For those of you that didn’t fulfil all of your shopping needs over the weekend, it’s Cyber Monday today. U. S. consumers are expected to spend just under 10 billion dollars today, which is a 17 percent increase from 2018. The bulk of sales on Cyber Monday comes from the electronics department, including TV’s and laptops, which see an average of a 17 % discount today.
According to sources, a multimillion dollar study on toxic chemicals in drinking water is facing delays due to a dispute within the Trump administration. The implications could affect a half dozen communities, where drinking water has been heavily contaminated with polyfluoroalkyl substances. The chemical is used in non-stick cookware, water-resistant clothing, food packaging, carpets and military firefighting foams. Scientists say delaying the study could limit the effectivness of the study.
NANTICOKE, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania State Police have found a 15-year-old girl who was reported abducted by a man who stole a police vehicle. Police say Samara Derwin was reported missing Sunday and believed to be abducted by 20-year-old Jordan Oliver. A police spokesman at the Wyoming barracks said just before midnight that she was found safe and no arrests have been made. An Amber Alert was canceled. Further details haven’t been released.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired Navy admiral and former congressman Joe Sestak is calling off his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. The 67-year-old Pennsylvania Democrat says in a statement that without the privilege of national press, it is unfair to ask others to continue making sacrifices. In joining the crowded field last June, Sestak called for strong action to deal with climate change, corporate accountability and China’s geopolitical threat.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Authorities say a man has been charged in the shooting death of a teenage girl hit by a bullet as she was getting off a Philadelphia bus. Forty-one-year-old Robert Jamieson is charged with murder, attempted murder, reckless endangerment, and weapons offenses. Police said the 16-year-old girl was hit in the shoulder as she stepped off a bus at about 4:40 p.m. Saturday. The city’s acting police commissioner said the suspect appeared to be randomly firing at people as he walked up the street
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are starting to counter President Donald Trump’s spending advantage in the 2020 election. Billionaire White House hopefuls Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg are joining established party groups to target Trump in key battleground states that are likely to determine the outcome of next year’s election. Trump has built a massive money-raising machine that has fused a traditional network of big-dollar Republican donors with a sophisticated digital operation for small-dollar donors.
NEW YORK (AP) — Attorneys across the country are scrambling to file a new wave of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by clergy, thanks to rules enacted in 15 states that extend or suspend the statute of limitations to allow claims stretching back decades. Reporting by The Associated Press found the deluge of new suits could surpass anything the nation’s clergy sexual abuse crisis has seen before, with potentially thousands of new cases and more than $4 billion in payouts.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Traffic is again crossing Pittsburgh’s Smithfield Street Bridge after it was closed for several hours when a barge hit it. The span reopened early Monday after transportation department inspectors determined it was safe to use. Allegheny County officials say there were no injuries and no obvious damage to the bridge, which links Pittsburgh’s downtown and the city’s south side.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Light snow and a wintry mix are falling over parts of Pennsylvania as the state braces for heavier snow. The National Weather Service has issued ice storm and winter storm warnings for some areas. Travel restrictions were put in place early Monday by state transportation officials. Speed limits were reduced to 45 mph and commercial vehicles are barred on parts of I-81, I-84, I-380 and I-476.
A 14 year old was stabbed in Aliquippa yesterday. Sandy Giordano has more details. She will face a hearing on December 9th.