March 28, 2024 4:53 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Lawyers for former President Donald Trump argued in a court filing that the charges against him in the Georgia election interference case seek to criminalize political speech and advocacy conduct that is protected by the First Amendment. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee plans to hear arguments on that filing and on two pretrial motions filed by former Georgia Republican Party chair David Shafer during a hearing set for Thursday. Lawyers for Shafer argue that he acted legally when he and other state Republicans signed a certificate asserting that Trump won the 2020 presidential election in Georgia and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors.
March 28, 2024 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are teaming up with President Joe Biden for a glitzy reelection fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Thursday night’s event brings together more than three decades of Democratic leadership. It also provides a gilded exclamation mark on a recent burst of campaign travel by Biden, who visited several political battlegrounds in the last few weeks. Biden has a significant fundraising advantage over Donald Trump, with more than four times as much cash on hand by the end of February. His campaign said the New York City event will boost that total while rallying Democratic supporters.
March 28, 2024 4:55 am
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Former Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut has died, according to his family. He was 82 and died Wednesday of complications from a fall. Lieberman nearly won the vice presidency on Democrat Al Gore’s ticket in the disputed 2000 White House race. Eight years later, he came close to joining the GOP ticket as John McCain’s running mate. The Democrat-turned-independent stepped down from the Senate in January 2013 after 24 years. His independent streak often irked Senate Democrats he aligned with. Yet his support for gay rights, civil rights, abortion rights and environmental causes at times won him the praise of many liberals over the years.
March 28, 2024 8:47 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot has increased to $935 million after no one matched the six numbers drawn. The numbers selected Wednesday night were: 37, 46, 57, 60, 66 and the Powerball 8. The drawing came a day after a player in New Jersey won a $1.13 billion Mega Millions prize. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for months, since the last winner on New Year’s Day. The game’s odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to create big jackpots that will grab attention and increase sales. The $935 million prize for the next drawing Saturday night is for a sole winner who is paid over 30 years through an annuity. Winners usually opt for a cash payout, which for the next drawing would be an estimated $449.7 million.
March 28, 2024 4:07 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for a cryptocurrency fraud that a prosecutor has described as one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history. Federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan imposed the sentence Thursday in a packed Manhattan courtroom. The 32-year-old Bankman-Fried was convicted in November of fraud and conspiracy charges brought after his once-soaring cryptocurrency trading platform and related companies collapsed into bankruptcy. Bankman-Fried was extradited to the U.S. in December 2022, five years after he started his businesses with plans to revolutionize the emerging cryptocurrency industry.
March 28, 2024 4:56 am
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich marks a year behind bars on Friday following his arrest by Russian authorities who accuse him of espionage but have offered no supporting evidence. His friends and family say he is relying on his humor and resilience to get him through the days. Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. government deny the allegations. He has been brought to court a dozen times for hearings that have rejected his appeals for freedom and always extend his pretrial detention. The court appearances give his family and friends a chance to see him, if only for a few minutes.
March 28, 2024 4:11 pm
(AP) – The White House says it’s getting ready to welcome 40,000 people to its annual Easter Egg Roll. The egg-stravaganza was first held on the lawn in 1878. Guests this year will include thousands of military and veteran families, their caregivers and survivors. Members of the general public claimed tickets through an online public lottery. Monday’s events will be held on the South Lawn and the Ellipse and will have an “egg-ucation” component to fit with Jill Biden’s theme. The first lady is a career educator who still teaches English and writing at a northern Virginia community college. (Photo: AP)
March 27, 2024 7:15 pm
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Former Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut has died, according to his family. He was 82 and died Wednesday of complications from a fall. Lieberman nearly won the vice presidency on Democrat Al Gore’s ticket in the disputed 2000 White House race. Eight years later, he came close to joining the GOP ticket as John McCain’s running mate. The Democrat-turned-independent stepped down from the Senate in January 2013 after 24 years. His independent streak often irked Senate Democrats he aligned with. Yet his support for gay rights, civil rights, abortion rights and environmental causes at times won him the praise of many liberals over the years.
March 27, 2024 2:40 pm
BALTIMORE (AP) — Investigators are collecting evidence from the cargo ship that plowed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused its collapse. Meanwhile in the waters below, divers searched Wednesday through twisted metal for six construction workers who plunged into the harbor and were feared dead. The investigation picked up speed as the Baltimore region reeled from the sudden loss of a major transportation link that’s part of the highway loop around the city. The disaster also closed the port that is vital to the city’s shipping industry. Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board boarded the ship and planned to recover information from its electronics and paperwork.
March 27, 2024 5:05 am
CHARLEROI, Pa. — (WPXI) – Charleroi historically was a mill town that felt the impact of a shrinking industry; but the last two years, this town’s population is exploding again. “I speak French, Creole, Portuguese, Spanish and English,” said Kervens Lerantis. He is only in the fourth grade. He’s just one of 172 English Language Learners (ELL) in the Charleroi Area School District. Many of whom never spoke the language before stepping foot in Washington County. The immigrant population has grown in this community by over 2,000% in just the last two years, bringing new challenges for the school district. “Just in the last year we had over $400,000, we had to add two ELL teachers, an ELL coach for our teachers, a registrar, an interpreter,” said Superintendent Dr. Ed Zelich. With the growth, the district is looking at another $300,000 on top of that next year. This is the highest-taxed district in the county. Dr. Zelich said increasing taxes isn’t an option, so he’s looking to the state for help. So far, the state has only offered after-school and summer tutoring, which Zelich said doesn’t even scratch the surface. The buildings are running out of space, forcing some Pre-K classes to leave the building and classroom size to grow where nearly half the lower grades are already full of multiple languages. The district has brought the PA Department of Education in and local lawmakers, but still can’t seem to get the financial help they need. The superintendent told Channel 11 he’s going to continue knocking on their doors because he knows the growth is not stopping here.
