Philly soda tax study sees sales dip, health impact unclear
A new study bolsters evidence that soda taxes can reduce sales, but whether they influence health remains unclear. The research found that Philadelphia’s 2017 tax led to a 38% decline in sugary soda and diet drink sales that year, even when taking into account an increase in sales in neighboring...
Sheriff: Carnival worker from Virginia shot, killed 3 women
Authorities in Virginia say two missing women and a missing teenage girl were shot to death by a carnival worker who met the victims through the traveling show. James Michael Wright, 23, is accused of killing the women in February and March near his home in a far western corner...
Second Florida county hacked in 2016 election, Gov. DeSantis says
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Russian hackers infiltrated the election files of two Florida counties during the 2016 election, Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Tuesday, though he was quick to add that no votes were manipulated or results altered. “Two Florida counties experienced intrusion into the supervisor of election networks,” DeSantis said....
Disney takes over Hulu
BURBANK, Calif. — Disney is taking full control of Hulu, extending the reach of its streaming abilities. Disney said Tuesday that it’s taking operational control of the streaming service immediately. NBCUniversal owns 33% of Hulu right now. According to the agreement, Disney can demand Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, sell the...
Forget Uber, company offers N.Y. airport transfers via helicopter for $195
It’s just enough time to mix a cocktail. Helicopters have been whisking the wealthy from Manhattan to New York’s airports for decades. Now the ride costs as little as $195, and you can book it via a smartphone. Back in 2014, when Rob Wiesenthal founded Blade Urban Air Mobility, a...
Trader Joe’s debuts deliciously weird, wonderful YouTube channel
Trader Joe’s has debuted a wacky and wonderful YouTube channel. If you are a Trader Joe’s fan — and who isn’t? — then you’re going to love the chain’s new YouTube channel. The California-based grocer, which recently took top honors in Consumer Report’s annual supermarket survey, quietly launched the new...
Sorry, Sheetz: Wawa has best bathrooms in Pennsylvania
Apparently, it’s better in Ohio and West Virginia — or, at least, Sheetz bathrooms are. Sheetz tops the list for the cleanest bathrooms in those neighboring states, according to gas price tracker GasBuddy. But Wawa takes the top spot in Pennsylvania. But Wawa and Sheetz apparently pale in comparison to...
India’s tribal women see little hope in election
NEW DELHI (AP) — For years they’ve been told about the power they can wield with their votes, and how elections can bring so much change to this sprawling, often-chaotic nation. But few of these women, marooned at the fringes of Indian society, believe such talk anymore. They’ve been hardened...
WhatsApp patches security flaw that lets attackers to deliver malware through calls
WhatsApp is urging its 1.5 billion users to update their app after the company detected sophisticated hacking attempts that may have targeted human rights activists. The Facebook subsidiary said “an advanced cyber actor” exploited a security flaw and installed the malware by reaching targets on their mobile phones through WhatsApp’s...
Anthony Weiner leaves halfway house, completes sentence
NEW YORK — Former Rep. Anthony Weiner has left a New York City halfway house after completing his prison sentence for illicit online contact with a 15-year-old girl. According to the New York Post, Weiner said while leaving the Bronx facility on Tuesday that it’s “good to be out” and...
Unofficial tally shows Duterte allies winning big in polls in Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies appeared to have overwhelming leads in elections for the Philippine Senate, one of the opposition’s last bulwarks against a brash populist leader accused of massive human rights violations. Preliminary results comprising 94% of returns from Monday’s midterm elections showed at least eight candidates...
Texas officer fatally shoots woman after struggle over Taser
BAYTOWN, Texas — A Texas police officer fatally shot a woman moments after she seems to say “I’m pregnant” in an altercation captured on video. The shooting happened late Monday in Baytown, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Houston. Baytown Police Lt. Steve Dorris says the officer was patrolling...
3 dead, 2 injured in shooting at St. Louis home
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Police say three people were killed and two others wounded during a shooting at a home on the city’s north side. Authorities say the shooting happened just before 9 p.m. Monday in the city’s Penrose neighborhood. Police said one victim is in critical condition while...
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock joins 2020 Democratic presidential race
HELENA, Mont. — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock announced Tuesday that he is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, distinguishing himself among nearly two dozen candidates as the field’s only statewide elected official to win a state that President Donald Trump carried in 2016. The 53-year-old governor is running as a centrist...
Health Happenings
Blood drives — 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Westmoreland County Courthouse Square, 2 North Main St., Greensburg — Noon-5:30 p.m. Friday, Quatrini Rafferty, 550 E. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg — 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday, St. Michael’s Orthodox Church, 1182 Ashland St., Greensburg — Noon-5:30 p.m. Monday, Vandergrift Masonic Lodge
No. 617, 113...
Determining foods to avoid when managing Barrett’s esophagus
Dear Mayo Clinic: I was diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus three months ago and was given some diet instructions, including eliminating alcohol and caffeine. Why is this necessary? Is it still possible for me to have an occasional alcoholic drink? Is decaffeinated coffee OK? Answer: One of the main goals for...
$6,000 reward offered in commuter train conductor shooting
PHILADELPHIA — The transit agency serving the Philadelphia area and a citizens’ crime commission have announced a $6,000 reward for information in the shooting of a conductor on a commuter train platform last week. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority says a train was stopped Friday afternoon at a station in...
3 dead, 3 missing after small tour planes collide in Alaska
ANCHORAGE — Three people were killed after two sightseeing airplanes carrying cruise ship tourists collided in midair Monday near a southeast Alaska town, the Coast Guard said. Three others remaining missing after the collision near Ketchikan, Coast Guard Lt. Brian Dykens said. The floatplanes collided under unknown circumstances, Federal Aviation...
AG William Barr appoints U.S. attorney to investigate origins of Russia probe
WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr has appointed a U.S. attorney to examine the origins of the Russia investigation and determine if intelligence collection involving the Trump campaign was “lawful and appropriate,” a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Monday. Barr appointed John Durham, the U.S....
Trump targets Pell Grant money for NASA’s budget boost
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is hoping to shift money for Pell Grants for college education to fund new spending, including a $1.6 billion bump for NASA. Under a budget amendment sent Monday evening to Congress, the administration would use an additional $1.9 billion in surplus Pell Grant money to...
Analysis: Trump’s go-it-alone approach on trade, immigration poses economic risks
WASHINGTON — President Trump has moved dramatically to pull free from Congress in recent weeks by slapping huge trade penalties on Chinese imports and directing the construction of a wall along the Mexico border, looking to solve issues that dogged Democrats and Republicans for decades in a way that could...
Mt. Pleasant fixture owned service station, founded ambulance service
Jack Caruso Jr. is fairly certain that almost everyone in Mt. Pleasant knew his father, Jack Sr. “He was a figurehead in Mt. Pleasant forever,” he said. “You could ask anyone in town and they’d have their own little story about my dad.” As the owner of a longtime service...
Rod Rosenstein defends handling of Mueller probe; criticizes Comey as ‘partisan pundit’Video
WASHINGTON — Former deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein on Monday defended his role in the firing of James Comey from the FBI and criticized the bureau’s former director as a “partisan pundit” — offering one of his most detailed public accounts of the hectic events which led to the appointment...
Boy calls 911 to report he was left in hot car with 6 kids
WALDORF, Md. — A boy called 911 to report that he and six other children had been left in a car in Maryland with the windows rolled up and the engine not running. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office tells news outlets that the children ranged in age from 2 to...
Mother of missing Texas girl Maleah Davis heckled after canceled hearingVideo
HOUSTON — The mother of a missing 4-year-old Texas girl was heckled outside a courtroom on Monday by people who questioned if she had done enough to protect her daughter before her disappearance. Brittany Bowens, Maleah Davis’s mother, along with her spokesman, community activist Quanell X, showed up for a...
