March 24, 2026 4:58 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California civil jury has found Bill Cosby liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972. On Monday, jurors in Santa Monica awarded Donna Motsinger nearly $60 million after a nearly two-week trial. The amount included $40 million in punitive damages. Motsinger said in a lawsuit filed in 2023 that Cosby invited her to a show, gave her wine and pills. She says she later woke up at home partly undressed and concluded that Cosby had drugged and raped her. His lawyers called the claims speculation and say they plan to appeal. The verdict came nearly five years after Cosby was freed from prison in a criminal case.
March 24, 2026 12:17 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new Gallup survey finds that Americans’ outlook on the job market is increasingly pessimistic. The negative shift may seem incongruous with the low unemployment rate, but the findings likely reflect an ongoing hiring drought. Just 28% of workers in a quarterly Gallup survey conducted in the last part of 2025 said now is a “good time” to find a job, with 72% saying it is a bad time. Those figures are a sharp reversal from just a few years ago, in mid-2022, when 70% said it was a good time. Pessimism is especially pronounced among young people and college graduates.
March 23, 2026 4:55 am
TOKYO (AP) — Global benchmarks are mostly rebounding in a mood of cautious relief after President Donald Trump said the United States has talked with Iran about a possible end to their war. Benchmarks rose moderately in early Tuesday trading in France, Germany and Britain. In Asia, shares finished higher in Japan, Australia, South Korea and China. Oil prices rose, reversing course from their easing overnight on Wall Street. Global markets have been on a roller-coaster ride over worries about the war in Iran, which began in late February. Resource-poor Japan is severely affected by any interruption of energy shipping through the Strait of Hormuz that Iran has practically shut down.
March 23, 2026 2:38 am
Wheeling Attorney Paul Harris has been sentenced to ninety-seven months in federal prison for defrauding clients and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Citizens should trust lawyers to protect their rights and interests, not to have their money stolen,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Harris broke that trust, and the law, and now he will pay with time in prison.” Further, “this office will leave no stone un-turned in pursuing full restitution to make the victims whole,” said Harvey. A federal jury found Paul J. Harris, 62, of Wheeling, guilty in November 2025 of 29 counts. Harris used client funds for personal expenses, such as the purchase of his home and paying off the loan for his law office, without the clients’ permission. Harris received and moved funds from his client trust account to his law firm operating account, at times using one client’s money to pay funds he had misappropriated from other clients. The total loss for the victims in this case is $701,623.86. Harris will self-report to prison on May 6, 2026. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey handed down the sentence and ordered the forfeiture of the property of Harris Law Offices in Wheeling, as well as $701,623.86 in restitution to the victims.
March 24, 2026 5:59 pm
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Travelers passing through Philadelphia International Airport may have expected long security lines, but the longest line was made of cheesesteaks. The airport set a Guinness World Record with 1,291 sandwiches lined up in the walkway between Terminals B and C to mark National Cheesesteak Day. This record far surpasses the previous benchmark of 500. The sandwiches were pieced together assembly-line style before they were distributed to travelers, airport workers and Transportation Security Administration staff. Guinness adjudicator Michael Empric says all food must be consumed or donated. Organizers say the event celebrated the cheesesteak’s long-standing place in Philadelphia’s culinary identity.
March 23, 2026 5:01 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Two people were killed and several others injured when an Air Canada regional jet struck a fire truck on the runway while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The collision late Sunday killed the pilot and copilot, who were both based out of Canada. Authorities say around 40 passengers and crew members aboard the flight were hospitalized, some with serious injuries. Two Port Authority employees who were traveling in the fire truck also were injured. The flight originated at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. A statement by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says the accident happened around 11:40 p.m. Jazz Aviation operated the flight on behalf of Air Canada.
March 23, 2026 1:20 pm
(AP) – President Donald Trump has paused military pressure on Iran by extending his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and delaying strikes on Iranian power plants for another five days. Trump said the US has been negotiating with a “respected” Iranian leader but Iran denies any talks and said Trump is backing down after their warnings and hoping to reassure financial markets with “fake news.” Oil prices did decrease and stocks jumped, but markets remain uneasy. Meanwhile Trump said any deal must involve ending Iran’s nuclear capacity by allowing the U.S. to take its its enriched uranium.
March 23, 2026 4:47 am
The body of a missing Monongahela man has been found. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office states that the body of Shelby Rhodes, 26, was found in a riverbed off Benola River Road in Forward Township on Friday. Rhodes was reported missing in early February, and searchers spent days combing the river in the Donora area with sonar, drones, divers and a search-and-rescue dog. His cause and manner of death remain under investigation.
March 23, 2026 4:57 am
SOUTH UNION TOWNSHIP, Pa. — State Police continue the search for a teenage girl missing from Fayette County. Emily Grace Salonick, 17, was last seen at the McDonald’s at 1 Work Parkway, South Union Township. She is described as about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds and having hazel eyes and black hair. She’s believed to be wearing a black jacket, black McDonald’s hoodie and jeans. Anyone with information about her location is asked to call PSP Uniontown Barracks at (724) 439-7111.
March 22, 2026 4:51 am
SEWICKLEY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Four high school students were killed in a fiery crash in Westmoreland County on Saturday. State Police say troopers responded to the crash on Derr Road in Sewickley Township at 3:31 a.m. The vehicle reportedly hit a tree and caught fire. All four were found dead on scene. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office identified the victims on Sunday: Brady D. Hunker, 15, of Herminie; Rocco A. Zugai, 18, of West Newton; Felicity M. Martini, 15, of Yukon; and Kylee Nicole Korber, 16, of Smithton. The cause and manner of death are pending autopsy and toxicology results, the coroner’s office says. The investigation is ongoing, and updates are expected to come next week, PSP says. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call (724) 832-3288. Yough School District Superintendent Anthony DeMaro said those killed in the crash were students at the high school. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and all those impacted by this heartbreaking loss,” DeMaro said. “As a school community, we mourn together and extend our deepest condolences.” Demaro said the administration believes it is best to have school in session on Monday so the school can “provide care, connection, and support during this difficult time.” Counselors will be available at the middle and high schools.
