July 3, 2019 4:13 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Republicans who control Pennsylvania’s Senate are warning that they’ll reassign the duties of Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman as the chamber’s presiding officer if he defies the chamber’s rules again. Republicans issued the two-page letter publicly Tuesday. It came six days after the chamber devolved into shouting, name-calling and bare-knuckled procedural tactics over a Republican bill to end a decades-old program that temporarily offers $200 a month to people deemed unable to work. Senate Democrats contended that Republicans used questionable procedure to block Democrats from offering amendments. Fetterman later ignored a “point of order” by Senate Republican Leader Jake Corman while Democratic Sen. Katie Muth was speaking. For nearly three minutes , Muth spoke while Corman shouted over her at Fetterman to acknowledge him. Senate Democrats and Fetterman say it’s time to move on.
July 3, 2019 4:09 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf is signing legislation that his office says clarifies the options for who school districts and private schools can hire as armed security guards, although Wolf’s administration says it bars districts from allowing teachers to be armed. The bill Wolf signed Tuesday also expands training requirements for armed school officers. It says schools can hire armed security guards on contract, as long as they meet certain certification standards. It also expands the definition of a school officer to include a county sheriff or deputy sheriff. Wolf’s office says schools were already employing both. In a statement, Wolf says teachers cannot be considered security personnel, and aren’t authorized to be armed in schools under any law in Pennsylvania.
Most Democratic lawmakers opposed the bill, saying allowing more guns into school won’t solve school shootings.
July 3, 2019 4:07 am
DETROIT (AP) – Former colleagues say ex-Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca has died at age 94 in Bel Air, California. Iacocca was a master pitchman. He put the Mustang in Ford’s lineup in the 1960s. Two decades later, he became a corporate folk hero when he resurrected Chrysler. He was famous for his TV ads from that time, in which he said: “If you can find a better car, buy it!” Iacocca also wrote two best-selling books and was courted as a presidential candidate for 1988. He had a 32-year career at Ford and Chrysler and helped launch some of Detroit’s most significant cars – including the minivan, the Chrysler K-car and the Ford Escort.
July 3, 2019 4:05 am
SEATTLE (AP) – A federal judge in Seattle has blocked a Trump administration policy that would keep thousands of asylum seekers locked up while they pursue their cases. U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman ruled Tuesday that people who are detained after entering the country to seek protection are entitled to bond hearings. Attorney General William Barr announced in April that the government would no longer offer such hearings, but instead keep them in custody. It was part of the administration’s efforts to deter a surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Immigrant rights advocates including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project sued to block the policy, which was due to take effect July 15.
July 2, 2019 5:57 pm
SAN DIEGO (AP) – A military jury in San Diego has found a Navy SEAL not guilty of committing murder in Iraq. The jury Tuesday also found Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher not guilty of all other counts except for the violation of posing for photographs with a dead war casualty. Gallagher was accused of fatally stabbing an Islamic State prisoner who had been wounded by an airstrike in Iraq in 2017 and other crimes. He had also been accused of attempted murder.
July 2, 2019 5:17 pm
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) – The PNC Bank on Fifth Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh was robbed Tuesday. Police said a man walked into the bank and passed a teller a threatening note. He was given money before he took off. The man was taken into custody at Fifth and Liberty avenues. Police said they are searching for a second person of interest.
July 2, 2019 4:42 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – A House committee has filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking President Donald Trump’s tax returns. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by the Ways and Means Committee against the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service. The committee says it doesn’t have to explain its reasons for seeking Trump’s tax return information. It says the administration has defied a subpoena for the documents “in order to shield President Trump’s tax return information from Congressional scrutiny.” The committee says it’s investigating tax law compliance by the president, among other things. (Photo: CNN)
July 2, 2019 1:31 pm
Police in Canonsburg said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that they are aware of a planned protest during the community’s annual Fourth of July Parade on Thursday. The statement read: “Many of you have called regarding the planned demonstration at the parade. Thanks to our friends and concerned residents we were made aware of this at an early stage. I want to assure everyone that we have been planning diligently with our law enforcement partners to address all of your security concerns. Unfortunately I can’t divulge those measures to the general public at the time of this posting.” In a Facebook post, organizers of the “#Justice4ALL RALLY said they planned to disrupt the Canonsburg July 4th Parade in honor of Antwon Rose, a black teenager who was shot and killed last year by East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld. The former police officer was found not guilty following a jury trial. The group also said in their post that the planned protest was also being held to highlight, not only the injustices with Antwon, but with the young man who was shot in a movie theatre in Washington. The teen was allegedly shot by 53-year-old Chris Allan Williams of Waynesburg in March at the Hollywood Theatre at Washington Crown Center in North Franklin Township, after a scuffle broke out between him and a group of juveniles. The teen suffered a non life-threatening gunshot wound to his leg. Williams now faces a trial on multiple charges, including aggravated assault, terroristic threats, simple assault, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and harassment.
July 2, 2019 12:53 pm
(WPXI) – Fresh vegetable products sold under several brand names are being recalled because of potential listeria contamination. Growers Express issued the voluntary recall, which affects packaged varieties of butternut squash, cauliflower, zucchini and a butternut squash-based veggie bowl, according to a news release. The vegetables were sold under the Green Giant Fresh, Growers Express, Signature Farms and Trader Joe’s brands. According to Growers Express, the products originated from a production facility in Biddeford, Maine, and were distributed to numerous states, including Pennsylvania. “Most of the affected products are labeled with a ‘Best If Used By’ Date of June 26 – June 29, 2019. No other Growers Express products are impacted or part of this recall. This recall does not affect or include any Green Giant canned or frozen vegetable products,” the news release said. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the recall.
July 2, 2019 12:46 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – Nike is pulling a flag-themed tennis shoe after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick complained to the shoemaker, according to the Wall Street Journal. The shoe’s heel has a U.S. flag with 13 white stars in a circle on it, known as the Betsy Ross flag. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the Journal said that Kaepernick, a Nike endorser, told the company he and others found the flag symbol offensive because of its connection to slavery. The Air Max 1 USA shoe had already been sent to retailers to go on sale this week for the July Fourth holiday, the Journal reports. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey lashed out at Nike over Twitter, saying that he is asking the state’s Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentives for the company to locate there.
