Mnuchin Tweets that Stimulus Checks could be Delivered as soon as Today.

You may be waking up to a little extra cash this morning so make sure you check you bank account because Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin took to Twitter on Tuesday confirming that the payments and checks were on the way for the second round of stimulus money signed into law by President Donald Trump on Sunday.

Mnuchin posted that the U.S. Treasury and IRS would begin delivering the second round of economic impact payments late Tuesday night and Wednesday, via direct deposit for those who have their banking information on file through the IRS.

Paper checks will be mailed out beginning Wednesday.

Eligible Americans will receive a one-time payment of up to $600 per person, or $1,200 for married couples.

On top of that, some families with children will get up to $600 for each qualifying child. Any Taxpayer who made up to $75,000 and married couples who made less than $150,000 in 2019 are eligible for the full amount.
If you made more than that you could still receive a reduced stimulus.

Man who Shot McKeesport Officer Apprehended in West Virginia

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Authorities say they have apprehended Koby Lee Francis who has been on the run since December 20, 2020. Francis is accused of shooting a McKeesport Police Officer while he was in custody. A man hunt has been going on for Francis who escaped handcuffed after shooting the officer three times as the officer opened the back door of his cruiser to lead Francis into the McKeesport Police Station. Francis was apprehended by Federal Marshals Tuesday night around 6:00 pm at an apartment complex in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Francis is being held awaiting extradition back to Allegheny County. Francis was originally arrested for violating a protection from abuse order before the Dec. 20 gunfire and escape.

Senate GOP blocks swift vote on Trump’s $2K checks

Senate GOP blocks swift vote on Trump’s $2K checks
By LISA MASCARO and JILL COLVIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked Democrats’ push to immediately bring President Donald Trump’s demand for bigger $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks up for a vote. The GOP leader said the Senate would “begin a process” to address the issue. But the next steps are highly uncertain. Trump has been pushing to more than triple the $600 payments approved by Congress. The House approved the larger checks, but the issue divides Republicans. On Tuesday, two Georgia Republican senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, said they support Trump’s plan. They are in the fights of their political lives in runoff elections Jan. 5 that will determine which party controls the Senate.

Boeing Max returns to US skies with first passenger flight

Boeing Max returns to US skies with first passenger flight
By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer
American Airlines flew a commercial flight using a Boeing 737 Max, the first one in U.S. skies since Max planes were grounded after two deadly crashes. An airline spokesman said American flight 718 on Tuesday left Miami International Airport with about 100 passengers. It landed in the afternoon at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration approved changes that Boeing made to an automated flight-control system implicated in crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people in all. In both crashes, the system pushed the nose down repeatedly based on faulty sensor readings, and pilots were unable to regain control.

Hopewell Commissioners approve mutual aid agreement with Beaver County

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano

(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) Hopewell Township Commissioners last night approved a resolution reaffirming    a mutual aid agreement  by the  county  and the Beaver County DA’s office, the township and the police department.

There is good news for township residents, there will be no tax increase in 2021, according to  chairman Rich Bufalini. Real estate taxes will remain at  16 mills. in 2021.
In their annual budget , another one is continue implementing road improvement projects.message one of the goals  publicized is the township will continue to pursue development opportunities.

Man charged with homicide in death of missing autistic woman

Man charged with homicide in death of missing autistic woman
DRUMS, Pa. (AP) — A man has been charged with criminal homicide in the death of a missing autistic woman after authorities said he told them where to find her body in northeastern Pennsylvania. Forty-two-year-old Harold Haulman III is also charged in Luzerne County with abuse of a corpse and kidnapping in the death of 26-year-old Erica Shultz, whose body was found in a wooded area in Butler Township. The (Wilkes-Barre) Times Leader reports that the victim’s sister reported her missing Dec. 6 to Bloomsburg police. Court documents don’t list an attorney for Haulman and phone numbers listed for him had been reassigned or were no longer in service.

US attorney in Harrisburg for 3 years, is resigning

Freed, US attorney in Harrisburg for 3 years, is resigning
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The head federal prosecutor based in Harrisburg announced he will be quitting the job later this week. U.S. Attorney Dave Freed said Monday he’s resigning after serving more than three years in the Trump Administration. The Republican is a former Cumberland County district attorney who lives in Camp Hill. Freed is the U.S. attorney in the 33-county Middle District of Pennsylvania, which has courthouses in Harrisburg, Williamsport and Scranton. One of Freed’s top aides, Bruce Brandler, will take over. Democratic President-elect Joe Biden will have the authority to choose U.S. attorneys around the country, subject to Senate confirmation.

1 found dead in basement after fire, 2 injured; cause of Bell Twp. Fire being investigated

1 found dead in basement after fire, 2 injured; cause sought
SALINA, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say fire claimed the life of one person and injured two others in a western Pennsylvania home. Officials in Westmoreland County said the blaze in Bell Township was reported just before 9:30 a.m. Monday. The coroner’s office said 52-year-old Frank Zanavich was found in the basement and pronounced dead at the scene. State police said two other people were taken to a Pittsburgh hospital. Their conditions weren’t immediately available. The cause and manner of death is pending final autopsy and toxicology results which will take several weeks. A state police fire marshal is investigating the cause of the blaze.

Maverick French designer Pierre Cardin dies at 98

Maverick French designer Pierre Cardin dies at 98
PARIS (AP) — France’s Academy of Fine Arts says Pierre Cardin, the French designer whose Space Age style was among the iconic looks of 20th-century fashion, has died at 98. A licensing maverick, Cardin’s name embossed thousands of products from wristwatches to bedsheets, making his label among the world’s most famous. In the brand’s heyday in the 1970s and ’80s, his products were sold at some 100,000 outlets worldwide, though that number dwindled dramatically in later decades. A savvy businessman, Cardin used his fabulous wealth to snap up top-notch properties in Paris, including the Belle Epoque restaurant Maxim’s. He was inducted into the Fine Arts Academy in 1992. The academy announced his death in a tweet Tuesday.

L&I Preparing for Federal Pandemic Unemployment Extensions

L&I Preparing for Federal Pandemic Unemployment Extensions
PUA and PEUC unemployment program extensions delayed until federal government provides guidance    
Harrisburg, PA – Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier today announced Pennsylvania is preparing for the new CARES Act extensions for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) programs, while cautioning that delays by the federal government in approving the legislation will cause a gap in these benefits for more than 509,000 workers in the commonwealth.
“The CARES Act extensions will ensure Pennsylvania workers who have been affected by the global economic downturn caused by COVID-19 will continue to receive the unemployment support they desperately need for themselves and their families,” said Berrier. “L&I began reviewing the legislation last week when it was first unveiled and will resume making payments for the PUA and PEUC programs as soon as we get approval from the federal Department of Labor (DOL) to move forward.”

The PUA and PEUC programs, which expired last week, received extensions under the new legislation. PUA assists workers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 who are not eligible for other unemployment compensation programs. PEUC provides additional weeks of benefits to workers who have exhausted their Unemployment Compensation benefits. Together, these programs provided payments to more than half a million Pennsylvanians.

An additional program, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), will provide eligible claimants with $300 per week on top of the weekly benefit amount he or she receives from certain other unemployment programs. FPUC previously provided $600 per week additional payments until the program ended in July.

While L&I has already begun reviewing the legislation and working with its unemployment system vendor to make programmatic changes to accommodate the extensions, L&I must receive guidance and approval from the U.S. Department of Labor (US DOL) before it can resume issuing payments through PUA, PEUC and FPUC.

Several weeks may pass before US DOL issues all the guidance needed for payments to resume for the CARES Act programs. Pennsylvanians are encouraged to seek other forms of assistance during the interim.

“We know Pennsylvania workers are relying on these programs to pay for essential needs so we are doing everything we can to begin resuming payments as quickly as we can after we receive more information from US DOL,” added Berrier. “We strongly encourage these Pennsylvanians to apply for other forms of benefits that can help them while we wait on the federal government to provide us with the guidance and permission we need to begin implementing the extensions.”

L&I encourages PUA and PEUC claimants to review the following resources for eligibility and apply immediately if they qualify:

PUA and PEUC claimants are also encouraged to use the United Way of Pennsylvania’s 211 program to identify local resources, including food banks, housing assistance, and utility help. Claimants can review available programs in their ZIP code by visiting pa211.org, by texting their ZIP code to 898-211, or by calling 211 any time.

For updates on the unemployment program, visit www.uc.pa.gov or follow L&I on Facebook or Twitter.