March 14, 2023 2:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Trial has begun in western Pennsylvania in the death of an off-duty Pittsburgh police officer shot and killed in a street confrontation more than 3 1/2 years ago. Thirty-four-year-old Christian Bey is charged in Allegheny County with homicide in the July 2019 shooting that killed 36-year-old Officer Calvin Hall after an apparent dispute at a Homewood block party. The Tribune-Review reports that Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Ramaley told jurors in her opening statement Tuesday that DNA on the murder weapon matched that of the defendant. Defense attorney Carmen Robinson said the case was about “a rush to judgment and a biased investigation.”
March 13, 2023 10:33 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is approving the major Willow oil project on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope. The decision is one of President Joe Biden’s most consequential climate decisions and is likely to draw condemnation from environmentalists who say it flies in the face of the Democratic president’s climate pledges. Climate activists have been outraged Biden appeared open to greenlighting the project, which they say put his climate legacy at risk. They say allowing oil company ConocoPhillips to move forward with the drilling plan also would break Biden’s campaign promise to stop new oil drilling on public lands. ConocoPhillips says Alaska’s Willow project could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day.
March 13, 2023 9:51 am
NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden is telling Americans that the nation’s financial systems are sound. This comes after the swift and stunning collapse of two banks that prompted fears of a broader upheaval. Biden said Monday: “Americans can have confidence that the banking system is safe.” He says people’s “deposits will be there when you need them.” U.S. regulators closed Silicon Valley Bank on Friday after it experienced a traditional bank run, where depositors rushed to withdraw their funds all at once. Then New York-based Signature Bank also failed.
March 13, 2023 4:53 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Slap? What slap? Sunday’s Oscar ceremony felt more like a big hug, its heartwarming and heartfelt speeches a potent antidote to the uneasy memory of last year’s Will Smith incident. Many of these speeches came from the cast and creatives of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the joyfully chaotic film that swept the top awards. Directors the Daniels and actors Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Yeoh provided emotional highpoints on a night that made history for Asians and Asian Americans in Hollywood and saw almost everyone thank Mom – and poignantly.
March 13, 2023 4:28 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to meet with two of America’s closest allies to announce that Australia will purchase U.S.-manufactured, nuclear-powered attack submarines to modernize its fleet. The agreement comes amid growing concerns about China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Biden is traveling Monday to San Diego to meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for talks on their 18-month-old nuclear partnership. In a three-day trip to California and Nevada, Biden will also discuss gun violence prevention during a stop in Monterey Park, California, and his plans to lower prescription drug costs in a visit to Las Vegas.
March 13, 2023 4:27 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Authorities say at least eight people were killed when two migrant smugglings boat overturned off the coast of San Diego. It is one of the deadliest maritime smuggling events off U.S. shores. Authorities say a Spanish-speaking woman on one of the panga-style boats called 911 late Saturday off the treacherous waters off Black’s Beach. The surf was modest but rip currents were fierce and it was foggy and dark. Crews pulled the bodies of eight adults from the water. No other bodies were accounted for. Authorities say the remaining passengers may have escaped on land.
March 13, 2023 4:26 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is poised to testify Monday before a Manhattan grand jury investigating hush-money payments he arranged and made on the former president’s behalf. Cohen’s impending grand jury appearance was confirmed by two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly about grand jury proceedings and did so on condition of anonymity. Cohen’s testimony comes as the Manhattan district attorney’s office closes in on a decision on whether to seek charges against Trump. The former president has denied the affairs and has said he did nothing wrong.
March 13, 2023 4:22 am
McCANDLESS, Pa. – (WPXI) – Police are looking for the driver involved in a fatal hit-and-run that happened in McCandless Saturday night. Allegheny County dispatchers said police and medics were called to 95 Blazier Drive at around 10:18 p.m. The victim was hit while crossing McKnight Road near the Pine Creek Shopping Center. According to McCandless police, the car involved is believed to be a black Honda with heavy damage to the front and passenger side. The vehicle is missing the passenger mirror and a large piece of molding. The exact model of the car isn’t known at this time.
March 13, 2023 4:20 am
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — Headaches, congestion, itchy skin rashes — and fear. That’s what many residents are experiencing a month after a train loaded with hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Worry and mistrust grip a community whipsawed by assurances that the water and air is safe, warnings of coverups and danger, and social media misinformation. Heather Bable says she doesn’t feel safe in the town where her family has lived for four generations. She’s looking for a new home. Her mother, Sherry, says people near the crash site are vulnerable to cancer and railroad operator Norfolk Southern should buy them out. Experts say living near a hazardous spill doesn’t necessarily elevate a person’s risk.
March 13, 2023 4:18 am
A house was damaged by fire in Washington County. Washington County dispatchers say emergency crews were called to Fulton Street in Marianna at around 3:08 a.m. Sunday. The fire appeared to have damaged a portion of the upstairs floor of the house. Part of the roof was also damaged. Everybody was out of the home and no one was injured.
