October 19, 2023 4:56 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office says he’ll sign budget-related legislation to boost Medicaid subsidies for hospitals and ambulance services, provisions stuck in a wider monthslong stalemate. The bill passed the House on Wednesday by a vote of 199-to-4 and heads to Shapiro’s desk. Under the bill, lawmakers reauthorized an assessment on hospitals that is expected to draw down roughly $1.4 billion in matching federal Medicaid dollars this year. It then redistributes the money to favor hospitals that treat higher proportions of Medicaid enrollees. Meanwhile, the bill boosts Medicaid reimbursements for ambulance services by a projected $126 million a year in federal and state aid. The reimbursement includes ground and air transportation.
October 19, 2023 4:55 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives is backing another proposal to give an earlier date for the state’s 2024 presidential primary election, this time moving it by one week. The bill passed Wednesday, and would move the date from April 23 to April 16. However, it faces an uncertain future in the state Senate where Republicans want the date moved up by five weeks to March 19. Meanwhile, county officials say they don’t have enough time to handle the tasks associated with moving next year’s primary election. Initially, lawmakers were motivated to change the date to avoid a conflict with the Jewish holiday of Passover on April 23.
October 19, 2023 1:23 am
Harrisburg, PA – On Wednesday, Governor Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) visited Washington County to highlight the Shapiro Administration’s work to cap and plug orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells across Pennsylvania. Shapiro says his administration has capped and plugged 100 wells – more wells than in the prior 6 years combined. The 100th well was plugged at Hillman State Park in Burgettstown under an emergency contract with Yost Drilling after the DEP followed up on reports from local residents who were concerned about the risks abandoned wells posed to public health and safety. “My Administration is making real progress towards tackling a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions here in Pennsylvania, and creating thousands of good-paying, union jobs in the process,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “We must reject the false choice between protecting jobs and protecting our planet. I believe we can do both – we can embrace the Commonwealth’s role as an energy leader, create good-paying jobs, and fulfill our constitutional obligation to protect Pennsylvania’s clean air and pure water. Let’s plug the wells, improve our air quality, and strengthen our communities.” Shaprio says capping and plugging orphaned and abandoned wells improves public health, reduces planet-warming methane emissions, and creates good-paying jobs, so that’s why he has directed the DEP to draw down as much federal funding as possible to cap and plug the orphaned and abandoned wells that dot Pennsylvania.
October 18, 2023 5:21 pm
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix has disclosed summertime subscriber gains that surpassed analysts’ projections, signaling the video streaming service’s crackdown on password sharing is converting former freeloaders into paying customers. In an effort to bring in even more revenue, Netflix also announced it’s raising the price for its most expensive streaming service by $2 to $23 per month in the U.S., a 10% increase. The $15.50 per month price for Netflix’s most popular streaming option in the U.S. will remain unchanged, as will a $7 monthly plan backed by ads. The company’s shares soared more than 12% in extended trading.
October 18, 2023 5:19 pm
(AP) – Amazon will soon make prescription drugs fall from the sky when the e-commerce giant becomes the latest company to test drone deliveries. The company said Wednesday that customers in College Station, Texas can now get prescriptions delivered by a drone within an hour of placing their order. The drone is programed to fly from a delivery center with a secure pharmacy. It will travel to the customer’s address, descend to a height of about four meters _ or 13 feet _ and drop a padded package. Other companies that have tested prescription drone deliveries include CVS Health.
October 18, 2023 5:17 pm
(AP) – United Airlines says that it will start boarding passengers in economy class with window seats first starting next week, a move that will speed up boarding times for flights. The airline says in a memo to employees that the changes will take effect Oct. 26. The boarding process is known as WILMA, for window, middle and aisle seats being filled in that order. United says it tested the process at four domestic locations and one hub. United says it cuts boarding time by up to two minutes.
October 18, 2023 5:05 pm
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — President Joe Biden swept into wartime Israel for a 7 1/2-hour visit Wednesday that offered support for the Israeli people and produced a deal to get limited humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt. Biden also warned against allowing rage over the deadly Hamas attack to be all-consuming. Biden urged Israel to step back from the brink. He said doing that would ease growing tensions in the Mideast that threaten to further spiral into a broader regional conflict. And he said finding a way to step back would be for the greater good of a world rattled by the shocking images of carnage and suffering in both Israel and Gaza.. (Photo: AP)
October 18, 2023 4:59 pm
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The chief suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway has admitted he killed her and disposed of her remains in the sea. Joran van der Sloot’s confession comes as part of a plea deal with prosecutors on extortion charges. Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty Wednesday to trying to extort money from Holloway’s mother in exchange for revealing the location of her daughter’s body. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for extortion and wire fraud but is not charged in Holloway’s death or disappearance. U.S. Judge Anna Manasco said she considered van der Sloot’s confession to Holloway’s murder and destruction of her remains in her sentencing decision. (Photo: AP)
October 18, 2023 12:42 pm
An employee of a restaurant located in the Washington Crown Center Mall was electrocuted late Wednesday morning. North Franklin Township Supervisor Chairman Bob Sabot tells WJPA Radio that an employee of Pops and Rory’s Restaurant, located within the mall, was working on a malfunctioning oven just before noon when he was shocked. Emergency responders were called and the man was taken by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh area hospital. Sabot says he was told the man is expected to recover.
October 18, 2023 5:07 am
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel says will allow Egypt to deliver limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the first crack in a 10-day seal on the territory. Palestinians were reeling from a massive blast at a Gaza City hospital the day before and growing increasingly desperate as food and water supplies ran out. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the decision was approved after a request from visiting U.S. President Joe Biden. There were conflicting claims of who was responsible for the hospital explosion. Hamas blamed Israel, while Israel blamed a misfired rocket launched by other militants in Gaza, who denied any involvement.
