December 24, 2024 5:15 am
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A major storm has pounded California’s central coast bringing flooding and high surf that was blamed for fatally trapping a man beneath debris on a beach and later partially collapsing a pier, tossing three people into the Pacific Ocean. The storm was expected to bring hurricane-force winds and waves up to 60 feet Monday as it gained strength from California to the Pacific Northwest. Some California cities have ordered beachfront homes and hotels to evacuate early Monday afternoon. Forecasters have warned that storm swells would continue to increase throughout the day.
December 23, 2024 3:55 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee has accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including once with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs as a member of Congress. The 37-page report was released Monday by the bipartisan panel after a nearly four-year investigation that helped sink his nomination for attorney general. The report includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz took part in while representing Florida in the House. Congressional investigators concluded that he violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office. Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing and he filed a lawsuit Monday trying to block the report’s release.
December 23, 2024 10:16 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare has pleaded not guilty to murder and terror charges in a state case that will run parallel to his federal prosecution. The Manhattan district attorney formally charged Luigi Mangione last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. That case will run parallel to his federal case. His court appearance was preempted by federal prosecutors bringing their own charges. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for his state charges is life in prison without parole.
December 23, 2024 6:41 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment mere weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office. In a statement issued Monday, Biden says, “These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. In a reference to Trump, who campaigned on expanding the use of capital punishment, Biden adds, “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”
December 23, 2024 5:01 am
MONROEVILLE, Pa. — (WPXI) – The Monroeville Police Chief says a large police presence at the Monroeville Mall stemmed from a 911 call about a dispute between two people that quickly escalated to fears of an active shooter. Police responded to the mall just before 3 p.m. Sunday. The mall was put into lockdown, but that lockdown was lifted around 4 p.m. Chief Doug Cole says the initial 911 call was about a dispute between two people and one person possibly having a gun. While police were en route, they started getting reports of shots fired. The people involved in the alleged fight, which Cole said happened outside of a bathroom, were not found when police arrived. “Our information was very sketchy,” Cole said. “It continued to evolve, and we could never find anyone that was ever shot or even any physical evidence that a gunshot had even gone off. It appears at this time this was totally a mistake.” Cell phone video showed the chaotic moments as officers with their guns out raced through the mall’s food court shouting, “Everyone down,” as they looked for who they thought was an active shooter. Many shoppers evacuated others hid in stores.
December 23, 2024 4:56 am
SOMERSET COUNTY — (WPXI) – A state trooper was hit by a vehicle in Somerset County. Somerset County District Attorney Molly Metzgar said the trooper was trying to help a disabled vehicle on Route 31 westbound when they were hit on Saturday. According to reports, the trooper suffered injuries to their head, leg and pelvis but has been released from the hospital. “This is a stark reminder of the dangers that our first responders face on a daily basis. I encourage everyone to life the trooper and his family up in their thoughts and prayers,” Metzgar said. Officials said the trooper still has “a long way to go” before returning to duty.
December 23, 2024 5:12 am
PHOENIX (AP) — That Donald Trump failed to achieve central goals in the government shutdown fight alongside Elon Musk seemed unimportant to many speakers and attendees at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest. Speakers and attendees in Phoenix hailed Trump and Musk for initially scuttling a bipartisan agreement to keep the federal government open. They jeered House Speaker Mike Johnson and his willingness to engage with Democrats, disregarding Johnson’s close alliance with Trump and frequent appearances at Trump’s side. Interviews with people at AmericaFest illustrated that the new right in America is defined philosophically by anti-establishment sentiment, staunchly conservative social mores and vocal declarations of patriotism.
December 23, 2024 5:13 am
The battles over abortion in the U.S. are increasingly focusing on the pills that are now the most common way pregnancies are ended. Texas sued a New York doctor this month over a prescription to a Texas resident. It could become the first test of a shield law that New York and some other Democratic-controlled states have passed to protect medical providers who make that kind of prescription via telehealth. There’s also a lawsuit aimed at rolling back federal approval for one of the drugs. And states are considering laws to make them harder to obtain for abortion.
December 23, 2024 5:09 am
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have announced plans to work toward a merger that would catapult them to a top position in an industry in the midst of tectonic shifts as it transitions away from reliance on fossil fuels. The two companies said they signed an agreement on integrating their businesses on Monday. Smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors agreed to join the talks. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month. Japanese automakers face a strong challenge from their Chinese rivals and Tesla as they make inroads into markets at home and abroad.
December 23, 2024 4:55 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Capitol buildings are almost always an imposing presence. The seat of government, they tend to be elegant and stately. Visitors to Pennsylvania’s Capitol are drawn to its priceless artwork, polished marble and intricate carvings. But there’s another treasure there: 273 antique clocks that were part of its original design. Every week, in a throwback to a time before wristwatches and cellphones, clock winders roam the halls — ensuring the century-plus-old timekeepers keep ticking. Pennsylvania’s Capitol was crafted by architect Joseph M. Huston, who won its design competition in 1901. The Capitol and the clocks are Huston’s legacy. They draw thousands of visitors every year to where state lawmakers convene.
