How Trump’s Ukraine call could violate campaign finance laws
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s repeated prodding of the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden and his son could amount to an illegal request for a campaign contribution from a foreign citizen. Federal law states it is illegal to “knowingly solicit, accept, or receive from a foreign national any contribution...
Lindsey Graham launches campaign to defend Donald Trump amid threat of impeachment
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham spent Wednesday spreading words of unequivocal support for Donald Trump as the president embarked on the first 24 hours of life under official threat of impeachment. Shortly after the White House released the rough transcript of a phone call congressional Democrats say could be...
Alexa users will have Samuel L. Jackson’s voice as an optionVideo
Samuel L. Jackson is set to be the first celebrity voice that can be swapped out for Alexa on Amazon’s Echo devices. For 99 cents, Alexa’s Jackson “voice pack” will be available later this year at that discounted price. After that, the price jumps to $4.99, according to Geek Wire....
Texas inmate executed for stabbing deaths of 2 stepsons
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A Texas inmate who claimed he was intellectually disabled was executed Wednesday for fatally stabbing his two stepsons during a 2007 attack in which his wife also died. Robert Sparks received a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the slayings of 9-year-old Harold Sublet...
Guilty plea in case of man forced by police to lick urinal
HONOLULU — A Honolulu homeless man fearing he would be arrested reluctantly obeyed a police officer’s orders to lick a public urinal, according to court document made public Wednesday after a former officer pleaded guilty to failing to report the incident. And it wasn’t the first time. Officer John Rabago...
Georgia jogger saves baby deer stuck in fencingVideo
A Georgia woman who was out for a jog saw a baby deer caught in some iron fencing and sprung into action to save it. The heroics were caught on film near Stone Mountain Park in an east Atlanta suburb. The woman, who was identified on Twitter as Chloe Dorsey,...
Facebook says it isn’t fact checking politicians on the site
SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook says it does not fact check politicians’ statements on its site, even if they might be false. The social network operator says that’s because such statements could be newsworthy — and it doesn’t want to act as a “referee” for political debates. Facebook works with third-party...
Latrobe veteran helped those in need, on and off the job
When she was growing up in Latrobe, Dana Coyne made her mother stop the car because she’d spotted an elderly woman carrying a bag of groceries along the street. “She said, ‘I want to carry that lady’s groceries home,’ ” her mother, Marlene Carns, recalled. “Dana liked elderly people when she...
Sen. Bob Casey labels Trump call ‘a textbook abuse of power’
Calling President Trump’s request that the Ukrainian president investigate former Vice President Joe Biden “a textbook case of abuse of power,” Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, on Wednesday called on his colleagues to hold the president accountable and came out firmly in support of a formal House impeachment inquiry. Speaking to...
Report critical of sheriff’s post-Parkland suspension
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The sheriff suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis over the Parkland high school shooting should be reinstated, a Florida Senate official said Wednesday, arguing the governor failed to show the sheriff’s policies or alleged negligence were to blame for the massacre of 17 people. Florida Senate special...
Wolf, Fetterman call for legalization of marijuana
Citing the results of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s 67-county listening tour on marijuana legalization, Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday called on Pennsylvania lawmakers to begin working toward the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of the drug. Wolf said 44,407 Pennsylvanians weighed in on the issues either at town halls...
An unrepentant Boris Johnson faces raucous Parliament
LONDON — An unrepentant Prime Minister Boris Johnson brushed off cries of “Resign!” and dared his foes to try to topple him Wednesday at a raucous session of Parliament, a day after Britain’s highest court ruled he acted illegally in suspending the body ahead of the Brexit deadline. Amid shouts,...
Nearly 25,000 ecstasy pills mailed to couple by mistake
A couple was expecting a shipment of dresses but got a bonus box with 24,800 ecstasy pills. The pair was enjoying breakfast at their home in Linz, Austria when the parcels arrived, reports CNN. One box contained the anticipated two dresses ordered online from the Netherlands. But the second parcel...
California farm region faces furry new threat: swamp rodents
LOS BANOS, Calif. — One of the most recent threats to California’s environment has webbed feet, white whiskers, shaggy fur and orange buck teeth that could be mistaken for carrots. “Boy, they’re an ugly-looking thing,” said David Passadori, an almond and walnut grower in central California. “And the way they...
Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf now supports legalizing marijuana
Gov. Tom Wolf says he is now in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Pennsylvania, and is asking lawmakers to consider it. Wolf’s announcement Wednesday advances his position from last December, when he signaled that he was open to taking a look at it as it gathered popularity...
Chicago-area girl dies on 12th birthday after being shot
HARVEY, Ill. — Medical examiners say a girl shot in the head while she sat at a home computer in suburban Chicago has died on her 12th birthday. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed Wednesday that Kentavia Blackful of Harvey died Tuesday night at a hospital. Harvey Police Chief...
McDonald’s using Alexa, Google Assistant to aid in hiringVideo
Finding a job can be hard. But starting the application process just got a whole lot easier for McDonald’s. As of Wednesday, the fast food chain will now let job seekers begin the process by using Alexa or Google Assistant, according to the Associated Press. To get things going, users...
‘We’re all in big trouble’: Climate panel sees a dire future
Earth is in more hot water than ever before, and so are we, an expert United Nations climate panel warned in a grim new report Wednesday. Sea levels are rising at an ever-faster rate as ice and snow shrink, and oceans are getting more acidic and losing oxygen, the Intergovernmental...
Top French chef upset by loss of 3rd star takes Michelin Guide to court
PARIS — Chef Marc Veyrat, known for his black chapeau and his mountain cuisine, is taking the Michelin Guide to court to find out why he lost his third star this year — and how the publication that makes, and sometimes breaks, reputations in the world’s prestigious kitchens could allegedly...
Greek police dismantle ‘birth industry’ that sold babies
THESSALONIKI, Greece — Police in northern Greece say they have dismantled what they described as an illegal “birth industry” that involved the sale of babies for adoption. Police said Wednesday 12 people have been arrested, and that 66 people have been charged. Thessaloniki crime squad chief, Antonis Tzitzis, said the...
18 charged in alleged Ohio heroin ring
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Eighteen people accused of being involved in conspiracies to receive imported heroin from Mexico and sell it in central Ohio have been indicted on federal charges. Authorities say 13 of the defendants were arrested Tuesday in central Ohio. Five others are being sought in California. Federal prosecutors...
Memo: Trump prodded Ukraine leader to investigate Biden
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump repeatedly prodded Ukraine’s new leader to work with Rudy Giuliani and the U.S. attorney general to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden, according to a rough transcript summarizing the call released Wednesday. In the call, Trump raised unsubstantiated allegations that the former vice president sought...
Dinosaur helps sell house in Pittsburgh’s Stanton HeightsVideo
Sometimes, when selling a house, a little help is a good thing. Of course, in the case of a home in Pittsburgh’s Stanton Heights neighborhood, it’s more of a “big” help. Like dinosaur-size. OK, so it’s not a real dinosaur. It’s just someone in an inflatable T-Rex costume. And it’s...
Juul to end advertising, lobbying efforts of e-cigarette; CEO stepping down
Juul Labs will no longer promote its e-cigarettes in print, digital and TV advertisements and is replacing its CEO amid an escalating backlash against vaping nationwide. The nation’s largest e-cigarette maker also pledged Wednesday not to lobby against a sweeping ban on vaping flavors proposed by the Trump administration earlier...
Homeless man pleads guilty to Minnesota synagogue fire
DULUTH, Minn. — A homeless man has pleaded guilty to starting a fire that destroyed a 117-year-old synagogue in Duluth, Minnesota. Thirty-six-year-old Matthew Amiot entered his guilty pleas on negligent fire charges Tuesday in St. Louis County District Court. The fire destroyed the Adas Israel Synagogue on September 9. Authorities...
