December 17, 2019 9:54 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – On the eve of his all-but-certain impeachment, President Donald Trump sent off a fiery letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi denouncing the “crusade” against him. But he acknowledged that at this point he was unlikely to change any votes. At the Capitol, meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans sparred over the rules of debate for Wednesday’s historic session. They set aside the lofty rhetoric of constitutional duty for the rugged politics of the House action and the Senate trial that is expected to follow. Impeachment on Wednesday would send the case to the Republican-majority Senate for a trial that would be likely to acquit the president.
December 17, 2019 4:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Democratic-controlled House has passed a $1.4 trillion government-wide spending package, handing President Donald Trump a victory on his U.S.-Mexico border fence. It also gives Democrats spending increases across a swath of domestic programs. The 2,371-page legislation calls for $1.4 trillion in federal spending to head off a government shutdown that would otherwise take place this weekend. Democrats and Republicans have been fighting for months over spending priorities. The compromise bill gives both sides some of what they want as well as some of what they don’t want. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the two-bill package.
December 17, 2019 4:14 am
ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) – Forecasters have found at least 17 tornado paths from an outbreak of deadly weather in the South. National Weather Service teams surveyed the damage Tuesday, one day after the storm outbreak. The agency says it has confirmed multiple twisters in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The storms killed four people, including one person who died after heavy rains caused flooding in Kentucky. A husband and wife died in Alabama, and a woman was killed when a tornado hit her home in Louisiana. The Storm Prediction Center logged more than three dozen reports of storm damage from east Texas to Georgia.
December 17, 2019 4:12 am
(AP) – A new analysis shows accidental overdoses contribute to 90% of all U.S. opioid-related deaths. áThe report out Tuesday also shows opioid-related suicides account for far fewer of these deaths than previously thought. Researchers think rising use of heroin and highly potent fentanyl has likely contributed to the accidental death rate. It surged nine-fold between 2000 and 2017 at a faster pace than opioid suicides. In 2017, ásuicides accounted for about 4% of the 47,500 opioid-related deaths. A slightly larger portion were from undetermined causes. The results are from an analysis of national death certificate data.
December 17, 2019 4:08 am
Peters Township residents can ring in the new year on a positive note. Peters Township Council unanimously approved a $33 million dollar budget for 2020 with no tax increase. The property tax rate in Peters Township will remain at 1.622 mills. That is the same rate as in 2018 and 2019. However, total consensus could not be found on how to spend the money. Council members Gary Stiegel and Monica Merrell objected to the operating budget and capital improvement budgets. Stiegel questioned the priorities of his colleagues citing an expenditure of over $300,000 for the design of an aquatics facility in the new Rolling Hills Park over the design of a new fire station on the eastern side of the township where housing growth continues to expand. Despite his dissent, the budgets did pass 5-2. Large projects featured in the budget are phase one construction of Rolling Hills Park and the construction of Rolling Hills Drive and the realignment of E. McMurray Road with Rolling Hills Drive.
December 16, 2019 10:51 am
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – Senator Lindsey Graham says President Donald Trump will announce a U.S. troop drawdown later this week. Graham says the drawdown could begin before the end of the year. He says the president may lower troop numbers to 8,600, down from the current 12,000. Still, Graham has opposed a full withdrawal of U.S. troops. Speaking in Kabul on Monday, he said America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan has to be “condition based,” and that the Taliban must keep the promises they make during talks. Recently-resumed peace negotiations between the U.S. and Taliban are again “paused” after an attack Friday outside Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul.
December 16, 2019 9:35 am
BASTOGNE, Belgium (AP) – Allies and former enemy Germany together marked the 75th anniversary of one of the most important battles in World War II. At dawn on Dec. 16, 1944, Adolf Hitler launched a last-ditch offensive to turn the tide of the war after the allies had pushed German forces back across France, Belgium and the Netherlands. At first Hitler’s surprise offensive pierced the front line so deeply it came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge. Then, American troops launched a counteroffensive and by Christmas fortunes started to change. After the month-long battle, the move into Germany was unstoppable.
December 16, 2019 9:28 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Boeing Co. will temporarily stop producing its grounded 737 Max jet starting in January as it struggles to get approval from regulators to put the plane back in the air. The company says it will halt production at its plant with 12,000 employees in Renton, Washington, near Seattle. It says, however, it doesn’t immediately expect any layoffs as a result of the production halt. But layoffs could ripple through some of the 900 companies that supply parts for the plane. The Max has been grounded since March after two deadly crashes.
December 16, 2019 5:37 am
The National Weather Service has issues a ‘Winter Weather Advisory’ for our area until 11 a.m. Tuesday morning. A wintry mix is expected with total snow accumulations of around an inch in some locations. A light glaze of ice is also possible from freezing rain. Be prepared for slippery road conditions with hazardous conditions possible through your Tuesday morning commute. This advisory includes; Washington, Allegheny, and Westmoreland Counties. Tune to WJPA 95.3 FM/1450 AM for the very latest.
December 16, 2019 4:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Five aides to a House Democrat who plans to switch and become a Republican say they are resigning. The five have written a letter saying they can no longer work for New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew because his party switch “doesn’t align with the values we brought to this job.” Van Drew has said he plans to vote this week against impeaching President Donald Trump. That puts him at odds with nearly every other House Democrat. The freshman represents a southern New Jersey district that Trump carried in 2016 and was expected to face a difficult reelection next year.
