AP PA Headlines 5/23/19
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf says preliminary statistics are pointing to a decrease in overdose deaths in Pennsylvania last year, as his administration suggests the opioid crisis might be starting to wane in some parts of the state. Wolf spoke Wednesday as he participated in a training session on how to administer a nasal spray that reverses an opioid overdose.
Wolf says physicians are issuing fewer opioid prescriptions and doctor-shopping is over, thanks to a 2016 law that requires prescribers to check a state database before issuing an opioid prescription to a new patient.
Wolf’s administration says more robust health care outreach and law enforcement programs are paying dividends. It’s also made the anti-overdose medication naloxone regularly available at most pharmacies in Pennsylvania, at little or no cost for those with insurance.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The endorsed candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties won contested races to run for open seats on a statewide appellate court. The winners secured spots on the fall ballot in Tuesday’s primary election to fill two open seats on the state Superior Court. Each party had a three-way primary race.
The winning Democrats were Amanda Green-Hawkins, a longtime steelworkers’ union lawyer from Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia Judge Daniel McCaffery. The Republican winners were Megan King, a Chester County prosecutor, and Cumberland County Judge Christylee Peck. The 15-seat court handles civil and criminal appeals from Pennsylvania’s county courts. Judges serve 10-year terms and run for re-election in up-or-down retention races. The court currently has eight Republicans and six Democrats, with one Republican not running for another term.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Features
NEW YORK (AP) — Imagine summoning a woman every time you wanted something done, looked up _ or turned on or off. Some might think that was sexist. And yet, that is what many people do when they put their electronic trust in the female voices supplied by Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, as well as those operated by Google and Microsoft. A new report by the United Nations is raising questions about whether having female voices at the beck and call of users serves to amplify gender bias around the world.
The U.N. says there’s a danger millions of people are getting used to interacting with female-voiced assistants the report describes as “servile, obedient and unfailingly polite.” The agency recommends that tech companies stop making digital assistants female by default _ and program them to discourage gender-based insults and abusive language.
WASHINGTON (AP) — It was a riveting moment of TV _ in an administration that produced more than its share of such moments. President Donald Trump took to the airwaves to declare that he will no longer work with Democratic lawmakers _ until they stop investigating him. The tirade came shortly after Trump stormed out of a meeting with Democratic leaders that was supposed to find ways to build the nation’s infrastructure.
Witnesses to the meeting on both sides say an agitated Trump left after criticizing Congress for looking into possible misconduct spelled out by the Muller Report. During his comments, Trump appeared behind a sign that listed the cost of the special counsel’s probe and his slogans of “No Collusion” and “No Obstruction.” During the comments, carried live on many news outlets, Trump declared, “I don’t do cover-ups.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump Jr. has a book coming out later this year featuring his “views and perspectives” on the political scene and his father’s presidency. Center Street, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, announced Thursday that the book was currently untitled. No exact release date has been set.
Trump Jr. said in a statement that he would highlight “the great achievements” of his father’s administration, and write about both those who support him and oppose him. The president’s son has spoken often on his father’s behalf over the past few years. Center Street has published other prominent Republicans, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Steve Scalise.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Veterinarians and funeral homes in Virginia are rejecting the idea that pets should be buried with their owners after a recent case in which a healthy dog was euthanized so it could lie with her owner. WWBT-TV in Richmond reports workers at one animal shelter tried to talk the executor of the estate out of the plan. They failed and the Shih Tzu mix named Emma was euthanized and cremated. The dog’s ashes were placed in an urn and given to the estate’s representative.
“We did suggest they could sign the dog over on numerous occasions, because it’s a dog we could easily find a home for and re-home,” said Carrie Jones, manager of Chesterfield Animal Services. Dr. Kenny Lucas says while it’s an emotional situation, he said his clinic won’t do it. “Whenever we’re faced with a euthanasia situation, it’s a very emotional situation – and beyond everything we talk about – that we need to do ethically, and we’ve taken an oath to do, it’s something we take home too,” Lucas said. “It weighs on us as professionals.”
ATLANTA (AP) — Two film projects have pulled production from Georgia after the governor signed the so-called “heartbeat bill,” which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks, before many women realize they are pregnant. The Lionsgate comedy “Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar,” was scratched.
It was going to be starring Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, and director Reed Morano’s Amazon series “The Power” initially were to be shot in Georgia but now will relocate production. Morano did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday but told Time she had been scheduled to fly to Savannah to scout locations for the new TV series. She canceled after Gov. Brian Kemp signed the bill. The measure is set to go into effect Jan. 1.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
PA Sports, Scores & Skeds
CHICAGO (AP) — Cole Hamels struggled in his first start against his original team, Albert Almora Jr. hit his first career grand-slam and the Chicago Cubs rallied from an early three-run deficit with three homers, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 8-4 Wednesday night. Tyler Chatwood earned the win with four innings of one-run, three-hit relief.
The Phillies play on 1070AM WKOK, while our normal programming continues at WKOK.com. The Phils have a day game today—1:45pm. No Steve Jones Show today…please enjoy an encore Dan Patrick Show.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Bell reached the Allegheny River on the fly for the second time in two weeks, the only notable blemish for the Colorado Rockies in a 9-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. After Daniel Murphy hit a three-run homer to put Colorado ahead 3-0 in the first inning, Bell sent a changeup from Jon Gray 454 feet over the Clemente Wall in right field with an exit velocity of 116 mph, making it 3-1 in the second.
Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events:
———
INTERLEAGUE
Final Kansas City 8 St. Louis 2
Final Tampa Bay 8 L-A Dodgers 1
Final Miami 6 Detroit 3
Final St. Louis 10 Kansas City 3
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Oakland 7 Cleveland 2
Final Texas 2 Seattle 1
Final N-Y Yankees 7 Baltimore 5
Final Boston 6 Toronto 5, 13 Innings
Final Chi White Sox 9 Houston 4
Minnesota at L-A Angels 9:07 p.m., postponed
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Milwaukee 11 Cincinnati 9
Final San Diego 5 Arizona 2
Final Colorado 9 Pittsburgh 3
Final N-Y Mets 6 Washington 1
Final Chi Cubs 8 Philadelphia 4
Final Atlanta 9 San Francisco 2
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
———
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Final Vancouver 2 New York 2
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
———
INTERLEAGUE
Miami at Detroit 1:10 p.m.
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N-Y Yankees at Baltimore 12:35 p.m.
Boston at Toronto 12:37 p.m.
Minnesota at L-A Angels 4:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Cleveland 6:10 p.m.
Chi White Sox at Houston 8:10 p.m.
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Washington at N-Y Mets 12:10 p.m.
Colorado at Pittsburgh 12:35 p.m.
Philadelphia at Chi Cubs 2:20 p.m.
Atlanta at San Francisco 3:45 p.m.
———
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Toronto at Milwaukee 8:30 p.m.
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
