Debate night brawl: Bloomberg, Sanders attacked by rivals
LAS VEGAS — From the opening bell, Democrats savaged New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg and raised pointed questions about Bernie Sanders’ take-no-prisoners politics during a contentious debate Wednesday night that threatened to further muddy the party’s urgent quest to defeat President Donald Trump. Bloomberg, the former New York mayor who...
U.S. judge sides with migrants in case against Border Patrol
PHOENIX — Conditions at most Border Patrol facilities in Arizona are punitive and unconstitutional, a U.S. judge in Arizona said Wednesday while ruling in favor of migrants who have long-complained about inhumane and unsanitary conditions in holding cells. The ruling came weeks after the conclusion of a seven-day trial in...
‘Fat broads and horse-faced lesbians:’ Elizabeth Warren says Mike Bloomberg can’t beat TrumpVideo
Massachuetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren wasted no time attacking former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg during Wednesday night’s Democratic presidential debate. Less than five minutes into the debate, Warren appealed to half of the country’s voting bloc in attempt to thwart Bloomberg’s attempts at the throne. “I’d like to talk...
Police: 8 killed in shootings in the German city of HanauVideo
HANAU, Germany — Eight people were killed in shootings on Wednesday evening in the German city of Hanau, authorities said. Two hookah lounges reportedly were targeted. Authorities were searching for the perpetrators early Thursday, three hours after the shootings which took place at about 10 p.m. A short police statement...
Police say 8 killed in shootings in the German city of Hanau
HANAU, Germany — Eight people were killed in shootings in the German city of Hanau on Wednesday evening, authorities said. Two hookah lounges reportedly were targeted. Authorities were searching for the perpetrators early Thursday, three hours after the shootings which took place at about 10 p.m. (2100 GMT). A short...
Trump expected to tap loyalist Richard Grenell as intel officialVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany, will become acting director of national intelligence, a move that puts a staunch Trump ally in charge of the nation’s 17 spy agencies, which the president has only tepidly embraced. “Rick has represented our...
Court: Florida can’t bar felons from vote over fines, fees
TALLAHASSEE — Florida cannot, for now, bar felons who served their time from registering to vote simply because they have failed to pay all fines and fees stemming from their cases, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a...
Berks County man accused of killing his dog with ax for refusing to go outside
A wife called cops on her husband after state police say he threw the family’s dog against the wall and then killed it with an ax, after the Chihuahua mix refused to go outside. As WFMZ-69 News reports, Joshua Leneweaver, 41, of Earl Township, Berks County, was jailed Monday evening...
George Zimmerman sues Buttigieg, Warren over Trayvon Martin birthday tweets
ORLANDO, Fla. — George Zimmerman, the former Sanford, Fla., resident acquitted of murder in the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, is suing Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg over tweets they posted to commemorate the teenager’s birthday. The lawsuit was reported Wednesday morning by Newsweek. The...
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...
