March 9, 2021 4:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Several million people stand to save hundreds of dollars in health insurance costs, or more, under the Democratic coronavirus relief legislation on track to pass Congress. Winners include those covered by “Obamacare” or now signing up, self-employed people who buy their own insurance and don’t currently get federal help, laid-off workers struggling to retain employer coverage, and most anyone who collects unemployment. Potentially many more could benefit if about a dozen hold-out states accept the legislation’s Medicaid deal and expand their programs.
March 9, 2021 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – A huge wind farm off the Massachusetts coast is edging closer to federal approval, setting up what the Biden administration hopes will be a model for a sharp increase in offshore wind energy development along the East Coast. The Vineyard Wind project, south of Martha’s Vineyard near Cape Cod, would create 800 megawatts of electricity, enough for 400,000 homes in New England. If approved, the $2 billion project would be the first utility-scale wind power development in federal waters. President Joe Biden has vowed to double offshore wind production by 2030 as part of his administration’s efforts to slow climate change.
March 9, 2021 4:11 am
HONOLULU (AP) – The Hawaii Senate is considering what would be the highest income tax rate of any state in the nation. The legislation would impose a 16% tax on individuals earning more than $200,000. California has the current top rate at 13.3% on those earning more than $1 million. Hawaii’s top rate is now 11%. Some lawmakers are exploring new sources of income because the state has suffered a sharp decline in tax revenue as tourism has plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic. The Senate Ways and Means Committee unanimously passed the measure last week. The bill’s prospects in the House are uncertain.
March 9, 2021 4:11 am
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to give perhaps the most important speech of his political life Tuesday. The first-term governor has spent weeks laying the groundwork for an upbeat State of the State aimed at nearly 40 million people exhausted by a year of coronavirus restrictions. It comes as the deadline nears for organizers of a recall campaign against him to finish submitting signatures. They say they’ve received more than the 1.5 million needed to force a vote likely later this year on whether Newsom should keep his job. That makes Tuesday’s speech critical to keeping voters on his side.
March 9, 2021 4:07 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania has reached a settlement in a lawsuit against natural gas driller Chesapeake Energy Corp. for its handling of royalty payments to property owners. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Monday that landowners will get $5.3 million in restitution and improved royalty payments going forward. Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake filed for bankruptcy protection in Texas in June. A company spokesman says it’s pleased to reach the deal. Depending on the type of lease they signed, affected Chesapeake lease holders will receive about $367 or about $700, as well as the ability to decide what sort of agreement they want to have with Chesapeake going forward.
March 9, 2021 4:07 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – State, county and city governments in Pennsylvania will receive about $13 billion from the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue package making its way through Congress. The state’s share of that will be about $7.3 billion while the other $5.7 billion will go to local governments, the Independent Fiscal Office told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday. They say governments can use the money to pay for costs associated with responding to the pandemic or to backfill revenue losses inflicted by the pandemic’s effects. The Independent Fiscal Office has projected a roughly $2.5 billion deficit for state government next year.
March 9, 2021 4:04 am
ALLEGHENY CO., Pa. — (WPXI)- For the third week in a row, St. Clair Hospital says it hasn’t been allocated any supply of the Pfizer vaccine for first dose appointments. Because of that, thousands of people were put on hold — forced to wait even longer to get the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. “It’s profoundly disappointing to those who thought they were right on the cusp of being vaccinated,” said Dr. John Sullivan, senior vice president and chief medical officer at St. Clair. “We canceled several hundred last week, and we canceled all of the first dose appointments this week — and we canceled several senior living facilities.” That includes the Twin Towers Apartments in Mt. Lebanon and the Dormont Place Apartments — for senior citizens. Sullivan told our news partners at Channel 11 5,000 South Hills residents are still in the que, waiting to even schedule a vaccine appointment. And for those who need a second dose, it will depend on shipments over the next few weeks.
March 9, 2021 4:00 am
Peters Township spent their Monday night meeting trying to lay the groundwork for several construction projects on the horizon for 2021 and 2022. Council authorized the prequalification of 5 contractors to submit bids for the yet to be approved aquatic center designated for Rolling Hills Park. Township Manager Paul Lauer indicates that as a Home Rule Community, this process is approved. He stated that doing this does not mean the pool is being built. It simply means that the township is making sure they will not be hiring a contractor that has never built a project of this size and scope. Council tabled a measure to award a contract to design the new fire station for the Venetia area. Council is looking for more information on how the interview process was conducted and the type of criteria used to arrive at a decision. Lauer also updated council on the success of the vaccination programs being conducted in the township’s recreation center. Lauer stated that Hilltop Pharmacy has administered 3400 vaccines in the three weekends that they have been present. Washington Health System also uses the space and they have administered an additional 1700 vaccines.
March 8, 2021 12:47 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing. That’s according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials. The recommendations were announced Monday. They also say that vaccinated people can come together in the same way with people considered at low-risk for severe disease, such as in the case of vaccinated grandparents visiting healthy children and grandchildren. Officials say a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccine. About 30 million Americans or only about 9% of the U.S. population have been fully vaccinated with a federally authorized COVID-19 vaccine so far.
March 8, 2021 4:33 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The State Department says the U.S. and South Korea have reached an agreement in principle on a new arrangement for sharing the cost of the American troop presence. Details were not released, but the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said Sunday that the deal includes a negotiated increase in Seoul’s share of the cost for the U.S. troop presence. Talks had broken down during the Trump administration over Washington’s demand for a five-fold increase in South Korea’s share of the cost. A State Department spokesperson declined to specify the agreed increase in Seoul’s share.
