July 7, 2024 7:26 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — A Hamas official and an Egyptian official say Hamas has given initial approval for a U.S.-backed proposal for a phased cease-fire deal in Gaza, dropping a key demand that Israel commit up front to a complete end to the war. The apparent compromise by the militant group could deliver the first pause in fighting since November and set the stage for further talks. But all sides warn that a deal is still not guaranteed. Inside Gaza, the Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike on a school-turned-shelter killed at least 16 people and wounded at least 50 others, including children.
July 7, 2024 7:32 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jon Landau, an Oscar-winning producer who worked closely with director James Cameron on “Titanic” and the “Avatar” series, has died. He was 63. Landau’s family announced his death Saturday. No cause of death was given. Landau’s partnership with Cameron led to three Oscar nominations and a best picture win for 1997’s “Titanic.” Together the pair account for some of the biggest blockbusters in movie history, including “Avatar” and its sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water.” The trio of films are among the highest grossing movies of all time. In a statement, Cameron says Landau “will be remembered as much for his vast generosity of spirit as for the movies themselves.” (Photo: AP)
July 7, 2024 7:18 am
Emergency crews were called out Saturday afternoon to a house fire in the twelve-hundred block of Fayette Street in Washington. According to scanner reports, one person was taken from the scene with burns. There has been no word on what may have caused the fire. No further details have been made available.
July 7, 2024 7:09 am
(WPXI) – South Strabane firefighters say an Independence Day celebration could have become a disaster because of fireworks. Crews from the South Strabane Fire Department say they got calls about a house on fire in the Bradford Run neighborhood at about 10 p.m. Friday. Police officers were already in the area after getting complaints about fireworks. Firefighters say the rear of a house in the neighborhood was on fire. The flames caused damage to the outside of the house but firefighters were able to prevent them from spreading inside. Discarded fireworks had caused the initial flames, investigators say. The family who lives there was not hurt. Firefighters say an early notification from dispatchers and a quick response prevented the situation from being much worse than it was. (Photo: South Strabane Fire Department)
July 7, 2024 7:06 am
(WPXI) – Nearly four months after a fiery crash on Interstate 70 that left a woman dead, a man is facing charges. Police say Jacob Posey was driving at speeds nearly twice the posted speed limit. “It’s really not going to bring us any more peace, or [put us] at ease,” said Kayla Demo, the sister of Tori Demo, who was killed in the crash. “There’s nothing that’s going to be able to bring her back.” According to court documents, police spoke with two other people who were driving on I-70 at the time of the crash and saw Posey getting onto the interstate. Both of them said he was driving “way too fast.” One of the witnesses said Posey’s truck had been blowing black smoke out of the exhaust. Police said that the witness saw Posey quickly speed up to 100 mph and go around a curve. The second witness said they saw the car, driven by Demo, attempt to move into the right lane as the truck approached behind her in the left, but at the same time, Posey tried to pass her on the right, hitting her car. Demo’s car hit the guard rail, rolled multiple times, and then came to a stop, police said. Both witnesses tried to help her, but the car caught fire, killing her. After the crash, police said Posey told them Demo cut him off and pushed him into the guard rail. Police said he was unsure how fast he was driving, but he guessed it to be 70 mph. A search warrant showed the truck’s black box recorded speeds reaching 118 mph just moments before the crash. That’s more than double the posted speed limit. Posey is out of jail on bond. Posey is due in court for his preliminary hearing on July 29.
July 7, 2024 7:15 am
(WPXI) – The Pitt community and all of college football are mourning the loss of Bobby Grier. Grier died at the age of 91 and helped break the color barriers in college football. In 1956, on his 23rd birthday, Grier made history by becoming the first African American to play in the Sugar Bowl. His spot in the Sugar Bowl was not easy. Georgia’s Governor was opposed to racial integration and tried to keep Grier from playing but Georgia Tech University took a stand and so did his teammates. They refused to make the trip without him. “They said we’re not going down without him. No Grier, no game,” Grier said. Grier was not allowed to stay with his teammates in the team hotel but he ignored it and persevered. “I’m very proud of what I did,” Grier said. Grier is a member of the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2020.
July 6, 2024 4:31 am
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Joe Biden has used a highly anticipated TV interview to repeatedly reject taking an independent medical evaluation that would show voters he is up for serving another term in office. He’s blaming his disastrous debate performance on a “bad episode” and saying there were “no indications of any serious condition.” Biden is fighting to save his endangered reelection effort. The 81-year-old president made it through his 22-minute interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos without any major blunders that would inflict further damage to his imperiled candidacy. But it appeared unlikely to fully tamp down concerns about his age and fitness for another four years and his ability to defeat Donald Trump in November.
July 6, 2024 4:35 am
LONDON (AP) — New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer doesn’t get to take a breather. After a draining six-week election campaign, the center-left politician must get straight to work assembling his government, tackling a mountain of domestic problems and putting his stamp on the U.K.’s relations with the rest of the world. Starmer says he wants Britain to take a larger role on the global stage after years of soured relations with Europe over Brexit. He’ll start next week by attending a NATO summit in Washington where Ukraine will be high on the agenda. Later this month he will host leaders from across Europe at a meeting of the 47-nation European Political Community.
July 6, 2024 4:36 am
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s message to NATO was simple and stark: Don’t go too far in providing military support for Ukraine, or you’ll risk a conflict that could quickly turn into a nuclear one. As the war slowly turns in Moscow’s favor, Putin declared he doesn’t need nuclear weapons to achieve his goals. But he also says it’s wrong for the West to assume that the possibility of using them doesn’t exist. He reaffirms that Russia’s nuclear doctrine calls for using such weapons if it perceives a threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Moscow’s nuclear messaging — coming as NATO moves to shore up Ukraine’s forces — heralds what could become the most dangerous phase in the war.
July 6, 2024 5:49 am
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Thousands of displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza have sought refuge in one of the territory’s largest soccer arenas. Families now scrape by with little food or water while trying to stay one step ahead of Israel’s latest offensive in eastern parts of Gaza City, which heavily bombed and largely emptied early in the war. Many of the people who ended up in Yarmouk Sports Stadium say they have nothing to return to. Their makeshift tents hug the shade below the stadium’s seating, and clothes hang to dry across the dusty field. Many have been displaced multiple times. One displaced woman, Um Ahmad, said: “Fear is now felt not only among the children, but also among the adults.”
