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Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | December 17, 2024
One step closer to becoming a reality is the first federal anti-hazing bill. Finally, an abandoned shopping center is being destroyed. In the new year, some utility users can anticipate higher rates. Last but not least, this scholar was crucial to the study of black holes.
Today in Pa.
In the most recent episode of Today in Pa., a daily weekday podcast hosted by Claudia Dimuro on PennLive.com, we discuss those stories. The goal of Today in Pennsylvania is to provide you with the most significant and fascinating stories about Pennsylvania that will help you understand what is actually going on in the state today.
The articles mentioned in today’s episode are as follows:
Read and listen to the transcript below:
Allegheny County is one step closer to enacting the first federal anti-hazing law ever. Finally, a run-down shopping center is getting worse. In the upcoming year, PECO rates will be released. Last but not least, a professor at Bucknell was essential in the study of black holes. My name is Claudia Dimuro. and Today in Pa is what you’re hearing.
The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that regulations in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania mandate that institutions disclose hazing events to the public and impose harsher sanctions. However, there is now a chance that the first federal anti-hazing bill may pass. The Senate just approved the Stop college Hazing Act, which will update the Clery Act, a college crime law passed in the wake of the 1986 rape and murder of Lehigh University student Jeanne Clery. The act is currently awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature.
Similar to the statutes in Jersey and Pennsylvania, this bill mandates that institutions create a hazing prevention program and publicly disclose instances of hazing. Jessica Mertz, executive director of Clery Center, a group that aims to enhance the reporting of campus crime, stated that it will also establish a federal definition of hazing and require schools to disclose findings on student organizations that violate hazing policies.
This is a significant victory for the students and families affected by hazing, as well as a significant turning point for campus safety.
PennLive says that, with some assistance from the state, West Mifflin’s old and abandoned Century 3mall is being demolished. Last Monday, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis said that a million dollars in grant funds will help demolish the mall, which has been closed since 2019. With the help of this funding, 150 new employment will be created for the proposed mixed-use development that would replace all of the existing construction jobs in the area. It is anticipated that this demolition would be completed within 12 to 18 months.
According to the Bucks County Courier Times, PECO tariffs will increase in the new year, but not to the extent that the Exelon corporation had hoped. A joint settlement with Pico was accepted by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Thursday, which includes reducing the proposed monthly distribution charge for energy rates from $3.78 to $0.75. Nevertheless, in 2025, consumers throughout the state may experience a 10% increase in their bills, including taxes and other levies. In 2026, electricity prices will rise by an additional 1.8%. Rates for natural gas will also increase, by roughly $12.25.
According to NorthCentralPA.com, Jack Gallimore is a professor of physics and astronomy at Bucknell who leads a global group of students and astronomers. Finding magnetic loops around a supermassive black hole was the function of Gallimore. Now, the black hole itself was a mystery due to the dust and gas surrounding it, even though the galaxy where it is located is thoroughly studied. The Astrophysical Journal Letters revealed this discovery last week. Awesome.
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