February 4, 2021 4:22 am
LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer has defended his decision to impeach former President Donald Trump amid criticism from voters. Meijer, a freshman, was one of just 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over the deadly attack on the Capitol. He said during a virtual town hall that Trump’s falsehoods and the resulting insurrection required a “significant response” from Congress. Two constituents who asked questions said they were deeply disappointed with Meijer, 33, who represents the 3rd Congressional District in western Michigan. One accused him of betrayal and said she would work to defeat him a 2022 primary.
February 4, 2021 4:15 am
(AP) – An Associated Press investigation has found that scores of Roman Catholic dioceses in the U.S. had more than $10 billion in cash and other readily available funds when they received at least $1.5 billion from the federal government’s small business emergency relief program. The Paycheck Protection Program was intended for employers who were badly battered by coronavirus lock downs. Instead of suffering financially, however, many dioceses are reporting in audited financial statements that these assets ended up growing amid the economic downturn. Overall, Catholic Church recipients were perhaps the paycheck program’s biggest beneficiaries. Church officials say they needed government relief to pay staff because donations from the faithful slowed when churches were ordered to close.
February 4, 2021 4:09 am
PITTSBURGH — For the first time since the U.S. Capitol riot, Pennsylvania Representative Guy Reschenthaler spoke about the events that unfolded on Jan. 6. “Clearly what happened was unacceptable. It was un-American. I condemned it, actually. I condemned it while it was going on in the building. So, I think it is time to move forward. I think we need to heal and unite the country,” said Rep. Reschenthaler. He spoke with our news partners at Channel 11 and says he was scared for his life, and “I’m just looking, I’m looking forward.” Reschenthaler says President Donald Trump is not to blame for the riot, even though many of his supporters participated.”The people that I think are responsible are the 300 some folks that broke into the capitol,” said Reschenthaler. The Pennsylvania congressman said impeaching the former president is not the answer. “We need to unite the country. If the Democrats impeach this president, they’re further dividing the nation, and by extension, they’re impeaching the 75 million Americans who voted for the President”. While several courts, both federal and state, along with the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have said there was no widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, Reschenthaler is not convinced.”There were issues with the election on numerous issues,” said Reschenthaler. The congressman pointed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and its decision to modify mail-in-ballot deadlines.
February 4, 2021 4:00 am
Four people that led State Police in a car chase that ended in a crash in Somerset Township in July of 2020 were scheduled in plea court on Wednesday afternoon. China Moon Chambers, 19 of Leesburg, Virginia pleaded guilty in front of Judge Gary Gilman to felony criminal trespass for her part in the car chase that yielded drugs and weapons. In exchange for her plea of guilty she will cooperate with the district attorney in their cases against the driver of the car Dante James, Jr. of Washington, D.C. and another passenger, Charles Dutch, Jr. also of Washington, D.C. Moon’s plea is an open plea and she will be sentenced at the conclusion of the trials of James and Dutch. A fourth participant in the chase was a minor at the time of the incident and her case is being handled separately. In another plea court before Judge Valarie Costanzo, Terrell Jones of Chicago had his case continued because of new discovery evidence. Jones and his accomplice Tommie Holmes were arrested by county detectives for selling drugs to an informant.
February 3, 2021 4:19 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden has signed a second spate of orders to undo his predecessor’s immigration policies, demonstrating the powers of the White House and its limitations without support from Congress. His orders on family separation, border security and legal immigration bring to nine the number of executive actions on immigration during his first two weeks in office. With proposed legislation to give legal status and a path to citizenship to all of the estimated 11 million people in the country who don’t have it, Biden has quickly taken aim at many of former President Donald Trump’s sweeping changes to deter immigration, both legal and illegal.
February 3, 2021 4:18 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Jeff Bezos is stepping down later this year as Amazon CEO, a role he’s had since founding the company nearly 30 years ago. Amazon made the announcement Tuesday. Bezos built the company from an online bookstore into a behemoth that sells just about everything. Amazon says Bezos will be replaced in the summer by Andy Jassy, who runs Amazon’s cloud business. Bezos will then become the company’s executive chairman. In a blog post, Bezos said he planned to focus on new products and early initiatives at Amazon. He also expects to have more time for side projects, including his space exploration company Blue Origin and philanthropic initiatives.
February 3, 2021 4:16 am
WUHAN, China (AP) – World Health Organization investigators have visited a research center in the central Chinese city of Wuhan that has been the subject of speculation about the origins of the coronavirus. The Wuhan Institute of Virology has extensive virus samples, leading to unproven allegations that it may have caused the original outbreak by leaking the virus into the surrounding community. China has strongly denied that possibility and has promoted also unproven theories that the virus may have originated elsewhere. Over six days, the WHO team that includes experts from 10 nations has already visited hospitals, research institutes and a traditional wet market tied to the original outbreak.
February 3, 2021 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden and the first lady are among those who have paid their respects to slain Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick as he lay in honor in the U.S. Capitol. Sicknick’s colleagues and the lawmakers he protected are honoring him for his actions during the violent attack on Congress that cost him his life. The officer was injured Jan. 6 when a mob besieged the Capitol, dying the next day. Following a viewing period overnight for Capitol Police officers, lawmakers are set to to pay tribute at a ceremony Wednesday morning. Sicknick will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
February 3, 2021 4:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has met with hard-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Their session on Tuesday night came as Republicans wrestled over how to handle a bipartisan outcry over her embrace of outlandish conspiracy theories like suggestions that mass shootings at the nation’s schools were staged. Aides to McCarthy and Greene offered no immediate comment after the two spent around 90 minutes together in his Capitol office. The GOP is facing unrest from opposing ends of the Republican spectrum over Greene and congresswoman Liz Cheney, who voted to impeach President Donald Trump. Both situations underscore GOP fissures as the party seeks its pathway without Trump.
February 3, 2021 4:10 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf on Wednesday, proposed a sweeping new plan to dramatically boost funding for public schools to be supported by an increase in the state’s personal income tax. The Democratic governor, in a taped message, asked the Republican-controlled Legislature for what could approach $2 billion for public schools. The personal income tax increase would take the rate to 4.49% from 3.07%, but increase the exemption for the lowest earners. Republicans say the governor’s plan would raise about $7 billion over a full year, or 50% more. Wolf’s office said it would raise $4 billion, or about 25% more.
