August 24, 2023 5:06 am
OKUMA, Japan (AP) — Japan’s tsunami-wrecked nuclear power plant in Fukushima is releasing its first batch of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. In a live video from a control room at the plant Thursday, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings showed a staff member turn on a seawater pump, marking the beginning of the controversial project that’s expected to last for decades. China responded by banning seafood from Japan, effective immediately. Shortly after China’s announcement, TEPCO’s president said the utility will compensate Japanese business owners for damages suffered by export bans over the wastewater release. The Japanese government and TEPCO say the treatment and dilution exceeds international safety standards. Still, some scientists say the long-term impact needs attention.
August 24, 2023 5:06 am
TRABUCO CANYON, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say three people were killed and five others were wounded in a shooting at a Southern California biker bar. The gunman was also killed by deputies. The shooting occurred after 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cook’s Corner in rural Trabuco Canyon in Orange County, a popular longtime watering hole for motorcycle riders and enthusiasts who gather for live music and other events. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said the gunman was dead four minutes after reports of the shooting first came in. Six others were taken to a hospital, including five with gunshot wounds. The hospital said two were in critical condition.
August 24, 2023 5:04 am
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russia’s civil aviation agency says mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was on a plane that crashed north of Moscow, killing all 10 people aboard. Prigozhin led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military earlier this year. Wednesday’s crash immediately raised suspicions since the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted the mutiny. At the time, President Vladimir Putin denounced the rebellion as “treason” and a “stab in the back” and vowed to avenge it. But the charges against Prigozhin were soon dropped, and the Wagner chief was allowed to retreat to Belarus, while reportedly popping up in Russia from time to time.
August 24, 2023 5:02 am
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have dominated the Republican presidential nomination fight for much of the year. Neither dominated the debate stage Wednesday night. Trump skipped the GOP’s opening presidential primary debate. DeSantis showed up, but he was overshadowed for much of the night by political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy has crept up in recent polls, leading to his position next to DeSantis at center stage. And he quickly showed why when he showcased his ready-for-video, on-message approach. His rivals, however, attacked him for his lack of political experience and his view that the U.S. should stop supporting Ukraine.
August 24, 2023 5:01 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump is set to surrender to authorities in Georgia on charges that he schemed to overturn the 2020 election in that state, a booking process expected to yield a historic first: a mug shot of a former American president. Trump’s arrival comes on the heels of a presidential debate featuring his leading rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination, a contest in which he remains the leading candidate despite accelerating legal troubles. His presence in the state, though likely brief, is expected to swipe the spotlight at least temporarily from his opponents in the aftermath of a debate in which other candidates sought to seize on Trump’s absence to elevate their own presidential prospects.
August 24, 2023 4:58 am
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The nation’s largest railroad union wants federal regulators to do more to ensure conductors are properly trained in the wake of two recent trainee deaths in Maryland. The union that represents conductors wants the Federal Railroad Administration to establish clear standards for how long new employees are trained and who mentors them to teach them the craft after they finish their classroom training. The agency hasn’t required the railroads to make changes, but it has urged them to improve training including in a new letter sent to all their CEOs this week. CSX and Norfolk Southern have both recently announced agreements with the union to improve conductor training.
August 24, 2023 4:55 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Allegheny County Sheriff’s deputies were involved in an active shootout with a suspect at North Mathilda Street and Jordan Way in the city’s Garfield neighborhood on Wednesday. Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus told our news partners at Channel 11 that the suspect, William Hardison Sr., was pronounced dead at 5:08 p.m., nearly seven hours after the shootout started. This happened just blocks away from UPMC Children’s Hospital. Many roads were closed and people were advised to avoid the area. Multiple sources say over 100 shots were fired in the shootout. Sources said Hardison believed he was a sovereign citizen, meaning he thought he was exempt from the law. He had a criminal history dating back to at least 2000.
August 24, 2023 2:14 am
After a two day jury trial Russell Jolliffe, 33 of Fredricktown was handed a unanimous conviction on Wednesday. He was convicted on four felony charges of rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child and aggravated indecent assault of a minor. Jolliffe along with his girlfriend Joanna Wheatley were charged after relatives of the victim discovered pornography loaded onto their electronic device. The revelations came about in 2021, the assaults dated back to 2018. After the second day of testimony that found Wheatly defending her boyfriend and Jolliffe testifying in his own defense that he never touched the victim, it took a jury just under 90 minutes to convict Jolliffe. Speaking on behalf of his client, defense attorney Mark Adams states that there are inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony that created reasonable doubt. Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh was pleased with the verdict thanking Assistant District Attorney Sam Zappala and the team he gathered for their hard work. Jolliffe will be filing an appeal to the conviction, he will be sentenced on November 22.
August 23, 2023 5:17 pm
ATLANTA (AP) — Rudy Giuliani has surrendered to authorities in Georgia to face an indictment alleging he acted as former President Donald Trump’s chief co-conspirator in a plot to subvert the 2020 election. The former New York City mayor, celebrated as “America’s mayor” for his leadership after 9/11, is charged with Trump and 17 other people under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The 79-year-old Giuliani is accused of spearheading Trump’s efforts to compel state lawmakers in Georgia and other closely contested states to ignore the will of voters and illegally appoint electoral college electors favorable to Trump. (Photo: AP)
August 23, 2023 4:52 pm
(AP) – Russia’s civil aviation agency says mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was aboard a plane that crashed north of Moscow on Wednesday. All 10 people aboard were killed. Prigozhin led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military earlier this year. The crash immediately raised suspicions since the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted the mutiny. At the time, President Vladimir Putin denounced the rebellion as “treason” and a “stab in the back” and vowed to avenge it. But the charges against Prigozhin were soon dropped, and the Wagner chief was allowed to retreat to Belarus, while reportedly popping back in Russia from time to time.
