Clashes Erupt At Jerusalem Holy Site, 67 Palestinians Hurt

April 15, 2022 4:12 am

JERUSALEM (AP) – Clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a major holy site in Jerusalem, have wounded at least 67 Palestinians. The Islamic endowment that administers the site said Israeli police entered in force before dawn, as thousands of worshippers were gathered at the mosque for early morning prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Israel said its forces entered to remove rocks and stones that had been gathered in anticipation of violence. The mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. It is built on a hilltop that is the most sacred site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. Israeli-Palestinian tensions have soared in recent weeks.

Zelenskyy Hails Ukrainians’ Resolve

April 15, 2022 4:11 am

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – On a day that saw Russia suffer a stinging symbolic defeat with the loss of its Black Sea fleet flagship, Ukraine’s president has hailed his people for their resolve since Russia invaded and for making “the most important decision of their life – to fight.” In his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told his compatriots they should be proud of having survived 50 days under attack when Moscow “gave us a maximum of five.” He spoke hours after the Russian guided-missile cruiser Moskva sank after suffering heavy damage in disputed circumstances. Ukraine said it hit the vessel with missiles, while Russia acknowledged a fire on board but no attack.

‘Cash 5’ Ticket Worth $703K Sold In Allegheny County

April 15, 2022 4:08 am

OAKMONT, Pa. — (WPXI) – A jackpot-winning Cash 5 with Quick Cash ticket worth $703,720 was sold in Allegheny County. The winning ticket matched all five balls drawn on Wednesday. The numbers were 6-9-34-41-42. The ticket was sold at the Speedway on Hulton Road in Oakmont. The store earned a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Any prizes won on a Quick Cash game must be claimed within a year of the purchase date. Winners should contact the nearest PA Lottery office for more information. More than 15,100 other Cash 5 with Quick Cash tickets also won prizes in Wednesday’s drawing.

 

5 Teens Killed, 2 Adults Injured In Fire

April 15, 2022 4:06 am

GENESEE, Pa. (AP) – An early morning fire in a northern Pennsylvania home that authorities said may have been sparked by a stove killed five teenagers and severely injured two adults. Fire crews responding to the 3:30 a.m. Monday alarm in Genesee Township found the residence engulfed in flames. Police said three boys aged 14, 16 and 17 were killed along with two 16-year-old girls. Police said a man and woman were able to escape but both “sustained serious injuries while trying to rescue the children.” They were flown to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, where the woman was in the burn unit and the man in the inpatient unit.

2 Electric Utility Workers Hospitalized

April 15, 2022 4:05 am

WEXFORD, Pa. (AP) – Authorities say two electric utility employees were rushed to hospitals after being injured while working in western Pennsylvania. Duquesne Light Company said the line workers were doing work on a utility pole in McCandless Township near Pittsburgh when they were injured. The company didn’t specify the cause of the injury but township officials told WPXI-TV that the two were shocked by a power line. A neighbor reported seeing a nurse performing CPR and police using a defibrillator. Duquesne Light said both employees were taken to local hospitals “and we’re continuing to monitor their conditions.”

Brooklyn Subway Attack Suspect Ordered Held Without Bail

April 14, 2022 4:47 pm

NEW YORK (AP) – The man charged in this week’s Brooklyn subway attack has been ordered held without bail, with prosecutors saying he terrified the “entire city.” Frank James appeared in federal court Thursday, a day after his arrest in an attack that left 10 people shot. Authorities say the 62-year-old unleashed smoke bombs and dozens of bullets. His lawyer is cautioning against a “rush to judgment.” She asked for him to receive “psychiatric attention” in jail. He’s charged with a federal terrorism offense that applies to attacks on mass transit systems. Authorities say there’s currently no evidence linking him to terror organizations and are still trying to derive a motive.

Abortion Ban After 15 Weeks Signed Into Law In Florida

April 14, 2022 4:42 pm

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida will soon ban abortions after 15 weeks. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the law on Thursday; it goes into effect on July 1. The move comes amid a growing conservative push to restrict abortion ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could limit access to the procedure nationwide. The new law deals a significant blow to abortion access in the South, where Florida has provided wider access to the procedure than its regional neighbors. It does not allow for exemptions in cases where pregnancies were caused by rape, incest or human trafficking. Under current law, Florida allows abortions up to 24 weeks.

Bill Against Trans Girls In Girls’ Sports Passes State House

April 14, 2022 1:14 pm

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania lawmakers voted after a tense debate to approve a bill designed to prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls’ school sports. All but one Republican and four Democrats voted for the proposal Tuesday. It would restrict players on K-12 school teams, college sports, intramurals and club teams sponsored by school entities to male or female teams based on their reproductive organs, biology or genetics at birth. It would prevent “students of the male sex” from playing on athletic teams designated for women or girls and provide a way for students and schools to sue, including against athletic organizations. It goes to the state Senate for its consideration, and faces a potential veto from Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.

Pfizer Wants To Expand Booster Shots For Kids

April 14, 2022 8:43 am

UNDATED (AP) – Pfizer wants to expand its COVID-19 booster shots to healthy 5- to 11-year-olds. U.S. health authorities already urge everyone 12 and older to get one booster dose for the best protection. And those 50 and older have the option of a second booster. Pfizer said Thursday new data shows its kid-sized booster could help healthy elementary-aged children rev up virus-fighting antibodies. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech plan to seek authorization of a booster soon. While COVID-19 is a bigger threat to adults, youngsters can get severely ill and omicron caused a surge in child hospitalizations.

Elon Musk Offers To Buy Twitter

April 14, 2022 8:41 am

Elon Musk is offering to buy Twitter outright, just days after the Tesla CEO said he would no longer be joining the social media company’s board of directors. Twitter Inc. said in a regulatory filing on Thursday that Musk, who currently owns slightly more than 9% of its stock and is the company’s biggest shareholder, provided a letter to the company on Wednesday that contained a proposal to buy the remaining shares of Twitter that he doesn’t already own. Musk offered $54.20 per share of Twitter’s stock. He called the nonbinding proposal his best and final offer.