INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The inaugural harvest of genetically modified salmon began this week after the coronavirus pandemic delayed the sale of the first such altered animal cleared for human consumption in the United States. Company CEO Sylvia Wulf said several tons of salmon engineered by biotech company AquaBounty Technologies Inc. will now head to restaurants and away-from-home dining services in the Midwest and along the East Coast. AquaBounty has been raising its faster-growing AquAdvantage salmon at an indoor aquaculture farm in Albany, Indiana. The fish are genetically modified to grow twice as fast as wild salmon, reaching market size in 18 months rather than 36.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s $6 trillion budget proposal for next year would run a $1.8 trillion federal government deficit despite a raft of new tax increases on corporations and high-income people designed to pay for his ambitious spending plans. The whopping deficit projections are being driven by Biden’s costly plans for infrastructure and social spending, along with major new investments in domestic Cabinet agencies. The budget incorporates the administration’s eight-year, $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan and its $1.8 trillion American Families Plan. It also adds details on his $1.5 trillion request for annual operating appropriations for the Pentagon and domestic agencies.

SEATTLE (AP) — The Washington state attorney general charged two Tacoma police officers with murder and another with manslaughter in the death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who died after telling them him he couldn’t breathe as he was being restrained. Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed charges of second-degree murder Thursday against Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins, and first-degree manslaughter against Timothy Rankine. Witnesses reported seeing Burbank and Collins, who are both white, attack Ellis. The 33-year-old was killed March 3, 2020, just weeks before George Floyd’s death triggered a nationwide reckoning on race and policing. Ellis’ final words — “I can’t breathe, sir!” — were captured by a home security camera.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A man who was working at a California rail yard when a gunman killed nine people says the attacker worked regularly with the victims and believes they were targeted. The worker says Samuel Cassidy stuck out as a loner and that he didn’t hurt people he encountered as he went to another building, where more shots were fired. A sheriff also told The Associated Press on Thursday that the shooter appeared to target some of the victims. Sheriff’s officials described him as “a highly disgruntled employee.” A Biden administration official also says he spoke of hating his workplace while he was detained by U.S. customs officers after a 2016 trip to the Philippines.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans are poised to use a filibuster to derail Democrats’ effort to launch a bipartisan probe of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The showdown will be the first time this year the GOP has used the delaying tactic to try killing major legislation. The GOP seemed certain to succeed, but their victory may prod Democrats closer to curbing or eliminating a legislative tactic that’s been the bane of Senate majorities since the Founding Fathers. Progressives hope that if the commission bill dies by filibuster, the defeat would pressure Democrats to finally get rid of the tactic.

Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter, is stepping down as executive director of the movement’s foundation. She decried what she called a smear campaign from a far-right group and recent criticism from other Black organizers, but told The Associated Press Thursday that didn’t influence her departure. She says she is leaving the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation to focus on other projects, including the upcoming release of her second book and a multi-year TV development deal with Warner Bros. Her departure follows a surge in support and political influence for the BLM movement, which was established eight years ago in response to injustice against Black Americans. In the last year the foundation raised over $90 million in donations.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Officials say that state horse-racing inspectors searching Parx Racing facilities in suburban Philadelphia discovered a “significant” amount of contraband. Their findings possibly include medications designed to boost a horse’s racing performance. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Tom Chuckas, the state’s director of thoroughbred horse racing, told the State Horse Racing Commission on Tuesday that some of what was found was unlabeled or expired medication. Chuckas says an investigation is underway. Joe Wilson, chief operating officer of Parx Racing, says three horses were scratched from races at Parx on Tuesday as a result of a trainer being suspended in connection to the search.

Pennsylvania — May 9, 2021 — Wreaths Across America (WAA) is proud to announce that its Mobile Education Exhibit (MEE), which has been traveling the country to honor our nations veterans, will make eleven tour stops in Pennsylvania. Starting on June 6, 2021, the WAA MEE will be in Pennsylvania for the first of multiple stops.

 

“The goal of the Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit is to bring community together and teach patriotism while remembering the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes,” said Karen Worcester, executive director, Wreaths Across America. “However, over the last year, in light of the current health crisis, we feel this exhibit has taken on even more meaning by providing the opportunity for people to safely participate in something that is both educational and inspiring, while supporting and giving back to the communities it visits.”

 

The MEE achieves this goal by bringing the local community, veterans, active-duty military and their families together through interactive exhibits, short films, and shared stories. The exhibit serves as a mobile museum, educating visitors about the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes as well as serving as an official ‘welcome home’ station for our nation’s Vietnam Veterans.

 

Stops in Pennsylvania will include:

 

WASHINGTON, PA – Sunday, June 6, 2021 – The Marine Corps League Washington County Detachment 1138 will host the WAA MEE for an open house to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military. The MEE will be located at Strabane Square, 335 Washington Road from 11am – 4:00pm.

 

ROARING SPRINGS, PA – Tuesday, June 8, 2021 – Smith Transportation will host the WAA MEE for a private event to celebrate their participation in Delivery wreaths for Wreaths Across America.

 

GLENVILLE, PA – Wednesday, June 9, 2021 – The Col Richard Mc Clalister Chapter, NS Daughters of the American Revolution will host the WAA MEE for a free open house for the public, to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military. The MEE will be located at 962 Lily Springs Rd. from 1pm – 8pm.

 

MECHANICSBURG, PA – Thursday, June 10, 2021 – The Cumberland Valley Corvette Club and Lawrence Chevrolet will host the WAA MEE for a car show, while honoring our nation’s veterans and active duty military at 6445 Carlisle Pike from 10:00am – 6:00pm.

 

EAST BERLIN, PA – Friday, June 11, 2021 – The East Berlin VFW will host the WAA MEE for a “Touch-A-Truck” event, in honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military. The MEE will be located at 107 Locust Street, from 12pm – 8pm.

 

GAP, PA – Saturday, June 12, 2021 – The Gap VFW located at 4988 Lincoln Hwy will host the WAA MEE for a WAA celebration day in the Pequea Valley from 10:00am – 1:00pm.

 

LEESPORT, PA – Sunday, June 13, 2021 – The Friends of WAA – IGNC will host the WAA MEE for a free public event to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at 983 James Dr. from 9am – 4pm.

 

OXFORD, PA – Monday, June 14, 2021 – The Southern Chester County, PA will host the WAA MEE for an open house to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at 2158 Baltimore Pike from 10am – 6pm.

 

MONTOURSVILLE, PA – Wednesday, June 16, 2021 – The Central PA Wreaths Across America will host the WAA MEE for an open house to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at the American Legion Post 104 located at 1312 Broad St. from 10am – 6:30pm.

 

MARIETTA, PA – Thursday, June 17, 2021 – Jagtrux Inc. is holding a free open house for the public to tour the WAA MEE in honor of our nation’s veterans and active duty military and to celebrate their participation in Wreaths Across America Day December 18^th, 2021 at 1435 river road from 9am – 4pm.

 

HARRISBURG, PA – Friday, June 18, 2021 – The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association is holding a free open house for the public to tour the WAA MEE in honor of our nation’s veterans and active duty military and to celebrate their participation in Wreaths Across America Day December 18^th, 2021 at 5045 Jonestown Rd from 10am – 5pm.

 

PLYMOUTH, PA – Saturday, June 19 – The Plymouth American Legion will host the WAA MEE for an open house to honor our nation’s Veterans and active duty military at the City Hall parking lot at 150 Wadham from 9am – 4pm

 

WILKES-BARRE, PA – Sunday, June 20, 2021 – The Wyoming Valley Chapter & PA DAR will host the WAA MEE for a free public event to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at the Lowe’s parking area located at 501 Arena Hub Plaza from 9am – 4pm.

 

BUTLER, PA – Monday, June 21, 2021 – The General Richard Butler Chapter NSDAR will host the WAA MEE in conjunction with their 130th anniversary celebration. for an open house to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at the American Legion Post 778, 150 Legion Memorial Lane from 9am – 4pm.

 

PITTSTON, PA – Tuesday, June 22, 2021 – RC Moore Inc. will host the WAA MEE for an open house to honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military at 301 Oak St. from 1pm – 4pm.

 

When the MEE pulls into your area, all veterans, active-duty military, their families, and the local community members are invited and encouraged to visit, take a tour and speak with WAA representatives and volunteers. They can also share more about the national nonprofit, and the work its volunteers do to support our heroes and their communities year-round.

 

The public tours for the MEE are free and open to the public with social distancing, sanitation and COVID-19 safety procedures in place to protect the health of all visitors in accordance with the CDCs recommendation for large gatherings stemming from concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the media, dignitaries, veterans and other interested groups are urged to come, ask questions, share stories and experience this one-of-a-kind exhibit.

 

To host the MEE in your community, whether it be for a parade, a school-related or veterans’ organization, or a public or private event, visit https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/mee to make a request.

 

Wreaths Across America is the non-profit organization best known for placing wreaths on veteran’s headstones at Arlington National Cemetery. However, in 2020, the organization placed more than 1.7 million sponsored veterans’ wreaths at 2,557 participating locations nationwide. Throughout the calendar year you can tune in to Wreaths Across America Internet Radio, 24/7, to learn more about the mission and those who support it across the country, as well as the hundreds of local charitable efforts nationwide that are funded through wreath sponsorships.

 

You can sponsor a veteran’s wreath anytime for $15 at www.wreathacrossamerica.org. Each sponsorship goes toward a live, balsam wreath that will be placed on the headstone of an American hero as we endeavor to honor all veterans laid to rest at noon on Saturday, December 18, 2021, as part of National Wreaths across America Day.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today joined Attorney General Josh Shapiro, members of the Women’s Health Caucus, and stakeholders to discuss the damaging effects of the general assembly’s proposed anti-abortion legislation and reaffirm a commitment to protecting reproductive rights in Narberth.

“Today, I am reaffirming my commitment to uphold Pennsylvanians’ right to make their own health decisions,” said Gov. Wolf. “Politics do not belong in a doctor’s office and there is absolutely no place for politicians to come between an individual and their doctor. It is despicable that members of the legislature are actively working to criminalize health care decisions that individuals and their doctors need the freedom to make on their own.”

This week, Pennsylvania’s General Assembly proposed anti-choice legislation, with Governor Wolf vowing to veto any anti-choice legislation that lands on his desk.

Rally speakers shared their perspective on the proposed legislation and reproductive rights:

“We’re seeing a continued, sustained assault on the fundamental right to reproductive health care across the country, and the latest attack has come right here in Pennsylvania,” said AG Shapiro. “Defending Pennsylvanians’ rights in court is nothing new to my office. Throughout the entire Trump era, we protected reproductive health care and the right to have a safe, legal abortion. And with enough of our voices speaking up and speaking out, these kinds of extreme, reckless bills will never become law.”

“I can tell you, from my multiple perspectives as an expert in this topic, that removing reproductive choice will create a slippery slope whereby the government dictates what we can and cannot do with our bodies,” said clinician and advocate Dr. Erica Goldblatt Hyatt. “Research consistently demonstrates that when choice in pregnancy is taken away—long-term psychological health suffers. Not the health of monsters, but of people who are often already parents, often valuable members of our community, doing the very best that they can.”

“I am thrilled that Governor Tom Wolf is here in my hometown, Narberth,” said Women’s Health Caucus co-chair Rep. Mary Jo Daley. “Governor Wolf is a strong advocate for women and their reproductive rights.  In Harrisburg, he has been the backstop on every single bill that would take these rights from women. “

“Access to abortion is part of the fundamental rights we, as humans, have to our own bodies,” said Sen. Amanda Cappelletti. “Those attacking this right are needlessly shaming people who can become pregnant and echoing the dangerous national trend of attacking a person’s right to bodily autonomy. Politicians need to leave these extremely private and personal decisions up to patients and their doctors. I will continue to fight against this rhetoric and any policy that hurts Pennsylvanians who can conceive.”

“It’s unacceptable that it’s 2021, and women remain under attack regarding their own personal health care and beyond,” said state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., who is co-chair of the Women’s Health Caucus and a member of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. “The anti-choice legislators in the Republican-controlled Generally Assembly cannot be allowed to run over women’s rights while refusing to tackle the issues women need us to address, like supporting mothers and their children after birth and decreasing the increasing rate of maternal mortality due to lack of access to health care and other resources. I will continue to fight for the right of women to make these deeply personal and private decisions with the help of their family and doctors and without government interference.”

Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf Administration today urged Pennsylvanians to take food safety precautions as they plan celebrations during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday and the summer season.

“With Memorial Day approaching and the summer event season kicking off, we must remember grilling and picnic food safety measures,” Department of Health Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “As the weather gets warmer, foodborne germs are more abundant, yielding food poisoning. It is important to keep perishable foods refrigerated and properly handle raw meats.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tips to keep food safe for the upcoming summer season. If you are preparing food in advance for Memorial Day, divide cooked foods into shallow containers and store them in the refrigerator or freezer to rapidly cool. After cooking or grilling raw meats, throw away marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat juices. Use a clean plate and utensils to remove cooked meats from the grill.

Refrigerating your food promptly will help prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying and making you sick. Always keep your refrigerator below 40 degrees and chill perishable foods within two hours. If the outdoor temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, refrigerate food within one hour. The safest way to thaw frozen food is in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Never thaw foods on the counter, because bacteria can grow quickly in foods that are left at room temperature.

If you are going to community events or festivals, bring hand sanitizer and disposable wipes to clean your hands. Be sure to only order food from vendors that have licenses to sell food, are wearing gloves and using appropriate utensils when serving food.

“Preparing, storing and serving food safely can keep a celebration from turning into an emergency,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “As we gather around the table together again, enjoy the bounty of food Pennsylvania has to offer, and eat safely.”

Learn more about food safety in Pennsylvania restaurants, grocers and on the farm at agriculture.pa.gov or download the EatSafePA app from your Apple or android app store.

If you have a food-related illness, your doctor or the laboratory that did the testing will report it to the department. You can also call 1-877-PA-HEALTH to speak with a public health nurse.

Additional information on foodborne diseases can be found on the Department of Health’s website at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.