November 19, 2024 4:52 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The recount underway in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race marks the end of a chaotic post-election period that has become the latest example of how disputed election rules can expose weak points in a core function of American democracy. The ballot-counting process in the race has become a spectacle of hours-long election board meetings, social media outrage, lawsuits and accusations that some county officials are openly flouting the law. A big part of the dispute has centered around the envelopes that contain mail ballots, including whether they should be counted if the voter didn’t write the correct date. It evokes the battles that have erupted in other states over the role of local election boards in certifying results.
November 20, 2024 4:56 am
ISSAQUAH, Wash. (AP) — A major storm was sweeping across the northwestern U.S., battering the region with strong winds and rain. It caused widespread power outages and downed trees that killed at least two people. Falling trees struck homes and littered roadways in Washington, where about 460,000 customers were without power Wednesday afternoon. The deaths from fallen trees occurred Tuesday night at a homeless encampment in Lynnwood and a home in Bellevue, east of Seattle. The Weather Prediction Center issued excessive rainfall risks through Friday and hurricane-force wind warnings were in effect. The storm system is considered a “bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly.
November 20, 2024 4:55 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv says it will shut its doors after receiving warning of a potentially significant air attack. The embassy also said in a statement on Wednesday that employees and U.S. citizens take shelter. It comes one day after Moscow said U.S.-made longer range missiles had been used in a Ukrainian attack that struck a weapons warehouse in the Bryansk region.
November 20, 2024 4:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is clearly prizing experience on television as he chooses people to serve in his new administration. Trump likes what he calls that “central casting” look. His choices for defense secretary and transportation chief — Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy — have both had shows on Trump’s favorite network, Fox News. Duffy is a former lawmaker and also was a cast member on MTV’s “The Real World.” Trump has tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former syndicated talk show host and heart surgeon, to head the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of older, poor and disabled Americans.
November 20, 2024 5:00 am
Vigils and other events are being held to draw attention to transgender people who have lost their lives due to violence in the past year. Wednesday marked Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is held every Nov. 20. The Human Rights Campaign says at least 36 transgender people have been killed by violence over the past 12 months. That number is likely higher because of deaths not being reported, misreported or because the victims are misgendered. This year’s events follow an election where transgender people were the focus of a costly barrage of attack ads by Republicans.
November 19, 2024 5:19 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he is nominating Dr. Mehmet Oz, who hosted a long-running television talk show, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz, who ran a failed bid to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate, has been an outspoken supporter of Trump and in recent days expressed support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for the nation’s top health agency, Health and Human Services. Trump has also chosen Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition operation helping to find the team that will work in the next administration. (Photo: AP)
November 19, 2024 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Donald Trump says he wants Sean Duffy to be his transportation secretary. That would position Duffy to oversee a complex system of pipelines, railroads, cars, trucks, airlines and mass transit systems, as well as funding for highways. Duffy is a former member of Congress who represented a Wisconsin district for nine years. He is the second Fox-affiliated TV host to be tapped by Trump. Duffy also has a background in reality TV, like Trump. A former contestant on MTV’s “Road Rules,” Duffy was featured on MTV’s “The Real World: Boston” in 1997. He met his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, during “Road Rules: All Stars” in 1998. Duffy later was a co-host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business until he left the network Monday. He declined to run for governor of Wisconsin in 2022, despite Trump’s urging, and is a former lumberjack athlete. (Photo: AP)
November 19, 2024 4:46 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state Supreme Court is weighing in on a flashpoint amid ongoing vote counting in the U.S. Senate election between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick. On Monday, it ordered counties not to count mail-in ballots that lack a correct handwritten date on the return envelope. It’s a win for McCormick and a loss for Casey as the campaigns prepare for a statewide recount. The Associated Press called the race for McCormick, concluding that not enough ballots remained to be counted in areas Casey was winning for him to take the lead. As of Monday, McCormick led by about 17,000 votes out of almost 7 million ballots counted.
November 19, 2024 2:42 am
The Peters Township School Board ratified a labor agreement with their clerical unit, paraprofessionals and bus drivers. The group was represented by the Peters Township Federation of Teachers and they agreed to a four year contract. Walt Michalski was the Chief Negotiator for the group, he said that they won 4% raises in each of the four years of the contract. The negotiations were characterized as long by both parties. According to Michalski, working on improvements to a tiered system of pay was very tedious but the union was able to revise a system that many times had an employee in a tier for up to ten years. Brad Rau, Business Manager for the school district said that they were able to achieve concessions on health benefit payments from the group. He stated that inflationary pressures have become extremely expensive for the district. The vote was 8-0 with one abstention by Rolf Briegel due to a possible conflict of interest. Both sides congratulated each other on what they both called a very fair contract for both sides. This deal combined with a five year deal with teachers back in July will bring the district labor peace for a good period of time.
November 19, 2024 5:22 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — New York prosecutors oppose any effort to dismiss Trump’s hush money conviction, but say they are open to delaying sentencing until after his second term. In a court filing Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said it’s OK with a sentencing delay while Trump’s lawyers try to get the case tossed out in light of his election. Judge Juan M. Merchan has not set a timetable for his decision. Trump’s spokesperson characterized prosecutors Tuesday filing as “a total and definitive victory” for Trump. Sentencing had been scheduled for Nov. 26. The president-elect was convicted in May of falsifying business records. The case alleges that he covered up a scheme to influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to squelch a story of extramarital sex. Trump denies the allegations.
