In 2019, the box office belonged to Disney
By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer
Disney dominated American moviegoing more than any studio ever has before in 2019. The Walt Disney Co. accounted for about 38% of domestic moviegoing, easily the largest market share ever for one studio — a whopping $13 billion in worldwide box office. That includes films from 20th Century Fox, the 84-year-old studio that Disney gobbled up in March in a $71 billion acquisition. Once “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” inevitably reaches the milestone, it will mark the studio’s seventh such $1 billion movies in 2019. Despite Disney’s considerable firepower, overall ticket sales in U.S. and Canada theaters were down 4.4% from the year before, and many are forecasting another down year in 2020.

Deval Patrick hopes ‘magic’ can make up for late 2020 start
By ALEXANDRA JAFFE Associated Press
Deval Patrick is running an unorthodox campaign with just over a month until the Democratic presidential primaries start. Instead of major rallies, he’s holding smaller town halls and roundtables, and visiting local businesses. Patrick spent the last weekend of the year in Chicago, filming a campaign ad and visiting Barack Obama’s old church. Even his closest supporters say he needs some “magic” to succeed in the race. But Patrick says he can still break through. He says his experience as governor of Massachusetts and more moderate approach to politics will help him succeed.

President Trump says he’ll sign first-step China trade deal on Jan. 15
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Associated Press
President Donald Trump says he’ll sign the first phase of a trade deal with China at the White House on Jan. 15. Trump says Tuesday on Twitter that he’ll then travel to Beijing at a later date for talks aimed at reaching agreement on outstanding sticking points in the U.S.-China trade relationship. In the deal reached earlier in December, the U.S. agreed to reduce tariffs on China and China agreed to buy larger quantities of U.S. farm products, such as soybeans. The agreement is smaller than the comprehensive deal Trump had hoped for and leaves many of the thorniest issues for future talks.

Protesters attack US Embassy in Baghdad after airstrikes
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA Associated Press
Angered by deadly airstrikes targeting an Iran-backed militia, dozens of Iraqi Shiite militiamen and their supporters broke into the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad. The protesters smashed a main door and set fire to a reception area in one of the worst attacks on the embassy in recent memory. American guards fired tear gas, and palls of smoke rose over the embassy grounds. An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw flames rising from inside the compound and U.S. soldiers on the roof of the main embassy building with their guns pointed at protesters.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Dozens of Iraqi Shiite militiamen and their supporters have broken into the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area. The mob was angered over deadly U.S. airstrikes that targeting the Iran-backed militia on Sunday. In the violence on Tuesday, U.S. guards fired tear gas as palls of smoke rose over the compound. President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the embassy breach and said Tehran will be held “fully responsible.” The developments represent a major downturn in Iraq-U.S. relations that could further undermine U.S. influence in the region and also weaken Washington’s hand in its maximum pressure campaign against Iran.

Officials want to warn against an unsafe New Year’s Eve tradition. On Thursday, the City of Pittsburgh released a statement on how there will be an increased police presence for New Year’s Eve celebrations. They also wanted to remind people that firing a gun into the air to celebrate is illegal, and that anyone caught discharging a firearm in public will be arrested.

Mohammed Jibril, and Arthur Lee Worthy II entered guilty pleas for conspiracy to commit armed pharmacy robbery, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and armed pharmacy robbery. According to the news release Jamea researched which pharmacies to rob, drive to it, stake it out, and then he and/or his crew would commit the robbery.

On November 22, 2018, 2 individuals robbed the Rite Aid in Beaver. They also robbed a CVS in Pittsburgh, a Rite Aid in Marietta, Ohio and a CVS in Erie in the same time frame

A maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prion and a fine of $2,000.000 or both.

A new federal law will make 61,000 workers in Pennsylvania eligible for overtime pay of time and a half beginning Jan. 1, according to a release from the state Department of Labor and Industry. People who are eligible include: Most hourly employees who work more than 40 hours per week, most salaried employees who work more than 40 hours per week and earn less than $684 per week/$35,568 per year are eligible for overtime, regardless of their job duties, and most salaried employees who are not engaged in an executive, administrative or professional capacity, regardless of how much they are paid.

For more information on the new overtime rule, call 1-800-932-0665 (L&I’s Bureau of Labor Law Compliance), visit dli.pa.gov.

HEMPFIELD, Pa. (AP) — Law enforcement officers serving a warrant at a western Pennsylvania home found a family living there in “uninhabitable conditions” and charged the parents with child endangerment and animal neglect. Authorities say Cloyd and Melissa Zimmerman, both 38, turned themselves in Monday. Westmoreland County sheriff’s officers had gone to the couple’s Hempfield home Thursday to serve a criminal mischief warrant issued for Melissa Zimmerman. When she opened the door, the deputies were overwhelmed by the smell of urine and feces. The couple’s four children, all younger than 6, were turned over to child welfare officials. Animal control officers took control of two dogs and cats.