April 26, 2024 5:01 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania wants a series of three debates with his Republican challenger David McCormick ahead of the November election, and McCormick is readily accepting. Casey says in a statement Thursday he intends to participate in debates in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. Asked about it at a campaign event, McCormick said it’s a great idea. A series of three such meetings would give the debate stage the most robust presence in a Senate race in Pennsylvania since 2006, when Casey and then-GOP Sen. Rick Santorum joined four debates. Pennsylvania’s last five Senate contests featured either two debates or one.
April 26, 2024 5:16 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Trump has exited the Manhattan courtroom where his hush money trial is being held, exhaling and with a stern expression. It marks the end of the trial’s fourth day of witness testimony. So far, prosecutors have called three witnesses. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker spent about 10 hours on the stand over the course of four days. Then Trump’s longtime executive assistant Rhona Graff answered questions for about 30 minutes. The current witness, Cohen’s former banker Gary Farro, was on the stand for a little under an hour Friday. He will return when the trial resumes Tuesday, with Monday being a long-scheduled day off.
April 26, 2024 5:15 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University students who inspired pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country say they have reached an impasse with administrators and intend to continue their encampment until their demands are met. The announcement Friday after exhaustive negotiations comes as Columbia’s president faces harsh criticism from faculty. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested across the nation, sometimes amid scuffles with police. Other schools have been quick to call law enforcement to douse demonstrations before they can take hold. Columbia officials have said they will seek other options if the negotiations with protesters fail.
April 26, 2024 5:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the Pentagon is expected to announce that it will provide about $6 billion in long-term military aid to Ukraine. It will include much sought after munitions for Patriot air defense systems and other weapons. The officials say the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defense industry and means that it could take many months or years for the weapons to arrive. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.
April 26, 2024 5:36 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — TikTok is gearing up for a legal fight against a U.S. law that would force the social media platform to break ties with its China-based parent company or face a ban. A battle in the courts will almost certainly be backed by Chinese authorities as the bitter U.S.-China rivalry threatens the future of a wildly popular way for young Americans to connect online. Beijing has signaled TikTok should fight what it has called a “robbers” act by U.S. lawmakers “to snatch from others all the good things that they have.” But should a legal challenge fail, observers say Chinese authorities are unlikely to allow a sale, a move that could be seen as surrendering to Washington.
April 26, 2024 5:13 am
BEIJING (AP) — The United States and China are butting heads over a number of contentious bilateral, regional and global issues as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials. Friday’s meetings started with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and then Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong. Talks between the two sides have increased in recent months even as differences have grown. Blinken and Wang underscored the importance of keeping lines of communication open, but they also lamented that divisions were becoming more serious. Their opening comments hinted at a long list of differences to be discussed, including Taiwan, the South China Sea, trade, human rights and China’s support for Russia.
April 26, 2024 4:59 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is again delaying a sweeping plan to ban menthol cigarettes. The decision is certain to infuriate anti-smoking advocates but could avoid angering Black voters ahead of November elections. Biden’s top health official said Friday the administration would take more time to consider feedback on the ban. The announcement is another setback for the health officials at the Food and Drug Administration. They drafted the ban and predicted it would prevent hundreds of thousands of smoking-related deaths.
April 25, 2024 5:24 pm
(WPXI) – Multiple kids were on board when a school bus and a pickup truck collided in South Fayette Township on Thursday. The crash happened near the intersection of Robinson Run Road and Battle Ridge Road at 3:55 p.m. A school bus and a pickup truck were involved in the crash. The school district confirmed four children and two employees were on the bus at the time of the crash. Minor injuries were reported.
April 25, 2024 12:45 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan says new rules that would force power plants fueled by coal or natural gas to capture smokestack emissions or shut down are targeting pollution that’s “pushing our planet to the brink.” The new limits unveiled Thursday on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-powered electric plants are the Biden administration’s most ambitious effort yet to roll back planet-warming pollution from the power sector. The rules are a key part of President Joe Biden’s pledge to eliminate carbon pollution from the electricity sector by 2035 and economy-wide by 2050. The National Mining Association claims the EPA is “dismantling the reliability of the U.S. electric grid.″
April 25, 2024 4:53 am
A standing room only crowd addressed North Strabane Township Supervisors at their non-legislative meeting Wednesday night to register their objections to a housing development bordering Peters Lake Park. Nearly a dozen residents told supervisors that they oppose the 41 unit development proposed to be built on North Spring Valley Road. Residents of North Spring Valley Road are concerned for their well water quality because construction may foul their drinking water. Currently, there is no provision to run public water to those residents. Traffic safety is also a concern because North Spring Valley’s construction is far from current township road standards and sight lines are being called into question. Residents that are adjacent to the lake registered emotional testimony asking supervisors to deny the application of the project so that the serenity they enjoy from the lake will not be disturbed. Supervisors did list more than a half dozen additional conditions that the developer, Laurel Communities, LLC would need meet. Terry Bove, of Laurel Communities says that he appreciates the community’s input and will study the proposed conditions when he receives them. Supervisors are expected to vote on the measure on April 30.
