February 11, 2022 4:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Two Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee say the CIA has a secret, undisclosed data repository that includes information collected about Americans. While neither the agency nor lawmakers would disclose specifics about the data, Sens. Ron Wyden and Martin Heinrich allege the CIA has long hidden details about the program from the public and Congress. There have long been concerns about what information the intelligence community collects about Americans. The CIA wouldn’t comment on the program but says the agency strictly follows privacy guidelines intended to protect American data.
February 11, 2022 4:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – White House call logs obtained so far by the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol do not list calls made by then-President Donald Trump as he watched the violence unfold on television. They also do not list calls made directly to the president, according to two people familiar with the probe. The lack of information about Trump’s personal calls presents a challenge to investigators who are probing Trump’s actions in the White House as his supporters broke into the Capitol. The people requested anonymity because the records have not yet been released by the committee.
February 11, 2022 4:07 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden appears to be narrowing his list of candidates for the Supreme Court, saying he’s looking at “about four people.” Democrats who met with him Thursday say he wants a “persuasive” nominee in the mold of retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. In an interview Thursday, Biden told NBC the White House is doing a “deep dive” on the candidates to see if there’s anything in their background that would disqualify them. Biden has said his nominee will be a Black woman and he will decide by the end of February.
February 11, 2022 2:49 am
A resident of West Alexander, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of filing a false income tax return, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced Thursday. Tina L. Beck pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Beck filed federal income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service for the calendar years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, on which she willfully underreported gross receipts from the operation of the business she jointly owned with her husband known as “Beck’s Refuse Service”. Beck acknowledged underreporting receipts in excess of $986,000, resulting in a tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service of more than $232,000.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than three years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the court continued bond.
February 11, 2022 2:42 am
Pennsylvania State Senator Camera Bartolotta (R-46) conducted a telephone town hall meeting on Thursday. Nearly 5000 participants listened in on as a panel comprised of local experts answered questions that constituents is Washington, Greene and Beaver Counties had on their minds regarding jobs and outreach for senior citizens. Ami Gatts, Director of the Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board indicated that the covid pandemic has changed the way people want to work. Many want a hybrid schedule that will allow work from home and on location responsibilities. Manufacturers find that difficult because people are needed on site and not at home. Gatts did say one manufacturer is exploring job sharing in order to fill their needs. Jeff Kotula, President of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce was able to explain why banks are not locating to Donora. Banks are getting out of brick and mortar locations. Branches exist where businesses and residents are doing a lot of borrowing and that is not the case there. He did point to two new manufacturers in Donora, Retal, a plastics company and Tech Met, a chemical etching company that have recently moved into town. Finally Leslie Grenfell, Executive Director of the Southwest PA Area Agency on Aging, Inc. updated senior citizens on agency updates including vaccination programs for the aging and specialized medicare counseling. Any questions can be answered by calling 1-800-734-9603. All of this information is also available by contacting State Senator Camera Bartolotta by email at senatorbartolotta.com.
February 11, 2022 2:22 am
Following several months of negotiations, Washington Health System reached a new contract with some 330 members of the SEIU, which represents the hospital’s service and maintenance workers. The new three-year agreement was unanimously approved on Monday, February 7, 2022. Officials with Washington Health System say they are pleased to have reached an agreement with SEIU Healthcare of PA which affirms their mission of providing great patient care for the community while supporting their team members by providing them with a very competitive wage and benefit package. The previous contract expired January 31st, less than a week after the workers voted to authorize a strike notice if no agreement could be reached. Union officials say that because of the solidarity of their bargaining committee and the entire membership, the workers were able to come to an agreement that moves everyone forward. They say their goal was always to reach a fair settlement with the hospital and the union is proud to say they have done so. The new contract, which runs through January 2025, was achieved with workers taking no concessions from the previous agreement.
February 10, 2022 5:49 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg said the NFL was late embracing hip-hop and vowed that their Super Bowl halftime show would open more doors for the genre. The trio spoke at a moderated appearance Thursday without their Sunday co-headliners Kendrick Lamar and Eminem. No reporters were allowed to ask questions, unlike in previous years. The five music icons will perform at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Lamar are Southern California natives. Snoop Dogg called it a “great moment” that combined “the biggest sporting event in the world” with hip-hop, “the biggest form of music in the world.”
February 10, 2022 10:22 am
Peters Township Police have made an arrest in connection with a road rage incident Wednesday night. It happened around 8:30 p.m. in the 200 block of East McMurray Road. Our news partners at WPXI say police arrested Dean Dapra Jr. after another driver said he spit on the hood of his car and fired three shots. According to the criminal complaint, Dapra’s girlfriend and his 9-year old daughter were in the car at the time. Peters Township Police posted on their Facebook page that they were able to identify the actor and take him into custody at his home without incident. (Photo: WPXI)
February 10, 2022 8:45 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits for the third straight week. Jobless claims fell by 16,000 to 223,000 last week, from 239,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average for claims, which compensates for weekly volatility, was essentially flat after rising for five straight weeks as the omicron variant of the coronavirus spread. Last week, the Labor Department reported a surprising burst of hiring in January, with employers adding 467,000 jobs.
February 10, 2022 8:44 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Inflation soared over the past year at its highest rate in four decades, hammering America’s consumers, wiping out pay raises and reinforcing the Federal Reserve’s decision to begin raising borrowing rates across the economy. The Labor Department said Thursday that consumer prices jumped 7.5% last month compared with 12 months earlier, the steepest year-over-year increase since February 1982. Shortages of supplies and workers, heavy doses of federal aid, ultra-low interest rates and robust consumer spending combined to send inflation accelerating in the past year.
