September 13, 2019 4:22 am
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma has a tentative settlement to thousands of lawsuits alleging it was partly responsible for a national opioid crisis. But that doesn’t mean its court battles are over. More than 20 states and lawyers representing some 2,000 local governments have signed on, pending ironing out some details. But the majority of states have not agreed. And some are promising to continue their legal fights against the company and the Sackler family, which owns it, saying the settlement does not go far enough to hold the company accountable. They say they’re prepared to object to the proposed deal in bankruptcy court, where it heads next. More than 20 states have also filed lawsuits against members of the Sackler family. Several have said they intend to continue those cases.
September 13, 2019 4:21 am
BANGKOK (AP) – Pope Francis will meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Emperor Naruhito when he visits Japan in November. Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Pope Francis will visit Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki during his Nov. 23-26 visit. He said Abe invited Francis to visit Japan when he went to the Vatican in 2014. Suga said, “We welcome the visit as a way to gain understanding of the international community about atomic bombing.” Japan has not had such a visit since St. John Paul II was the first pope to visit Japan, in 1981. Japan, where the main religions are Buddhism and Shintoism, has about 441,000 Catholics, many in Nagasaki. Nagasaki, in southwestern Japan, is rich in the legacy of Christian missionaries dating back to the samurai era, including 26 martyrs killed in 1597. Francis has repeatedly called for a world without nuclear weapons.
September 13, 2019 4:19 am
HOUSTON (AP) – Early front-runner Joe Biden took on the most fire at Thursday’s Democratic presidential debate, and former Obama Housing Secretary Julián Castro was the most explicit in arguing it was time for a new generation. Castro also seemed to allude to speculation about the 76-year-old Biden’s mental acuity during an exchange about health care. When Biden denied that his health plan required people to buy into Medicare, Castro exclaimed, “Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?” Sen. Bernie Sanders faced sharp criticism about his universal health care plan from several candidates, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren was more in the background than in prior debates but didn’t damage herself. The likely result is little change in a primary that has been remarkably static for months.
September 13, 2019 4:12 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – The Pennsylvania attorney general is suing some members of the family that founded and controls Purdue Pharma over their role in the opioid crisis after a tentative settlement with 20 other states was announced. Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the sealed Commonwealth Court lawsuit on Thursday, arguing the defendants should take responsibility for pain they have caused. Shapiro’s office also has a lawsuit pending against Purdue Pharma over its marketing practices in the state. Shapiro says the two lawsuits will proceed independently. He says the new lawsuit claims Sackler family members “directed, controlled and participated in” a deceptive campaign to sell OxyContin. Messages seeking comment left with a lawyer and a spokesman for Sackler family members weren’t returned.
September 13, 2019 4:11 am
City Councilman Matt Staniszewski continued his absence from council since his August 26 arrest for DUI. A quorum to conduct business was reached with the participation of councilmen Joe Manning and Ken Westcott and Mayor Scott Putnam. Councilwoman Monda Williams was also absent from the meeting again. Staniszewski was called out by city resident Barry Andrews for his behavior. Andrews cited 3 other occasions that Staniszewski’s behavior “gave the city a black eye.” Andrews pulled no punches calling for Staniszewski’s immediate resignation from council. When asked about Councilwoman Williams’ absence, Mayor Scott Putnam stated that Williams planned to attend Thursday’s meeting but had difficulties with a trip. He anticipates her participation at meetings going forward. Absences by these two council people will stretch the effectiveness of council and could cause cancellations of meetings if a quorum of at least 3 council members is not reached. Putnam pointed to the recent troubles in Monessen and said that those kinds of incidents theoretically could occur in Washington. In brighter news, council unanimously approved an access road to the rear of Washington Park. The road will come in off of Clare Dr. and travel through the park to near the Stone Pavilion. Washington Park will now have two exits. This exit will be used only in the case of emergency. First Responders from Washington and South Strabane Township will have keys to a locked gate. The move was applauded by several members of the audience.
September 13, 2019 4:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A 30-year-old man whose relatives reported concerns about his behavior and far-right extremist rhetoric after last year’s Pittsburgh synagogue massacre awaits sentencing for his conviction on a federal gun charge. Jeffrey Clark Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington, D.C. Clark pleaded guilty in July to illegal possession of a firearm. Federal prosecutors have recommended a 10-month prison sentence. Clark, who has been jailed for 10 months since his arrest, could be eligible for immediate release if Kelly agrees with prosecutors’ recommendation. The FBI said Clark is a white nationalist who followed Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers on social media and referred to him as a “hero” in a post after the October shooting that killed 11 people.
September 13, 2019 3:14 am
Republicans held a small protest on the steps of the Washington County Courthouse Thursday morning. Nick Sherman, a Republican candidate for Washington County Commissioner and Republican nominee for Clerk of Courts Brenda Davis are calling for answers in connection with the disappearance of more than $96,000 from the Clerk of Courts office. Back in July, County Commissioners announced that an audit by the Controller discovered the missing money. A State Police investigation was immediately launched. There has been no update on the status of that investigation. Clerk of Courts Frank Scandale has denied any wrongdoing in the matter and said he welcomed the investigation. Scandale told WJPA News that he would not be commenting on the news conference, saying it was merely a “political stunt”.
September 12, 2019 5:27 pm
A Fayette County man was killed in an early morning accident in Westmoreland County. The coroner’s office says a car driven by 32-year-old Donald Schultz of Washington Township collided with the rear of a garbage truck on Route 51 north, near Gallatin Road in Rostraver Township. Schultz was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say the garbage truck was exiting a business on the east side of the roadway and pulled onto Route 51 and that’s when Schultz’s vehicle collided with it.
September 12, 2019 4:16 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Walmart is rolling out an unlimited grocery delivery subscription service this fall as it races to gain an advantage in the competitive fresh food business. The service will charge an annual membership fee of $98 for subscribers to access unlimited same-day delivery, which will be offered in 1,400 stores in 200 markets. By year-end, it will extend to a total of 1,600 stores – or more than 50% of the country. The move allows the nation’s largest grocer to further tap into time-starved shoppers looking for convenience at a time when Walmart is locked in an arms race with Amazon and others to expand fresh-food delivery. About two years ago, Amazon purchased Whole Food Market Inc. and is now is offering same-day grocery delivery in various cities.
September 12, 2019 4:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says his administration will propose banning thousands of flavors used in e-cigarettes amid an outbreak of breathing problems tied to vaping.
State and federal health authorities are investigating hundreds of breathing illnesses reported in people who have used e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. No single device, ingredient or additive has been identified. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says the Food and Drug Administration will develop guidelines to remove all e-cigarette flavors from the market, especially those favored by children. The FDA regulates e-cigarettes and has authority to ban vaping flavors, but has resisted calls to take that step. Instead, the agency has said it is studying the role of flavors in vaping products, including whether they help adult smokers quit traditional cigarettes.
