November 13, 2024 5:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has made a victor’s return to Washington. He held a nearly two-hour Oval Office meeting Wednesday with President Joe Biden and committing to a straightforward transition of power. The meeting comes as the Republican president-elect is moving quickly to build out his new administration. “Donald, congratulations,” Biden said, greeting Trump with a handshake in the Oval Office and adding that he looked “forward to a smooth transition.” Trump also pledged a smooth transition and expressed thanks to Biden for the invitation — one that Trump himself had not extended to Biden after losing the 2020 election.
November 13, 2024 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary, tapping someone largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world’s largest and most powerful military. The news was met with bewilderment and wide-eyed worry among many in Washington, as Trump passed on a number of established national security heavy-hitters and chose an Army National Guard captain who is well-known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend.” He could bring sweeping changes to the military. Hegseth opposes “woke” programs that promote inclusion and he questions the role of women in combat.
November 13, 2024 5:03 am
Transgender youth in the United States have been flooding crisis hotlines since the election of Donald Trump, who made anti-transgender themes central to his campaign. Many teens worry about how their lives could change once he becomes president. The Rainbow Youth Project, which serves LGBTQ+ young people, has received more than 5,500 calls to its crisis hotline in the past 10 days — nearly 2,000 more calls than it typically gets in an entire month. Trump’s administration can swiftly start work on one major change: It can exclude transgender students from Title IX protections. Those affect school policies on students’ use of pronouns, bathrooms and locker rooms.
November 13, 2024 5:02 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has struck Kyiv with a sophisticated missile and drone attack for the first time in 73 days. The top official in the Ukrainian said Wednesday that capital defense forces destroyed several cruise and ballistic missiles and up to a dozen drones. In the past, such combined attacks aimed to overwhelm air defenses and cause maximum damage. A 48-year-old man suffered head injuries, according to emergency services.
November 13, 2024 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump made a victor’s return to Washington on Wednesday, visiting the White House for a nearly two-hour meeting with President Joe Biden and committing to a straightforward transition of power despite actively working to disrupt the same process four years ago. Sitting in the Oval Office, in front of a strong fire in the fireplace, the former rivals shook hands before Biden called Trump “Mr. President-elect and former president” and then settled simply on “Donald.”“Congratulations,” the Democrat told the Republican. “I look forward to having, like they said, a smooth transition. Welcome. Welcome back.” Trump replied, “Thank you very much,” saying that “politics is tough. And it’s, in many cases, not a very nice world. But it is a nice world today, and I appreciate it very much.” Except for the opening moments, the meeting was private, with Biden and Trump joined by their chiefs of staff. Trump said the transition between the outgoing and incoming administrations “will be as smooth as it can get and I very much appreciate that, Joe.”
November 13, 2024 4:59 am
The House Republican Caucus has re-elected local Representative Tim O’Neal as Whip for the 2025-26 Legislative session. “It is an honor to be chosen by my peers again to help lead the caucus for the next two years,” O’Neal said. “House Republicans are committed to making the Commonwealth a place where people want to live and work. We will continue to uphold fiscal responsibility, limited government and policies that promote strong communities.” As whip, He will continue to be responsible for tracking House votes and informing the other 100 Republican colleagues of upcoming issues and legislation. O’Neal was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives following a May 2018 special election. In January, he will begin his fourth full term. The 48th Legislative District in Washington County covers the city of Washington; Amwell, part of Carroll (Districts 3, 4 and 5), East Finley, Fallowfield, Morris, North Franklin, part of North Strabane (Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), Nottingham, Somerset, South Franklin, South Strabane, and West Finley townships; and the boroughs of Donora, East Washington and Green Hills.
November 13, 2024 4:52 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Just hours after Republican Sen. John Thune was elected as the incoming Senate majority leader, President-elect Donald Trump presented him with one of his first tests — an announcement that he intends to nominate House Republican Matt Gaetz as attorney general. Two months before Trump takes office, he is challenging congressional Republicans to defy him as he says he will nominate potentially controversial figures to his Cabinet, including Gaetz, former Democratic House Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, and conservative media personality Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense.
November 13, 2024 4:49 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives have turned to a lawmaker from rural Bedford County to be their floor leader for the coming two-year session. The House Republican caucus voted behind closed doors on Tuesday for five-term Rep. Jesse Topper to head their 101-seat minority in 2025-26. Topper is currently the ranking Republican on the Education Committee. No districts flipped in last week’s election. That means the House will return to session in January with a 102-seat Democratic majority. Also Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers returned Majority Leader Matt Bradford of Montgomery County as floor leader. Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia is also in line to return as speaker.
November 13, 2024 2:14 am
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker visited a Washington County construction company Wednesday to commend its managers and workers — including union-represented employees — for implementing innovative safety policies that protect workers on the job. Chapman Corporation, a family- and woman-owned business with more than 660 employees, is one of two employers recognized by the Shapiro Administration this year with a 2024 Governor’s Award for Safety Excellence (GASE). Since 1997, the highly competitive GASE award has recognized outstanding workplace safety programs, promoted management and employee collaborations, and encouraged the sharing of best practices and development of safety approaches across the Commonwealth. “An employer has no greater responsibility than the safety of its workers, and the Shapiro Administration is committed to supporting Pennsylvania employers in their efforts to ensure that every worker returns home safely at the end of a productive day,” Secretary Walker said. “The Governor’s Awards for Safety Excellence honor employers like Chapman Corporation and their workers — 100% of whom are union members — for setting a high standard of safety rooted in mutual respect and collaboration between labor and management.” Chapman Corporation, headquartered in Washington has been a provider of civil, mechanical, and electrical construction services for industrial clients since 1949. “I truly appreciate being part of a company with such a great reputation and so caring of its employees, and we are so proud and honored to receive this year’s Governor’s Award for Exceptional Workplace Safety,” said Chris Cipoletti, Chapman Corporation President.
November 12, 2024 5:42 pm
SAN DIEGO (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump named Stephen Miller his deputy chief of staff and Tom Homan as his “border czar,” appointing a battle-tested duo to design and direct immigration policy from the White House. Their plans include mass deportations and restoring Trump-era policies that President Joe Biden dismantled. Both had critical jobs in the first Trump administration and are unapologetic defenders of its immigration policies, which included separating thousands of parents from their children at the border to deter illegal crossings. Both spent the last four years angling for this moment.
