House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump’s swipe at the late Rep. John Dingell during a raucous impeachment-day rally in Michigan was cruel. Pelosi said what Trump “misunderstands is that cruelty is not wit.” She spoke at Thursday’s news conference a day after Trump mentioned the late congressman at the rally and suggested Dingell might be in hell. During the rally last night, Trump said that Debbie Dingell had thanked him for providing “A-Plus treatment” after her husband’s death in February. He added that maybe the deceased congressman was “looking up,” rather than down, from beyond the grave. His comment about the late Democrat drew a swift rebuke from his widow, who has succeeded her husband in the House, saying the president’s remarks were “hurtful”.  The White House says Trump was “”just riffing.”

(AP)   In the wake of President Donald Trump’s impeachment comes the last Democratic presidential debate of the year. Thursday’s debate in Los Angeles will feature the fewest number of candidates so far, just seven, a result of the Democratic Party’s stricter rules for qualifying. California offers the largest haul of delegates, giving candidates their biggest host venue of the campaign. Yet with impeachment leading the news and the holidays at hand, the debate isn’t expected to draw that much attention from voters. The debate begins at 8 p.m. Eastern on PBS and CNN. Two candidates who didn’t make the debate stage are running ads reminding viewers they’re still in the race.

(AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin says U.S. President Donald Trump was impeached for “far-fetched” reasons and predicted he will be acquitted by the Senate. At his end-of-year news conference in Moscow, Putin deflected Western criticism, saying that he sees his mission in protecting Russia’s national interests and pays little attention to negative comments. Putin also focused on domestic issues like Russia’s ailing health care system and federal subsidies for the regions. Putin this month marks two decades in power, and he hailed his economic achievements. He says Russia has become the world’s largest grain exporter, surpassing the U.S. and Canada.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has voted to advance a $1.4 trillion government spending package in a last, bipartisan burst of legislating before the holidays. The legislation gives President Donald Trump a victory on his U.S.-Mexico border fence and gives Democrats long-sought domestic spending increases and a repeal of Obama-era taxes on high-cost health insurance plans. Thursday’s 72-21 procedural vote foreshadows passage of the two-bill package later Thursday. The compromise bill would forestall a government shutdown this weekend, and Trump is expected to sign it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — One day after impeaching President Donald Trump, the Democratic-led House is expected to overwhelmingly pass one of his signature priorities. The House began debate Thursday on a bill implementing terms of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her colleagues won key concessions from an administration anxious to pass the trade deal before next year’s election season makes that task more difficult. The agreement is projected to have only a modest impact on the economy. But it gives lawmakers from both parties the chance to support an agreement that is attractive to farmers, ranchers and business owners.

UNDATED (AP) — The Senate has passed a bill that cracks down on robocalls, a persistent and costly problem for Americans. It goes to President Donald Trump for his signature. The bill requires phone companies to offer free call-blocking apps and verify that the number calling you is real. That’s an issue since fraudsters fake numbers to look as though they’re coming from the IRS or others to trick you. The bill also strengthens enforcement tools against robocallers. It’s one of several measures that federal and state government and the telecom industry are taking to protect Americans from scam calls.

The mayor of Salem, Massachusetts is calling the president out for a remark he made in a recent letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Mayor Kim Driscoll says President Trump needs to “learn some history” after he claimed those accused in the city’s infamous 17th century witch trials received more due process than he has as he faced impeachment.

On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Quality Board approved a draft rule to control methane emissions from existing oil and gas facilities. Andrea Sears reports…

The Pennsylvania department of health is reminding residents to wash their hands often this flu season. Beaver County radio news intern Alex D’Itri has more…

Pittsburgh has been ranked among the best cities in the country to celebrate Christmas. WalletHub looked at traditions, shopping, generosity, costs and other factors when determining the 100 best cities for a festive and affordable Christmas. Pittsburgh came in at No. 4 on the list. The top three spots went to Atlanta, Orlando and New York.