Pa. auditor’s race poses historic first for candidates of color
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s two major political parties have nominated candidates of color for state auditor general, a historic step that means that voters will for the first time elect a racial minority to lead a statewide executive branch office. Nina Ahmad, who came to the United States from Bangladesh as...
Officer Garrett Rolfe, who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks, to be chargedVideo
ATLANTA — Prosecutors brought murder charges Wednesday against the white Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks in the back, saying that the black man posed no deadly threat and that the officer kicked him and offered no medical treatment for over 2 minutes as he lay dying on the...
Pa. Supreme Court to decide lawsuit seeking end to Wolf’s pandemic shutdown
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s highest court on Wednesday granted the Democratic governor’s request and took over a lawsuit by legislative Republicans that could end his pandemic shutdown order. The Supreme Court announced it will decide the case filed by Senate Republicans, seeking to enforce a resolution that both chambers passed last...
Maryland board approves nearly $4M for 2 wrongly imprisoned
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A Maryland board approved settlements of nearly $2 million each Wednesday for two men who were wrongly imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit. The three-member Board of Public Works approved the settlements to be paid over seven years. Board records show Eric Simmons and Kenneth McPherson were...
Boris Johnson’s car hit in fender-bender; no injuriesVideo
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in a minor car crash on Wednesday after a protester ran in front of the vehicle as it left Parliament. No one was hurt. Footage posted on social media showed a man step running toward the silver Jaguar as it drove out...
Pennsylvania reports 43 new coronavirus deaths, 335 new cases
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 43 new covid-19 deaths and 335 new cases in the state Wednesday. That brings the state’s total case count to 79,818, with 6,319 deaths. The state considers 629 patients as probable cases, but they are not confirmed. More than half of coronavirus cases in...
Lawmakers rip FAA for not disclosing documents on Boeing Max
The chairman of a Senate committee accused the Federal Aviation Administration of stonewalling lawmakers’ attempts to understand how the agency approved a Boeing jet that later suffered two deadly crashes and whether the FAA retaliates against whistle blowers in its ranks. Roger Wicker, a Republican senator from Mississippi, said Wednesday...
Popular Mechanics offers how-to guide to toppling statues
So you and some friends find yourselves about to bring down that Confederate statue in the center of town. But you don’t want anyone to get hurt, right? How’s a protester to stay safe? Well, Popular Mechanics figured they’d weigh in on the issue, offering a how-to guide for eager...
Aunt Jemima name, image to be dropped by Quaker Oats
Quaker Oats announced Wednesday it’s changing the name of Aunt Jemima syrup and pancake mix. “We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype,” Quaker vice president and chief marketing officer Kristin Kroepfl said in a statement. “As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several...
Full Power Edu: New model holds key for future of distance learning
The past few months have been a uniquely challenging time for everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world into a “new normal,” making everyday tasks harder and presenting massive organizational challenges for institutions that citizens previously took for granted. Perhaps nowhere are these challenges more apparent than in our...
China says it agrees with India to peacefully solve tensionsVideo
BEIJING — China said Wednesday that it is seeking a a peaceful resolution to its Himalayan border dispute with India following the death of 20 Indian soldiers in the most violent confrontation in decades. “Both sides agree to resolve this matter through dialogue and consultation and make efforts to ease...
Turkey moves troops against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey said Wednesday it has airlifted troops for a cross-border ground operation against Turkey’s Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, the first known airborne-and-land offensive by Ankara inside Iraqi territory. The offensive into the border region of Haftanin, about 9 miles from the Turkey-Iraq border, was launched following...
Kremlin installs special antiseptic tunnels to protect PutinVideo
MOSCOW — The Russian government built special tunnels to protect President Vladimir Putin from the coronavirus at home and at work, Putin’s spokesman said Wednesday. Reports about tunnels where anyone passing through gets sprayed with germ-killing antiseptics appeared in Russian media on Tuesday night. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday...
Beijing’s new outbreak raises fears for rest of the worldVideo
BEIJING — China raised its emergency warning to its second highest level and canceled more than 60% of the flights to Beijing on Wednesday amid a new coronavirus outbreak in the capital — a sharp pullback for the nation that declared victory over the virus in March and a warning...
Trump signs order on police reform, doesn’t mention racism
WASHINGTON — Following weeks of national protests since the death of George Floyd, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that he said would encourage better police practices. But he made no mention of the roiling national debate over racism spawned by police killings of black men and women....
Watchdogs say Trump administration limiting oversight of coronavirus aidVideo
WASHINGTON — Government watchdogs are warning that a legal determination by the Trump administration could severely limit their ability to oversee more than $1 trillion in spending related to the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to four congressional committees, a panel of inspectors general overseeing a sweeping economic rescue law...
Rep. Daryl Metcalfe reveals 5 articles of impeachment against Gov. Tom WolfVideo
A state Representative from Butler County and 24 co-sponsors filed articles of impeachment against Gov. Tom Wolf. Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, introduced House Resolution 915 on Tuesday afternoon, claiming Wolf should be removed from office for his actions during the coronavirus pandemic and referred to the governor as “Dictator Wolf.”...
NYPD says officers were not poisoned at Shake ShackVideo
NEW YORK — New York City police determined there was nothing criminal afoot when three officers got Shake Shack milkshakes that might have been accidentally tainted with a cleanser. Police came to the determination after “a thorough investigation,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said in a tweet early Tuesday....
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says state can handle spike in covid-19 casesVideo
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott insisted Tuesday that Texas’ health care system can handle the record-high number of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations as the state aggressively pushes to reopen its economy. At a news conference, Abbott acknowledged that many Texans have become lax about wearing masks and social distancing...
Man arrested in shooting during Albuquerque statue protestVideo
ALBUQUERQUE — A 31-year-old man has been arrested in a shooting that happened as protesters in Albuquerque, N.M., tried to tear down a bronze statue of a Spanish conquistador outside a museum, police said Tuesday. Police said Stephen Ray Baca was arrested and jailed on suspicion of aggravated battery with...
Nebraska Democrats renounce their Senate pick over sexually suggestive comments
OMAHA — The Nebraska Democratic Party called on its U.S. Senate nominee to drop out of the race Tuesday because he made sexually repugnant comments about a campaign staffer in a group text with her and other staffers. The party said its state executive committee voted unanimously on Monday evening...
Trump administration sues to block release of John Bolton bookVideo
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration sued former national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday to stop the publication of a book that the White House says contains classified information. The civil lawsuit in Washington’s federal court follows warnings from President Donald Trump that Bolton could face a “criminal problem” if...
Buffalo protester shoved to ground has skull fracture, lawyer says
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A 75-year-old protester who struck his head on pavement after being shoved back by police remained hospitalized Tuesday with a fractured skull, his attorney said. Martin Gugino’s lawyer has told media outlets in recent days that he had not yet been able to walk. Attorney Kelly Zarcone...
Erie officer seen kicking seated protester suspended, mayor saysVideo
ERIE — A Pennsylvania police officer seen on video kicking a protester sitting on the street during civil unrest in Erie last month will be suspended without pay for three days and will then be on desk duty until he completes sensitivity training, officials said. The Erie Times-News reports that...
Columbus bans police use of tear gas, limits pepper spray
The city of Columbus on Tuesday prohibited police use of tear gas and limited use of pepper spray to clear streets and disperse peaceful demonstrators following weeks of global protests over the death of George Floyd. Mayor Andrew Ginther issued the directive while announcing that an advisory panel is being...
