May 16, 2021 8:15 am
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City flattened three buildings and killed at least 33 people Sunday, medics said, making it the deadliest single attack since heavy fighting broke out between Israel and the territory’s militant Hamas rulers nearly a week ago. The Gaza Health Ministry said 12 women and eight children were among those killed, with another 50 people wounded in the attack. Earlier, the Israeli military said it destroyed the home of Gaza’s top Hamas leader, Yahiyeh Sinwar, in a separate strike in the southern town of Khan Younis. It was the third such attack in the last two days on the homes of senior Hamas leaders, who have gone underground. Israel appears to have stepped up strikes in recent days to inflict as much damage as possible on Hamas as international mediators try to broker a cease-fire. But targeting the group’s leaders could hinder those efforts. A U.S. diplomat is in the region to try to de-escalate tensions, and the U.N. Security Council is set to meet Sunday.
May 16, 2021 8:08 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — A man was killed in a fall on West Carson Street early Sunday morning. Pittsburgh police said the incident occurred in the 1200 block around 4:20 a.m. When first responders arrived, they located a man who had fallen from W Carson Street onto a gravel lot below. EMS pronounced the man deceased on scene. The investigation is ongoing.
May 16, 2021 8:04 am
MT. MORRIS, Pa. (WPXI) — A van containing three human cadavers was stolen from the garage of a funeral home in Greene County last week. According to a Pennsylvania State Police report, the incident occurred at Wilbert Funeral Services Inc., 123 Mechanic St., Mount Morris, sometime between May 9 and 10. Police said a suspect entered a secured garage and stole the van, which contained three human cadavers. The van and cadavers were eventually recovered at the Mount Morris truck stop at 106 Gas Company Road, Perry Twp., police said. A suspect has been developed and the investigation is ongoing.
May 16, 2021 4:14 am
GREENSBURG, Pa. (WPXI) — The sexual assault trial for suspended Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez is set to begin Monday morning in Westmoreland County after the jury was picked. The 12 jurors and two alternates were seated Friday. Vazquez, 29, has been in jail since he was arrested in September 2019. He was charged with statutory sexual assault, 10 counts of child pornography and a number of other criminal charges after he was accused of meeting a then-13-year-old girl for sex in 2017. Vazquez has maintained his innocence, and his defense attorney said in March he believed evidence will show his client believed the girl was almost an adult when they had sex. He also faces charges in Florida and Missouri after police said he had a sexual relationship with the girl related to those states.
May 15, 2021 4:24 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Target has suspended in-store sales of sports and Pokemon trading cards, citing safety concerns. While the Minneapolis-based retailer didn’t give a direct reason for the change in its Friday announcement, the Minneapolis Star Tribune says it came after police in Brookfield, Wisconsin, reported that four men had attacked another man over cards on May 7. The newspaper reports that the value of some trading cards has soared, driven in part by people rushing to buy up new cards for resale online. Target says it continues to sell the cards online.
May 15, 2021 4:23 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Three former Minneapolis police officers who are charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights are scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in July, with a trial date to be determined. Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao are scheduled to be arraigned on civil rights violations on July 14 in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. They are charged along with Derek Chauvin, who has already been convicted on state counts of murder and manslaughter. It wasn’t immediately clear why Chauvin is not part of this scheduling order, but he has not yet made an initial appearance on the federal charges.
May 15, 2021 4:22 am
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – Two years after a white supremacist in New Zealand live streamed the slaughter of 51 Muslim worshippers on Facebook, French President Emmanuel Macron says the internet continues to be be used by terrorists as a weapon to propagate hate. Macron and other leaders from tech giants and governments around the world – including the U.S. for the first time – gathered virtually on Saturday to find better ways to stop extremist violence from spreading online, while also respecting freedom of expression. It’s part of a global effort started by Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after deadly attacks in their countries were streamed or shared on social networks. It also involves tech companies including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon.
May 15, 2021 4:21 am
JERUSALEM (AP) – An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza City has killed at least seven Palestinians. The airstrike early Saturday in the western part of Gaza City recorded the highest number of fatalities in a single hit. The militant group Hamas reported the number is likely to rise as efforts to recover casualties from under the rubble of the house on the edge of Shati refugee camp are still ongoing. There is no immediate update from the Health Ministry. A resident nearby says Israeli warplanes dropped at least three bombs on the three-story house without warning its residents in advance. Shortly afterward, Hamas said it fired a salvo of rockets at southern Israel in response to the airstrike.
May 15, 2021 4:16 am
PITTSBURGH — An Ambridge teen is dead nearly two years after he was shot at a Fourth of July celebration in Pittsburgh. Keyari Wynn, 18, was 16 when he and another teen were shot just one hour after Pittsburgh’s fireworks show in 2019 as crowds were leaving. Police said a fight among a group of kids over previously released rap videos turned violent near the corner of 7th Street and Penn Avenue in the Cultural District. Wynn was shot in the head during the incident. He died Friday at UPMC Children’s Hospital. Investigators said Camerin Caldwell turned himself in to police more than a week after the shooting. Caldwell, 18 at the time, faces two counts of criminal attempt homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment and firearms violations. Caldwell has a court hearing scheduled for Tuesday. His charges could change now that Wynn died.
May 15, 2021 1:26 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is easing mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings. The new guidance announced Thursday is a major step toward returning to pre-pandemic life. President Joe Biden said, “Today is a great day for America.” The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but it will help clear the way for reopening workplaces and schools. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says: “We have all longed for this moment – when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”
