September 28, 2023 5:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans launched a formal impeachment hearing Thursday against President Joe Biden, promising to “provide accountability” as they probe the family finances and lucrative business dealings of his son Hunter and make their case to the public, colleagues and a skeptical Senate. The chairmen of the Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees used the opening hearing to review the constitutional and legal questions involved with impeachment. They are trying to show what they say are links to Biden’s son Hunter’s overseas businesses, though key witnesses said they do not yet see hard evidence of impeachable offenses. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky, the Oversight chairman, said the lawmakers have “a mountain of evidence” that will show that the elder Biden “abused his public office for his family’s financial gain.” Comer announced he was issuing subpoenas for additional banking records from Hunter Biden and the president’s brother, James Biden. He said the panel will continue to “follow the money and the evidence to provide accountability.”
September 28, 2023 5:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is heading toward a shutdown this weekend that will disrupt many services, squeeze workers and roil politics. It comes as Republicans in the House, fueled by hard-right demands for deep cuts, force a confrontation over federal spending. While some government entities will be exempt, others will be severely curtailed. Social Security checks, for example, will still go out. But federal agencies will stop all actions deemed non-essential. And millions of federal employees, including members of the military, won’t receive paychecks. The shutdown will begin Oct. 1 if Congress is not able to enact a funding plan.
September 28, 2023 5:15 am
The American soldier who sprinted across a heavily fortified border into North Korea more than two months ago has arrived back in the U-S. At a little after midnight, local time, the plane carrying Army Pvt. Travis King touched down at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. Wearing what appeared to be civilian clothing, the 23-year-old shook hands with military officials on the tarmac before being taken to Brooke Army Medical Center for evaluation and treatment. It still is unclear why King, who had served in South Korea, bolted into North Korea while on a civilian tour of a border village on July 18th. Pyongyang abruptly announced yesterday that King was being expelled.
September 28, 2023 5:13 am
TEMPE, Arizona (AP) — President Joe Biden has issued one of his most dire warnings yet that Donald Trump and his allies are a menace to American democracy. He said Thursday that the former president is more interested in personal power than upholding the nation’s core values, and he accused mainstream Republicans of complicity: “The silence is deafening,” he said. During a speech in Arizona celebrating a library to be built honoring his close friend and fierce Trump critic the late Sen. John McCain, Biden repeated one of his key campaign themes, branding the “Make America Great Again” movement as an existential threat to the nation’s political system.
September 28, 2023 5:11 am
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Several of Donald Trump’s rivals stepped up their attacks against him in Wednesday’s second Republican presidential debate. They were urgently trying to dent the former president’s commanding primary lead during an event that often seemed like an undercard without him. The debate’s tone was far removed from the campaign’s overall tone. Trump has dominated the field with attacks on his rivals and democratic institutions as well as his grievances about the criminal indictments and civil cases targeting him and his businesses. The moderators did not ask about the indictments or why the people onstage were better qualified than Trump.
September 28, 2023 5:09 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $925 million after no players hit it big Wednesday night, continuing a stretch of lottery futility that has lasted for more than two months. The winning numbers were: 1, 7, 46, 47, 63 and red Powerball 7. The jackpot for the next drawing Saturday night remains the world’s ninth-largest lottery prize of all time, behind earlier prizes in the Powerball and Mega Millions games that all topped $1 billion. The jackpot has grown so large because there have now been 30 consecutive drawings without a big winner, dating back to July 19. Powerball’s terrible odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes becoming ever larger as they repeatedly roll over when no one wins.
September 28, 2023 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have spent more than six hours making their case for pursuing an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden. They launched their first hearing Thursday promising to “provide accountability” as they probe the family’s finances and the lucrative business dealings of Biden’s son Hunter. Republicans so far have shown no hard evidence of wrongdoing by the president, and key witnesses said they do not yet see hard evidence of impeachable offenses. It all comes just before a potential government shutdown. The White House called the hearing a “baseless stunt.” Oversight Chairman James Comer later issued subpoenas for additional Biden family bank records.
September 28, 2023 5:06 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has finalized an agreement to expand passenger rail service. The agreement with Norfolk Southern will expand passenger rail service on the Amtrak line in Western Pennsylvania. Right now, the service travels roundtrip between New York City and Pittsburgh once a day. Once the agreement goes into effect, services will be increased to twice a day. The state will invest more than $200 million in infrastructure to support the expansion. Norfolk Southern will construct and maintain the infrastructure and safety improvement. According to a news release, PennDOT has applied for federal grant funding to help pay for the expansion. “We look forward to working with PennDOT and Norfolk Southern on this expansion of Amtrak service in the Commonwealth,” said Amtrak Vice President of State Supported Services Ray Lang.
September 28, 2023 5:00 am
OHIO TOWNSHIP, Pa. – (WPXI) – Two people were killed in a fiery head-on crash on Interstate 79 early Thursday. The crash happened in a construction zone between the Mount Nebo Road and Emsworth/Sewickley exits around 12:20 a.m. Three vehicles were involved, according to state police. A tractor-trailer traveling south crossed the median and struck a vehicle head-on, pushing both vehicles into an embankment. The trailer of the truck struck a second vehicle traveling northbound. Both vehicles involved in the head-on collision became fully engulfed in flames and both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. The other occupants were treated and taken to local hospitals. The extent of their injuries was not released. Both directions of I-79 were closed for hours. (Photo: WPXI)
September 28, 2023 4:56 am
The awareness group MAD-FACTS, Moms And Dads-Family Awareness of Cancer Threat Spike continued their monthly gatherings on Wednesday night. The group was formed to rally support to put pressure on lawmakers and health organizations to recognize the dangers of fracking activities and their relationship to the development of cancer and other health related difficulties. The Pennsylvania chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility presented a slide show on Radioactivity and Health. The presentation centered on the Radioactive Emissions Study headed by Wayne State University and UPMC. The study focused on radiation emissions at sites that stretched from west to east across Pennsylvania testing air, water and soil for radiation. What was found was that radiation levels were rather consistent across all test sites. Those radiation levels were well above medically acceptable levels for exposure but well within legal limits set by regulators. Tammy Murphy is the Advocacy Director for PSR, her feeling is that more study is needed for low, slow exposure to radiation. It could be possible that that exposure is worst of all because a body is never away from the source of radiation and never has a chance to recover. She also stated that governmental regulatory agencies that one would think would be involved for protection are not there. The EPA, NRC, OSHA and others are not permitted to act against the fracking industry as defined by the “Haliburton Loophole”. Murphy stated that “it is incredible that this lack of protection is even happening in our society.” MAD-FACTS will meet again on October 26.
