WASHINGTON (AP) — Elizabeth Warren has added campaign stops in Nevada and her team saw its fundraising surge following a debate where she went aggressively after her top Democratic presidential rivals, finally demonstrating an urgency her presidential bid may well depend on. The Massachusetts senator needed a strong performance and got one on in Las Vegas. But it remains to be seen whether that will translate into lasting momentum. Warren isn’t favored to win Nevada’s caucus on Saturday nor South Carolina’s primary the following week. And the pressure is on since stumbles there may limit Warren’s ability to make up ground in the 14 states voting on “Super Tuesday” on March 3.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says he needs to raise $13 million to stay competitive through the 14-state Super Tuesday contests on March 3. That’s a tricky financial picture despite the former South Bend mayor’s strong finish in Iowa and New Hampshire. Buttigieg reported spending more than twice in January what he raised in January, hoping surprising finishes in the leadoff caucus and primary states would open the fundraising floodgates. But delayed and muddled results from Iowa dampened what some donors say the campaign expected, though the campaign says it has raised $11 million to date in February.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new warning about Russian interference in the 2020 election is raising questions about whether the U.S. is doing enough to prevent the kind of meddling the country saw in the 2016 election. Intelligence officials have warned lawmakers that Russia is interfering in this year’s election campaign to help President Donald Trump get re-elected. Trump pushed back Friday accusing Democrats of launching another disinformation campaign saying that Moscow wants to see the president re-elected over Democrats who still haven’t been able to count their votes in Iowa. Trump is calling it “Hoax number 7!”

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United States and the Taliban have agreed to sign a peace deal next week aimed at ending 18 years of war in Afghanistan and bringing U.S. troops home, wrapping up America’s longest-running conflict and fulfilling one of President Donald Trump’s main campaign promises. The planned signing depends on the success of a week-long nationwide ‘reduction in violence’ agreement that would see a halt to all Taliban attacks and is due to start at midnight Friday local time (1930 GMT, 2:30 p.m. EST).  If it’s successful, the peace agreement will be signed in Doha, Qatar, on February 29 and pave the way for a withdrawal of American troops and the start of all-Afghan negotiations.

Burger King is breaking the mold in its new advertising campaign. The burger chain is portraying its Whopper covered in mold in print and TV ads running in Europe and the U.S. The message: Burger King is removing artificial preservatives from its signature burger. The company, already known for irreverent ad campaigns, turned it up a notch, including a time-lapse of a decaying burger on Twitter. That imagery goes beyond the print ads that show a 28-day-old burger _ a week beyond. Early reaction to the campaign Wednesday was a mix of applause for the shift away from preservatives, to disgust.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The notion of banning fracking is dividing the Democrats running for president and increasingly dividing Democrats in the presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania. The divide was clear, again, on Wednesday night’s debate stage in Las Vegas during questioning about climate change. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders says moving to energy efficiency and sustainable energy will create up to 20 million new jobs. Other Democrats on stage preferred to refer to natural gas as a “transition fuel” to non-fossil fuels and talked about getting tough on methane emissions. Pennsylvania’s top Democrats have tried to discourage talk of a fracking ban, while labor leaders point to thousands of building trades members working in the industry.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives will be considering a bill to legalize recreational marijuana. Democrat Jake Wheatley of Allegheny County has introduced the bill and this isn’t the first time he’s introduced the idea of legalizing recreational marijuana. In 2018, Wheatley introduced a bill legalizing marijuana and said it could bring $580 million in tax revenue which could be used to fund student loan forgiveness, after school programs, and more. Wheatley’s bill would not only legalize marijuana but it would also expunge the records of people with non-violent marijuana offenses. According to national statistics, more than 600,000 people in the United States were arrested for minor marijuana offenses. Wheatley said the updated bill would help provide relief for the over-stressed criminal justice system and the growth of Pennsylvania.

MIDLOTHIAN, Va. (AP) — Federal documents filed in Virginia show a firefighter from Pittsburgh has been charged with trying to arrange a meeting for sex with a 10-year-old girl. News outlets report that 50-year-old Brian Kosanovich of Pitttsburgh was arrested at a Midlothian restaurant on Tuesday by agents with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. A federal complaint alleges the man had traveled there to meet and have sex with with a woman he met online and her 10-year-old daughter. The woman was actually an undercover FBI agent. Kosanovich was charged with coercion and taking indecent liberties with children, among other counts.

Aliquippa’s water line has been repaired…and the boil water advisory is still in effect but could be lifted soon. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has an update. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

A 74-year-old man was found dead this morning after he went missing from his home in Lawrence County. Eugene Ross was reported missing by his wife about 6 p.m. Thursday in Pulaski Township. Police said his wife told them he takes daily ATV rides and left their home on Rayner Road about 3 p.m. Police say they recovered Eugene Ross’s body in the woods near his home. Coroner is investigating the cause of death. Ross had a medical condition, but officials did not elaborate. Crews were out all night and into this morning looking for Ross. They searched on foot and used ATVs and a helicopter. K-9s were also brought in. The search area consisted of more than 500 acres of land, most of which is wooded, officials said. Because the ground is frozen, crews were unable to find any tire tracks from Ross’ ATV. Ross’ body was found this morning and the coroner was called.