February 20, 2024 5:08 am
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — When Tucker Carlson asked Vladimir Putin about his reasons for invading Ukraine two years ago, Putin gave him a lecture on Russian history. The 71-year-old Russian leader spent more than 20 minutes showering baffled Carlson with dates and names going back to the 9th century. Carlson admitted after the interview that a history lecture in response to a straightforward question about one’s political motives “shocked” him. But in Russia, history has become a propaganda tool. Authorities have sought to magnify the country’s past victories while glossing over the more sordid chapters of its history. They’ve rewritten textbooks, funded exhibitions and suppressed voices that contradicted their narrative.
February 20, 2024 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is announcing another $5.8 billion for water infrastructure projects nationwide, paid for by one of the Biden administration’s key legislative victories. Appearing in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Harris says clean water is a right and a way to protect public health. The $5.8 billion will pay for projects in all 50 states, bringing the total awarded for water infrastructure projects to $22 billion. It comes from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law that President Joe Biden signed in 2021. Harris was joined in Pittsburgh by and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan. Regan says clean water is essential.
February 20, 2024 4:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Federal regulators are about to announce what they believe caused a bridge to collapse in Pittsburgh more than two years ago, sending vehicles plummeting into a ravine and injuring several people. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to vote Wednesday on the results of its investigation into the January 2022 collapse of the Forbes Avenue bridge over Fern Hollow Creek. The bridge’s collapse dropped a bus and four cars about 100 feet on the day President Joe Biden visited Pittsburgh to promote spending on infrastructure. A new bridge at the site opened to traffic in December 2022.
February 20, 2024 1:13 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The attorney representing a suspended magistrate judge in Pennsylvania says his client is not guilty of allegations that she shot her estranged boyfriend in the head as he slept earlier this month. Magisterial District Judge Sonya McKnight was charged last week with attempted murder and aggravated assault. Susquehanna Township police allege that she had gunshot residue on her hands an hour after the Feb. 10 shooting. Defense attorney Cory Lesher said in a statement Monday that McKnight “is innocent” and “did not shoot” the victim. He said 57-year-old McKnight “looks forward to the whole story being told” and “intends to vigorously defend herself in this matter.”
February 19, 2024 3:45 pm
(AP) – The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has vowed to continue his fight against the Kremlin. Meanwhile, authorities denied his mother access to a morgue where his body is believed to be held after his death last week in an Arctic penal colony. In a video posted on social media Monday, Yulia Navalnaya accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of killing her husband in the remote prison and alleged that officials’ refusal to hand over the body to her mother-in-law was part of a cover-up. Russian authorities said that the cause for Navalny’s death Friday at age 47 is still unknown. And the results of any investigation are likely to be questioned abroad. Many Western leaders have already said they hold Putin responsible for the death.
February 19, 2024 3:44 pm
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in Indianapolis has killed a woman and wounded five other victims. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says officers responded to a report of a shooting at the restaurant on Lynhurst Drive around 12:30 a.m. Monday. Police found five victims with gunshot wounds who were transported to a hospital, including a woman who was in critical condition and died at the hospital. The wounded victims included a woman and three men, who all were listed in stable condition. Police say a sixth man traveled separately to a hospital with a gunshot wound from the shooting and was listed in critical condition. Investigators believe an altercation between two groups of people at the restaurant escalated to gunfire. There were no immediate arrests.
February 19, 2024 10:38 am
EVERSON, Pa. – (WPXI) – At least one person was injured in a crash involving a train and vehicle in Fayette County on Monday morning. First responders were called to the area of Jones Street in Everson, a 911 dispatcher told our news partners at Channel 11. A person in the vehicle was injured and being treated at the scene. The dispatcher did not know the extent of the victim’s injuries or if they were taken to the hospital.The crash happened around 5:50 a.m. Officials say the train was carrying sand and pipes. A Channel 11 photographer captured video of what appears to be a pickup truck with front-end damage being towed from the scene, which was cleared by 7:30 a.m.
February 19, 2024 5:14 am
LONDON (AP) — A bass stolen from Paul McCartney more than 50 years ago has been found and returned to the Beatle. A woman living on England’s south coast came forward after word spread last year about the search for the missing 1961 violin-shaped Höfner bass. McCartney’s website said Thursday that the instrument was authenticated by the manufacturer and the musician is incredibly grateful to those who helped find it. The bass was stolen from a roadie’s van in 1972 in London and sold to a pub landlord. Scott Jones, a journalist who helped in the search, said the daughter-in-law of the deceased landlord came forward to give back the instrument.
February 19, 2024 5:13 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The latest in a series of wet winter storms is gaining strength in California. Forecasters warned Monday of possible flooding, hail, strong winds and even brief tornadoes as the system moves south over the next few days. The National Weather Service says the central coast is at risk of “significant flooding.” Up to 5 inches of rain is predicted for many areas. Isolated rain totals of 10 inches are possible in the Santa Lucia and Santa Ynez mountain ranges. Flood watches and warnings have been issued in coastal and mountain areas up and down the state.
February 19, 2024 5:11 am
LONDON (AP) — Julian Assange’s lawyers will begin their final U.K. legal challenge to stop the WikiLeaks founder from being sent to the United States to face spying charges. The 52-year-old has been fighting extradition for more than a decade, including seven years in self-exile in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and the last five years in a high-security prison. It’s his last legal avenue in Britain, set to start Tuesday. If the judges rule against Assange, he can ask the European Court of Human Rights to block his extradition. Supporters worry he could be put on a plane to the U.S. before that happens. Assange has been fighting extradition for more than a decade.
