July 6, 2024 4:31 am
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Joe Biden has used a highly anticipated TV interview to repeatedly reject taking an independent medical evaluation that would show voters he is up for serving another term in office. He’s blaming his disastrous debate performance on a “bad episode” and saying there were “no indications of any serious condition.” Biden is fighting to save his endangered reelection effort. The 81-year-old president made it through his 22-minute interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos without any major blunders that would inflict further damage to his imperiled candidacy. But it appeared unlikely to fully tamp down concerns about his age and fitness for another four years and his ability to defeat Donald Trump in November.
July 6, 2024 4:35 am
LONDON (AP) — New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer doesn’t get to take a breather. After a draining six-week election campaign, the center-left politician must get straight to work assembling his government, tackling a mountain of domestic problems and putting his stamp on the U.K.’s relations with the rest of the world. Starmer says he wants Britain to take a larger role on the global stage after years of soured relations with Europe over Brexit. He’ll start next week by attending a NATO summit in Washington where Ukraine will be high on the agenda. Later this month he will host leaders from across Europe at a meeting of the 47-nation European Political Community.
July 6, 2024 4:36 am
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s message to NATO was simple and stark: Don’t go too far in providing military support for Ukraine, or you’ll risk a conflict that could quickly turn into a nuclear one. As the war slowly turns in Moscow’s favor, Putin declared he doesn’t need nuclear weapons to achieve his goals. But he also says it’s wrong for the West to assume that the possibility of using them doesn’t exist. He reaffirms that Russia’s nuclear doctrine calls for using such weapons if it perceives a threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Moscow’s nuclear messaging — coming as NATO moves to shore up Ukraine’s forces — heralds what could become the most dangerous phase in the war.
July 6, 2024 5:49 am
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Thousands of displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza have sought refuge in one of the territory’s largest soccer arenas. Families now scrape by with little food or water while trying to stay one step ahead of Israel’s latest offensive in eastern parts of Gaza City, which heavily bombed and largely emptied early in the war. Many of the people who ended up in Yarmouk Sports Stadium say they have nothing to return to. Their makeshift tents hug the shade below the stadium’s seating, and clothes hang to dry across the dusty field. Many have been displaced multiple times. One displaced woman, Um Ahmad, said: “Fear is now felt not only among the children, but also among the adults.”
July 6, 2024 5:39 am
The Washington County Board of Elections held a special meeting Friday to determine their course of action after a lawsuit was filed against them earlier this week. The ACLU filed the suit on behalf of seven county voters, the Washington Branch of the NAACP and the Center for Coalfield Justice, in an effort to have the Board of Elections, that is made up of the three Washington County Commissioners, overturn their decision to not allow ballot curing for mail in ballots. That decision made in April before the Pennsylvania primary election was a reversal of previous protocol that allowed the Department of Elections to alert voters of errors that would prevent their ballot from counting and gave them the opportunity to correct the error. The decision went further in not allowing elections officials to alert voters that their votes would not be counted. In a 2-1 vote, the board voted to hire a special counsel to fight the lawsuit in Washington County Common Pleas Court. Both Republican Commissioners Nick Sherman and Electra Janis voted in favor of hiring the special counsel, Democratic Commissioner Larry Maggi dissented. Maggi brought a motion to the floor in an effort to reverse the decision, but the effort died due to a lack of a second. Motions are scheduled to be heard in front of Judge Brandon Neuman on Tuesday.
July 6, 2024 4:26 am
MCKEESPORT, Pa. — A man died after he was shot in McKeesport Friday. Allegheny County 911 said police were called to the 3000 block of Garbett Street at around 2 p.m. Emergency crews found a man who had been shot inside of a house. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. He has been identified as David Gamble, 39, of McKeesport. Isaiah Bridges, 30, is charged in connection to the shooting. He was taken into custody and is in the Allegheny County Jail.
July 6, 2024 4:23 am
WELLSVILLE, Ohio — A body found on the shoreline of the Ohio River in Wellsville, Ohio in 2023 has been identified as a missing teenager from Wilkins Township. Jayshawn Fountain, 17, was reported missing in February 2023. His body was found on the shoreline of the Ohio River on April 5, 2023. In a Facebook post, the Wellsville police department said Jayshawn’s body was taken to the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s office. Police said they checked local and surrounding states’ missing person reports and submitted DNA and fingerprint evidence but had no luck identifying his remains. An identification was officially made in June, police said.
July 6, 2024 7:26 am
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — A young Westmoreland County man’s tragic death is hitting the community hard, especially his local fire department where he volunteered since he was 14 years old. Members of the Paintertown Volunteer Fire Department are paying tribute to Jacob Lazar, 18, who was hit by a tree and killed while cleaning up storm damage on Thursday. They thanked him for his service with a sign in front of the station that read, “Rest in peace FF Jacob Lazar. Thank you for your dedication.” “Seven is our station number so we have the seven draped, and this is his fire gear,” said Fire Chief Brian Lee. Chief Lee said Lazar volunteered with the department for the last four years and recently earned the title of a trained senior firefighter. “Right away, he was wanting to learn, wanted to do everything,” he said. “He was really gung-ho and excited about being a senior fireman…unfortunately, cut short. The Penn-Trafford High School senior was killed in a tragic accident on the Fourth of July when a tree fell on him. The county coroner said Lazar was with a group of volunteers at the Trafford Sportsmen’s Club helping to clean up storm damage from last week’s tornado. That’s when a tree somehow fell out of an excavator bucket, striking Lazar in the head. “It was devastating,” Lee said. “He just was helping somebody out like he always does. You asked him to do anything, he helped. That’s the nature of Jacob.” Serving his community is what Chief Lee said Jacob lived for. After he aged out of the Scouts Troop 236, he stayed on as a volunteer. “When you say he volunteers, he volunteers for everything,” said Lee. The young man with so much to look forward to is now being remembered as a dedicated firefighter, friend and son. “Hardest worker we have up here as a young guy. It’s a great loss to the fire department. It’s a great loss to his family,” Lee said. “It’s what it is up here, is one big family.” Two of Lazar’s older brothers also volunteer with the Paintertown Vol. Fire Department. Lazar leaves behind a total of five siblings including a twin brother.
July 5, 2024 5:10 am
Three people have been injured in a shooting in Canonsburg. Our news partners at Channel 11 say all three were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. There is no word on their identities. Police say it happened just before midnight along Blaine Avenue and police believe it could be connected to recent shots-fired incidents earlier this week in the Borough. Canonsburg Police had posted about those incidents on social media. They were asking residents for help after shots were fired Monday and Tuesday in the area of Franklin and Highland Avenues. Police were reviewing surveillance video from the area. State Police are now assisting with the investigation. There is no word on the identity or condition of those shot Thursday night.
July 5, 2024 9:15 am
Three people were injured in a two-vehicle crash Friday morning in South Strabane Township. It happened around 7:45 a.m along N. Main Street near the intersection of Colonial Heights Boulevard. One person was ejected in the crash. Two were transported by ambulance to a Pittsburgh hospital. The other was taken by ambulance to UPMC Washington. There is no word on their identities or conditions. Washington County 9-1-1 dispatchers day two medical helicopters were initially called to the scene but one declined because of weather. The other had mechanical issues. The crash closed N. Main at Wilson Avenue but the roadway has since reopened. State Police were called in to help with the investigation.
