WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers heard testimony Thursday from the former special U.S. envoy to Ukraine who has become a central figure in the unfolding impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Kurt Volker, a once obscure diplomat, became the first witness in the impeachment investigation as he testified behind closed doors. Investigators planned to ask about any role he may have played in Trump’s efforts to press Ukrainian officials for damaging information about the son of former Vice President Joe Biden.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives will resume opening sessions with faith-based prayers, more than a month after a federal appeals court said the practice comports with the U.S. Constitution. Republican Speaker Mike Turzai of Allegheny County announced those plans today, after a federal district court judge ended an injunction. The appeals court ruled a prohibition against atheists and other nonbelievers giving the invocation didn’t violate the Constitution’s Establishment Clause.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Another alligator has turned up in Pittsburgh, the seventh this year. George DeSavage tells WTAE-TV he and his girlfriend spotted it along the Allegheny River as the sun was setting on Tuesday. Police took it to Humane Animal Rescue, which named the gator Gus. The shelter believes the reptile was a pet. It’s not illegal to own an alligator in Pennsylvania.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Ukraine controversy is the “canary in the coal mine” of what President Donald Trump and his allies have been up to. Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, during an appearance on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” also stressed how important the 2020 elections were in order to properly deal with the “constitutional crisis.”

President Donald Trump on Wednesday angrily denied a New York Times article that said he privately discussed fortifying barriers along the Mexican border with a reptile-filled moat to deter illegal border crossings. Trump posted on Twitter – quote – “Now the press is trying to sell the fact that I wanted a Moat stuffed with alligators and snakes, with an electrified fence and sharp spikes on top, at our Southern Border. I may be tough on Border Security, but not that tough. The press has gone Crazy. Fake News!”

New Hampshire Fish and Game biologists and local conservation officers helped coax a moose out of a swimming pool Tuesday night in Bedford. Officials said the young bull moose accidentally found its way into the pool and was unable to get out after several hours, in part because the pool had no stairs. Officials say crews at the scene placed a set of wooden steps into the pool and slowly coaxed the moose toward the stairs until he was able to climb up and out. Video released by officials showed the moose scampering off into the woods. Officials shared the video on social media as a reminder that the moose breeding season is beginning to ramp up, as bulls like the one that got stuck in the pool are searching around the state for a mate.

Sheetz is giving its employees a raise. The company is investing nearly $17 million to raise wages for workers in its convenience stores. The workers will also get medical insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, tuition reimbursement and paid time off. Sheetz is also hiring as there are nearly 1,500 open positions in Pennsylvania.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal judge in Philadelphia has ruled that a supervised injection site designed to thwart drug overdoses would not violate federal drug laws. The ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Gerald McHugh Jr. could clear the way for Philadelphia to open what would be the nation’s first legally sanctioned site where people could inject drugs and have medical help nearby if they overdose. Seattle, New York and San Francisco are also considering supervised injection sites.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration says it’ll start working to bring Pennsylvania into a regional consortium that sets a price and caps on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Administration officials said Wolf will make the formal announcement Thursday that he’s ordering a start to the process of joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a consortium of northeastern and mid-Atlantic states.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — No charges have been filed in connection with a fight at a Pittsburgh motel that left three people injured. Allegheny County police said Wednesday that prosecutors have recommended not filing charges “at this time.” Officers responded to Valley Motel in Pittsburgh on Tuesday where they found four people at the scene, three of whom had been injured.