A member of the Mexican security forces stands next to a white minivan with North Carolina plates and several bullet holes, at the crime scene where gunmen kidnapped four U.S. citizens who crossed into Mexico from Texas, Friday, March 3, 2023. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the four Americans were going to buy medicine and were caught in the crossfire between two armed groups after they had entered Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, on Friday. (AP Photo)

CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) — Officials say two survivors of a deadly abduction in Mexico are back on U.S. soil. They were brought to a hospital in Brownsville, Texas, on Tuesday. Two other Americans were killed after the group got caught in a drug cartel shootout last week. Officials say the group was on a road trip to Mexico for one of them to get cosmetic surgery. The Americans were hauled away in a truck. The region’s governor said Mexican authorities frantically searched as the cartel moved them around. They were eventually found Tuesday in a remote area near the Gulf coast in a wood shack.

FILE – This combination of images provided by the Memphis, Tenn., Police Department shows, from top row from left, Police Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, bottom row from left, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith. A seventh Memphis Police Department employee was fired and another retired while he was recommended to lose his job for their roles in the fatal arrest of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old motorist who died three days after a brutal police beating in January. (Memphis Police Department via AP, File)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it will review the Memphis police department policies on use of force, de-escalation policies and specialized units in response to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols during an arrest. It said that the review was requested by the city’s mayor and police chief. The announcement also said in a separate effort, it will examine the use of specialized units around the country and produce a guide for police chiefs and mayors on their use. The U.S. Justice Department has previously opened a civil rights investigation into Nichols’ death.

FBI Director Christopher Wray, speaks at the FBI Norfolk Field Office, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, in Chesapeake, Va. (AP Photo/John C. Clark)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI finds itself in a challenging moment as it conducts simultaneous investigations involving classified documents held by former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. The dual inquiries are both overseen by Justice Department special counsels and are unfolding in a hyper-partisan environment as election season nears and as Republicans use their new House majority to investigate the FBI and attack its credibility. In an interview with The Associated Press this week, FBI Director Christopher Wray acknowledged that it was a tough time for the FBI. But he downplayed the impact that the “noise” had on the FBI’s day-to-day work, on morale or on its relationship to other law enforcement agencies.

This still image from video provided by Lisa Olsen shows a man who federal authorities have identified as Francisco Severo Torres as he moves through the cabin on a weekend flight from Los Angeles to Boston, Sunday, March 5, 2023. Federal authorities said Torres tried to open the airliner’s emergency exit and then tried to stab a flight attendant with a broken spoon. (Lisa Olsen via AP)

BOSTON (AP) — A passenger who helped restrain a threatening man on a weekend flight from Los Angeles to Boston says the entire chaotic episode was over within seconds thanks to teamwork. Federal authorities say the man tried to open an airliner’s emergency exit and then tried to stab a flight attendant. Speaking Tuesday, passenger Simik Ghookasian says he heard the suspect make loud threats. Ghookasian says he was among five or six passengers who piled onto the suspect and took a modified metal spoon from him. The suspect is expected to appear in court later this week after being arrested Sunday, when the plane landed in Boston.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published March 8, 2023 8:28 A.M.  

(Aliquippa, PA) Amplified Home Health Care is hosting an Aliquippa Community Food Distribution on Thursday, March 30 at 1 p.m. The event will be held at 483 Franklin Avenue. Residents can drive or walk up.  Produce will be available, and residents are advised to bring carts or bags.. The distribution is expected to last for 2 hours, or while supplies last. No identification or pre registration is required.

Sample ballots are photographed on Feb. 3, 2023, for the three Western Pennsylvania districts that will choose new State Representatives on Tuesday, Feb. 7. If Democrats sweep all three districts, which they also won in November, it will give them a 102-101 majority and will be the first time in 12 years that Republicans have not been able to determine what gets voted on. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — On the last day for candidates to file, Tuesday, it’s clear those vying for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court or a term as Philadelphia’s mayor will face contested races in the primaries. Both Republicans and Democrats have contested primaries for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, while a crowded field of Democrats vying to be mayor of Philadelphia has also emerged. At least 10 candidates are competing to succeed term-limited Mayor Jim Kenney, a majority of which resigned from city council positions for the race. Candidates for Pennsylvania positions up for election can file their paperwork through 5 p.m. Tuesday.

A view of the scene Feb. 24, 2023, as the cleanup continues at the site of of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment that happened on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday, March 6, 2023 that Norfolk Southern has pledged several million dollars to cover the cost of the response and recovery in Pennsylvania after last month’s derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals just across the border in Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, file)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal investigators have announced a special investigation into railroad Norfolk Southern. The move follows a fiery derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border in February and several other accidents. The most recent accident led to a train conductor’s death early Tuesday. The National Transportation Safety Board says it will begin a broad look at the railroad’s safety culture. It says it has sent investigation teams to look into five significant accidents involving Norfolk Southern since December 2021. The agency also says it was urging the company to take immediate action to review and assess its safety practices.

FILE – Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference in Philadelphia, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. Shapiro unveils his first budget next week, poor districts that won a landmark school-funding lawsuit want him to propose a significant down payment and a plan to overhaul how Pennsylvania pays for K-12 education. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Rep. Jim Marshall (R-Beaver) issued the following statement regarding Gov. Josh Shapiro’s address on his proposed $45.8 billion budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year:
“This is the starting point of crafting a budget that considers the needs of our residents. In this proposal, Beaver County Public Schools will see increased funding, Pennsylvanians will see no new tax increases and this proposal also recognizes the value of our first responders and reduces the burdens they face.
“I look forward to working with the governor and my colleagues on reaching a final agreement that grows our economy while being mindful of taxpayers and job creators.”

State Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address Tuesday:

“As always, the governor’s budget proposal acts as a framework to be debated and negotiated in the coming months. But, in my judgment, it’s a solid foundation with several key areas that I support.

“This budget calls for no new taxes, cuts business taxes and eliminates the cell phone tax. It expands eligibility and increases rebate amounts for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program. It contains significant funding opportunities and increases for police, fire and EMS. It implements a new tax credit for those who want to become cops, nurses and teaches, and would also raise the state’s minimum wage.

“Perhaps most importantly, there are education increases across the board, from pre-K through higher ed, that would bring tens of millions of additional dollars to Beaver County schools. All while keeping $5 billion in the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

“I was further encouraged to hear the governor highlight his support for bringing a hydrogen hub to Southwest PA and reaffirm his commitment to assisting those affected by – and holding Norfolk Southern accountable for – the recent train derailment.

“Again, this is just the first step in what may be a long process, but it’s a good first step that would bring real investments and improvements to Beaver County and our communities.”

State Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) issued the following statement on the 2023-24 state budget plan announced by Gov. Josh Shapiro today:
“I am looking forward to working with Gov. Shapiro and his administration going into this budget season. I think there is a lot of work to be done and we need to be very careful. Yes, we are at our strongest financial position in decades. However, the non-partisan Independent Fiscal Office projects a structural imbalance of $1.5 billion to more than $3 billion every year beginning next year. It is important to note that the spending level proposed in Gov. Shapiro’s plan is not sustainable in future years and would almost completely deplete the state’s Rainy Day Fund by 2027-28. His own acting Revenue Secretary has been warning us for years, while he was the Senate Appropriations Chairman, of the structural deficit and dangers of using the Rainy Day Fund as a piggy bank.

Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Butler/Lawrence) issued the following statement regarding Gov. Josh Shapiro’s address on his proposed state budget for fiscal year 2023-24, which spends 5.9% more than the current year:
“Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal calls for massive spending and bigger government. His $45.8 billion proposal is a slap in the face to taxpayers who are already feeling the pain of skyrocketing inflation and price increases.
“Additionally, minimum wage hikes, marijuana legalization and the rest of Shapiro’s far-left wish list will only serve to further crush our small businesses and erode our communities. The state’s economy is on the fast track to billion-dollar deficits. Now is the time to practice fiscal responsibility, not take taxpayers on a reckless spending spree.”

FILE – A sign in front of the Food and Drug Administration building is seen on Dec. 10, 2020, in Silver Spring, Md. U.S. health officials are alerting consumers about two more recalls of eyedrops due to contamination risks that could lead to vision problems and serious injury. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials are alerting consumers about two more recalls of eyedrops due to contamination risks that could lead to vision problems and serious injury. The announcements follow a recall last month of eyedrops made in India that were linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections. There’s no indication the latest recalls are related to those products. The Food and Drug Administration posted separate recall notices for certain eyedrops distributed by Pharmedica and Apotex after the companies announced they are voluntarily pulling several lots from the market.

Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was sentenced to 25 years in the United States, speaks to the media prior to an opening ceremony of the exhibition of his artworks at the Mosfilm studio in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Bout has been brought back to Russia as a result of an agreement to exchange him for US basketball player Brittney Griner. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

MOSCOW (AP) — Viktor Bout, a former Russian arms dealer who was released from a U.S. prison in a swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner in December, has unveiled an exhibition of his artworks in Moscow. Bout, widely known abroad as the “Merchant of Death,” was convicted in 2011 on terrorism charges with prosecutors saying that he was ready to sell up to $20 million in weapons, including surface-to-air missiles to shoot down U.S. helicopters. He strongly denied the charges and proclaimed his innocence, describing himself as a legitimate entrepreneur who didn’t sell any weapons. Russian officials have cast him as a victim of a nefarious U.S. sting operation and demanded his release for many years. His exhibition opened Tuesday.