Pentagon ends paying for travel for abortion and other reproductive care
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Pentagon ends paying for travel for abortion and other reproductive care

A Biden administration policy that provided reimbursement to military members and dependents for travel to states that allow abortion and other reproductive health treatments has been revoked by the Pentagon. The document, which immediately stopped reimbursements, was released by the Pentagon's Defense Travel Management Office on Wednesday. The action undoes a 2023 policy implemented under then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, and it is already attracting criticism from female members of Congress. For soldiers and their families who had to traverse state lines because they were stationed in a location where the military did not offer abortion or other reproductive care, like in vitro fertilization, or where such services were illegal or unavailable, ...
The South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services Announces New Website
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The South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services Announces New Website

The updated South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS) website, hosted by SC.gov, was launched today at https://ppp.sc.gov/. Courts, victims, offenders, and other members of the public serviced by SCDPPPS will find detailed information much easier to access thanks to our updated, user-friendly website. The redesigned website will primarily showcase available positions and the many career pathways offered by SCDPPPS (https://ppp.sc.gov/careers). Like its predecessor, the new website offers a handy link that enables people under SCDPPPS supervision to make online payments for their restitution and supervision costs (https://ppp.sc.gov/supervision-rehabilitation/offender-search). Acting Director Chad Gambrell stated, "We are still dedicated to holding crimin...
CDC site scrubs HIV content following Trump DEI policies
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CDC site scrubs HIV content following Trump DEI policies

As part of President Donald Trump's larger campaign to eradicate diversity, equality, and inclusion measures throughout the federal government, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is removing a large portion of HIV-related content off its website on Friday. The main HIV page of the CDC has been restored after a brief outage. According to one federal employee, the CDC started eliminating any gender identity-related content on Friday. It seems that pages pertaining to HIV were included in that activity. In a memo obtained by NBC News, Charles Ezell, the acting director of the U.S. office of personnel management, sent CDC employees an email on January 29 titled "Defending Women," which stated that they were to recognize only two sexes, male and female, and not make references to or...
Chautauqua County Police Join Statewide STOP-DWI Campaign to Combat Impaired Driving
Chautauqua County

Chautauqua County Police Join Statewide STOP-DWI Campaign to Combat Impaired Driving

(WNY News Now) As part of a state-funded initiative to reduce drunk driving, Chautauqua County law enforcement conducted 100 vehicle stops and made one arrest during the holiday season. Police departments in Chautauqua County have taken part in the STOP-DWI Holiday Season High Visibility Engagement Campaign in New York State.The campaign lasted until Wednesday, January 1, 2025, having started on Wednesday, December 12, 2024. This event is a component of a nationwide High Visibility Engagement Campaign and is financed by a grant from the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee for 2024–2025. Laws against driving under the influence are strictly enforced in Chautauqua County by the New York State Police, the Chautauqua County Sheriff, and other law enforcement organizations. They collaborate ...
Senator Borrello Calls for Immediate Action to Protect Prison Staff from Drug Exposure Hazards
Community Concerns

Senator Borrello Calls for Immediate Action to Protect Prison Staff from Drug Exposure Hazards

(WNY News Now) Senator George Borrello calls for immediate safety measures and improved protections for correctional officers in response to a concerning increase in diseases among prison workers that have been connected to drug overdoses by inmates. In reaction to an increase in illnesses among prison staff associated with drug overdoses among inmates, New York State Senator George Borrello released the following statement: The Hochul government and DOCCS have neglected the growing problem of illegal drugs and harmful substances entering our state's prisons for far too long. There is no question that our prison officers and medical staff are put in danger on a daily basis with little to no protection from the state, as evidenced by the current spike in inmate overdoses, staff illnesses, a...
Democratic National Committee prepares to elect a new party chair
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Democratic National Committee prepares to elect a new party chair

Maryland's National Harbor. This weekend, Democrats will elect the next chair of the Democratic National Committee, marking the first concrete step in moving past their 2024 election defeat. The members of the party committee will convene on Saturday to elect a new slate of officers, including the replacement for departing chair Jaime Harrison, the former head of the South Carolina Democratic Party whom Joe Biden appointed to run the party while he was in office. Democrats will choose the next chair of their party, but they will not choose the party's next leader. Rather, the future DNC chair will assume control of the organization's staffing, spending, and fundraising strategies. Over the past four years, the organization has spent slightly under $1 billion. The winner of Saturday's vot...
The best snow shovels, according to snow and appliance experts
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The best snow shovels, according to snow and appliance experts

Being from Florida and attending college in Syracuse, New York, one of the snowiest towns in the nation, I have had my share of weather shock, particularly during periods of significant snowfall. I was forced to quickly familiarize myself with some winter necessities, such as a salt spreader and a blower. Another essential equipment for handling heavy snow accumulation and maintaining the cleanliness of your home's exterior is a snow shovel. I sought advice and recommendations from experts in snow and ice management and lawn appliances to identify the finest ones. GO Ahead and SkipWhy should I trust NBC Select? How did I choose the best snow shovels? Top-rated snow shovels? How do I shop for snow shovels? Selected. Our top picks Best overall snow shovel ...
Jury Convicts Former Franklin County Youth Sports Coach of Sexually Assaulting Five Victims, Including Children
Assault

Jury Convicts Former Franklin County Youth Sports Coach of Sexually Assaulting Five Victims, Including Children

(WNY News Now) Justin Biser, a former youth baseball coach, was found guilty on 65 counts of sexual assault, indecent assault, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and invasion of privacy by a Franklin County jury. Between 2021 and 2023, three youngsters and two adults were involved in the offenses.Photograph by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office of Justin Biser HARRISBURG — On Sunday, Attorney General Dave revealed that a former youth baseball instructor in the area was found guilty by a Franklin County jury of dozens of sexual assault charges related to acts against three children and two adults. Waynesboro resident Justin Biser, 45, was convicted on Thursday of 65 charges, including invasion of privacy, CSAM, sexual assault, and indecent assault. According to testimony presente...
DCA surveillance cameras catch clearest footage yet of deadly midair collision
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DCA surveillance cameras catch clearest footage yet of deadly midair collision

The clearest photographs of this week's devastating airborne collision near Washington, D.C., were released on Friday in surveillance footage taken from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. First seen on CNN and later confirmed by NBC News, the 12- and 17-second clips seemed to depict American Airlines Flight 5342 descending to DCA before a U.S. Army Black Hawk chopper approached from the left. It looks like the chopper hits the plane's underside, igniting a huge explosion that sends both craft into the Potomac River below. The two videos, which seem to have been captured on a cell phone, were not made public by airport authorities. Three Army servicemen on the Black Hawk chopper and all 60 passengers and four crew members on American Eagle Flight 5342 are thought to have perished. A...
Driver Pleads Guilty for Recklessly Killing Two Victims, Injuring Two Others in Humboldt Parkway Crash
Assault

Driver Pleads Guilty for Recklessly Killing Two Victims, Injuring Two Others in Humboldt Parkway Crash

Buffalo, New York (WNY News Now) Devin M. Ford, 24, of Buffalo, entered a guilty plea to counts of assault and manslaughter in relation to a deadly collision that killed two people and gravely injured two more. Ford was found guilty of the fatal incident that happened in the early hours of March 21, 2024, and the plea is before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek in Erie County. Ford pled guilty to two counts of second-degree manslaughter, one offense of second-degree assault, and one count of third-degree assault. The allegations are related to a careless collision that happened at around 12:15 a.m. on Humboldt Parkway. Ford collided with another car at the intersection of Main Street as a result of his fast driving and neglect to turn on his headlights. The crash claimed the ...