March 31, 2021 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – G. Gordon Liddy, a mastermind of the Watergate burglary and a radio talk show host after emerging from prison, has died at age 90. His son, Thomas Liddy, confirmed the death Tuesday but did not reveal the cause, other than to say it was not related to COVID-19. Liddy, a former FBI agent and Army veteran, was convicted of conspiracy, burglary and illegal wiretapping for his role in the Watergate burglary, which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. He spent four years and four months in prison, including more than 100 days in solitary confinement. After his release, Liddy became a popular, often provocative radio talk show host. He also worked as a security consultant, writer and actor.
March 23, 2021 2:46 am
(WPXI) – Two people were charged after police say a 7-year-old boy was found bruised and burned in Bethel Park. Twenty-four-year-old John Stone and 32-year-old Kaiyla Bowers were charged with felony aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child after the incident on Friday. Police and EMS responded to the home after the boy was found unresponsive. He was taken to Children’s Hospital where they found extensive bruising and burns. Following a hearing, both Stone and Bowers were denied bail. According to court documents, the couple said the burns came from bathwater that was too hot. The complaint states that it was found that the burns were caused in November or December. Police said the two admitted to failing to take the boy to the doctor because Bowers was afraid she would lose custody to the boy’s father. The document also states that neighbors told police they would hear screaming coming from their home when Stone is watching the child and Bowers is at work.
March 22, 2021 5:42 pm
Police responded Monday afternoon to an active shooter call at a Boulder, Colorado grocery store. A person on the scene, who identified to passing police officers as a member of the media, began streaming live video of the event, and tactical units can be seen at the front of the store, and a handcuffed, shirtless man was seen being walked out of the store by officers. A law enforcement source told ABC News that officers responded to a report of someone shot in the parking area of the King Soopers grocery store and when they arrived at the scene, a suspect opened fire on them. (Photo: ABC)
March 22, 2021 8:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – In a private Facebook group called the Pittsburgh Area Police Breakroom, many current and retired officers spent the year criticizing chiefs that took a knee or officers who marched with Black Lives Matter protesters, who they called “terrorists,” “racist” or “thugs.” Posts from the group were shared with The Associated Press, showing some of the 2,200 members –police officers, chiefs and retired law enforcement officials-made regular transphobic bullying or violent posts, and bullied members who supported anti-police brutality protesters or Joe Biden in a forum billed as a place officers can “decompress, rant, share ideas.”
March 22, 2021 7:30 am
LONDON (AP) – AstraZeneca says its COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease across all age groups in a late-stage study in the United States. AstraZeneca said Monday that its experts did not identify any safety concerns related to the vaccine, including finding no increased risk of rare blood clots identified in Europe. Although AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been authorized in more than 50 countries, it has not yet been given the green light in the U.S. It has struggled to gain public trust amid a troubled rollout. The study comprised more than 30,000 volunteers, of whom two-thirds were given the vaccine while the rest got dummy shots.
March 22, 2021 4:25 am
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – Miami Beach officials are extending an emergency 8 p.m. curfew for at least another week. Sunday’s decision by city commissioners comes after days of intense partying, where unruly crowds gathered by the thousands on South Beach, fighting in the streets, destroying property and ignoring masks and other COVID-19 orders. Tourists are being encouraged to stay inside their hotels and pedestrians or vehicles are not allowed to enter the restricted area after 8 p.m. SWAT officers in bulletproof vests dispersed pepper spray balls to break up defiant crowds. Miami Beach Police say more than 1,000 people have been arrested this month.
March 22, 2021 4:22 am
Despite the clamor to speed up the U.S. vaccination drive against COVID-19, the first three months of the rollout suggest faster is not necessarily better. A surprising new analysis found that states such as South Carolina and Florida that raced to offer the vaccine to ever-larger groups of people have vaccinated smaller shares of their population than those that moved more slowly and methodically, such as Hawaii and Connecticut. The explanation, as experts see it: The rapid expansion of eligibility caused a surge in demand too big for some states to handle. The result was serious disarray, confusion and frustration. The analysis may hold an important lesson for states as they rush to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of making all adults eligible for vaccination by May 1.
March 22, 2021 4:21 am
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) – Hundreds of people have been rescued from floodwaters that have isolated dozens of towns in Australia’s most populous state New South Wales and forced thousands to evacuate their homes as record rain continues. Around 18,000 people had been evacuated from flooding in New South Wales and emergency services feared up to 54,000 people could be displaced. Rain is forecast to continue until Wednesday. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Parliament that 35 communities in northern New South Wales had been isolated and emergency services had conducted more than 700 flood rescues.
March 22, 2021 4:19 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Jury selection enters its third week Monday for a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death. Thirteen jurors have been seated for Derek Chauvin’s trial on murder and manslaughter charges, with the judge saying two more will be seated ahead of opening statements expected March 29. Only 12 will deliberate; the others will be alternates. Last week, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill declined defense requests to delay or move the trial over concerns that a massive settlement to George Floyd’s family would affect the jury. The 13 jurors seated so far are a diverse group.
March 22, 2021 4:17 am
Many people are contributing to GoFundMe pages for victims of the deadly Atlanta-area shootings. Randy Park launched a page asking for $20,000 to help pay funeral expenses for his mother, who was killed in the attacks. By Sunday, the donations were approaching $3 million. To date, no central fund has been created to aid families of the victims – a contrast with some other mass shootings where groups have been set up to collect and distribute money to those directly affected. For now, potential donors to the most recent attack must scour individual GoFundMe accounts.
