Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published July 4, 2023 6:59 P.M.

(Center Township, PA) Detective Sergeant Aldo Legge was promoted as the new police chief at the township’s work session Monday night.

FILE – President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, at the Old Post Office in Chicago. Biden has long struggled to neatly summarize his sprawling economic vision. On Wednesday, the president gave a speech on “Bidenomics” in the hopes that the term will lodge in voters’ brains ahead of the 2024 elections. But what is Bidenomics? Let’s just say the White House definition is different from the Republican one — evidence that catchphrases can be double-edged. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has long struggled to neatly summarize his sprawling economic vision. It’s been hard for voters to digest the mix of infrastructure spending, tax hikes on companies, tax credits for parents, tax breaks for renewable energy, grants to build computer chip factories, insulin price caps and slogans like “Build Back Better.” Last week, the president gave a speech on “Bidenomics” in hopes that the term will lodge in voters’ brains ahead of the 2024 elections. That term joins Nixonomics, Carternomics, Reaganomics and other similar phrases meant to link policies with the man in the Oval Office.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The “parental rights” group Moms for Liberty is looking to expand its efforts to elect school board candidates in 2024 and beyond, as well as get involved in other education races. The group’s co-founder said during its annual summit in Philadelphia that Moms for Liberty will use its political action committee to engage in school board races, state board of education races and elected superintendent races. These efforts will face opposition from teachers’ unions and others on the left who view the group as a toxic presence in public education. Even with a presidential race in 2024, school board elections will remain some of the most contentious political fights next year.

FILE – A sign at Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, Dec. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk has limited the number of tweets that Twitter users can view each day. He described the restrictions as an attempt to prevent unauthorized scraping of potentially valuable data from the social media platform. The site is now requiring people to log on to view tweets and profiles. That’s a change in its longtime practice to allow everyone to peruse the chatter. The restrictions could result in users being locked out of Twitter for the day after scrolling through several hundred tweets. Thousands of users complained Saturday of not being able to access the site. Musk said after facing backlash that he would raise the thresholds on how many tweets accounts can read per day.

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — Three of nine people have pleaded guilty to federal charges in a burglary ring that authorities in northeastern Pennsylvania say stole art, sports memorabilia and other items from museums and other institutions over two decades. Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced charges in June against nine Lackawanna County residents in 18 heists across six states between 1999 and 2019. The thefts included Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock art taken from one museum. Other artwork, antique weapons and gems and gold nuggets were taken from other institutions along with valuable sports championship rings, belts and trophies.

HARRISBURG – Continuing to stand up for the safety and protection of children in the commonwealth, Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr (R-47) and his fellow Senate colleagues approved legislation yesterday to ensure sexually exploited children who are human trafficking victims always have full access to appropriate services and support.

Under current Pennsylvania law, any minor that is exploited for commercial sex must identify their third-party perpetrator to be considered a victim of human trafficking, unless their purchaser is charged as a trafficker.

Senate Bill 44 would ensure that third-party control is never a consideration for access to victim services. Senate Bill 45 would eliminate the third-party control requirement to access victim services under the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline Notification Act.

“Pennsylvania has not been untouched by the horrid human trafficking epidemic that is being seen on a global scale,” said Vogel. “Children who have had to endure the atrocities from being trafficked deserve to have access to every resource possible to aid in their recovery. I am proud to support these critical pieces of legislation.”

The bills will be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

To those who are, or know someone who is, a victim of Human Trafficking, or have a tip about potential trafficking in their area, contact any of the following:

• National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline, 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to 23373.

• Beaver County Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition, 724-775-0131.

• Butler County’s Victim Outreach Intervention Center, 724-283-8700.

• For immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing roadway improvement work on Route 18 (Frankfort Road) in Potter Township, Beaver County resumes Wednesday, July 5 weather permitting.

Long-term single-lane restrictions in both directions on Route 18 between Beaver Valley Mall Boulevard and Old Frankfort Road will occur from 7 a.m. Wednesday continuously through Monday, July 31.  Crews will conduct inlet adjustments, shoulder improvements, and sign installation work.

Harrisburg, PA — Starting today, 283,468 older homeowners, renters, and people with disabilities across Pennsylvania will be issued rebates totaling nearly $132 million. The rebates will be distributed to eligible Pennsylvanians who submitted an application through the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2022.

“Since this program’s inception in 1971, it has delivered more than $8 billion in property tax and rent relief. This has made a tremendous impact for people in communities throughout Pennsylvania who benefit from this program,” Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne said. “We also want everyone to know that there is still time to apply for rebates on property taxes and rent paid in 2022. If you know of a friend or family member who may be eligible, encourage them to check their eligibility status and file an application prior to the deadline on December 31, 2023.”

As specified by law, rebates cannot be issued prior to July 1. The initial rebate distribution is starting this year on July 3 (the first business day of the month). Applicants who submitted their bank account information on their application forms will receive their rebates through direct deposit. Applicants who requested a paper check to be mailed to them should expect to receive their payment in the mail.

After the initial distribution of rebates in early July, rebates will be distributed as claims are received and processed.

Governor Shapiro Proposes Major Expansion of PTRR program

As rebates on property taxes and rent paid in 2022 start going out today, Governor Josh Shapiro is calling for a major expansion of the PTRR program in his 2023-2024 proposed budget. The Governor’s commonsense proposal would provide a lifeline for Pennsylvania renters and homeowners who need it most, and help more seniors across the Commonwealth stay in their homes.

Under the Governor’s proposal, the maximum standard rebate would increase from $650 to $1,000. Meanwhile, the income limits for renters and homeowners would be made equal and both increase to $45,000. Those income limits would also be tied to the cost of living moving forward, which means people who receive a rebate won’t have to worry about losing their eligibility through no fault of their own in the years to come.

Ultimately, the Governor’s proposal would result in nearly 175,000 additional Pennsylvanians qualifying for a property tax or rent rebate. At the same time, the Department of Revenue estimates that 86 percent of the 430,000 claimants who already qualify will see their rebates increase.

Using myPATH to File Your Rebate Application

Submitting your rebate application online through mypath.pa.gov is easy and does not require you to sign up for an account. Applicants will be asked to provide specific information on their income and rent/property taxes. Applicants should check the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program instruction booklet to learn which information they will need to input/upload to complete the process.

Secretary Browne recently signed an order to extend the deadline to apply for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2022 to December 31, 2023.

About the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program

The current maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for certain qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975. The Department of Revenue automatically calculates supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners.

Eligible applicants should check the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program page (www.revenue.pa.gov/ptrr) on the Department of Revenue’s website for more information, including detailed instructions on the program, the paper application form, and contact information for those with questions. It’s free to apply for a rebate, and applicants are reminded that free assistance is available at hundreds of locations across the state, including Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers, and state legislators’ offices.

Applicants must reapply for rebates every year because rebates are based on annual income and property taxes or rent paid in each year. Spouses, personal representatives, or estates may file rebate claims on behalf of claimants who lived at least one day in 2022 and meet all other eligibility criteria.

The easiest way to check the status of your rebate is to use the Where’s My Rebate? tool. To check on the status of your claim, you will need your:

• Social Security number
• Claim year
• Date of birth