November 26, 2024 7:27 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of obese Americans would be eligible to have popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Ozempic covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning. The proposal, which would not be finalized until after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, could cost taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade. It would give millions of people access to weekly injectables that have helped people shed pounds so quickly that some people have labeled them miracle drugs.
November 26, 2024 5:03 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has delayed until January his decision on whether to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez for killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion 35 years ago. Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic said he needed time to review 17 boxes of documents. Still he let the brothers’ aunts take the stand. They both testified on their behalf as the brothers seek to have their 1989 convictions reexamined in the shotgun murders of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez. They argued the convictions should be reexamined because of new evidence of sex abuse by the brothers’ father. The brothers were sentenced to life without parole.
November 26, 2024 5:02 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining a growing list of major corporations that have done the same after coming under attack by conservative activists. The changes, confirmed by Walmart on Monday, are sweeping and include everything from not renewing a five-year commitment for an equity racial center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd, to pulling out of a prominent gay rights index. And when it comes to race or gender, Walmart won’t be giving priority treatment to suppliers. Walmart’s moves underscore the increasing pressure faced by corporate America as it continues to navigate the fallout from the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 ending affirmative action in college admissions.
November 26, 2024 5:00 am
NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China as one of his first executive orders. The tariffs, if implemented, could dramatically raise prices for American consumers on everything from gas to automobiles to agricultural products. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers.
November 26, 2024 4:58 am
DETROIT (AP) — If President-elect Donald Trump makes good on his threat to kill federal tax credits for electric vehicle purchases, it’s likely that fewer buyers will choose EVs. Yet tax credits or not, auto companies show no intention of retreating from a transition away from gas-burning cars and trucks, especially given the enormous investment they have already made: Since 2021, the industry has spent at least $160 billion on planning, designing and building electric vehicles. In campaigning for the presidency, Trump condemned the federal tax for EV buyers — up to $7,500 per vehicle — as part of a “green new scam” that would devastate the auto industry. It is far from clear, though, that he could actually rescind the credits.
November 26, 2024 4:52 am
PITTSBURGH — If you’re driving to visit family for Thanksgiving, gas will cost a little bit less, according to AAA. Gas prices dropped by about 4 cents in western Pennsylvania this week. The average price in the region for regular gas is $3.33. This is down almost 30 cents from a year ago when the average price was $3.623. Here in Washington the average is down to $2.98.
November 26, 2024 4:48 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – The opening day of Pennsylvania’s firearms deer season is on Saturday. The Pennsylvania Game Commission says more than half a million hunters are expected to participate. “Growing up, I looked forward to the first day of deer season all year,” said Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. “I’m hardly alone that way. For many of us, hunting, and deer hunting in particular, isn’t just a hobby. It’s a part of the fabric of our lives.” The season starts Saturday, continues on Sunday and then runs from Dec. 2 through 14, excluding Sunday, Dec. 8. Hunters are allowed one antlered deer per year. To hunt antlerless deer, hunters must have a Wildlife Management Unit-specific antlerless license or Deer Management Assistance Program permit. The Game Commission says that last year, across all of the 2023-24 deer seasons, hunters harvested an estimated 430,010 white-tailed deer. The buck harvest was around 171,600 and the antlerless harvest was 258,410. Hunters must have a general hunting license which costs $20.97 for adult residents and $101.97 for adult nonresidents.
November 26, 2024 2:01 am
Peters Township Council led off its final November meeting with a public hearing on the township’s preliminary budget for 2025. No increase in taxes is in store for Peters Township residents. The budget is a $43,777,036 spending plan that is paid for by $29,476,917 in revenues. There is a shortfall of $14,300,119. According to Assistant Township Manager Kyle Thauvette, that shortfall will be made up through bond issues to balance the budget. Capital projects that are primarily park projects scheduled for 2025 are a large portion of the deficit. The largest portion of that spending will be dedicated to phase two of the development of Rolling Hills Park. That development will include basketball courts and a dog park to name just a few additions. Staff cautioned council and residents that tax increases could be in the future as the township will be spending money on a new fire truck, expanded staff for the fire department and possible emergency services and environmental projects that may need to be addressed. Council will adopt the budget in December.
November 25, 2024 1:34 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors have moved to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. In court filings on Monday, the prosecutors cited longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president who firmly won election this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him. (Photo: AP)
November 25, 2024 9:15 am
Macy’s says it’s delaying the release of its fiscal third-quarter earnings results after it discovered an up to $154 million accounting-related issue. The company did provide some preliminary results for its third quarter, including that net sales fell 2.4% to $4.74 billion. It anticipates reporting its full third-quarter financial results by Dec. 11.
