August 24, 2022 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden has announced his long-awaited plan to deliver on his campaign promise to provide $10,000 in student debt cancellation for millions of Americans – and up to $10,000 more for those with the greatest financial need. Biden announced in a Wednesday tweet that borrowers who earn less than $125,000 a year, or families earning less than $250,000, would be eligible for the $10,000 loan forgiveness. For recipients of Pell Grants, which are reserved for undergraduates with the most significant financial need, the federal government would cancel up to an additional $10,000 in federal loan debt. Biden is also extending a pause on federal student loan payments through the end of 2022.
August 24, 2022 4:15 am
MIAMI (AP) – U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist has won the Democratic nomination for governor in Florida, putting him in position to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis this fall in a campaign that the Republican incumbent is eyeing as the first step toward a potential White House run. In selecting Crist, Florida Democrats sided with a candidate backed by many in the party’s establishment who viewed him as the safest choice. The 66-year-old Crist defeated Nikki Fried, the state agriculture commissioner, who staked out a more progressive campaign. New York City Democrats picked Jerry Nadler over Carolyn Maloney in a congressional primary that featured two powerful House committee chairs competing for the same seat.
August 24, 2022 4:14 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukraine’s president says Russian forces have launched a rocket attack on a train station in central Ukraine on the country’s Independence Day, killing at least 15 people and wounding about 50. The lethal strike Wednesday came after warnings from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in recent days that the Russians might “try to do something particularly nasty, something particularly cruel” this week. Wednesday is a national holiday in Ukraine commemorating the country’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It also marks the six-month point in the war against Russia.
August 24, 2022 4:11 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — (WPXI) – Safety is not a new topic, but it is a highly debated one. “They’ve put metal detectors in the schools, they’ve gotten around that. A number of other things and nothing seems to work,” said Princess Makokele. For Washington County parent Makokele, more needs to be done in schools and State Rep. Aaron Bernstine, who represents parts of Beaver, Butler and Lawrence Counties agrees. “There is no reason for our kids to be sitting ducks in schools for those that intend to do our kids and educators harm. They want to be able to protect themselves should they choose,” Bernstine said. That’s why he introduced HB 2771 and Sen. Doug Mastriano introduced SB 1288. If passed, both will allow a school employee who has a concealed carry permit to have their gun on school grounds if they choose to. While it will allow staff to be voluntarily armed, the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers is not on board. Nina Esposito-Visgitis with PFT said “To think they want to put a gun for the teacher to worry about too in addition to 30 lives in front of them. They should be ashamed of themselves. They should go back to school and learn something,”. Both bills are sitting in the Education Committee for the House and Senate. Bernstine said his number one goal when he returns to session in a few weeks is to push these bills to the floor.
August 24, 2022 4:08 am
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – Avella School District is surrounded by rolling hills and farms, but the lack of good internet was evident for parents. “Half the time it wouldn’t work or you could come here to work. Just time-wise it wasn’t appropriate,” said Avella Parent Melissa Robinson. Robinson has two kids in Avella Elementary School. When the pandemic hit she said her daughter would miss days because they didn’t have internet access for assignments, leaving them driving for better connection. It’s a problem Washington County Commissioners saw firsthand and have dedicated millions in American Rescue funds to fix. “Rural broadband is not towers just yet. What we are doing is running hard lines to these homes. It’s not about owning a cellphone — it’s having the service hard-wired into your house,” said County Commissioner Nick Sherman. So far the county has spent $3 million dollars on the project with 1,200 homes in Avella complete. In total, $4.6 million is budgeted. Up next, the county is laying lines in Beallsville and Scenery Hill then will move to Bentleyville and West Finley to help improve the overall health and well-being of each resident. The lines the county is laying provides 1 Gbps internet speed, compared to the 100 Mbps in the previous lines, which the county said will be 10 times faster service.
August 24, 2022 4:00 am
(WPXI) – Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman made an appearance in Pittsburgh yesterday, his first visit to the area since he suffered a stroke in May. Fetterman appeared with other local and statewide candidates at a rally at the United Steelworkers International Headquarters downtown. He also picked up a key endorsement from one of the state’s largest labor unions. He never mentioned his health during his six-minute speech, but promised to fight for union workers.
August 24, 2022 3:58 am
North Strabane Township Supervisors opted to delay granting approval to two projects seeking conditional use application approval. Ashford Place, a proposed 60 unit apartment building on Morganza Road and an office park structure proposed by 84 Lumber located by the 84 Lumber Fitness and Training centers will wait until September before being considered for approval. Supervisors wish to take the full 45 days available to them for consideration. Both measures were tabled. Supervisors did adopt the Land Use Assumption Report developed by the Traffic Impact Fee Advisory Committee. The study outlined the projected development of both residential and non-residential buildings over the next ten years. Supervisors also set the date for Trick or Treating in the township. Trick or Treating will be on Monday October 31 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
August 23, 2022 4:58 pm
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash in California’s wine country and was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation. Napa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Solga said Paul Pelosi already served two days in jail and received conduct credit for two other days. Solga said Paul Pelosi will serve eight hours in the court’s work program in lieu of the remaining day. Paul Pelosi did not attend the sentencing. He is also required to attend a three-month drinking driver class, install an ignition interlock device, and pay nearly $7,000 in fines.
August 23, 2022 4:45 pm
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) – A jury has convicted two men of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. Prosecutors described the plot as a rallying cry for a U.S. civil war by anti-government extremists. The jury also found Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. guilty of conspiring to obtain a weapon of mass destruction. Croft, of Bear, Delaware, was also convicted of a third crime. It was the second trial for the pair after a jury in April couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict. Two other men were acquitted and two more pleaded guilty. The FBI considered it a major domestic terrorism case and put at least three informants and two undercover agents in the group. Defense lawyers say Fox and Croft were simply “big talkers” who said vile things about Whitmer and government.
August 23, 2022 9:42 am
A Pennsylvania judge has ordered three Republican-controlled counties to add about 800 contested mail-in ballots to the results of the May election, ruling in a legal dispute that stalled statewide certification of the primary results for governor and U.S. Senate. The Republican judge sided Friday with the Democratic governor in a lawsuit over whether mail-in ballots that lack handwritten dates on their return envelopes should be counted. The suit is the latest in a series of legal battles over the state’s 2019 election law, which greatly expanded mail-in voting. The law requires voters to date the envelopes. But Commonwealth Court President Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer agreed with Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration that the lack of a date was a minor irregularity and should not result in those voters’ disenfranchisement. Berks, Fayette and Lancaster counties were ordered to count the undated mail-in ballots, and the judge gave the counties a Wednesday deadline to certify their primary election results — including the undated ballots — and report back to state election officials.
