St. Louis couple charged for pulling, waving guns at protest
By JIM SALTER Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis’ top prosecutor has charged a husband and wife with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion. Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced the charges Monday against Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who are white. Both are personal injury attorneys and in their 60s. The McCloskeys’ actions during the June 28 protest drew praise from some who said they were legally defending their $1.15 million home, but scorn from others who said they risked bloodshed. Several hundred protesters were marching to the mayor’s home, just a few blocks away.

• Require all customers to wear masks while entering, exiting or otherwise traveling throughout the restaurant or retail food service business (face masks may be removed while seated). Further, employees are required to wear masks at all times.
• Provide at least six feet between parties at tables or physical barriers between customers where booths are arranged back to back.
• Ensure maximum occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor areas are posted and enforced.

AAA: Pump Prices Dip in Pennsylvania; Demand Steadies Nationwide
The average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is two cents cheaper this week at $2.458 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

On the week, North Carolina (-3 cents), West Virginia (-2 cents), and Maine (+2 cents) saw the largest swings at the pump in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states. All other regional state averages increased or decreased by a penny, while others saw no change at all. Gas prices in the region range from $2.00 in Virginia to $2.43 in Pennsylvania.

Stock levels declined for a third week, this time by 1.3 million barrels. At 71 million barrels, total stocks are at their lowest point since May. However, levels are at an 11.5 million barrel year-over-year surplus, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Regional refinery rates have averaged about 50% since early May, which is helping to keep stock levels at very healthy levels and yielding minimal gas price fluctuation.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                  $2.458
Average price during the week of July 13, 2020                                        $2.473
Average price during the week of July 22, 2019                                        $2.975

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:      

$2.493      Altoona
$2.434      Beaver
$2.498      Bradford
$2.482      Brookville
$2.446      Butler
$2.470      Clarion
$2.476      DuBois
$2.486      Erie
$2.402      Greensburg
$2.499      Indiana
$2.439      Jeannette
$2.445      Kittanning
$2.441      Latrobe
$2.490      Meadville
$2.508      Mercer
$2.372      New Castle
$2.460      New Kensington
$2.497      Oil City
$2.446      Pittsburgh
$2.485      Sharon
$2.423      Uniontown
$2.499      Warren
$2.344      Washington

On the National Front
The national gas price average held steady on the week at $2.19 as one-third of states saw gas prices decrease and only 10 states saw gas prices increase by two to four cents. State averages saw minimal fluctuation as demand roughly held steady over the last four weeks.

At 8.6 million b/d, the EIA measures demand at a 1% decrease week-over-week, 9% increase month-over-month and a 6% decrease year-over-year. Meanwhile, gasoline stocks measure at a 1% weekly decline, a 3% decrease month-over-month, but a 7% increase compared to last year.

At the end of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by 16 cents to settle at $40.59 per barrel. Domestic crude prices fell after the EIA’s weekly report revealed that total domestic crude inventories decreased by 7.5 million barrels to 531.7 million barrels. Decreasing crude stocks could mean that crude production is beginning to meet demand, which could help stabilize crude prices this week.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 78 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.  News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Benninghoff Urges Wolf to Sign Grove Transparency Bill

 HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) Monday urged Gov. Tom Wolf to sign House Bill 2463, legislation that passed the General Assembly unanimously to require state agencies to respond to Right-to-Know Law requests during a disaster declaration. Last week, despite the unanimous passage by the General Assembly, Gov. Wolf said he would veto the legislation.

In response, Benninghoff made the following statement:

“Gov. Wolf should do the right thing and sign House Bill 2463, a critical transparency bill that won unanimous support in both chambers of the General Assembly.

“Throughout this pandemic, government overreach, secrecy and lack of transparency has been perpetuated at an alarming rate. There is no justification for denying access to public records.

“Over the years, the General Assembly has successfully updated our transparency laws to make them some of the best in the country and, right now, Pennsylvanians need transparency to be restored to their government. This administration needs to be held accountable to the people of Pennsylvania.”

This bill was prime sponsored by Rep. Seth Grove (R-Dover), who held a virtual press conference about this legislation this morning.

Following the press conference, Rep. Grove released a statement, which said in part:
“Favoring transparency is more than words. It means providing the public with a view of not just what is happening, but why. That is what makes the governor’s threat to veto this emergency RTK legislation so concerning,” Grove said. “State government has successfully demonstrated its portability during the COVID-19 pandemic as many aspects of it smoothly transitioned when asked to work from a remote location. With today’s technology, RTK requests can be asked and answered quickly and flawlessly without exposing confidential information.”

With tears, Congress honors Lewis, ‘conscience of the House’
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has honored the late Georgia Rep. John Lewis with a moment of silence. The civil rights leader died Friday after a battle of several months against advanced pancreatic cancer. He was beloved by members of both parties, and some grew emotional as the House reconvened Monday. Speaker Nancy Pelosi choked up during a TV interview as she recalled Lewis and their last conversation the day before he died. Pelosi said Lewis “always worked on the side of the angels and now he is with them.” When she gaveled the House to order, Pelosi called on everyone to rise “in a moment of silence in remembrance of the conscience of the Congress.”

Man found dead may be linked to shooting at NJ judge’s house
By MARYCLAIRE DALE and MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press
Judiciary officials say a gunman posing as a delivery person shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a federal judge and wounded her husband at their New Jersey home before fleeing. Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson told The Associated Press the shooting at the North Brunswick home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, killed her son, Daniel. Wolfson says the judge’s husband, defense lawyer Mark Anderl, was injured. Investigators are examining a possible connection between the shooting and the body of a man found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Sullivan County, New York, a law enforcement official said. The man is being investigated in connection with the shooting, a law enforcement official and a judiciary official told The Associated Press.

Federal agents asked to leave as Portland protests continue
By GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The federal government is coming under scrutiny for the activities of agents trying to clamp down on protests in Oregon’s largest city. President Donald Trump says the demonstrations in Portland are led by “anarchists and agitators.” Protesters outside Portland’s U.S. courthouse set a fire in the building’s entryway Monday. Officials say it was part of another night of conflict with federal agents who repeatedly tear-gassed the demonstrators to drive them away. The latest unrest happened as local and state leaders expressed anger with the presence of the federal agents. Protesters have been on Portland’s streets since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis nearly two months ago.

Engine maker Briggs & Stratton files for Ch. 11 bankruptcy
WAUWATOSA, Wis. (AP) — Briggs & Stratton Corp., billed as the world’s largest manufacturer of small gas engines, has filed for bankruptcy protection citing challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Milwaukee-area company says Monday that as part of the Chapter 11 filing it has secured secured debtor-in-possession financing of $677.5 million from KPS Capital Partners LP, the private equity firm purchasing its assets, and its existing lenders. It says that will allow it to continue operating ahead of closing the deal. The company was founded in Milwaukee in 1908 by Stephen Foster Briggs and Harold M. Stratton. Its engines are used in lawnmowers, pressure washers, electrical generators and other products.