March 19, 2021 2:38 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Authorities say a man who took his year-old daughter from her mother’s Pittsburgh home during an argument that sparked an Amber Alert is now facing several charges. Twenty-year-old Giante Lee Thomas Jr. went to the women’s home around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, and the woman said he pointed a gun at her during the subsequent dispute. She also said he threatened her life before he left the home with the infant. State police and other law enforcement officers spotted Thomas’ vehicle outside a city home about six hours later and found the child there unharmed. Thomas was ordered held without bail on Friday and it wasn’t known if he’s retained an attorney.
March 19, 2021 2:26 am
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office posted a warning on their Facebook page today, regarding an apparent phone scam occuring in the county. The post said that the person(s) are identifying themselves as Washington County Sheriff Deputies and they are stating that they are trying to serve you with paperwork and requesting payment. They say these people are also providing some personal information as well. The Sheriff’s Department says this is not their deputies calling and requesting payment. They say they will never request a payment via telephone. They are telling residents that if you are not sure if the call is legitimate, to please call their office to verify. Their phone number is (724) 228-6840.
March 19, 2021 2:10 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania will delay its tax filing deadline from April 15 until May 17, after the Internal Revenue Service said it is delaying the federal tax filing deadline until May 17. The state Department of Revenue said Thursday that the state’s tax-filing deadline is tied by law to the federal deadline. The IRS announced its decision Wednesday. The move provides more breathing room for taxpayers and the IRS alike to cope with changes brought on by the pandemic. Taxpayers who owe money would not face any further penalties or interest on final 2020 personal income tax returns and payments if they pay by May 17.
March 18, 2021 5:24 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. is finalizing plans to send a combined 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Mexico and Canada in its first export of shots. White House press secretary Jen Psaki says the Biden administration is planning to send 2.5 million doses to Mexico and 1.5 million to Canada as a “loan.” The details are still being worked out. The AstraZeneca vaccine has not been authorized for use in the U.S. but has been authorized by the World Health Organization. The premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, said, “God bless America they are coming to our rescue.” He thanked Biden for his willingness to share the vaccines.
March 18, 2021 1:20 pm
(AP) – It’s showtime! AMC Theatres says it will have 98% of its U.S. movie theaters open on Friday, with more expected to open by March 26. Shares of AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. are up more than 4% before the market open on Thursday. AMC said that California is expected to open 52 of its 54 locations by Monday. The company is preparing to resume operations at the rest of its California locations once the proper local approvals are in place. AMC previously opened more than 500 of its theaters elsewhere around the country.
March 18, 2021 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans still divided over former President Donald Trump’s legacy are seizing on his signature campaign issue: immigration. The GOP is leaning in on the highly charged issue amid a spike in border crossing that are straining U.S. facilities. They are blaming Biden for rolling back many of Trump’s hardline policies and taking a kinder tone. The push comes as Republicans contend with President Joe Biden’s early popularity, good news about vaccinations, and Americans’ embrace of the COVID relief bill that they opposed. It’s an issue that some believe could help unite the party as they head into the 2022 midterm elections.
March 18, 2021 4:17 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Police say “nothing is off the table” in their investigation of the deadly shootings at two Atlanta massage parlors, including whether the slayings were a hate crime. Those attacks and a third one near the suburban town of Woodstock killed eight people. The shootings prompted President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to change their plans for a previously scheduled trip to Atlanta. The pair postponed a political event in favor of meeting Friday with Asian American community leaders. A 21-year-old white man, Robert Aaron Long, is charged with murder in the killings. Six of the victims were women of Asian descent.
March 18, 2021 4:14 am
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – The prospect of more tornadoes overnight and into Thursday across the Deep South had forecasters advising residents to take extra precautions after a wave of storms pounded the region throughout the day Wednesday, leaving a trail of splintered trees and damaged buildings. The weather service says roughly 16 million people in the Southeast could see powerful storms through early Thursday. And a region of nearly 3 million stretching from southeastern Arkansas and northeastern Louisiana across Mississippi into Alabama was at particular risk for big twisters that stay on the ground for miles. Scattered damage was reported in Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.
March 18, 2021 4:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats appear poised to claim victory in the House’s first votes this year on immigration. But moving legislation on the divisive issue all the way through Congress to President Joe Biden is an uphill fight. The House is set to vote Thursday on one bill giving over 2 million young Dreamer immigrants and others full legal status and a chance for citizenship. A second measure would do the same for around 1 million immigrant farm workers. Both seem certain to pass the House. But party divisions and solid Republican opposition mean pushing immigration legislation through the Senate remains difficult.
March 18, 2021 4:12 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – America’s top diplomat has pressed China to use its tremendous influence to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, calling it a source of instability and danger. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke at the end of security talks in Seoul, hours after North Korea said it will ignore a U.S. offer to resume negotiations because of its hostile policy. The talks, which also involved Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean officials, came as President Joe Biden is pushing to restore America’s alliances in Asia in the face of growing challenges from China and North Korea. Blinken says Beijing has a critical role to play to persuade North Korea to denuclearize because most of the North’s external trade goes through China.
