January 12, 2021 4:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – With impeachment pressure mounting, the House is speeding ahead to try to oust President Donald Trump from office. Democrats are pushing first for the vice president and Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority to remove Trump from office. If that fails, impeachment proceedings are set for Wednesday. Pence met with Trump Monday evening for the first time since the Capitol attack, and the vice president he has shown no inclination to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to push Trump out. President-elect Joe Biden said Monday that those who “engaged in sedition” must be held accountable. Trump is to face a single charge – “incitement of insurrection” – over the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. The FBI is warning of more unrest ahead of Inauguration Day.
January 12, 2021 4:01 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania will soon begin vaccinating people 75 years and older and “essential workers” like police officers, grocery store clerks and teachers. That’s according to the state health secretary. Dr. Rachel Levine said Monday that the state remains focused on giving the COVID-19 vaccine to health workers and residents of long-term care facilities. But she says the state is making plans to move to the next stage of its vaccination plan. Levine says this group, which also includes clergy, postal employees and factory workers, will be eligible to receive the vaccine before everyone in the first group has been inoculated.
January 12, 2021 3:58 am
The Peters Township School Board previewed their 2021-2022 Preliminary Budget on Monday evening. Board Director Dr. Jamison Hardy chaired the meeting that directed the board through the details of the budget that calls for a .42 mil hike in taxes. The proposed budget is for $74,797,000. That is an increase of $3.5 million dollars from the year prior. The largest cost drivers over the previous year’s budget are staff/pension, $1.3 million and debt service, $1.9 million. Currently the proposed budget is showing a $2.7 million deficit that will most likely be made up through reserves. Expenditures per student in the district are among the lowest in Washington County and are the lowest when compared to Allegheny County peer districts. The district states that their return on investment in Washington County and among Allegheny County peer districts is the highest. Superintendent Dr. Jeannine French gives credit to the Board of Directors for not chasing shiny objects or the flashiest new programs but investment into staff and proven educational programs. The proposed budget will be adopted at the next regular school board meeting. At the end of the meeting, Dr. Jamison Hardy announced his resignation from the board effective January 19. He will be relocating to Michigan because of employment obligations.
January 12, 2021 2:50 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A Republican candidate lost her latest legal challenge after asking a federal judge to effectively overturn a close race for a western Pennsylvania state Senate seat. U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan was under pressure to settle a fight that spilled onto the floor of the state Senate last week when majority Republicans refused to let state Sen. Jim Brewster of Allegheny County be sworn in. Ranjan rejected the argument by Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli that Allegheny County was not justified in counting 311 mail-in ballots without a handwritten date. The county’s decision had been upheld by the state Supreme Court. Those ballots helped deliver a 69-vote victory to Brewster. (Photo: WPXI)
January 11, 2021 2:56 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. The warning comes just days after the bloodshed during last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol. An internal FBI bulletin warned that, as of Sunday, the nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, Two law enforcement officials read details of the memo to The Associated Press. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The officials said investigators believe some of the people are members of some extremist groups. (Photo: AP)
January 11, 2021 4:29 am
GENEVA (AP) – The World Health Organization’s chief scientist has warned that even as numerous countries start rolling out vaccination programs to stop COVID-19, herd immunity is highly unlikely this year. At a media briefing on Monday, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said it was critical countries maintain strict social distancing measures for the foreseeable future. Even as countries including Britain, France, Canada and the U.S. begin vaccinating against COVID-19, Swaminathan said “we’re not going to achieve any levels” of herd immunity this year. WHO said the recent surge in COVID-19 was due largely to people mixing more, not the new variants.
January 11, 2021 4:28 am
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is comparing the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol to the Nazis. In a video posted Sunday on social media, Schwarzenegger said the mob last week “trampled the very principles on which our country was founded.” But he said America’s Constitution will not be overthrown. The actor-turned-politician also called President Donald Trump a failed leader who “will go down in history as the worst president ever.” Schwarzenegger called for national unity and vowed his support for President-elect Joe Biden.
January 11, 2021 4:24 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is ordering the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff at federal buildings for the next several days. It’s a sign of respect for two U.S. Capitol Police officers who have died since last Wednesday’s violent protests at the Capitol, as well as all members of law enforcement across the nation. The proclamation makes no mention of the rioting at the Capitol. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick died after being attacked by rioters. The connection of Officer Howard Liebengood’s death to the riots was unclear, and people familiar with the matter say the officer’s death was an apparent suicide.
January 11, 2021 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser is seeking increased security around President-elect Joe Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration in the wake of the mob insurrection at the Capitol. Bowser says in a letter to Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, that the security around the inauguration needs a different approach given last week’s mob action. She is asking that the security period around the inauguration last from Monday until Jan. 24 and that all permits for demonstrations be denied during that period. Bowser cited “new threats from insurgent acts of domestic terrorists” in her letter. D.C. does not have jurisdiction over the Capitol and other federal property within its borders.
January 11, 2021 4:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Impeachment pressure mounting, the House is working swiftly to try to oust President Donald Trump from office. Democrats are pushing the vice president and Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority to remove Trump from office. A resolution calling on Pence to do so was blocked Monday by Republicans. But more votes are expected Tuesday, with an impeachment vote Wednesday. Trump faces a single charge – “incitement of insurrection” – over the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. That’s according to a draft of the articles obtained by The Associated Press. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach Trump if Pence doesn’t help. áTrump is set to leave Jan. 20 when Democrat Joe Biden is inaugurated.
