December 13, 2019 4:20 am
(AP) Expectations of a U.S.-Chinese trade truce are rising, though Beijing accused Washington of unfairly attacking its economy. A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said any deal to settle their 17-month-old tariff war must be “mutually beneficial, win-win.” President Donald Trump said in Twitter a deal was “very close,” but the Chinese spokeswoman gave no confirmation of that. Investors are hoping an interim deal will persuade Washington to postpone a planned tariff hike Sunday on $160 billion of Chinese imports. China’s foreign minister complained Washington has imposed “unjustified restrictions and crackdowns” on the Chinese economy and trade.
December 13, 2019 4:19 am
(AP) Grieving families sang traditional Maori songs as New Zealand military specialists went to a volcanic island and recovered six bodies of the 16 people who died in an eruption. The bodies will be transferred to the mainland later for identification. Toxic gases are being emitted on the island and scientists warn another eruption is possible. Police said the families cheered when they were told of the successful recovery of the six bodies and expressed joy and relief. Divers are working at sea and a flight is planned later to look for the last two victims.
December 13, 2019 4:16 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh police shot and killed a pit bull after it charged at an officer following a fight with a poodle. Officers found a woman caring for her poodle, which was covered in blood, when they responded to a report of dogs fighting Wednesday. Police say the pit bull’s owner told them he had stabbed his pet and used pepper spray to get it to release the poodle. When the wounded pit bull lunged at police, an officer shot it to death. The poodle was taken to a veterinarian.
December 13, 2019 4:15 am
HARRISBURG (AP) – Faculty at Pennsylvania state universities will go without a pay raise this year but see their pay climb at least 12% over the next three years. The four-year contract approved Wednesday covers about 5,000 professors and instructors at 14 schools. Spokesman David Pidgeon of the state System of Higher Education says the raises are expected to cost about $22 million.? A similar deal has been reached with about 700 other employees who work in student services. The agreement comes three years after prolonged contract talks between the educators’ association and the state led to a three-day faculty strike.
December 13, 2019 4:14 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Seven of nine House Democrats from Pennsylvania now say they will support the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump that were under consideration in the House. Freshman Rep. Conor Lamb, of suburban Pittsburgh, added his support Thursday to six of his colleagues from Pennsylvania, saying in a statement that he believes that Trump “abused his power and obstructed Congress.” Two Democrats, freshman Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of suburban Philadelphia and fourth-term Rep. Matt Cartwright of northeastern Pennsylvania, have declined to say how they’ll vote. All nine Republican House members from Pennsylvania say they’ll vote against the articles.
December 13, 2019 4:13 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration wants a federal court to reject a challenge to its certification of voting machines bought by Philadelphia and two other Pennsylvania counties. Also Thursday, the machine’s maker accepted responsibility for problems that led to badly undercounted returns in a judicial race last month in Northampton County. The machines are the ExpressVote XL touchscreen system made by Omaha, Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software. ES&S acknowledged that incorrect results in last month’s election in Northampton County resulted from human errors in formatting the ballot. Ultimately, election workers counted the vote on paper ballots.
December 12, 2019 5:37 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senior lawmakers have announced a tentative agreement on an almost $1.4 trillion government-wide spending bill. The deal would would stave off a federal shutdown next weekend and split the differences on a number of contentious issues. Word of the deal comes from the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee and other top members of Congress. The agreement would award President Donald Trump with additional money for the U.S.-Mexico border wall while giving the Democrats who control the House a number of their priorities. Votes in the House and Senate are expected next week before a spending bill expires next Friday at midnight.
December 12, 2019 5:35 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – House Democrats have pushed through legislation that would empower Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and offer new benefits for seniors. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bill would also provide new dental, vision and hearing benefits for Medicare recipients. But the legislation has no chance of passing the Republican-controlled Senate, and the White House has issued a veto threat. Still, Democrats see a a political victory in the message their bill sends to voters. Republicans say they don’t believe government should set prices for medicines. When Donald Trump was a candidate, he promised that Medicare would “negotiate like crazy.” He’s since backed off.
December 12, 2019 1:38 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – Ten former NFL players have been charged with defrauding the league’s healthcare benefit program. They include five who played on the Washington Redskins, including Clinton Portis and Carlos Rogers. Prosecutors allege the players targeted the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan, which was established as part of a collective bargaining agreement in 2006. It provides tax-free reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical care expenses that were not covered by insurance and that were incurred by former players, their spouses and dependents.
December 12, 2019 12:47 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – U.S. regulators are setting up a new three-digit number to reach a suicide prevention hotline in order to make it easier to seek help and reduce the stigma associated with mental health. Similar to 911 for emergencies, people will just need to dial 988 to seek help – once it’s implemented. Currently, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline uses a 10-digit number, 800-273 TALK. Callers are routed to one of 163 crisis centers. Thursday’s vote by the Federal Communications Commission starts the months-long process to set up 988. The next step is a comment period before the FCC moves to an order.
