April 16, 2022 4:23 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – More than 900 bodies of civilians were discovered in the Kyiv region following the withdrawal of Russian forces. That’s according to the regional police chief, who spoke Friday. The jarring numbers emerged shortly after Russia’s Defense Ministry promised to ramp up missile attacks on Kyiv in response to alleged aggression on Russian territory. That warning followed the stunning loss of Moscow’s flagship in the Black Sea, which a senior U.S. official confirmed was hit by a Ukrainian missile. Amid its threats, Moscow continues preparations for a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine. Fighting also continues in the pummeled southern port city of Mariupol.
April 16, 2022 4:21 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s Labor and Industry secretary says the state “continues to rebound strongly” from the COVID-19 pandemic with unemployment dropping by two-tenths of a point in March. The latest figure of 4.9% released Friday is another indication the state’s jobs picture continues to strengthen. The decrease mirrored the national picture, as U.S. joblessness fell by the same fraction, to 3.6%. Increases were seen widely across employment categories. Pennsylvania unemployment is now 2.2 percentage points below where it was one year ago.
April 16, 2022 1:17 am
PITTSBURGH-(WPXI)- Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey announced on Friday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation at home. According to a release from the city, Gainey is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is only experiencing minor symptoms. The city said Gainey will be fulfilling his duties from home following all recommended guidelines from the CDC and Health Department. And right after Gainey’s announcement, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced that he too has tested positive for Covid-19. In a statement Fitzgerald says that he was informed that he was in close contact with someone with Covid-19. Fitzgerald took a rapid test and tested positive. He feels no symptoms and will isolate according to CDC protocols.
April 16, 2022 1:03 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Students at Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities won’t see tuition increase next year under a unanimous vote by the the system’s board. The State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors passed on Thursday what will be the fourth year of flat tuition. The struggling system hopes the Legislature will approve hundreds of millions in additional funding in the 2022-23 state budget. Tuition is currently about $7,700 for in-state undergraduates. The typical graduate leaves with $39,000 in student debt.
April 15, 2022 3:47 pm
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that Democratic Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer qualifies for the primary ballot, rejecting a lower court decision and allowing her to continue her campaign for the nomination. The court’s decision Friday leaves Finkenauer as the likely front-runner in a race with two lesser-known candidates ahead of Iowa’s June 7 primary. The winner will face Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, who is seeking an eighth term in the Senate. The court rejected a lower court ruling that found Finkenauer failed to meet a state law that requires candidates to submit at least 100 signatures from at least 19 counties to qualify for the ballot.
April 15, 2022 3:42 pm
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Election security experts for years have urged states to replace outdated voting machines. They say systems that include a paper record of every ballot cast would mean that any disputed results can be verified. Most took that path, but six states did not, most of them Republican-led. But with false claims still swirling around the 2020 presidential election, some GOP voters don’t trust voting machines. Responding to those concerns, many Republican lawmakers are coming around on the switch-out. Of the six states, Mississippi and Indiana plan to have a paper trail by the 2024 presidential election, with similar legislation pending in Tennessee.
April 15, 2022 4:17 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – The flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet sank after it was heavily damaged in the latest setback for Moscow’s invasion. Ukrainian officials said their forces hit the vessel with missiles. Russia acknowledged a fire aboard the Moskva but no attack. It said the flames forced the entire crew to evacuate. U.S. and other Western officials could not confirm what caused the blaze. The loss of the warship named for the Russian capital is a devastating symbolic defeat. The Russian Defense Ministry said the vessel sank in a storm while being towed to a port. The ship would typically have 500 sailors on board.
April 15, 2022 4:14 am
Firefighters battling a deadly wildfire in southern New Mexico took advantage of a brief break in the weather but gusty winds are expected to return Friday. The blaze claimed two lives and charred more than 200 residences. The fire has forced the evacuation of about 5,000 people in the mountain community of Ruidoso. That’s where the remains of a couple were found near a burned home as they tried to flee. Area schools have been closed into next week and about 5,000 residences have been left without power since the wind-driven blaze broke out Tuesday.
April 15, 2022 4:12 am
JERUSALEM (AP) – Clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a major holy site in Jerusalem, have wounded at least 67 Palestinians. The Islamic endowment that administers the site said Israeli police entered in force before dawn, as thousands of worshippers were gathered at the mosque for early morning prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Israel said its forces entered to remove rocks and stones that had been gathered in anticipation of violence. The mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. It is built on a hilltop that is the most sacred site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. Israeli-Palestinian tensions have soared in recent weeks.
April 15, 2022 4:11 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – On a day that saw Russia suffer a stinging symbolic defeat with the loss of its Black Sea fleet flagship, Ukraine’s president has hailed his people for their resolve since Russia invaded and for making “the most important decision of their life – to fight.” In his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told his compatriots they should be proud of having survived 50 days under attack when Moscow “gave us a maximum of five.” He spoke hours after the Russian guided-missile cruiser Moskva sank after suffering heavy damage in disputed circumstances. Ukraine said it hit the vessel with missiles, while Russia acknowledged a fire on board but no attack.
