Video of Arizona deputy restraining teen amputee spurs probeVideo
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona prosecutors dropped disorderly conduct charges against a 15-year-old quadruple amputee after viewing video of a sheriff’s deputy wrestling him to the floor in a group home, the teen’s attorney said Friday. Samuel Jurgena, a Pima County public defender, said his client went public with cellphone...
Motive a mystery in fatal California school shooting
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — A 16-year-old boy planned the attack that killed two students and wounded three others at a Southern California high school, but investigators were so far unable to find out why he brought a gun to campus and opened fire, authorities said Friday. After more than 40...
Last survivor of the Hindenburg disaster dies at age 90
CONCORD, N.H. — The last remaining survivor of the Hindenburg disaster, Werner Gustav Doehner, who suffered severe burns to his face, arms and legs before his mother managed to toss him and his brother from the burning airship, has died. Doehner, the last among 62 passengers and crew who escaped...
Youngstown postmaster was dedicated to community
Dean Musick was a small-town postmaster whose mettle was tested in the Pacific Theater of World War II. “He was totally dedicated to his work, and he wouldn’t take a day off,” said his son, Craig Musick. “Work was always really important to him,” said his daughter, Debbie Musick. Mr....
Takeaways from Day 2 of House impeachment public hearings
WASHINGTON — Day Two of the House impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump featured a career diplomat with a soft voice and a powerful story. Marie Yovanovitch, under questioning from the Democrats, said she felt threatened by the president as she detailed the story of being abruptly recalled from her...
Roger Stone guilty of witness tampering, lying to Congress
WASHINGTON — Roger Stone, a longtime friend and ally of President Donald Trump, was found guilty Friday of witness tampering and lying to Congress about his pursuit of Russian-hacked emails damaging to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election bid. Stone was convicted of all seven counts in a federal indictment that accused...
Deer wanders into Walmart, finds floor too slipperyVideo
A young doe had some trouble walking after it strolled through the front door of a Walmart. The deer on Wednesday entered the store in Wooster, Ohio’s North End but quickly found the tile floor too slippery to browse the aisles, reports the Daily Record. Shopper Bert Moore shared video...
Report: Pennsylvania performance contributed to record natural gas growth in 2018
Largely because of growth in Pennsylvania and Ohio, U.S. natural gas production reached a new record in 2018 and saw the largest increase since 1930, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Pennsylvania had the largest year-over-year production increase for dry natural gas in 2018, increasing by 2 billion cubic...
Teacher suspended after shooting comment posted online
HARRISBURG — Officials have suspended a middle school teacher in Harrisburg while authorities investigate if the teacher told his class that he wished he could shoot a person to have quiet in his class. Harrisburg School District chief operating officer Chris Celmer posted a letter to parents and staff on...
Israel says it has completed Gaza strikes after rocket fire
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel said early Friday it has completed a series of airstrikes on targets linked to the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza after overnight rocket fire that rattled a day-old truce. The Palestinian territory’s Hamas rulers, who kept to the sidelines of this week’s fighting,...
Trump says impeachment probe has been ‘very hard’ on family
BOSSIER CITY, La. — President Donald Trump said the impeachment probe has been “very hard” on his family, even as he tried to flex his political muscle to flip the governor’s mansion in deep-red Louisiana. Speaking in friendly territory in a state he carried in 2016 by 20 percentage points,...
Huddled in locker room after shooting, team relied on texts
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — When gunfire rang out Thursday morning at his high school, basketball player Noah Sanchez was working on his outside shot in the gym before class, listening to pop music playing in his headphones. He didn’t hear the shots in the nearby quad, but word traveled fast,...
Trump returns to Louisiana, trying to flip governor’s seat
BOSSIER CITY, La. — President Donald Trump is testing the strength of his political influence in the face of Washington’s impeachment drama, as he returned to Louisiana Thursday to try to oust the state’s Democratic governor. Trump is holding his first rally since the beginnings of public hearings in the...
California school shooting suspect described as quiet, smart
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — People who knew the 16-year-old boy suspected of killing two students in a burst of gunfire at a high school outside Los Angeles described him as a quiet, smart kid who they’d never expect to turn violent. One fellow junior at Saugus High School said the...
Pelosi says Trump’s Ukraine actions amount to ‘bribery’
WASHINGTON — House Democrats are refining their impeachment case against the president to a simple allegation: Bribery. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday brushed aside the Latin phrase “quid pro quo” that Democrats have been using to describe President Donald Trump’s actions toward Ukraine. As the impeachment hearings go public,...
Italy declares state of emergency in Venice after high tides
ROME — Italy’s government declared a state of emergency Thursday in flood-ravaged Venice, seeking to release funds to repair the historic lagoon city after it was damaged by the highest tide in 50 years. A cabinet meeting approved a special decree that included 20 million euros ($21.7 million) in immediate...
Family told to take down Christmas decorations because it’s too soonVideo
A Texas family is refusing to comply with an order to remove the Christmas display they installed on Nov. 1. The Simonis family decorated the outside of their home near San Antonio with a snowman, some reindeer and a Santa hanging from a helicopter, reports WOAI News. On Nov. 4,...
2 dead in California high school attack; gunman shoots self
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — A student gunman opened fire Thursday at a Southern California high school, killing two students, wounding three others and shooting himself in the head, authorities said. He was in grave condition. The shooting occurred around 7:30 a.m. at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, about 30...
Sizing up the 2019 holiday shopping season for retailers
NEW YORK — With two weeks until the official start of the holiday shopping season, the nation’s retailers are gearing up for what should be another brutally competitive shopping period. The good news? Many retail CEOs say the U.S. consumer is financially healthy given the economy remains strong and the...
Poll: Americans struggle to identify true facts
WASHINGTON — In a sharply divided country, here’s something many Americans agree on: It’s hard to know what’s a true and honest fact. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USA Facts finds that regardless of political belief, many Americans say they have a...
HUD: Homeless veteran numbers drop this year in Pennsylvania
Veteran homelessness in Pennsylvania dropped by nearly 13% in 2019, according to the annual Homeless Assessment Report by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Those numbers mirror the national trend, which HUD officials say continues to decline. “In Pennsylvania, we’ve made great strides over the years in our efforts...
Trump returns to Louisiana, trying to flip governor’s seat
BATON ROUGE, La. — Leaving a Washington embroiled in an impeachment drama, President Donald Trump returns to the Louisiana governor’s race Thursday, testing his ability to sway an election by trying to oust a Democratic incumbent. Though Louisiana is a deep red state that Trump won by 20 percentage points,...
Ex-Massachusetts Gov. Patrick announces Democratic presidential bid
WASHINGTON — Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced Thursday he is running for president, making a late entry into the Democratic race less than three months before primary voting begins. In an announcement video, Patrick highlighted his poverty-stricken childhood on Chicago’s South Side, saying he’s running for the “people who...
AP: Data shows upswing in child exploitation cases
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security investigators who uncover child exploitation initiated more than 4,000 cases around the world in the 2019 budget year, resulting in thousands of arrests and the identification of more than 1,000 victims, according to new data obtained by The Associated Press. Their caseloads are growing because of...
Old dogs, new tricks: 10,000 pets needed for scienceVideo
SEATTLE — Can old dogs teach us new tricks? Scientists are looking for 10,000 pets for the largest-ever study of aging in canines. They hope to shed light on human longevity too. The project will collect a pile of pooch data: vet records, DNA samples, gut microbes and information on...