January 7, 2025 2:52 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Democrat is returning to the job of speaker of the Pennsylvania House after the Republican candidate bowed out. Speaker Joanna McClinton and Republican Floor Leader Jesse Topper tied 101 to 101 on Tuesday before Topper removed himself from consideration. Democratic Rep. Matt Gergely of Allegheny County wasn’t there after suffering a medical emergency. The House has a 102-101 Democratic majority, counting Gergely. Republicans control the state Senate with a 28-22 majority, but one of those GOP seats is vacant due to a recent resignation. (Photo: AP)
January 7, 2025 4:55 am
BANGKOK (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to reject a bid by Nippon Steel to acquire U.S. Steel isn’t the first time friction over trade and investment has irked Washington’s closest ally in Asia. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sought to smooth ruffled feathers in a visit to Tokyo on Tuesday. But the assertion that the proposed $15 billion deal could threaten U.S. national security has stung. Many in Japan see the decision as a betrayal after decades of U.S. pressure to lift barriers to investment and trade. Japanese businesses already are bracing for tariff hikes under President-elect Donald Trump. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was blunt in warning that spoiling the deal might hurt Japanese investment in the U.S.
January 8, 2025 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter will continue to lie in state after his remains arrived in Washington a day earlier as part of state funeral rites. The Georgia Democrat and 39th president died Dec. 29 at the age of 100. Carter served as president from 1977-81, winning office as an outsider in the wake of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal but enduring a rocky four years of economic unrest and international crises that ended with his defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter will remain at the Capitol until Thursday morning, when he is transported to Washington National Cathedral for a state funeral. President Joe Biden, a longtime Carter ally, will deliver a eulogy. Carter will be buried in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
January 8, 2025 5:06 am
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A developing winter storm is threatening to drop snow, sleet and freezing rain on parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. National Weather Service meteorologists predicted wintry precipitation across the southern Plains region starting Wednesday night. The new storm comes on the heels of an arctic blast that descended on much of the country east of the Rockies over the weekend. The wintry weather caused car accidents, flight cancellations and school closures. Crews in Arlington, Texas, were preparing the roads for an expected snowstorm Thursday that could make driving tricky ahead of Friday’s Cotton Bowl game between Ohio State and Texas.
January 7, 2025 5:03 am
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he won’t rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland as he declared U.S. control of both to be vital to American national security. Speaking to reporters less than two weeks before he takes office on Jan. 20 and as a delegation of aides and advisers that includes his son Donald Trump Jr. is in Greenland, Trump left open the use of the American military to secure both territories. Trump has floated having Canada join the United States. The Republican said Tuesday he would not use military force to do that, saying, he would rely on “economic force.”
January 7, 2025 5:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Florida has temporarily blocked the release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on investigations into Donald Trump, who says it would be a “fake report” anyway. An appeals court is weighing a challenge to the disclosure of a much-anticipated document just days before the Republican president-elect reclaims office. Tuesday’s ruling from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon may represent a short-lived victory for Trump. But it’s the latest instance of the Trump-appointed jurist taking action in Trump’s favor. The halt came in response to an emergency request Monday by defense lawyers to block the release of a report they said would be one-sided and prejudicial. Smith’s team is expected to respond later Tuesday.
January 8, 2025 4:58 am
NEW YORK (AP) — CNN is on trial for libel this week before a jury in Florida, and it comes at a particularly inopportune time for legacy media. The media is already the frequent target of criticism by President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters. Now it will face scrutiny over its operations — and a lawyer for the plaintiff suggested jurors should send a message. At issue is a Navy veteran who helped rescue Afghans at the time of the Taliban takeover in 2021, and how he was included in a story that CNN did about a “black market” of people who faced steep charges to be extracted from the country.
January 8, 2025 2:46 pm
(AP) – “Wicked” topped nominations to the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday, landing a leading five nominations including best ensemble, and individual nods for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey. Out-of-control wildfires that swept across Los Angeles and Southern California on Tuesday night forced the Screen Actors Guild to cancel its plans to announce the nominations live Wednesday morning. The nominations were instead issued by press release by SAG and Netflix, which began a multiyear deal to stream the SAG Awards last year. The other nominees for best ensemble are: “Anora,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez” and “A Complete Unknown.” It was an especially strong showing for the Bob Dylan drama “A Complete Unknown,” which scored four nominations. (Photo: AP)
January 7, 2025 5:42 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jimmy Carter’s state funeral has moved to Washington after observances in his native Georgia. The 39th president’s remains left the Carter Presidential Center on Tuesday morning and flew to the Washington area aboard Special Air Mission 39. The Carter family and former president arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, with a motorcade following to the U.S. Navy Memorial. Carter’s flag-draped casket was transferred to a horse-drawn caisson for his final journey to the Capitol. Carter is the only U.S. Naval Academy graduate to become president. Members of Congress will honor Carter in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday afternoon. The ceremonies carry some irony for the one-term president who campaigned as an outsider in 1976 and never mastered the city. (Photo: AP)
January 7, 2025 3:12 am
Washington City Council held their agenda meeting and they will begin the year quite busy. Council will look to update its ordinance on fees for trash collection. The annual fee for trash collection in 2025 will be $300. A $50 late fee will be added for anyone paying after June 1. Fines and penalties will be assessed to any delinquent account beginning on November 1. Council is poised to hire two firemen and two police officers. They will also make a change in title to one of the council positions. The title of Chief Fiscal Officer will replace Councilman Ken Westcott’s title of Financial Director. According to Westcott revisions roughly 10 years ago in the class 3 city code made this alteration. Council will make that change on Thursday.
