June 13, 2024 5:22 pm
FASANO, Italy (AP) — President Joe Biden says he will not use his presidential powers to lessen the eventual sentence that his son Hunter will receive for his federal felony conviction on gun crimes. Biden, following the conclusion of a news conference held Thursday at the Group of Seven summit of the world’s wealthiest democracies, responded he would not when asked whether he plans to commute the sentence for his son. Hunter Biden’s sentencing date has not been set, and the three counts carry up to 25 years in prison, though that’s unlikely as a first-time offender.
June 13, 2024 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials said inflation has fallen further toward their target level in recent months but signaled that they expect to cut their benchmark interest rate just once this year. The policymakers’ forecast for one rate cut was down from their previous projection of three cuts, because inflation, despite having cooled in the past two months, remains persistently above their target level. The scaled-back estimate for rate cuts came as something of a surprise, given that the government reported that inflation slowed in May more than most economists had expected. Financial markets took encouragement, though, from the statement the Fed issued after its latest meeting, which underscored that it sees progress in its fight against high inflation.
June 13, 2024 5:08 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Eight former employees sued SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk, alleging that Musk ordered them fired after they challenged what they called rampant sexual harassment, a hostile “Animal House”-style work environment at the company and Musk’s role in creating that atmosphere. The employees, who filed suit in a California state court, detailed their complaints in a 2022 open letter to management they shared via a company intranet. The next day, four of the plaintiffs were fired, they alleged; others were terminated later after an internal investigation. In January, the federal National Labor Relations Board filed its own complaint against SpaceX on behalf of the fired employees.
June 12, 2024 11:50 am
(WPXI) – One man has been charged with arson for a fire that damaged two buildings and sent a firefighter to the hospital. The fire broke out around noon on Tuesday at 86 Vilsack Street in Etna. Everyone who lived in the three-story duplex made it out safely. When he was interviewed, police said a resident, Elmer Lewis, 74, admitted to pouring gasoline throughout the duplex and in the garage, and lighting an area in a second-floor bedroom. About 20 fire companies in the North Hills showed up to help extinguish the flames. A resident was treated for minor injuries and a firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion. Officials say a garage door that was blown off the building almost hit a police officer and two firefighters before striking a fire truck. Lewis is charged with several counts of aggravated arson, arson, causing or risking a catastrophe and criminal mischief. He is being held in the Allegheny County Jail.
June 12, 2024 8:43 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation in the United States eased last month in a hopeful sign that a pickup in prices that occurred early this year may have passed. The trend, if it holds, could move the Federal Reserve closer to cutting its benchmark interest rate from its 23-year peak. Consumer prices excluding volatile food and energy costs — the closely watched “core” index — rose 0.2% from April to May. That was down from 0.3% the previous month and was the smallest increase since October. Measured from a year earlier, core prices rose 3.4%, below last month’s 3.6% increase. Fed officials are scrutinizing each month’s inflation data to assess their progress in their fight against rising prices.
June 12, 2024 4:53 am
The Public Defender representing Nikolaus Breland, 34 of Monongahela against charges of false imprisonment, sexual assault and promotion of prostitution filed a motion to dismiss the case on Tuesday. The case centers on a November 2022 incident where a woman texted Washington County 9-1-1 that she was being held against her will and asked authorities to come and help her in a home on Main Street in Monongahela. The motion centered on accusations that the District Attorney did not properly disclose evidence to the defense with regards to a cell phone that was taken from the defendant during his arrest. The defense attorney argued that when they went to inspect the evidence, a cell phone and door key were present and not listed on an evidence ledger authored by the Pennsylvania State Police. The phone and key were taken by Monongahela Police when Breland was arrested and listed in a register authored by them that disclosed both sets of evidence. Prosecutors said they were unaware of the phone until it was disclosed by the defense. The defense argues that the case should be dismissed because the defendant was denied his right to a speedy trial because the phone was not properly disclosed, and even though prosecutors said they were ready for trial, they couldn’t be ready without examining the phone thus they were holding Breland beyond the time to begin trial. The defense said that examining the phone is vital to the case because the entire reason that the case began is from a text message from the victim to authorities asking to be rescued. The defense accused prosecutors of not performing their due diligence in gathering all pertinent evidence specifically the cell phone. The judge hearing the case will make a ruling via written order in the near future. Additionally, Breland will face a preliminary hearing on June 12 on charges of witness intimidation and other charges related to the case.
June 12, 2024 5:14 am
A Peters Township man accused of possessing child pornography and inappropriate interaction with a minor from Ashland County Ohio waived his charges to court on Tuesday. Zachary Nee, 24 is facing 91 charges of child pornography and three charges of criminal use of a communications device. In September of 2023, Ashland County Ohio Sheriffs contacted Peters Township Police about their investigation into Nee having inappropriate contact with a 13 year old girl. Ohio police found explicit messages sent to Nee on the victim’s phone. Peters Township Police obtained a search warrant and seized several electronic devices that had child pornography stored on them. It also revealed text messages between Nee and the victim, however no pictures of the victim were discovered. Nee is free on $150,000 bond. He will be formally arraigned on July 18.
June 12, 2024 4:57 am
UNIONTOWN, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man is dead and two others are recovering after two shootings Tuesday afternoon in Uniontown. Uniontown police are leading the investigation into the initial, deadly shooting and Pennsylvania State Police are taking the lead on the second shooting. Investigators believe it’s too early to know whether they’re connected, or if the timing is simply coincidental. District Attorney Michael Auble says the two shootings unfolded within 90 minutes and half a mile apart. The first, he said, started with an argument outside a home on Dunlap Street just after 2 p.m. According to Auble, Joshua Stevens, 33, was shot and killed. “He attacked the defendant with a knife and apparently the defendant shot him and he fled the scene afterwards. He’s still at large at this time,” Auble said. While Uniontown investigators and the DA were on scene, around 3:30, p.m. they heard more gunshots ring out just a few streets over near the corner of Varndell and Liberty Streets. Auble said two people fired more than a dozen shots at this black sedan, shattering multiple windows. According to Auble, the car began driving toward the crime scene on Dunlap Street. Officers jumped in to help the two injured young men. One was flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown by helicopter, the other went by ambulance. Both are expected to survive, Auble said. Police have not publicly named any suspects or announced any arrests.
June 12, 2024 5:01 am
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A West Virginia man is facing charges after a loaded gun was found at Pittsburgh International Airport on Tuesday morning. TSA agents found the gun in a backpack at the alternate security checkpoint at 6:50 a.m. Franklin Barker, 58, was identified as the passenger carrying the gun. Allegheny County police said Barker did not have a valid concealed carry permit. Barker is charged with carrying a firearm without a license.
June 12, 2024 5:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Eight individuals from Tajikistan with suspected ties to the Islamic State group have been arrested in the United States in recent days. That’s according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The people say the arrests took place in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles and the individuals, who entered the U.S. through the southern border, are being held on immigration violations. The nature of their suspected connections to IS was not immediately clear, but the men were tracked by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. They were in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which made the arrests, pending removal proceedings.
