University student struck, killed by bus in Pittsburgh
Authorities say a Philadelphia-area college senior who aspired to be a research psychologist was struck and killed by a bus in Pittsburgh over the weekend. The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said 20-year-old Barbara Como of Chester Springs was struck by the Port Authority bus in the Oakland neighborhood shortly after noon Saturday. The University of Pittsburgh said Como studied anthropology and psychology and was on track to graduate in the spring. Counseling is being offered to students and faculty. Port authority spokesman Adam Brandolph declined to release information about the crash but said the driver was “shaken up.”

Demi Lovato to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl
By The Associated Press undefined
Grammy-nominated pop singer Demi Lovato will perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl. The NFL and Fox on Thursday announced the performance, which will take place ahead of the big game on Feb. 2 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will headline the halftime show. A week before the Super Bowl, Lovato will perform at the 2020 Grammy Awards on Jan. 26.

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) The National Weather Service has issued the following warnings for Severe Weather on Saturday January 20, 2020:

Hazardous Weather Outlook

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
224 PM EST Fri Jan 17 2020


...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 1 PM EST
SATURDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central Ohio, southwest
Pennsylvania, western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and the
northern panhandle of West Virginia.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather
conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures.

---

 

Winter Weather Advisory

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
202 PM EST Fri Jan 17 2020


...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 1 PM EST
SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations
  of up to 3 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze.

* WHERE...Portions of southwest and western Pennsylvania, east
  central Ohio and northern and the northern panhandle of West
  Virginia.

* WHEN...From 1 AM to 1 PM EST Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snow will transition to a mix of freezing
  rain and sleet through Saturday morning. Precipitation will
  change to rain by Saturday afternoon.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Slow down and use caution while traveling.

Please report snow or ice by calling 412-262-1988, posting to the
NWS Pittsburgh Facebook page, or using Twitter @NWSPittsburgh

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania
Turnpike Commission remind motorists to adjust speeds based on
driving conditions as winter weather impacts Pennsylvania
roadways. Visit www.511pa.com for the latest travel, roadway and
traffic conditions.

PA governor to follow through on plan to close state prison
Gov. Tom Wolf says he’ll follow through on his plan to close another state prison. Wolf’s administration made the announcement Friday after it carried out the required hearings on its plan. The move was announced originally in August as a cost-cutting step amid a declining inmate population and rising prison costs. The plan was criticized by the corrections’ officers union and state lawmakers whose districts surround Retreat state prison in northeastern Pennsylvania. Retreat, about 10 miles west of Wilkes-Barre, has about 400 employees and about 940 inmates. The administration says the closing could occur in four months at an annual savings of $40 million.

….AND NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE ‘BUSINESS MINUTE’ REPORT…BROUGHT YOU BY MINUTEMAN PRESS:

Beaver County students will have the chance to develop real-world connections with area businesses thanks to a $150,000 state grant that will fund school-business partnerships, state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, announced today. Matzie said the grant from the state Department of Labor and Industry will fund the Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board’s “Business Education Partnership” project, aimed at helping students from Beaver County and surrounding areas develop the skills they need for informed career choices…

 

The grants are fully funded through federal money made available from the Innovation and Opportunities Act. More information about the grants is available through the Department of Labor and Industry’s website.

Pennsylvania is one of 13 states suing to stop cuts into the food stamp program. Attorney General Josh Shapiro says if the cuts go through, about 80-thousand Pennsylvanians will be impacted. Shapiro says the cuts directly undermine the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. As of now, the change is set to go into effect April 1st.

Pennsylvania’s commercial casinos reached a new high in revenue last year, a record boosted by an aggressive new expansion of gambling authorized in 2017. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said Thursday that revenue at the state’s 12 casinos, as well as through fantasy sports contests and video gambling terminals at truck stops, rose in 2019 by $146 million, or 4.5%, to above $3.4 billion. It was the fifth straight calendar year that casino revenue grew in Pennsylvania. The 2019 figures had the first results from online gambling and sports betting. Pennsylvania’s commercial casinos are No. 2 in the nation in gross revenue, after Nevada’s.

Construction of new homes surged in December to the highest level in 13 years, capping a year in which falling mortgage rates and a strong labor market helped lift the prospects of the housing industry. The Commerce Department reported Friday that builders started construction on 1.61 million homes at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in December, up 16.9% from the November pace of home building.

U.S. stocks edged higher in early trading Friday as solid earnings from banks helped extend momentum from the previous day’s rally. State Street and Citizens Financial were among the latest banks to report encouraging financial results in a week of solid reports from larger financial institutions. Investors were also digesting the latest government housing data which showed a December surge in new home construction. The upbeat housing figures follow Thursday’s solid retail sales report that revealed consumers are still spending at a healthy pace. Communications companies also climbed broadly.

….AND THAT’S THE ‘BUSINESS MINUTE’ REPORT…BROUGHT YOU BY MINUTEMAN PRESS.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit by 21 young people who claimed the U.S. government’s climate policy harms them and jeopardizes their future. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals concluding the plaintiffs lack legal standing to pursue their case and that the issues they raised should be decided by other branches of the federal government.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is adding to his impeachment defense team, bringing in experience both in constitutional law and the politics of impeachment. He’s adding retired law professor Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr, the independent counsel who investigated President Bill Clinton. The team will also include Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow are expected to have the lead roles on the defense team. Trump faces charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress, stemming from his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rivals as he was withholding aid from the country..