Moms for Liberty is dedicated to  educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights  – momsforliberty.org

Moms for Liberty, a parental rights advocacy group focused on education, is grabbing national headlines as it rapidly expands throughout the U.S.

The Washington Post dedicated 2,000 words to the group in a piece which likened them to the Tea Party and the “moral majority” movement of the 1980s.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown of schools drove education to the forefront of political debates in 2020. Ongoing controversy surrounding vaccines and mask mandates, racial and sexual materials in school curriculum and transgender student policies has prompted concerned parents to organize and get involved in local and state politics.

“Parents are finding racially divisive, sexually explicit, and anti-American assignments in their children’s backpacks. Moms for Liberty chapters work to resolve concerns, review curriculum and request changes in their school districts,” Tina Descovich, co-founder of Moms for Liberty and former school board member, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Moms for Liberty, founded in January, has quickly grown to 140 chapters in 32 states with 56,000 members, according to Descovich.

Christian Ziegler, vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party, told the DCNF that school board fights have awakened an entirely new demographic of voters, and Moms for Liberty is engaging them. Whether Democrat, Republican or Independent, parents are realizing that the government has tremendous power over their lives and that they need to be involved, he explained.

“They’re being painted as extremists because they pose a threat to the status quo,” Ziegler said. “Moms for Liberty is getting parents involved in their children’s education, and that should be applauded.”

Source: https://www.momsforliberty.org/

Analysis | NFL’s taunting controversy reemerges as Steelers edge Bears, 29-27

In a hail of penalty flags and debatable calls by the officials — including a taunting penalty on Chicago’s Cassius Marsh — the Steelers gave up the lead late in the fourth quarter but snatched it back and held off the Bears for their fourth straight win.

The controversy over the NFL’s taunting enforcement resurfaced in a major way Monday night in Pittsburgh.

Chicago Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh was penalized for taunting in a key moment during a 29-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Marsh called the penalty assessed on him erroneous and alleged that referee Tony Corrente inappropriately bumped into him as Marsh made his way to the Bears’ sideline after the play.

“I think that that one was just bad timing,” Marsh said. “I think it’s pretty clear to everybody who saw it that I wasn’t taunting. I’ve been doing the celebration my whole career. It’s just sad to see stuff like that happen in a close game like that. It’s just rough. I don’t want to say too much because you all know how it is.
“But the one thing that I will say is, you know, on my way to the sideline, I got hip-checked by the ref and it’s pretty clear. If I were to do that to a ref or even touch the ref, you know, we’d get kicked out of the game, possibly suspended and fined. So I just think that that was incredibly inappropriate. And that’s all I’ll say about that.”

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers actually caught several breaks from the officiating, put together a game-winning drive after falling behind late and continued to reassemble their once-broken season. The Steelers secured their fourth straight victory following a 1-3 start to the season. Bears kicker Cairo Santos missed a 65-yard field goal attempt as time expired when the ball fell short.

Kicker Chris Boswell’s 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining won it for the Steelers. The Bears had taken a 27-26 lead with 1:46 left on a 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Fields to wide receiver Darnell Mooney.
But much of the talk afterward was about Marsh’s taunting penalty.

“I had no idea till I got to the sideline,” Marsh said in a postgame news conference. “One of our coaches was upset. And he had the right to be. You know, that was a big penalty in a big point in the game and, you know, I cost my team. Whether I agree with the call or not, it cost us in a very crucial time. So I definitely feel a lot of remorse for costing my team a possible victory. But I didn’t know until I got to the sideline.”

Corrente told a pool reporter that he saw Marsh “run toward the bench area of the Pittsburgh Steelers and posture in such a way that I felt he was taunting them.” Corrente said that his physical contact with Marsh “had nothing to do” with the penalty that was called.

The call came following Marsh’s third-down sack of Roethlisberger that would have caused a Steelers punt. Instead, the Steelers retained possession and upped their lead to six points with a 52-yard field goal by Boswell with 2:52 to play.

“I was on the sideline,” Bears linebacker Roquan Smith said. “But that’s not the play that lost us the game, by any means. I thought it was a BS call. The man’s been doing that celebration his entire career, for that to be called. But, hey, it is what it is. So there’s nothing else to be said about that.”

Source: Analysis | NFL’s taunting controversy reemerges as Steelers edge Bears, 29-27

Bomb squad called when suspicious device is spotted in Pittsburgh

Incident began on Sunday night

The bomb squad was called when a suspicious device was spotted in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood.

Police were first called to the scene around 11:45 p.m. Sunday in the area of Brosville Street and East Warrington Avenue.

Pittsburgh Public Safety said there was a disabled vehicle with a suspicious device inside.

The device was later determined to be some kind of speaker and not dangerous.

Source: Bomb squad called when suspicious device is spotted in Pittsburgh

Staff Picks: Can the Steelers keep Monday night mojo going?

Each week, our football staff at DK Pittsburgh Sports predicts the Steelers’ game. Here are this week’s picks for the game against the Bears, Monday 8:15 p.m., at Heinz Field.

Dale Lolley (4-3): A one-dimensional offense against the Steelers on a Monday night at home? The Steelers are 27-5 in home Monday night games since 1970. The Steelers will get after Justin Fields and force multiple mistakes. And the Bears are missing too many pieces on defense, most notably, Khalil Mack, to make a difference. Steelers, 24-10

Chris Carter (4-3): The Bears give up sacks 12.6 percent of the times a quarterback drop back to pass, and that will play a huge factor. The Steelers will be able to focus on stopping the run and keeping Fields jittery in the pocket all night, and that will allow the offense plenty of time to figure things out. Steelers, 27-6

Ramon Foster (4-3)Experience beats the Bears this Monday night. The offensive line has to control the line of scrimmage and get Najee Harris going. Big Night for Ben Roethlisberger spreading the ball around. Steelers, 27-13

Tom Reed (3-4): The Steelers are in the soft portion of their schedule and can’t afford any slip ups. You would expect it to be lesson learned after needing OT to subdue the Russell Wilson-less Seahawks. No late drama this time. Steelers, 27-14

Eddie Provident (5-2): The Bears are letting up 124 rushing yards per game (24th in the NFL) and are down Mack. I expect a big game from Harris on the national stage which will open things up for the passing game. I don’t see this being close at all. Steelers, 23-7

Dejan Kovacevic (2-5): List for me, please, all the running quarterbacks who’ve been able to do what they want against the Steelers over, oh, the past decade or so. After that, list for me the number of Monday night duds this franchise has had at home. Steelers, 31-11

Source: Staff Picks: Can the Steelers keep Monday night mojo going?

Daylight Saving Time 2021: How to prepare and what to know – CNN

(CNN)Enjoy your extra hour of sleep this weekend, but don’t forget to turn back your clocks when you rise and shine Sunday morning.

Daylight Saving Time is ending this Sunday, November 7, at 2 a.m.
Most digital clocks and electronics automatically change the time, but some clocks may need to be manually rewound.
Not all states practice Daylight Saving Time, though. Residents of Hawaii and most of Arizona, along with the US territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Guam, don’t touch their clocks.

Most people welcome an extra hour of shut-eye, but the change can be problematic for young children, said Michelle Drerup, director of behavioral sleep medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Sleep Disorders Center in Ohio.

It can be tempting to stay up later because you have an extra hour, but Drerup advised against it.

“Since our society is generally sleep deprived as a whole, it is recommended for most people to keep their bedtime consistent and to sleep until (their) typical wake up time if possible and enjoy the additional hour of sleep,” she said via email.

If you begin to feel sleepy during the day, Drerup suggested a 15- to 20-minute nap in the early afternoon to limit the sleep disruption.

Source: Daylight Saving Time 2021: How to prepare and what to know – CNN

Federal court blocks Biden administration’s vaccination mandate – POLITICO

A federal court in Louisiana has blocked the Biden administration’s mandate that millions of workers get vaccinated against Covid-19 or be tested weekly, ruling in a suit filed by several states, companies and conservative religious groups.

“Because the petitions give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the Mandate, the Mandate is hereby STAYED pending further action by this court,” a panel of judges for the New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Saturday.

The states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Utah are among the plaintiffs.

Source: Federal court blocks Biden administration’s vaccination mandate – POLITICO

Police investigating after man found dead in McKeesport

Allegheny County police are investigating after a man was found dead in McKeesport late Friday afternoon.

The county medical examiner has identified the victim as 41-year-old Stephen Rucinski of McKeesport. County Police said Rucinski was found dead in a house along the 2900 block of Grover Avenue at around 4:40 Friday afternoon.

Police said detectives were called to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.

No other details about the man’s death have been released.

This is a developing story. Stay with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 for updates.

Source: Police investigating after man found dead in McKeesport

Multiple police units respond to Pittsburgh area academy

PITTSBURGH — Police activity was reported outside of Oliver Citywide Academy on Brighton Road over a disturbance.

Channel 11 had crew at the school to gather more information.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WPXI apps for alerts as news breaks]

After arriving at the scene, Channel 11 learned that there was an altercation that was quickly resolved.

Source: Multiple police units respond to Pittsburgh area academy

An asteroid barely missed Earth last week, and no one knew it was coming

An asteroid about the size of a refrigerator shot past Earth last week, and astronomers didn’t know the object existed until hours after it was gone.

It was a close call (from a cosmic perspective); the space rock’s trajectory on Oct. 24 carried it over Antarctica within 1,800 miles (3,000 kilometers) of Earth — closer than some satellites — making it the third-closest asteroid to approach the planet without actually hitting it, CNET reported.

Scientists were unaware of the object, dubbed Asteroid 2021 UA1, because it approached Earth’s daytime side from the direction of the sun, so the comparatively dim and small visitor went undetected until about 4 hours after passing by at its closest point, according to CNET.

Source: An asteroid barely missed Earth last week, and no one knew it was coming

Carson defeats Bacha in Westmoreland coroner’s race, as GOP sweeps county row offices | TribLIVE.com

Scottdale’s Tim Carson on Tuesday went from caterer to coroner and ended the political dynasty that has the Westmoreland County office for nearly a half century.

With 100% of the vote counted, the Republican appeared to defeat five-term incumbent Democrat Ken Bacha. The owner of Carson’s Premier Catering in Scottdale had more 51% of the vote and led Bacha by about 2,400 votes.

Bacha moved out to an early lead based totals from mail-in votes. That lead was gone by 11:30 p.m.

Results are unofficial until verified by the county election bureau.

Source: Carson defeats Bacha in Westmoreland coroner’s race, as GOP sweeps county row offices | TribLIVE.com

2021 Municipal Election Results – CBS Pittsburgh

KDKA-TV has a full result breakdown of local, county and statewide election races people in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania need to know about.

A number of important state and locally elected officials were on the ballot and determined by voters.

We have a full breakdown of local and statewide race you need to know about.

Last updated: 3:45 a.m., Wednesday

 

CITY AND COUNTY ELECTIONS

PITTSBURGH MAYORAL RACE

Edward C. Gainey (Democrat) — 48,430
Tony Moreno (Republican) — 19,552

ALLEGHENY COUNTY SHERIFF

Kevin Kraus — 218,862
Write-In — 7,764

ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1

Jack Betkowski (Democrat) — 12,092
Joe Wise (Republican) — 11,490

ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3

Anita Prizio (Democrat) — 14,917
Meredith Dolan (Republican) — 12,604

ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4

Patrick Catena Jr. (Democrat) — 15,651
Jennie Brown (Republican) — Did not make the ballot

ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8

Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis (Democrat) — 12,132
Eric Casteel (Republican) — 7,795

ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 9

Bob Macey (Democrat) — 11,929
Write-In — 405

ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 12

Robert Palmosina (Democrat) — 15,555
Write-In — 394

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 2

Theresa Kail Smith (Democrat) — 6,003
Write-In — 243

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4

Anthony Coghill (Democrat) — 5,228
Connor Mulvaney (Green Party) — 2,362
Write-In — 81

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6

Robert Daniel Lavelle (Democrat) — 4,206
Write-In — 92

PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8

Erika Strassburger (Democrat) — 6,663
Write-In — 164

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD: DISTRICT 1

Sylvia C. Wilson (incumbent) — 4,213

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD: DISTRICT 3

Sala Udin (incumbent) — 5,728

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD: DISTRICT 5

Terry Kennedy (incumbent) — 2,075
Tracey Reed (challenger) — 5,142

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD: DISTRICT 7

Jamie Piotrowski — 4,537

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD: DISTRICT 9

Veronica M. Edwards (incumbent) — 2,487
Gene Walker (challenger) — 5,218

ALLEGHENY COUNTY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS:

Democratic Candidates
Elliot Howsie — 147,911
Thomas P. Caulfield — 144,435
Jessel Costa — 137,933
Nicola Henry-Taylor — 150,113
Tiffany Sizemore — 148,044
Chelsa Wagner — 145,314
Wrenna Watson — 146,824

Republican Candidates
Joesph Patrick Murphy — 101,341
Bruce Beemer — 139,459
William Caye II — 97,598
Anthony DeLuca — 108,650
Daniel J. Konieczka Jr. — 95,794
Chuck Porter — 93,776
Sabrina Korbel — 144,605
Mark Patrick Flaherty — 100,827
Rick Hosking — 83,768
Lisa Middleman — 144,610

Green Party Candidates
Richard Weiss — 41,028

WESTMORELAND COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

John Peck (I) (Democrat) — 36,581
Nicole Ziccarelli (C) (Republican) — 49,776

PA SUPREME COURT

Maria McLaughlin (Democrat) — 1,218,406
Kevin Brobson (Republican) — 1,353,039

PA SUPERIOR COURT

Timika Lane (Democrat) — 1,130,612
Megan Sullivan (Republican) — 1,429,265

PA COMMONWEALTH COURT

David Lee Spurgeon (Democrat) — 1,038,515
Lori A. Dumas (Democrat) — 1,147,885
Drew Crompton (Republican) — 1,232,994
Stacy Marie Wallace (Republican) — 1,309,940

Source: 2021 Municipal Election Results – CBS Pittsburgh

Nicole Ziccarelli Unseats John Peck As Westmoreland County District Attorney – CBS Pittsburgh

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

GREENSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) – Nicole Ziccarelli has won the race for Westmoreland County district attorney.

READ MORE:Pittsburgh Weather: Sunshine But Colder Temperatures Expected On Wednesday

Ziccarelli won the race with 57.61% of the vote, receiving 49,776 votes.

This year’s municipal election gave incumbent Democrat John Peck his first serious challenge in years in Republican Nicole Ziccarelli.

READ MORE:Two Killed, Multiple Injuries Reported After School Bus, Tractor-Trailer Collide On I-79 In Butler County

Democrat Peck is a familiar figure in the courthouse, a seasoned prosecutor who has been the county’s district attorney since 1994. Last year, Peck got the death penalty for the convicted killer of New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw.

Ziccarelli, 30 years younger than Peck, said she could bring new vitality to the office, something Peck said he hasn’t lost. Ziccarelli lost a very close election last year to Pennsylvania Sen. Jim Brewster.

MORE NEWS:2021 Municipal Election Results

While Peck prosecutes criminal cases himself, Ziccarelli, primarily a family lawyer, told KDKA’s Jon Delano she wanted to be like a managing partner in a law firm.

Source: Nicole Ziccarelli Unseats John Peck As Westmoreland County District Attorney – CBS Pittsburgh

Kabul: At least 16 wounded in hospital blasts – CNN

(CNN)At least 16 people were wounded in two blasts at a military hospital in the Afghan capital on Tuesday.

It was unclear if there were fatalities in the blasts at the Daoud Khan Military hospital, a teaching facility near the Afghan capital’s diplomatic quarter. Taliban officials said special forces have arrived at the scene.
A doctor treating incoming patients at the nearby Wazir Akbar Khan civlian hospital said seven injured people had come in so far. All were male, two of them were in critical condition, he said. He said he did not know if the patients from the nearby military hospital hit in the blasts were visitors, medical personnel or patients.
In addition, the humanitarian NGO “Emergency” tweeted that nine injured were brought to its hospital in Kabul.
The Daoud Khan Military hospital has been targeted before. In 2011, suicide bombers linked tothe Taliban blew themselves up inside the facility, killing six people and injuring 26 others.

Source: Kabul: At least 16 wounded in hospital blasts – CNN

3 people charged for allegedly assaulting off-duty Pittsburgh police detective

A Brookline woman is being charged for allegedly assaulting an off-duty Pittsburgh police detective Saturday night.

Police say 44-year-old Angie Hindman attacked Det. Michelle McHenry inside the Brook Line & Sinker bar around 11 p.m.

Source: 3 people charged for allegedly assaulting off-duty Pittsburgh police detective

Early voting hits record high in Virginia ahead of dead-heat governor’s race

  • Early voting hit a record high in Virginia’s dead-heat governor’s race between former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin.
  • At least 1,137,656 voters submitted early ballots, which makes up roughly one fifth of the state’s 5.9 million electorate.
  • Early voting turnout for this year’s election is nearly six times more than the number in 2017.

Source: Early voting hits record high in Virginia ahead of dead-heat governor’s race

Police Respond To Shooting in Carrick

Date: October 31, 2021
Incident Type: Shooting
Location: Zone 3
Summary:

Pittsburgh Police responded to the 1500 block of Brownsville Road around 2:20 a.m. for a reported shooting. 

When Zone 3 officers arrived, they located an unconscious male with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived. 

Medics transported the victim to a local hospital in critical condition. 

There were no suspect descriptions or direction of flight.

The Mobile Crime Unit arrived to process the scene, and the investigation is ongoing.

City of Pittsburgh Public Safety Media Blotter.

Source: Public Safety Blotter

Joe Biden gets a win on global taxes as he faces a more skeptical global audience at his first G20 as President – CNNPolitics

Rome (CNN)President Joe Biden is facing a more skeptical global audience than on his first day in Rome as he attends the Group of 20 Summit, which began Saturday with the President achieving one of his core objectives for the global conference.

World leaders endorsed the 15% global minimum tax, a chief priority of Biden’s that the White House believes would end the global race-to-the-bottom on corporate tax rates, during the first session that was focused on the global economy and pandemic. The new rule will be formalized when the leaders release a final G20 communiqué on Sunday, when the summit ends.
“Today, G20 leaders will support the establishment of a historic global minimum tax. We expect to see the GMT formally endorsed in the Leaders communique on Sunday,” a White House official said.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the leader of this year’s G20, said in remarks at the summit’s start that the agreement was proof of the power of multilateralism.
“We reached a historic agreement for a fairer and more effective international tax system,” Draghi said. “These results are a powerful reminder of what we can achieve together.”

Source: Joe Biden gets a win on global taxes as he faces a more skeptical global audience at his first G20 as President – CNNPolitics

Democrats release text of massive social spending bill | Fox News

Democrats have released the text of their massive social spending bill, outlining many of the priorities of President Biden’s ‘Build Back Better plan

The 1684-page bill, released Thursday, comes just one day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., signaled optimism that various factions of the Democratic caucus were close to reaching a deal on the legislation.

“As we have insisted, we are close to agreement on the priorities and the topline of the legislation, which can and must pass the House and Senate,” Pelosi said in a letter to Democrats Wednesday. “At the same time, we are facing a crucial deadline for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework to pass.”

Pelosi expressed more optimism after the release of the bill, which comes in at a price tag of roughly $1,750,000,000,000, comparing it to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal.

Source: Democrats release text of massive social spending bill | Fox News

Billionaires Income Tax: What’s in the Senate Democratic plan : NPR

Senate Democrats have unveiled a plan to tax the gains billionaires make on the assets they own, as a way to help pay for President Biden’s social spending plan.

Democrats say the billionaire tax alone could raise hundreds of billions of dollars to help offset the cost of the final bill, which could end up around $1.5 trillion. It is part of a broader tax framework that also includes a new minimum tax on large corporations.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called the proposal a way to consistently tax billionaires who typically avoid paying annual income taxes.

“There are two tax codes in America,” Wyden said in a statement. “The first is mandatory for workers who pay taxes out of every pay check. The second is voluntary for billionaires who defer paying taxes for years, if not indefinitely.”

The plan comes as lawmakers are scrambling to finalize the legislation this week. Biden and top congressional Democrats say they need to reach a deal on a framework and also move forward on a stalled $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Source: Billionaires Income Tax: What’s in the Senate Democratic plan : NPR

Peck seeks to fight off Ziccarelli challenge in Westmoreland district attorney race

For the first time in a quarter century, Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck has a race on his hands.

Republican Nicole Ziccarelli, fresh off a razor-thin defeat in a bid for state Senate last fall, insists it’s time to change leadership in the county prosecutors office.

“I respect the current district attorney very much, but after this much time, I believe we need a change in leadership and the time is now,” Ziccarelli said.

Peck, 74, of New Kensington has long political roots in Westmoreland County. His father served as county sheriff for more than a decade. After spending several years in the public defender’s office, Peck served as a part-time assistant district attorney and continued in that role until he was appointed to the top job. He won his first full four-year term in 1997.

He said the game hasn’t passed him by and his 40-years as a prosecutor is the steady hand county residents need.

“I don’t think this is any different from my past Republican or Democratic challengers who also had no experience in doing the job,” Peck said.

For Peck, that experience includes years in the courtroom as the office’s top prosecutor who has handled nearly every high-profile criminal case in the county since he was first appointed to the job by county judges. In 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic halted trials throughout much of 2020, Peck served as lead attorney in five murder cases that went before juries. All ended with convictions.

He said he has no intention of slowing down and will continue to try cases into a seventh term.

Ziccarelli said she sees the district attorney’s job, at least for now, as an administrative post.

Source: Peck seeks to fight off Ziccarelli challenge in Westmoreland district attorney race

Peter Scolari Dead: ‘Bosom Buddies’, ‘Newhart’, ‘Girls’ Actor Was 66 – Deadline

Peter Scolari, the prolific television and stage actor who found instant fame and a lifelong friendship with Tom Hanks when the two co-starred in the hit 1980 TV comedy Bosom Buddies, died early Friday morning following a two-year battle with cancer. He was 66.

His death was announced by Ellen Lubin Sanitsky at Wright Entertainment.

Scolari’s 43-year show business career included such highlights as his Emmy-nominated series regular role of producer Michael Harris on Bob Newhart’s 1984-90 comedy Newhart, an Emmy-winning recurring role as the father of Lena Dunham’s character on HBO’s Girls, and, most recently, his role as Bishop Thomas Marx on the CBS supernatural drama Evil.

A partial roster of other TV credits include Fosse/Verdon, Madoff, The Good Fight, Murphy Brown, The West Wing, ER, Gotham, Law & Order: SVU, Ally McBeal, From the Earth to the Moon and Honey I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, to name a relative few. Film credits include The Polar Express and a cameo appearance as a TV host in the 1996 comedy-drama That Thing You Do!, directed by and starring his old friend and co-star Tom Hanks.

Source: Peter Scolari Dead: ‘Bosom Buddies’, ‘Newhart’, ‘Girls’ Actor Was 66 – Deadline

NIH admits US funded gain-of-function research in Wuhan

The National Institutes of Health has stunningly admitted to funding gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses at China’s Wuhan lab — despite Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly insisting to Congress that no such thing happened.

In a letter to Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) on Wednesday, a top NIH official blamed EcoHealth Alliance — the New York City-based nonprofit that has funneled US funds to the Wuhan lab — for not being transparent about the work it was doing.

NIH’s principal deputy director, Lawrence A. Tabak, wrote in the letter that EcoHealth’s “limited experiment” tested whether “spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China were capable of binding to the human ACE2 receptor in a mouse model.”

Source: NIH admits US funded gain-of-function research in Wuhan

Dental records show remains found at Carlton Reserve are those of Brian Laundrie, FBI says – East Idaho News

(CNN) — The FBI’s Denver office said Thursday that remains found a day earlier in a Florida nature reserve are those of Brian Laundrie, who disappeared last month just days after his fiancée Gabby Petito was reported missing.

The FBI said dental records confirmed the identification.

The identification came hours after police in North Port, Florida, said the remains that were found were skeletal and belonged to a human.

“They are human remains, no doubt there. I would say that the remains were consistent with one individual, you know skeletal remains,” North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylor told CNN.

Investigators also found clothing believed to be consistent with what Laundrie was wearing when he took off September 13, according to Taylor.

Less than a week after Laundrie went missing last month, authorities in Wyoming found Petito’s remains in a national forest. Her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation.

On Wednesday, investigators also found a backpack and a notebook belonging to Laundrie, 23, near the remains while they were searching the Carlton Reserve in North Port, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson.

“The notebook to my understanding has not been opened. You know, that will need to be processed,” Taylor said.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN the notebook is “possibly salvageable.” The source said the notebook was “outside of the dry bag.”

“It had been clearly wet and they are going to use any potential means to dry that out before opening it,” according to the source, who added: “They’ll be very careful with it.”

The source said it is unclear how the notebook ended up outside the dry bag.

When Taylor was asked about whether a weapon was found, he said he could not comment.

When asked if there is an ongoing search for the murderer of Gabby Petito, he responded, “That is certainly not in the North Port Police Department’s purview.”

During a search with police, Brian’s father, Chris Laundrie, was the first to spot an item belonging to his son, according to Taylor.

Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Wednesday that “the probability is strong that it is Brian’s remains.”

The discovery came on Wednesday morning when Laundrie’s parents and law enforcement searched an area of the reserve that had been underwater but recently reopened to the public.

“It’s quite sad, you can imagine as a parent, finding your son’s belongings alongside some remains. That’s got to be heartbreaking. And I can tell you that they are heartbroken,” Bertolino told Cuomo.

Search conditions had been very difficult

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Thursday law enforcement had been searching in treacherous conditions, including nearly chest-high water full of snakes and alligators.

“These are very, very difficult conditions. You’re searching in areas that you just can’t walk up and look. It’s not like you’re searching a house or a car,” he said. “These areas are huge and they’re covered by water.”

The exhaustive search for Laundrie stretched over a month as authorities tried to piece together what happened to him and Petito during their road trip through the Western US this summer.

Petito, 22, disappeared on the trip amid tensions in their relationship, and her remains were later found near where the couple had last been seen together.

Laundrie, who had returned by himself to his parents’ home in Florida, refused to talk with investigators and didn’t return after telling his parents he was going to the nature reserve to hike.

He was not charged in Petito’s death, although he was indicted for allegedly using two financial accounts that did not belong to him in the days following her killing.

Authorities, including several K-9 units and off-road vehicles, returned to the reserve on Thursday morning to further search the area.

Brian Laundrie’s parents were on scene when remains were found

Laundrie’s family had declined to talk publicly following legal advice, but they had directed authorities to where they believed Laundrie may be staying in the reserve, Bertolino said.

The parents — Chris and Roberta Laundrie — joined in the search Wednesday morning and found a bag belonging to their son at the park, which their attorney described as “happenstance.”

According to Bertolino, Laundrie’s parents informed the FBI and the North Port Police Department on Tuesday night that they wanted to visit the park Wednesday morning to search for their son.

Law enforcement met them there and closely accompanied them as they entered the park, Bertolino said.

“As they went further in, Chris ventured off the trail into the woods. He was zigzagging in different areas, law enforcement was doing the same thing. And Roberta Laundrie was walking down the trail,” Bertolino said. “At some point, Chris locates what’s called a dry bag. The dry bag is a white bag, laying in the woods, say 20 feet or so off the trail.”

The dry bag was in some brambles and he didn’t want to move it because he wanted his law enforcement to see it, Bertolino said. However, Chris Laundrie couldn’t find law enforcement and didn’t want to leave the bag there with a news reporter standing nearby, so he picked it up, Bertolino explained.

“He did meet up shortly with law enforcement, they looked at the contents of the bag. At that time, law enforcement officers showed him a picture on the phone of a backpack that law enforcement had located also nearby and also some distance off the trail,” Bertolino told CNN.

“At that point, the Laundries were notified there was also remains near the backpack, and they were asked to leave the preserve.”

The remains were found “about 2 to 3 miles inside the Carlton Reserve, or about a 45-minute walk” from the entrance at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, Taylor said Wednesday.

When asked why the parents chose to go to the park on Wednesday, Bertolino said it was the first day it was reopened to the public.

“The parents had assumed that the experts, the FBI and all the tracking teams they had would be able to locate Brian based upon the information that we had provided them to the specific areas and trails in the park that Brian liked to visit,” Bertolino said. “The park had been closed to the public. There was really no other reason for the Laundries to go search anywhere else.”

Source: Dental records show remains found at Carlton Reserve are those of Brian Laundrie, FBI says – East Idaho News

Pittsburgh Weather: Cleanup Efforts Underway After Thursday’s Severe Storms

By: KDKA-TV’s Erika Stanish, Jessica Guay and Royce Jones

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The day started off mild and seasonable, but that all changed this afternoon after severe weather hit western Pennsylvania.

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The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for parts of Butler, Mercer, Allegheny, Washington, Greene and Beaver counties on Thursday, but all warnings have now expired.

Allegheny County says the Hampton Township Fire Department believes a microburst hit the area, causing extensive damage. There were no reported injuries.

 

In Hampton Township, the strong winds ripped the roof off a home on Kirk Avenue. Crews put a tarp over the roof to protect it from the elements. Another nearby home had its roof partially ripped off during the wild storms.

Fire officials in the township said they responded to about 30 calls on Thursday night.

 

On Middle Road, a homeowner described the scene after storms hit the area.

“It was terrible. Just trees down on one side of the road. Had to use the other side of the road. It was just scary driving with all the debris on the road,” Jen Koervel said.

READ MORE:Crews Working On Water Main Break On Magee Street In Uptown

Many neighborhoods in the area were left without power after tree branches fell on power lines.

The American Red Cross has set up a staging area at the Hampton Volunteer Fire Department to help impacted residents.

In Washington County, the Peters Township fire chief said several homes were impacted. The chief said one home has substantial damage. The family was home at the time, but no one was hurt.

The NWS will be out in the area on Friday morning to survey the damage.

MORE NEWS:Parkway North Inbound Lane Restriction Planned On Friday

Stay up to date with the KDKA app, which you can download here.

Source: Pittsburgh Weather: Cleanup Efforts Underway After Thursday’s Severe Storms

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