Biden’s administration proposes new rules on exporting AI chips, provoking an industry pushback
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is proposing a new framework for the exporting of the advanced computer chips used to develop artificial intelligence, an attempt to balance national security concerns about the technology with the economic interests of producers and other countries. But the framework proposed Monday also raised concerns...
Shapiro says this ‘broken process’ could lead to higher electricity costs
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Pennsylvanians could face higher electricity bills if federal regulators don’t force the state’s grid operator to fix a “broken process” that artificially affects...
California man says 2 of his cats died after drinking raw milk recalled for bird flu
A California man whose two cats died after drinking raw milk recalled for bird flu risk says he meant to keep his beloved pets healthy, but his efforts tragically backfired. “It’s horrible when you realize that you’re the one that actually gave them the milk that killed them,” said Joseph...
Biden, Netanyahu discuss the latest in the effort to reach an Israel-Hamas war ceasefire
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Sunday about efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Israel-Hamas war, a sign of the intensifying push to reach a deal before Donald Trump’s inauguration next week. Talks mediated over...
Officials investigating whether Southern California Edison equipment ignited Hurst fire
Fire agencies are investigating whether downed Southern California Edison utility equipment played a role in igniting the Hurst fire near Sylmar, company officials said. The company issued a report Friday saying that a downed conductor was discovered at a tower in the vicinity of the fire, but that it “does...
Southern areas hit by winter storm thaw, power slowly returnsVideo
After a freezing winter storm shut schools, cut power and cancelled or delayed flights, the South was slowly thawing Sunday. Crews worked furiously and by Sunday morning power had been restored to parts of North Carolina and South Carolina where tens of thousands of customers lost electricity over the last...
Canada’s Justin Trudeau urges U.S. consumers to consider the harm of Trump’s tariff threats
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday suggested that President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks about Canada becoming America’s “51st state” has distracted attention from the harm that steep tariffs would inflict on U.S. consumers. Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports. “The...
Vance says Jan. 6 participants who committed violence ‘obviously’ shouldn’t be pardoned
WASHINGTON — Vice President-elect JD Vance says people responsible for the violence during the Capitol riot “obviously” should not be pardoned, as President-elect Donald Trump is promising to use his clemency power on behalf of many of those who tried on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the results of the...
Annual antique show slated for Greensburg Country Club
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts will host its annual antique show and sale Jan. 24-26 at the Greensburg Country Club. Opening at 6 p.m. on Jan. 24, the show features thousands of antique items from vintage to mid-century modern — including furniture, paintings, rugs, sterling silver, European porcelains,...
Homestead police shoot Braddock man in hand during shoplifting investigation
A Braddock man was shot in the hand early Sunday morning by a Homestead police officer who was investigating a shoplifting incident along East 8th Avenue. Homestead police were dispatched to the 200 block of the Homestead roadway shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday for a report of shoplifting, according to...
Student information system used by Southwestern Pa. schools grapples with cybersecurity breach
School districts across Southwestern Pennsylvania might be impacted by a cybersecurity breach of global student information system PowerSchool, the company said. PowerSchool is a internet-based platform where educators can store student information, according to its website — including academic performance, class schedule, demographics, behavior and health. Launched in 1997, the...
Here’s how to protect yourself from norovirus, covid-19, flu and RSV
In the winter months, it seems few are safe from some kind of illness — flu, covid-19, norovirus, colds. While many of the germs that cause this misery can circulate throughout the year, scientists think that the winter surge of flu and cold activity may be because we spend more...
States are preparing to help or thwart Trump’s second-term plans
Do you live in a red state, a blue state, or one where Republicans and Democrats share power? Your answer might provide the best indicator of what to expect from your governor and state lawmakers as President-elect Donald Trump takes office and legislatures convene. In many cases, political party identification...
24 dead as fire crews try to corral Los Angeles blazes before wind returns this week
LOS ANGELES — Firefighters scrambled Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people in the Los Angeles area as forecasters again warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week. At least 16 people were missing, and authorities...
Los Angeles tree advocates wait and hope that fire damage won’t be too severe
LOS ANGELES — People across Los Angeles have worked for years to increase the number of trees that shade the pavement, provide a respite for people and even clean some air pollution. They’ve confronted increasing drought, bad tree-trimming and objections from some neighbors who resent the leaves and sap. Now...
Regional learning alliance offers school districts opportunities to innovateVideo
California Area School District is 3D printing its way into an elementary orchestra program. The Washington County school district, where a third of residents live below the poverty line, is not able to provide students with costly string instruments, nor are many of its families in a position to rent...
Powerful winter storm that dumped snow in South maintains its icy grip
ATLANTA — Flight cancellations piled up and officials warned of continuing dangerous roads Saturday in the wake of a winter storm that brought biting cold and wet snow to the U.S. South, leading to school closures and disrupting travel. The storm was moving out to sea off the East Coast...
Special counsel Jack Smith has resigned after submitting his Trump report, Justice Department says
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith has resigned from the Justice Department after submitting his investigative report on President-elect Donald Trump, an expected move that comes amid legal wrangling over how much of that document can be made public in the days ahead. The department disclosed Smith’s departure in a...
Israel’s Netanyahu sends Mossad director to Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar in sign of progress
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, his office said Saturday, in a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza. It was not immediately clear when David Barnea would...
Firefighters race to contain Los Angeles wildfires with menacing winds forecast to return
LOS ANGELES — Firefighters raced Saturday to cut off spreading wildfires before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward the world famous J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge. A fierce battle against the...
Black boxes from South Korea plane crash failed to record final 4 minutes, officials say
SEOUL, South Korea — The black boxes of a Boeing jetliner that crashed in South Korea last month stopped recording about four minutes before the accident, South Korean officials said Saturday, possibly complicating investigations into the cause of the disaster that killed 179 people. After analyzing the devices, the U.S....
Ukraine says it captured 2 North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s forces have captured two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Russia’s Kursk border region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday, the first such claim by Kyiv since North Korea sent thousands of troops to shore up Moscow’s war effort on the other side of the...
Trump is planning 100 executive orders starting Day 1 on border, deportations and other priorities
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump is preparing more than 100 executive orders starting Day One of the new White House, in what amounts to a shock-and-awe campaign on border security, deportations and a rush of other policy priorities. Trump told Republican senators about the onslaught ahead during a private meeting...
Biden is still considering pardons for people who have been criticized or threatened by Trump
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday said he was still considering whether to give pardons to people who have been criticized or threatened by President-elect Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Biden said he and his aides were playing close attention to rhetoric from Trump and...
Powerful winter storm dumps heavy snow, causing flight delays, slick roads and school closings
ATLANTA — A powerful winter storm that dumped heavy snow and glazed roads with ice across much of Texas and Oklahoma lumbered eastward into Southern U.S. states Friday, making for dicey travel and a rare snow day for many students. Arkansas and North Carolina mobilized their National Guards for tasks...
