June 30, 2019 11:08 pm
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The Trump administration has agreed to postpone implementing a rule allowing medical workers to decline performing abortions or other treatments on moral or religious grounds while the so-called “conscience” rule is challenged in a California court. The rule was supposed to take effect on July 22 but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its opponents in a California lawsuit mutually agreed Friday to delay a final ruling on the matter for four months. A federal judge in San Francisco permitted the change on Saturday. Opponents contend that the DHHS exceeded its authority with the rule and say it would deny health care to women and to homosexuals by giving prejudice the force of law.
June 30, 2019 11:08 pm
ISLAMABAD (AP) – A Taliban spokesman says the seventh and latest round of peace talks with the U.S. is “critical,” as the militant group meets with Washington’s envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in the Mideastern state of Qatar, where it maintains a political office. Suhail Shaheen told The Associated Press Sunday that both sides are looking for “tangible results” as they try to hammer out the fine print of agreements that will see the eventual withdrawal of over 20,000 U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan, and end America’s longest-running war. The agreements are also expected to provide guarantees that Afghanistan will not again harbor terrorists to carry out attacks worldwide.
The talks began on Saturday and are expected to continue into the next week. The U.S. wants a final deal by Sept. 1.
June 30, 2019 11:07 pm
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – President Donald Trump is on his way back to Washington after a four-day trip to Asia during which he became the first American president to set foot in North Korea. Trump attended the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, where he held talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and met with China’s Xi Jinping. Trump and Xi decided to resume trade negotiations after talks broke down. Trump then headed to South Korea, where he turned a planned visit to the Demilitarized Zone between North and South into a surprise get-together with the North’s Kim Jong Un. The two leaders crossed the demarcation dividing the Korean Peninsula. Following their longer-than-expected meeting, Trump announced that he and Kim had agreed to resume stalled talks on denuclearization in the coming weeks.
June 30, 2019 11:02 pm
\UNIONTOWN, Pa. (WPXI) – Cremated remains were found in a storage unit being used by a Uniontown funeral director already charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from clients, Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower said Thursday. Twenty-one boxes of cremated remains were found in a large plastic container uncovered in the storage unit during the execution of a search warrant, Bower said. A relative of Stephen Kezmarsky III allowed him to use the storage unit, Bower said. She contacted authorities after finding paperwork from Kezmarsky Funeral Home, which led to the search warrant. Of the 21 boxes of cremated remains found, seven of them were labeled with names. The remaining 14 boxes were not labeled, according to Bower. Kezmarsky faces a list of charges, including 21 counts of abuse of a corpse.
June 30, 2019 11:02 pm
The suspect in the shooting of a Washington High School teenager at the Regal Crown Cinema in North Franklin Township will stand trial on all charges. Chris Allan Williams has been held for court on charges of aggravated assault, terroristic threats and simple assault in the shooting of Anthony Ward. Evidence presented Thursday by the District Attorney showed Williams waived his right to an attorney and going on to tell his side of the story of the events that occurred back in March. In a video statement made to State Police, Williams admits to pulling his gun from his pocket. Tenaya Reese, mother of the victim claims that Williams has been lying and is happy that the evidence played in court today has shown that. Family members still feel that attempted homicide charges should still be made. Defense Attorney Jack Puskar feels that once everything is heard in court Williams will be cleared on the conditions of self defense.
June 30, 2019 11:01 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf has signed legislation barring Pennsylvania’s municipalities from taxing or banning the sale or distribution of plastic bags and other containers, wrappings and bags. The measure Wolf signed Friday is a 69-page budget-related bill that lawmakers unveiled two days ago. A three-paragraph provision prohibits municipal bans or taxes on plastic bags or packaging for one year while legislative agencies study the economic and environmental impact.
June 30, 2019 11:01 pm
A Fayette county man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. United States Attorney Scott Brady brought the eight count indictment against Sean Houston, 47 of Brownsville. According to the indictment Houston produced and attempted to produce visual depictions, images and a video of the sexual exploitation of a minor. These charges occurred between December 23, 2015 and October 5, 2018. On October 29, 2018 Houston knowingly possessed visual depictions of the sexual exploitation of minors. Houston could receive life in prison or a $2 million dollar fine or both. Officers from Homeland Security Investigations, Centerville police department, North Strabane police department and the Washington County District Attorney office conducted the investigation.
June 30, 2019 11:00 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has signed a $34 billion compromise state budget after lawmakers wrapped up the week with a flurry of votes. Wolf made the announcement Friday, shortly after the GOP-controlled Legislature took its final votes and adjourned for the summer. The budget includes more money for education and doesn’t raise sales or income taxes. Wolf calls it a product of ‘divided government’ amid criticism from his fellow Democrats.
June 26, 2019 2:30 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – The opening debates by Democrats running for president will feature 60-second answers, a prime-time television audience in the millions, and a chance for little-known candidates to introduce themselves to voters. Tuesday night’s session and the second night Wednesday are expected to be exercises in competitive sound bites as the candidates set out to convey their plans for the nation, throw a few elbows and sharpen what’s been a blur of a race so far for many Americans. Each two-hour debate will have 10 candidates hoping to oust President Donald Trump in 2020. The hopefuls range widely in age, sex and backgrounds and include a former vice president, six women and a pair of mayors. The debates will be carried at 9 p.m. Eastern on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo.
June 17, 2019 3:16 pm
CLAIRTON, Pa. (AP) – Health officials in western Pennsylvania say a fire at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works has shut down pollution control systems, and residents are being warned about possible elevated levels of sulfur dioxide. U.S. Steel reported no injuries after the fire in an electrical breaker panel shortly after 4:30 a.m. Monday. The Allegheny County health department says the fire shut down three control rooms, and two are still not running. They house equipment used to operate pollution controls, including desulfurization. Officials say the elderly, parents of children and people with respiratory conditions should be aware that elevated levels of sulfur dioxide are possible until the control rooms are running again. The same two control rooms were damaged in a Christmas Eve fire that caused about $40 million in damage.
