HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s top election official says the margin between the top two candidates in last week’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate is tight enough to trigger a recount. The state’s acting secretary of state, Leigh Chapman, said the vote totals for celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz and former hedge fund CEO David McCormick fall within the recount margin in state law. Oz, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, led McCormick by 902 votes out of more than 1.3 million ballots counted as of Wednesday. The separation between the candidates is well within the the recount law’s 0.5% margin. A recount could take until June 8.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — An effort by Democratic lawmakers in Pennsylvania to ban owning, selling or making high-capacity, semi-automatic firearms isn’t going to be taken up by state lawmakers. Pennsylvania House Republicans on Wednesday again displayed their firm opposition to gun restriction proposals. The House voted 111 to 87 against the effort to take up the bill. Republican floor leader Kerry Benninghoff argued it should have to go through a committee first. The bill has spent more than a year in the Judiciary Committee, where the Republican chairman has bottled up most proposals to regulate or restrict firearms. Just one Republican and one Democrat crossed party lines in the vote against considering the bill.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published May 26, 2022 7:58 A.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) The city planning commission approved a recommendation by the city planning commission for the proposed tin mill site submitted by Betters Real Estate Holdings, L.P. for their property on Woodlawn Road.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published May 26, 2022 7:55 A.M. 

(Aliquippa, PA)  ALIQUIPPA POLICE CHIEF JOHN LANE ASKED COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE PROMOTION OF OFFICER JOSH GONZALEZ TO SERGEANT. GONZALEZ WAS HIRED BY COUNCIL  AUGUST 2, 2018.  GONZALEZ, WAS PROMOTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE CITY’S WORK SESSION.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

At the commissioners’ work session on Wednesday, the board was notified of several resolutions to be voted on at the May 26 public meeting. Of the 29 total resolutions to be voted on, three of them are updates to human resources policies.

One of those policy updates involves the salary rates for those on parental leave. Solicitor Garen Fedeles spoke about the details: “Any parent who goes on parental leave–this is for the birth or adoption of a child–the county would pay that employee 80% of their salary for the first 20 days, and 50% of their salary for an additional 20 days.”

Fedeles specified that this applies to both mothers and fathers who are full-time employees of the county, although there is a policy for part-time employees as well. The resolutions will be voted on at the public meeting at 10:00 AM on Thursday morning.

Commissioner Chairman Dan Camp participated in the work session by phone feed for undisclosed reasons. The next work session is scheduled for June 1 at 10:00 AM.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive recall is getting most of the blame for the U.S. baby formula shortage, but experts say the products have long been vulnerable to this type of crisis. They point to decades-old policies that have allowed a handful of companies to corner the market. Safety and manufacturing rules imposed by U.S. regulators make it hard for smaller companies to enter the market. And federal contracting rules also favor the largest manufacturers who can offer the lowest prices on formula. Those government rules are aimed at assuring safe, affordable formula. But they are now getting renewed scrutiny because of the shortage.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order on policing Wednesday, the second anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Most of the order is focused on federal law enforcement agencies — for example, requiring them to review and revise policies on use of force. It would also create a database to help track officer misconduct. The administration cannot require local police departments to participate in the database, which is intended to prevent problem officers from hopping from job to job. But officials are looking for ways to use federal funding to encourage their cooperation. The order would also restrict the flow of surplus military equipment to local police.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia must pull back to its pre-war positions as a first step before diplomatic talks. The negotiating line is one that Moscow is unlikely to agree to anytime soon. Zelenskyy was speaking by video to attendees on Wednesday at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Zelenskyy said he currently sees no willingness on the part of Russia to resume earnest negotiations on ending the three-months war. A regional governor in eastern Ukraine said Wednesday that at least six civilians have been killed by the latest Russian shelling in a town at the epicenter of fighting. Luhansk region’s governor accused the Russian troops of deliberately targeting shelters where civilians were hiding.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks shook off some early weakness and turned tentatively higher Wednesday, led by gains in store operators and other retailers. That sector has been beaten down in recent days over concerns that soaring inflation was eating into their profits. Some of those concerns dissipated after the high-end department store operator Nordstrom reported higher sales and raised its profit forecast. The S&P 500 rose 0.7%. A modest turn higher in the volatile technology sector helped push the Nasdaq up 1%, erasing its loss for the week. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which helps set mortgage rates, fell slightly, to 2.74%.