July 3, 2022 8:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Last Fourth of July, President Joe Biden gathered hundreds of people outside the White House for an event that would have been unthinkable for many Americans the previous year. With the coronavirus in retreat, they ate hamburgers and watched fireworks over the National Mall. Within weeks, even some of the president’s allies privately admitted that the speech had been premature. Soon the administration would learn that the delta variant could be transmitted by people who had already been vaccinated. Masks went back on, then came polarizing vaccination mandates. The even-more-contagious omicron variant would arrive months later, infecting millions and causing chaos during the holiday season. That sunny speech one year ago marked a crossroads for Biden’s presidency. The pandemic appeared to be waning, the economy was booming, inflation was negligible and public approval of his job performance was glowing. As Biden approaches his second Fourth of July in the White House, his standing couldn’t be more different. A series of miscalculations and unforeseen challenges have Biden struggling for footing as he faces a potentially damaging verdict from voters in the upcoming midterm elections. Even problems that weren’t Biden’s fault have been fuel for Republican efforts to retake control of Congress. “People are grouchy,” said Lindsay Chervinsky, a presidential historian. The latest poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that his approval rating remains at 39%, the lowest since taking office and a steep slide from 59% one year ago. Only 14% of Americans believe the country is headed in the right direction, down from 44%.
July 3, 2022 8:02 am
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (WPXI) — Allegheny County police have arrested the man they believe robbed two convenience stores and attempted to rob a third in one night. According to police, a robbery happened in West Mifflin at the BP station at 4731 Buttermilk Hollow Road at 8:20 p.m. on Friday. Police said the suspect involved in the incident is believed to have robbed a BP station in Pleasant Hills about 30 minutes earlier. Officers then responded to an attempted robbery in Monroeville. Monroeville police arrested a man during the attempted third robbery. Police have identified 29-year-old David Vankavelaar of Clairton as the man in custody. Vankavelaar is being held at the Allegheny County Jail and charged with robbery, terroristic threats, theft by unlawful taking, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
July 2, 2022 8:18 am
The Washington County Democratic Committee sponsored a rally Friday afternoon to rally citizens for the right for women to have choice over their bodies. The event held on the courthouse steps was estimated to be roughly 500 people. Abortion rights supporters lined Main Street from Cherry Street to West Beau Street on both sides. The vocal crowd heard several speeches harkening back to the days before the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision became law. The crowd spanned multiple generations and was not made up solely of women. A large contingent of men also rallied for women’s rights. Ultimately, all of the speakers made it a point to make sure all participants get out and vote and encourage all of their friends and family to get out and vote.
July 2, 2022 6:11 am
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – Last July, a federal judge in West Virginia heard closing arguments in the first lawsuit to go to trial over the U.S. opioid addiction epidemic. With an avalanche of documents that included transcripts of testimony and exhibits, Judge David Faber didn’t indicate when he would make a ruling, and his decision wasn’t expected right away. Nearly a year later, a community is still waiting. The lawsuit by Cabell County and the city of Huntington accused distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson of creating a public nuisance. Some 81 million pills were sent to the community of about 93,000 along the Ohio River from 2006 to 2014.
July 2, 2022 6:00 am
(WPXI) – A third monkeypox case in Allegheny County has been confirmed. The Allegheny County Health Department confirmed that three residents have now been diagnosed with monkeypox. Health officials say that all victims of the virus are males in their 20s and 30s. None of the patients have required hospitalization at the time and are isolating at their homes. The county has begun contact tracing protocols. “The ACHD has a highly honed case investigation process and is ready to help contain any possible community spread of the monkeypox virus in Allegheny County,” remarked ACHD Chief Epidemiologist LuAnn Brink. “To contain the virus effectively and efficiently we need residents to work with our nurse case investigators to determine the source of the infection and if it has spread to others. We appreciate any and all assistance.” As of 3:00 p.m. on Friday there were 13 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Pennsylvania.
July 1, 2022 12:35 pm
ALLEN, Ky. (AP) – Two officers were killed when a man opened fire on police attempting to serve a warrant at a home in eastern Kentucky Thursday night. Several officers were shot at the scene in Floyd County. Police took 49-year-old Lance Storz into custody late Thursday night. An arrest citation says two officers were killed at the scene, and five officers were injured. An emergency management official was also injured and a police K9 dog was killed. Storz was arraigned Friday morning in Pike County and jailed on a $10 million bond.
July 1, 2022 4:15 am
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – The Supreme Court’s decision eliminating the constitutional right to abortion is causing anxiety for people in same-sex marriages, particularly those with children. The decision last week overturning Roe v. Wade didn’t directly affect the 2015 ruling that paved the way for gay marriage. But lawyers say now they’re getting questions from same-sex couples worried about the legal status of their marriages and keeping their children. Alabama lawyer Sydney Duncan has received dozens of emails and calls in just a few days. Justice Clarence Thomas has called on colleagues to reconsider cases that allowed same-sex marriage, gay sex and contraception.
July 1, 2022 4:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – More than 500 days into his presidency, Joe Biden’s hope for saving the Earth from the devastating effects of climate change may not be dead. But it’s not far from it. áA Supreme Court ruling Thursday has not only limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate climate pollution by power plants. It also suggests the court is poised to block Biden’s other efforts to limit the climate-wrecking fumes emitted by oil, gas and coal. It’s a blow to Biden’s commitment to slash emissions in the few years scientists say are left to stave off worse and deadlier levels of global warming. And it’s a sign, to Democrats at home and allies abroad, of the dwindling chances left for Biden to reverse the legacy of President Donald Trump, who mocked the science of climate change.
July 1, 2022 4:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A new poll finds a growing percentage of Americans calling out abortion or women’s rights as priorities for the government in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, especially among Democrats and those who support abortion access. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds 22% of U.S. adults name abortion or women’s rights in an open-ended question as one of five problems they want the government to work on. That’s nearly tripled since December. The new poll, which included interviews conducted before and after the Supreme Court’s ruling, finds prioritization of the issues grew sharply following the decision. With midterm elections looming, President Joe Biden and Democrats will seek to capitalize on that shift.
July 1, 2022 4:12 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukrainian authorities say Russian missile attacks on residential buildings in a coastal town near the port city of Odesa have killed at least 18 people including two children. Video of the pre-dawn Friday attack showed the charred remains of buildings in the small town of Serhiivka, located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Odesa. Ukrainian news reports said missiles struck a multi-story apartment building and a resort area. The assault came after Russian forces withdrew from a strategic Black Sea island on Thursday. Russia took control of Snake Island in the opening days of the war, and their withdrawal initially was seen as lessening the threat to the Odesa region.
