March 26, 2022 3:41 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The White House has removed Dr. Mehmet Oz – best known as daytime TV’s host of “The Dr. Oz Show” – and former football star Herschel Walker from the President’s Council on Sports, Nutrition and Fitness as both men run for U.S. Senate. Both Oz and Walker are Republicans who were appointed by President Joe Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump. Oz claims he was being removed for political reasons. The White House on Wednesday posted a list of appointments to the council. A White House official says Oz and Walker were asked to resign because the White House doesn’t permit candidates for federal office to serve on boards.
March 26, 2022 3:39 am
MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. (WPXI) — Our news partners at WPXI report that a McKees Rocks woman is facing multiple charges including child endangerment and aggravated assault after her 11-month-old son was found suffering from an opioid overdose that she attributes to Orajel. In a criminal complaint, Dana Hanner said she called 911 on Tuesday, March 22, when her son became unresponsive shortly after she found him with a tube of Orajel in his mouth. EMS workers said they thought the child was suffering from an opioid overdose and administered Narcan. At UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, a doctor found no traces of Orajel in a toxicology report but detected traces of fentanyl. The complaint states that during a search, police found suspected fentanyl and paraphernalia in Hanner’s home where she was living with her four children. During a review of Hanner’s history, it was found she was arrested in 2018 for endangering the welfare of children and multiple drug offenses consistent with selling opioids. Hanner’s children were removed from her care at that time. Police did not say how the 11-month-old boy is doing now or where the other three children who were living in the home are. Hanner is currently out on bond and will have a preliminary hearing on March 29.
March 26, 2022 3:34 am
The Washington County Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion with municipal managers to discuss what challenges face their communities and what is most important to the continued development of each. Township managers form South Strabane, North Strabane, Peters Township and North Franklin gathered and public safety was a key to maintaining growth. Peters Township and North Strabane townships are opening new fire stations to serve residential growth. South Strabane Township is moving to enlarge its full time fire fighter staff. North Franklin is served by three volunteer companies but the township not only contributes to their support, they offer each fire fighter a $20 stipend to each call that is responded. Township amenities such as parks are important as well. North Franklin and North Strabane are in the process of building new municipal offices. Peters Township and North Franklin also are investing into parks for their resident’s enjoyment. Paul Lauer, Township Manager for Peters Township pointed out the biggest hidden challenge to all local governments in southwestern Pennsylvania will be how to recruit and retain qualified people to serve in all aspects of local government.
March 26, 2022 3:33 am
(AP) – Federal prosecutors say two men who worked in direct care at a western Pennsylvania residential facility inflicted what a grand jury alleges was “violent, demeaning and humiliating” abuse on people with severe physical and mental disabilities. Federal hate crimes charges were announced Friday against 28-year-old Zachary Lee Dinell and 31-year-old Tyler Smith. They’ve both been fired from McGuire Memorial in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. The grand jury says they abused people who aren’t able to speak to report their injuries and lack the capacity to defend themselves. The men don’t have lawyers listed in court records, and messages were left for lawyers who previously represented them in state court.
March 25, 2022 1:31 pm
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – A 14-year-old boy fell to his death late at night from a free-fall amusement park ride that’s taller than the Statue of Liberty along a busy street in the heart of Orlando, Florida’s, tourist district. Sheriff’s officials and emergency crews responded to a call late Thursday at Icon Park, which is located in the city’s tourist district along International Drive. The boy fell from the Orlando Free Fall ride, which opened late last year. Sheriff’s officials say he was taken to a hospital, where he died. The 430-foot ride opened late last year and is billed as the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower. (Photo: WPXI)
March 25, 2022 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Virginia Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, sent weeks of text messages imploring White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to act to overturn the 2020 presidential election – furthering then-President Donald Trump’s lies that the free and fair vote was marred by nonexistent fraud. That’s according to copies of the messages obtained Thursday by The Washington Post and CBS News. The 29 messages the pair exchanged came in the weeks after the vote in November 2020. On Nov. 10, three days after the election and after The Associated Press declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner, Thomas, a conservative activist, texted to Meadows, “Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!!”
March 25, 2022 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A majority of Americans say they don’t blame President Joe Biden for high gasoline prices, but they’re giving his economic leadership low marks amid fears of inflation and deepening pessimism about economic conditions. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows about 7 in 10 Americans say the nation’s economy is in bad shape, and close to two-thirds disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy. What’s more, Americans are more likely to say his policies have hurt the economy than helped it. Even so, they are more likely to say that higher than usual gas prices are more because of factors outside of Biden’s control than because of Biden’s policies.
March 25, 2022 4:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – After more than 30 hours of hearings, the Senate is on track to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. But Democrats seem unlikely to confirm her with much Republican support. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that he’ll vote against confirming Jackson, saying he “cannot and will not” support her for a lifetime appointment. Democrats can confirm Jackson on their own in the 50-50 Senate since Vice President Kamala Harris can cast the tiebreaking vote. Jackson is the first Black woman nominated for the nation’s highest court in its more than 200-year history.
March 25, 2022 4:16 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukraine has accused Russia of forcibly relocating hundreds of thousands of civilians to Russia from devastated Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian officials allege that Moscow wants to use them as “hostages” to pressure Kyiv to give up. Ukraine’s ombudsperson said Thursday that 402,000 people, including 84,000 children, have been taken to Russia, where some have reported shortages of food and water. Russia says the people it is evacuating civilians of their own free will. Meanwhile, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged his country to keep up its military defense and not stop “even for a minute.” He said every day of fighting brings the country closer to victory and peace.
March 25, 2022 4:15 am
Russian forces have fired two missiles at a Ukrainian military unit on the outskirts of Dnipro, the fourth-largest city in the country, regional emergency services say. The strikes destroyed buildings and set off two fires, it said late Thursday, while the number of those killed and wounded was still being established. Dnipro is west of the regions along the Russian border that have been controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014.
