December 16, 2019 4:11 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The Hallmark Channel says it will reinstate commercials featuring same-sex couples that it had pulled from the network. Hallmark Cards CEO Mike Perry said in a statement Sunday that pulling the commercials “was the wrong decision.” Several of the ads for the wedding planning site Zola featured two brides kissing at the altar. The network had pulled the ads following a complaint from the conservative group One Million Moms, and protest was swift. A BoycottHallmarkChannel hashtag was trending on Twitter at one point, and celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres, William Shatner and Sandra Bernhard blasted the decision on Twitter.
December 16, 2019 4:10 am
PADADA, Philippines (AP) – Rescuers have pulled out two bodies from a three-story building that collapsed in a strong earthquake in the southern Philippines and are scrambling to find at least seven more people who were trapped inside. Army troops, police, firefighters and volunteers located a third body on Monday in the rubble of the building in Davao del Sur province’s Padada town but could not immediately extricate the pinned remains, according to Padada Mayor Pedro Caminero. At least five people died from Sunday’s magnitude 6.9 quake that struck Padada and outlying rural towns, cities and provinces. The region has been battered by three deadly earthquakes in recent months.
December 16, 2019 4:09 am
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – New Zealanders have observed a minute’s silence at the moment that a volcano erupted a week earlier, killing 18 people. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led the call for the moment of reflection at 2:11 p.m. Monday, saying that wherever people were in New Zealand or around the world, it was an opportunity to stand alongside those who had lost loved ones in the tragedy. She said it was a chance to express sorrow for those who died and were hurt, and to show support for their grieving families and friends. Two bodies have yet to be recovered from the White Island eruption site.
December 16, 2019 4:04 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Officials at two military academies say the schools are looking into hand signs flashed by students during the Army-Navy football game that can be associated with “white power.” Officials tell The Wall Street Journal that cadets at West Point and midshipmen at the Naval Academy in the stands both appeared to display the sign during Saturday’s broadcast. Spokespeople say school officials are trying to determine what the hand signals were meant to convey. The hand sign is similar to the one often used to indicate “OK,” but the Anti-Defamation League says it has lately been used as an extremist meme.
December 16, 2019 4:03 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – U.S. Steel Corp. is agreeing to pay $8.5 million to settle a 2017 class-action lawsuit that accused the steelmaker of negligence in allowing air pollution emissions from its Clairton Coke Works. The proposed agreement was filed in Allegheny County Court and a hearing on it is scheduled for Feb. 24. Under the settlement agreement, U.S. Steel must spend at least $6.5 million to reduce soot emissions and noxious odors from the the Clairton coke-making facility. áThe remaining $2 million would go to area residents and their lawyers. The company is facing other lawsuits over pollution from the Clairton facility.
December 16, 2019 2:06 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WPXI) — The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Saturday the merging of dozens of parishes. Twenty-six parishes will be part of the mergers when they take place Jan. 6, 2020. In total, eight new parishes are being created. “For more than a year, you have journeyed together on a road that is intended to unite you on the mission to bring the Good News of Jesus to your neighbors and to strengthen all of you in faith,” Bishop David Zubik wrote in a letter to be read or distributed in those parishes at this weekend’s Masses.
The eight new parishes are:
- Archangel Gabriel(Kennedy/McKees Rocks/Robinson), which brings together the parishes of Holy Trinity (Robinson), Saint John of God (McKees Rocks) and Saint Malachy (Kennedy).
- Christ the Divine Shepherd(Monroeville/Penn Hills), which brings together the parishes of Saint Bartholomew (Penn Hills), Saint Bernadette (Monroeville), Saint Gerard Majella (Penn Hills), North American Martyrs (Monroeville) and Saint Susanna (Penn Hills).
- Corpus Christi(Bridgeville/Cecil), which brings together the parishes of Saint Barbara (Bridgeville), Holy Child (Bridgeville) and Saint Mary (Cecil).
- Divine Mercy(City Center/Hill District), which brings together the parishes of Saint Benedict the Moor (Hill District), Epiphany (Uptown) and Saint Mary of Mercy (The Point/Gateway Center).
- Divine Redeemer(Aleppo/Sewickley), which brings together the parishes of Saint James (Sewickley) and Saint Mary (Aleppo).
- Mary, Mother of God(McKeesport/North Versailles/Versailles/White Oak), which brings together the parishes of Saint Angela Merici (White Oak), Corpus Christi (McKeesport), Saint Patrick (McKeesport, Versailles) and Saint Robert Bellarmine (East McKeesport).
- Saint Andrew the Apostle(Charleroi/Donora/Monongahela), which brings together the parishes of Saint Damien of Molokai (Monongahela), Mary, Mother of the Church (Charleroi) and Our Lady of the Valley (Donora).
- Saint Mary Magdalene(East End/Point Breeze/Wilkinsburg), which brings together the parishes of Saint Bede (Point Breeze), Saint Charles Lwanga (East End) and Saint James (Wilkinsburg).
The diocese says no buildings will close at this time and it’s still deciding which ones the new parishes will use.
December 15, 2019 8:23 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s opposition to Pacific Gas & Electric’s restructuring plan is forcing the nation’s largest utility to go back to the negotiating table and come up with a solution quickly. Just last week, the San Francisco-based company struck a $13.5 billion settlement with thousands of people who lost homes, businesses and family members in a series of devastating fires that drove PG&E into bankruptcy. The utility filed an amended reorganization plan after striking a settlement with the victims. But Newsom said Friday the plan didn’t go far enough in addressing what he considers its most important elements: providing safe and reliable power to PG&E customers. Now, the company has until Tuesday to appease Newsom and get him to sign off on the plan.
December 15, 2019 8:21 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico is objecting to legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress as part of an eventual ratification of the recently agreed trade deal to replace NAFTA. Just days after the Dec. 10 signing ceremony, Mexico is unhappy with language designating up to five U.S. labor attaches in Mexico “tasked with monitoring the implementation” of a labor reform. A top Foreign Relations Department official says Mexico considers that “unnecessary and redundant” and is not in agreement. Jesús Seade says he sent a letter to that effect to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and will travel to Washington on Sunday to convey the message in person.
December 15, 2019 8:20 am
BEIJING (AP) – China is postponing punitive tariffs on U.S.-made automobiles and other goods following an interim trade deal with Washington. Sunday’s announcement came after Washington agreed to postpone a planned tariff hike on $160 billion of Chinese goods and to cut in half penalties that already were imposed. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said China committed to buy $40 billion of American farm products. He said Beijing also promised to end its long-standing practice of pressuring companies to hand over technology. Duties that had been due to take effect Sunday included 25% on autos and 10% or 5% on other goods.
December 15, 2019 8:18 am
BEIRUT (AP) – Lebanon’s official news agency says attackers in the country’s north set fire to the offices of two major political parties. The assaults come just hours after a violent government crackdown on protesters rocked the capital, Beirut, throughout the night. It was the worst crackdown by the government since nationwide demonstrations began two months ago. The National News Agency said the local offices for resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri were ransacked and burned Sunday morning. A separate attack also torched a local office of current President Michel Aoun. Lebanon’s protest movement is accusing the ruling political class of mismanagement and corruption. They’re calling for a government unaffiliated with established political parties.
