(Moon Twp.,Pa) An Aliquippa man is facing federal civil penalties after a Transportation Security Administration officer at the Pittsburgh International Airport spotted the .380 caliber handgun with seven bullets, including one in the chamber, on the X-ray machine’s monitor inside a pocket of his jacket, which he had placed into a bin.

Allegheny County police were alerted and confiscated the gun and questioned the man.

U.S. trade deficit rises to 12-year high $679 billion
By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit rose 18% last year to $679 billion, highest since 2008, as the coronavirus disrupted global commerce and confounded then-President Donald Trump’s attempts to rebalance America’s trade with the rest of the world. The Commerce Department said Friday that the gap between the value of the goods and services the United States sells abroad and what it buys climbed from $577 billion in 2019. Exports skidded 16% to $2.1 trillion, and imports fell 9.5% to $2.8 trillion. As president, Trump sought to narrow the gap by imposing taxes on imported goods on a scale unseen since the trade wars of the 1930s.

US employers add just 49K jobs as unemployment falls to 6.3%
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S employers added just 49,000 jobs in January, a sign that that the viral pandemic retains a tight grip on the economy nearly a year after it triggered a painful recession.  The drop follows a decline of 227,000 jobs in December, the first loss since April. The unemployment rate for January fell sharply to 6.3%, the Labor Department said Friday. About half the drop occurred because some of those out of work found jobs, while others stopped looking for work and were no longer counted as unemployed.

Senate approves budget bill as Harris casts tie-breaker vote
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has approved a budget bill that’s a key step toward fast-track passage of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan without support from Republicans. Vice President Kamala Harris was in the chair to cast the tie-breaking vote, her first. Democrats in the chamber applauded after Harris announced the 51-50 vote at around 5:30 a.m. Friday The action came after a grueling all-night session, where senators voted on amendments that could define the contours of the eventual COVID-19 aid bill. The budget now returns to the House, where it will have to be approved again due to the changes made by the Senate.

Causer Bill to Aid Dairy Farmers, Milk Haulers Earns House Approval

 

HARRISBURG – Legislation to ensure the dairy industry can continue to operate as needed during inclement weather has been approved by the state House, said Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter), prime sponsor of the measure.

 

House Bill 186 would exempt milk trucks from weather-related commercial vehicle travel bans in the Commonwealth. A similar measure was approved in a bipartisan vote last session but was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf.

 

Watch Causer’s remarks during House debate here:

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pagopvideo/609952237.mp4

 

“No matter the weather, cows continue to produce milk,” Causer said. “There is only so much room in each farmer’s bulk tanks, so if trucks can’t get to our dairy farms to pick up the milk, farmers will have no choice but to dump it. This is not only wasteful but potentially devastating to our already-struggling dairy farmers.”

 

Under the bill, milk haulers who wish to be exempt during travel bans would have to obtain a decal issued by the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board.

 

“While I can appreciate the public safety concerns that may prompt officials to impose a travel ban on commercial vehicles, an exception for milk hauling is necessary because milking schedules can’t be changed to comply with weather or travel conditions,” Causer said. “And allowing milk trucks to continue using our interstates, rather than pushing these heavy vehicles on to back roads that aren’t maintained as well, is actually safer both for them and others who may be on the roads.”

 

Causer first introduced the legislation last session as House Bill 915 in response to the Wolf administration issuing a disaster emergency declaration in which commercial vehicles were banned three times from some portions or all of the state’s interstate highways in anticipation of snow or ice accumulations that winter.

 

The bill was passed by a bipartisan vote of 125-77. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

(Moon Twp., Pa) Do you want to learn about severe weather and how to properly report it to the National Weather Service? Well the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh is now taking pre-registration for for SkyWarn Storm Training. The training is being offered starting in March. just click the link below to get pre-registered.

https://www.weather.gov/pbz/skywarn?fbclid=IwAR3YggsJq2sLdi-RzlYHafWMUPKdTO1cmjjUijJZTQYwLeJgeHS6KMbBgCA

Long-term care homes demand more vaccine from Pennsylvania
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
The long-term care industry is calling on Pennsylvania to devote more of the state’s share of COVID-19 vaccine to nursing homes, personal care homes and assisted living facilities, saying the Wolf administration isn’t moving quickly enough to vaccinate the state’s most vulnerable residents. Industry representatives appeared at a state Senate hearing Thursday. They say the Health Department is directing less than 20% of the state’s weekly allotment to facilities that care for older adults, forcing many desperate residents to have to wait weeks or months for the vaccine. State health officials say pharmacy chains that administer the shots aren’t devoting enough resources to that effort.