Governor Puts House on Timetable to Pass Minimum Wage Bill

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf is putting the state House of Representatives on a timeline to pass legislation to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage. The Democratic governor’s office said Friday that the Republican-controlled chamber has until the end of the month. Otherwise, Wolf’s office says he’ll let a rule-making board vote on a regulatory measure to extend overtime pay eligibility to tens of thousands of workers. The Republican-controlled Senate last month approved the legislation raising Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $9.50 an hour in 2022. The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry agreed to support a minimum wage increase if Wolf relented on his overtime rule.

Coraopolis Drinking Water Contaminated

State test results show that the drinking water in Coraopolis is contaminated. Testing shows that Coraopolis has some of the highest levels of PFAS contamination of drinking water in the state, but it does not exceed the federal advisory level. PFAS contamination has previously been found at two military bases near Pittsburgh International and Corapolis. So far the Coraopolis Water and Sewer Authority has issued any comment about the state’s test results.

Suspect Arrested in Aliquippa Murder; Press Conference to be Held Today

State police will hold a press conference later this morning to announce new details in the arrest of a suspect in an Aliquippa murder over the weekend.
Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano has more. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

Saudi gunman tweeted against US before naval base shooting in Pensacola

Saudi gunman tweeted against US before naval base shooting
By BRENDAN FARRINGTON and MIKE BALSAMO Associated Press
The FBI is confirming it is operating on the assumption that the deadly attack at the Pensacola, Florida, naval base by a Saudi flight student was an act of terrorism, while a US official says the gunman had apparently gone on Twitter shortly before the shooting to blast US support of Israel and accuse America of being anti-Muslim. Investigators are working to establish whether the killer, identified as 2nd Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani, 21, of the Royal Saudi Air Force, acted alone. Alshamrani fatally shot three people in a classroom building Friday before he was killed by a sheriff’s deputy. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Sunday for heightened security vetting of foreign nationals bound for training on US bases.

GOP Rep. Pitches LGBTQ Rights Bill with Religious Exemptions

UNDATED (AP) —  A new bill from Utah Republican Rep. Chris Stewart seeks to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination while also carving out protections for religious organizations. The bill, introduced Friday morning, would shield LGBTQ individuals from discrimination in employment, housing, education and other public services. It also creates exemptions for religious organizations to act based on beliefs that may exclude those of different sexual orientations or gender identities. The bill comes amid a debate about balancing LGBTQ rights with religious freedom. Democrats in the House and running for president support a more expansive anti-discrimination bill while Republicans warn about a risk to religious freedom.

Commuted Prison Lifer Faces Arrest When He’s Released

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A man whose life sentence in prison was just commuted by Gov. Tom Wolf may be facing arrest. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman said Friday that the Delaware County district attorney’s office notified the state prison system that it plans to detain 54-year-old David Sheppard when he’s released. Fetterman’s calling it prosecutorial abuse of power. Sheppard’s life sentence was commuted Thursday by Wolf, but he’ll still have to spend a year in a halfway house. Sheppard has an outstanding warrant on a 1992 shoplifting charge in Delaware County. Sheppard was sentenced to life in prison for his role in a deadly pharmacy robbery in Philadelphia in 1992 .

Sanders Announces $150B Plan to Expand Broadband Access

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bernie Sanders is promising to invest $150 billion to bring high-speed internet to “every household in America” while breaking up and better regulating monopolies he says currently limit access to drive up their profits. The Vermont senator and Democratic presidential candidate unveiled a plan Friday to provide that funding in infrastructure grants and technical assistance to states and municipalities through climate initiatives from the Green New Deal. He also says he’d require all internet service providers to offer a “Basic Internet Plan” providing “quality broadband speeds at an affordable price.”

Once-A-Month Birth Control? Experiment Works in Animals

Birth control pills work great if women remember to take them every day…but missing doses can mean a surprise pregnancy. Now scientists have figured out how to pack a month’s supply into one capsule. The trick: a tiny star-shaped gadget that unfolds in the stomach and gradually releases the drug. The experimental capsule is still years away from drug-stores…but researchers are now reporting that it works as designed in a key test in animals. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is investing 13-million dollars for further development of the once-a-month pill, in hopes of eventually improving family planning options in developing countries.