October 18, 2023 4:57 am
WASHINGTON — (WPXI) – A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced to more than four years in prison for her role in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to NBC News. Rachel Powell smashed a Capitol window with an ice axe and cardboard tube before using a bullhorn to instruct rioters on how to “take” the building. Powell was convicted on nine federal counts in July. Powell recently received a personalized hat from former President Donald Trump, NBC News reports. During her sentencing, Powel said she was ashamed of her behavior. “I am deeply ashamed of my conduct,” she said. “I regret it, and it will never happen again.”
October 18, 2023 4:50 am
A standing room only crowd met North Strabane Township Supervisors at a public hearing dedicated to the granting of conditional use for a proposed apartment complex. The Alpha Capital Group is proposing the development of The Summit at Woodlawn, two apartment buildings that contain 37 apartments each on Woodlawn Drive, just off W. McMurray Road near the intersection with Morganza Road. Public comment was decidedly against the project with some residents of Woodlawn Drive asking supervisors to deny the application and let the court decide the outcome. Several people talked of decreased property values and the wisdom of putting apartments in the middle of a development that features single family homes and townhomes. Traffic was mentioned. Lisa Salamon pointed to a study performed by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission in 2019 that indicated that because of increased commercial and residential development along with the upcoming opening of the Southern Beltway, the intersection of W. McMurray Road and Morganza Road should be signalized. A turning lane on W. McMurray should also be installed. Lisa Schaeffer is a law enforcement official and she pointed out safety. She said that background checks done by landlords are many times deficient and may not reveal the true criminal background of a prospective tenant. She also is calling for security gates or huts to check the identity of people entering the buildings. She indicates that the transient nature of apartment buildings is a large influence on criminal activity. Supervisors continued the hearing until November 21 at 6:00 pm to consider additional information requested by supervisors. In township business, supervisors will look to authorize the purchase of the Lighthouse Electric building. They will also consider increasing fines for on street parking.
October 18, 2023 2:51 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Proposals to let independent voters cast ballots in party nomination primaries passed a Pennsylvania House of Representatives committee, raising the prospect that changes could pass and take effect in time for next year’s presidential contest. Two bills passed Tuesday with support only from Democrats and were advanced toward a full House vote. The measures would allow independent voters to choose which political party primary they want to vote in. Electors would be able to vote for the party nomination for public office candidates but not to elect candidates for party offices. Sponsors of the bills say more than 1 million Pennsylvanians are not affiliated with either party, making them the fastest-growing demographic within the state’s electorate.
October 17, 2023 4:40 pm
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – Prosecutors are seeking to recharge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the movie “Rust” in 2021 outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. Authorities confirm they will bring the case before a grand jury next month after a new analysis of the gun involved. Two years ago, Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it when off. Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was wounded. Baldwin had been charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the charge was dismissed in April. (Photo: AP)
October 17, 2023 4:14 pm
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — An email exchange made public this week shows that a prison guard had warned convicted murderer Danilo Cavalcante was planning to escape a month before the act was carried out. Cavalcante escaped from the Chester County Prison in Pennsylvania on Aug. 31. He eluded a massive manhunt for two weeks before he was recaptured. The email exchange shows that a corrections officer noted in July that Cavalcante was planning an escape. A county spokesperson says security measures for those considered escape risks were only “enacted and heightened” during transport before the escape. The spokesperson says security measures have since been strengthened.
October 17, 2023 1:59 pm
Washington County 911 tells WJPA News that a car went into a house in the 600 block of Water Dam Road around one-thirty Tuesday afternoon. Dispatchers say there were no apparent injuries and no one was transported from the scene. There was no word on how much damage the home sustained. West Penn Power crews were called for reports of downed wires.
October 17, 2023 10:41 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has returned to the Manhattan civil fraud trial that threatens to upend his real estate empire. But he won’t be seeing his lawyer-turned-foe Michael Cohen on the witness stand — at least not yet. Cohen, citing a health problem, has postponed his testimony as a key witness in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case at least until next week. Cohen said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he isn’t dodging Trump. Instead of Cohen, Trump’s courtroom visit on Tuesday is likely to overlap with the resumption of testimony from his company’s assistant controller, Donna Kidder. Trump denies any wrongdoing.
October 17, 2023 5:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — At a time when Americans are deeply divided along party lines, a new poll shows agreement on at least one issue: The United States’ two-decade-long war in Afghanistan was not worth fighting. The new Pearson Institute/AP-NORC poll comes two years after the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban returned to power. Sixty-five percent of Democrats and 63% of Republicans said the war wasn’t worth fighting. Many have doubts about how successful the U.S. was at accomplishing specific goals such as eliminating the threat from extremists or improving opportunities for women. One Republican respondent, Martin Stefan from Nevada, says the war was “unwinnable from the beginning.”
October 17, 2023 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says in a social media post he’ll appeal a narrow gag order imposed on him in his 2020 election interference case in Washington. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s Monday order bars the Republican presidential candidate from making statements targeting prosecutors, possible witnesses and the judge’s staff. The judge says the former president can’t mount a “smear campaign” against prosecutors. Monday’s order marks a milestone moment in the federal case that accuses Trump of illegally conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. During a campaign appearance in Iowa later Monday, Trump decried the order as unconstitutional, and claimed it would only help him in the polls.
October 17, 2023 5:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have rejected congressman Jim Jordan for House speaker on the first ballot. More voting is expected Tuesday as the staunch ally of Donald Trump works to shore up support and seize the speaker’s gavel. Clearly, not all Republicans are ready to elevate Judiciary Committee Chairman Jordan to the center seat of U.S. power, second in line to the presidency. Twenty Republicans voted against Jordan. Some are still upset over Kevin McCarthy’s sudden ouster as speaker two weeks ago. With Trump’s backing, a win for the Ohio congressman would show just how far the GOP’s once far-right flank has moved into the party’s mainstream.
