August 30, 2024 5:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is set to appear at the annual gathering of the group Moms for Liberty. The national nonprofit has spearheaded efforts to get mentions of LGBTQ+ identity and structural racism out of K-12 classrooms. The “fireside chat” with Trump on Friday night will serve to shore up his support with a key part of his base, conservatives who agree with him that parents should have a larger say in education. Yet the former president also runs the risk of alienating moderate voters who view Moms for Liberty’s activism as too extreme. Trump will first visit Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for a rally.
August 30, 2024 5:13 am
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week as the U.S. labor market remains healthy in the face of high interest rates. Jobless claims ticked down by 2,000 to 231,000 for the week of Aug. 24, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s just below the 232,000 new filings analysts were expecting. The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, fell by 4,750 to 231,500. Weekly filings for unemployment benefits, which are considered a proxy for layoffs, remain low by historic standards. The total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits rose by 13,000 to 1.87 million for the week of Aug. 17.
August 30, 2024 5:14 am
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage eased for the second week in a row and remains at its lowest level in more than a year. That’s good news for prospective homebuyers facing home prices near all-time highs. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate fell to 6.35% from 6.46% last week. A year ago, the rate averaged 7.18%. Mortgage rates are expected to keep trending lower overall this year. That’s due to signs of waning inflation and a cooling job market, which have raised expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut its benchmark interest rate next month for the first time in four years.
August 30, 2024 5:12 am
(AP) – A Boar’s Head deli meat plant in Virginia tied to a deadly food poisoning outbreak repeatedly violated federal regulations, including instances of mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. Government inspectors logged 69 instances of “noncompliance” with federal rules in the past year, including several in recent weeks, according to documents released through federal Freedom of Information Act requests. U.S. Agriculture Department officials say in a statement that the plant will remain closed “until the establishment is able to demonstrate it can produce safe product.” The plant has been linked to the deaths of at least nine people and hospitalizations of about 50 others in 18 states. All were sickened with listeria after eating Boar’s Head Provisions Co. Inc. deli meats. (Photo: AP)
August 30, 2024 5:07 am
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — A convicted killer is due in court in Pennsylvania on escape charges, nearly a year after his daring two weeks as a fugitive began. Lawyers say 35-year-old Danilo Cavalcante of Brazil is expected in court Friday for a potential plea hearing. But defense lawyer Lonny Fish says he can’t comment on whether a deal has been finalized. Security video shows Cavalcante scaling a wall in a jail exercise yard, then climbing over razor wire and jumping from a roof to escape. He also faces charges for allegedly stealing a farm truck, rifle, food and clothing while on the run.
August 29, 2024 5:46 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Arlington National Cemetery official was “abruptly pushed aside” during an altercation with former President Donald Trump’s staff during a wreath-laying ceremony but declined to press charges. A statement from an Army spokesman Thursday said the cemetery employee was trying to ensure those participating in Monday’s ceremony were following the rules. The spokesman says the employee “acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption.” The incident was reported to the police, but the employee decided not to press charges. The Army said it considered the matter closed. The Trump campaign contested the allegation that a campaign staffer had pushed the cemetery official and pushed back on the notion that the official was unfairly targeted. (Photo: AP)
August 29, 2024 4:52 pm
Cecil Township police are searching for an 11-year-old boy who they say walked out of Cecil Intermediate School on Thursday morning. Elio Cecchini weighs 80 pounds and is 4 feet, 9 inches tall. Police say he has ear-length brown hair and wears glasses. Police say Elio walked out of Cecil Intermediate School at 9:20 a.m. The school district called the police at 2 p.m., according to their Facebook post. Photos shared on Facebook show Elio at school on Thursday, wearing a navy blue shirt, light-colored shorts and white sneakers. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911. Police are actively searching the area and asking neighbors to check surveillance cameras for Elio. (Photo: WPXI)
August 29, 2024 4:17 pm
(WPXI) – A woman’s body was found in the Monongahela River. Pittsburgh Police said emergency crews were called to the shoreline near the Sandcastle Water Park in West Homestead at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner has been called to identify the woman and learn what her cause and manner of death were. Allegheny County Police say no foul play is suspected at this time.
August 29, 2024 4:20 pm
(AP) – The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that a Jewish family had the free-speech right to blanket their yard with signs decrying hate and racism after their next-door neighbor hurled an antisemitic slur at them during a property dispute 10 years ago. The court ruled Simon and Toby Galapo were exercising their rights under the Pennsylvania Constitution when they erected protest signs on their property and pointed them squarely at the neighbor’s house in the Philadelphia suburbs. The signs had messages such as “No Place 4 Racism.” The neighbors wanted the signs taken down, alleging they were defamatory and a nuisance.
August 28, 2024 2:50 am
Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt met Wednesday with the staff and director of the Washington County Department of Elections to hear “firsthand about the challenges they face when running elections.” Schmidt is planning to visit the election offices of all sixty-seven Pennsylvania counties. He also planned to visit the Greene County Elections Office as well. During his visit, Schmidt stopped in the WJPA Newsroom to talk about some current election issues such as ballot curing and the redesign of mail-in ballots. The Washington County Board of Elections was recently taken to court over its decision to not allow ballot-curing in the county in the recent primary election, and last week, Judge Brandon Neuman ordered the board of elections to notify people with deficiencies on their ballot to contact them about such errors. During the primary, 259 voters had their ballots cast aside due to minor clerical issues such as lack of signature or dates. Neuman also ruled the voters will be able to cast a provisional ballot in the event of such errors. Washington County Commission Chairman Nick Sherman, also a member of the elections board, had insisted they were following the letter of the law in not allowing errors on mail-in ballots to be fixed, however, Schmidt says there is no law that specifically states ballot-curing is not allowed. He says the decision is really up to the discretion of each county. Schmidt says many counties throughout the commonwealth allow minor mistakes to be corrected and they are not breaking any laws. Schmidt also addressed the revamp of ballots. He says the state did some research to see where the most mistakes were being made and then redesigned them in hopes of ensuring the process is more easily understood. Schmidt says his trips to county elections departments are not only to learn of the local challenges faced but to hear what the directors and staff feel the state department can do to solve those challenges and to help the process go smoothly and fairly. (Photo courtesy of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
