Legislators commandeer House to demand action on policingVideo
HARRISBURG — Black Democrats in the state House preempted the day’s business in an effort to force action on changes to police, displaying a Black Lives Matter banner and commandeering the podium for about 90 minutes at the start of voting session Monday. The dramatic takeover went on pause when...
Pennsylvania chooses new vendor for health care emergency preparedness efforts
A new vendor will aid the state in its health care emergency preparedness efforts. Beginning July 8, Public Health Management Corp. of Philadelphia will take over for the previous vendor, Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, whose contract was up for renewal. Levine said there was nothing unsatisfactory about the...
KKK leader attacks Virginia protest, hate charge weighedVideo
RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia prosecutor said Monday she is investigating whether hate crimes charges are appropriate against an “admitted” Ku Klux Klan leader who authorities say revved his vehicle’s engine and drove through peaceful protesters occupying a Richmond-area roadway. There were no reports of serious injuries from the incident...
Seattle council members protest after tear gas used on crowdVideo
SEATTLE — Just days after Seattle’s mayor and police chief promised a month-long moratorium on using a type of tear gas to disperse protesters, the department used it again during an overnight protest — bringing severe criticism Monday from City Council members, vows to overhaul the department and an additional...
Treasure chest hidden in Rocky Mountains finally found
SANTA FE, N.M. — A bronze chest filled with gold, jewels, and other valuables worth more than $1 million and hidden a decade ago somewhere in the Rocky Mountain wilderness has been found, according to a famed art and antiquities collector who created the treasure hunt. Forrest Fenn, 89, told...
A U.S. recession began in February in the face of coronavirusVideo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy entered a recession in February as the coronavirus struck the nation, a group of economists declared Monday, ending the longest expansion on record. The economists said that employment, income and spending peaked in February and then fell sharply afterward as the viral outbreak shut down...
Can tear gas and pepper spray increase coronavirus spread?
Police departments have used tear gas and pepper spray on protesters in recent weeks, raising concern that the chemical agents could increase the spread of the coronavirus. The chemicals are designed to irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and throat. They make people cough, sneeze and pull off...
Court orders dismissal of Trump Muslim travel ban challenges
RICHMOND, Va. — A federal appeals court on Monday ordered a lower court to toss out legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s 3-year-old ban on travelers from predominantly Muslim countries, finding that a judge misinterpreted a Supreme Court ruling that found the ban has a “legitimate grounding in national security...
Democrats unveil police overhaul, kneel at CapitolVideo
WASHINGTON — Democrats proposed a sweeping overhaul of police oversight and procedures Monday, a potentially far-reaching legislative response to the mass protests denouncing the deaths of black Americans at the hands of law enforcement. Before unveiling the package, House and Senate Democrats held a moment of silence at the Capitol’s...
Pennsylvania reports 351 more coronavirus cases, 10 more deaths
Pennsylvania on Monday reported 10 more covid-19 deaths and 351 additional cases, bringing the state’s total number of cases to 75,943, according to state health officials. A total of 5,953 people have died from the virus. More than 451,000 people have tested negative. Of the total cases, 71% have recovered....
Trump uses ‘defund police’ as political weapon against Biden
President Donald Trump is seeking to tie Joe Biden to activists’ calls to “defund the police” in an attempt to paint his likely 2020 opponent as weak on crime and vilify Democrats pushing for police reform, even though Biden hasn’t embraced the slogan. Two weeks of protests over the death...
Philadelphia officer facing assault charges from protest turns himself inVideo
PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia police officer surrendered Monday to face aggravated assault and other charges stemming from video that shows him striking a student protester in the head with a metal baton. Police Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna has been suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss him from...
Officer charged in George Floyd’s death held on $1 million bailVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — A judge on Monday kept bail at $1 million for a former Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder in George Floyd’s death. Derek Chauvin, 44, said little during an 11-minute hearing in which he appeared before Hennepin County Judge Jeannice M. Reding on closed-circuit television from the...
In Minneapolis, rage over George Floyd extends beyond cops
MINNEAPOLIS — To truly understand the rage people in this city felt as they watched a video of George Floyd begging, gasping and slowly succumbing beneath the weight of a police officer’s knee, it’s necessary to step back in time. Seven years before Floyd’s cheek was smashed against the pavement,...
‘All eyes’ on New York: Reopening tests city torn by crises
NEW YORK — After three bleak months, New York, the corner of the U.S. hit hardest by the coronavirus, gradually began reopening Monday in what was seen as a landmark moment in the crisis and a test of the city’s discipline. With the virus in check — at least for...
When protesters cry ‘defund the police,’ what does it mean?Video
WASHINGTON — Protesters are pushing to “defund the police” over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans killed by law enforcement. Their chant has become rallying cry — and a stick for President Donald Trump to use on Democrats as he portrays them as soft on crime. But...
12 covid-19 cases in Pennsylvania traced to New Jersey shore
DOYLESTOWN — Health officials in eastern Pennsylvania have traced 12 new coronavirus cases to a person who attended recent beach house gatherings at the New Jersey shore, the Bucks County Department of Health said. The department said 11 cases on Saturday were linked to a New Jersey resident who was...
Taliban say they are readying for talks with Kabul leaders
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban have started putting together their agenda for negotiations with the political leadership in Kabul, Taliban officials said, a significant first step toward talks seen as perhaps the most critical next phase in the Afghan peace process. No date has yet been set for negotiations but Washington’s...
Support grows to toughen penalties in Pennsylvania for boating while under the influence
Those who are boating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs may face penalties similar to those for people who are caught driving under the influence as measures to stiffen the law are gaining support in the Pennsylvania Legislature. The state House and a state Senate committee overwhelmingly passed...
CDC: Some Americans are gargling with bleach and drinking household cleaners to prevent coronavirus
A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report indicates Americans are putting household disinfectants including bleach into their bodies because they believe such practices can ward off coronavirus — “preventive” measures are ineffective and dangerous. The study, posted by the CDC, explored how much its 502 participants knew about...
As White House’s strong-arm tactics get pushback, Trump takes credit for peaceful protestsVideo
WASHINGTON — Asserting that “everything is under perfect control,” President Donald Trump claimed credit Sunday after a national wave of demonstrations against police abuses turned calmer, even as the White House faced fresh pushback over strong-arm tactics used against peaceful protesters. Protests appeared peaceful Sunday, a day after riot police...
Minneapolis council majority backs disbanding police force
MINNEAPOLIS — A majority of the members of the Minneapolis City Council said Sunday they support disbanding the city’s police department, an aggressive stance that comes just as the state has launched a civil rights investigation after George Floyd’s death. Nine of the council’s 12 members appeared with activists at...
Virginia officer charged in use of stun gun on black manVideo
FAIRFAX, Va. — A white Virginia police officer was charged with assault and battery in connection with the use of a stun gun on a black man, authorities announced. Fairfax County police Officer Tyler Timberlake arrived on scene and fired his stun gun at the man after other officers had...
Colin Powell backs Biden, says Trump has ‘drifted’ from ConstitutionVideo
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell criticized President Donald Trump for threatening to use active-duty U.S. troops against protesters, saying it shows he has “drifted away” from the U.S. Constitution. In a CNN interview, Powell aimed a broad critique at Trump’s approach to the military, a foreign policy he said...
New York Times editorial page editor resigns amid fury over op-ed
NEW YORK — The New York Times’ editorial page editor resigned Sunday after the newspaper disowned an opinion piece by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton that advocated using federal troops to quell unrest, and it was later revealed he hadn’t read the piece prior to publication. James Bennet resigned and his...
