June 16, 2020 2:29 am
MCKEESPORT, Pa. (AP) – Authorities say three people ambushed and gunned down a man in McKeesport. Police say surveillance video shows 54-year-old George Brosey was walking up the stoop of an acquaintance at Crawford Village when he was approached by a male and shot late Monday night. Police say two other males standing nearby also opened fire. The victim died at the scene. Authorities do not know why the man was targeted. No arrests have been made.
June 15, 2020 5:49 pm
(AP) – For the fourth time in its history, the Oscars are being postponed. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday that the 93rd Academy Awards will now be held on April 25, 2021, eight weeks later than originally planned because of the pandemic’s effects on the movie industry. The Academy’s Board of Governors also decided to extend the eligibility window beyond the calendar year to Feb. 28, 2021. Other entertainment industry awards shows are also in flux, like the Tony Awards. The 74th Tony Awards, originally set for June 7, has been postponed indefinitely.
June 15, 2020 10:38 am
California University of Pennsylvania will be reopening its campus for students this fall and classes will begin one week earlier than planned. A revised calendar now calls for classes to begin August 17. The fall semester will then wrap up before Thanksgiving. University spokesperson Christine Kindl says that will keep students at home during the traditional flu season. Students will then resume with the spring semester. While on campus, students will be required the wear a mask and social distance. Classrooms will be reorganized and students will have the option to utilize remote learning. Residence halls will be open with single or double occupancy. The dining hall will also be open but will be counter service only. There will be no salad bar and students will be permitted to take their meal back to their room.
June 15, 2020 10:18 am
LONDON (AP) – The U.S. Air Force says a fighter plane with one pilot on board has crashed into the North Sea. The status of the pilot is not known. The F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing was on a routine training mission Monday from RAF Lakenheath when it crashed at 9:40 a.m. U.K. search and rescue authorities are taking part in the search of the crash site. Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force base that hosts the U.S. Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing, known as the Liberty Wing. The base is about 80 miles northeast of London.
June 15, 2020 10:17 am
MOSCOW (AP) – An American has been sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court on spying charges. The Moscow City Court on Monday convicted Paul Whelan on charges of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in maximum security prison colony. Whelan has insisted on his innocence, saying he was set up. The U.S. Embassy has denounced Whelan’s trial as unfair, pointing that no evidence has been provided. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced Whelan’s treatment by Russian authorities as “appalling.” His brother David said lawyers will appeal the verdict. Whelan’s Russian lawyer said he could be exchanged for Russians in U.S. custody.
June 15, 2020 10:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court has ruled that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment. It’s a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court. The court decided by a 6-3 vote Monday that a key provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that bars job discrimination because of sex, among other reasons, encompasses bias against gay and lesbian workers. The ruling also covers transgender people. The opinion was written by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch. It’s expected to have a big impact for the estimated 8.1 million LGBT workers across the country because most states don’t protect them from workplace discrimination.
June 15, 2020 4:15 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Police video from the fatal shooting of a black man after a failed sobriety check in Atlanta shows a largely peaceful encounter that lasts 40 minutes before spiraling into violence. Rayshard Brooks was shot by officers outside a Wendy’s restaurant where he was found sleeping in a car blocking the drive-thru lane. Atlanta police said Sunday the department fired Officer Garrett Rolfe and has taken Officer Devin Brosnan off patrol duty. Body camera footage shows Brooks cooperating and telling officers they’re just doing their job. But when they try to handcuff him, Brooks tries to run. They wrestle on the ground and Brooks grabs a Taser before attempting to flee. Three gunshots soon follow. Rolfe said afterward Brooks fired the Taser at him.
June 15, 2020 4:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Health experts are questioning President Donald Trump’s decision to rally his supporters at a large indoor arena in Oklahoma. They cite the danger of infection spreading among the crowd and sparking outbreaks when people return to their homes. The COVID-19 case numbers in Oklahoma are low but rising. The Trump campaign itself acknowledges the risk in a waiver attendees must agree to for the rally next Saturday in Tulsa. Whether the campaign will take any of the precautions advised by state and local health departments is unclear. Oklahoma health authorities say anyone who attends a large public event should get tested for COVID-19 shortly afterward.
June 15, 2020 4:05 am
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Fitness junkies locked out of gyms, commuters seeking to avoid mass transit, and families going stir crazy during the coronavirus pandemic are fueling a boom in bicycle sales. In the U.S., bicycle aisles at mass merchandisers like Walmart and Target have been swept clean, and independent shops are doing a brisk business and are selling out of low- to mid-range “family” bikes. The trend is mirrored around the globe, as cities better known for car-clogged streets install bike lanes to accommodate surging interest in cycling. The shortage will take some weeks, maybe months, to resolve itself, particularly in the U.S., which relies on China for virtually all of its bicycles.
June 15, 2020 4:04 am
PARIS, Tenn. (AP) – Police in Tennessee say the 27-year-old daughter of country singer Hank Williams Jr. has been killed in a highway accident. Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Brad Wilbanks says Katherine Williams-Dunning of Springville was the driver of a SUV that was towing a boat when it crossed the median and rolled over Saturday night. The accident happened on U.S. Route 79 northeast of Paris. Her husband, 29-year-old Tyler J. Dunning, was a passenger in the vehicle. News outlets report he was airlifted to a Nashville hospital. His condition was not immediately released. Wilbanks says the accident remains under investigation.
