June 14, 2022 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has announced his support for his chamber’s emerging bipartisan gun agreement. The Kentucky Republican’s endorsement Tuesday boosted momentum for modest but notable election-year action by Congress on an issue that’s deadlocked lawmakers for three decades. An outline of the accord was released Sunday by 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans. Leaders hope it can be translated into legislation in days and voted on by Congress before lawmakers’ July 4 recess. McConnell’s backing was the latest indication that last month’s gun massacres in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, had reconfigured the political calculations for some in the GOP.
June 14, 2022 4:18 am
More than 100 million Americans are being warned to stay indoors if possible as a heat wave settles over states stretching through parts of the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes and east to the Carolinas. The National Weather Service Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, said Monday that a combination of heat advisories, excessive heat warnings and excessive heat watches will impact 107.5 million people, and record-setting temperatures are expected to last through midweek. St. Louis, Memphis, Minneapolis and Tulsa are among several cities under excessive heat warnings, with temperatures expected to reach above 100 in some areas. High humidity is forecast to accompany the heat, adding to the dangerous conditions.
June 14, 2022 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol has postponed a hearing that was to feature Trump-era Justice Department officials. The hearing had been set for Wednesday, but the committee on Tuesday morning said that it had been postponed. It did not give a reason or a new date for the hearing. The witnesses at Wednesday’s hearing were to include Jeffrey Rosen, who was the acting attorney general at the time of the Capitol insurrection, as well as two other former top officials, Richard Donoghue and Steven Engel. Lawyers for all three men did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
June 14, 2022 4:11 am
Severe storms moved through Washington and southern Allegheny counties around 1:30 Tuesday morning, packing lightning and strong winds. There have been numerous reports of trees down and some minor flooding. There were no reports of any injuries. Washington County 9-1-1 tells WJPA News that lighting did strike a home in Cecil Township around 2 a.m. Dispatchers say the strike blew out the windows in the attic of the home and a small fire did result. Firefighters quickly extinguished that blaze. As of noon, West Penn Power was reporting just over 160 customers still without power. The outages are widespread throughout the county.
June 14, 2022 4:05 am
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – Thieves are targeting families along the busy Montour Trail in South Allegheny and Washington Counties and it is not sitting well with many. “It’s shocking because I literally come here all the time,” Kacy Capozzoli tells Channel 11. “I’m kind of nervous because I never thought it would happen here.” “I get angry because I wouldn’t want anyone breaking into my car,” Joseph Amico adds. On Friday, two cars were broken into in the trail parking lot off Valley Brook Road in Peters Township. Police say the suspect’s car is a black Toyota RAV4 rental car with Florida plates JAL J62. A similar incident happened at the Upper Saint Clair Rec Center not long after and police believe it may be connected. Police want to give families a warning to double-check their locks and leave valuables out of plain sight.
June 14, 2022 4:03 am
In what has become a bit of a hot button issue, Peters Township council adopted a resolution opposing the current realignment plan of magisterial courts in Washington County. Township Manager Paul Lauer and Police Chief Doug Grimes met with President Judge John DiSalle and court administrator Patrick Grimm to voice their concerns and opposition to a plan that would move the court to Cecil Township and combine it with McDonald Borough. Township officials indicated to the court that their preferred choice would be an alignment plan previewed in January that showed Peters Township combining with North Strabane Township and Houston Borough. Court administration has offered to reevaluate the plan. In other business, the township awarded a contract for $146,548 to Pavement Technology, Inc. to apply pavement rejuvenator to township roads. They also rejected a bid of $886,865 from Alex E. Paris Contracting for a storm sewer project on Marlboro Dr. That bid was more than $330,000 over budget and will be rebid over the winter.
June 13, 2022 4:26 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – Philip Baker Hall, the prolific character actor of film and theater who starred in Paul Thomas Anderson’s early movies and who memorably hunted down a long-overdue library book in “Seinfeld,” has died. He was 90. Holly Wolfle Hall, the actor’s wife of nearly 40 years, says Hall died Sunday surrounded by loved ones in Glendale, California. She says Hall had been well until a few weeks earlier, and spent his final days in warm spirits, reflecting on his life. Hall played the library detective Lt. Joe Bookman on “Seinfeld” and appeared in Anderson’s “Hard Eight,” “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia.” (Photo: youtube)
June 13, 2022 3:44 pm
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill into law allowing school districts the option of arming employees. The Republican governor also said he’s directing the Ohio School Safety Center to require the maximum 24 hours of training spelled out by the law, as well as the maximum eight hours of annual training. The center must approve all training programs. DeWine also announced the hiring of 28 additional staff members at the center to work with schools. The governor’s announcement came as mayors from some of Ohio’s biggest cities planned to highlight the impacts of gun violence on their communities.
June 13, 2022 4:28 am
Country music star Toby Keith says he has been undergoing treatment for stomach cancer since last fall. The multi-platinum-selling singer said Sunday on Twitter that he underwent surgery and received chemotherapy and radiation in the past six months. The Oklahoma native turns 61 on July 8. He said in the post that he looks forward to spending time with his family. The status of Keith’s performances for the remainder of this year wasn’t immediately clear. His next performance is scheduled for June 17 in Wheaton, Illinois. His publicist, Elaine Schock, says some tour dates will be canceled.
June 13, 2022 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A review by federal health officials says that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appears safe and effective for children under 5, the only group not currently eligible for vaccination. The review from the Food and Drug Administration is a key step toward an expected decision to begin vaccinating babies, toddlers and preschoolers as soon as June 21. Parents have been waiting months to protect America’s youngest children, who number roughly 18 million. On Wednesday the FDA will ask an outside panel of experts to vote on whether to recommend the shots.
