January 2, 2021 4:25 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Congress has overridden President Donald Trump’s veto of a defense policy bill, a first by lawmakers since he took office nearly four years ago. In an extraordinary New Year’s Day session, the Republican-controlled Senate easily turned aside the veto, ensuring that the measure becomes law. Lawmakers dismissed Trump’s objections to the $740 billion bill and handed the president a stinging rebuke weeks before his term ends. Trump rejected the defense measure last week, saying it failed to limit social media companies he claimed were biased against him. Trump also opposed language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders.
January 2, 2021 4:24 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal judge has dismissed a last-gasp lawsuit led by a House Republican that seeks to give Vice President Mike Pence the power to overturn the results of the presidential election won by Joe Biden when Congress formally counts the Electoral College votes next week. Pence, as president of the Senate, will oversee the Wednesday session and declare the winner of the White House race. The Electoral College this month cemented Biden’s 306-232 victory, and multiple legal efforts by President Donald Trump’s campaign to challenge the results have failed. The suit named Pence as the defendant and asked the court to throw out the 1887 law that spells out how Congress handles the vote counting.
January 2, 2021 4:22 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Iran says it plans to enrich uranium up to 20% at its underground Fordo nuclear facility “as soon as possible.” That’s according to Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s civilian nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran also informed its inspectors of the decision, which it said came after parliament mandated the move. Iran’s decision to begin enriching to 20% a decade ago nearly brought an Israeli strike targeting its nuclear facilities, tensions that only abated with the 2015 atomic deal. Tensions are already high as Sunday is the first anniversary of a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad that killed a top Iranian general.
January 2, 2021 4:21 am
UNDATED (AP) – The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a boat with about 20 people on board that was three days overdue to arrive in Florida after leaving the Bahamas. Officials say the Coast Guard and others searched more than 17,000 square miles for about 84 hours before suspending the search around noon on Friday. Officials have not released information about who was on the 29-foot Mako Cuddy Cabin vessel. It left Bimini, Bahamas, on Monday and was supposed to arrive in Lake Worth, Florida, on Tuesday.
January 2, 2021 4:20 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are appealing to the most conservative factions of a diversifying Georgia electorate as they try to win Tuesday runoffs that will determine control of the U.S. Senate. Perdue’s and Loeffler’s unceasing embrace of President Donald Trump and their caricatures of their Democratic challengers may not seem like the right approach in a state that opted narrowly for President-elect Joe Biden in November after years of steady Democratic gains. The strategy, though, reflects the realities of the Trump era: Republicans’ path to victory starts with a GOP base motivated by allegiance to the president and fear of Democrats.
January 2, 2021 4:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has wrapped up a rare New Year’s Day session with Republicans rejecting President Donald Trump’s demand for $2,000 COVID-19 aid checks. They also overrode his veto of a sweeping defense bill. Together, it was an unusual one-two rebuke at the end of a chaotic Congress. Democrats vowed to try again to approve more COVID-19 aid when the new Congress convenes Sunday. Trump lashed out at GOP leaders, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Congress has provided enough pandemic aid, for now. Smaller $600 checks are being mailed to households.
January 2, 2021 4:15 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — Pittsburgh recorded 27.5 inches of snow last month, making it the second-snowiest December on record. The snowiest December on record goes to 1890, with 41.8 inches of snow. The snowfall this month was 19.2 inches above average and marks the seventh-snowiest month on record for Pittsburgh. The snowiest month ever on record in the city is February 2010, which recorded 48.7 inches of snow. Pittsburgh has seen 28.3 inches of snow so far this season, and has already recorded 68% of its average seasonal snowfall. The 28.3 inches of snow marks the fourth-snowiest period for a season to date (October, November, December). The top spot for a season to date goes to 1950 with 51.3 inches of snow. The entire season, which can run through April, averages 41.4 inches of snow for Pittsburgh.
January 2, 2021 4:12 am
NORTH BRADDOCK, Pa. (WPXI) — A North Braddock police officer has been suspended without pay after he allegedly pulled a gun out and started threatening people at a New Year’s Eve party. According to the police chief, Craig Gibson is the officer at the heart of the investigation. He was not on duty and was not acting in his capacity as police officer at the time of the alleged incident. Witnesses said what Gibson did when he showed up to the party unannounced and uninvited was terrifying. “He was inebriated, not invited to the party. Went in without being invited and put a gun to multiple individuals,” said Pitcairn Police Department Chief Scott Farally. Gibson turned himself in to the Pitcairn police after the incident. Farally said Gibson used to work for him. “It’s very disappointing,” he said. “When you mix alcohol and guns, pretty terrible mixture.” The chief of the North Braddock Police Department said the news came as a shock. “Last thing you want to hear is police being involved in any type of gun-involved incidents while drinking,” Chief Isaac Daniele said. It’s not clear in court documents why Gibson showed up to the party in the first place.
January 2, 2021 3:58 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WPXI) — Officials with Pittsburgh Public Schools said they are delaying the spring return to in-person learning. Superintendent Dr. Anthony Hamlet decided to push the return date back to January 18th instead of January 4th. Hamlet said there could be a hybrid model in place for students by the end of the month. Hamlet said he’s hopeful that things could return to normal in the spring with the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine. He said right now, in their virtual school model, attendance was more than 90% every day, with 98.5% of active students logging into the online system.
January 1, 2021 4:09 am
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Authorities have arrested a suburban Milwaukee pharmacist suspected of deliberately ruining hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine by removing it from refrigeration for two nights. The Grafton Police Department said the former Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property. The department says he’s in jail. Police did not identify the pharmacist, saying he hasn’t been formally charged. Advocate Aurora Health Care Chief Medical Group Officer Jeff Bahr says the pharmacist deliberately removed 57 vials containing hundreds of doses of the Moderna vaccine from refrigeration overnight on Dec. 24, returned them, then left them out again the night of Dec. 25.
