December 4, 2019 4:10 am
It’s duck season here in Pittsburgh, and yinzers want to honor Steelers quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges in huge way. A petition has been started to bring back the giant 40-foot inflatable rubber duck that once floated where the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela rivers meet. The petition on change.org says, “The people of Pittsburgh (aka Yinzers, aka Stiller Gang aka Steelers Nation) demand Mayor Peduto to return the legendary Rubber Ducky of 2013 to the Allegheny river in honor of Devlin “Duck” Hodges. We need 100,000 signatures to show the city we mean business.”
December 4, 2019 4:07 am
PITTSBURGH – (WPXI) – Some of the top Democratic hopefuls running for president will be in Pittsburgh later this month for an education forum. The Public Education Forum 2020: Equity and Justice for All is set to take place on Dec. 14 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center downtown. Currently, six major Democratic candidates who qualified for the October debate or who are currently elected to statewide office have confirmed participation: Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. It will be moderated by Ali Velshi, host of “MSNBC Live,” and Rehema Ellis, NBC News education correspondent, and live streamed on MSNBC.com and NBC News Now. Each candidate will provide opening remarks and then answer questions from Velshi and Ellis, forum attendees and others from across the country who submitted questions.
December 4, 2019 2:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic lawmakers hit hard at President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine and their investigation as the House Judiciary Committee opened its impeachment hearing on Capitol Hill. Republicans said it was all a sham, arguing the Democrats had no evidence of an impeachable offense. The GOP lawmakers also tried various delaying tactics, to no avail, as the Democrats pushed ahead. Three legal experts called by the Democrats said Trump indeed merited removal from office. A lone professor summoned by the GOP disagreed. Trump, who was in England for a NATO conference, pronounced it all boring and said he wouldn’t be watching. Read the House Intelligence Committee report here
December 3, 2019 4:58 pm
BOSTON (AP) – A widespread storm that brought heavy snowfall across the Northeast in recent days is winding down. The National Weather Service says the long-lasting storm is slowly moving out of the region Tuesday afternoon and should be in parts of Canada by nighttime. The storm arrived in parts of the region on Sunday. It dumped more than two feet in parts of upstate New York, western Massachusetts and Vermont, but less than six inches along the coast on Tuesday. In New Jersey, the storm has knocked out power to tens of thousands of residents. The weather service says the rest of the work week is expected to be colder and drier, though parts of New England might see light rain or even snow Friday night.
December 3, 2019 12:42 pm
The left lane of Interstate 70 between the West Alexander exit and the West Virginia state line has reopened but the right lane and right shoulder remain closed following a tractor-trailer fire. There have been no reports of any injuries and only one vehicle was involved.
December 3, 2019 10:22 am
LONDON (AP) – President Donald Trump appears to be downplaying the chances for a deal to end the U.S.-China trade war before the end of the year. Speaking in London, where he is attending a NATO summit, Trump says the only limiting factor to reaching an agreement with China is whether he wants to make a deal. Asked about his áprevious goal of reaching an agreement by years’ end, Trump tells reporters, “I have no deadline.” He adds that “in some ways, I like the idea of waiting until after the election.”
December 3, 2019 4:18 am
AMERICUS, Ga. (AP) – A spokeswoman for Jimmy Carter says the former U.S. president is already feeling better after being treated for a urinary tract infection. Carter Center spokeswoman Deanna Congileo said Monday that the 95-year-old was admitted to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus over the weekend. “He is feeling better and looks forward to returning home soon. We will issue a statement when he is released for further rest and recovery at home,” her statement said. Carter’s recent health challenges have included surviving cancer and hip replacement surgery. He helped build a Habitat for Humanity home in October despite hitting his head in a fall, and then fractured his pelvis in another fall. He was released last Wednesday from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta after surgery to relieve bleeding on his brain.
December 3, 2019 4:17 am
NEW YORK (AP) – A federal appeals court in New York has handed President Donald Trump another legal defeat. It ruled that Congress can see his banking records for investigations into possible foreign influence in U.S. politics or other misdeeds. The panel of 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges said two banks, Deutsche Bank and Capital One, should comply with subpoenas from the House Financial Services and Intelligence committees seeking records related to Trump’s business ventures.
December 3, 2019 4:15 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – California Rep. Duncan Hunter faces five years in prison after pleading guilty to misusing campaign money. Hunter changed his not guilty plea in federal court in San Diego Tuesday. He gave a brief statement outside court saying he failed to properly monitor campaign funds. He had denied wrong doing for more than a year. He claimed he was the victim of a political witch hunt by federal prosecutors.
December 3, 2019 4:10 am
KEMPTON, Pa. (AP) – The mother of two young children found hanging in their Pennsylvania home has been charged with their murder. Medical personnel revived the 8-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl, but they died three days later. Berks County prosecutors announced Lisa Snyder’s arrest Monday. A message was left with her attorney seeking comment. Snyder told authorities that she found her children, Conner and Brinley, in their Albany home on Sept. 23.
