AP PA Headlines and Features: PA budget awaits Gov’s signature

AP PA Headlines

Clock ticking on $2B search to balance Pennsylvania budget

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The clock is ticking for Pennsylvania lawmakers to find more than $2 billion to balance the state’s budget.  No agreements were reported Monday, three days after lawmakers sent the main appropriations bill in a $32 billion budget package to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk.  Wolf has 10 days to sign the bill or let it become law, and he hasn’t said what he’ll do if lawmakers don’t agree in that period on how to raise the money.

The Legislature’s Republican leaders say they’re looking into borrowing most of the money.  The fiscal year began Saturday. Without spending legislation signed by Wolf, the state has lost some of its spending authority, although Wolf’s administration said it anticipated no program or service interruptions, at least in the next 10 days.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A state court isn’t allowing Pennsylvania’s fiscal watchdog to examine how a nonprofit grant recipient spent money it got by charging a fee to contractors working on the grant to counsel pregnant women about alternatives to abortion.  Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer wrote in Monday’s decision that an audit is allowable if it’s necessary to determine whether the money from the fee is being used in line with the grant agreement.

But Jubelirer notes that the Harrisburg-based agency, Real Alternatives, already said that it isn’t using the money in accordance with the grant agreement, and Real Alternatives argues it isn’t required to.  The court didn’t decide whether the money from the 3 percent fee Real Alternatives charges to contractors should be considered public or private, or whether the fee is permissible. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale’s office says it’s disappointed, but respects the court’s decision.

SIPESVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A community festival is planned to mark the 15th anniversary of the rescue of nine miners trapped underground in the Quecreek Mine in southwestern Pennsylvania.  Mark Schweiker, who was governor during the 2002 disaster that trapped the miners underground for 77 hours, will address the media July 27, two days before the festival in Sipesvile.

Schweiker remained at the Somerset County mine site until all nine miners were rescued on July 28, 2002.  The July 29 festival will include public tours of the mine rescue site.  The miners were rescued when crews drilled a small shaft used to bring the miners up one by one in a small, metal capsule.  The miners were trapped when water from an abandoned mine flooded their shaft 200 feet underground.

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Oddities and Conversation Starters

WASHINGTON (AP) — Make way for droids! Usually the annual Fourth of July event in Washington D.C. features singers and actors — and a bunch of patriotic readings. This year, something out of this world will be a part of the event: droids. In this case, it’s two of the world’s most famous droids: R2-D2 and C-3PO of “Star Wars” fame.

True to their calling, they will be on stage as the National Symphony Orchestra plays some of the music composed by John Williams movie from the sci-fi classic. The performance will mark the 40th anniversary of “Star Wars.” Others taking part in the annual “A Capitol Fourth” event will be John Stamos, who will host introduce acts like the Four Tops, Trace Adkins and the Beach Boys.

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are celebrating their country’s birthday with big-time fireworks, small-town parades and other activities.  In New York, throngs are expected to watch the annual Macy’s fireworks blowout.

In Washington, President Donald Trump is observing his first Independence Day in office by hosting a White House picnic for military families, followed by a fireworks viewing event for military families and staffers.

In Boston, one of 14 original copies of the Declaration of Independence will be displayed at a museum, and hundreds of thousands of people are expected at the city’s fireworks show.  Meanwhile, more than 15,000 new citizens will be sworn in during more than 65 Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has spoken with the last surviving member of the World War II-era Doolittle Raiders. The White House says he talked with 101-year-old Lt. Col. Dick Cole of Comfort, Texas, thanking him for his service. Trump also wished Cole a full recovery following a recent fall. Cole served as the co-pilot of the lead B-25 bomber during the 1942 raid on Tokyo.

The mission took place during the early months of America’s involvement in World War II. Leading the group of 16 bombers was Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle. The crews knew they wouldn’t have enough fuel to return and had to bail out over China. Three crewmen died in the raid, and three of those captured by the Japanese were executed.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has signed his final budget after a three-day state government shutdown that included a viral photo of him lounging on a state beach that was closed to the public because of a budget impasse.  The lame-duck Republican governor signed the $34.7 billion budget early Tuesday and sounded an unapologetic tone over the aerial photos snapped by NJ.com that showed him at the state governor’s residence at Island Beach State Park.

The pictures sparked a global reaction: countless memes featuring a Photoshopped cutout of Christie in the beach chair, headlines on international news sites and a full-scale media blitz from his spokesman.   Christie says it wasn’t a scandal because he was where he said he’d be: relaxing with his family.  The backlash against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for using a beach that was closed to the public in a budget dispute now includes a banner plane.  A plane carrying the message that Christie should “get the hell off Island Beach State Park” is being flown up and down the New Jersey coast Monday.

CHICAGO (AP) — The national anthem has been a standard part of American sports games for the better part of a century.  Experts say Game 1 of the 1918 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs helped pave the way. The game in Chicago was in the seventh inning when a Navy band started playing “The Star Spangled Banner.” A Red Sox player and Navy veteran named Fred Thomas stood with a military salute on the field.

The crowd noticed and soon joined in. The New York Times reported that “a great volume of melody rolled across the field” and the song ended with cheers and “thunderous applause.”  John Thorn, Major League Baseball’s official historian, says the event helped the song become widely popular. It became the official national anthem in 1931..

Scores & Skeds

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