September 27, 2019 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – House Democrats are condemning President Donald Trump’s attack on an intelligence community whistleblower, calling it “witness intimidation” in their ongoing impeachment probe. The chairmen of the foreign affairs, intelligence and oversight committees say, “The President’s comments today constitute reprehensible witness intimidation and an attempt to obstruct Congress’ impeachment inquiry.” Trump said at a Thursday breakfast that he wanted to identify the whistleblower and his or her sources, alleging they are “close to a spy” and alluding to the death penalty. Reps. Eliot Engel, Adam Schiff and Elijah Cummings suggest Trump’s efforts to interfere with the potential witness could be unlawful. They add, “Threats of violence from the leader of our country have a chilling effect on the entire whistleblower process, with grave consequences for our democracy and national security.”
September 27, 2019 4:08 am
WASHINGTON CO., Pa. – (WPXI) – The FBI has joined the search with West Mifflin Police who are looking for two children who are believed to be in danger in Washington County. According to investigators, 7-week-old Ambrose Klingensmith and A 3-year-old boy are inside a 2001 Buick Century with two adults – Jeannette Funnen and Daemon Klingensmith. West Mifflin police say they believe the 7-week-old is “at risk of harm or injury.” Police say the baby had been at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for abdominal bruising consistent with child abuse, however, his parents took off with him from the emergency room before he was examined. Police said the car they were in had a Pennsylvania license plate number of LBD-6681 and was last seen traveling on Washington Road in Peters Township. Also, West Mifflin police say they had been given information that they may be traveling to Florida. Anyone with information regarding their whereabouts is asked to call the West Mifflin Police Department at 412-461-3125. (Photo: West Mifflin Police)
September 27, 2019 3:46 am
Pennsylvania’s existing tax on natural gas – the impact fee – is a winning policy solution that works for Washington County, said industry and local leaders during a news conference Thursday on the steps of the County Courthouse. Awarded nearly $23 million from the natural gas impact tax this year, Washington County and its municipalities have funded critical infrastructure projects, emergency operations, and community park improvements, among others. The event featured remarks from Washington County Commissioners, Senator Camera Bartolotta, Rep. Jason Ortitay, Chartiers Township Manager Jodi Noble, Cross Creek Township Manager Rachel Warner Welsh, North Strabane Township Fire Chief Mark Grimm, and Washington County Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Kotula. “Pennsylvania’s unique tax on natural gas – the impact tax – continues to be a policy solution that’s working as designed, directly benefiting communities in all 67 counties throughout the Commonwealth,” Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Spigelmyer said. “Importantly the impact tax is structured to empower local leaders with the ability to determine projects to fund, like flood mitigation, road and bridge improvement, park and trail upgrades, or first responder services.” Impact tax revenues in Washington County have gone towards several community projects, such as the eventual replacement of McDowell Lane Bridge over Canonsburg Lake and Deems Bridge over Pike Run, the rehabilitation of Cokeburg Water Reservoir Dam, and improvements to Mon Valley River Access. Pennsylvania’s impact fee has generated nearly $1.7 billion in tax revenues since 2012.
September 27, 2019 3:20 am
PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WPXI) – A student at Peters Township High School had a list of people in a notebook identified as a “hit list,” according to an email sent to parents from the school district. Principals were notified and the matter was immediately turned over to the Peters Township police. The student was removed from the building. Any individual that was involved in the threat are being notified by the school, according to the email. The district said any threat is taken seriously and will be fully investigated by the district and police.
September 26, 2019 12:29 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – It’s flu shot season again and U.S. health officials urge getting one before the end of October. The past two years brought miserable flu seasons – last year’s was unusually long and the one before that was unusually deadly. There’s no way to predict how bad this fall and winter will be. Typically flu starts widely circulating in November or December, and peaks by February. The vaccine is far from perfect. But doctors say it’s the best protection available against a virus that kills tens of thousands even in a not-so-bad year.
September 26, 2019 9:34 am
KUTZTOWN, Pa. (AP) – A bad bug is making life miserable for some Pennsylvanian residents and business owners. The spotted lanternfly has emerged as a serious pest since the federal government confirmed its arrival in southeastern Pennsylvania five years ago this week. It sucks the sap from valuable trees and vines. It rains its clear, sticky, sugary waste onto pools and decks, driving exasperated homeowners indoors when they’re not too busy killing the fluttering buggers. The bug’s range is expanding.
September 26, 2019 9:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is trading insults with his chief critic from the House intelligence committee’s hearing on a whistleblower complaint about his conduct. Trump tweeted Thursday that committee Chairman Adam Schiff “has zero credibility” and is pushing “Another fantasy to hurt the Republican Party!” Schiff, a Democrat, quickly responded: “I’m always flattered when I’m attacked by someone of the president’s character.” Joseph Maguire, acting director of national intelligence, told the committee a whistleblower “did the right thing” by coming forward to report concerns over the White House’s handling of a call between Trump and Ukraine’s leader. The complaint details a call between Trump and Ukraine’s president in which Trump pressures the leader to investigate political rival Joe Biden.
September 26, 2019 4:47 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Walmart’s Sam’s Club is teaming up with several health care companies to offer discounts on everyday care its customers might delay or skip because of the cost. Starting early October, Sam’s Club members in Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, will be able to buy one of four bundles of health care services ranging in annual fees from $50 for individuals to $240 for a family of up to six members. The pilot program could potentially be rolled out to members in all the states. The move comes as health care costs place a growing strain on the budgets of many families and individuals, even those that have coverage.
September 26, 2019 4:14 am
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – The gap between the haves and have-nots in the United States grew last year. The U.S. Census Bureau said Thursday that an index that measures income inequality in the U.S. increased from 2017 to 2018. The increase in income inequality comes as two Democratic presidential candidates, U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, are pitching a “wealth tax” on the nation’s richest citizens as a way to reduce wealth disparities. States that had statistically significant gains in inequality last year were Alabama, Arkansas, California, Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia.
September 26, 2019 4:12 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukraine’s president says his comments in a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump shouldn’t have been publicly released. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is also playing down Ukraine’s investigation of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The White House published a rough transcript of Trump’s July 25 call with Zelenskiy on Thursday showing that Trump pressed Ukraine to “look into” his rival Biden. The call is now at the center of an impeachment probe. Zelenskiy told reporters at the U.N. General Assembly in New York afterward that “I think such things, such conversations between heads of independent states, they shouldn’t be published.” But he also said he’s “not afraid” of the publication. He said the Biden investigation is just one of “many cases that I talk about with leaders of other countries.” (Photo: CNN)
