Lawmaker calls for halt to PennDOT plan to toll 9 bridges
The chairman of Pennsylvania’s Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday said he wants to halt plans to toll nine major bridges on interstates around the state. Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Wayne Langerholc, R-Cambria, introduced a bill to require legislative authorization of any proposed transportation project with a user fee, even it...
Fauci: U.S. covid shots ramping up toward immunity
WASHINGTON — The nation’s top infectious disease expert says the U.S. could see significant steps toward a return to the pre-pandemic normal, even before the country reaches coronavirus herd immunity. Dr. Anthony Fauci says best estimates when enough people are immune to end the outbreak range between 70-85% of the...
Clinics wait to vaccinate farmworkers: ‘Our hands are tied’
With Georgia’s sweet onion harvest approaching and covid-19 vaccine arriving in increasing quantities from the federal government, migrant health centers around the state want to start vaccinating farmworkers. But there’s a catch. In Georgia and many other places around the U.S., such efforts are blocked by state policies that give...
Russia slows down Twitter, part of social media clampdown
Russian authorities said Wednesday they are slowing down the speed of uploading photos and videos to Twitter over its failure to remove banned content — part of growing efforts to curb social media platforms that have played a major role in amplifying dissent. The state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, said it...
Huge virus aid bill nears final OK in win for Biden, Dems
WASHINGTON — Congress sped toward final approval Wednesday of a landmark $1.9 trillion covid-19 relief bill, as President Joe Biden and Democrats neared a major triumph for the party’s priorities and showcased the unity they’ll need to forge future victories. The House was on track to use a virtual party-line...
GOP struggles to define Biden, turns to culture wars instead
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and the Democrats were on the brink of pushing through sprawling legislation with an eyepopping, $1.9 trillion price tag. But many Republican politicians and conservative commentators had other priorities in recent days. A passionate defense of Dr. Seuss. Serious questions about the future of Mr....
Biden’s first 50 days: Where he stands on key promises
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden laid out an ambitious agenda for his first 100 days in office, promising swift action on everything from climate change to immigration reform to the coronavirus pandemic. He hits his 50th day in office on Wednesday as his administration eyes a major milestone: final congressional...
Embattled California Gov. Newsom says ‘brighter days ahead’
LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom sought to rally his state worn down after a year of coronavirus lockdowns, record wildfires and unfathomable sickness and death. He urged California’s nearly 40 million residents to “dream of brighter days ahead” while acknowledging mistakes that have put his political future on...
Attorneys sift strong opinions, anxiety among Derek Chauvin jurors
MINNEAPOLIS — One was anxious, worried about high emotion surrounding the case. One worried his family might be targeted. And one was delighted to receive her jury summons — even after learning she might wind up on the panel considering whether to convict a former police officer in George Floyd’s...
House to vote Wednesday on massive coronavirus aid billVideo
WASHINGTON — The House will vote to clear the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package for President Joe Biden’s signature on Wednesday, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters. House lawmakers received the paperwork on Tuesday from the Senate after that chamber’s marathon “vote-a-rama” that ended Saturday afternoon, resulting in numerous changes...
U.S. aid to Pa. draws GOP warning to use it for 1-time costs
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania state government is expected to receive more than $7 billion from the $1.9 trillion covid-19 rescue package making its way through Congress, or almost one-fifth of its operating costs this year, with some warning that the one-time aid should be used only for one-time costs. Many across...
House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate oddsVideo
WASHINGTON — The Democratic-led House on Tuesday approved legislation that would invigorate workers’ unions, following decades of court defeats and legislative setbacks that have kneecapped the labor movement’s once formidable ability to organize. The measure, which union leaders and labor allies have presented as a cure for decades of working-class...
Judge denies bail for Trump administration aide for alleged role in Capitol siegeVideo
A Trump administration aide accused of leading rioters into the Capitol building — and violently assaulting an officer with a stolen shield — is a danger to society who should remain behind bars pending trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. Federico “Freddie” Klein, 42, appeared virtually in Washington, D.C., federal...
Looking for a covid-19 vaccine? This site can help find spares — but you’ll need patienceVideo
In an attempt to rid Americans of the tedious task of refreshing websites for hours on end, a team of 21 medical advisers, technology experts and business people are running a site that matches covid-19 vaccine providers with leftover doses to people who want one. The free service, coined Dr....
Roger Mudd, longtime network TV newsman, dies at 93Video
Roger Mudd, the longtime political correspondent and anchor for NBC and CBS who once stumped Sen. Edward Kennedy by simply asking why he wanted to be president, has died. He was 93. CBS News says Mudd died Tuesday of complications of kidney failure at his home in McLean, Va. During...
Ex-Army captain who killed family seeks release because of coronavirus
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A former Army captain serving three life sentences for the murders of his pregnant wife and two young children in 1970 has asked a federal judge to free him because of his age and failing health. A hearing on Jeffrey MacDonald’s request for compassionate release is...
Arkansas governor signs near-total abortion ban into law
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday signed into law legislation banning nearly all abortions in the state, a sweeping measure that supporters hope will force the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit its landmark Roe v. Wade decision but opponents vow to block before it takes effect later...
Senate Republicans paint DOJ nominee Vanita Gupta as ‘strident’ partisanVideo
WASHINGTON — Civil rights lawyer Vanita Gupta told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that she would abandon some of the harsh partisan rhetoric she used over the past four years if confirmed for the No. 3 position at the Justice Department. Committee Republicans aired their concerns at the confirmation...
Biden won’t put his name on relief checks, unlike TrumpVideo
President Joe Biden will not be attaching his signature to the $1,400 relief checks that are expected to be mailed soon — a break with his predecessor who last year had “President Donald J. Trump” printed on the economic impact payments approved by Congress. The next round of paper checks...
As food insecurity continues for millions, Pa. now taking SNAP applications by phone
Pennsylvanians can now apply for food assistance via phone, state officials said Tuesday. Applications to the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are now taken on 1-866-550-4355, in addition to the established methods of mailing in a paper form or going online. The state has seen an uptick in applications...
White House: States get 900K more covid vaccine doses this week
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is making an additional 900,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines available to states and pharmacy partners this week. White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced that states and territories will receive 15.8 million doses of the two-shot vaccines, up from 15.2 million last week. Another...
Jimmy Carter says he’s sad, angry over Georgia voting bills
ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter declared his opposition Tuesday to a slate of restrictive voting proposals moving through his native Georgia’s General Assembly, saying he is “disheartened, saddened and angry” over moves to “turn back the clock” on ballot access after Democratic successes in 2020. Carter, a Democrat, said...
Arrested Iowa journalist pleaded with officer: ‘This is my job’
IOWA CITY, Iowa — An Iowa journalist covering a protest for racial justice was blinded when a police officer shot pepper spray in her face and jailed for hours despite telling him repeatedly that she was just doing her job, according to video played Tuesday at the reporter’s trial. Body...
Volunteers are key at covid vaccine sites. It pays off with a shot
SEATTLE — When Seattle’s largest health care system got a mandate from Washington state to create a mass covid-19 vaccination site, organizers knew that gathering enough volunteers would be almost as crucial as the vaccine itself. “We could not do this without volunteers,” said Renee Rassilyer-Bomers, chief quality officer for...
Pentagon approves extending Guard deployment at Capitol
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has formally approved an extension of the National Guard deployment at the U.S. Capitol for about two more months as possible threats of violence remain, the Pentagon said Tuesday. According to a statement issued by the department, close to 2,300 Guard troops will continue...
