April 20, 2024 4:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is preparing to vote on approval of $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies. Congressional leaders are pushing aside opposition from hard-right conservatives to near the completion of a months-long, grueling effort to renew American support for repelling Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson — putting his job on the line — relied on Democratic support this week to bring to the House floor a series of three votes on the aid packages, as well as a fourth on several other foreign policy proposals. The Senate would still need to approve the House bill in votes expected next week.
April 20, 2024 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has voted to reauthorize a key U.S. surveillance law after divisions over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans’ data nearly forced the statute to lapse. The legislation approved 60-34 with bipartisan support shortly after midnight Saturday would extend for two years the program known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law. U.S. officials have said the surveillance tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and foreign espionage. But concerns over Americans’ civil liberties almost blocked its reauthorization.
April 20, 2024 3:52 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – A man and a woman are in custody after a stabbing at Point State Park on Friday night. Emergency crews were called to the area at 9:48 p.m. Multiple people witnessed a woman being stabbed. A Pittsburgh police lieutenant said these witnesses saved the victim. “There were people around when it happened, and in fact, this woman is probably still alive because of their actions and their assistance in saving her life” according to the police officer at the scene. The woman was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition. Police have not identified either suspect, but did say the woman in custody is allegedly the man’s accomplice.
April 20, 2024 3:49 am
ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. —(WPXI)-A man died in a crash along Interstate 70 in Rostraver Township on Friday morning. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said a Ford Focus was traveling near mile marker 45.7 when it left the roadway and hit a guide rail. The car traveled over an embankment and landed on its roof. The driver, Joseph Eli Troyer, 35, was pronounced dead at the scene. State police are handling the investigation.
April 20, 2024 3:44 am
WEIRTON, W.Va. — A tin plant in West Virginia will shut down this weekend, putting nearly 1,000 people out of work. WTOV in Steubenville reports that Cleveland Cliffs will officially idle its plant in Weirton on Saturday. Cleveland Cliffs announced the closure in February. The plant, which is less than an hour from Pittsburgh, said an International Trade Commission ruling made it difficult to compete with foreign manufacturers.
April 19, 2024 4:59 pm
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration says it will investigate after a flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was instructed to cross a runway where another flight was starting its takeoff. The FAA says a JetBlue flight was starting its takeoff roll on Thursday morning, when an air traffic controller instructed a Southwest Airlines flight to cross the same runway. Southwest Airlines Flight 2937 was bound for Orlando, Florida, and JetBlue flight 1554 was bound for Boston. JetBlue says the flight aborted takeoff because of another aircraft trying to cross the runway, and it will work with federal officials as the event is investigated. Southwest says it’s working with the FAA to “fully understand the circumstances.”
April 19, 2024 5:09 am
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Five Japanese autoworkers have narrowly escaped an attack by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive-laden vest near their vehicle in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi. The local police chief said the van carrying the Japanese nationals was heading to an industrial area where they worked at Pakistan Suzuki Motors when it was targeted Friday. He said guards escorting the Japanese workers returned fire after coming under attack and all the Japanese who were the target of the attack were safe. Another official said police were escorting the van after receiving reports of possible attacks targeting foreigners and that the timely response from guards and police foiled the attack.
April 19, 2024 5:07 am
SYDNEY (AP) — Shoppers and workers have returned to a “really quiet” Sydney mall, where six days earlier an assailant stabbed six people to death in an attack that police believe targeted women. Westfield Bondi Junction mall had opened Thursday for a “community reflection day” while the shops inside the mall reopened Friday. There was a large police and security presence, with guards wearing black stab-proof vests posted on each level of the mall. Visitors numbered in the hundreds, but were fewer than the usual expected on a Friday during school holidays. One visitor said the atmosphere was somber and another said it was really quiet. Authorities said counseling services were available for retail workers and visitors.
April 19, 2024 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Complaints about pregnant women being turned away from emergency rooms spiked in the months after states began enacting strict abortion laws following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The cases are detailed in federal documents obtained by The Associated Press and raise serious questions about the state of emergency pregnancy care in the U.S. Federal law requires emergency rooms to stabilize patients who are in active labor and provide a medical transfer to another hospital if they don’t have the staff or resources to treat them. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments next week in an Idaho case that could weaken those federal protections.
April 19, 2024 5:05 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A full jury of 12 people and six alternates was seated Friday in Donald Trump’s hush money case, setting the stage for opening statements next week in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. Hours later, an appeals court judge rejected a last-minute bid by the Republican to halt the trial over his claims that jury selection was unfairly rushed. The jury includes a software engineer, investment banker, English teacher and multiple lawyers. It took final shape after lawyers spent days quizzing dozens of potential jurors on whether they can impartially judge the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
