December 4, 2024 5:00 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s opposition parties have submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is facing pressure to leave office hours after he ended a short-lived martial law that prompted troops to encircle parliament before lawmakers voted to lift it. Impeaching Yoon would require the support of two-thirds of parliament for the motion and then the backing of at least six Constitutional Court justices. The motion, submitted jointly by the main opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition parties, could be put to a vote as early as Friday. Yoon’s senior advisers and secretaries have offered to resign collectively and his Cabinet members, including the defense minister, also are facing calls to step down.
December 4, 2024 4:58 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hearing a high-profile culture-war clash, the Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed likely to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices’ decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender healthcare for minors.
December 4, 2024 4:56 am
RESERVE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man from Ohio has been charged after police said he brought a handgun through the Pittsburgh International Airport main security checkpoint. Allegheny County police said Steven Lapp, 47, from Millersburg, was found with the handgun in his backpack at 4:19 p.m. Tuesday. Police said Lapp did not have a valid concealed carry permit. Lapp is facing a felony charge of carrying a firearm without a license.
December 4, 2024 4:52 am
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – Allegheny County council approved the budget it and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato struck a compromise on, resulting in a 1.7 mill increase. For homeowners who own a home assessed at $100,000, this compromised budget would increase property tax by an extra $13 per month. Previously, Innamorato proposed a 2.2 mill increase, which was around 46%. The council suggested a 28.5% increase instead. In addition to the 1.7 mill increase, they have agreed to the following principles for a 2025 budget: No layoffs of County employees. No cuts to County public safety departments or public works and fully funding Department of Human Services (including contributions from the County that will fully draw down every available State matching dollar). “I am pleased to bring this 2025 budget process to a close in a manner that provides for no layoffs of county employees, increases funding for law enforcement and public safety personnel, and maintains services for the residents of our county,” Chairman Palmosina said. County Council met Tuesday night and approved the budget on a vote of 10 to 5.
December 4, 2024 4:46 am
A grandmother looking for her lost cat apparently fell into a new sinkhole above an abandoned Westmoreland County coal mine and rescuers worked late into the night to try and find her. Video from the scene Tuesday showed bright lights illuminating snow flurries and various equipment at the site while crews worked above and below ground. Crews heard nothing earlier Tuesday when they lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole in Marguerite, Unity Township. Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani says a camera lowered down showed what could be a shoe. Authorities vowed to keep searching for Elizabeth Pollard until she is found.
December 4, 2024 4:18 am
A U.S. Senate subcommittee has held a hearing to question the growing use of airline fees to charge passengers for things like early boarding and better seats. Members of the Senate Permanent on Investigations say airlines have raised billions of dollars by imposing fees that are getting hard to understand and even harder to avoid paying. The senators and the Biden administration call them “junk fees,” and they say the extra charges are making travel less affordable. Some senators expressed frustration during Wednesday’s hearing on Wednesday hearing when airline executives couldn’t explain how they set various fees. Airlines say fees let consumers pay for things they want, like more legroom, and avoid paying for things they don’t want.
December 4, 2024 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The conservative-majority Supreme Court appeared likely to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender minors as it heard the most high-profile case of its term on Wednesday. Five of the court’s six conservatives appeared skeptical about the challenge backed by the Biden administration, which urged a narrow ruling. The sixth, Justice Neil Gorsuch, was notably silent during oral arguments. A decision in the case isn’t expected until the spring, but could have wide-ranging effects as pushback to transgender rights escalates.
December 4, 2024 2:35 am
In a special meeting held after a budget workshop, Cecil Township Supervisors approved their preliminary budget for 2025. The spending plan comes in at $18.5 million dollars. The budget is balanced and the good news for taxpayers is there will be no increase in taxes for the 31st year in a row. Supervisor Chairman Tom Casciola said that development in Southpointe has been the main reason that taxes have remained steady. Residential and commercial development looks to be flat next year but Casciola said that the long dormant office, retail, residential project Cool Valley seems to be back on track. He hopes to see revenues from that project in 2027 at the earliest. The new public works building that is coming in at roughly $8 million is one of the larger projects for next year. A $1 million road paving project along with several road intersection projects are also anticipated. Supervisors will adopt the final budget in a special meeting on December 30.
December 3, 2024 4:27 pm
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is adding over 132,000 heavy-duty pickups in the U.S. to a previous recall for tailgate release switches that can short circuit and open the gates while the trucks are in park. The recall adds certain 2024 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 trucks to a February recall of 323,000 pickups. Only trucks with a manual gate and power lock and release are affected. The company says water can get into the electronic gate release switches, causing them to unlatch. Cargo can fall into the road and become a hazard. Until repairs are made, GM says owners should make sure the gate is closed and latched before driving. Dealers will replace the exterior touch pad switch assemblies with new ones that are more resistant to water.
December 3, 2024 3:53 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats reelected Chuck Schumer as party leader on Tuesday as the party moves into a deeply uncertain time, with no real consensus on a strategy as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. Schumer faced no opposition in the party leadership elections, in which Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin was also re-elected to the No. 2 spot and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar became the new No. 3. Schumer said he was honored to move the party forward “during this crucial period for our country.” But it is a bleak moment for Senate Democrats, who lost four seats and the majority in November’s election. (Photo: AP)
