FILE – Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at the West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on March 16, 2022. The Supreme Court is deciding whether women will face restrictions in getting a drug used in the most common method of abortion in the United States, while a lawsuit continues. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is deciding whether women will face restrictions in getting a drug used in the most common method of abortion in the U.S. while a lawsuit continues. The justices are expected to issue an order Wednesday in a fast-moving case from Texas in which abortion opponents are seeking to roll back Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug, mifepristone. The drug won FDA approval in 2000. Conditions on the drug’s use have been loosened in recent years, including making it available by mail in states that allow access. The Biden administration and New York-based drugmaker Danco Laboratories want the Supreme Court to reject limits on mifepristone’s use imposed by lower courts.

This image released by the Washington County, N.Y., Sheriff, shows Kevin Monahan, 65, who was arrested on a second-degree murder charge. Kaylin Gillis, 20, was traveling through the rural town of Hebron, N.Y., with three other people Saturday night, April 15, 2023, when the group made a wrong turn onto Monahan’s property, who came out onto his porch and fired two shots. One round hit and killed Gillis, according to Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy. (Washington County NY Sheriff via AP)

When Kaylin Gillis and her friends took a wrong turn into an upstate New York driveway last weekend, they wound up on the property of a man bitter about people driving onto his land by mistake. That’s according to a neighbor of the New York landowner, Kevin Monahan. The county sheriff says Monahan opened fire on the car carrying Gillis on Saturday night, killing her. Monahan faces a murder charge. His neighbor said he had become more and more upset in recent years at people making wrong turns into his driveway. Monahan’s lawyer says the slaying was a “tragedy” but that his client is not a villain.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Fox and Dominion Voting Systems have reached a $787 million settlement in the voting machine company’s defamation lawsuit. The agreement averts a trial in a case that exposed how the top-rated network chased viewers by promoting lies about the 2020 presidential election. Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson said the deal shows that truth matters and lies have consequences. Dominion had asked for $1.6 billion in arguing that Fox had damaged its reputation by helping peddle phony conspiracy theories about its equipment switching votes from former President Donald Trump to Democrat Joe Biden.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published April 19, 2023

(Hopewell Township, PA) Only 3 board members were present, one on ZOOM for the  meeting Tuesday night. No action  could be taken due to the circumstances, according to Superintendent Dr. Jeff Beltz. The board meets in regular session, Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 7 p.m. in the junior high school board room.

East Palestine Train Derailment (Curtis Walsh)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Norfolk Southern’s CEO has reiterated apologies for the East Palestine train derailment and toxic chemical release as well as vows to make things right during his first testimony at the Ohio Legislature since the fiery accident. On Tuesday, Alan Shaw says he supports some additional safety proposals, but signaled resistance to others, such as two person crew mandates. The railroad is facing lawsuits, including one from Ohio’s attorney general over environmental cleanup costs. No one was hurt in the Feb. 3 derailment, but half of the nearly 5,000 East Palestine residents were evacuated for days. Many say they are suffering from health problems such as rashes, headaches and trouble breathing.

HARRISBURG, PA:  The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reported today that the combined total revenue generated from all forms of gaming along with fantasy contests during March 2023 was $515,278,831, an increase of 11.35% compared to revenue generated in March 2022. The PGCB also noted that this monthly revenue number exceeded the half billion mark for the first time since legalized gambling began in 2006.

 

Sources of gaming revenue regulated by the PGCB include slot machines, table games, internet gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals (VGTs). The PGCB has posted separate reports for these types of gaming on its website, https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/.

 

FILE – (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — If you’re expecting a tax refund, it could be smaller than last year. And with inflation still high, that money won’t go as far as it did a year ago. The more than 101 million taxpayers who had filed as of April 7 got refunds that were an average of 9.3% less than last year. That’s in part due to pandemic relief programs expiring. The filing deadline for most taxpayers is Tuesday, though it has been extended for eight states that were hard hit by severe weather. According to the most recent IRS data, the average refund is $2,878, down from $3,175. That’s a difference of more than $300.

FILE – President Joe Biden speaks at Ulster University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed an executive order containing more than 50 directives to increase access to child care and improve the work life of caregivers. But the White House said Tuesday the directives in the order would be funded out of existing commitments. That likely means the directives’ impact would be limited and they’d carry more of a symbolic weight. The Democratic president was more ambitious in 2021 by calling to provide $425 billion to expand child care, improve its affordability and boost wages for caregivers. White House Domestic Policy Council director Susan Rice says the order shows Biden isn’t waiting on Congress to act.

Philadelphia, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro announced his Administration is taking action to limit access to xylazine, commonly known as “tranq,” a powerful sedative approved for veterinary use on large animals but one that is increasingly found in Pennsylvania’s illicit drug supply.

 

Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen has submitted a notice of intent to temporarily add xylazine to the list of schedule III drugs under Pennsylvania’s Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act. Dr. Bogen will also submit a notice of intent to schedule nitazines, a class of synthetic opioids that have never been approved for use in the United States, as a schedule I drug. The notices will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Saturday, April 22, 2023. The Office of Attorney General will receive a copy of the notices and has 30 days to comment.

 

“Xylazine is a powerful animal sedative that should never be ingested by humans and is compounding our fight against the opioid crisis – and today, my Administration is taking action to keep it out of our communities and protect Pennsylvanians. The steps we are taking today will help ensure this dangerous drug can’t be diverted from legitimate sources to the drug dealers harming our communities, while preserving its important use on animals,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Xylazine has a real purpose for veterinarians, but is being abused by drug dealers and harming those suffering from substance use disorder. My Administration is committed to helping Pennsylvanians get the treatment they need, and we will work with our partners in law enforcement to get these drugs out of our communities and bring the drug dealers poisoning our communities to justice.”

 

Scheduling a drug requires manufacturers and distributors to not only verify that a practitioner, like a veterinarian, is licensed but that they are also authorized to receive a controlled substance. Additionally, this action allows for more checks in an ordering system, to ensure the proper address for delivery and receipt of a controlled substance, often requiring the practitioner themselves to sign for the product. Scheduling further requires practitioners to take steps to minimize theft and diversion, including accurate recordkeeping, limiting staff access to the product, and ensuring it’s stored in a secure location.

 

People exposed to xylazine often knowingly or unknowingly use it in combination with other drugs, particularly illicit fentanyl; the medication is used to lengthen the opioid’s euphoric effects.

 

Xylazine is a growing issue across Pennsylvania. In 2017, xylazine contributed to 90 overdose deaths, but in 2021, it contributed to 575 overdose deaths across 30 counties – an increase of over 600 percent in just 5 years. It’s also becoming increasingly prevalent in Philadelphia – in 2021, the City of Philadelphia reported that 90 percent of street opioid samples contained xylazine.

 

“Across the country and here in Pennsylvania we are seeing an alarming increase in the number of overdose deaths in which xylazine was a contributing factor,” said Dr. Bogen. “Our focus remains on harm reduction strategies and helping people get treatment for substance use disorders. At the same time, we need to take action to protect people from xylazine that is increasingly found in the drug supply.”

 

Last year, the FDA warned that xylazine is not safe for use in humans. Xylazine use may also result in skin ulcers with wounds that excrete puss, have decaying tissue and bacterial infections, which can lead to amputation.

 

While opioid-reversing medications such as naloxone will not reverse the effects of xylazine itself, it can still be effective in reversing the effects of the particular opioid involved and should still be administered if symptoms consistent with possible opioid overdose are present. If xylazine was involved, the person may still appear sedated after their breathing has returned.

 

Anyone seeking substance use treatment or recovery resources for themselves or a loved one can call the toll-free PA Get Help Now helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357), or go online to the Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards Platform (ATLAS) at treatmentatlas.org.

 

ATLAS can help Pennsylvanians find and compare addiction treatment services and facilities to find the one that will work best for their family.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing work to inspect bridges is underway on I-376 (Beaver Valley Expressway) in Center and Brighton townships, Beaver County.

Single-lane restrictions will occur on I-376 in each direction in each direction from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the following locations:

• Tuesday, April 18 – Pleasant Drive Bridge (Route 3017) at the Center (Exit 42) interchange in Center Township
• Wednesday, April 19 – Brighton Road Bridge (Route 4035) at the Brighton (Exit 38) interchange in Brighton Township

PennDOT crews will conduct the inspection work.

Please use caution if traveling in this area. Remember, work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.