WJPA News

The Shapiro Administration on Wednesday, released new data on how many Pennsylvanians will lose Medicaid and SNAP benefits as a result of Congressional Republicans’ reconciliation bill that is being rushed through Congress.  Governor Josh Shapiro says this bill will have devastating impacts here in the Commonwealth. Statewide, nearly 144,000 Pennsylvanians who receive SNAP could lose their access to critical food assistance, while 310,000 Pennsylvanians could lose Medicaid coverage.  Shapiro broke down the impacts by congressional districts – and if the current version of the reconciliation bill is signed into law, nearly every district will see devastating effects.  In the 14th Congressional District which is served by Republican representative Guy Reschenthaler, Shapiro says 18,645 Pennsylvanians will lose Medicaid coverage and 11,071 Pennsylvanians will lose SNAP benefits

(WPXI) – Authorities in West Virginia are investigating the death of a teenager from Burgettstown who drowned in the Ohio River Monday evening.  Officials say the 13-year-old girl was swimming with family members near the Veterans Memorial Bridge when the incident happened.  The girl has been identified as Reese Hanshaw.  She was a recent eighth grade graduate who was set to start her freshman year at Burgettstown High School in the fall.  Authorities say first responders conducted life-saving measures on scene, but she died at an area hospital.

Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones (pictured) was in Washington County on Tuesday to highlight a $1.5 million investment the Department is making to open a regional substance use disorder (SUD) drop-in center that will serve residents of Greene, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.  Davis-Jones says that in partnership with Club Serenity, a recovery organization, the new center will provide community-driven harm reduction support services to increase overdose prevention, a connection to SUD support services, and access to daily essentials for those struggling with SUD.  Funding for the grant is provided, in part, from the portion of opioid settlement funding that was appropriated to DDAP by the General Assembly for the 2023-24 fiscal year. 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A strike being staged by nearly 10,000 city workers in Philadelphia has entered its second day. But a judge has ordered some emergency service dispatchers and essential water department employees to return to work. The judge granted the city an injunction Tuesday stating 237 out of 325 workers at the city’s 911 call center must return to work because their absence creates a “clear and present danger to threat to health, safety or welfare of the public.” The judge also ordered some water department workers back to the job because they’re essential to ensuring fresh, clean drinking water is available to residents.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The University of Pennsylvania has changed three school records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. The school says it also will apologize to female athletes it says were “disadvantaged” by Thomas’ participation on the women’s swimming team. The moves were part of a resolution of a federal civil rights case that found the school violated the rights of female athletes. Thomas in 2022 became the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title. The school now shows other athletes holding the school’s top times in Thomas’ events, noting she set records under rules in place at the time.

(WPXI) Pittsburgh International Airport is preparing to conduct a public trial before the new terminal opens later this year, hoping to enhance the “Day One” experience for passengers. You can be a part of what the airport is calling a full-scale dress rehearsal to re-enact what the opening day of the new, transformed airport will look and feel like. The Allegheny County Airport Authority said it’s seeking 3,000 to 4,000 volunteers. “It’s a voluntary opportunity to test, shape, and influence the new PIT experience before it officially opens,” the airport said on its website. According to the airport, volunteers will act as passengers and follow a script while moving through the terminal. They will be asked to provide feedback on how the entire process went for them. The event is expected to take place in September, with final dates to be announced soon.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students. He entered the plea in a deal with prosecutors that will allow him to avoid the death penalty. He had been set to go to trial in August. Kohberger remained impassive as he confirmed to the judge that he stabbed the four victims. He was a graduate student at nearby Washington State University when prosecutors say he sneaked into a rental home in Moscow, Idaho, and stabbed the four students. The killings terrified the campus and set off a nationwide search in 2022. No motive has emerged for the killings.  (Photo:  AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has declined to set Sean “Diddy” Combs free on bond to await sentencing in his sex crimes case. Combs was convicted Wednesday of federal prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The 55-year-old Combs has been behind bars since his arrest in September. He stands convicted of two counts of a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. But the jury cleared him of charges that could have put him behind bars for life.  (Photo:  AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are sprinting toward a vote on President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cuts package. They are looking to seize momentum from a hard-fought vote in the Senate, essentially daring members with concerns to defy Trump and vote against it. The bill will extend and make permanent various individual and business tax breaks that Republicans passed in Trump’s first term, plus temporarily add new tax breaks, such as no income taxes on tips and overtime. The House had already passed one version of the bill back in May with just a single vote to spare. It’s unclear they’ll be able to do the same with the Senate-amended version.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump keeps saying that Republicans’ mega tax and spending cut legislation will eliminate taxes on federal Social Security benefits. It does not. Instead of eliminating the tax, the Senate and House have each passed their own versions of a temporary tax deduction for seniors aged 65 and over, which applies to all income — not just Social Security. And it turns out not all Social Security beneficiaries will be able to claim the deduction. Those who won’t be able to do so include the lowest-income seniors who already don’t pay taxes on Social Security, those who choose to claim their benefits before they reach age 65 and those above a defined income threshold.

Paramount says it has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of CBS’ “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October. The parent company of CBS told media outlets that the money will go to Trump’s future presidential library, not to the president himself. It said the settlement did not involve an apology. Trump’s lawyer said the president had suffered “mental anguish” over the editing of the interview by CBS News. Paramount and CBS have rejected Trump’s contention that the interview was edited to enhance how Harris sounded. A press advocacy group has threatened to sue if Paramount settled the case.

(AP) – Del Monte Foods is filing for bankruptcy protection. The 139-year-old California company is best known for its canned fruits and vegetables, which have seen sales slide as U.S. consumers seek out healthier and cheaper options. Del Monte said late Tuesday that the bankruptcy filing is part of a planned sale of the company’s assets. It has secured $912.5 million in debtor-in-possession financing that will allow it to operate normally during the sale process. Del Monte is owned by Singapore-based Del Monte Pacific. It also owns the Contadina, College Inn and Joyba bubble tea brands.  (Photo:  AP)