July 14, 2022 2:25 am
DENVER (AP) – A wealthy dentist accused of killing his wife during an African safari and later collecting nearly $5 million in insurance proceeds admitted to the killing to his longtime lover, a federal prosecutor told a jury Wednesday. The U.S. government alleges that 67-year-old Lawrence “Larry” Rudolph, who founded Three Rivers Dental Group in Greensburg, killed his wife during a 2016 trip in Zambia. Rudolph’s attorney told jurors that Bianca Rudolph’s death was accidental, and he accused prosecutors of relying on circumstantial evidence. Rudolph and his wife were big game hunters. If convicted, Rudolph could face life in prison or the death penalty. The trial is in Colorado because the insurance payouts were based there.
July 13, 2022 5:14 pm
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Netflix has picked Microsoft to help deliver the commercials in a cheaper version of its video streaming service expected to launch later this year with a pledge to minimize the intrusions into personal privacy that often accompany digital ads. The alliance announced Wednesday marks a major step toward Netflix’s first foray into advertising after staying commercial-free for 15 years. áNetflix announced it would create an ad-supported option three months ago after disclosing it had lost 200,000 subscribers during the first three months of the year amid stiffer competition and rising inflation. Netflix still hasn’t disclosed the price of its ad-backed service.
July 13, 2022 5:13 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Biden administration and Democrats are warning of dire consequences if Congress fails to act on computer chips legislation. They say Congress needs to pass a bill by the end of July that’s designed to boost semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. Advocates say the plan is important for the economy and national security. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says computer chip makers are being offered lucrative incentives from other countries such as South Korea, Japan, France, Germany and Singapore to locate plants there. Raimondo says “there are very real, very devastating consequences if Congress doesn’t do its job in the month of July.”
July 13, 2022 4:51 am
The second of two men charged with placing credit card skimmers on check out lines at Sam’s Club in the Trinity Point Shopping Center waived his charges to court. Raul-Mihai Cojocaru, a Romanian national requested a Fast Track plea hearing for his role in the event. Cojocaru and his accomplice, Constantin Colceag were found on surveillance footage to be placing skimmers on May 16. Employees discovered the skimmer on May 20. Both men are facing felony charges of usage of a device to record encoded information and conspiracy usage of the device. Both are being held in the Allegheny County Jail where they face similar charges in several areas of Allegheny County. Colceag is scheduled for formal arraignment on his waived charges on July 28. Cojocaru will face his plea hearing on September 14. Both remain in jail on $500,000 bond.
July 13, 2022 4:20 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The Emmy Award nominations announced Tuesday included some snubs and surprises, like “This Is Us” and “black-ish” walking away forever limply and Nathan Lane making history as the most-nominated best comedy guest actor in Emmy history. Dave Chappelle’s special “The Closer” was nominated for best variety special and best directing for a variety special despite criticism over its anti-transgender comments. And Hulu’s buzzy true crime satire “Only Murders in the Building” was eligible for the first time this year and slayed with 17 nominations, including writing, outstanding comedy and stars Martin Short and Steve Martin.
July 13, 2022 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Surging prices for gas, food and rent catapulted U.S. inflation to a new four-decade peak in June, further pressuring households and likely sealing the case for another large interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve, with higher borrowing costs to follow. Consumer prices soared 9.1% compared with a year earlier, the government said Wednesday, the biggest 12-month increase since 1981, and up from an 8.6% jump in May. On a monthly basis, prices rose 1.3% from May to June, another substantial increase, after prices had jumped 1% from April to May.
July 13, 2022 4:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – In a heated, “unhinged” dispute, Donald Trump fought objections from his White House lawyers to a plan, eventually discarded, to seize states’ voting machines, the House Jan. 6 committee has revealed. Then, in a last ditch effort to salvage his presidency, Trump summoned supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol for what turned into the deadly riot. In another revelation Tuesday, committee co-chair Liz Cheney said the panel had notified the Justice Department that Trump himself had contacted a potential witness who was talking with the committee. The panel also presented evidence that Trump aides secretly planned for a second rally stage across from the Capitol on the day of the attack.
July 13, 2022 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Leaders of the Group of Seven industrial nations have tentatively agreed to back a cap on the price of Russian oil, the main pillar of the Kremlin’s financial revenue. Participants in the price cap plan would agree to purchase the oil at a lower than market price. The idea is to bring Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine to a halt while possibly lowering energy costs. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is touring Indo-Pacific countries to lobby for the price cap proposal. In Japan on Tuesday, U.S. and Japanese officials agreed to explore the feasibility of price caps.
July 13, 2022 4:14 am
JERUSALEM (AP) – President Joe Biden has opened a Mideast visit by offering anxious Israeli leaders strong reassurances of his determination to stop Iran’s nuclear program. Biden said he’d be willing to use force “as a last resort.” The president’s comments came in an interview aired Wednesday with Israel’s Channel 12 as Biden opened a four-day visit to the region. The U.S. and Israel are expected to unveil a joint declaration on Thursday cementing their close military ties and strengthening past calls to take military action against Iran’s growing nuclear program. Israel has said both countries would commit to “using all elements of their national power against the Iranian nuclear threat.”
July 13, 2022 4:08 am
SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE, Pa. — (WPXI) – Four Colombia nationals are now behind bars in the Allegheny County Jail. Police say Luz Ahida Hernandez Capera, Ana Milena Medina Cruz, Luz Milena Gomez Rodriguez, and Luisa Eduardo Torres Hernandez travelled from New York City to Pittsburgh to steal from shoppers at South Hills Village Mall. Investigators say they tried to steal wallets and purses, and used the stolen credit cards to make purchases. Police say surveillance video caught one of the suspects in action when she reached into a woman’s purse, when it was hanging on the back of her chair at Condado Restaurant. While the alleged theft happened in the South Hills, the foursome was caught in the North Hills when Ross Township Police pulled their car over. Investigators say they found wigs, hats, clothes, and all of the women’s handbags had hidden linings to prevent metal detectors from going off.
