February 10, 2020 10:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department says four Chinese military hackers have been charged with breaking into the computer networks of the Equifax credit reporting agency and stealing the personal information of tens of millions of Americans. Law enforcement officials say the four are also accused of stealing the company’s trade secrets. The defendants are all members of the People’s Liberation Army, an arm of the Chinese military. The case comes as the Trump administration has warned against what it sees as the growing political and economic influence of China, and efforts by Beijing to collect data on Americans and steal scientific research and innovation.
February 10, 2020 5:58 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is calling on the nation’s 74 inspectors general to ensure government whistleblowers are protected. His letter Monday to the Defense Department inspector general and IGs across the federal government comes amid President Donald Trump’s ouster of key government officials in the impeachment probe. Schumer says Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman has been “viciously attacked” by the Republican president after “bravely stepping forward to tell the truth.” Vindman is an ex-national security official who gave moving testimony for the impeachment inquiry. He was ousted Friday, as were others. Schumer wants the inspectors general to ensure whistleblowers are protected according to federal law. The White House stands by the dismissals
February 10, 2020 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Bernie Sanders’ and Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaigns have filed requests for a partial recanvass of the results of Iowa’s Democratic caucuses. In its Monday filing, the Sanders campaign cited “mathematical errors and inconsistencies” in more than two dozen caucus locations that it says would change the results if amended. The Iowa Democratic Party says the Buttigieg campaign requested a check on results in 66 precincts. Current results show Buttigieg with a razor-thin lead over Sanders in state delegate equivalents, and the party has awarded Buttigieg 14 delegates to Sanders’ 12. But the Sanders campaign believes correcting faulty math could swing the delegate allocation in Sanders’ favor. (Photo: CNN)
February 10, 2020 4:15 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – “Parasite” has won the best picture Oscar, becoming the first foreign-language film to take home the biggest honor in film. Bong Joon Ho’s class satire also won for best director, best international film and best screenplay. The film has been one of the season’s darlings, despite failing to garner any Academy Award nominations for its cast. Bong’s acumen in creating his tale of a grifter family that insinuates itself into the lives of a wealthy family has been widely recognized. All of the acting winners – Brad Pitt, Renee Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix and Laura Dern – went as expected.
February 10, 2020 4:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has unveiled a $4.8 trillion election year budget plan that recycles previously rejected cuts to domestic programs to promise a balanced budget in 15 years. That’s while boosting the military and leaving Social Security and Medicare benefits untouched. The fiscal 2021 plan promises the government’s deficit will crest above $1 trillion only for the current budget year before steadily decreasing to more manageable levels. Trump says the plan “sets the course for a future of continued American dominance and prosperity.” But it has little chance of passing in the divided Congress.
February 10, 2020 4:12 am
BEIJING (AP) – China reported a rise in new virus cases, possibly denting optimism disease control measures that have isolated major cities might be working, while Japan reported dozens of new cases aboard a quarantined cruise ship. The mainland death toll rose by 97 to 908. Japanese health officials said about 60 more cases were found aboard the Diamond Princess in Yokohama, in addition to 70 cases found earlier among 3,711 passengers and crew. Health ministry officials were double-checking the results and could not immediately release the exact figure.
February 10, 2020 4:11 am
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin has fired back at President Donald Trump’s criticism of the West Virginia Democrat for voting guilty on two articles of impeachment. Manchin’s response Saturday night on Twitter came a day after Trump tweeted that he was very surprised and disappointed with Manchin’s votes and claimed no president has done more for the state. Manchin said that no Democrat has worked harder in a bipartisan way in the hopes that Trump would succeed. He says West Virginia residents know exactly who has worked day and night for the last five years to secure their health care and pensions, and he says it wasn’t Trump. Trump carried West Virginia by a whopping 42 percentage points in 2016.
February 10, 2020 4:09 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania is suing electronic cigarette manufacturer Juul over how its products are marketed and sold to teenagers. The complaint seeks an injunction to halt Juul’s e-cigarette sales in Pennsylvania force it to dramatically change business practices. The suit maintains nearly a quarter of high school students in Pennsylvania report using e-cigarettes. The company says it wants to focus on combating underage use and converting adult smokers from traditional cigarettes. Similar lawsuits have been filed in other states, including New York, Minnesota and California.
February 10, 2020 4:06 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI)- A 3-year-old girl was confirmed to be the victim of a reported shooting and was found dead in her bed early Sunday morning, according to police. Investigators said the shooting occurred at a home in the 200 block of East Warrington Avenue around 1:30 a.m. That’s near the South Hills Junction T stop. When officers were clearing the home for a possible shooter, they found Chassity Clancy dead from a single gunshot wound to the neck. In that bedroom, police also found a man, Marlin Pritchard, 51. He was taken to police headquarters where he told investigators people were after him and he was sleeping with a pistol grip shotgun under his pillow. Pritchard told police he had returned that evening from a contracting job. He went to lay down in the bedroom where Clancy and another child were watching movies. He said he woke up to the sound of a bang, saw the other child run out of the room and saw blood. Police said Pritchard was charged with criminal homicide, endangering the welfare of children and illegally having a weapon since he was a convicted felon. It’s not clear at this point if Pritchard is Clancy’s father.
February 10, 2020 4:02 am
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – The Ringgold School District will be closed again Monday after the superintendent said administrators and district police were alerted to additional threats of violence. They are investigating, and schools will closed Monday out of an abundance of caution and will be using a flexible instruction day. In a Facebook post, the superintendent said: “Providing a safe and secure learning environment is the top priority of the Ringgold School District, and we take these incidents very seriously. Extensive security measures are in place to help us maintain a safe campus. As our investigation continues, we will determine any ongoing credibility of threats and follow the recommendations of the Ringgold School Police and local municipal agencies, in accordance with Ringgold School District policy.” The Washington County District Attorney’s office is now assisting with the investigation. On Friday, officials closed the district after multiple anonymous tips were called in to the Safe 2 Say hotline “regarding safety concerns” at the middle school Thursday night. Six students were being questioned in connection with the alleged threats on Friday, according to district officials. Administrators said the investigation, coupled with the severe winter weather, led them to close all schools in the district. Carroll Township Police said the threats involved a possible shooting at the school Friday. It’s not clear at this point if those students involved will be criminally charged or what kind of punishment they’ll face from the school district.
