February 16, 2024 3:49 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge has ruled against Donald Trump, imposing a $364 million penalty over what the judge said was a yearslong scheme to dupe banks and others with financial statements that inflated the former president’s wealth. Trump also has been barred from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation for three years. However, the judge backed away from an earlier ruling that would have dissolved the former president’s companies. Judge Arthur Engoron issued his decision Friday after a 2½-month trial. The stiff penalty is a victory for New York Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump in 2022 over what she said were years of deceptive practices. Trump lawyer Alina Habba calls the verdict “manifest injustice.”
February 16, 2024 8:40 am
Washington County Commissioners awarded $8.7 million in Local Share Account Grant monies on Thursday. Fifty projects will share in those awards in 2024. The approval vote from commissioners was 3-0. The approval was not without controversy. Earlier this week, Commissioner Larry Maggi asked why the Washington City Mission was initially on the list for a grant of $500,000 and roughly a week later they were removed. Walt Turner sits on the Board of Directors of the City Mission and during public comment, he asked that very question. The request was to help fund a 50 bed homeless women’s shelter that is currently under development. Outgoing President and CEO, Dean Gartland and Chief Development Officer, Dr. Sally Mounts both addressed commissioners with their disappointment about being eliminated from consideration. Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman stated that the approval made today was from a revised list of recipients. According to Sherman, officially, there were never two communications made to grant recipients and he is not sure if a board member may have leaked information to the City Mission before it was official. Washington County received $9.2 million dollars in LSA monies this year. According to Sherman, that $500,000 that was not awarded to the City Mission will be carried over into next year’s awards. Sherman did state that commissioners will be meeting with the City Mission on how to apply for grants next year. Gartland will not be involved in that process as new President and CEO of the City Mission will be former County Commissioner Diana Irey-Vaughan.
February 16, 2024 7:58 am
There is increased security in the Burgettstown School District after writing was found on campus “that could be construed as a threat.” According to a letter from the superintendent, there will be an increased police presence on campus today and Tuesday after administration was made aware Thursday of the writing, found on a restroom stall at the Middle/High School. Superintendent Stephen Puskar said the writing “could be construed as a threat to the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff.” While the threat was “very vague in nature,” it did indicate a date of Feb. 20, and steps being taken were “out of an abundance of caution,” he continued. He said school police, who consulted with Smith Township Police and Pennsylvania State Police departments, will put the plan into place Friday and Tuesday, as there is no school Monday.
February 16, 2024 7:29 am
(AP) – Russian authorities say that Alexei Navalny, the fiercest foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests, died in prison. He was 47. The Federal Penitentiary Service said in a statement that Navalny felt unwell after a walk on Friday and lost consciousness. An ambulance arrived to try to revive him, but he died. Navalny’s spokeswoman said on X that the politician’s team had no confirmation of his death so far and that his lawyer was traveling to the town where he was held.
February 16, 2024 5:06 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia prosecutors are trying to knock down misconduct allegations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis by calling her father to the witness stand to testify about his knowledge of her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she hired to lead Donald Trump’s case. Willis’ father, John Clifford Floyd III, testified on the second day of an extraordinary hearing that could result in Willis being removed from the case against the former president over a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Willis’ father testified that he had not met Wade until last year and didn’t find out until weeks ago that they had been in a romantic relationship.
February 16, 2024 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — An FBI informant has been charged with lying to authorities about a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme between President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company. The claim is central to a Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress. Prosecutors say Alexander Smirnov falsely told FBI agents in June 2020 that executives associated with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million each in 2015 or 2016. The allegations became a flashpoint in Congress over the summer as Republicans demanded the FBI release the unredacted form documenting the allegations as they pursued investigations of President Biden and his family. An attorney for Smirnov declined to comment on the allegations.
February 16, 2024 5:02 am
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Health officials say four patients died after their oxygen ran out in southern Gaza’s main hospital after Israel troops stormed and seized the facility. The Israeli military says its forces are searching the hospital for the possible remains of hostages abducted by Hamas. Negotiations over a cease-fire in Gaza, meanwhile, appear to have stalled, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday pushed back hard against the U.S. vision for after the war — particularly its calls for the creation of a Palestinian state. After speaking overnight with President Joe Biden, Netanyahu wrote on X that Israel will not accept “international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians.”
February 16, 2024 5:00 am
Greece has become the first majority-Orthodox Christian nation to legalize same-sex marriage. At least for the near future, it will almost certainly be the only one. Orthodox leadership has unanimously opposed recognition of same-sex relationships within its own rites and in the civil realm. Public opinion in majority Orthodox countries has mostly been opposed, too. But there are some signs of change. Montenegro and Cyprus have authorized same-sex unions in recent years. Civil unions may become more common among Orthodox countries gravitating toward the European Union. They remain off the table in Russia which has cracked down on LGBTQ+ expression, and its orbit.
February 16, 2024 4:57 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state courts agency says it never received a ransom demand as part of a cyberattack that briefly shut down some of its online services earlier this month and prompted a federal investigation. A courts agency spokesperson said Thursday that officials there never had any communication with the attackers and never paid anything. Officials say attack on the courts’ website disabled some online portals and systems that were all fully restored this week. Officials say the attack didn’t compromise any data or stop the courts from operating. The state Supreme Court’s chief justice, Debra Todd, says a federal investigation was continuing. Investigators haven’t identified the attacker.
February 16, 2024 1:45 am
A Canonsburg man who worked as a substitute teacher in Mt. Lebanon, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to multiple charges, including institutional sexual assault during a preliminary hearing before Mt. Lebanon District Judge Hilary Wheatley. Twenty-four-year-old Damon Gall was a substitute teacher at Seton LaSalle Catholic High School at the time of the incident in December 2023. In addition to a charge of institutional sexual assault, Gall is facing charges of corruption of minors and indecent assault. Gall will be formally arraigned in April in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. A criminal complaint filed against Gall said that he confessed to Mt. Lebanon police. Gall previously worked in the Ringgold School District in Washington County. (Photo: Allegheny County)
