AP PA Headlines 10/24/19
PITTSBURGH (AP) — President Donald Trump promoted his support for the natural gas industry Wednesday, making clear on his second visit to Pennsylvania in the past three months that he sees his pro-industry policies as a boost to his chances of winning the battleground state in 2020. As some of his leading Democratic opponents call for a fracking ban, Trump has been eager to cut a contrast, touting his support for a sector he says brings economic benefits to rural pockets and jobs to construction union workers.
But pipeline politics might not be so clear-cut. In the suburbs that might be key to his path to victory, Pennsylvania voters have shown a growing opposition to the drilling and massive pipelines required to move its product across the state. Candidates in state and local races are increasingly hardening their stances on the industry.
National polling shows growing skepticism of fracking, the process used in extraction. While the issue is unlikely to be the one that turns a race already dominated by Trump’s strong personality, a looming impeachment fight and accusations of racism, Trump’s eagerness to promote the industry underscores his tight focus on shoring up his base of rural voters, even at the risk of alienating others.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is asking a federal court to do what state courts so far haven’t and either grant him a new trial or release him from prison. The 75-year-old Sandusky filed a petition Tuesday that repeats many of the arguments he’s made in state courts about why his 45-count child sexual abuse conviction should be overturned.
His claims of a tainted trial in 2012 include a prosecutor’s reference to jurors that Sandusky didn’t testify, that his former lawyers didn’t have enough time to prepare, and that the legal team made several mistakes.
A state appeals court ruled earlier this year that mandatory minimums were improperly applied in sentencing him 30 to 60 years, so he’s being resentenced next month in county court.
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — Joe Biden is hammering President Donald Trump’s treatment of the middle class while campaigning in his childhood hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, hours ahead of the president’s own rally in Pittsburgh. The former vice president on Wednesday cast the billionaire president as a charlatan populist whose tax policies and economic stewardship have hurt U.S. workers.
Biden said in a 45-minute speech that Trump has “no idea” what “ordinary” and “decent” Americans “are going through” in an uneven economy. Biden drew contrasts between Trump’s experience as the son of a wealthy New York developer and Biden’s working-class upbringing in Scranton and Delaware. The address follows a well-worn approach for Biden, whose strongest moments in an uneven campaign have been formal speeches drawing strong contrasts with the Republican president. Trump frequently criticizes Biden.
are expected to survive.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania state senators have voted unanimously to transfer control of what had been the lieutenant governor’s residence at Fort Indiantown Gap to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The Senate voted Wednesday to send the House a bill directing the property be used to support veterans’ programs and National Guard families.
The current lieutenant governor, John Fetterman, has chosen to rent an apartment in Harrisburg and opened the Fort Indiantown Gap home’s pool this summer for hundreds of children to swim. Fetterman, a Democrat who presides over the Senate, says he supports the bill and looks forward to signing the legislation. He says the swimming program is expected continue indefinitely. The 2,400-square-foot State House is on the National Guard base property about 25 miles northeast of Harrisburg.
UPPER DARBY, Pa. (AP) — A white Pennsylvania teacher who was captured on video calling a black parent a racist slur following a fender bender has resigned. The Upper Darby school board voted unanimously Tuesday to accept Drexel Middle School teacher Renee Greeley’s resignation, effective Oct. 17. Greeley was placed on administrative leave after parent Rasheed Noel posted video Oct. 10 of the minor car accident in the school parking lot.
Greeley could be heard saying Noel is “probably on welfare” and should go back to his “Section 8 house.” She later called him the N-word. Greeley had taught in the district since 2008. Nearly half of the district’s 12,500 students are black.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s boast of building part of the border wall in Colorado is garnering attention in the state, including from the state’s governor, Democrat Jared Polis. Trump was speaking Wednesday to an audience in Pennsylvania when he included Colorado in a list of states where the border wall is being constructed, along with New Mexico and Texas.
The president said: “We’re building a wall in Colorado, we’re building a beautiful wall, a big one that really works, that you can’t get over, you can’t get under.” Of course, Colorado doesn’t share a border with Mexico, which Polis, and others on social media noted. Polis tweeted: “Well this is awkward …Colorado doesn’t border Mexico. Good thing Colorado now offers free full day kindergarten so our kids can learn basic geography.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Declassified U.S. government documents and artifacts will be part of a new exhibit about the decade-long search for Osama bin Laden at the site of the New York terrorist attack he masterminded.
“Revealed: The Hunt for Bin Laden” opens Nov. 15 at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, a multimedia account of the mission that ended with bin Laden’s death in Pakistan in 2011.
With direct access to the operatives who led America’s feverish post-9/11 hunt for the top terrorist, the exhibit presents a sort of whodunit drama with graphics, videos and the voices of the protagonists. Those include intelligence agents, former President Barack Obama and members of the U.S. Navy SEALs team that raided the compound where bin Laden was shot and killed in his bedroom.
“This is essentially a kind of crime story, however, at a horrific scale of crime and at a global scale of pursuit, with many trials and tribulations,” the exhibit’s main designer, Jonathan Alger, said Wednesday at a news conference at the museum.
FITZGERALD, Ga. (AP) — Why did the tourists cross the road? One south Georgia town hopes it will be to see a giant bushy chicken statue. Fitzgerald Mayor Jim Puckett tells local news outlets that the town is building the world’s largest chicken topiary, a 62-foot (19-meter) steel-framed chicken with plants growing on it. Wild Burmese chickens have long roamed Fitzgerald. Puckett aims to leverage that reputation to draw tourists.
He says: “They want to see chickens, so we’re going to show them a chicken.” The city is spending $150,000 on the topiary, designed to top the 56-foot (17-meter) tall steel “Big Chicken” at a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Marietta. Puckett says the Fitzgerald topiary could even include an apartment for overnight rentals and an observation deck. It should be ready by year’s end..
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid had 15 points and 13 rebounds, Ben Simmons scored 24 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 107-93. Gordon Hayward led the Celtics with 25 points and Jayson Tatum had 21.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Victor Hedman scored a power-play goal with 56.8 seconds remaining to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The defenseman scored from just inside the blue line off Steven Stamkos’ pass from the left circle.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line is regrouping without injured star Stephon Tuitt. Tuitt tore his pectoral muscle in the first quarter of a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 13 and is out for the season. The Steelers will turn to veteran Tyson Alualu, Javon Hargrave and maybe rookie Isaiah Buggs to fill in during Tuitt’s absence. The Steelers play on our sister station 100.9 The Valley.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State opens the season with a sense of optimism after finishing last year strong. The Nittany Lions won seven of their last 10 games a year ago. Standout Lamar Stevens says he thinks the team is closer to making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 than people might believe. The season opener is Nov. 5 against Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Nittany Lions play on WKOK and WKOK.com this Saturday at 2pm.
Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events:
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
Final Washington 12 Houston 3
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Charlotte 126 Chicago 125
Final Detroit 119 Indiana 110
Final Orlando 94 Cleveland 85
Final OT Minnesota 127 Brooklyn 126
Final Miami 120 Memphis 101
Final Philadelphia 107 Boston 93
Final Dallas 108 Washington 100
Final San Antonio 120 New York 111
Final Utah 100 Oklahoma City 95
Final Phoenix 124 Sacramento 95
Final Denver 108 Portland 100
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Ottawa 5 Detroit 2
Final Tampa Bay 3 Pittsburgh 2
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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Philadelphia at Atlanta 8 p.m.
LA Galaxy at Los Angeles FC 10:30 p.m.
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TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Atlanta at Detroit 7 p.m.
Milwaukee at Houston 8 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at Golden State 10:30 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Carolina at Columbus 7 p.m.
San Jose at Montreal 7 p.m.
Arizona at N-Y Islanders 7 p.m.
Buffalo at N-Y Rangers 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Nashville 8 p.m.
Los Angeles at St. Louis 8 p.m.
Philadelphia at Chicago 8:30 p.m.
Anaheim at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Florida at Calgary 9 p.m.
Washington at Edmonton 9 p.m.
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Washington at Minnesota 8:20 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
(19)SMU at Houston 7:30 p.m.
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Philadelphia at Atlanta 8 p.m.
LA Galaxy at Los Angeles FC 10:30 p.m.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
