Turkey moves troops against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey said Wednesday it has airlifted troops for a cross-border ground operation against Turkey’s Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, the first known airborne-and-land offensive by Ankara inside Iraqi territory. The offensive into the border region of Haftanin, about 9 miles from the Turkey-Iraq border, was launched following...
Kremlin installs special antiseptic tunnels to protect PutinVideo
MOSCOW — The Russian government built special tunnels to protect President Vladimir Putin from the coronavirus at home and at work, Putin’s spokesman said Wednesday. Reports about tunnels where anyone passing through gets sprayed with germ-killing antiseptics appeared in Russian media on Tuesday night. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday...
Beijing’s new outbreak raises fears for rest of the worldVideo
BEIJING — China raised its emergency warning to its second highest level and canceled more than 60% of the flights to Beijing on Wednesday amid a new coronavirus outbreak in the capital — a sharp pullback for the nation that declared victory over the virus in March and a warning...
Trump signs order on police reform, doesn’t mention racism
WASHINGTON — Following weeks of national protests since the death of George Floyd, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that he said would encourage better police practices. But he made no mention of the roiling national debate over racism spawned by police killings of black men and women....
Watchdogs say Trump administration limiting oversight of coronavirus aidVideo
WASHINGTON — Government watchdogs are warning that a legal determination by the Trump administration could severely limit their ability to oversee more than $1 trillion in spending related to the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to four congressional committees, a panel of inspectors general overseeing a sweeping economic rescue law...
Rep. Daryl Metcalfe reveals 5 articles of impeachment against Gov. Tom WolfVideo
A state Representative from Butler County and 24 co-sponsors filed articles of impeachment against Gov. Tom Wolf. Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, introduced House Resolution 915 on Tuesday afternoon, claiming Wolf should be removed from office for his actions during the coronavirus pandemic and referred to the governor as “Dictator Wolf.”...
NYPD says officers were not poisoned at Shake ShackVideo
NEW YORK — New York City police determined there was nothing criminal afoot when three officers got Shake Shack milkshakes that might have been accidentally tainted with a cleanser. Police came to the determination after “a thorough investigation,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said in a tweet early Tuesday....
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says state can handle spike in covid-19 casesVideo
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott insisted Tuesday that Texas’ health care system can handle the record-high number of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations as the state aggressively pushes to reopen its economy. At a news conference, Abbott acknowledged that many Texans have become lax about wearing masks and social distancing...
Man arrested in shooting during Albuquerque statue protestVideo
ALBUQUERQUE — A 31-year-old man has been arrested in a shooting that happened as protesters in Albuquerque, N.M., tried to tear down a bronze statue of a Spanish conquistador outside a museum, police said Tuesday. Police said Stephen Ray Baca was arrested and jailed on suspicion of aggravated battery with...
Nebraska Democrats renounce their Senate pick over sexually suggestive comments
OMAHA — The Nebraska Democratic Party called on its U.S. Senate nominee to drop out of the race Tuesday because he made sexually repugnant comments about a campaign staffer in a group text with her and other staffers. The party said its state executive committee voted unanimously on Monday evening...
Trump administration sues to block release of John Bolton bookVideo
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration sued former national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday to stop the publication of a book that the White House says contains classified information. The civil lawsuit in Washington’s federal court follows warnings from President Donald Trump that Bolton could face a “criminal problem” if...
Buffalo protester shoved to ground has skull fracture, lawyer says
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A 75-year-old protester who struck his head on pavement after being shoved back by police remained hospitalized Tuesday with a fractured skull, his attorney said. Martin Gugino’s lawyer has told media outlets in recent days that he had not yet been able to walk. Attorney Kelly Zarcone...
Erie officer seen kicking seated protester suspended, mayor saysVideo
ERIE — A Pennsylvania police officer seen on video kicking a protester sitting on the street during civil unrest in Erie last month will be suspended without pay for three days and will then be on desk duty until he completes sensitivity training, officials said. The Erie Times-News reports that...
Columbus bans police use of tear gas, limits pepper spray
The city of Columbus on Tuesday prohibited police use of tear gas and limited use of pepper spray to clear streets and disperse peaceful demonstrators following weeks of global protests over the death of George Floyd. Mayor Andrew Ginther issued the directive while announcing that an advisory panel is being...
Justice Department launches portal to report civil rights violations
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced today the launch of a new online tool to help the public report civil rights violations. The Civil Rights Reporting Portal — at civilrights.justice.gov — will consolidate 30 different reporting pathways, according to a news release. The form is fully accessible to people...
Arizona sees nearly 2,400 new coronavirus cases, a daily highVideo
The number of new coronavirus cases in Arizona has hit an alarming new daily high of nearly 2,400 — almost double the previous record, health officials said Tuesday. The state Department of Health Services reported 2,392 new cases and 25 additional deaths. Hospital intensive care units were hovering around 80%...
PG&E confesses to killing 84 people in 2018 California wildfire
Pacific Gas & Electric confessed Tuesday to killing 84 people in one of the most devastating wildfires in recent U.S. history during a dramatic court hearing punctuated by a promise from the company’s outgoing CEO that the nation’s largest utility will never again put profits ahead of safety. PG&E CEO...
Couple creates nonprofit website to pay tribute to covid-19 victims nationwide
On some maps showing how the covid-19 pandemic has affected the U.S., dots are used to represent a case or a certain number of cases in a particular area. But as the country’s covid-19 death toll passes 116,000, the creators of the Mourning America website want people to know that...
Air Force sergeant charged in killing of federal officer in CaliforniaVideo
OAKLAND, Calif. — An Air Force sergeant already jailed in the ambush killing of a California sheriff’s deputy was charged Tuesday with murdering a federal security officer outside the U.S. courthouse in Oakland the night of a sometimes violent protest last month. In announcing murder and attempted murder charges, federal...
2 Ohio sisters killed when bricks fall on hammock at their homeVideo
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Two sisters were killed when they were trapped on a hammock by some falling bricks at their family’s home, authorities said. Emergency responders found Scout Scaravilli, 14, and her sister, Chasey, 12, trapped under a pile of bricks when they responded to their Cleveland Heights home...
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter sues newspaper over protest coverage ban
A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter is suing the newspaper, claiming racial discrimination and retaliation after management barred her from covering local protests stemming from the death of George Floyd. The federal lawsuit filed Tuesday is the latest in a series of events that began June 1, the date on which the...
Penn State ex-president argues conviction properly tossed
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A federal appeals court grilled lawyers Tuesday about whether Penn State’s former president deserved to have his misdemeanor child endangerment conviction, related to his response to a complaint about Jerry Sandusky, overturned last year. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals focused on whether Graham Spanier was...
In touting executive order, Trump says police reform ‘might have prevented’ Antwon Rose’s death
Following weeks of national protests since the death of George Floyd, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on policing Tuesday that would encourage better police practices and establish a database to keep track of officers with a history of excessive use-of-force complaints. In touting the order, Trump said this...
Health officials: Some Lyme, covid-19 symptoms are similar
Preliminary data is showing that Pennsylvania is on track for its third year of declining incidents of Lyme disease, but an estimated 8,500 cases in 2019 still puts the state among the top five nationwide. As tick season ramps up to its peak in July, state health officials urge residents...
Canada, U.S. extend border restrictions to July 21
TORONTO — Canada and the United States have agreed to extend their agreement to keep their border closed to non-essential travel to July 21 during the coronavirus pandemic. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday’s agreement extends the closure by another 30 days. The restrictions were announced on March 18...
