July 8, 2019 5:42 pm
MT. LEBANON, Pa. – The Allegheny County hazardous materials team has responded to a Mt. Lebanon neighborhood for a reported chemical odor. The smell was reported around 4:30 p.m. on Marlin Drive between Bower Hill and Jayson Avenue. Authorities have confirmed that three people were taken to the hospital, although details about their health have not been released. The Mt. Lebanon Fire Department has advised people who live in the area to keep their doors and windows closed. Anyone who smells something inside their home is asked to call 911.
July 8, 2019 5:41 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California is ending his presidential bid, becoming the first candidate in the crowded 2020 Democratic primary to exit the campaign. Swalwell announced his decision Monday. He had signaled that he would consider bowing out of the presidential race if he was in danger of missing the cutoff for the next nationally televised Democratic debate, which is based on separate polling and donor qualifications. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock missed the threshold for last month’s debate but was ahead of Swalwell in the competition for this month’s televised Democratic faceoff before the four-term California congressman exited the primary. If Swalwell seeks another term in Congress, he already has a challenger ahead of next year’s election in his liberal-leaning district: Democrat Aisha Wahab, a city councilwoman in Hayward.
July 8, 2019 3:52 pm
LONDON (AP) – You may have been hearing whispers about Stevie Wonder having some kind of serious health problem. The singer-songwriter is now confirming that. He told a concert audience in London over the weekend that he is in need of a kidney transplant. Speaking to his audience on Saturday night, Wonder said he was doing the shows in London then would be “taking a break.” He says he plans to have the kidney transplant “at the end of September.” Wonder says he has already found a donor – and predicts that he will be fine. The 69-year-old singer says he wanted to tell his fans himself – to tamp down speculation about his health.
July 8, 2019 11:55 am
UNDATED (AP) – Cameron Boyce has died. The actor best known for his work in the Disney Channel franchise “Descendants” for playing Adam Sandler’s son in the first two “Grown Ups” movies died over the weekend in Los Angeles. A rep for the 20-year-old actor says he died in his sleep. No official cause of death was announced. But in a statement released yesterday, his family says Boyce died “due to a seizure that was a result of an ongoing medical condition.” The family statement calls Boyce one of the world’s “brightest lights” – and that they “are utterly heartbroken.” Also expressing condolences is Disney chairman and CEO Robert Iger, who says Boyce was “filled with so much talent, heart and life.” And his movie “dad” Adam Sandler tweeted “Loved that kid…all our hearts are broken.”
July 8, 2019 9:34 am
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – China has expressed regret over Iran’s breaching of the 2015 nuclear deal and blamed the United States, saying “maximum pressure” from the Trump administration, which withdrew from the accord last year, is behind the crisis. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang described the comprehensive agreement as the only realistic and effective way to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue and ease tensions. Tehran says it is now enriching uranium at a higher level than is allowed under the 2015 agreement with world powers. Geng said at a daily news briefing that “maximum pressure” imposed by the U.S. was the “root cause” of the crisis. Since withdrawing from the accord, the U.S. has imposed heavy economic sanctions on Iran. Geng called for a diplomatic solution, saying “it has been proven that unilateral bullying has become a worsening ‘tumor’ and is creating more problems and greater crises on a global scale.”
July 8, 2019 8:50 am
PENN HILLS, Pa. (AP) – A crash in western Pennsylvania has left a woman dead and a man injured. The crash occurred shortly after 5:15 a.m. Monday in Penn Hills. Authorities say the woman was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. The man suffered a leg injury and was being treated at a hospital. Both drivers were alone in their vehicles. Their names have not been released. (Photo; WPXI)
July 8, 2019 6:16 am
NEW YORK (AP) – A federal grand jury in New York is investigating top Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy, examining whether he used his position as vice chair of President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee to drum up business deals with foreign leaders. That’s according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and people familiar with the matter. A wide-ranging subpoena the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn recently sent to Trump’s inaugural committee seeks records relating to 20 individuals and businesses. All have connections to Broidy, his investment and defense contracting firms, and foreign officials he pursued deals with – including the current president of Angola and two politicians in Romania. Prosecutors appear to be investigating whether Broidy exploited his access to Trump for personal gain and violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
July 8, 2019 4:38 am
A Canonsburg man was killed in a one-vehicle crash Sunday afternoon in North Strabane Township. The Washington County Coroner’s office says 77 year old Robert Boyd was traveling southbound along State Route 519 when he lost control of his vehicle, struck a fence, traveled down an embankment and struck a parked dump truck. He was wearing a seatbelt but was pronounced dead at the scene. A cause and manner of death are pending. North Strabane Township Police continue to investigate.
July 8, 2019 4:30 am
RIDGECREST, Calif. (AP) – Shaken residents are cleaning up from two of the biggest earthquakes to rattle California in decades as scientists warn that both should serve as a wake-up call to be ready when the long-dreaded “Big One” strikes. California is spending more than $16 million to install thousands of quake-detecting sensors statewide that officials say will give utilities and trains precious seconds to shut down before the shaking starts. Gov. Gavin Newsom said it’s time residents did their part by mapping out emergency escape routes and preparing earthquake kits with food, water, lights and other necessities. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake Thursday and a magnitude 7.1 quake Friday were centered 11 miles (18 kilometers) from the small desert town of Ridgecrest, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) from Los Angeles.
July 8, 2019 4:27 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department is shaking up the legal team trying to add a citizenship question to the census. Officials say a new team of lawyers will take over the litigation. The Supreme Court has barred the inclusion of a citizenship question, at least temporarily. But the Justice Department has said it will continue to try to find legal grounds to force it on the 2020 census. A Justice Department official tells The Associated Press that the team will be made up of career lawyers and political appointees. The official says a top civil attorney in the department, John Burnham, will no longer lead the litigation team. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of a court filing expected Monday.
