August 19, 2019 2:59 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – A daughter of Eric Garner is thanking New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill for firing the officer who placed her father in a chokehold that contributed to his death in 2014. Emerald Snipes Garner said Monday she wanted to thank O’Neill “for doing the right thing” in firing Officer Daniel Pantaleo. But she said her family’s fight for justice “is not over.” Garner said her family wants to see action taken against the other officers who were present when Pantaleo tried to arrest her father. And she said she wants to see an “Eric Garner Law” passed that would make police chokeholds illegal. Garner appeared with the Rev. Al Sharpton after O’Neill announced his decision. Sharpton said supporters of the Garner family are relieved that Pantaleo has been fired “but not celebratory.” (Photo: CNN)
August 19, 2019 9:27 am
LOWER SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. (AP) – Authorities say a tree struck by lightning fell on a tent at a Pennsylvania swim club, injuring nine people. The accident happened around 5 p.m. Sunday. Authorities say seven children and two adults were in the tent at the Dolphin Swim Club in Lower Southampton. Three people suffered undisclosed injuries that were described as severe, while the other six had minor injuries. Further details about the victims and their injuries were not disclosed. Officials say the lightning was part of a severe storm that quickly moved through the area and knocked down several trees. But no other injuries were reported in the incident.
August 19, 2019 4:27 am
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – Denmark’s prime minister says U.S. President Donald Trump’s idea of buying Greenland from Denmark is “an absurd discussion,” reiterating that the semi-autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic is not for sale. Mette Frederiksen, who was visiting the world’s largest island to meet Premier Kim Kielsen, says “Greenland is not Danish. Greenland is Greenlandic. I persistently hope that this is not something that is seriously meant.” Frederiksen said Sunday that the Arctic, with resources that Russia and others could exploit for commercial gain, “is becoming increasingly important to the entire world community.” Trump is expected to visit Denmark in early September as part of a trip to Europe.
August 19, 2019 4:25 am
BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. (AP) – President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser is trying to play down fears of a looming recession after last week’s sharp drop in the financial markets. Larry Kudlow says the economy will perform well in the second half of 2019. Kudlow says consumers are seeing higher wages and are able to spend and save more. He calls such a scenario “an ideal situation. A strong economy is key to Trump’s reelection prospects. Kudlow acknowledges a slowing energy sector, but says low interest rates will help housing, construction and auto sales. Kudlow is also defending the president’s use of tariffs on goods coming from China, saying “we cannot let China pursue these unfair and unreciprocal trading practices.” Kudlow was interviewed on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and “Fox News Sunday.”
August 19, 2019 4:20 am
ERIE, Pa. (AP) – Residents of a Pennsylvania city gathered to mourn and remember four of the five children who died when fire swept through a home child care center. A funeral service was held Saturday in Erie for 8-year-old La’Myhia Jones, 6-year-old Luther Jones Jr., 4-year-old Ava Jones and 9-month-old Jaydan Augustyniak. All are siblings. The funeral for 2-year-old Dalvin Pacley will be held Monday. Three of the victims were the children of a volunteer firefighter, Luther Jones. Their mother, Shevona Overton, is also the mother of Jaydan. An adult and two adolescent boys were able to escape. Fire officials suspect Sunday’s blaze was accidental. Mayor Joe Schember told those attending that some things that happen in life take years to understand – but other things happen “that we will never understand.”
August 19, 2019 4:19 am
WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia’s new Roman Catholic bishop is set to be installed this week. A ceremony is scheduled for Thursday at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling for the Most Rev. Mark Brennan, who previously was auxiliary bishop of Baltimore. The Wheeling-Charleston diocese includes nearly 75,000 Catholics and 95 parishes and encompasses the entire state of West Virginia. Brennan vowed at an introductory news conference last month to work toward restoring faith in the diocese after a scandal over the former bishop’s sexual harassment of adults and lavish spending of church money. Pope Francis named the 72-year-old Brennan to replace Bishop Michael Bransfield, who resigned in September 2018 after a preliminary investigation into allegations of sexual and financial misconduct.
August 19, 2019 4:18 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Police say two Pittsburgh officers were injured and two men were arrested after what they call “large and unruly” crowds flooded into the street on the city’s South Side. The city’s public safety department says officers were called to the area just before 2:15 a.m. Sunday, where people had filled the street, stopping traffic in both directions and surrounding vehicles in the street. The department says one officer was writing a traffic citation in an emergency lane when a driver drove over his left foot. He and another officer who injured his knee were taken to UPMC Mercy in stable condition. Two men, both unidentified, were arrested before police managed to disperse the crowd just before 3 a.m. The reason for the disruption wasn’t immediately clear.
August 19, 2019 4:15 am
BETHEL PARK, Pa. (AP) – A street fight in western Pennsylvania ended with a man being shot in the leg. Bethel Park police responded to Wallace Avenue around 8:20 p.m. Sunday following reports of two men fighting and shots being fired. They soon found the wounded man and took him to a hospital. The man’s wound is not considered life-threatening. But his name and further details on his condition were not disclosed. The other man wasn’t injured. The fight and shooting remain under investigation.
August 19, 2019 3:41 am
A Washington couple died in a motorcycle accident in Greene County Saturday evening when their motorcycle collided with another vehicle along Route 19 in Franklin Township. Authorities say 58-year-old Paul Tripoli and a passenger on the motorcycle, his 55-year-old wife Darla, were traveling south on Route 19 near Hillcrest Avenue around six o’clock, when the bike went out of control on a curve, crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming vehicle driven by 36-year-old Bianca Simpson of Waynesburg. The Tripolis died at the scene. Police say Simpson was not hurt. The Tripoli’s recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. Paul Tripoli was a well-known therapist in the Washington County area while his wife, Darla, was a funeral director at Salandra Funeral Home in Canonsburg. A memorial was set up outside of his North Main Street office shortly after word on his death. Viewings are set for Thursday, August 22nd from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, August 23rd, from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. at The Bible Chapel, 300 Gallery Drive in McMurray. A funeral service will be held Saturday, August 24th, at 11:00 a.m. at The Bible Chapel. (Photo: LinkedIn)
August 18, 2019 8:32 am
LONDON (AP) – Leaked British government documents have warned of disruptions across the country in the event that the U.K. leaves the European Union without a trade deal on Oct. 31. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is prepared to charge out of the EU regardless of whether he is able to renegotiate the Brexit deal struck with Brussels by his predecessor, Theresa May, over the next 10 weeks. The Sunday Times published what it said were confidential government memos outlining the consequences of tearing up May’s deal, warning that a sudden British exit could lead to a decrease in the supply of fresh food. The memos also warn of “significant” disruptions to drug supplies that could last for up to six months. Britain’s Cabinet Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press.
