January 9, 2023 2:48 pm
(WPXI) – Prosecutors have filed documents indicating that they will seek the death penalty against the father accused of killing his son in Westmoreland County in May 2022. Azuree Charles, 9, who was found strangled to death behind his house in New Kensington after he was reported missing. Azuree’s father, Jean Charles, was charged with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and strangulation. His mother, Luella Elien was charged by detectives with aggravated assault of a child and endangering the welfare of a child. Police said she allowed Jean Charles to continue watching her four children despite known allegations of child abuse. Police said they have surveillance video showing Azuree in the area the night of the murder. They found the clothes he was seen wearing and a shovel not far where his red bike was found, with all DNA evidence matching his.
January 9, 2023 4:24 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – The Russian military claims to have carried out deadly missile strikes on Ukrainian troops, but Ukrainian officials deny there were any casualties. The Russian Defense Ministry says its missiles hit two temporary bases in the eastern city of Kramatorsk, with hundreds killed. A spokesperson for Ukraine’s forces in the east told The Associated Press there were Russian strikes on the city but that they damaged only civilian infrastructure and “the armed forces of Ukraine weren’t affected.” A week ago, Ukrainian forces struck a facility in Makiivka, also in the east, killing dozens of Russian forces in one of the deadliest attacks since the war began in February.
January 9, 2023 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – After an epic 15-ballot election to become House speaker, Republican Kevin McCarthy faces his next big test in governing a fractious, slim majority. That could come Monday when lawmakers are set to consider a rules package to govern the House. Drafting and approving it is normally a fairly routine legislative affair. But in these times, it’s the next showdown for the embattled McCarthy. To become speaker, McCarthy had to make concessions to a small group of hard-liners who refused to support him until he yielded to their demands. Now those promises – or at least some of them – are being put into writing to be voted on when lawmakers return this week.
January 9, 2023 4:22 am
EL PASO, Texas (AP) – President Joe Biden has wrapped up a four-hour visit to the U.S.-Mexico border. The president walked a muddy stretch of the border and inspected a busy port of entry on Sunday, but he did not appear to meet with migrants during his first trip to the region as president. His visit to El Paso, Texas, came as Republicans try to blame him for the record numbers of migrants crossing into the country. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott handed Biden a letter saying he has failed to enforce federal law. Later Sunday, Biden arrived in Mexico City for a two-day summit of North American leaders.
January 9, 2023 4:20 am
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Brazilian authorities were picking up pieces and investigating after thousands of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace then trashed the nation’s highest seats of power. They were seeking military intervention to either restore the far-right Bolsonaro or oust newly inaugurated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in scenes that evoked the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in the U.S. Capitol. The government described the protesters actions Sunday as terrorism and coup-mongering and tallied 300 arrests. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the so-called “fascist fanatics” and their financiers must be punished and accused the former president of encouraging their uprising. Bolsonaro repudiated that.
January 9, 2023 4:16 am
UNION TOWNSHIP, Pa. — PennDOT is displaying plans to replace a bridge along Mingo Church Road in Washington County. Officials say the existing structure carrying State Route 1061 over Froman Run in Union Township was built in 1934 and is currently in an advanced state of deterioration while not giving enough clearance for large vehicles at the T-Intersection with State Route 88 (Union Street.) The proposed replacement structure will include installing a new Precast Reinforced Box Culvert with a clear span of 10 feet, a vertical clearance of 3 feet, and a curb-to-curb width of a minimum of 28 feet 6 inches. Traffic will be maintained with a Detour during Construction. Construction is anticipated for the summer of 2024 and will cost between $175,000 and $250,000. More information can be found on the PennDOT District 12 website.
January 9, 2023 4:08 am
Turnpike toll increases have become a fact of life statewide. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission announced the increase in rates in August. They went into effect on Sunday. The tolls went up by 5% for all E-Z pass and toll-by-plate customers. Turnpike officials say the most common toll for E-Z pass customers is going to go up 10 cents to $1.80 The most common toll for “toll-by-plate” customers is up 30 cents to $4.40 cents. The PTC says that based on current traffic and revenue projections, there are going to continue to be toll increases. The next hike could be by 5% through 2025. The rate increase is nothing new. The Turnpike Commission has been raising what people pay since 2007. That year, the state passed a law requiring the PTC to help pay for state transportation costs. The Turnpike Commission plans to raise rates by at least 3% until the year 2050.
January 9, 2023 2:23 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Another Mega Millions drawing, another night without a big winner. No one hit all six numbers and won the estimated $940 million jackpot, pushing the lottery prize to an estimated $1.1 billion ahead of the next drawing Tuesday night. The numbers drawn late Friday were: 3, 20, 46, 59, 63 and gold Mega Ball 13. The prize is now the third-largest in U.S. history. There have been 24 drawings without a jackpot winner. The winless streak is largely due to the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million. The new estimated prize is for a winner who chooses an annuity paid annually over 29 years. Grand prize winners usually take the cash option, which for Tuesday night’s drawing will be an estimated $568.7 million.
January 8, 2023 8:09 am
BERLIN (AP) — German officials said Sunday that a 32-year-old Iranian man has been arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning an attack with deadly chemicals. Police and prosecutors said the man and another person were detained overnight in the town of Castrop-Rauxel. Authorities said the man is suspected to have planned a serious attack motivated by Islamic extremism, for which he had allegedly obtained the potent toxins cyanide and ricin. German news agency dpa quoted a spokesman for Duesseldorf prosecutors saying that an initial search of the premises turned up no toxic substances. It wasn’t immediately clear how far advanced the plans for an attack were and whether the suspect had picked a specific target.
January 8, 2023 8:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is heading to the U.S.-Mexico border later Sunday for a firsthand look at border security. The stop in El Paso, Texas, will be his first visit to the border as president. Republicans have hammered him as soft on security while the number of migrants crossing spirals. El Paso is currently the biggest corridor for illegal crossings, in large part because of Nicaraguans fleeing their country. They’re among migrants from four countries who are now subject to quick expulsion from the border under new U.S. rules. Biden is expected to meet with border officials to discuss migration as well as the increased trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
