Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh: Peduto defends position regarding refugees
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and 17 others around the country signed a letter to President Barack Obama last month offering to allow more Syrian refugees into the country. Peduto faced criticism from residents regarding social and economic issues, but he told 90.5 WESA’s Essential Pittsburgh that he stands by the decision.
Pittsburgh: Animal Friends expands its services
Animal Friends began construction on a new two-story animal wellness center in an effort to end pet overpopulation. The Howard Ash Animal Wellness Center will allow Animal Friends to expand their services by increasing spay-and-neuter procedures and vaccinations, and doubling the amount of food donations.
Harrisburg: Is gambling the answer?
Republican lawmakers in the state are resisting tax increases to help close the budget deficit, and instead are considering gambling expansion as a source for cash. This announcement comes during a partial shutdown of the state government due to the Republican-controlled Legislature resisting Gov. Tom Wolf’s request for a multibillion-dollar tax increase.
Bucks County: New DNA database
Police usually wait between nine and 18 months for results from a state DNA database, but police departments in Bucks County have created a county-wide database that yields results within 30 days.
Statewide: Juvenile lifers may receive resentencing
Pennsylvania has the most juvenile lifers still behind bars, and these 500 people await a decision today from the U.S. Supreme Court on the potential of receiving new sentences. Justices will hear arguments connected to their 2012 decision in Miller V. Alabama, which banned mandatory life imprisonment for juveniles.
National
American reporter convicted in Iran
The Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian was convicted by an Iranian court for charges that include espionage, according to a spokesman for the Iranian Judiciary. The newspaper said that the charges are an “outrageous injustice” and will immediately be appealed. Rezaian was detained by Iranian government in 2014 and has been held in Iran for more than a year.
Wisconsin trial focuses on gun store
Closing arguments in a civil lawsuit against a gun store took place Monday in a case charging that its clerk knew of an illegal transaction of a weapon. The lawsuit followed a 2009 incident in which 18-year-old Jim Burton shot two police officers after he successfully paid a 21-year-old to purchase him a gun from the store.
Governor vetoes bill mandating discipline in campus sexual assault cases
California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill that would have required most private and public colleges to suspend or expel students who violated sexual assault rules. The bill would have also required schools to provide a report every two years of the number of sexual assaults or allegations reported on campus.
Former KKK site will transition to MLK monument
A plan was announced Monday to place a monument on top of Georgia’s Stone Mountain honoring Martin Luther King Jr. The site has a history of Ku Klux Klan cross-burnings and is currently home to a carving of Confederate leaders such as Robert E. Lee and “Stonewall” Jackson.
No charges against Cecil the Lion’s killer
Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer will not face charges from Zimbabwe in the killing of Cecil the Lion, according to a Zimbabwean minister.
In Other News
Brightly colored vegetables aid eyesight
A study of more than 100,000 people who are 50 or older showed that those who ate the most vegetables and fruits high in carotenoids were less likely to develop advanced age-related macular degeneration. So load up on your carrots, peas and tomatoes.
The Daily Report was compiled by Christine Manganas, a PublicSource intern. You can reach her with questions or suggestions at cmanganas@publicsource.org
