March 19, 2024 5:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is making the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol a cornerstone of his bid to return to the White House. Trump opened his first rally as the presumed Republican Party presidential nominee standing in salute with a recorded chorus of Jan. 6 prisoners singing the national anthem. It’s not just rewriting the violent siege of the Capitol and the effort to overturn the 2020 election. It’s an attempt to normalize their behavior — and his — as the indicted Trump faces charges stemming from Jan. 6. Those who study authoritarian regimes say voters should pay attention as Trump vows to pardon Jan. 6 offenders.
March 19, 2024 5:11 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats “hate Israel” and hate “their religion,” igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders. Trump, in an interview, had been asked about Democrats’ growing criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the war in Gaza as the civilian death toll continues to mount. He responded, “I actually think they hate Israel.” He went on to say that: “Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed.”
March 19, 2024 5:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to send a team of Israeli officials to Washington to discuss with Biden administration officials a prospective Rafah operation, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Sullivan says each party is “making clear to the other its perspective.” The White House has been skeptical of Netanyahu’s plan to carry out an operation in the southern city of Rafah, where about 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, as Israel looks to eliminate Hamas following its deadly Oct. 7 attack. Biden and Netanyahu spoke on Monday for the first time in more than a month.
March 19, 2024 1:13 pm
(WPXI) – A man has been charged in a Tuesday morning Blawnox shooting that killed a woman and left a man in critical condition. The Allegheny County Police Department says officers took Sean Black, 42, of Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, into custody at Tri-Arc Manufacturing. He faces charges of homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person. Police accuse Black of walking into Tri-Arc Manufacturing on Fountain Street and shooting two people. Courtney Smith, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene. Another man was taken to the hospital. Police say Black and the two victims were employees at Tri-Arc Manufacturing and they believe the shooting is “domestic in nature.” Company officials say the plant will be closed until further notice.
March 19, 2024 4:48 am
Peters Township School Board Directors discussed several measures at length at their meeting Monday night. The item that brought deep discussion was a draft version of the school calendar for two years from today. Two versions of 2025-2026 calendar were presented with the only difference between them was the length of Spring Break around the Easter holiday. One version had a ten day break for students, the second only five days. Approved by a 6-3 vote was the calendar with the longer break. That calendar will be presented to the public for their comment in the near future. As far as the calendar for the 2024-2025 school year, that was approved in January. The first day of school will be August 21, 2024. Christmas break will begin December 21 and students will return on January 2, 2025. The last day of school will be June 5, 2025. A second topic that drew discussion was the planned upgrades to computer devices that are issued to students for their classroom use. A $182,000 annual lease for a combined 1048 laptops and chromebooks was approved unanimously after detailed discussion was held regarding whether computers should be district owned or privately owned. The item is part of a three year upgrade program to replace computers that have been worn out through student use.
March 19, 2024 5:05 am
ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A dump truck slammed in an SUV in Rostaver Township early Monday morning. The crash happened on Route 51 and Fellsburg Road at around 6:51 a.m., Westmoreland County 911 said. Rostraver Central Fire Department on Facebook said one person was trapped in the car and crews had to use the HURST Jaws of Life to get them out. They were taken to the hospital and there’s no word on their current condition. Officials said Route 51 was restricted for around an hour due to the crash.
March 19, 2024 5:02 am
ALLENPORT, Pa. — (WPXI) – A Washington County family is devastated over the loss of their loved one who was killed in a crash over the weekend. Kayla Demo said her little sister Tori Demo, 25, was everything to her. “She was such a bright, lovely girl,” Kayla said. “She was so full of life. Her smile, she was just beautiful inside and out. Heart full of gold. She’d give you her last dollar.” Kayla said she feels alone and destroyed without her sister. The 25-year-old was killed in a horrific car crash Saturday morning when she driving to Petsmart as part of her job with a cleaning business. Tori was on I-70 in Rostraver Township in Westmoreland County when State Police said a driver in a pickup truck rear ended her. The car then caught fire. State Police are still investigating the crash. It’s unclear if the driver of the truck will face any charges. (PHOTO; WPXI)
March 19, 2024 5:08 am
The Powerball jackpot stood at the edge of becoming a top-10 prize in the promotion after there was no grand prize winner on Monday night. The jackpot now stands at $687 million and has a chance of moving past the 10th-largest grand prize of $699.8 million if nobody wins on Wednesday. Numbers drawn Monday night for a prize worth $645 million were 10-17-20-39-44 and the Powerball was 16. The Power Play was 3X.
March 19, 2024 2:37 am
Pennsylvania Lottery officials say they will be upgrading their computer system this week, and as a result, your ability to buy certain tickets and cash some winning tickets, will be impacted. They say the upgrade will start after midnight and will continue through late day Tuesday. During that time, officials say drawings will still occur, but you won’t be able to buy any Fast Play tickets or Draw Game tickets at lottery retail locations or online. Draw Games include Powerball, Mega Millions, Treasure Hunt, Cash 5 with Quick Cash, Match 6 Lotto, Cash4Life and the PICK family of games. (Photo: AP)
March 19, 2024 5:15 am
(AP) – A divided Supreme Court has lifted a stay on a Texas law that gives police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally while a legal battle over immigration authority plays out. The Biden administration is suing to strike down the measure, arguing it’s a clear violation of federal authority that would hurt international relations and create chaos in administering immigration law. Texas has argued it has a right to take action over what authorities have called an ongoing crisis at the southern border. Opponents said the law known as Senate Bill 4 marks the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since an Arizona law more than a decade ago.
