February 4, 2023 3:39 am
SAN FRANCISO (AP) – A jury has decided Elon Musk didn’t defraud investors with tweets in 2018. The verdict by the nine jurors was reached after less that two hours of deliberation following a three-week trial. The trial pitted Tesla investors represented in a class-action lawsuit against Musk, who is CEO of both the electric automaker and the Twitter service he bought for for $44 billion a few months ago. In 2018, Musk tweeted that he had the financing to take Tesla private even though it turned out he hadn’t gotten an iron-clad commitment for an aborted deal that would have cost $20 billion to $70 billion to pull off. The verdict is a major vindication for Musk.
February 4, 2023 3:38 am
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Officials say a sixth Memphis officer was fired Friday after an internal police investigation showed he violated multiple department policies in the violent arrest of Tyre Nichols, including rules surrounding the deployment of a stun gun. Preston Hemphill had previously been suspended as he was investigated for his role in the Jan. 7 of Nichols, who died three days later. Five Memphis officers have already been fired and charged with second-degree murder in Nichols’ death. Hemphill was the third officer at a traffic stop that preceded the violent arrest but was not where Nichols was beaten. Body camera footage from the initial stop has Hemphill saying that he stunned Nichols and “I hope they stomp his ass.”
February 4, 2023 3:34 am
Police say two men robbed the same two Fayette County convenience stores five times over the course of two weeks. William Fowler IV, 21, and Brandon Milton Harbarger, 27, were placed in the Fayette County Jail after a Uniontown state police and Uniontown City Police investigation into the robberies. The men allegedly used knives and box cutters to demand money from the store clerks five times from Jan. 17 to Jan. 31. They are both scheduled to appear in court later this month.
February 4, 2023 3:32 am
(WPXI)- A weekend “thaw” will bring back milder temperatures and make it more comfortable to head outdoors, but early risers Saturday will still need the extra layers.
Morning low temperatures will dip down into the single digits Saturday morning, and wind chills will drop near zero.
After lunch temperatures will slowly begin to climb with highs topping near freezing. You’ll also enjoy plenty of sunshine.
Even milder temperatures move in Sunday as winds from the south help push us back into the mid 40s.
February 4, 2023 3:22 am
Washington City Council met Thursday for their voting meeting and approved a measure to join the Washington County Land Bank. The Land Bank is operated by the Washington County Redevelopment Authority. According to Executive Director Bob Griffin the land bank is an excellent tool to use in the fight against blight. Griffin says that many of the properties purchased by the land bank are in foreclosure and the land bank makes acquisition that way. They then rehabilitate the properties, removing blight conditions, put them up for sale for individual owner purchase. The purpose is to get the homes back on the active tax rolls. Mayor Scott Putnam says that it is a good partnership for the city. The land bank will allow the city to keep its housing stock steady and receive tax revenue from those sales and the city can concentrate on demolition of structures that cannot be rehabilitated. Main Street Manager Shana Brown reported that her next event happening in the city is a Cocoa Tour scheduled for February 11. March 10 will be Washington Goes Irish Day and May 6 will be the inaugural Running of the Wools, sponsored by Range Resources.
February 3, 2023 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – America’s employers added a robust 517,000 jobs in January, a surprisingly strong gain in the face of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive drive to slow growth and tame inflation with higher interest rates. The unemployment rate dipped to 3.4%. Friday’s government report added to the picture of a resilient labor market, with low unemployment, relatively few layoffs and many job openings even as most economists foresee a recession nearing. Though good for workers, employers’ steady demand for labor has also helped accelerate wage growth and contributed to high inflation. January’s job growth, which topped December’s 269,000 gain, could raise doubts about whether inflation pressures will ease further in the months ahead.
February 3, 2023 4:09 am
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A newly released audio recording offers a behind-the-scenes look at how former President Donald Trump’s campaign team in a pivotal battleground state knew they had been outflanked by Democrats in the 2020 presidential election. But even as they acknowledged defeat, they pivoted to allegations of widespread fraud that were ultimately debunked — repeatedly — by elections officials and the courts. The audio from Nov. 5, 2020, two days after the election, is surfacing as Trump again seeks the White House while continuing to lie about the legitimacy of the outcome and Democrat Joe Biden’s win.
February 3, 2023 4:05 am
BEIJING (AP) – China says that a balloon spotted over American airspace was used for weather research and was blown off course, despite U.S. suspicion it was spying. The discovery further strained already tense relations between Beijing and Washington. The Pentagon decided not to shoot down the balloon, which was potentially flying over sensitive sites, because of concerns of hurting people on the ground. The news came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was expected to make his first trip to Beijing this weekend. The visit has not been formally announced, and it was not immediately clear if the balloon’s discovery would affect his travel plans.
February 3, 2023 4:02 am
MOUNT LEBANON, Pa. — (WPXI) – A nursing home worker in Mount Lebanon is charged with sexual assault for what police say he did with a resident there. Certified nurse assistant Solomon Rivers, 32, also known as Solomon Roberson, is charged with institutional sexual assault. According to the criminal complaint, a resident at Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness told police he performed a sex act on Rivers in the bathroom of his room. Documents show the victim in this case has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old and is confined to a wheelchair. According to the complaint, Rivers was interviewed multiple times and admitted to what happened saying “it went too far.” The report also says Rivers told police he would no longer “pursue a job in the healthcare field.” It is unclear whether Rivers was fired from his position. Our news partners at WPXI reached out to management at the center over the phone and in-person. They were told no one there could speak and they would have to try another day.
February 3, 2023 3:57 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Watch for icy spots early Friday as the first round of an arctic blast moves through the area. Most of the snow will taper off before or through the morning commute, but colder temperatures will mean anything that falls will stick around. Icy spots on sidewalks, roads, bridges and overpasses will be possible, so allow some extra time to get where you’re going. Cold air will rush in along with the snow and morning wind chills will be at or near zero, so grab the winter coats, hats and gloves as you head out.
