December 17, 2024 5:05 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has refused to dismiss President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity. But the overall future of the historic case remains unclear. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan’s decision Monday blocks one potential off-ramp from the case ahead of Trump’s return to office next month. His lawyers have raised other arguments for dismissal, however. It’s unclear when — or whether — a sentencing date might be set. A jury convicted Trump in May of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in 2016. Trump denies wrongdoing.
December 16, 2024 5:09 am
President-elect Donald Trump has held a wide-ranging news conference in which he took questions from reporters for the first time since winning the election. He said Monday that he would preserve access to the polio vaccine but equivocated on other vaccines. He pledged to look at bringing down the costs of pharmaceuticals and expressed doubts that his daughter-in-law might be Florida’s next senator. The event harkens back to his long-winding news conferences from his first term and is a stark contrast from President Joe Biden, who doesn’t often take questions from reporters.
December 17, 2024 5:08 am
After months of deadlock, Israel and Hamas appear to be moving closer toward a ceasefire to end their 14-month war. Top officials from the U.S., Qatar and Egypt have resumed their mediation efforts in recent weeks and reported greater willingness by the warring sides to wrap up a deal. In a key concession, Hamas officials say they are prepared to show more “flexibility” on the timing of an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said Monday that a deal is closer than ever. The agreement is expected to take place in phases and include a halt in fighting, an exchange of captive Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to Gaza.
December 17, 2024 5:04 am
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials says Lt. General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces, has been killed by an explosive device planted near an apartment building in Moscow. Russia’s Investigative Committee said the bomb, which was triggered by the device placed in a scooter, also killed Kirillov’s assistant. Kirillov, who was named the head of Russia’s nuclear defense forces in April 2017, was under sanctions from several countries including the U.K. and Canada for his role in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Services on Dec. 16 charged Kirillov with the use of banned chemical weapons during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine that started in Feb. 2022.
December 17, 2024 12:51 pm
DETROIT (AP) — Starting in September of 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don’t buckle up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it finalized the rule, which also requires enhanced warnings when front seat belts aren’t fastened. The agency estimates that the new rule will save 50 lives per year and prevent 500 injuries when fully in effect. The new rule will apply to passenger cars, trucks, buses except for school buses, and multipurpose vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds.
December 16, 2024 2:09 pm
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The shooter who opened fire at a private Christian school in Wisconsin was a 17-year-old female student, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity. Police say the shooter killed a teacher and another student. Authorities say the shooter also died and wounded six others at Abundant Life Christian School. Someone from the K-12 school of about 400 students called 911 to report an active shooter shortly before 11 a.m. Monday. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said the motive for the shooting was not immediately known.
December 16, 2024 5:08 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — A man was wounded early Sunday in a shooting outside a restaurant here in the City of Washington. Washington County 911 dispatchers say it happened on South Main Street, near Maiden Street, around 2:15 a.m. Police found the victim after responding to a report of shots fired. The man was first taken to UPMC Washington hospital, then flown to Pittsburgh for further treatment. Washington Police say the man’s injuries are not life-threatening. No arrests have been made. Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has video of it is asked to call the Washington City Police Department at 724-223-1386 or 724-223-4226.
December 16, 2024 5:21 am
Firefighters were called to a house fire in Charleroi Sunday evening. Our news partners at WPXI say it was a reported kitchen fire in the 800-block of Meadow Avenue. Heavy fire was reported in the rear of the structure. Crews were on the scene for some two-hours. Fallowfield Township fire fighters were also called in to assist. There are no reports of any injuries and it’s unclear what may have sparked the blaze.
December 16, 2024 5:16 am
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — (WPXI) – Police at WVU are urging students to be cautious after a reported burglary near campus. In a campus alert, WVU officials say the burglary happened at 216 Belmar Ave., near the Downtown area of campus, on Saturday morning. Surveillance video shows one of two suspects entering the building through an unlocked basement window. University Police are investigating the incident and are working to determine if it’s related to burglary and larceny reports in a similar area at the end of November. Anyone with information that may help in the ongoing investigations should call UPD at 304-293-313. Callers can remain anonymous. With this reported burglary, police are urging students to take action. “We cannot stress enough how important it is that members of our University community secure their property — whether that be their homes or vehicles,” Chief Sherry St. Clair said. If you witness a potentially dangerous situation or a crime, call 911 or WVUPD. If you encounter an emergency situation on campus, utilize the blue light emergency call system, if available.
December 16, 2024 5:30 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say security guards at the federal courthouse in Harrisburg shot and wounded a knife-wielding man who attempted to attack one of them. Few details of Monday’s shooting were immediately available, and authorities said the FBI was leading the investigation. In a statement, the U.S. Marshals Service says the security officers moved to stop the man after he entered the courthouse, brandishing a knife. The marshals service says the suspect attempted to attack one of the security officers before they shot him, striking him multiple times. He was in stable condition at a hospital, while the security officers were uninjured.
