Harris & Walz Sit Down For First Major Interview

August 29, 2024 4:57 am

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday “my values have not changed,” as she was questioned along with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in their first major television interview of their presidential campaign. Thursday’s interview with CNN’s Dana Bash is giving Harris a chance to quell criticism that she is unprepared for uncontrolled environments, define her campaign and test her political mettle ahead of an upcoming debate with former President Donald Trump set for Sept. 10. But the interview also carries risks as her team tries to build on momentum from the ticket shakeup following Joe Biden’s exit and the Democratic National Convention.

Trump To Visit Swing Districts

August 28, 2024 4:58 am

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will campaign in Michigan and Wisconsin as his campaign efforts in a handful of battleground states ramp up heading into the Labor Day turn toward the fall election. His visit to Michigan will be his third in the past seven days after he visited last week for a rally outside Detroit and on Monday spoke at the National Guard Association in Detroit. The Wisconsin visit will be his first since he attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Michigan and Wisconsin, along with Pennsylvania, make up a crucial set of swing states known as the “blue wall” that Trump won in 2017 but that President Joe Biden flipped on his way to the White House in 2020.

Israel Says It Has Killed Top Militant In Deadly Raid

August 29, 2024 5:48 pm

TULKAREM, West Bank (AP) — The Israeli military says it has killed five more militants, including a local commander, in the occupied West Bank. The army has pressed ahead with what appears to be the deadliest military operation in the occupied territory since the start of the war in Gaza. Israel says the raids are aimed at preventing attacks. The raids have killed a total of 16 people, nearly all militants, since late Tuesday. The Palestinians see them as a widening of the war in Gaza aimed at perpetuating Israel’s decades-long military rule. The Islamic Jihad militant group confirmed that Mohammed Jaber, known as Abu Shujaa, was killed early Thursday.

Ukraine Says A Warplane Has Crashed

August 29, 2024 5:50 pm

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military says that one of the handful of F-16 warplanes that Ukraine has received from its Western partners to help fight Russia’s invasion has crashed. The military said in a statement posted on Facebook that the fighter jet went down on Monday, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that some of those Russian missiles and drones were shot down by F-16s before they reached their targets. The crash was the first reported loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where they arrived at the end of last month. At least six of the warplanes are believed to have been delivered.

Trump Campaign Was Warned About Photos At Arlington

August 28, 2024 5:00 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — A defense official says Donald Trump’s campaign was warned about not taking photographs before an altercation at Arlington National Cemetery during a wreath-laying ceremony earlier this week to honor service members killed in the Afghanistan War withdrawal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter concerning Monday’s events. It came a day after NPR reported that two Trump campaign staff members “verbally abused and pushed” aside a cemetery official who tried to stop them from filming and photographing in Section 60, the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Trump’s campaign contends he was granted access to a photographer and disputes a physical altercation.

FBI Releases More Info On Trump Assassination Attempt

August 28, 2024 6:00 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior FBI official says the gunman in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump searched online for events of both Trump and President Joe Biden and saw the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he opened fire last month as a “target of opportunity.” Kevin Rojek is the FBI’s top agent in Pittsburgh. He said Wednesday that Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot at Trump before being killed by the Secret Service at the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, did extensive research for an attack before the shooting and had looked at any number of events or targets. FBI officials say they had yet to uncover a motive despite conducting nearly 1,000 interviews in their investigation.

More Parking Garage Sale Talks

August 28, 2024 4:56 am

City officials were back to the drawing board for the proposed sale of the Crossroads Parking Garage on North Franklin Street in Washington. City leaders and representatives from the Washington School Board met Tuesday evening to figure out next steps in the ongoing proposed sale of the structure to the county. The closed door executive session netted little public progress, but Washington Mayor – JoJo Burgess says the meeting was needed to get on the same page. Burgess says they will continue to discuss options and work to figure out what is best for the city. The building was completed in 2007 for about 14 million dollars and subsidized by grants for about half that amount.

North Strabane Approves McDowell Lane Paving

August 28, 2024 4:59 am

North Strabane Township Supervisors approved a contract to pave McDowell Lane. According to Township Manager Andrew Walz, this is a project that they have been working on for several years. The contract, awarded to Morgan Excavating, comes in at $958,931.50 and will be paid from township funds.  There are amenities that will be included that include walking paths to take advantage of Canonsburg Lake as a recreational destination. Those non-traffic upgrades will be paid for by grants from the Pennsylvania Local Share Account and from the Pennsylvania Multimodal Transportation Fund. The project is expected to be completed this year. In other business, supervisors authorized a takeover agreement with Berkley Insurance, to restart construction on the public safety building. In July, the previous contractor, Spartan Construction Services, pulled out of the general contractor and plumbing agreement to construct the building. The bonding company will now acquire a new contractor. According to Walz, a plumbing contract has been finalized. There is no estimated date of completion.

Heat Forces Pittsburgh Schools To Half-Day Schedule

August 28, 2024 4:53 am

PITTSBURGH — Thirty-seven Pittsburgh Public Schools without air conditioning will operate on a half-day schedule on Wednesday due to high temperatures in the forecast. A spokesperson for PPS made the announcement on Monday night. Typically on days with extreme heat, students of schools without AC learn remotely. The change this week is to “address the demands of the new school year,” according to a news release. “Ensuring the health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority,” said Dr. Wayne Walters, Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools. “By adjusting our schedule, we’re taking proactive steps to manage the heat and maintain a conducive learning environment that supports our students and families during the back-to-school transition.”

Harris & President Biden Coming To Pittsburgh

August 28, 2024 2:20 am

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Pittsburgh next week.  Biden and Harris will make a stop in the Steel City on Sept. 2, Labor Day, for Harris’ campaign, according to the White House.  An exact location or time has not yet been announced.