February 14, 2024 5:01 am
Feb. 14 is a holiday heavyweight this year due to a calendar collision. It’s Valentine’s Day, the fixed annual celebration of love and friendship, marked by cute couples, eager elementary school students — and critics who deride its commercialization. But it also happens to be Ash Wednesday, the solemn day of fasting and reflection that signals the start of Christianity’s most penitent season. Ash Wednesday is not a fixed date. Its timing is tied to Easter Sunday, and for most Christians, Easter will fall on March 31 this year. Easter also moves annually, swinging between March 22 and April 25 based on a calendar calculation involving the moon.
February 14, 2024 4:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House has voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S-Mexico border. In a historic rebuke of a sitting Cabinet secretary, the Republican majority was determined to try again to impeach Mayorkas after having failed last week. Tuesday evening’s vote was tight, even with the arrival of Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who has been away from Washington for cancer care. Speaker Mike Johnson’s threadbare majority could not spare defections or absences in the face of staunch Democratic opposition. President Joe Biden called the impeachment of Mayorkas a “blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honorable public servant in order to play petty political games.”
February 14, 2024 4:58 am
MOUNT LEBANON, Pa. — (WPXI) – Gov. Josh Shapiro walked up and down the main street in Mount Lebanon on Wednesday visiting several small businesses as part of his statewide “Main Street Matters” tour. The governor, along with local legislators, highlighted their $25 million proposal to support small businesses across the commonwealth including Empire Music in Mount Lebanon. The store’s owner said the community is their strength. “What’s really unique about this uptown district is that the businesses are born out of the needs of the community. Most important, to have things local to you that serve people best around you,” said Joe Ravita, the owner of Empire Music. In his speech, the governor said main streets in small towns are the backbone of the commonwealth and it’s a critical part of his economic development strategy. The proposal is part of his 2024-25 budget. The new proposal builds off of a previous state program known as Keystone Communities program.
February 14, 2024 4:58 am
New York Democrat Tom Suozzi has won a special election for the House seat formerly held by George Santos. Suozzi defeated Republican Mazi Pilip in a contest to represent a district that includes parts of Long Island and the New York City borough of Queens. Pilip is a Nassau County legislator. The win narrows an already-thin margin held by Republicans in the House. The race has been closely monitored for clues about suburban voter sentiment heading into the 2024 election campaign nationwide. Suozzi previously represented the district for three terms but gave up the seat during an unsuccessful run for governor in 2022. Santos was expelled from Congress after he was indicted. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud and stealing from donors, among other crimes.
February 14, 2024 4:56 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military says it sank a Russian landing ship in the Black Sea using naval drones, a report that has not been confirmed by Russian forces. Ukraine’s General Staff says the Caesar Kunikov large landing ship sank near Alupka, a city on the Crimean Peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014. Ukraine’s Military Intelligence, known as GUR, says its special operations unit “Group 13” sank the Caesar Kunikov using Magura V5 sea drones on Wednesday. The Russian military did not immediately comment on the claim, saying only that it downed six Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea overnight.
February 14, 2024 4:52 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democrats have retained their slim majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Voters elected a former school board member on Tuesday to represent them in a Philadelphia suburb that has been trending more to the left. Jim Prokopiak’s election to the Bucks County seat will give Democrats a 102-100 majority in the House. A Republican lawmaker’s resignation last week shifted the power back to Democrats. Prokopiak’s win kept it in place. Democrats have sought to defend their majority in the House in four special elections in the past year. A Democrat serves as governor, and the GOP controls the Senate.
February 14, 2024 2:29 am
The City of Washington has put out an alert for roadwork that will begin Wednesday. The work is for the replacement of gas lines on Locust Avenue between Wilson and Wilbert avenues. There will be alternating lane restrictions between the hours of 7:30 am and 3:30 pm daily. The work is expected to last several weeks.
February 14, 2024 1:34 am
An Ohio man pleaded guilty on Monday for his role in a shooting that occurred in the 8th ward playground in the city of Washington in May of 2023. Tyler Shrieve, 21 of Bloomindale, Ohio was sentenced to three years of probation on a misdemeanor firearms possession charge. Felony drug possession and receiving stolen property charges were dropped. Shrieve and an accomplice T’kai Jett were arrested by City of Washington Police after a man was shot and those shots fired at the playground sent youngsters fleeing. The victim showed up at Washington Hospital later with a gunshot wound and survived. Jett pleaded guilty to similar charges and received a similar sentence in November of 2023.
February 13, 2024 1:35 pm
Wednesday will have special meaning on several levels for Roman Catholics as Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day coincide. According to the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, the forty day Lenten season of prayer and penance is meant to convert hearts and minds back to God. Ash Wednesday is regarded as one of the most sacred days of the year for all Christians. It is important to note that Ash Wednesday is a holy day of obligation and also a day of fast and abstinence from meat. Many hoped for dispensation from the abstinence from meat, but Bishop David Zubik said that there will be no suspension from that obligation. A written statement from the diocese says “The observance of Lent, and its beginnings on Ash Wednesday, should always be of primary importance for Catholics. For that reason, although some might look for dispensation from the practices of fasting and abstinence from meat to celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday is too important, too sacred to make such a concession. With that in mind, no dispensations from fasting and abstinence will be granted on February 14 in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. We should also remember that Saint Valentine was exactly that – a Catholic Saint! He would agree that the celebration that bears his name should take a back seat to Ash Wednesday!” said Bishop David Zubik. Distribution of ashes will be performed at all parishes. Contact your parish for their schedule for distribution of ashes.
February 13, 2024 7:59 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI)- Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen will be in Pittsburgh on Tuesday to highlight the Biden Administration’s efforts to lower health care costs and support small businesses. Yellen will tour the Skin Cancer Center at Allegheny Health Network West Penn Hospital in Bloomfield followed by a roundtable discussion on health care economy. She will also deliver remarks on the administration’s economic plan. Yellen will be joined by Congresswoman Summer Lee and several physicians and officials from Allegheny Health Network and its parent company Highmark Health.
