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Governor’s power-plant carbon plan nears finish

HARRISBURG (AP) — The centerpiece of Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to fight climate change took another step Tuesday toward the final regulatory threshold to impose a price on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants in Pennsylvania. The Environmental Quality Board, composed primarily of Wolf appointees, approved the plan 15-4 to send it on to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, which could take it up this fall. Wolf, a Democrat, wants to the plan to take effect next year as part of a multi-state consortium, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which sets ...

Cosby DA: Chief judge’s TV interview ‘fuels’ misinformation

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The lead prosecutor in Bill Cosby’s sex assault case believes the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overstepped its power in reversing the comedian’s conviction and added “fuel on the fire” when the chief justice gave a weekend television interview — and appeared to misstate the key issue in the appeal. Chief Justice Max Baer accused prosecutors of a “reprehensible bait and switch” in arresting Cosby in 2015 despite what he called the certain existence of a 2005 non-prosecution agreement. “There was no controversy whatsoever that the deal was made. It ...

Pa. says it counted 500K duplicate shots

HARRISBURG (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Department of Health has reduced the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses that had been administered by about 500,000, saying the numbers were duplicates. The figures, released Friday evening without explanation, also showed an increase of about 60,000 in the number of people who are counted as fully vaccinated. The numbers include 66 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. They do not include Philadelphia, which is its own vaccine jurisdiction. For all 67 counties, the percentage of people 18 and over who are vaccinated was 61%, up slightly with the ...

Biden to make speech on voting rights in Pa.

HARRISBURG (AP) — President Joe Biden will speak in Philadelphia on Tuesday to discuss voting rights, the White House announced — a visit that comes as fights over the 2020 presidential election and election laws roil state and U.S. capitols. The White House’s announcement Friday gave little detail, saying only that Biden’s remarks will be on “actions to protect the sacred, constitutional right to vote.” Pennsylvania is one of the battleground states buffeted by former President Donald Trump’s baseless conspiracy theories that attribute his loss to Biden in last ...

Gov. Wolf slams election audit plan

HARRISBURG (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday said it is a “disgrace to democracy” that a Republican state lawmaker is trying to launch what he calls a “forensic investigation” of Pennsylvania’s 2020 presidential election, similar to what is happening in Arizona. Wolf, a Democrat, said on Twitter that the “sham election audit” being attempted by Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano is also a “profound waste of time and taxpayer money,” in addition to being a disgrace. Meanwhile on Thursday, Wolf’s administration issued a directive to counties, warning that they ...

Trump ally launches Pa. election audit plan

HARRISBURG (AP) — A Pennsylvania state lawmaker and ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump is launching a “forensic investigation” of the state’s 2020 presidential election, demanding cooperation from counties and mimicking a widely criticized partisan effort in Arizona. Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, issued letters to three counties Wednesday, giving officials there a sweeping information request, with the threat of subpoenas for holdouts who do not respond affirmatively by July’s end. The effort is facing strident opposition from Democrats, and any ...