost 50 inches, but that really isn’t much over the span of a decade.
If you were a kid in the 1960s, KDKA meteorologist Ray Petelin agrees with you that there was more snow “back then.”
Everyone else has seen more snow over the last 10 years.

Source: Pittsburgh Weather: Did You Really See More Snow When You Were A Kid? – CBS Pittsburgh

War Powers Resolution

(CNN)The House of Representatives on Thursday approved the Iran War Powers resolution -- an effort to restrain President Donald Trump's ability to use military action against Iran without congressional approval -- with the support of three Republicans.

Republicans Reps. Matt Gaetz and Francis Rooney of Florida as well as Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky all crossed party lines to vote in favor of the resolution.

The measure, which passed by a nearly party line vote of 224-194 on Thursday evening, will next go to the Senate.

The structure of the House resolution is unique, however, calling into question whether it is actually legally binding. It was introduced as a concurrent resolution, a type of resolution often used for "sense of Congress" bills. They don't go to the President for a signature, and they aren't legally binding.

 

 

But House Democrats are arguing that concurrent resolutions under the War Powers Act are a special case, and they are legally binding. Republicans, however, say the resolution is not binding.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA analyst and freshman Democrat, is the sponsor of the resolution, which calls on the President "to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage in hostilities in or against Iran" unless Congress declares war or enacts "specific statutory authorization" for the use of armed forces.

Source: These Republicans voted yes on the War Powers resolution - CNNPolitics

Edd Byrnes Is Dead At 87

Edd Byrnes has died. He was 87.

The "Grease" and "77 Sunset Strip" star died unexpectedly of natural causes on Wednesday at his Santa Monica, Calif., home, a press release, shared by his son, Logan Byrnes, said.

"His is the story of an ambitious young kid who, in his 20s drove out to Hollywood from New York City with a few hundred dollars and a dream of making it big in the entertainment business," read the release.
BUCK HENRY, A SCREENWRITER OF 'THE GRADUATE,' CO-CREATOR OF 'GET SMART,' DIES AT 89

It continued: "He soon landed a staring role on the wildly popular TV series '77 Sunset Strip' as the cool-talking 'Kookie.' He went on to star in dozens of motion pictures and television series popular around the world, including playing the suave and debonaire 'Vince Fontaine' in 'Grease.'"

Source: Edd Byrnes, 'Grease' and '77 Sunset Strip' star, dead at 87 | Fox News