Lawyer: Julian Assange was offered U.S. pardon if he cleared Russia of link to hacking
LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange plans to claim during an extradition hearing that the Trump administration offered him a pardon if he agreed to say Russia was not involved in leaking Democratic National Committee emails during the 2016 U.S. election campaign, a lawyer for Assange said Wednesday. Assange is...
Connellsville man a ‘staunch volunteer’ who loved local history
If it was about Connellsville, Tom Rusnack was interested. Mr. Rusnack was a life member of the Connellsville VFW and AMVETS, a regular member of the American Legion and the Knights of Columbus, part of the Fayette County Cultural Trust and a board member at the Wesley Health Center. “He...
Another Catholic diocese seeks bankruptcy after abuse deals
HARRISBURG — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, six months after disclosing it had paid millions of dollars to people sexually abused as children by its clerics. The diocese joins at least 20 others across the United States in seeking protection from creditors through the...
First lady Melania Trump honored by Christian college
PALM BEACH, Fla. — First lady Melania Trump touted her “Be Best” program and the Trump administration’s battle against the opioid crisis as she accept an award Wednesday from a Florida Christian college. The first lady told the 550 attendees at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s “Women of Distinction” luncheon that...
Jerry Sandusky prosecutor and former Penn State lawyer disciplined
HARRISBURG — A lawyer who led the child molestation investigation and prosecution of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky lost his law license for a year Wednesday over his handling of a grand jury witness in the case, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled. The justices issued a 5-1...
Father sues airline over boy’s sexual assault during layover
ORLANDO, Fla. — A man in Florida is suing one of Latin America’s largest airlines, claiming his 6-year-old son was sexually assaulted by an airline employee while traveling as an unaccompanied minor from Brazil to the United States. The father filed the negligence lawsuit Monday against LATAM Airlines in federal...
U.S. medical schools boost LGBTQ students, doctor training
Aliya Feroe recalls the flustered OB-GYN who referred her to another physician after learning she identified as queer. For Rhi Ledgerwood, who was designated female at birth, identifies as trans and doesn’t have sex with men, it was a doctor advising about condoms and pregnancy prevention. For Tim Keyes, who...
Agency ordered to pay fees in ‘IM GOD’ license plate case in Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has to pay more than $150,000 in legal fees for a man who won a lawsuit allowing him to put “IM GOD” on his license plate. A judge ruled this week that the state agency must pay $150,715.50 in attorneys’ fees and an...
3 charged after 11-year-old gives birth in Missouri bathtub
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Three relatives of an 11-year-old girl who gave birth in the bathtub of her suburban St. Louis home are facing criminal charges. An adult female and adult male are charged with child endangerment. A 17-year-old male is charged with incest as well as statutory rape and...
Burger King risks it with moldy Whopper ad campaignVideo
Burger King is breaking the mold in its new advertising campaign. The burger chain is portraying its Whopper covered in mold in print and TV ads running in Europe and the United States. The message: Burger King is removing artificial preservatives from its signature burger. The company, already known for...
5 questions for next Democratic debate, Mike Bloomberg’s 1st
LAS VEGAS — There’s a new kid in town for the ninth Democratic debate, Mike Bloomberg, the self-funding billionaire presidential candidate. Five questions ahead of the faceoff Wednesday night in Las Vegas: How does Bloomberg stack up? No candidate has the potential to upend the race for the Democratic presidential...
Pa. mail carrier sues U.S. Postal Service over Sunday work shifts
LANCASTER, Pa. — A former Pennsylvania mail carrier says the U.S. Postal Service violated his rights by requiring him to work Sundays. Gerald Groff, who says he is an evangelical Christian, filed a lawsuit Friday against the federal agency, claiming he was let go from his position after refusing to...
AP source: Barr tells people he might quit over Trump tweets
WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr has told people close to him he’s considering quitting his post after President Donald Trump wouldn’t heed his warning to stop tweeting about Justice Department cases, an administration official told The Associated Press. The revelation came days after Barr took a public swipe at...
DOJ taps U.S. attorneys to coordinate Ukraine investigations
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has appointed U.S. attorneys in New York and Pennsylvania to coordinate federal investigations into Ukraine-related matters, including new information collected by President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. In a letter sent Tuesday to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and obtained by The Associated...
Iowa man kidnaps woman, forces her to watch ‘Roots’ to ‘understand her racism’
Iowa police have charged a man with harassment and false imprisonment after they say he kidnapped a woman and forced her to watch a late 1970s miniseries about slavery. The Gazette, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, newspaper, reports 52-year-old Robert Lee Noye was arrested Monday. According to the criminal complaint, Noye...
Tennessee House Republicans advance ‘fake news’ resolution
NASHVILLE — A small group of Tennessee lawmakers advanced a proposal for a non-binding resolution Tuesday stating that the state recognizes CNN and The Washington Post as “fake news.” Republican Rep. Micah Van Huss, the sponsor, said the measure is needed because his constituents are “tired of these elitists in...
Proposal on warning labels for pornography passes Utah House
SALT LAKE CITY — A proposal to require warning labels on pornography in Utah passed the state House on Tuesday, a move an adult-entertainment industry group called a dark day for freedom of expression. GOP state Rep. Brady Brammer, the lawmaker behind the plan to mandate the labels about potential...
Sen. Casey launches campaign for sweeping child welfare reformsVideo
Pennsylvania senior Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, is making it clear he’s in it for the long run. Two years into his third term, Casey, 59, is barnstorming the Keystone State to promote an ambitious package of child welfare proposals that even he concedes may take years to bring to fruition....
Lesser-known presidential candidate debate slated for March in Chicago
Just because they aren’t on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC all day doesn’t mean they aren’t running for president. As the Democratic National Committee awaits delegate counts to see who will end up running against President Trump this November, 21 lesser-known presidential candidates will take a debate stage next month...
Homeland Security waives contracting laws for border wall
SAN DIEGO — The Trump administration said Tuesday that it is waiving federal contracting laws to speed construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, moving the president closer to fulfilling a signature campaign promise in an election year but sparking criticism about potential for fraud, waste and abuse. The...
Massachusetts state representative who sits on ethics committee charged with misusing campaign fundsVideo
BOSTON — A longtime Massachusetts state representative was charged Tuesday with using tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash for golf club dues, casino trips and other personal expenses. David Nangle, a Democrat who sits on the House Committee on Ethics, faces federal charges including wire and bank fraud...
Death toll from toxic gas leak rises to 14 in Pakistan
KARACHI, Pakistan — A gas leak in the southern port city of Karachi has killed 14 people and sickened hundreds more, Pakistani health officials said Tuesday. The leak that started Sunday has set off a panic in Karachi and raised concerns because city officials could not immediately identify the source...
‘Ricky the Oil Man’ of Yukon had lifelong fascination with the petroleum business
Richard Catone was well known as “Ricky the Oil Man.” His reputation even extended to when his daughter Cynthia Sherwin moved into his former childhood home in Yukon. “People used to call all the time trying to pay their bills or with a question for my dad,” she said. The...
Trump commutes former Illinois Gov. Blagojevich’s sentenceVideo
CHICAGO — President Donald Trump has gone on a clemency blitz, commuting the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and pardoning former NYPD commissioner Bernie Kerik. Trump also says he has granted clemency to financier Michael Milken, who pleaded guilty for violating U.S. securities laws. Kerik served...
U.S. sanctions Russian oil trading firm for role in Venezuela
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced sanctions Tuesday on a Russian state-controlled brokerage that has helped the Venezuelan government skirt an American oil embargo and enabled President Nicolas Maduro keep his grip on power in the South American country. Administration officials said Rosneft Trading S.A. and its president, Didier Casimiro,...
