HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans in the Pennsylvania Legislature are extending their inquiry into the state’s 2020 presidential election inspired by former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud. The contract is to last another six months, through Nov. 18, under an extension signed last week. The original no-bid contract, including an addendum, was worth $485,115 and expired last week. The extension has no dollar figure attached to it. Senate Republican officials say the contractor hasn’t billed for the contract’s full value while Republicans fight in court to get access to voting machines and certain information about voters and voting systems. Republicans have yet to report any findings.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A cabinet secretary who helped shepherd Pennsylvania’s entry into a regional carbon pricing program to combat climate change is leaving the administration of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. The governor said Monday that Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell will be replaced in July by Ramez Ziadeh. McDonnell was deeply involved in the state’s entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The program imposes a cost for emitting planet-warming carbon dioxide from fossil fuel-fired power plants. McDonnell started at the agency in 1998 and has been secretary since 2016. Ziadeh has been a deputy secretary at the agency after starting there in

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — An autopsy report shows that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins was legally drunk when he was fatally struck by a dump truck on a Florida highway last month. The Broward County Medical Examiner said in its report released Monday that Haskins’ blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal level for driving when he was struck April 9. Painkillers Ketamine and norketamine were also found in his system. The 24-year-old former Ohio State star had run out of gas on Interstate 595 near Fort Lauderdale about dawn. He told a companion he was going to find a gas station. The dump truck driver told investigators Haskins stepped in front of him as he traveled in the center lane.

(Beaver, PA) The Veterans Memorial located at Clark Park in Beaver was vandalized sometime Sunday. Beaver Police are investigating and there is a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest.  The memorial honors those that served in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and the Civil War.

TOKYO (AP) — President Joe Biden has launched a new trade deal with 12 Indo-Pacific nations aimed at strengthening their economies as he warns Americans worried about high inflation that it is “going to be a haul” before they feel relief. The president says he does not believe an economic recession is inevitable in the U.S. Biden spoke at a news conference in Toyko after holding talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He acknowledged the U.S. economy has “problems” but said they were “less consequential than the rest of the world has.” He added: “This is going to be a haul. This is going to take some time.”

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for “maximum” sanctions against Russia during a virtual speech at the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland. He said Monday that sanctions need to go further to stop Russia’s aggression, including an oil embargo, blocking all of its banks and cutting off trade with Russia completely. Zelenskyy also says Ukraine needs at least $5 billion per month. He said tens of thousands of lives could have been saved if Ukraine had “received 100% of our needs at once, back in February” in terms of weapons, funding, political support and sanctions against Russia.

(Ambridge, PA)  Ambridge Borough Police released information on a drug bust that occurred Friday via their Facebook page.  The department received a call Friday regarding an unwanted subject in an apartment and through further investigation it was found that the subject had warrants.  Police observed firearms in plain view and proceeded to secure the apartment and obtain a search warrant.  With the assistance of K9 Ryker, police found large amounts of drugs, guns, and currency.  Drugs seized include 948 grams of fentanyl, 825 grams of cocaine, 347 grams of heroin, and 63 grams of marijuana.  An AR-15, AK-47, Mac-10, two 9mm pistols, over 19,000 empty stamp bags, and $22,850 were also seized.  A male and female were taken into custody and placed in the Beaver County Jail.

(Slippery Rock Twp.)  State Police in New Castle are reporting an accident that involved an unknown vehicle in Slippery Rock Township. The vehicle struck and destroyed a mailbox in the area of 4132 Ellwood Road(PA-65) and fled the scene. The suspected vehicle is a 2010-2017 GMC Terrain SUV of an unknown color. Anyone with information on this hit and run incident is asked to call 724-591-2211.