AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Former Obama housing secretary Julián Castro is ending his run for president. Castro’s announcement Thursday comes after he failed to garner enough support or donations to make the recent Democratic presidential debates. The former San Antonio mayor languished around 1% in polls and lagged behind his 2020 rivals in fundraising. Castro was the only Latino candidate in the field and one of the biggest voices on immigration. Castro says he’s “proud of the campaign” he ran. He says he and his supporters have “shaped the conversation on so many important issues.” Castro had warned supporters that failing to make the November debate stage would spell the end of his campaign.

HOWELL, N.J. (AP) — Authorities say a man set off fireworks near a New Jersey movie theater as his friend made a marriage proposal and created panic among moviegoers who mistook them for gunshots. The confusion caused authorities to evacuate the Xscape Theater in Howell on Wednesday night. Responding officers soon found the remnants of the fireworks, and it was determined no shots had been fired. The man who set off the fireworks was charged with an infraction and disorderly conduct. Authorities say that there was no intent to cause panic at the theater and that it was just “a very poor decision.”

DALLAS (AP) — A Texas judge has sided with a Fort Worth hospital that plans to remove an 11-month-old girl from life support against her mother’s wishes. The mother of Tinslee Lewis had asked Judge Sandee Bryan Marion to issue an injunction in Tarrant County district court to ensure the Cook Children’s Medical Center doesn’t take the baby off life support. But Lewis ruled Thursday in favor of the hospital. Doctors say Tinslee’s condition will never improve and that even changing Tinslee’s diaper causes her pain. Her mother said the decision to remove Tinslee from life support should be hers to make. She will appeal the decision.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials will ban most flavored e-cigarettes popular with underage teenagers. But the plan from the Trump administration includes major exceptions that benefit companies that make and sell e-cigarettes and adults who use the nicotine-emitting devices. The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday the policy won’t affect menthol or tobacco flavors. The policy also won’t affect large, tank-based vaping products sold in vape shops that cater to adults. Those changes are a major step back from President Donald Trump’s original plan announced in September, which would have banned nearly all flavors in all vaping products.

The Beaver County Recorder of Deeds is retiring…as we hear in this report from Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

Several new laws will go into effect in Pennsylvania in 2020. The laws range from changing how we vote to how military families pay for college. One of the laws with broader impact is the election reform bill, which allows Pennsylvania residents to vote by mail up to 50 days before an election without an excuse. It also extends voter registration times and gives $90 million to help counties buy new voting machines. The election reform bill will be in effect by the April primary. Another law raises Pennsylvania’s smoking age to 21 — which also just passed on the federal level — and expands tobacco products to include e-cigarettes and other vaping products. As for hunting, it’s now allowed on three Sundays a year: one during rifle deer season, one during archery deer season and a third one to be determined by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Two criminal justice laws will change sentencing guidelines and expand drug treatment programs…and a new GI Bill will give 10 semesters of tuition-free education to spouses and children of members of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

There were two newly reported flu deaths in Pennsylvania, and in the last week the number of flu cases jumped 56%. The total number of deaths caused by the flu in Pennsylvania in 2019 jumped to nine. Health department officials said there were more than 4,000 confirmed flu cases since September in Allegheny County alone – accounting for 24% of the state’s total. Officials said the flu vaccine can reduce the risk of flu-related hospitalization for everyone, especially children and senior citizens. That is why they urge people to get the vaccine.

The closing of a local hospital is now impacting how police deal with drunk drivers. Ellwood City Medical Center shut down in November, and it has forced Ellwood City Police to drive out of town for blood tests every time they make a DUI arrest in the borough. The change is not only time consuming but expensive for taxpayers since it requires another officer to be called in for overtime to cover the borough. Two officers are required to be on-duty in the borough at all times, meaning a trip to New Castle requires officers to be called in. The medical center’s parent company, Americore Health LLC, filed for bankruptcy in federal court earlier this week, putting the hospital’s future in serious doubt. Mayor Tony Court said the borough recently spent $10,000 on its own blood test system to avoid the repeated trips, but it will be at least a month until it’s operational and officers are trained on the new system. Court didn’t know how much this has cost taxpayers since the medical center closed, but he believes the in-house blood testing system will ultimately save a lot of money.

Some local families are expressing anger that decorations at loved ones’ gravesites at a Beaver County cemetery continue to disappear. During the holiday season, people said they’ve placed decorations on their family’s gravesites at Sylvania Hills Memorial Park in Rochester Township… but those decorations keep disappearing. While some believe the items are being taken by outsiders, a former cemetery worker said the company takes down the decorations each day and throws them out. Sylvania Hills Memorial Park then released the following statement about these allegations: “We empathize with client families who wish to add personal items to the graves of their loved ones; however, we have an obligation to those we serve to maintain a consistent standard of appearance and safety for visitors and workers. It is never our intention to upset or offend any client family. We care deeply for our families and strive to provide them with a peaceful and beautiful environment to remember their loved ones.” There are signs at the entrance stating no decorations are allowed.

A portion of Route 51 (McGovern Boulevard) in Moon Township is closed in both directions due to a major landslide reported late last night. The heavily traveled roadway is closed between Purdy Road and Stoops Ferry Road after the landslide downed trees and power lines, according to Moon police. The landslide was reported shortly before midnight. Crews from PennDOT are on the scene to oversee repairs. Peoples Gas and Duquesne Light were also called in, police said. Power was restored around 5:30 this morning for about 600 Duquesne Light customers. Northbound drivers are being advised to turn left onto Flaugherty Run Road to avoid the closure; southbound drivers should take Brodhead Road.