August 20, 2024 5:10 am
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it has recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that started the war in Gaza. The operation came as U.S. and Arab mediators try to advance an agreement to halt the fighting and release scores of other militant-held captives. The military announced the recovery on Tuesday, without saying when or how the six died. Hamas says some captives have been killed and wounded in Israeli airstrikes. The recovery is a blow to Hamas, which hopes to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting cease-fire. But it was also likely to increase pressure on Israel’s government to reach a deal to release dozens of hostages who are still believed to be alive.
August 19, 2024 9:42 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Giant Eagle is selling its GetGo convenience store sites, the company announced Monday. The business has entered an agreement to sell the stores to Couche-Tard, an international leader in the convenience store and fuel industry. “For Giant Eagle, this transition enables us to focus greater resources to enhance and grow our core supermarket and pharmacy businesses. The sale will strengthen Giant Eagle, better enabling us to prioritize investments and resources, further bolstering our position as a leading regional grocer and pharmacy with a well-known brand that delivers value for customers and Team Members,” the company said. Couche-Tard and Giant Eagle have agreed to keep and partner together on the myPerks loyalty program across Giant Eagle and GetGo locations, while exploring opportunities to expand the program to unlock even more value and discounts for our customers. Couche-Tard intends to retain all GetGo store, operations and support employees. The sale is expected to close in 2025.
August 19, 2024 4:46 am
CHARLEROI, Pa. — A man was stabbed in Charleroi Sunday. Washington County dispatchers said emergency crews were called to the 500 block of Washington Avenue at 7:05 p.m. First responders found a man who had been stabbed in the back. The victim was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital, dispatchers said. There’s currently no word on his condition. Dispatchers also said that the suspect was taken into custody.
August 19, 2024 5:17 am
GREENE COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – According to Greene County Regional Police Chief Will DeForte, the man police believe is tied to a drug cartel is now in custody. A stolen motorcycle led police to Jimmy Butterfield’s home in Morris Township. There police found stolen bikes, a sawed-off shotgun, an assault rife and a pound of meth they believe came from a drug lab across the southern United States border. Butterfield was taken into custody after a two-week search. He was taken into custody by the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department in West Virginia. Police Chief DeForte said that deputies had to smash a window out of Butterfield’s truck because there was some mild resistance. The police chief also shared that they have engaged in two high-speed pursuits involving this fugitive over the last several days.
August 19, 2024 4:50 am
ROCHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz gave pep talks to campaign volunteers and a high school football team Sunday. Their bus tour in a corner of Pennsylvania is serving as a modest, small-town version of the grand rally she’s expected to have at the Democratic nominating convention in Chicago this week. Vice President Harris and Walz, the governor of Minnesota, visited volunteers at a campaign office not far from Pittsburgh before continuing on to a firehouse and a high school in another town. The tour, in a bright blue bus bearing the candidates’ names and the phrase “A new way forward,” also included pilgrimages to a convenience store and a restaurant known for its towering sandwiches.
August 19, 2024 5:14 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Crowds of activists are expected to gather in Chicago for protests outside the Democratic National Convention. They are hoping to call attention to such issues as economic injustice, reproductive rights and the war in Gaza. While Vice President Kamala Harris has galvanized the party as she gears up to accept the Democratic nomination, activists say their plans to demonstrate haven’t changed. They’re ready to amplify their progressive message before the nation’s top Democrats. Their issues cover climate change, abortion rights and racial equality, to name a few, but many activists agree an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war is the overarching message. Organizers estimate turnout Monday to be at least 20,000.
August 19, 2024 7:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have released their initial impeachment inquiry report on President Joe Biden. The yearlong probe by Republicans stops short of alleging any criminal wrongdoing by the president over his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Instead, the almost 300-page report out Monday, before the Democratic National Convention, covers familiar ground. It asserts the Biden family traded on its “brand” in business ventures in corrupt ways that rise to the Constitution’s high bar for impeachment. But with Biden no longer running for reelection, next steps are highly uncertain. The White House has dismissed the House impeachment inquiry as a “stunt” and encouraged House Republicans to “move on.”
August 19, 2024 4:52 am
BEDMINSTER, N.J. (AP) — As Democrats kick off their convention in Chicago, Donald Trump’s campaign is trying to regain its footing after spending the last several weeks flailing to adjust to the new reality of Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket. Trump had appeared in denial of the reality of Harris’ rise, lashing out angrily as he claimed the large crowds she’s been drawing were generated by artificial intelligence and making racist attacks questioning her identity. The outbursts alarmed allies, who worried Trump was damaging his chance in what they believe is an eminently winnable race.
August 19, 2024 3:44 pm
ATLANTA (AP) — Challengers seeking to throw Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off Georgia’s presidential ballot say he must be disqualified because the New York address he used on Georgia ballot access petitions is a sham. They made the arguments Monday in a hearing before an administrative judge. It shows how a New York court decision finding Kennedy doesn’t live there is being used to attack Kennedy’s ballot access in other states. The judge ruled Kennedy shouldn’t appear on New York ballots, but Kennedy is appealing. A lawyer for Kennedy says Georgia is improperly trying to impose additional qualifications on a presidential candidate beyond those in the U.S. Constitution. (Photo: AP)
August 19, 2024 5:23 pm
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. George Santos has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in his federal fraud case. The New York Republican entered the plea Monday in a courtroom in Long Island. His trial had been set to start in early September. Santos was indicted on charges that he stole from political donors, used campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses, lied to Congress about his wealth and collected unemployment benefits while working. He was expelled from Congress after an ethics investigation found what it called “overwhelming evidence” that Santos had broken the law. Santos faces more than six years in prison under federal guidelines at sentencing in February and owes at least $370,000 in restitution. (Photo: AP)
