May 15, 2024 10:33 am
PRAGUE (AP) — Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile. The message posted to his account said that Fico “has been shot multiple times and is currently in life-threatening condition. At this moment he is transported by helicopter to Banská Bystrica, because it would take too long to get to Bratislava due to the necessity of an acute procedure. The next few hours will decide.” Reports on TA3, a Slovakian TV station, said that Fico, 59, was hit in the stomach after four shots were fired outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlova, some 150 kilometers northeast of the capital, where the leader was meeting with supporters. A suspect has been detained, it said.
May 15, 2024 8:43 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Consumer inflation in the United States cooled slightly last month after three elevated readings, likely offering a tentative sigh of relief for officials at the Federal Reserve as well as President Joe Biden’s re-election team. Prices rose 0.3% from March to April, down slightly from 0.4% the previous month. Measured year-over-year, inflation ticked down from 3.5% to 3.4%. And a measure of underlying inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, also eased in April. Inflation had been unexpectedly high in the first three months of this year after having steadily dropped in the second half of 2023. The elevated readings had dimmed hopes that the worst bout of inflation in four decades was being rapidly tamed.
May 15, 2024 5:08 am
BEIJING (AP) — Russia’s Putin has expressed gratitude to Xi Jinping for China’s initiatives to resolve the Ukraine conflict. His remarks came at a summit with Xi where the Chinese leader said China hopes Europe will return to peace and stability soon and that China will play a constructive role. Putin on Thursday began a two-day state visit to Beijing as Moscow presses forward on a new offensive in Ukraine. China issued a broad proposal for peace in Ukraine in 2023. China has significant influence as a critical supporter of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. It continues to supply Russia with key components that Moscow needs for its productions of weapons, and its purchase of Russian oil and gas has helped boost the Russian economy.
May 15, 2024 5:07 am
OCALA, Fla. (AP) — Investigators say a man with a long record of dangerous driving told them he smoked marijuana oil and took prescription drugs hours before he sideswiped a bus. Eight farm workers from Mexico were killed and dozens more were injured. Bryan Maclean Howard pleaded not guilty Wednesday to driving under the influence-manslaughter, and a judge denied bail. The Florida Highway Patrol says the 41-year-old drove his pickup into the center line on a two-lane road early Tuesday and hit the farmworker bus, causing it to veer off the road, strike a tree and flip over. Howard’s arrest report says he had bloodshot and watery eyes and slurred speech after the crash.
May 15, 2024 5:04 am
BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia (AP) — A hospital official says Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in serious but stable condition. The populist leader was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt Wednesday that shook the small country and reverberated across the continent weeks before European elections. He is being treated Thursday at an intensive care unit. A suspect was in custody, and the interior minister said that an initial investigation found “a clear political motivation” behind the attack. The minister did not specify what the motivation was. Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond. His return to power last year on a pro-Russian, anti-American message led to even greater worries among fellow European Union members that he would abandon his country’s pro-Western course.
May 15, 2024 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a more than $1 billion in additional arms and ammunition to Israel. That’s according to three congressional aides who spoke of condition of anonymity to discuss an arms transfer that has not yet been made public. It’s not immediately known how soon the weapons would be delivered. It’s the first arms shipment to Israel to be revealed by the administration since it put another arms transfer — consisting of 3,500 bombs — on hold this month. President Joe Biden’s administration has said it paused that earlier transfer to keep Israel from using the bombs in its growing offensive in the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah.
May 15, 2024 5:01 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A miniature poodle named Sage has won the top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. Sage bested six other finalists to claim the best in show award Tuesday night at the United States’ most illustrious canine event. A German shepherd named Mercedes placed second. Each stood, strode and sought to shine before the judge at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the home of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. In all, more than 2,500 dogs spanning about 200 breeds and varieties entered the show. They’re judged according to which one best matches the “standard,” or ideal, for its breed.
May 15, 2024 4:59 am
A Washington man is facing charges that include attempted homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment after a shooting in the city Tuesday evening. Washington Police say 29 year old Justice Walden fired five-to-seven shots from a handgun at an elevated position at a home along Burton Avenue around 6:30 p.m. A 42 year old man was struck in the abdomen. Police say a woman and two juveniles were nearby when the shooting occurred but were not injured. Police were then called to Washington Hospital after the victim showed up at the emergency room. He was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. There is no word on his condition. Police apprehended Walden a short time later inside a home along Maple Avenue. He is last reported in the Washington County Jail. Police say the investigation continues and additional charges could result. Meanwhile, City officers were called to a report of shots fired around 8 p.m at a home in the 800-block of Ewing Street. Police say charges are possible after, what they called “an accidental discharge”. No other details have been released.
May 15, 2024 4:54 am
The Washington County Bar Association hosted a panel discussion with members of the organization Keep Our Republic. That is a bipartisan organization of political leaders and former judiciary to help educate the community about how elections are administered in their counties and point out misinformation with regards to the election process. The group has offices located in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. On the panel was former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett. His slant is from the legal side and as far as voter fraud is concerned,he says “show me the evidence.” As a former prosecutor, he says he has seen no evidence of widespread fraud. Former Judge on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Tim Lewis says the organization does not take a stand on legal rulings that occur in Pennsylvania. He said that recent rulings regarding material defects and efforts to cure those defects will eventually wind up in the U. S. Supreme Court. Rob Beecher, Deputy Policy Director from the PA Department of States described how since 2020, Pennsylvania has invested $90 million in programs and equipment to help administer elections. Also invited to attend the panel discussion were all three county commissioners. Absent from the panel were commissioners Nick Sherman and Electra Janis. In a statement provided to WJPA by text, Sherman stated that some questions presented to them before the event centered on ballot curing. The county solicitor advised them not to attend due to possible litigation from the ACLU, concerning ballot curing. Sherman further stated that the county will follow state law and the decision from the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and not allow ballot curing. Also invited to attend but did not was Washington County Director of Elections Melanie Ostrander. According to commissioner Larry Maggi, a majority vote among the commissioners directed her not to attend the event.
May 15, 2024 2:59 am
A South Strabane Township man charged with attempted kidnapping waived his case to common pleas court on Tuesday. According to the criminal complaint, Jose Zaragoza, 48 and his ex-girlfriend agreed to discuss issues with an upcoming court proceeding when police were called to the Giant Eagle parking lot in Strabane Square on May 6. The report indicates Zaragoza approached her with a roll of duct tape and tried to forcibly remove her from her car saying “you’re coming with me.” The report says that he tried to choke her and covered her mouth with his hand as she tried to call for help. Zaragoza fled in his pick-up truck. When police arrived they found the woman with scratches and swelling on her arms and neck. Zaragoza faces felony charges of attempted kidnapping, strangulation and flight along with a misdemeanor simple assault charge. He will be arraigned June 20.
