HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — State lawmakers are voting to end a Pennsylvania cash benefits welfare program, a year after it was revived following a court decision. The Republican-controlled House voted 106 to 95 Wednesday to eliminate the $54 million in payments, bundled in the bill with a subsidy for Philadelphia hospitals. Supporters say the money is a lifeline for the vulnerable, while those trying to eliminate it say the program lacks accountability.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania voters will decide whether to enumerate victims’ rights in the state constitution, a proposal likely to appear on the November ballot. The state Senate on Wednesday unanimously gave the final approval to put the state’s version of Marsy’s Law on the ballot as a constitutional amendment referendum. The proposed amendment would give victims the right to be notified about, attend and weigh in during plea hearings, sentencings and parole proceedings.

A Beaver County man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of bank robbery. 34 year old Patrick Acierno pleaded guilty to four counts before Senior United States District Judge Donetta W Ambrose. The robberies occurred last year. One was at a PNC bank in Cranberry, the other was WesBanco Bank in Monaca. Sentencing is set for October of this year.

A New Brighton woman was injured following a one vehicle accident in Perry Township. According to State Police, 75 year old Joan Lambert was westbound on Portersville Road when she lost control, crossed over the centerline and struck an embankment. Police said Lambert did not go to the hospital, despite being hurt.

TRAFFIC ALERT:

PennDOT District 11 is announcing highway sign and lightning maintenance work on various Beaver County roadways is underway. Slow moving operations including lane and shoulder restrictions will occur weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following roadways:

• Route 65 in both directions from the Freedom Bypass to Route 68 (3^rd Street) in Beaver
• Rochester-Bridgewater Bridge
• Monaca-Rochester Bridge
• Beaver Falls-New Brighton Bridge (Route 18)
• Rochester-Beaver Bridge (Route 51)
• I-376 (Beaver Valley Expressway) from the Vanport Interchange (Exit 38A & 38B) to Allegheny County in both directions

Crews from Bronder Technical Services, Inc. will be conducting this work through mid-July weather permitting.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 950 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

ROUTE 158 IN MIDLAND REMAINS CLOSED, AS WE HEAR IN THIS UPDATED REPORT FROM BEAVER COUNTY RADIO NEWS CORRESPONDENT SANDY GIORDANO. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

The chance for severe weather continues today across Western P-A. Several rounds of showers and storms are expected with some bringing heavy rain and high winds, according to forecasters. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for Beaver County until 8pm. Drier, less humid conditions move in late tonight into the weekend.

TODAY – THUNDERSTORMS. STORMS MAY CONTAIN
STRONG GUSTY WINDS. HIGH – 76.

TONIGHT – A THUNDESTORM POSSIBLE THIS EVENING.
THEN SOME LINGERING SHOWERS STILL
POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. LOW – 61.

FRIDAY – PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH – 73.

SATURDAY – SUNSHINE AND CLOUDS MIXED. HIGH – 76.

SUNDAY – PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. A STRAY SHOWER OR
THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE. HIGH – 82.

 

Prosecutors: Syrian man planned ISIS-fueled church bombing
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Syrian refugee who came to the U.S. three years ago plotted to bomb a church this spring to inspire followers of the Islamic State of Iraq, federal authorities said in announcing the man’s arrest Wednesday.
A criminal complaint alleges Mustafa Mousab Alowemer planned to bomb an unidentified church on Pittsburgh’s north side, and purchased materials he thought were necessary to build a bomb. He also allegedly provided plans and a map to an undercover FBI agent he thought was a fellow Islamic State supporter.
“Targeting places of worship is beyond the pale, no matter what the motivation,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers said in a statement. “The defendant is alleged to have plotted just such an attack of a church in Pittsburgh in the name of ISIS.
The 21-year-old Alowemer, a Pittsburgh resident, is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and two counts of distributing information relating to an explosive device or weapon of mass destruction.
Alowemer was born in Daraa, Syria and came to the U.S. as a refugee in 2016, according to the FBI. The federal court docket didn’t list an attorney for Alowemer and the Department of Justice didn’t return a message seeking whether he had an attorney who could comment on the charges announced Wednesday.
According to the criminal complaint, Alowemer met several times between April and June with the undercover FBI agent and an FBI source. During one of the meetings, Alowemer allegedly provided plot details, bomb materials he’d purchased and printed copies of Google satellite maps with markings showing the location of the church plus arrival and escape routes.
Alowemer planned to carry out the bombing next month by delivering the explosives in a backpack, according to the complaint.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday ruled out censuring President Donald Trump if the House doesn’t impeach him, downplaying a less drastic censure as “a day at the beach” for the president.

Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor that censure would be “just a way out” of House Democrats’ efforts to see if Trump has committed impeachable offenses.

“If you’re going to go, you ought to go. In other words, if the goods are there, you must impeach,” she said.

Pelosi spoke as she tries restraining House Democrats from jumping quickly into a pre-election effort to impeach Trump. Several dozen of the 235 House Democrats have said they favor launching an impeachment inquiry.

Pelosi has said she wants the numerous committees investigating Trump to gather more evidence, including on whether he obstructed special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Pelosi said some House Democrats have suggested simply censuring Trump. A censure would rebuke him, but is far less serious than the House voting to impeach, or essentially indict Trump. Unlike impeachment, censure would not automatically trigger a Senate trial on whether to remove Trump from office.

“That’s a day at the beach for the president, or at his golf club or wherever he goes,” she said of censure.

Pelosi also said a less redacted version of Mueller’s report on his investigation would be made available this week to more lawmakers, rather than just restricting its viewing to congressional leaders.

She said while she initially wanted the entire public to be allowed to see any less redacted report, she’d changed her mind.

“I accepted that because I’m afraid. I really don’t trust the attorney general of the United States,” she said. “And I’m afraid that he may, depending on what is in there, try to deal with ongoing matters in a way that is not constructive for our Constitution. I can’t say anything more than that.”

The House Judiciary Committee has struck a deal with the Justice Department to receive some underlying materials from Mueller’s report. Panel Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., has called these some of Mueller’s “most important files” and said all committee members will be able to view them. That includes redacted portions of the report pertaining to obstruction of justice.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks has arrived for a closed-door interview with members of the House Judiciary Committee. The interview is part of the panel’s investigation of President Donald Trump and obstruction of justice.