Homeless man arraigned for beating deaths in ChinatownVideo
NEW YORK — A homeless man who used a metal rod to bludgeon four other homeless men to death in New York City was arrested holding the murder weapon covered with blood and hair and admitted that he was the person in a video of one of the attacks, prosecutors...
2nd whistleblower adds to impeachment peril at White House
WASHINGTON — A second whistleblower has come forward with information about President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, adding to the impeachment peril engulfing the White House and potentially providing new leads to Democrats in their unfurling investigation of Trump’s conduct. Attorney Mark Zaid, who represents both whistleblowers, said in a...
Problematic relatives: A true American political tradition
WASHINGTON — Since America’s early days, leading politicians have had to contend with awkward problems posed by their family members. Joe Biden is the latest to navigate this tricky terrain. President Donald Trump has sought, without evidence, to implicate Biden and his son Hunter in the kind of corruption that...
Police look for 2 men in Kansas bar shooting that killed 4Video
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Two men opened fire inside a bar in Kansas City, Kan., early Sunday, killing four people and wounding five others in a shooting believed to have stemmed from an earlier dispute, police said. Authorities were searching Sunday for the two gunmen, said Officer Thomas Tomasic, a...
Ex-officer not guilty of manslaughter in Georgia shooting
WOODBINE, Ga. — A former Georgia police officer who fatally shot a fleeing, unarmed black man was acquitted Saturday of voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. The jury, however, found Zechariah Presley guilty of violating his oath of office in the 2018 shooting of Tony Green, 33, in coastal Camden County...
Long-lost sculpture has returned to Los Angeles library
LOS ANGELES — A bronze sculpture that mysteriously disappeared from the Los Angeles Central Library 50 years ago has returned to its original home. One of three panels of the Well of Scribes was unveiled at the downtown library Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported . The sculpture depicting writers...
Mormon leader: Uphold ‘sexual purity’ in face of mocking
SALT LAKE CITY — A high-ranking leader from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged members Saturday to adhere to the faith’s law of chastity that forbids premarital sex despite mocking by others on social media. During a speech at a twice-annual church conference in Salt Lake City,...
North Korea decries breakdown of talks U.S. says were ‘good’
HELSINKI — North Korea’s chief negotiator said Saturday that discussions with the U.S. on Pyongyang’s nuclear program have broken down, but Washington said the two sides had “good discussions” that it intends to build on in two weeks. The North Korean negotiator, Kim Miyong Gil, said the talks in Stockholm...
Census errs again, makes mistakes measuring poverty nationwide
PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Census Bureau erred in calculating a major national poverty measure — the second mistake reported by the bureau in the last month. The so-called Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) was released with faulty data in mid-September. A corrected version, with a slightly lower poverty rate for the...
Clampdown on vaping could send users back toward cigarettes
WASHINGTON — Only two years ago, electronic cigarettes were viewed as a small industry with big potential to improve public health by offering a path to steer millions of smokers away from deadly cigarettes. That promise led U.S. regulators to take a hands-off approach to e-cigarette makers, including a Silicon...
Pope urges compassion in elevating 13 likeminded cardinals
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis added 13 new cardinals to the top of the Catholic hierarchy on Saturday, telling them they must show God’s compassion to those who suffer to be faithful to their ministry. Francis presided over the ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica, elevating churchmen who share his pastoral...
Security forces kill at least 9 in new protests in Iraq
BAGHDAD — Security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas at protesters in the Iraqi capital and in a southern city on Saturday, killing at least nine people and wounding 39 as thousands of protesters took to the streets and set fire to political party offices, government and human rights...
4 homeless men attacked and killed in New York City
NEW YORK — Four men who are believed to be homeless were brutally attacked and killed Saturday in a New York City street rampage. New York Police Department Detective Annette Shelton said that a fifth man remained in critical condition Saturday after also being struck with a long metal object...
Impeachment probe reaches into White House with new subpoena
WASHINGTON — The impeachment inquiry is reaching directly into the White House, with Democrats subpoenaing officials about contacts with Ukraine and President Donald Trump signaling his administration will not cooperate. The demand for documents Friday capped a tumultuous week that widened the constitutional battle between the executive branch and Congress...
NASA sets 1st all-female spacewalk after suit flap in spring
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The first all-female spacewalk is back on, six months after a suit-sizing flap led to an embarrassing cancellation. NASA announced Friday that the International Space Station’s two women will pair up for a spacewalk later this month. Astronauts Christina Koch and the newly arrived Jessica Meir...
Texas execution halted over claims judge was anti-Semitic
HOUSTON — A Jewish death row inmate who was part of the “Texas 7” gang of escaped prisoners and faced execution in less than a week won a reprieve on Friday after claiming the former judge at his trial was anti-Semitic and frequently used racial slurs. The Texas Court of...
Couple injured in possible bobcat attack in South Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — An animal believed to be a bobcat dropped down from a tree and attacked a couple out on their typical early morning walk Friday in a dense, urban part of South Florida, authorities said. Wildlife experts said bobcats are quite common in urban areas although...
Bus carrying developmentally disabled flips over in Toledo; 17 injured
TOLEDO, Ohio — A bus carrying developmentally disabled people crashed into a car, flipped over and hit two more vehicles in Ohio on Friday, sending 17 people to hospitals. Five people were severely injured in the accident in Sylvania Township near Toledo, but Sgt. Jared Ulinski of the Ohio State...
Judge finds no bias from Jussie Smollett special prosecutor
CHICAGO — A Chicago judge said Friday he won’t replace a special prosecutor looking into why the state’s attorney’s office abruptly dismissed charges against actor Jussie Smollett, rejecting concerns that campaign money could taint the findings. The judge’s decision during a hearing came days after the special prosecutor, former U.S....
Jury to return Saturday in ex-officer’s manslaughter trial
WOODBINE, Ga. — Jury deliberations will resume Saturday morning in the trial of a former Georgia police officer charged in the fatal shooting of a fleeing, unarmed man. Local news media reported jurors in the manslaughter trial of Zechariah Presley adjourned around 8 p.m. Friday without reaching a decision after...
Army veteran deported after drug conviction now a US citizen
CHICAGO — An Army veteran deported to Mexico after serving time in prison for a drug conviction became a U.S. citizen on Friday. Miguel Perez Jr. held up his citizenship certificate for the cameras after being sworn in, saying, “Here it is.” “It took a whole lot of work and...
Campaign: Sanders had heart attack, released from hospital
LAS VEGAS — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders had a heart attack, his campaign confirmed Friday as the Vermont senator was released from a Nevada hospital. The 78-year-old was at a campaign event Tuesday when he experienced chest discomfort and was taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with...
Smile erased borders for Manor woman with transatlantic ties
Pat Farrell had a British accent, dual British and American citizenship and a universal appeal. Her husband, George “Sonny” Farrell, was attracted by the smile she maintained through most of her life. During their golden years, that smile opened the door for the Farrells to make friends while regularly visiting...
Murrysville woman known for creativity
Nancy Cassady liked a little bit of creative chaos in every aspect of her life, from her home to her hairstyle. “That’s how she liked her hair — big and blonde and coming out in lots of different directions,” said her daughter, Amy Cassady Eskew. Mrs. Cassady drove around town...
Governor signs new restrictions on robocalls in Pennsylvania
A Pennsylvania law is ending a requirement that telephone customers who want to remain on the state’s do-not-call registry have had to renew their listing every five years. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday signed changes to the Telemarketer Registration Act that also allow business phone customers to sign up...
