Monday, March 10
Gov. Henry McMaster to Deliver Eighth State of the State Address
30Jan By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
Government

Gov. Henry McMaster to Deliver Eighth State of the State Address

Columbia, South Carolina—On Wednesday evening, Governor Henry McMaster will give his yearly State of the State address at the South Carolina State House, highlighting the year's top legislative goals. Proposals to raise the minimum pay for state teachers to $50,000 and lower the state income tax rate to 6% are two anticipated themes for the upcoming fiscal year. In his speech last year, McMaster criticized labor unions while highlighting South Carolina's robust economy, budget surplus, and fast population growth. Given that McMaster officially became the longest-serving governor in South Carolina history on Wednesday, this year's speech has extra meaning. Due to the extra time he served after former Governor Nikki Haley resigned in 2017 to take a position as U.S. Ambassador to the United N...
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Former Sen. Bob Menendez to be sentenced in gold bar bribery case
30Jan By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Former Sen. Bob Menendez to be sentenced in gold bar bribery case

Former Senator Bob Menendezi is set to be sentenced Wednesday afternoon in federal court in New York on accusations of bribery and corruption. Prosecutors are recommending that he be imprisoned for 15 years. The 71-year-old former leader of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee calls the plan "vindictive and cruel" and "a life and death sentence" for the New Jersey Democrat. Prosecutors accused Menendez of accepting bribes, including cash and gold bars, to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar, and he was found guilty in July of extortion, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and operating as a foreign agent. Additionally, two co-defendants were convicted guilty and given sentences of several years in prison on Wednesday. Menendez entered a not guilty plea and promised to ...
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Trump administration rescinds order attempting to freeze federal aid spending
30Jan By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Trump administration rescinds order attempting to freeze federal aid spending

Washington According to a memo a source gave to NBC News, President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday revoked a broad block on the majority of federal grants and loans, just one day after it was announced amid intense criticism. The directive was reversed on Wednesday, according to a senior administration official. On Tuesday night, a federal district judge temporarily suspended the order that caused confusion and pandemonium around Washington. Federal agencies were instructed by the Office of Management and Budget to "temporarily pauseall activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, non...
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Buffalo Man Sentenced to Probation for Cocaine Possession with Intent to Sell
30Jan By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
Buffalo

Buffalo Man Sentenced to Probation for Cocaine Possession with Intent to Sell

(WNY News Now) After a narcotics investigation that turned up cocaine and other illegal substances, a Buffalo resident was given a five-year probationary sentence.Jay M. Mudra Erie County DA's Office Photo Today, Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced that Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan had given Buffalo resident Jay M. Mudra, 30, a five-year probationary term. Mudra was sentenced after entering a guilty plea to charges of Third Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Fourth Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, all of which are Class B felonies. The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Erie County Sheriff's Office on May 16, 2024. During a traffic stop in the Town of Grand Island near Riverwoods Drive and Timbe...
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Trump administration strips Venezuelans of latest protection from deportation
30Jan By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Trump administration strips Venezuelans of latest protection from deportation

The temporary protection from deportation that departing President Joe Biden provided Venezuelans in the United States earlier this month will expire after about a year. Biden's most recent Temporary Protected Status extension, which permitted qualified Venezuelans to remain and work until October 2, 2026, was revoked by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday. On September 10 of this year, TPS for Venezuelans who have had it since March 11, 2024, will expire. People who are already in the United States who are unable to return due to circumstances in their home country, such as natural catastrophes or political unrest, are awarded Temporary Protected Status. Individuals with TPS cannot begin the process of becoming citizens unless they are sponsored by a family member or busine...
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Here are the cities where ICE raids are taking place
30Jan By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Here are the cities where ICE raids are taking place

Immigration enforcement actions have begun to spread throughout major U.S. cities since President Donald Trump returned to office. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 956 persons were taken into custody on Sunday. However, according to an NBC News report, immigration officials made around 1,200 arrests that day, but only 613 of them—or roughly 52%—were classified as criminal arrests. The remaining individuals seemed to be either nonviolent criminals or those who had only crossed the border illegally. Being undocumented is not a criminal; rather, it is a civil offense. The following day, the number of arrests increased once further, according to the agency, which reported that 1,179 arrests and 853 detainers were made on Monday. There has been worry that law-abiding...
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Arcade Woman Pleads Guilty to Rape and Child Endangerment
30Jan By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
Child Endangerment

Arcade Woman Pleads Guilty to Rape and Child Endangerment

Arcade, New York (WNY News Now)At a hearing before Honorable Donald G. O. Geen on Friday, January 24, Anna L. Holland, 38, of Arcade, NY, entered a guilty plea to a number of offenses, including rape and endangerment of a child. The allegations are related to events that took place in the summer of 2024. Holland entered a guilty plea to five counts of unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree, seven counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and one act of third-degree rape. Her acts involving children under the age of 17 are connected to these violations. There was no plea deal or sentencing promise from the District Attorney, therefore the defendant entered a guilty plea unconditionally. The maximum penalty for the offenses is four years in New York State jail, with ten year...
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Former USPS sorting clerk admits to on-the-job theft of $100K in sports memorabilia
30Jan By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

Former USPS sorting clerk admits to on-the-job theft of $100K in sports memorabilia

Authorities claimed Tuesday that a guy from New York City had confessed to stealing over $100,000 worth of sports memorabilia while working as a sorting clerk for the USPS. According to a statement from federal prosecutors in New Jersey, 34-year-old Bronx resident Shelby Dozier entered a guilty plea to mail theft by a postal worker. When Dozier worked as a sorting clerk for the USPS in Clifton, New Jersey, in August 2022, "numerous parcels destined for a consignment auction house located in Clifton went missing," according to prosecutors on Tuesday. The victimized business "specializes in the sale of trading cards and sports memorabilia that it receives from customers around the world," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Dozier stole at least ten packages containing "valuable trading...
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RFK Jr. grilled on his views on vaccines and abortion in first confirmation hearing
30Jan By Grace ThompsonNo Comments
News

RFK Jr. grilled on his views on vaccines and abortion in first confirmation hearing

President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was grilled on his opinions on abortion and vaccines when he appeared before senators on Wednesday for his first confirmation hearing. In his opening remarks, Kennedy attempted to shield himself from the anticipated lines of inquiry, which caused a protester in the gallery to briefly erupt. "News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry," Kennedy stated. The individual exclaimed, "You are!" before being escorted from the room. Kennedy went on: "I am pro-safety, but I am neither. I spent years trying to educate people about the harmful chemicals and mercury found in fish, but that didn't make me anti-fish. I think vaccines are essential to health care, and all of my childr...
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