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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Pennsylvania House makes last-ditch effort to stave off cuts at Philadelphia's public transit agency
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A last-ditch effort to prevent half of all public transit services from being eliminated in the Philadelphia region passed Pennsylvania's House of Representatives on Monday, as a roughly $1 billion Democratic-backed funding plan advanced toward an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled state Senate. HT Image The bill — which includes funding for highways, too — increases aid for transit agency operations by $292 million, or about 25% more, with the lion's share of the money going to the Philadelphia-based Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. SEPTA has said it cannot keep waiting for more aid and must start making cuts in the coming days, which it says will be more drastic than any undertaken by a major transit agency in the United States. The nation's sixth-largest public transit system has warned that it will cut half its services by Jan. 1 and be unable to provide enhanced service for major tourist events next year. Those include FIFA World Cup matches in Philadelphia, events surrounding the celebration of the nation's 250th birthday, Major League Baseball's all-star game, the PGA Championship and NCAA March Madness games. The legislation passed in the House by 108-95 over the objection of nearly every Republican in the chamber. It has the support of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, but Republican senators have resisted increasing aid for transit. The deadline push comes after two years of stalemate, and as transit agencies nationwide struggle with rising costs and lagging ridership. SEPTA has said that on Thursday it will begin a 10-day preparation period for 20% across-the-board service cuts. Those take effect Aug. 24 and include eliminating bus routes with lower ridership and reducing the frequency of bus, trolley and rail services across the region. Under the plan, fares will then rise by 21.5% on Sept. 1 for the system's approximately 800,000 daily riders. A weekday ride would rise from $2.50 to $2.90 on a bus, train or trolley, it said. Soon after, the agency would impose a hiring freeze and carry out additional service cuts by Jan. 1 that will mean it will have eliminated half its current services, it has said. That will include cutting more regional rail and bus routes and imposing a 9 p.m. curfew on rail services, some of which go as late as 1:30 a.m. currently. Democrats say shoring up public transit agencies around the state is critical to the economy and making sure people can get to work, school and medical appointments. Republicans have objected that transit agencies need to become more efficient, highways need more state funding and transit riders should pay higher fares. Transit agencies in Pittsburgh and elsewhere around Pennsylvania also say they are making cuts or raising fares, or both. Under the bill, an extra 1.75 percentage points of state sales tax revenue — from 4.4% to 6.15% — would go toward a public transit fund to help pay for the operations of several dozen transit systems around the state. The increase represents about $292 million. Democrats inserted several other provisions into the bill in a bid to pick up Republican votes. That includes funding up to $325 million in borrowing authority for highway projects, allocating $275 million for improvements to smaller, rural roads and commissioning the creation of performance standards for the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh transit agencies. ___ Follow Marc Levy on X at
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania House makes last-ditch effort to stave off cuts at Philadelphia's public transit agency
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's House of Representatives met hastily Monday to pass transportation funding legislation in a last-ditch effort to stave off deep service cuts at the Philadelphia region's public transit agency. The Democratic-backed bill passed the chamber, 108-95, over the objection of nearly every Republican in the chamber. The nearly $1 billion bill has the support of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, and includes funding for highways, too. But it faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate, where the GOP majority has resisted increasing aid for transit. The bill increases aid for transit agency operations by $292 million, or about 25% more, with the lion's share of the money going to the Philadelphia-based Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. SEPTA has said it cannot keep waiting for more aid before it makes cuts, which it says would be more drastic than any undertaken by a major transit agency in the United States. The nation's sixth-largest public transit system has warned that it will cut half its services by Jan. 1 and be unable to provide enhanced service for major tourist events next year. Those include FIFA World Cup matches in Philadelphia, events surrounding the celebration of the nation's 250th birthday, Major League Baseball's all-star game, the PGA Championship and NCAA March Madness games. The deadline push comes after two years of stalemate, amid transit struggles nationwide with rising costs and lagging ridership. SEPTA has said that, on Thursday, it will begin a 10-day preparation period for 20% across-the-board service cuts. Those take effect Aug. 24 and include eliminating bus routes with lower ridership and reducing the frequency of bus, trolley and rail services across the region. Under the plan, fares will then rise by 21.5% on Sept. 1 and, soon after, the agency will impose a hiring freeze. It will carry out another service cut on Jan. 1 that will mean that it will have eliminated half its current services, it has said. Democrats say shoring up public transit agencies around the state is critical to the economy and making sure people can get to work, school and medical appointments. Republicans have objected that transit agencies need to become more efficient, highways need more state funding and transit riders should pay higher fares. Transit agencies in Pittsburgh and elsewhere around Pennsylvania also say they are making cuts or raising fares, or both. ___ Follow Marc Levy on X at Marc Levy, The Associated Press
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pennsylvania House makes last-ditch effort to stave off cuts at Philadelphia's public transit agency
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's House of Representatives met hastily Monday to pass transportation funding legislation in a last-ditch effort to stave off deep service cuts at the Philadelphia region's public transit agency. The Democratic-backed bill passed the chamber, 108-95, over the objection of nearly every Republican in the chamber. The nearly $1 billion bill has the support of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, and includes funding for highways, too. But it faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate, where the GOP majority has resisted increasing aid for transit. The bill increases aid for transit agency operations by $292 million, or about 25% more, with the lion's share of the money going to the Philadelphia-based Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. SEPTA has said it cannot keep waiting for more aid before it makes cuts, which it says would be more drastic than any undertaken by a major transit agency in the United States. The nation's sixth-largest public transit system has warned that it will cut half its services by Jan. 1 and be unable to provide enhanced service for major tourist events next year. Those include FIFA World Cup matches in Philadelphia, events surrounding the celebration of the nation's 250th birthday, Major League Baseball's all-star game, the PGA Championship and NCAA March Madness games. The deadline push comes after two years of stalemate, amid transit struggles nationwide with rising costs and lagging ridership. SEPTA has said that, on Thursday, it will begin a 10-day preparation period for 20% across-the-board service cuts. Those take effect Aug. 24 and include eliminating bus routes with lower ridership and reducing the frequency of bus, trolley and rail services across the region. Under the plan, fares will then rise by 21.5% on Sept. 1 and, soon after, the agency will impose a hiring freeze. It will carry out another service cut on Jan. 1 that will mean that it will have eliminated half its current services, it has said. Democrats say shoring up public transit agencies around the state is critical to the economy and making sure people can get to work, school and medical appointments. Republicans have objected that transit agencies need to become more efficient, highways need more state funding and transit riders should pay higher fares. ___
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pennsylvania House makes last-ditch effort to stave off cuts at Philadelphia's public transit agency
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's House of Representatives met hastily Monday to pass transportation funding legislation in a last-ditch effort to stave off deep service cuts at the Philadelphia region's public transit agency. The Democratic-backed bill passed the chamber, 108-95, over the objection of nearly every Republican in the chamber. The nearly $1 billion bill has the support of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, and includes funding for highways, too. But it faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate, where the GOP majority has resisted increasing aid for transit. The bill increases aid for transit agency operations by $292 million, or about 25% more, with the lion's share of the money going to the Philadelphia-based Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. SEPTA has said it cannot keep waiting for more aid before it makes cuts, which it says would be more drastic than any undertaken by a major transit agency in the United States. The nation's sixth-largest public transit system has warned that it will cut half its services by Jan. 1 and be unable to provide enhanced service for major tourist events next year. Those include FIFA World Cup matches in Philadelphia, events surrounding the celebration of the nation's 250th birthday, Major League Baseball's all-star game, the PGA Championship and NCAA March Madness games. The deadline push comes after two years of stalemate, amid transit struggles nationwide with rising costs and lagging ridership. SEPTA has said that, on Thursday, it will begin a 10-day preparation period for 20% across-the-board service cuts. Those take effect Aug. 24 and include eliminating bus routes with lower ridership and reducing the frequency of bus, trolley and rail services across the region. Under the plan, fares will then rise by 21.5% on Sept. 1 and, soon after, the agency will impose a hiring freeze. It will carry out another service cut on Jan. 1 that will mean that it will have eliminated half its current services, it has said. Democrats say shoring up public transit agencies around the state is critical to the economy and making sure people can get to work, school and medical appointments. Republicans have objected that transit agencies need to become more efficient, highways need more state funding and transit riders should pay higher fares. Transit agencies in Pittsburgh and elsewhere around Pennsylvania also say they are making cuts or raising fares, or both. ___ Follow Marc Levy on X at
Hindustan Times
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Epstein investigation files, Clintons subpoenaed by House panel
House Republicans subpoenaed the Justice Department and a slew of former US officials for information about Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking operation, while his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell fought back in federal court against making materials in her case public. This undated trial evidence image obtained December 8, 2021, from the US District Court for the Southern District of New York shows British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and US financier Jeffrey Epstein.(AFP) The developments played out from Washington to New York on Tuesday, pouring fresh fuel on a controversy that President Donald Trump and his top aides have been unable to shake for weeks. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer sent a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding the 'full, complete, unredacted Epstein files,' including information about Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in sexually abusing underage women. While Comer is a Trump ally, his hand was forced to issue the subpoena after Democrats on his committee team up with rank-and-file Republicans to vote in favor of forcing disclosure of the Justice Department records. Comer expanded on the Democratic-backed subpoena to also compel testimony from officials from prior administrations, including frequent Trump targets such as former FBI Director James Comey and President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, Trump's opponent in the 2016 presidential election. It wasn't clear what, if any, information they have on the case. Still, the subpoenas set up a potential confrontation between the Republican-led panel and the Trump administration over access to the Justice Department's investigative records. Trump and his top aides have faced a firestorm over their handling of the Epstein case, with supporters and critics alike demanding they release documents, financial records and information about Epstein's sex-trafficking operation and who may have committed crimes against underage girls. Congressional Democrats made life so politically painful for House Republicans over Epstein that Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home early for its August break in order to avoid votes on publicly releasing the Epstein files. Democrats had repeatedly offered amendments to legislation to compel the administration to make the files public and GOP leaders halted work on major legislation. Trump has acknowledged he had a personal relationship with Epstein long ago and attended social gatherings with him but has denied knowing anything about his sex-trafficking operation. The Wall Street Journal stoked new controversy over Trump's relationship with Epstein with a story last month that said the president once sent a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein. Trump denied the story and sued the news organization. In the face of rising pressure from fellow Republicans and critics demanding more information about the case, the Justice Department has asked federal judges in New York to unseal grand jury materials related to Epstein and Maxwell. Maxwell fought back in court on Tuesday, opposing the request to unseal grand jury transcripts in her criminal case, saying she is still fighting her conviction. 'The public interest identified by the government — while understandable — is insufficient to warrant disclosure of grand jury materials at this time,' Maxwell's lawyers wrote in a legal filing. 'The government frames this interest as 'historical,' yet it is nothing more than widespread and intense public scrutiny about an ongoing criminal case.' The Justice Department has indicated in court filings that the grand jury material is very limited and probably won't shed any new light on what is already publicly known about Epstein's operation. In comparison, the department has a huge collection of documents and files obtained during the investigations into Epstein and Maxwell, including interviews with witnesses and victims. The subpoena to the department seeks all documents and communications related to seven different categories, including the criminal cases against Epstein and Maxwell and information about Epstein's death. Comer's panel gave the Justice Department until Aug. 19 to turn over records related to Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 as he faced sex-trafficking charges. A Justice Department spokesman didn't respond to a request for comment, nor did a spokesperson for the Clintons. Bill Clinton, who has acknowledged traveling on Epstein's private airplane, has previously denied knowing anything about the financier's sex-trafficking. The Justice Department is traditionally reluctant to share all its investigative files with lawmakers and has resisted demands so far to make more information about Epstein's operation public. Comer's panel already subpoenaed Maxwell for an Aug. 11 deposition. But her lawyers have demanded criminal immunity in return for her testimony and Comer hasn't agreed to the request.
