May 29, 2025 11:30 am
SAO PAULO — (AP) — Videos featuring emotional moments with hyper-realistic baby dolls have sparked both online fascination and political debate in Brazil, with lawmakers even bringing the lifelike dolls into legislatures. Influencers have staged situations such as birth simulations and strolls in shopping malls with the hand-crafted baby figures, known as “reborn” dolls, creating videos that have gone viral. In Rio de Janeiro, the city council has passed a bill honoring those who make the lifelike dolls, pending Mayor Eduardo Paes’ signature. Meanwhile, legislators elsewhere across the country have debated fines for those seeking medical help for such dolls, following a video allegedly showing a woman taking one to a hospital. Lawmakers have brought the dolls into legislative chambers. On Tuesday, Joao Luiz, a state lawmaker from Amazonas, appeared with a doll at the State House to announce plans to ban reborn dolls from receiving care in the state’s public health system. However, local media reported that health authorities had never recorded any such cases.
May 29, 2025 11:27 am
(WPXI) NEW YORK — (AP) — New York City police are investigating two detectives who worked security at an upscale Manhattan townhouse where a man says he was kidnapped and tortured for weeks by two crypto investors who wanted to steal his Bitcoin, a city official said Thursday. One of the detectives serves on Mayor Eric Adams’ security detail and is believed to have picked up the victim from a local airport and brought him to the townhouse, the official said. It’s not immediately clear if the other detective, who is a narcotics officer, has any connection to the incident. The detectives have been placed on modified leave pending the outcome of the inquiry, according to the official, who was briefed on the case and spoke anonymously to The Associated Press because they are not authorized to discuss the internal investigation. It is not uncommon for members of the NYPD to do private security work outside of their city jobs but they need to receive prior approval. At this point, the official said, the department is looking into whether the officers received that approval. Adams’ office confirmed one of the detectives provides security detail for the Democrat, but said the mayor has no knowledge of what the officer does on his personal time. “Every city employee is expected to follow the law, including our officers, both on and off duty,” the mayor’s office said in an emailed statement. “We are disturbed by these allegations.” In response to an emailed inquiry, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed two members were placed on modified duty Wednesday. A spokesperson for the labor union representing NYPD detectives didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Thursday. Crypto investors John Woeltz and William Duplessie have been charged in the case. Their lawyers have declined to comment. Authorities allege that on May 6, the two men lured the victim, who they knew personally, to a posh townhouse in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood by threatening to kill his family. The man, a 28-year-old Italian national who has not been named by officials, said he was then held captive for 17 days, as the two investors tormented him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe and at one point dangled him from a staircase five stories high. He eventually agreed to hand over his computer password Friday morning, then managed to flee the home as his captors went to retrieve the device. The investigation into the officers began, incidentally, on the same day Adams headlined a crypto convention in Las Vegas, where he described New York as the Bitcoin capital of the country.
May 29, 2025 5:54 am
Uniontown, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 12 is announcing the closure of Route 3026 (Enon Church Road) between Jackson Road and the Consol Bailey Prep Plant in West Finley Township, Washington County, will be extended from today until late June. Detour:
· Route 3037 (West Finley Road)
· Route 3035/3029 (Burnsville Ridge Road)
· Route 231 (East Finley Drive)
The Washington County maintenance department is conducting slide repairs – an infrastructure investment of $120,000. All work depends on weather and operational conditions. Remain alert and follow the posted signs and speed limits. Safety is everyone’s responsibility.
May 29, 2025 4:53 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, “including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” His announcement Wednesday adds to the uncertainty for America’s international students, who have faced intensifying scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s administration. China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the United States, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the U.S. On Tuesday, Rubio halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for international students.
May 29, 2025 4:52 am
(AP) – The White House says Israel has accepted a new U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday said special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump submitted a ceasefire proposal that Israel has “backed and supported.” Hamas officials gave the Israeli-approved draft a cool response, but said they wanted to study the proposal more closely before giving a formal answer.
May 29, 2025 4:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy. The billionaire entrepreneur posted Wednesday about his decision on X, his social media website. “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote. A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk about the change, confirmed that Musk was leaving. Musk’s departure comes one day after he criticized the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda, saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his “big beautiful bill.”
May 29, 2025 4:46 am
State Police say they investigated 756 crashes that resulted in 140 injuries and five deaths over the four day Memorial Day holiday weekend. Total crashes were down from 849 in 2024. Intoxicated drivers were a factor in 57 of those crashes, two of which were fatal. Troopers also arrested 519 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. That’s up from 456 last year. More than 27-thousand citations were issued. More than 7-thousand for speeding, 977 for failing to wear a seat belt and 166 for not securing children in safety seats.
May 29, 2025 4:42 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Pennsylvania court officials are warning the public of a text scam. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts says the scams involve messages that mimic the Pennsylvania Courts and/or Unified Judicial System website. The text tells victims that court records show they have an outstanding traffic ticket that must be paid. The scam also lays out fake actions and penalties if the ticket is not paid, including license and vehicle suspension, prosecution and negative credit score impacts. Court officials say they will never call or text anyone soliciting payment via any means for any reason. You should never give personal information to anyone claiming to be from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts through text or call. If you get one of these scam texts, officials encourage you to contact local police at the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection at (800) 441-2555.
May 29, 2025 1:00 am
In a public hearing that lasted well over two hours, Mt. Pleasant Township residents voiced their opposition to the construction of a tank pad by Range Resources. The proposed site of the tank pad would be on the Yonker well site on Baker Road near the intersection of Fort Cherry Road and Walnut Road. That intersection is governed by a four way stop sign configuration. During the presentation of the project, it was stated that the tanks on the pad would be temporary structures housing fresh and reused water. The total operational time would be 30-60 days twice each year with operations being conducted 24 hours a day. Late summer construction would then lead to first usage in the fall. Residents that spoke during the hearing largely support gas drilling in the township. Most people pre-qualifying their statements with that support. Most of the arguments centered on safety. It was stated that the intersection is deficient for large trucks. People were concerned about the proximity of the site to nearby schools. Paul Salansky, whose farm is adjacent to the would be site, called on supervisors to not just “do the lawful thing, how about we do the right thing.” Supervisors now have 45 days to render their decision.
May 28, 2025 5:19 pm
(WPXI) – A local war hero accused of raping a teenage girl faced a judge on Wednesday. At the hearing, it was determined that Brandon Rumbaugh will stay behind bars, as the judge denied him bond. He wasn’t able to make it to the bond hearing because his defense attorney, David Shrager said there weren’t accommodations for Rumbaugh, who is a double amputee, to get into the magistrate. That issue was one of the arguments Shrager had for letting Rumbaugh out on bond. “We’re dealing with someone who is a double amputee who has special medical needs and medication. Quite frankly, I don’t know if the jail is capable of handling that in an appropriate way. They couldn’t even bring him here safely,” Shrager said. Rumbaugh is a decorated Marine veteran who lost both of his legs after stepping on an IED in Afghanistan. For the last week, he’s been in jail after police say he raped a 13 year old girl multiple times in his Pleasant Hills home. Investigators say Rumbaugh and the girl watched military movies together, then eventually he sexually assaulted her. Shrager says he plans to ask for bond again in a higher court.
