November 28, 2019 4:30 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The northbound lanes of Interstate 5 have reopened heading from Redding, California, all the way to the Oregon border. California transportation officials said Wednesday the freeway was clear and no chains are required. I-5 was closed in both directions near the California-Oregon border Tuesday, stranding hundreds of people. The southbound lanes reopened at Ashland, Oregon early Wednesday. Don Anderson, deputy director of the California Department of Transportation in Redding, says Caltrans and many other agencies worked hard to communicate the seriousness of the storm but that many drivers were still caught by surprise.
November 28, 2019 4:29 am
NEW YORK (AP) – A New York judge has rejected Harvey Weinstein’s bid to throw out the most serious charges in his sexual assault case. Weinstein is accused of raping a woman in 2013 and performing a forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His lawyers recently objected to two of the counts – predatory sexual assault, which carries a maximum life sentence. Other rulings made public Wednesday also went against the movie mogul. Judge James Burke rejected Weinstein’s claim that emails obtained from his movie studio are private. Burke also denied Weinstein access to the personnel file of a police detective whose alleged witness coaching led prosecutors to drop a charge last year. Weinstein’s spokesman said his lawyers didn’t have an immediate comment.
November 28, 2019 4:28 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea says North Korea has fired an unidentified projectile. A brief statement Thursday from Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff gave no further details, such as what kind of projectile was launched and where it landed. In the past, such reports by South Korea about North Korean launches have turned out to be test launches of missiles and artillery pieces. The reported launch came three days after North Korea said its troops performed artillery drills near its disputed sea boundary with South Korea. U.S.-led diplomacy on ending the North Korean nuclear crisis has remained stalled for months.
November 28, 2019 4:27 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Fired Navy Secretary Richard Spencer has written an opinion article sharply critical of President Donald Trump for intervening in the war crimes case of a Navy SEAL. Spencer wrote in The Washington Post on Wednesday that Trump’s actions were “shocking” and unprecedented. Spencer was fired Sunday by Defense Secretary Mark Esper for working a private deal with the White House to ensure that Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher be allowed to retire without losing his SEAL status. In his opinion article, Spence acknowledged his mistake, but also asserted that Trump has “very little understanding” of how the military operates and polices its members.
November 28, 2019 4:26 am
BEIJING (AP) – China says the implementation of U.S. bills on Hong Kong human rights will undermine cooperation in important areas. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing Thursday in response to a question about whether President Donald Trump’s signing of the legislation will impact ongoing trade talks. Regarding unspecified countermeasures that China has threatened over the bills, Geng said: “What ought to come will come sooner or later.” The bills mandate sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials who carry out human rights abuses in Hong Kong, require an annual review of Hong Kong’s favorable trade status and prohibit the export to Hong Kong police of certain nonlethal munitions. The Chinese territory has been rocked by six months of pro-democracy demonstrations.
November 28, 2019 4:17 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A Philadelphia police officer says in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that the department makes it difficult for new mothers to breastfeed at work. The sex and pregnancy discrimination suit says that despite complaints the department doesn’t give women the time and space they need to pump. Lead plaintiff Janelle Newsome says she stopped nursing her 15-month-old son months early because of the lack of support. She and a fellow officer, Jennifer Allen, tell The Associated Press they had to pump in unsanitary locker rooms, busy offices or lunch rooms. The lawsuit accuses the department of violating city, state and federal laws that mandate accommodations for nursing mothers. About 22% of the city’s 6,500 officers are women. A spokesman says the department has no comment on the pending litigation.
November 28, 2019 4:11 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Diocese of Pittsburgh’s Independent Review Board has reached a determination regarding cases of four priests in the Diocese of Pittsburgh who have been on administrative leave after being accused of having sexually abused minors: Richard Lelonis who died October 20th, 72-year-old John Bauer, who served as a priest at Immaculate Conception Church in Washington and more recently, several churches in Greene County, Bernard Costello, 82, who was assigned as temporary administrator to Mary Mother of the Church, Charleroi, where he retired in 2011 and Joseph Reschick. The earliest accusation pertains to abuse alleged to have occurred in the 1960s. The other accusations involve incidents alleged to have occurred throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The diocese instated a rigorous safe environment policy in 2002, which continues to be regularly evaluated and updated, and requires that all allegations be reported to law enforcement and evaluated by an Independent Review Board. In keeping with this policy, the cases involving the above mentioned clergy went to the Independent Review Board, which found that, based on the evidence brought forward, the accusations are credible. The Independent Review Board also recommended that Bishop Zubik not return these clergy to ministry, which he has accepted. The next step in our policy involves forwarding these cases to the Vatican, which is required by canon law. The Vatican will review all the information presented and issue a decision regarding their future clerical status. The timeline for that review will be determined by the Vatican. While this process continues, these clergy remain on administrative leave and may not engage in public ministry, dress as priests or otherwise present themselves as priests in good standing.
November 28, 2019 4:10 am
BROWNSVILLE, Pa. — Thanksgiving came early to the Greater Washington County Food Bank. On Wednesday, Dennis Davin, Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development dropped by to announce a $190,000 grant to help the Food Bank create an electrical system to allow them to save on the electric bill. Connie Burd, Executive Director of the GWCFB says the Ground Mount Solar Array will cost nearly $400,000 but should provide means for the Food Bank to eliminate their electric bill by generating their own power. After the announcement, Davin toured the facility seeing the 26,000 square foot warehouse, hydroponics containers, greenhouse and 24 acre farm. This is not the first time the Wolf Administration has been here. Davin stated that during their administration the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has granted over $1,000,000 for site acquisition and build out up to today’s grant for the first phase of the solar array.
November 27, 2019 5:28 pm
DETROIT (AP) – Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 110,000 vans in North America because cooling fan motors can overheat and cause fires. The recall covers certain Ram ProMaster vans with air conditioning from 2015 through 2018. The company says in documents filed with U.S. regulators that fans can seize, and a circuit breaker may not stop them from overheating. Owners who see check engine or engine temperature warning lights are advised to shut off the engine and contact the dealer.
November 27, 2019 4:13 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Health officials say they have more evidence that a certain chemical compound is a culprit in a national outbreak of vaping illnesses. A study released Tuesday analyzed vaping cartridges gathered in Minnesota during the outbreak this year and cartridges seized in that state last year. The newer cartridges contained the compound vitamin E acetate, but none of the older ones did. The study was small and included just a few dozen products. But the finding echoes another study that found the compound in the damaged lungs of 29 patients across the country.
Nearly 2,300 Americans who vape have gotten sick since March, many of them teens and young adults. Vitamin E acetate has been used as a thickener in illicit vaping products that contain THC, the high-inducing part of marijuana.
