September 6, 2022 4:21 am
LONDON (AP) – Prime Minister Boris Johnson has left his Downing Street office for the last time as he heads to Scotland to formally offer his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II. The British leader, who announced his intention to step down two months ago, is expected to meet with the queen late Tuesday morning at her Balmoral estate to begin the transfer of power to Liz Truss. Truss, who was named leader of the ruling Conservative party on Monday, will be appointed prime minister during her own audience with the queen a short time later.
September 6, 2022 4:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A newly downgraded U.S. intelligence finding says the Russian Ministry of Defense is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets an artillery shells from North Korea for its ongoing fight in Ukraine. A U.S. official says the fact Russia is turning to the isolated state of North Korea demonstrates that its military “continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions.” The official spoke Monday on the condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence determination. U.S. intelligence officials believe that the Russians could look to purchase additional North Korean military equipment.
September 6, 2022 4:18 am
Hundreds of workers from 14 Pennsylvania nursing homes went on strike Friday after contract negotiations failed to produce a deal, frustrating state officials who recently approved an aid package meant to bolster staff recruitment and retention in the long-term care industry. About 700 unionized workers walked off the job in a dispute over pay, benefits and staffing levels. Those on strike include workers at The Grove in Washington. “Our goal has always been — and continues to be — to get a fair contract that invests in this entire workforce and will meaningfully address the staffing crisis,” said Matthew Yarnell, SEIU president. He accused the nursing home operators of “failing to create the kind of wage scales we’ve been able to achieve with other providers.” Nursing homes have long struggled with high turnover, which the COVID-19 pandemic made worse, and some facilities were forced to close or downsize because of lagging Medicaid reimbursements, according to trade groups. State lawmakers and the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf recently hiked Medicaid payments to nursing homes by nearly $300 million annually and sent another $130 million in federal coronavirus aid to help them hire and retain workers. The additional Medicaid funding represents a 17.5% increase, or about $35 more per resident per day. Elizabeth Rementer, a spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, called the strike “unfortunate and completely avoidable” in light of the new funding.
September 6, 2022 4:12 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – A Pittsburgh police officer was injured in a crash on his way back from President Biden’s speech in West Mifflin, officials confirmed. The crash happened along the Parkway West in Robinson Township on Monday evening. According to a Pittsburgh public information officer, the officer was injured, but conscious and alert. He was taken to a local hospital. Pennsylvania State Police are handling the investigation.
September 6, 2022 4:09 am
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — (WPXI) – President Joe Biden visited the Steelworkers Union Hall in Allegheny County on Labor Day. The speech marked his second of the day. The first came in another battleground state: Wisconsin. “The middle class built America, and unions built the middle class,” Biden said. He highlighted recent bills signed into law, including the CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He said the pieces of legislation are good for American workers. “I’m going to be back here not too long from now because we got $60 billion to rebuild that bridge that collapsed when I came here not long ago,” Biden said while speaking about the Fern Hollow Bridge. He also mentioned the coming expansion at Pittsburgh International Airport. Biden also took the opportunity to stump for statewide Democrats ahead of the midterm elections. “If I have to be in a foxhole, I want John Fetterman there with me,” he said. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman briefly appeared at the podium. He’s running for Senate against Dr. Mehmet Oz. The president also repeated some themes from his speech in Philadelphia a few days ago, calling “MAGA Republicans” undemocratic. He said the country is at an inflection point. “It’s clear which way the new MAGA Republicans are. They’re extreme. Democracy is really at stake. You can’t be a democracy when you support violence if you don’t like the outcome of an election,” Biden said.
September 6, 2022 4:05 am
MONESSEN, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man is facing charges after allegedly threatening and assaulting officers while they attempted to arrest him in Monessen. According to a criminal complaint, Monessen police were called to the 1100 block of Maronda Way for a male trespassing and refusing to leave on Sept. 2. The caller told police that the suspect started an argument with her after dropping his wife off at work. The caller stated she offered his wife a ride, which upset the suspect, 39-year-old Charles Turman. He allegedly started to leave the property before stopping and picking up rocks and throwing them towards his wife. Turman allegedly fled the area in a white sedan. A responding officer initiated a traffic stop when the sedan was located. The criminal complaint showed that Turman exited his vehicle and was visibly upset. Police said Turman was screaming and causing a public disturbance, taking a fighting stance while threatening officers. He allegedly stated: “you’re lucky I don’t got that thang on me. I would shoot all of you.” According to police, an officer attempted to calm Turman down by telling him to get back in his vehicle and talk with the officers. The criminal complaint states that officers attempted to deescalate the situation, but Turman still refused to cooperate and continued to scream racial slurs and threaten officers. Rostraver Township, North Belle Vernon and Charleroi Regional police officers arrived at the scene to assist with the arrest. Turman allegedly resisted officers while handcuffs were being applied. Officers were able to get handcuffs on him and escort him to a police cruiser. The complaint states that, once at the vehicle, Turman resisted again and physical force was needed to get him into the vehicle. An officer suffered minor injuries to his right upper arm from Turman kicking his legs at him. Turman allegedly continued to resist, and an officer deployed one cartridge from his taser to get him into the cruiser. Turman began kicking the doors once inside the car. Police said that, once Turman was in a holding cell, he defecated on the floor and threw it. He allegedly used tissue paper and stuck it to the cell wall.
September 5, 2022 4:43 am
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chris Chen, a former captain in Taiwan’s military, spent a lot of time waiting during his weeklong training for reservists in June. Waiting for assembly, waiting for lunch, waiting for training. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored the importance of mobilizing civilians when under attack, as Ukraine’s reserve forces helped fend off the invaders. Nearly halfway around the world, it has highlighted Taiwan’s weaknesses on that front, chiefly in two areas: its reserves and civilian defense force. Even before the invasion of Ukraine in March, Taiwan was working on reforming both. The question is whether it will be enough.
September 5, 2022 4:40 am
MIAMI (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ effort to place candidates fully aligned with his conservative views on school boards throughout the state is helping him expand his influence. Of the 30 candidates endorsed by DeSantis in the Aug. 23 elections, 19 won, five lost and six are headed to runoffs. The endorsements highlight DeSantis’ expanding sphere of influence as he runs for reelection as governor this year and considers a 2024 presidential bid. It also shows his success in leveraging culture war battles over education, anti-racism policies and COVID-19 restrictions into support from voters.
September 5, 2022 4:38 am
REGINA, Saskatchewan (AP) — Canadian police are searching across the expansive province of Saskatchewan for two suspects believed to have stabbed to death 10 people in an Indigenous community and a nearby town in one of the deadliest mass killings in the country’s history. The suspects also injured 15 people in the series of knife attacks that led the James Smith Cree Nation to declare a state of emergency and shook residents of the nearby village of Weldon. Resident Ruby Works, who was close to one of the victims, said “No one in this town is ever going to sleep again.” Police chief Evan Bray said they believe the suspects are in Regina.
September 5, 2022 4:37 am
LANGLEY, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say one person has been killed and nine others are missing, including a child, following a floatplane crash in Puget Sound in Washington state. The U.S. Coast Guard said the plane was flying from Friday Harbor, a popular tourist destination in the San Juan Islands, to the Seattle suburb of Renton. The crash happened Sunday afternoon in Mutiny Bay, roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of Seattle. The Coast Guard said one body was recovered. The cause of the crash is unknown. The Coast Guard said four Coast Guard vessels, a rescue helicopter and an aircraft were involved in the search.
