• Thu, December 12, 2024

by: WESA

DA Zappala sues Allegheny County, retirement board over 'Ponzi scheme' pension system

Zappala called the situation "one of the most serious unfunded pension crises in the history of the Commonwealth."

by: London Evening Standard

Government to scrap some T-levels as part of review into post-16 education

Education minister Janet Daby said about 70% of vocational courses that the Conservatives had slated to cut will be kept.

by: Mother Jones

Kash Patel Claims He Played a Major Role in the Benghazi Case. Former Colleagues Say He Didn't.

In his 2023 book, Government Gangsters, which claims a supposed Deep State has been plotting against Donald Trump for years, Kash Patel, whom Trump has tapped to replace Chris Wray as FBI director, recounts his three-year stint as a mid-level attorney at the Justice Department.

by: Richmond

Could 75-cent toll on Chesterfield stretch of Powhite be going away?

While the Chesterfield state of the county address celebrated many 2024 achievements, the event also looked ahead to future projects, leadership and partnerships.

by: Daily Express

Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are on a mission to make every statement meaningless

The Labour Government seems to be on a mission to render political language almost meaningless. Sir Keir Starmer and his Ministers continually make statements that are directly contradicted by their own policies.

by: Toronto Star

Trudeau government unveils 'achievable' new target to cut greenhouse gas emissions

The federal government declared Thursday that Canada will strive to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions by at least 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2035 — an "ambitious and

by: Toronto Star

Doug Ford to crack down on homeless encampments with tougher trespassing laws and more funding

The premier said his government will earmark an additional $75.5 million on shelters and ensure cities are spending the money to help those in need.

by: ABC

Man who allegedly assaulted Rep. Nancy Mace released, ordered to stay away from her

Officials said the suspect, James McIntyre, went through security screening prior to entering the congressional building.

by: NBC News

Jan. 6 defendant invited to Trump's inauguration by former GOP lawmaker

Defendant Russell Taylor organized a group of "fighters" to travel to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, in response to Trump's tweet telling supporters the day "will be wild."

by: Daily Express

Keir Starmer's farming policy is more sinister and socialist than anyone dares believe

Keir Starmer doesn't seem to care that his policy will destroy the lives and livelihoods of generations of farmers.

by: MSN

MAGA Politician Kari Lake Has Been Married to Jeff Halperin for More Than 25 Years

Kari Lake is well known in the MAGA world for her governor and senate races in Arizona, but many want to know who the politician's husband is.

by: MSN

Salome Zurabishvili: defiant champion of Georgia's EU dream

Salome Zurabishvili was a French diplomat before entering the turbulent politics of her ancestral homeland, where she was elected Georgia's first woman leader in 2018 and became the beacon of Tbilisi's EU aspirations.

by: MSN

Government to run down all underground POGOs

They will face full force of the law MANILA, Philippines — Violators of the total ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators would face the full force of the law, President Marcos warned, as the government braces for the "guerrilla" operations of former employees of shuttered POGOs.

by: MSN

Michael Flynn loses defamation lawsuit over Putin and QAnon accusations after failing to affirm to court that he 'is not Q'

The dismissal of Michael Flynn's defamation lawsuit against Rick Wilson was upheld by a Florida appeals court that found the comments were constitutionally protected. The post Michael Flynn loses defamation lawsuit over Putin and QAnon accusations after failing to affirm to court that he 'is not Q' first appeared on Law & Crime.

by: MSN

Russian Lawmakers Expand Criteria for 'Terrorists and Extremists' Registry

Russian lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill that expands the grounds for adding individuals to the "terrorists and extremists" registry maintained by state financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring. Current law allows the authorities to include individuals accused in criminal cases of extremist and terrorist activities.

by: MSN

An Open Letter to Healthcare CEOs, Members of Congress, and the General Public

Decisions about care are being guided by profit margins instead of patient needs, with devastating consequences for millions of Americans.

by: MSN

St. Paul City Council passes budget but Mayor Melvin Carter says it cuts critical necessities including police and fire

Wednesday night, the St. Paul City Council passed a budget that includes a 5.9% property tax increase instead of Mayor Melvin Carter's proposed 7.9% hike. Carter says increase is necessary to maintain critical services including police and fire.

by: MSN

8th Pay Commission: Central Government Employees Demand Early Formation

Central government employees have intensified their call for the formation of the 8th Pay Commission, citing significant erosion in the real value of wages due to inflation and economic challenges post-COVID-19.

by: MSN

Trump tariffs: Mexico and Canada weigh likely fallout of new threats

US President-elect Donald Trump has said one of his first acts will be to slap 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, a move which would cause havoc for two of America's key economic partners.Canada and Mexico are grappling with US President-elect Donald Trump's threat to place 25% tariffs on exports into their most important trade market,

by: MSN

Meloni fantastic leader and person says Trump

United States President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated his praise for Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni after meeting her at the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Sunday. "She's a fantastic leader and person,

by: MSN

President Biden Commutes Nearly 1,500 Sentences and Grants 39 Pardons

Biden noted that the commutations emphasize a commitment to justice reform, […] The post President Biden Commutes Nearly 1,500 Sentences and Grants 39

by: MSN

President Joe Biden commutes nearly 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people

Biden said he will "take more steps in the weeks ahead" and continue to review clemency petitions to advance "equal justice under the law."

by: MSN

How the Ford government in Ontario plans to escalate trade war with the U.S.

Global News has learned the Ford government is considering other retaliatory measures that are squarely within the province's jurisdiction.

by: MSN

Biden Issues Record-Breaking Wave of Commutations and Pardons

"While today's announcement marks important progress, there is more to come," the White House wrote in a statement

by: MSN

Seven times the federal government has interfered with DC governance

by: MSN

Taxpayers 'fed up' with local bureaucrats big salaries and benefits

Ontario's top municipal staffers are pocketing sometimes exorbitant benefits packages on top of high bumps in their salaries, provincial pay data shows — and some critics say that's out of touch with regular Ontarians struggling to keep up with the high cost of living.

by: MSN

Donald Trump once made wild 'genius' claim about Barron and Obamacare

Donald Trump once bragged that his "genius" son Barron could have solved an Obamacare issue that was disrupting thousands of Americans. The US president-elect made the somewhat outlandish claim during a rally in Las Vegas in February 2020.

by: MSN

The US deep state and its discontents

The idea of a State within a State is not entirely imaginary. With the political rise of Trump, the spectre of a deep state has become a bugbear in Right-wing circles

by: MSN

From 'Aspie supremacy' to vaccines: The toxic autism politics of Trump's second administration

The toxic autism politics of Trump's second administration - ANALYSIS: From Elon Musk to RFK, the right has developed an obsession with pushing two seemingly contradictory — but equally damaging — theories on autism,

by: MSN

The Al Assad family continues to live in luxury and opulence in Moscow

The former deposed dictator will continue to enjoy luxury in one of the 22 apartments they bought in one of the richest neighborhoods of Moscow. The fortune of the Al-Assad family is estimated at between 1 and 2 billion dollars.

by: MSN

Questions need answering after Sara Sharif death, Prime Minister says

Questions must be answered over the 'awful' case of 10-year-old Sara Sharif who was murdered by her father and stepmother, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Prime Minister said there need to be safeguards for children,

by: MSN

Syria: Multiple countries, United Nations condemn Israel for continued military operations in Syria

Multiple countries and the United Nations on Wednesday condemned Israel for its continued military operations in Syria despite that the Syrian interim government announced on Tuesday that it had officially taken over power.

by: MSN

Former top Biden aide publicly slams 'timing, argument and rationale' of Hunter's pardon

Former top Biden aide publicly slams 'timing, argument and rationale' of Hunter's pardon - Longtime Biden aide Anita Dunn said it would have been 'a different story' had the pardon come at the end of

by: MSN

Biden administration to increase tariffs on Chinese solar and tungsten products

The Biden administration plans to raise tariffs on solar wafers, polysilicon and some tungsten products from China to protect U.S. clean energy businesses. The notice from the U.S. Trade Representative's office said tariffs on Chinese-made solar wafers and polysilicon will rise to 50% from 25% and duties on certain tungsten products will increase from zero to 25%,

by: MSN

Biden Announces Clemency for 1,500 Americans and Pardons for 39 Non-Violent Offenders

President Biden announced clemency for nearly 1,500 Americans, and the pardoning of 39 individuals convicted of non-violent crimes on Thursday. According to the White House, the clemencies are being granted to individuals who have served at least one year in home confinement due to provisions in the Covid-era CARES ACT.

by: MSN

Trump Draws False Link Between Vaccines and Autism in Interview

President-elect Donald Trump said in a new interview that he would consider altering childhood vaccination programs in the United States and questioned whether vaccines cause autism—a widely disproven claim.

by: MSN

Latest from Mormon Land: Would the LDS Church and its members back Trump's mass deportations?

Will the LDS Church and its members support or oppose Donald Trump's plan for mass deportations? The church also has changed its operations in Canada.

by: MSN

Lawmakers and advocates press for clemency

Democrats and criminal justice advocates are ramping up pressure on President Joe Biden to commute the sentences of roughly 40 people currently on death row.

by: MSN

Lithuania's new government takes office amid controversy over antisemitism

Lithuania's new centre-left government took office on Thursday, led by Social Democrat Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and including a party whose leader is on trial accused of antisemitic statements.

by: MSN

Maddow Blog | Poll on Trump's transition process offers good (and bad) news

Survey data suggests a narrow majority of Americans approve of Donald Trump's shambolic transition process, but other modern presidents have fared better.

by: MSN

Government urged to grant more court sitting days to tackle prison population

Government urged to grant more court sitting days to tackle prison population - Tory Kieran Mullan said: 'If the judiciary had come to us and asked for more sitting days, we would have responded to that,

by: MSN

Romania and Bulgaria to fully join Schengen Area in January 2025

"It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full Schengen members," said Hungary's Minister for Home Affairs Sándor Pintér. "Lifting checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between those member states has been a top priority for the Hungarian presidency,

by: MSN

Finnish PM calls for increased support for Ukraine and common European defence

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has said it is critical that the international community continue to help Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression. Source: Orpo in an interview with the Japanese broadcaster NHK,

by: MSN

Column: Trump-friendly billionaires are taking aim at the federal agencies that protect workers and consumers

SpaceX and Amazon want key federal regulatory agencies to be declared unconstitutional. The losers would be workers and customers of financial firms

by: MSN

John Rustad vows to 'do politics differently' after caucus tensions boil over

The B.C. Conservatives have been the official Opposition for less than two months and internal discord is forcing party leader John Rustad to answer how he'll keep his new coalition together. In a year-end interview,

by: MSN

Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan and wife indicted in another graft case, Geo TV reports

A Pakistani court indicted imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife on fresh charges of illegally selling state gifts on Thursday, local broadcaster Geo reported. The indictment was the latest in dozens of cases against the 72-year-old former cricket star,

by: MSN

Schumer says Senate will vote on Social Security changes

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday he's "doing everything" he can to try to pass legislation that would enact some Social Security before Congress ushers in a new class next month.

by: MSN

Three Possible Tax Impacts for Retirees Under Trump

Trump term affect your tax bill in retirement — or the inheritance tax bill for your heirs? This pro has three predictions.

DA Zappala sues Allegheny County, retirement board over 'Ponzi scheme' pension system

Zappala called the situation "one of the most serious unfunded pension crises in the history of the Commonwealth."
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala has filed a lawsuit against the Allegheny County Retirement Board, alleging that the county's pension system operates like a Ponzi scheme. The lawsuit claims that the system, which has been in place for over 100 years, relies on new contributions to pay benefits to current retirees, rather than being fully funded. Zappala argues that this practice is unsustainable and potentially illegal, as it does not adhere to actuarial standards for pension funding. He is seeking a court order to force the board to address the funding shortfall, which he estimates at over $1 billion, and to reform the pension system to ensure its long-term viability. The suit also highlights the lack of transparency and accountability in how pension funds are managed, suggesting that current practices could lead to significant financial distress for the county in the future.

Read the Full WESA Article at:
https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2024-12-12/da-zappala-sues-allegheny-county-retirement-board-over-ponzi-scheme-pension-system