HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators split in votes on competing bills for ending the partial government shutdown as the Senate rejected President Donald Trump’s plan and another that passed the Democratic-controlled House. Thursday’s votes saw Republican Sen. Pat Toomey back Trump’s legislation, while Democratic Sen. Bob Casey supported the House bill. The Democratic proposal got two more votes than Trump’s plan in the Republican-controlled Senate.
The House bill would have reopened the government through Feb. 8, but didn’t allow money for a border wall that Trump is demanding. The Trump-backed bill included $5.7 billion for border-wall funding, along with funding to reopen the government on a longer-term basis, temporary protections for young immigrants and new curbs on Central Americans seeking safe haven. Some 800,000 federal workers are due to miss a second paycheck Friday.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Wolf administration wants to open a “conversation” about legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania and announced Thursday that the lieutenant governor will hold a series of town hall-style sessions on the subject. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, himself an advocate of legalizing recreational use of the drug, said he will hold a listening session in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties in the coming months and otherwise accept comments submitted online or through other means.
“It’s about starting the conversation for legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania,” Fetterman told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday. The idea has Gov. Tom Wolf’s blessing, barely a week into his second term and new partnership with Fetterman. The move comes weeks after the Democratic governor won re-election and changed his tune on legalizing recreational marijuana, saying the state should take a serious look at it.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pennsylvania airman killed last year in Afghanistan has finally been laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan Elchin was buried Thursday with full military honors. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports more than 300 people attended a short service before the burial.
Elchin was eulogized by his commander as an airman who willingly accepted tough assignments, adding that he loved the military and died fighting for freedom and security for his country.
In December, a memorial was held for Elchin in his hometown of Hookstown in Moon Township so local friends and family could say goodbye. Elchin was one of three service members who died when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in November. A fourth— Sgt. Jason Mitchell McClary, from Export, Pennsylvania — at a hospital after the attack.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Fans of Netflix original shows can take home a piece of them at a set and prop liquidation sale in Pittsburgh. The Nomadic Trading Company is holding a multi-day liquidation sale of the Netflix originals set decoration and prop warehouse in Warrendale. Fans of ’70s-era furniture or anyone in need of a rotary phone might also be interested in the props. The sale will be on Jan. 26, Feb. 9 and Feb. 16.
YORK HAVEN, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man says his emotional support alligator helps him deal with his depression. Joie Henney, 65, said his registered emotional support animal named Wally likes to snuggle and give hugs, despite being a 5-foot-long alligator. The York Haven man said he received approval from his doctor to use Wally as his emotional support animal after not wanting to go on medication for depression, he told Philly.com .
“I had Wally, and when I came home and was around him, it was all OK,” he said. “My doctor knew about Wally and figured it works, so why not?” Wally was rescued from outside Orlando at 14 months old and is still growing; Henney said Wally could be 16 feet long one day. Henney says Wally eats chicken wings and shares an indoor plastic pond with a smaller rescue alligator named Scrappy.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Features
UNDATED (AP) — It’s not like robots are rolling around the landscape, replacing us in our jobs — yet. But a new report suggests robots are on the verge of grabbing up at least some of them. The Brookings Institution says a quarter of U.S. jobs will be severely disrupted by artificial intelligence. The report says AI will speed up the automation of the existing work of roughly 36 million Americans.
The report says about 70 percent of the tasks done by certain classes of workers could soon be performed by machines using current technology. Among those most likely to be affected are cooks, waiters and others in food service. Other categories of workers expected to see at least some of their tasks absorbed by artificial intelligence include short-haul truck drivers and clerical office workers.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Melbourne residents have been warned that they could endure power outages on Friday as Australia’s second-largest city is forecast to experience its hottest day in a decade. The Victoria state capital, with a population of 5 million, is set to reach 111 degrees. That would be Melbourne’s hottest day since Feb. 7, 2009 — a day of catastrophic wildfires that than is remembered as Black Saturday.
That day, the temperature soared to 115.5 degrees. Wildfires killed 173 people and razed more than 2,000 homes in Victoria. Scores of wildfires are raging in southeast Australia, with authorities warning the fire risk is high. Victoria’s Energy Minister says three power generators had shut down, as infrastructure struggled to keep up with demand.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
PA Sports, Scores & Skeds
BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Bloomsburg 43, Hughesville 34
Meadowbrook Christian 56, Columbia County Christian 47
Tamaqua 71, Mount Carmel 66
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=
Jersey Shore vs. Shamokin, ppd. to Feb 1st.
GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Danville 62, Williamsport 45
Juniata 54, Newport 31
Lourdes Regional 58, Tri-Valley 24
Tussey Mountain 59, Northern Bedford 29
Upper Dauphin 53, Line Mountain 45
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=
WRESTLING: Shikellamy hosting Jersey Shore wrestling has was postponed to 1/31. This match would have been, as all Shikellamy wrestling matches are, on Newsradio 1070 WKOK and WKOK.com.
Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Golden State 126 Washington 118
Final Oklahoma City 122 New Orleans 116
Final Portland 120 Phoenix 106
Final Minnesota 120 L.A. Lakers 105
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (4) Gonzaga 98 Santa Clara 39
Final (6) Michigan St. 82 (19) Iowa 67
Final (23) Louisville 84 (21) NC State 77
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Washington at Orlando 7:00 p.m.
N-Y Knicks at Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.
Miami at Cleveland 7:30 p.m.
Toronto at Houston 8:00 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Sacramento at Memphis 8:00 p.m.
Detroit at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Charlotte at Milwaukee 8:30 p.m.
Phoenix at Denver 9:00 p.m.
Minnesota at Utah 9:00 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(5) Michigan at Indiana 6:30 p.m.
(15) Buffalo at Kent St. 6:30 p.m.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved