March 16, 2024 5:25 am
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — When Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died suddenly last month in an Arctic prison, his team was left with a monumental challenge: sustaining an opposition movement against President Vladimir Putin without the living example of their defiant and charismatic leader. A significant test will come Sunday, the last of three days that Russian voters can go to the polls in a presidential election that is widely viewed as more of a formality than an exercise in democracy. Navalny’s team is urging Russians to flock to polling stations Sunday at noon local time across the country’s 11 time zones to demonstrate their discontent with Putin’s rule and his war against Ukraine.
March 16, 2024 5:24 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian regional governor says two people have been killed in Ukrainian shelling of the city of Belgorod, close to the border with Ukraine. Three others were wounded. Also on Saturday, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an oil refinery belonging to Russian oil giant Rosneft in the Samara region, the regional governor said. He added that an attack on another refinery was thwarted. No casualties were reported. The attacks come a day after a Russian assault on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa killed at least 20 people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised a “just response” to the attack.
March 16, 2024 5:23 am
WADI GAZA, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli military says a ship has delivered 200 tons of food, water and humanitarian supplies to Gaza, inaugurating a sea route from Cyprus. The sea route is intended to bring more assistance to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the enclave five months into the war between Israel and Hamas. The food on the ship was sent by World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, and was transported by the Spanish aid group Open Arms. The ship left Cyprus on Tuesday. Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Friday that 149 people were killed over the past 24 hours, bringing to at least 31,490 the number of Palestinians killed in the war.
March 16, 2024 5:20 am
PITTSBURGH — State police have arrested two Rivers Casino employees after what investigators are calling a “complex cheating conspiracy” that took place at a Roulette table. State police said Robin Schnepp, a table games dealer, and supervisor Anthony Laush helped at least two players cheat on several occasions and win thousands of dollars. Investigators were tipped off by an anonymous letter sent to Rivers Casino earlier this year about Interblock Roulette, which requires the dealer to manually spin the ball in the opposite direction of the wheel. When that does not happen, sensors do not identify that the wheel has been spun, allowing players to continue to place bets, even after the ball lands on a number and the outcome has been determined. State police said on more than one occasion, surveillance video shows Schnepp spinning the roulette ball incorrectly, and a man and a woman increasing their bets after the ball landed. Laush then comes over and validates the spin, with both players each walking away with more than $2,000 in fraudulent winnings. Additionally, Laush is accused of loading fraudulent comps onto that same man’s account. It’s unclear if the players will be charged. State police said the casino lost more than $10,000 because of these incidents. Schnepp and Laush are scheduled to appear in court for preliminary hearings on April 2.
March 16, 2024 5:15 am
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — (WPXI) – An investigation into a shots fired incident on Friday led to a police pursuit in the South Hills and three people taken into custody. At 11:40 a.m., police responded to a report of shots fired into a home in the 800 block of Third Street in Clairton. Around 30 minutes later, officers with Whitehall and Brentwood police departments spotted the vehicle involved along Route 51 and attempted to pull it over. Police said three males ran from the vehicle during the traffic stop. Officers were able to take one of them into custody, while the other two got back into the vehicle and fled the scene. The vehicle was spotted again a short time later in Bethel Park, where officers began to pursue it. At 12:44 p.m., police said the driver of the suspect vehicle lost control and crashed into a guardrail at the intersection of Library and Clifton roads. The two males who were inside the vehicle got out and fled on foot. Both were taken into custody following a brief foot pursuit. Police said a gun was also recovered during the investigation. The intersection of Library and Clifton was shut down for hours but has since reopened. Allegheny County Police are investigating.
March 16, 2024 2:28 am
ATLANTA (AP) — A special prosecutor who had a romantic relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has withdrawn from the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump. A judge had ruled Wade had to leave or Willis couldn’t continue to pursue the charges. Wade’s role in the prosecution had come under fire since an attorney representing one of Trump’s co-defendants alleged in early January that Wade and Willis were involved in an inappropriate relationship that resulted in Willis profiting improperly from the prosecution. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said Friday the allegations created an “appearance of impropriety” that infected the prosecution team.
March 16, 2024 1:00 am
A Washington man had his preliminary hearing Friday and he is facing several felony charges. Alan Gubanish, 35 had drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communications facility charges held for court without a hearing. According to the criminal complaint, City of Washington Police were called to a North Franklin St. apartment on February 9 to investigate a person found deceased. The victim, identified as Casey Cole was found to have a suspected bag of heroin marked “Fed Ex” in her mouth and other narcotics located at the scene. Interviews of callers at the scene indicated that Cole admitted to purchasing the drugs via CashApp from Gubanish. Police obtained possession of Cole’s cell phone and extracted data corroborating what witnesses told them. Stamp bags recovered at Cole’s home tested positive for xylazine and methamphetamine. Gubanish will be formally arraigned on April 25. He remains in the Washington County Jail on $100,000 bond.
March 15, 2024 4:54 pm
(WPXI) – An investigation into a shots fired incident on Friday led to a police pursuit in the South Hills and three people taken into custody. At 11:40 a.m., police responded to a report of shots fired into a home in the 800 block of Third Street in Clairton. Around 30 minutes later, officers with Whitehall and Brentwood police departments spotted the vehicle involved along Route 51 and attempted to pull it over. Police said three males ran from the vehicle during the traffic stop. Officers were able to take one of them into custody, while the other two got back into the vehicle and fled the scene. The vehicle was spotted again a short time later in Bethel Park, where officers began to pursue it. At 12:44 p.m., police said the driver of the suspect vehicle lost control and crashed at the intersection of Library and Clifton roads. The two males who were inside got out and fled on foot. Both were taken into custody following a brief foot pursuit. Police said a gun was also recovered during the investigation. Allegheny County Police are investigating.
March 15, 2024 4:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is opposing the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, saying the U.S. needs “strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers.” The announcement Thursday comes as the Democratic president campaigns in the Midwest and could have ripples in his race against Republican Donald Trump. Nippon Steel announced in December it plans to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14 billion in cash. That raised concerns within the federal government about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Nippon Steel promises no job losses and says it’s committed to keeping U.S. Steel’s Pittsburgh headquarters.
March 15, 2024 4:58 am
Voters are heading to the polls in Russia for a three-day presidential election that is all but certain to extend President Vladimir Putin’s rule by six more years after he stifled dissent. The election takes place against the backdrop of a ruthless crackdown that has crippled independent media and prominent rights groups and given Putin full control of the political system. It also comes as Moscow’s war in Ukraine enters its third year. Voters will be casting their ballots Friday through Sunday at polling stations across the vast country’s 11 time zones, as well as in illegally annexed regions of Ukraine.
