October 3, 2023 4:01 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former union leader and Democratic insider Laphonza Butler has been sworn in as the newest member of the U.S. Senate, replacing California Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death and becoming only the third Black female senator in history. Butler was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday, just two days after Feinstein died at her home in Washington. Butler is a longtime fundraiser and strategist in the state’s Democratic circles and was the head of Emily’s List, a national organization that raises money for women candidates who support abortion rights. Butler was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, who served as the second Black female senator. (Photo: AP)
October 3, 2023 5:10 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Prosecutors in Philadelphia say Monday that more suspects will be charged with smashing into stores last week as law enforcement officials review video of the social-media fueled mayhem. More than 70 people already face a range of charges, such as burglary, conspiracy and riot. The flash mob-style break-ins hit dozens of stores Tuesday night, including Foot Locker, Lululemon and Apple. Authorities say suspects used social media to target business in several parts of the city, including pharmacies, a hair salon, a cellphone store, and dozens of liquor stores. Authorities say they are looking for additional ringleaders in the thefts.
October 3, 2023 5:08 am
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.2 billion after no one beat the immense odds and won the giant prize. The winning numbers drawn Monday night were: 12, 26, 27, 43, 47 and the Powerball 5. The prize on the line for the next drawing Wednesday night has grown so massive because there have been 33 consecutive drawings since someone won the jackpot. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The $1.2billion jackpot is for a sole winner who takes an annuity, paid annually over 30 years. Winners taking the cash option would receive an estimated $551 million.
October 3, 2023 5:05 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s court appearances are no longer distractions from his campaign to return to the White House. They are central to it. The dynamic was on full display Monday as the former president and GOP front-runner went to court in New York for the opening day of a civil fraud trial accusing him of grossly inflating the value of his businesses. Trump was under no obligation to appear, but he nonetheless seized the opportunity to create a media spectacle that put him back in the spotlight and once again portrayed himself as a victim of a politicized justice system.
October 3, 2023 5:04 am
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty in Delaware to three federal firearms charges filed after a plea deal imploded. Biden’s Tuesday plea puts his case on track toward a possible trial as the 2024 election looms. The charges allege the California resident lied about his drug use in 2018 on a form to buy a gun he kept for 11 days. His lawyer says he plans to file a motion to dismiss the case, challenging their constitutionality. Biden acknowledges struggling with a crack cocaine addiction then, but his lawyers say he didn’t break the law. President Joe Biden’s son was indicted weeks after a plea agreement on tax and gun charges collapsed.
October 3, 2023 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been voted out of the job in an extraordinary showdown, a first in U.S. history. The 216-210 vote was forced by a contingent of hard-right conservatives and throws the House and its Republican leadership into chaos. McCarthy’s chief rival, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, brought forward the “motion to vacate,” drawing together more than a handful of conservative Republican critics of the speaker and many Democrats who say he is unworthy of leadership. Next steps are uncertain, but there is no obvious successor to lead the House Republican majority. (Photo: AP)
October 3, 2023 4:59 am
Washington City Council held their agenda meeting Monday evening and committee reports were the highlights of the evening. The agenda that was previewed was largely procedural. Ordinances governing traffic and limiting the business tax privilege abatement will be addressed. From the Washington Business District Authority, Director Shanan Brown announced that the city will have two new businesses by the end of the year and possibly three more in the first quarter of 2024. The Masala House Restaurant is having its ribbon cutting on Tuesday and will be serving lunch immediately following the ribbon cutting. A second business that will be making their announcement shortly is planning to open by December. Mayor Scott Putnam put out an all call for volunteers to join several city boards. Putnam says that the Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board and Civil Service Board all currently have vacancies that need to be filled. The Washington East Washington Joint Authority needs volunteers to fill out the board when terms expire. The Washington Business District Authority is also looking for business owners to sit on its board. Applications for all positions may be obtained at the office of the City Clerk or on the city’s website.
October 3, 2023 4:58 am
HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – Three students at Hempfield Area High School are under investigation after two gun buys happened on campus Monday. According to State police, all of the students under investigation are 15-year-old boys. State police said several students came forward and reported “observing transactions” between students involving guns. Initial interviews with witnesses revealed that one of the students brought two loaded handguns to school. He gave one gun to another teen on the school bus. The same student then met another student in the school’s bathroom and gave him the second gun. Two firearms were recovered in two students’ backpacks by school resources offices. At this time, investigators have no reason to believe the three students were planning any sort of attack, said Trooper Greenfield. The investigation is still active and, so far, no charges have been filed. Students were released from school at normal dismissal time.
October 3, 2023 4:54 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Transportation Security Administration officers stopped another loaded gun at Pittsburgh International Airport. The third in a week. The agency says it stopped a Georgia man with a loaded 9mm handgun at a security checkpoint Friday. The man now faces a federal financial civil penalty of up to $15,000. Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide. So far this year, TSA has stopped more than 4,000 guns at security checkpoints across the country. At Pittsburgh airport, 33 guns have been stopped.TS
October 3, 2023 2:41 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A group of five Pennsylvania inmates have sued over the solitary confinement conditions in a state prison, saying the conditions are unconstitutional, worsening and creating mental illness in those held there. The lawsuit was filed in federal court Tuesday. It accuses the Department of Corrections’ State Correctional Institution at Fayette of placing those incarcerated into confinement based on secret evidence, leaving inmates unable to challenge their placement and subjecting them to “torturous conditions.” A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections declined comment, saying the agency does not comment on pending litigation.
