
Legislative Roundup: Lt. Gov. highlights investments in NEPA
"I'm thrilled that the Coblentz Corner Project — which is receiving nearly $700,000 in state funding — isn't just about rehabbing an old building," Davis said. "It's about investing in the young people of Berwick and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Gov. Josh Shapiro and I want every Pennsylvania community to be a place where businesses can grow and young people can thrive."
Earlier this month, the Shapiro-Davis Administration awarded $20 million in grants through the Main Street Matters program, administered by DCED.
In Columbia County, Community Strategies Group is receiving a $678,062 Main Street Matters grant for the Coblentz Corner Project, which will rehab a blighted building in the heart of the new Berwick Arts District into a teen center and entrepreneurial academy.
"Coblentz Corner simultaneously culminates more than 15 years of collaborative, incremental momentum in Berwick and serves as a catalyst for the Downtown's next 15 years," said Rich Kisner, executive director of Community Strategies Group. "Funding these types of projects in rural communities like Berwick is very challenging, but Main Street Matters is the kind of program that can change the entire scope of what's possible."
In 2024, FHLBank named downtown Berwick as a Blueprint Community — a revitalization and leadership initiative that serves as a catalyst for creating sustainable communities in the region. Davis previously served as a Blueprint Community team member in his hometown of McKeesport.
Also in Columbia County, Bloomsburg is receiving two Main Street Matters grants:
—$50,955 to revitalize Market Street Square.
—$50,000 for road diet planning for State Route 11/Main Street.
Lewisburg, which DCED designated as a Keystone Communities Main Street in 2024, is receiving two Main Street Matters grants:
—$75,000 for a business improvement grant program.
—$100,000 for way-finding signage.
Through Main Street Matters, the Shapiro-Davis Administration is investing $20 million to revitalize downtown areas, help businesses grow and improve community infrastructure. These funds build on the success of the Keystone Communities Program, which has helped cities and towns across Pennsylvania repair historic buildings, improve pedestrian safety and provide direct support to small businesses.
Main Street Matters received more than 200 applications requesting more than $43 million, underscoring the demand for strategic investments in Main Streets across Pennsylvania. The Shapiro-Davis 2025-26 budget proposal includes another $20 million for the initiative.
FBI releases annual Internet Crime Report
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released its latest annual report.
The 2024 Internet Crime Report combines information from 859,532 complaints of suspected internet crime and details reported losses exceeding $16 billion — a 33% increase in losses from 2023.
Nationwide, the top three cyber-crimes, by number of complaints, reported in 2024 were: phishing/spoofing, extortion and personal data breaches.
The top three crime types reported by victims of fraud loss were: investment scams, business email compromise and tech support scams.
Cryptocurrency fraud continued to be a devastating crime. In 2024, the IC3 received over 149,000 complaints with $9.3 billion in total losses, representing a 66% increase from 2023.
For individuals over the age of 60, the IC3 received over 147,000 complaints spanning across all cyber scams, with losses totaling $4.8 billion. This is a 46% increase in complaints from 2023 and a 43% increase in losses from 2023. The average loss was $83,000.
Pennsylvania was in the top 10 states by number of complaints to IC3 as well as the top 10 states by losses. In reported complaints per state, Pennsylvania was 5th overall with over 27,000 reports. In reported losses, Pennsylvania was 8th overall, with losses of over $400 million.
"Since our founding, the FBI has vigorously pursued complex financial crimes," said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. "While the methods have evolved, the motives remain the same — criminals seeking to exploit others for profit. Today, fraudsters are using advanced digital tools to scale their schemes and target victims around the globe. Whether you're an individual consumer or a large corporation, the threat is real — and growing. That's why we urge everyone to stay vigilant online, and report suspected internet crimes to the FBI at ic3.gov. Your reports are vital — they help us disrupt criminal networks, share intelligence with our partners, and safeguard our communities."
To promote public awareness, the IC3 produces the annual report to aggregate and highlight the data provided by the public. The quality of the data is a direct reflection of the information the public provides through the IC3 website.
The IC3 standardizes the data by categorizing each complaint and analyzes the data to identify and forecast trends in internet crime. The annual report helps the FBI develop effective relationships with industry partners and share information for investigative and intelligence purposes for law enforcement and public awareness.
PSP, Shapiro honor fallen troopers
Gov. Josh Shapiro this week joined the Pennsylvania State Police to honor the sacrifice of all department members who lost their lives in the line of duty.
The memorial service at Department Headquarters commemorated the 120th anniversary of the establishment of the Pennsylvania State Police.
"Our fallen troopers make the ultimate sacrifice for Pennsylvania — and it's important that we take days like today to gather and honor their life in service — and to reaffirm that we never, ever forget," Shapiro said. "The men and women of the Pennsylvania State Police go to work every single day to protect and serve our communities. Policing is a noble profession, and we need to continue to have the backs of our police. That's why my Administration is working to make historic investments in our State Police. I am committed to ensuring our troopers and their families have the help and support they deserve all across our Commonwealth."
"For 120 years, the women and men of Pennsylvania State Police have dedicated their lives to serving our Commonwealth," said Colonel Christopher Paris, Commissioner of the PSP. "Today, we remember those who gave their lives. Our Memorial Wall bears witness to their unfaltering courage and unwavering integrity. May their legacies never fade, and may we forever strive to be worthy of their sacrifices."
The service included a reading of the 104 names on the Pennsylvania State Police Memorial Wall, a moment of silence, the PSP Ceremonial Unit and a rifle salute.
The Pennsylvania State Police was created by legislation signed into law by Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker on May 2, 1905, becoming the first uniformed police organization of its kind in the United States.
Starting with just 228 men, the department has grown to an authorized complement of 4,841 enlisted women and men supported by more than 1,850 civilian employees. It is the 10th-largest police agency in the United States.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CNBC
9 hours ago
- CNBC
Trump ‘big beautiful' bill gives top 1% biggest tax cuts in these states
A massive package of tax cuts championed by President Trump and awaiting a final vote in the House would be a windfall for the wealthiest U.S. households. But the size of that financial benefit depends largely on where high-income taxpayers live, according to a new analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The legislation would give the top 1% of U.S. households an average tax cut of about $66,000, or about 2.4% of their income, in 2026, according to ITEP, a left-leaning think tank. (These households have incomes of $917,000 or more per year, averaging about $2.7 million, it said.) Some households stand to get a much bigger tax benefit. The wealthiest households in three states — Wyoming, South Dakota and Texas — would see their annual tax bills fall by more than $100,000, ITEP found. In Wyoming, the top 1% would see their taxes fall most: by an average of about $133,000 (or 3% of income) in 2026, it said. The average income of the top 1% in the state is about $4.5 million. "The bill is most advantageous to conservative-leaning states that have a lot of very wealthy people living within their borders," said Carl Davis, ITEP's research director. These states also don't levy personal income taxes, he said. Wyoming and Texas "are classic examples of states with a lot of wealthy people and which tax those wealthy people incredibly lightly," Davis said. Senate Republicans passed the legislation, originally called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, on Tuesday with the slimmest of margins. House Republicans are poised to pass the bill Thursday and send it to the president for his signature. The legislation offers more than $4 trillion of net tax cuts over a decade, with most benefits accruing to higher-income households, analyses have found. It also slashes the social safety net, cutting billions of dollars from programs like Medicaid and food stamps meant to help lower earners. More from Personal Finance:Top five tax changes for the wealthy in Trump megabillTrump tax deductions may not carry large benefits for low earnersTrump megabill axes $7,500 EV tax credit after September The centerpiece of the bill is an extension of 2017 tax cuts enacted during President Trump's first term in office. Overall, the legislation lowers income tax rates, exempts a larger share of wealthy estates from taxation and offers tax breaks to business owners. These are among the core ways the GOP bill benefits high-income households, Davis said. It also caps the amount of state and local income taxes and property taxes that households can deduct from their taxable income each year, at $40,000. That "SALT" policy doesn't negatively impact wealthy residents in states like Wyoming, South Dakota and Texas, where residents don't owe state income tax, Davis said. But it has a large impact on states with high state and local income taxes and property taxes. In other words, high-income residents of Wyoming, South Dakota and Texas generally get most of the tax upside and not much downside, he said. Conversely, the highest earners in California and New Jersey would see a smaller tax cut in 2026, averaging about $34,000 and $21,000, respectively, ITEP found. That represents about 1% of their income in each state. Separate analyses have found that the wealthiest households will reap the largest financial benefits from the GOP bill. The top 20% of U.S. households (earning more than $217,000 a year) would get a tax cut equivalent to 3.4% of their after-tax income in 2026, according to the Tax Policy Center. Meanwhile, the bottom 20% would get a 0.8% tax cut. Its analysis only examined the tax portions of the legislation. Overall, more comprehensive analyses that also account for cuts to programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the lowest earners would be worse off, according to analyses by the Budget Lab at Yale University and the Congressional Budget Office, which modeled similar legislation passed by the House last month.

Associated Press
3 days ago
- Associated Press
Pennsylvania governor anticipates a deal 'very soon' as lawmakers blow through the budget deadline
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania's politically divided Legislature will miss Pennsylvania's legal deadline to pass a budget for the new fiscal year, amid closed-door talks to try to produce a compromise on a spending plan. Without the Democratic governor's signature on a new spending plan, the state loses some of its spending authority starting Tuesday, particularly on discretionary payments, such as those to vendors, counties, public schools and grant applicants. The impact of such missed payments generally takes until August to be felt by schools and counties. The biggest issues swirling around budget talks are absorbing a massive increase in Medicaid costs and a push to regulate and tax tens of thousands of slot machine-like 'skill' games that are popping up everywhere. Shapiro said at a news conference Monday that talks between top lawmakers went through the weekend and that he anticipates negotiators will agree on a plan 'very soon.' Shapiro proposed a $51.5 billion plan for the 2025-2026 fiscal year beginning July 1. It would increase total authorized spending by 9% for state operations, or by about $3.8 billion, including a $230 million request for the current year's spending. In a budget stalemate, the state is still legally bound to make debt payments, cover Medicaid costs for millions of Pennsylvanians, issue unemployment compensation payments, keep prisons open and ensure state police are on patrol. All state employees under a governor's jurisdiction are typically expected to report to work and be paid as scheduled during a budget stalemate. Under the state constitution, the budget must be balanced. For Shapiro, it will be his third straight budget that failed to get across the finish line by the legal deadline of July 1.


Miami Herald
26-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Protagonist Therapeutics to Host Conference Call to Announce an Oral Obesity Development Candidate
Webcast and conference call to be held on Monday, June 30th at 4:30 pm ET, dial in information below NEWARK, CA / ACCESS Newswire / June 26, 2025 / Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. ("Protagonist" or the "Company") today announced that the company will host a conference call and webcast to announce its oral obesity development candidate and to share in vitro and pre-clinical proof-of-concept study results. Conference Call and Webcast DetailsThe dial-in numbers for Protagonist's investor update on Monday, June 30th at 4:30 pm ET are: US-based Investors: 1-877-407-0752International Investors: 1-201-389-0912Conference Call ID: 13754335 The webcast link for the event can be found here: A replay of the presentation will be available on the Company's Investor Relations Events and Presentations webpage following the event. About ProtagonistProtagonist Therapeutics is a discovery through late-stage development biopharmaceutical company. Two novel peptides derived from Protagonist's proprietary discovery platform are currently in advanced Phase 3 clinical development, with New Drug Application submissions to the FDA potentially in 2025. Icotrokinra (formerly, JNJ-2113) is a first-in-class investigational targeted oral peptide that selectively blocks the Interleukin-23 receptor ("IL-23R") which is licensed to J&J Innovative Medicines ("JNJ"), formerly Janssen Biotech, Inc. Following icotrokinra's joint discovery by Protagonist and JNJ scientists pursuant to the companies' IL-23R collaboration, Protagonist was primarily responsible for development of icotrokinra through Phase 1, with JNJ assuming responsibility for development in Phase 2 and beyond. Rusfertide, a mimetic of the natural hormone hepcidin, is currently in Phase 3 development for the rare blood disorder polycythemia vera (PV). Rusfertide is being co-developed and will be co-commercialized with Takeda Pharmaceuticals pursuant to a worldwide collaboration and license agreement entered in 2024 under which the Company remains primarily responsible for development through NDA filing. The Company also has a number of pre-clinical stage oral drug discovery programs addressing clinically and commercially validated targets, including IL-17 oral peptide antagonist PN-881, oral hepcidin program, and oral obesity program. More information on Protagonist, its pipeline drug candidates and clinical studies can be found on the Company's website at Investor Relations ContactCorey Davis, Advisors+1 212 915 2577cdavis@ Media ContactVirginia Amann, Founder/CEOENTENTE Network of Companies+1 833 500 0061 ext 1virginiaamann@ SOURCE: Protagonist Therapeutics