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Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 41F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
PITTSBURGH — Using a factory floor in Monongahela as a backdrop, U.S. House Republican leaders, on a no-holds-barred pursuit to take back the majority this November, unveiled a plan on Friday to curb inflation, secure the southern border and fight rising crime rates — an effort, they said, that will show they’re not just railing against Democrats, but offering solutions to America’s problems.
Releasing a plan Republicans call “Commitment to America,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said GOP members have spent the last year traveling the country to listen to Americans’ recollections of the impacts of Democratic policies. Now, they’re forming an agenda around what they heard, McCarthy said — a commitment not to Washington, D.C., but Washington County.
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A Chicago state senator has pleaded not guilty to charges of lying to the FBI and seeking a bribe to oppose legislation that would have required a statewide evaluation of red-light camera systems. Sen. Emil Jones III, the latest public official implicated in the bribery scheme, entered the plea by telephone Friday before U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday called for Jones to resign his seat, one day after Jones stepped down from his unpaid post as deputy leader for the Senate Democrats and his $11,000-per-year committee chair position at the request of Senate President Don Harmon.
It was December 2009 when Australian actor Sam Worthington, unaware of how massively his role as an ex-Marine on a mission to a new planet was about to change his life, received a bit of advice from James Cameron.
Roger Federer is bidding farewell to his tennis career with one last contest before he heads into retirement at age 41. He is scheduled to play a doubles match with rival Rafael Nadal for Team Europe in the Laver Cup against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock of Team World in London on Friday night. This marks the end of an illustrious career that included 20 Grand Slam titles and a role as a statesman for tennis. Federer was the last to emerge from a tunnel on Friday leading out to the black court when the players from both squads were introduced before the initial singles matchup of the three-day team event. Fans rose for a lengthy standing ovation and raised their phone cameras to capture the moment.
New Hampshire’s attorney general on Friday issued a cease-and-desist order against the state Democratic Party regarding absentee ballot application mailers with incorrect information that were sent to 39 communities and affected 926 voters. Attorney General John Formella said Friday the mailer states, “You have a history of requesting absentee ballots” when the voter hasn’t voted that way. The voter’s domicile address is listed as a town or city in which they don’t live. Also, the return envelopes are addressed to non-existent “[County Name] Board of Elections.” and have incorrect clerk addresses. Democratic Party Executive Director Troy Price said it was a “regrettable clerical error made by a mail vendor" and affected voters are being contacted.
The Biden administration is ramping up diplomatic efforts to press China to end provocative actions against Taiwan and keep it from active support for Russia's war against Ukraine. U.S. officials say Secretary of State Antony Blinken made both cases in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Friday in a meeting on the sidelines of the annual UN Assembly in New York on Friday. The officials declined to describe the Chinese response but said Foreign Minister Wang Yi was receptive to the messages and that the two men agreed on the need to keep lines of communication open. Friday's talks between Blinken and Wang came amid a period of heightened tensions on both issues and ahead of an expected meeting in November between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.
In-person voting for the midterm elections has started in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming, in a landscape that has changed since the pandemic drove a shift to mail balloting in the 2020 presidential contest. Twenty people voted in the first hour after Minneapolis’ early voting center opened Friday. They took advantage of generous rules that election officials credit with making Minnesota a perennial leader in voter turnout. In-person voting starts Saturday in New Jersey. Saturday also is the deadline by which election officials must send ballots to their military and overseas voters. North Carolina started mailing out absentee ballots Sept. 9.
Republican Tim Michels says he would sign an abortion ban with exceptions for rape and incest if it came to his desk as governor. That's a shift from his earlier statement that the state’s 1849 ban — with an exception only for the life of the mother — was “an exact mirror” of his position. Currently, an 1849 law bans all abortion procedures in Wisconsin, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Polls have repeatedly shown that a majority of people in Wisconsin support abortion rights. A spokeswoman for Evers’ campaign says she doubts that Michels’ views have changed.
NEW YORK — Queens drug kingpin Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols’ bid for early release from prison due to stress headaches was blasted Friday by federal prosecutors, who said the convict’s migraine problem “is not an extraordinary and compelling reason” to be given a get-out-of-jail-free card.
A federal jury is deliberating in the trial of an Iowa man who became one of the most recognizable members of the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol. Jurors heard closing arguments on Friday for the trial of Douglas Jensen, who was captured on video chasing a police officer up a staircase inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Jensen was wearing a T-shirt expressing his adherence to the QAnon conspiracy theory when he and others confronted a line of officers near an entrance to the Senate. Jensen is charged with seven counts, including a charge that he obstructed Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote.
LOS ANGELES — A fault system running nearly 70 miles along the coast of Los Angeles and Orange counties has the potential to trigger a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, according to a new study that is the latest to highlight the seismic threats facing Southern California.
The Supreme Court doesn’t appear to have found the person who leaked a draft of the court’s major abortion decision last spring. In a television interview airing this weekend, retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who left the court in June, says that as far as he knows the person’s identity has not been determined. Breyer was speaking in an interview with CNN anchor Chris Wallace. According to a transcript of the conversation, Wallace asked Breyer, “So in those months since, the chief justice never said hey, we got our man or woman?” Breyer responded: “To my knowledge, no." The interview is set to air Sunday on CNN’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?”
ATLANTA — While streaming seems to be taking over the world, Bounce TV, an Atlanta-based broadcast network tailored to Black audiences is quietly building its line up of original programs.
LOS ANGELES — As residents prepare to roll up their sleeves for a third, fourth or even fifth dose of COVID-19 vaccine, some may be wondering: Do I need to stick with the same brand, or is it safe to mix it up?
A Black man who died after a police encounter in a Denver suburb in 2019 died because he was injected with a powerful sedative after being forcibly restrained. According to an amended autopsy report publicly released Friday, Elijah McClain death is still listed as undetermined. The 23-year-old massage therapist was put in a neck hold and injected with ketamine after being stopped in Aurora for “being suspicious.” The case drew renewed attention following the killing of George Floyd in 2020, leading to the indictment last year of three officers and two paramedics on manslaughter and reckless homicide charges in McClain’s death.
NASA's new moon rocket could face more launch delays, this time by tropical weather. An approaching storm may force NASA to not only delay next week's launch attempt, but also move the rocket from its Florida pad and back into the hangar. Managers said Friday that barring weather, the rocket is ready to blast off Tuesday on its first test flight after a fueling test earlier this week. But a tropical depression in the Caribbean is moving toward Florida and could become a major hurricane. NASA says it will keep monitoring the forecast and decide no later than Saturday on how best to proceed. It takes three days of prep to haul the rocket back to the hangar.
Director Reginald Hudlin’s “Sidney” was made with the full and keenly interested cooperation of the Poitier family, following a template of access many documentaries favor or, in some cases, settle for.
Milan Fashion Week’s third day, mostly womenswear previews for next spring and summer, was all about transformation. Sometimes inner transformation, like at Gucci, or brand transformation, like at Missoni. And sometimes it was about upgrading the style game, like at Sunnei. Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele constructed a parallel universe on the runway Friday with a surprise theatrical reveal. For his Spring-Summer 2022-23 collection dubbed ‘’Twinsburg,’’ Michele staged side-by-side shows inside the Gucci Hub, each unbeknownst to the other, until a wall lifted revealing sets of twins in identical looks in synchronic stride. For the final walkthrough, the 68 sets of twins met in the center, grasping hands and reuniting.
Elton John is all-in on a plan to perform at the White House as part of what he says is his final concert tour. John is swinging by the South Lawn on Friday night for a show while he's in town. John last played the White House during a state dinner in 1998. A giant open-air tent and stage are set up on the White House lawn for the show. The 2,000-person guest list includes teachers, nurses, frontline workers and LGBTQ advocates. President Joe Biden wrote in 2017 about singing “Crocodile Rock” to his son Beau before Beau died of cancer at age 46.
Flooding likely worsened by climate change has submerged one-third of Pakistan’s territory and left 33 million of its people scrambling to survive. That's according to Pakistan’s prime minister, who says he came to the United Nations this year to tell the world that “tomorrow, this tragedy can fall on some other country.” In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, Shahbaz Sharif exhorted world leaders gathered for their annual meeting at the General Assembly to stand together and raise resources. He says that will help make sure that future generations are helped. The initial estimate of losses to the economy as a result of the three-month flooding disaster is $30 billion.
As billions of dollars in opioid lawsuit settlements are starting to flow to governments, families and advocates impacted by the opioid crisis are pushing for a meaningful say in how the money will be used. There are requirements to direct most of it to fighting the deepening crisis, and in some states, people in recovery or who lost relatives have been put on committees making spending recommendations. But advocates from New York to Nevada are worried they won’t have enough input on how the money is used. The funding processes are already subject to a partisan tussle in Wisconsin and a lawsuit in Ohio.
Rockabye Baby, which has been releasing lullaby versions of popular music for 16 years, is now releasing an album of 14 covers of some of Atlanta-based duo OutKast’s biggest hits.
After announcing earlier this month that a pandemic-related emergency rental assistance program is being phased out as federal funding is exhausted, Vermont state officials now say they believe an estimated $20 million more in federal funding is available to extend the benefits for some of the lowest income Vermonters. The state has been hearing from advocates since it announced on Sept. 1 that the program will stop taking new applications for rent and other housing related expenses on Oct. 1 and rental assistance for existing beneficiaries will be reduced. The deputy Administration secretary says the top priority is extending the benefit through April to the population at 30% of area median income.
LOS ANGELES — Just as Los Angeles County dropped its mask requirement on public transit and in airports, that big bus known as “Dancing with the Stars” pulled into the station with a small COVID-19 outbreak after its premiere Monday.
To help combat a growing gun violence problem, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, is launching a system proponents say can track the location of gunshots using hidden microphones. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports a panel recommended the city adopt ShotSpotter in a July report. Stephanie Howard, Mayor Ted Wheeler’s director of community safety, said Thursday the decision to advance a pilot program with the technology was made after Wheeler met with Police Chief Chuck Lovell. ShotSpotter says it can identify and locate gunshots in real-time using small microphones placed in neighborhoods. Police could then use that data. Critics say the technology is unreliable.
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh has announced a settlement with a property management company owned by the family of former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Frosh announced Friday that Westminster Management has agreed to pay a $3.25 million civil penalty and restitution to settle a 2019 lawsuit in Maryland. The settlement addresses charges that Westminster and the property owners violated the Consumer Protection Act by charging tenants illegal fees and by failing to maintain the properties. Westminster is not admitting wrongdoing under the settlement. Kushner company chief operating officer Peter Febo says Westminster is pleased to have settled this litigation with no admission of liability or wrongdoing.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers who arrived at a crash scene in Pensacola this summer found a 23-year-old Navy officer dead at the wheel with neck wounds that initially looked like a possible shooting. A trooper later messaged the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that injuries were from the deployment of an air bag in the 2006 Ford Ranger pickup. The NHTSA is investigating and hasn’t made a final determination yet. But the family of Hayden Jones Jr. says there’s ample evidence the death was caused by an exploding Takata air bag. Ford says it notified the owner that the vehicle was under a recall notice, but the family says Jones never received one.
As sports betting has swept across the country, internet casino games have grown much more slowly. But the online casino market has tremendous potential for growth and expansion, according to participants in a major casino conference. Speaking Friday at the East Coast Gaming Congress in Atlantic City, executives of online gambling companies said the rapid growth of sports betting provides a ready-made infrastructure and regulatory apparatus for online casino games. So far, it's legal in only six states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware and Connecticut. But panelists predicted additional states could soon adopt internet gambling, including Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and New York.
As sports betting has swept across the country, internet casino games have grown much more slowly. But the online casino market has tremendous potential for growth and expansion, according to participants in a major casino conference. Speaking Friday at the East Coast Gaming Congress in Atlantic City, executives of online gambling companies said the rapid growth of sports betting provides a ready-made infrastructure and regulatory apparatus for online casino games. So far, it's legal in only six states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware and Connecticut. But panelists predicted additional states could soon adopt internet gambling, including Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and New York.
A protester has lit a portion of the court and his arm on fire during a match at the Laver Cup tennis event. The episode happened hours before Roger Federer was scheduled to play for the final time before retiring. The activist briefly delayed the action at the start of the second set of Stefanos Tsitsipas’ 6-2, 6-1 victory for Team Europe over Diego Schwartzman of Team World at the O2 Arena on Friday. The person was wearing a white T-shirt with a message about private jets and made his way onto the black court to sit down near the net. He eventually was carried away by security guards.
New York City’s mayor says he plans to erect hangar-sized tents as temporary shelter for thousands of international migrants who have been bused into the Big Apple as part of a campaign by Republican governors to disrupt federal border policies. The tents are among an array of options the city is considering as it struggles to find housing for an estimated 11,000 migrants who have wound up in New York after being bused north from border towns in Texas and Arizona. New York City’s huge system of homeless shelters has been straining to accommodate the unexpected newcomers.
NEW YORK — Playwright Lynn Nottage described writing the opera adaption of her “Intimate Apparel” play as revisiting “an old friend” — and PBS viewers will get to experience the 2004 work which premieres Friday.
Experienced and proven successful executive to take on COO role for one of the largest mold inspection organizations in Texas
Protesters disrupted a public hearing on Johns Hopkins University’s proposed police force, prompting officials to move the event to an online-only format. News outlets report that students took over the stage Thursday night to protest the creation of a private armed police force. The meeting was the first in a series meant for the community to give feedback on a draft memorandum of understanding between the university and Baltimore Police. The document details how the university would create a force to patrol its campuses. Critics, including students, faculty and the community, have questioned how the police force will be held accountable.
New Mexico has granted funds to pay for possible prosecutions connected to last year's fatal film-set shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Thursday that the state Board of Finance has greenlit more than $317,000 to cover the cost of investigating potential charges in the “Rust” shooting. District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies made an emergency request for the funds. As many as four people could face charges, according to a copy of the request obtained by the newspaper. But Carmack-Altwies did not say anyone definitely would. Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when it went off, killing her.
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 23, 2022--
Right wing provocateur Alex Jones said he won’t resume testifying until next week in the defamation suit against him by families of Sandy Hook victims and then blasted the lawyers pressing the suit and again called the judicial process itself rigged.
President Joe Biden is going all Catholic on the GOP.