March 26, 2022 3:51 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – The United States says it will seek tougher U.N. Security Council sanctions after North Korea said it test-fired its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile to date. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Friday the U.S. would propose a measure “to update and strengthen” the council’s sanctions, though she didn’t specify how. But veto-wielding China and Russia have recently called instead for lifting sanctions on North Korea, citing its economic troubles. Thursday’s launch extended a barrage of weapons demonstrations this year that analysts say are aimed at forcing the U.S. to accept the idea of North Korea as a nuclear power and remove sanctions. Meanwhile, the U.S. responded to the launch by imposing new sanctions of its own. (Photo: AP)
March 26, 2022 3:47 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukrainian authorities say about 300 people were killed in the Russian airstrike last week that blasted open a Mariupol theater. That would make it the war’s deadliest known attack on civilians yet. Meanwhile, Russian forces appear to have halted, at least for now, their ground offensive aimed at capturing the capital, Kyiv, and are concentrating more on the fighting for control of the Donbas region in the country’s southeast. That is according to a senior U.S. defense official. The bloodshed in Mariupol is fueling allegations Moscow has committed war crimes by killing civilians, whether deliberately or by indiscriminate fire. (Photo: AP)
March 26, 2022 3:45 am
AKRON (AP) – Attorneys representing investors in utility giant FirstEnergy Corp. say the company’s former chief executive and a top official were behind the payments in an alleged $60 million corruption scheme. The two attorneys revealed the names in new court documents Wednesday under order from a federal judge. They said former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and senior vice president Michael Dowling were responsible for the company’s role. Both Jones and Dowling were fired by FirstEnergy in October 2020. Neither have been criminally charged. An attorney for the former CEO asserted Wednesday that Jones didn’t break law or violate any of FirstEnergy’s policies.
March 26, 2022 3:41 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The White House has removed Dr. Mehmet Oz – best known as daytime TV’s host of “The Dr. Oz Show” – and former football star Herschel Walker from the President’s Council on Sports, Nutrition and Fitness as both men run for U.S. Senate. Both Oz and Walker are Republicans who were appointed by President Joe Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump. Oz claims he was being removed for political reasons. The White House on Wednesday posted a list of appointments to the council. A White House official says Oz and Walker were asked to resign because the White House doesn’t permit candidates for federal office to serve on boards.
March 26, 2022 3:39 am
MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. (WPXI) — Our news partners at WPXI report that a McKees Rocks woman is facing multiple charges including child endangerment and aggravated assault after her 11-month-old son was found suffering from an opioid overdose that she attributes to Orajel. In a criminal complaint, Dana Hanner said she called 911 on Tuesday, March 22, when her son became unresponsive shortly after she found him with a tube of Orajel in his mouth. EMS workers said they thought the child was suffering from an opioid overdose and administered Narcan. At UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, a doctor found no traces of Orajel in a toxicology report but detected traces of fentanyl. The complaint states that during a search, police found suspected fentanyl and paraphernalia in Hanner’s home where she was living with her four children. During a review of Hanner’s history, it was found she was arrested in 2018 for endangering the welfare of children and multiple drug offenses consistent with selling opioids. Hanner’s children were removed from her care at that time. Police did not say how the 11-month-old boy is doing now or where the other three children who were living in the home are. Hanner is currently out on bond and will have a preliminary hearing on March 29.
March 26, 2022 3:34 am
The Washington County Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion with municipal managers to discuss what challenges face their communities and what is most important to the continued development of each. Township managers form South Strabane, North Strabane, Peters Township and North Franklin gathered and public safety was a key to maintaining growth. Peters Township and North Strabane townships are opening new fire stations to serve residential growth. South Strabane Township is moving to enlarge its full time fire fighter staff. North Franklin is served by three volunteer companies but the township not only contributes to their support, they offer each fire fighter a $20 stipend to each call that is responded. Township amenities such as parks are important as well. North Franklin and North Strabane are in the process of building new municipal offices. Peters Township and North Franklin also are investing into parks for their resident’s enjoyment. Paul Lauer, Township Manager for Peters Township pointed out the biggest hidden challenge to all local governments in southwestern Pennsylvania will be how to recruit and retain qualified people to serve in all aspects of local government.
March 26, 2022 3:33 am
(AP) – Federal prosecutors say two men who worked in direct care at a western Pennsylvania residential facility inflicted what a grand jury alleges was “violent, demeaning and humiliating” abuse on people with severe physical and mental disabilities. Federal hate crimes charges were announced Friday against 28-year-old Zachary Lee Dinell and 31-year-old Tyler Smith. They’ve both been fired from McGuire Memorial in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. The grand jury says they abused people who aren’t able to speak to report their injuries and lack the capacity to defend themselves. The men don’t have lawyers listed in court records, and messages were left for lawyers who previously represented them in state court.
March 25, 2022 1:31 pm
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – A 14-year-old boy fell to his death late at night from a free-fall amusement park ride that’s taller than the Statue of Liberty along a busy street in the heart of Orlando, Florida’s, tourist district. Sheriff’s officials and emergency crews responded to a call late Thursday at Icon Park, which is located in the city’s tourist district along International Drive. The boy fell from the Orlando Free Fall ride, which opened late last year. Sheriff’s officials say he was taken to a hospital, where he died. The 430-foot ride opened late last year and is billed as the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower. (Photo: WPXI)
March 25, 2022 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Virginia Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, sent weeks of text messages imploring White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to act to overturn the 2020 presidential election – furthering then-President Donald Trump’s lies that the free and fair vote was marred by nonexistent fraud. That’s according to copies of the messages obtained Thursday by The Washington Post and CBS News. The 29 messages the pair exchanged came in the weeks after the vote in November 2020. On Nov. 10, three days after the election and after The Associated Press declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner, Thomas, a conservative activist, texted to Meadows, “Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!!”
March 25, 2022 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A majority of Americans say they don’t blame President Joe Biden for high gasoline prices, but they’re giving his economic leadership low marks amid fears of inflation and deepening pessimism about economic conditions. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows about 7 in 10 Americans say the nation’s economy is in bad shape, and close to two-thirds disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy. What’s more, Americans are more likely to say his policies have hurt the economy than helped it. Even so, they are more likely to say that higher than usual gas prices are more because of factors outside of Biden’s control than because of Biden’s policies.
