Some new legislation is being introduced in Harrisburg with the goal of reducing the cost of some prescription drugs. Today, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board will be introduced at the state Capitol. The group will work to give insight on how drugs are priced and try to create a mechanism that will reduce what people pay for their medications.

Federal investigators may not have a quick answer on the cause of last week’s deadly pileup on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. National Transportation Safety Board officials say it could take two years for the final report on the wreck that killed five people and injured nearly 60 others. At issue is a backlog of cases at the agency’s laboratory. A preliminary report could come out this week.

Parts of Beaver County are still in clean-up mode after strong winds blew through the area over the weekend. The storm brought down trees and knocked out power throughout the county…while a large tree fell into the bedroom of a Darlington home Saturday night. There were no reported injuries and power was restored to most of the region by Sunday morning.

A local rapper has broken a Guinness world record for the longest freestyle rap this weekend. Harvey “Frzy” Daniels rapped for 31 hours straight at The Block Northway in Ross Township. The Emmy Award-winning rapper started at 10 a.m. Saturday and made it to a little past 5 p.m. Sunday, much to the delight of his family and friends. Guinness will have to verify the record before it goes into the book.

Kennywood’s Steelers Country attraction recently received special recognition. The themed area was voted one of USA Today’s 10Best New Amusement Park Attractions of 2019. The review stated “The highlight is the new Steel Curtain roller coaster, which reaches speeds of 76 miles per hour and navigates nine inversions (the most in North America), including the world’s tallest at 197 feet”. Kennywood’s Steeler Country was among 20 other nominees selected by 10Best editors and other experts. The final top 10 were voted on by the public.

Police say a man jumping between rooftops of a north Philadelphia apartment building plunged to his death over the weekend. A police spokesman says witnesses told officers just before 2 a.m. Saturday that they were jumping between the rooftops of their apartment after consuming alcohol at an event earlier in the evening. They told officers that the 23-year-old man failed to make a jump and fell two stories, hitting his head on the ground. Witnesses said they found him face-down and unresponsive in a pool of blood. Police said the man was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police say there were no signs of foul play and opened a sudden death investigation.

Pennsylvania State Police have confirmed that they are investigating a Snapchat video showing two teenagers giving a 2-year-old child a vaping device. Authorities say that in the 20-second video, two teens are shown giving the child a vaping device. The child starts to cough, falls down on the floor…and the sound of laughter can be heard in the background. The people involved have been identified by state troopers and the Indiana Criminal Investigation Unit. Charges are pending against the individuals. More information about the case will be released later today, according to state police.

UNIONTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Closing arguments are scheduled Monday in the homicide trial of a western Pennsylvania woman charged in the stabbing death of her boyfriend on Christmas Day in 2018. Twenty-eight-year-old Dominique Jones took the stand Friday and alleged that the stabbing at the Holiday Inn Express in Uniontown followed years of abuse. She said she wasn’t trying to kill 25-year-old Tre Montel McCargo but “was just trying to get him off of me.” Fayette County prosecutors, however, say Jones believed McCargo was cheating on her. The (Uniontown) Herald-Standard reports that testimony was to continue Saturday, but prosecutors opted not to call rebuttal witnesses.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 13TH, 2020

 

TODAY – PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH NEAR 50.

TONIGHT – PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW – 32.

TUESDAY – INTERVALS OF CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE.
HIGH – 55.

Here is the full list of 2020 Oscar nominations:

Best Picture:

“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Parasite”

Lead Actor:

Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

Lead Actress:

Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Renee Zellweger, “Judy”

Supporting Actor:

Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Supporting Actress:

Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit”
Florence Pugh, “Little Women”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”

Director:

Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Todd Phillips, “Joker”
Sam Mendes, “1917”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”

Animated Feature:

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” Dean DeBlois
“I Lost My Body,” Jeremy Clapin
“Klaus,” Sergio Pablos
“Missing Link,” Chris Butler
“Toy Story 4,”  Josh Cooley

Animated Short:

“Dcera,” Daria Kashcheeva
“Hair Love,” Matthew A. Cherry
“Kitbull,” Rosana Sullivan
“Memorable,” Bruno Collet
“Sister,” Siqi Song

Adapted Screenplay:

“The Irishman,” Steven Zaillian
“Jojo Rabbit,” Taika Waititi
“Joker,” Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
“Little Women,” Greta Gerwig
“The Two Popes,” Anthony McCarten

Original Screenplay:

“Knives Out,” Rian Johnson
“Marriage Story,” Noah Baumbach
“1917,” Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino
“Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho, Jin Won Han

Cinematography:

“The Irishman,” Rodrigo Prieto
“Joker,” Lawrence Sher
“The Lighthouse,” Jarin Blaschke
“1917,” Roger Deakins
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Robert Richardson