January 6, 2021 4:02 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania lawmakers are starting their new two-year legislative term with a bitter dispute in the Senate that prevented the seating of a Democratic member. Both chambers swore in their newly elected members on Tuesday. Republicans hold large majorities in both chambers. Democrats in the Senate began protesting and in some cases shouting after the Republican majority refused to seat Sen. Jim Brewster of Allegheny County. His election was certified by the state but is being contested by Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli. The fight followed weeks of President Donald Trump challenging President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania with baseless allegations of fraud and lawsuits that have repeatedly lost in the courts.
January 6, 2021 2:45 am
Osso’s Pizza in Washington, which has been closed since Tuesday because of a positive COVID-19 test among their employees, is hoping to reopen this weekend. The owner of the pizza shop, Lisa Osso-Hasson, tells WJPA News that she was informed of the first positive test Monday evening and took the immediate action of shutting down. Osso-Hasson says they have been keeping their customers informed of their status through their Facebook page. She says they have had the building professionally deep-cleaned twice. Since the first positive test though, Osso-Hasson says they have had two more employees test positive and they’re awaiting the test results for the remainder of the workers. Osso-Hasson says they are paying for all of their workers to get tested and will not allow anyone to come back to work until they can provide a negative test. She tells us that they are hoping to reopen on Saturday, January 9th, if they can put together a crew of employees.
January 5, 2021 3:52 pm
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – An Illinois teenager who fatally shot two people and wounded a third amidst sometimes violent summer protests on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, has pleaded not guilty to charges including intentional homicide. Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, entered his plea Tuesday in a brief hearing conducted by teleconference. Prosecutors say Rittenhouse, who is white, left his home in Antioch, Illinois, and traveled to Kenosha after learning of a call to protect businesses in the wake of the Aug. 23 shooting by police of Jacob Blake. During protests two nights later, Rittenhouse killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounded a third man.
January 5, 2021 3:25 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania lawmakers are starting their new two-year legislative term with a bitter dispute in the Senate that prevented the seating of a Democratic member. Both chambers swore in their newly elected members on Tuesday. Republicans hold large majorities in both chambers. Democrats in the Senate began protesting and in some cases shouting after the Republican majority refused to seat Sen. Jim Brewster of Allegheny County. His election was certified by the state but is being contested by Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli. The House is expected to elect Lancaster County Republican Rep. Bryan Cutler as speaker. The Senate made Centre County Republican Sen. Jake Corman its presiding officer, president pro tempore.
January 5, 2021 12:44 pm
(WPXI) – A 4-year-old girl has been found safe after a Pennsylvania State Police Amber Alert was issued Tuesday, authorities said. The girl went missing from her home in Corry, which is in Erie County. She was reported to have been abducted by a 20-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man. Further information about what happened was not provided when state police announced the cancellation of the Amber Alert.
January 5, 2021 4:32 am
Peters Township Police have issued a warning to residents about counterfeit currency that has turned up. Police say the bills have Chinese writing on them and they have seen them before. They want residents to know that they are not legal tender and may be used to deceive businesses or individuals in order to steal goods and services.
January 5, 2021 4:05 am
LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a new national lockdown for England until at least mid-February to combat a fast-spreading new version of the coronavirus. Johnson said people must stay at home again, as they were ordered to do so in the first wave of the pandemic in March, this time because the new virus variant was spreading in a “frustrating and alarming” way. He said Monday that hospitals are under more pressure from COVID than at any time since the start of the pandemic. From Tuesday, primary and secondary schools and colleges will be closed for face to face learning except for the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils. People were told to work from home unless it’s impossible to do so.
January 5, 2021 4:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Police in the nation’s capital have arrested the leader of the Proud Boys for burning a Black Lives Matter sign that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington last month. The Metropolitan Police Department says Henry “Enrique” Tarrio was arrested Monday after he arrived in Washington ahead of protests planned by supporters of President Donald Trump to coincide with the congressional vote expected Wednesday to affirm Joe Biden’s election victory. Tarrio was arrested on destruction of property and weapons charges. Police say officers found him with two high-capacity firearm magazines when he was arrested.
January 5, 2021 4:02 am
DALTON, Ga. (AP) – With mounting desperation, President Donald Trump is declaring he will “fight like hell” to hold on to the presidency. And he’s appealing to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden when they convene this week to confirm the Electoral College vote. He shouted his objections to his loss, which he insists was a victory, at a long rally in Georgia Monday night. His announced reason for the appearance was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesday’s runoff election. But he spent much of his speech insisting he was cheated out of victory, though election officials in state after state have said he’s wrong – Republican officials as well as Democratic. Meanwhile, more Republicans are turning against him.
January 5, 2021 4:00 am
UNDATED (AP) – Sen. Kelly Loeffler is urging Republican voters to turn out in Georgia’s runoff elections to ensure the GOP holds the Senate as a “firewall” against President-elect Joe Biden and congressional Democrats. Loeffler told reporters while campaigning in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs that “the future of the country is on the ballot.” Tuesday’s election pits her against Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican David Perdue against Democrat Jon Ossoff. The outcome will determine which party controls the Senate. Warnock is criticizing Loeffler for saying she will join a number of Senate Republicans on Wednesday in challenging Congress’ certification of Biden’s victory.
