Governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate Josh Shapiro is critical of President Trump's order to attack Iran this weekend. Shapiro says, "President Trump acted unilaterally, without Congressional approval and outside the guardrails set up by our founders in Philadelphia nearly 250 years ago." Pennsylvania Republican Senator Dave McCormick says that type of criticism is hypocritical. "The president acted completely within his constitutional authority. For 50 years, Democratic presidents and Republican presidents have been making this claim. When President Obama took military action in Libya, the very same argument was made by President Obama and some of the same Democrats who are now saying President Trump acted out of line, were supportive of the Libya operation," McCormick says. Demmocrat Sen. John Fetterman also backs the military strikes and the killing of Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei. Fetterman says, "This is one of the most evil people that ever lived. I can't imagine everyone can't celebrate that." Lehigh Valley Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie says, "For decades, Khamenei has threatened America and killed Americans through the use of the Iranian terror network. The world will become a safer place in the long run because of President Trump’s actions."
This weekend's strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran have drawn mixed reviews among lawmakers. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherill, a former Naval officer who served on the House Armed Services Committee in Congress, says there is currently no known threat to New Jersey. She says she's working closely with state and law enforcement officials to monitor the situation in Iran, Israel and the Middle East. She says law enforcement is increasing security at houses of worship and other sensitive sites as a precaution.
A New Jersey home appears to be a total loss after a weekend fire. All six of Phillipsburg's fire companies responded to a fire that broke out around 10:30 Sunday morning in the 600 block of Metz Street. One firefighter suffered a minor injury. Police say the cause of the fire remains under investigation, though authorities say it is not considered suspicious.
An Easton man is accused of shooting out the front window of a laundromat in Wilson Borough. Nahquan McDuffie is being charged with shooting out the window of the So Fresh N So Clean laundromat on South 25th Street just after 4:30 Sunday afternoon. Police were able to track down McDuffie nearby at South 24th Street and Forest Street.
Firefighters were needed at an apartment complex in Lehigh County last night. Officials said the blaze was reported in a second floor unit at Helfrich Springs Apartments in Whitehall Township shortly before 6 p.m. No other details have been released, including if anyone was injured.
The Monroe County coroner's office says a woman from Lackawanna County has been identified as the victim of a shooting that happened late Thursday morning in Blakeslee. 45-year-old Joanne Beauvais was pronounced dead after being shot in the driveway of a home in the 3200 block of Mountain Terrace Drive. Police say Eric Chisolm shot the woman from inside his home, claiming initially he shot a burglar and then saying he thought he shot a delivery person. After an investigation, police say they determined that the woman was in a relationship with Chisolm.
Accu-Weather's Heather Zehr says we could see some wintry weather tomorrow morning around 8 o'clock or so. "If you are out and about very early, you can probably get where you're going without having to deal with this snow and the sleet," she says. The wintry mix will last maybe three or four hours before changing over to all rain, but by the time that happens, some slick conditions may be found.
Pennsylvania is part of a group of ten states reaching a 100-million dollar settlement agreement with Walmart. The retailer was the subject of a multi-state lawsuit alleging that customers and drivers who took part in the company's Spark Driver Program were deceived. The suit alleged that drivers who worked through the company's home delivery program were misled on how much they would be paid and that customers were led to believe that 100-percent of tips would be passed on to delivery drivers when that wasn't always so.
Rising costs have prevented Wildwood Crest in Cape May County from purchasing more new beach storage boxes for the summer, which puts a crimp in beachgoers' plans to rent the boxes. Since the first boxes were bought seven years ago they've become popular among beachgoers. They generate about 200-thousand dollars in rental income for Wildwood Crest. With everything from utility to labor to payroll costs going up, the borough cannot afford to buy more. The borough's commissioners are considering a plan to buy about fifty boxes over the next two years to help meet the growing demand.
The 76ers are dealing with yet another injury to their big man. Joel Embiid is working through an oblique issue and will be re-evaluated after the team plays back-to-back home games starting on Tuesday. An MRI revealed the injury on Saturday after the 31-year-old felt a strain late last week. Embiid has played in just 33 games this season due to endless ailments.