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Business
Repeat Jobless Claims Hit Four-Year High Amid Weak July Jobs Report Repeat Jobless Claims Hit Four-Year High Amid Weak July Jobs Report
Repeat Jobless Claims Hit Four-Year High Amid Weak July Jobs Report The number of Americans continuing to file for unemployment benefits has surged to its highest level in nearly four years, according to new federal data. Continued unemployment claims topped 1.97 million during the week ending on Saturday, July 26, the Department of Labor said on Thursday, Aug. 7. That's the most since early November 2021, when the insured unemployment level reached 2.04 million. Repeat claims rose by 38,000 from the previous week. The DOL data signals that more jobseekers are struggling to find work and remain on unemployment. In the Northeast, se…

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by Chris Spiker
News
'Plastics Crisis' Costs $1.5T Annually, Study Says: 'World Cannot Recycle Its Way Out' 'Plastics Crisis' Costs $1.5T Annually, Study Says: 'World Cannot Recycle Its Way Out'
'Plastics Crisis' Costs $1.5T Annually, Study Says: 'World Cannot Recycle Its Way Out' Researchers are warning about a "global plastics crisis" that's costing about $1.5 trillion a year in deaths and medical issues. The estimate comes from a new study published in The Lancet medical journal on Sunday, Aug. 3. Plastic production is projected to triple by 2060, and less than 10% is ever recycled. Plastics are made from fossil fuels and contain more than 16,000 chemicals. Around 8,000 megatons are polluting Earth's environment, including the most remote places on the planet. Chemicals and microplastics have been found in the brains and other body parts of humans, along with lan…

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by Chris Spiker
Politics
$140K Fraud Committed By Former PA Senator's Aide Scamming Church, Supporters $140K Fraud Committed By Former PA Senator's Aide Scamming Church, Supporters
$140K Fraud Committed By Former PA Senator's Aide Scamming Church, Supporters A former aide to Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes admitted to stealing more than $140,000 from a North Philadelphia church where he was a deacon and from a city political ward he led, the FBI announced on Saturday, Aug. 2.  Willie Jordan, 68, of Upper Darby, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III to two counts of wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, July 30. From 2020 to 2024, Jordan exploited his roles at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and Philadelphia’s 44th Ward for personal benefit, court d…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Maryland Teens Linked To Organized Crime Ring After Vintage Store Burglary: Police Maryland Teens Linked To Organized Crime Ring After Vintage Store Burglary: Police
Maryland Teens Linked To Organized Crime Ring After Vintage Store Burglary: Police A group of teens wanted for smashing their way into a Harford County vintage shop were arrested in Pennsylvania days later — and are now suspected of being part of an organized crime ring stretching across Maryland and beyond, police said. Bel Air Police say four suspects broke into Offline Footwear & Vintage on Main Street around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, July 11, after “smashing through the glass in the front door.” Offline Footwear & Vintage on Main Street Google Maps street view Once inside, “suspects rummaged through merchandise, smashed a display case, and stole numerous v…

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by Zak Failla
Business
P&G Hiking Prices On Household Essentials As Trump's Tariffs Bite P&G Hiking Prices On Household Essentials As Trump's Tariffs Bite
P&G Hiking Prices On Household Essentials As Trump's Tariffs Bite The company behind popular products like Bounty paper towels, Tide detergent, and Crest toothpaste will soon start raising prices due to President Donald Trump's tariffs. Procter & Gamble will start the price hikes in August as the company expects about $1 billion in added costs from Trump's tariffs during the 2026 fiscal year. P&G revealed the financial impact in its latest earnings report on Tuesday, July 29. The increases will apply to about a quarter of P&G's products sold in the US, Reuters reported. A company spokesperson said prices will rise by "mid-single…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Maryland Sex Offender Abused Two Young Children After Failing To Register: Feds Maryland Sex Offender Abused Two Young Children After Failing To Register: Feds
Maryland Sex Offender Abused Two Young Children After Failing To Register: Feds A registered sex offender who moved from Pennsylvania to Maryland will spend decades in prison after sexually abusing two minors, authorities announced. Harrison James Miller, 32, of Hagerstown, has been sentenced to 37 years in prison, followed by lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to sex abuse offenses involving two children.  According to his plea, Miller was ordered to register as a sex offender after a conviction in Pennsylvania involving an 8-year-old child.   In August 2022, upon release from prison, Miller moved to Hagerstown, but did not regis…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
MD Ranked Top 10 Nationally For School Quality, Safety In New Study: Here's Why MD Ranked Top 10 Nationally For School Quality, Safety In New Study: Here's Why
MD Ranked Top 10 Nationally For School Quality, Safety In New Study: Here's Why Many public school systems in the Northeast are outperforming the rest of the country in quality and safety, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of States with the Best & Worst School Systems on Monday, July 21. The study ranked every state's public schools based on academic performance, safety, funding, and teacher credentials. Massachusetts ranked No. 1 in the country, earning top scores in both fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading. The Bay State also had the highest share of students scoring a three or better on Advanced Placement (AP) exams and …

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by Chris Spiker
News
Cops Seek True ID Of Fake Nurse Who Used 20 Names, Stole Meds In Multiple States (UPDATE) Cops Seek True ID Of Fake Nurse Who Used 20 Names, Stole Meds In Multiple States (UPDATE)
Cops Seek True ID Of Fake Nurse Who Used 20 Names, Stole Meds In Multiple States (Update) A woman accused of posing as a nurse under 20 fake names and stealing prescription drugs from health care facilities across Pennsylvania and other states is now at the center of a growing criminal investigation — and police say they don’t even know who she really is. The woman has been charged under the name Shannon Nicole Womack, 39, but Pennsylvania State Police announced on Friday, July 25, that they are now seeking the public’s help in positively identifying her true legal name. Investigators have uncovered additional false identities since her April 2025 arrest, prompting police to rele…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
MD Residents' Electric Bill Is About To Spike Again MD Residents' Electric Bill Is About To Spike Again
MD Residents' Electric Bill Is About To Spike Again A record-high electricity auction held by PJM Interconnection is expected to drive up energy bills across much of the East Coast, even as many states have already been hit with rate hikes this summer. The results of PJM’s 2026/2027 Base Residual Auction, announced Tuesday, July 22, show the price of capacity cleared at the federal cap of $329.17 per megawatt-day, the highest in years.  That’s a 22% jump from last year’s price of $269.92. PJM, which manages the power grid for 13 states and Washington, D.C., secured over 134,000 megawatts of power to meet the projected electricity needs…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Honorary Cop Connor Taverna, 7, Dies Of Rare Cancer Weeks After Multi-State Convoy—Including MD Honorary Cop Connor Taverna, 7, Dies Of Rare Cancer Weeks After Multi-State Convoy—Including MD
Honorary Cop Connor Taverna, 7, Dies Of Rare Cancer Weeks After Multi-State Convoy—Including MD A 7-year-old boy who stole the hearts of first responders across the region has died, Carlisle Borough Police announced on Tuesday, July 22. Connor Taverna, a dinosaur-loving first grader sworn in as an honorary police officer in November 2023, passed away after a nearly two-year battle with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)—a rare and aggressive brain tumor found in children. Doctors gave him 8 to 12 months to live in 2023, but Connor beat the odds, becoming one of fewer than 10 percent of children to survive beyond the first year. EMS Convoy Tribute Just weeks before his passing, mo…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Most Loved Ice Cream Flavor In MD Revealed In New Study Most Loved Ice Cream Flavor In MD Revealed In New Study
Most Loved Ice Cream Flavor In MD Revealed In New Study When it comes to ice cream, the Northeast isn't picking sides. A new report from Beach.com found that Neapolitan is among the most popular in many Northeastern states. The classic trio of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry was listed as a favorite in states like Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia. The travel website used five years of Google search data to determine the top-searched ice cream flavor in each state. In total, Neapolitan ranked No. 1 in 19 states, making it the most popular flavor in the country. In the tri-state area, it's more than just a single scoop: C…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Man With ‘Fugitive To-Do List’ Lured Victim, Robbed Bank App, Fled Across MD After Fight: DOJ Man With ‘Fugitive To-Do List’ Lured Victim, Robbed Bank App, Fled Across MD After Fight: DOJ
Man With ‘Fugitive To-Do List’ Lured Victim, Robbed Bank App, Fled Across MD After Fight: DOJ A Delaware man who kept a "fugitive to-do list" on his phone after a violent kidnapping and robbery has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday, July 14. Donnie Taylor, 21, of Wilmington, lured a Pennsylvania man to a New Castle parking lot with the promise of sex in the early hours of Oct. 17, 2022, according to the DOJ. Once the man arrived, Taylor and Kyaire Finch punched him in the head, stole his phone and wallet, and used his banking app to transfer $1,400. Finch then restrained the man in the backseat of a vehicle while Taylor …

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by Jillian Pikora