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.
July 8, 2019 4:25 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Jeffrey Epstein has been ordered jailed at least until a bail hearing Thursday after he pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking charges. He made his first court appearance Monday following his arrest over the weekend. Prosecutors say Epstein, a registered sex offender, is a significant flight risk and are asking that he be detained until his trial. They say he has three active U.S. passports and has frequently traveled in and out of the country on his private jet. The 66-year-old Epstein is accused of creating and maintaining a network that allowed him to sexually exploit and abuse dozens of underage girls from 2002 to 2005. Prosecutors said several alleged victims have come forward since Epstein’s arrest. Epstein’s lawyers argued the matter had been settled in a Florida case involving similar charges a decade ago.
July 8, 2019 4:22 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Navy admiral set to become his service’s top officer on Aug. 1 says he will instead retire. The extraordinary downfall of Adm. William Moran was prompted by what Navy Secretary Richard Spencer on Sunday called poor judgment. Spencer faulted Moran for having a professional relationship with a person who had been disciplined for what Spencer called “failing to meet the values and standards of the naval profession.” It is highly unusual for a senior officer like Moran to ask to retire after having been confirmed by the Senate for the top job in his service, but before taking the position. The current top Navy officer, Adm. John Richardson, will extend his tenure beyond Aug. 1 while a new candidate is chosen and nominated for Senate confirmation.
July 8, 2019 4:18 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A Philadelphia university is apologizing for an erroneous message warning of an active shooter on the campus. Thomas Jefferson University says a “resolvable system error” during a routine test of the school’s JeffAlert system sent out the alert at 10:18 a.m. Sunday about the campus in the East Falls neighborhood, which was formerly known as Philadelphia University.
WPVI reports that the message instructed recipients to “Follow emergency procedures: RUN, HIDE, ACT.” University spokeswoman Angela Showell said the all-clear came about 15 to 20 minutes later following a check by campus security to confirm there was no danger. Since it occurred on a Sunday during the summer, she said, “campus is pretty empty at this time.” Showell said officials are “taking further action to ensure this does not happen again.”
July 8, 2019 4:17 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The iconic Fallingwater home built over a western Pennsylvania waterfall by Frank Lloyd Wright has been designated a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO announced on its site that during a Sunday World Heritage Committee meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, the organization added Fallingwater and seven other U.S. buildings designed by Wright in the first half of the 20th century to its World Heritage List. Wright designed Fallingwater in 1935 for Pittsburgh department store magnate Edgar Kaufmann Sr. and his family, placing the home on top of Bear Run, a mountain stream. It now receives about 180,000 visitors per year. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Fallingwater director Justin Gunther called the designation “a tremendous honor, one reserved for the world’s most treasured places.”
