Pennsylvania emotional support alligator is up for 'America's Favorite Pet'

Mississippi is the first state to confirm that residents there will be taxed on student loan forgiveness, and four other states could follow suit.President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan would eliminate $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those with incomes below $125,000 a year, or households that earn less than $250,000. It would also cancel an additional $10,000 for those who received federal Pell Grants to attend college.Typically, debt forgiveness is considered taxable income under IRS tax code, but the American Rescue Plan exempts student loan forgiveness as taxable income from 2021-2025.

Duane Taylor READING, Pa. - A 47-year-old man has been arrested and charged with kidnapping of a minor, after a 13-year-old Reading girl was taken from her home and an Amber Alert was issued Wednesday.Officials in Reading stated 47-year-old Duane Taylor, living in Brooklyn, New York, was charged Thursday with the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl.Reading Police Chief Richard Tornielli detailed, at a press conference Thursday, the chain of events that led to Taylor’s arrest and the teen’s safe recovery.At about 7:45 Wednesday morning, the girl’s mother reported her missing from their home on the 500 block of South Court. The mom checked all over their home, then called police.Police arrived and watched video surveillance from the home.

FILE - A police patrol car sits in a neighborhood. ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Authorities in Allentown are investigating the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man. The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office says Najeer T.

PHILADELPHIA - Thursday marks one year since Category 4 Hurricane Ida tore through the East Coast, bringing devastation and damage to the Delaware Valley. According to FOX Weather, the storm made landfall in Grand Isle, Louisiana, before moving along the East Coast, dumping more than 10 inches of rain across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

Police are appealing for help to find a man who went missing from a mental health hospital in Trafford.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia is shoring up its security measures ahead of a visit from President Joe Biden who will deliver a prime time speech outside Independence Hall on Thursday. The White House announced that Biden will make a stop in Philadelphia while he was in Pennsylvania stumping for democratic senate candidate John Fetterman. Billed as a major address just over two months before the midterm elections, Biden, the White House said, will discuss how the nation's standing in the world and its democracy are at stake."He will talk about the progress we have made as a nation to protect our democracy, but how our rights and freedoms are still under attack," the White House said. "And he will make clear who is fighting for those rights, fighting for those freedoms, and fighting for our democracy."MORE LOCAL HEADLINESBiden's visit to Philadelphia will come two days after police said a teenager fired shots into the air on Market Street in Old City, causing tourists and bystanders to scramble in panic. The shooting, which happened just two blocks away from where Biden will make his address, highlights the city's worsening problem with gun violence.

NETHER PROVIDENCE, Pa. - A young girl from Delaware County is saving lives, even after she lost her own, her sudden loss immediately helping to save the lives of two people and maybe more in the future."Mackenzie was the biggest personality in the room," mom Liz Raiburn described her daughter.Liz has been posting a picture of her 7-year-old daughter Mackenzie Rose every week since she’s been born.Those proud mom posts continued through the summer, even after the Wallingford family got devastating news from her doctors."We spent about six days in the hospital and that’s when we got the diagnosis of Severe Aplastic Anemia," Liz said.Mackenzie had a rare bone marrow disorder and desperately needed a transplant to stay alive. Thanks to a bone marrow donor, over the weekend, Mackenzie was sent to Nemours Children’s Hospital in Wilmington for the procedure.But, the surgery didn’t go as planned."During her transplant, she complained of a severe headache and her blood pressure got high," Liz explained.

coronavirus particles are breathed, they move around within the passages in the nose and lungs. But, the scientists modelled a specific form of movement known as rotational diffusivity, which controls the pace at which particles rotate as they move through the fluid (in the case of the coronavirus, droplets of saliva). Smoother and more hydrodynamic particles experience less drag resistance from the fluid and rotate more quickly.

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 24: Aerial view of the Pentagon building photographed on Sept. 24, 2017.

READING, Pa. - An Amber Alert was issued for a girl from Reading, but the alert was canceled Wednesday evening after she was found safe.Pennsylvania State Police said she was abducted by an unknown man.There were no further details regarding the situation.

POTTSTOWN, Pa. - Residents in a Pennsylvania community where a deadly house explosion killed five people, including four children, are demanding answers from investigators who have remained silent for months.The late-May explosion completely leveled a family home on Hale Street and Butler Avenues, and claimed the lives of a 67-year-old grandmother and four children ages 8-13-years-old. The victims were later identified as Francine White, 67, Alana Wood, 13, Jeremiah White, 12, Nehemiah White, 10, and 8-year-old Tristan White. Neighboring homes were damaged in the massive blast that reduced the property to nothing but a large pile of debris. The Red Cross said 11 families were displaced, a total of 34 people all together. RELATED HEADLINES:Rumors swirled about the possible cause of the explosion, including from the former homeowner who said he reported smelling natural gas during his 10 years of occupancy. "The whole time, the 10-years we lived there, we could smell gas," said Ryan Nagel who lived in the home in 2017.

Lisa LaFlamme (Photo by Tara Walton/Toronto Star via Getty Images) TORONTO - Wendy’s Canada is giving the company’s iconic logo a new look to support Lisa LaFlamme, a veteran Canadian broadcast journalist many suspected was ousted due to ageism. The logo ditched her famous red hair for gray. "Because a [star] is a [star] regardless of hair colour. #LisaLaFlamme #NewProfilePic," Wendy’s Canada tweeted Sunday. LaFlamme, who worked for Canada’s CTV for 35 years, posted a video about her firing on August 15. "On June 29, I was informed that Bell Media made a ‘business decision’ to end my contract, bringing to a sudden close to my long career with CTV News," she posted in a video on Twitter. RELATED: Wendy's restaurants to get digital makeovers with mobile order parking, delivery pick-up windows"I was blindsided and was still shocked and saddened by Bell Media’s decision," she continued. LaFlamme thanks viewers in her video, recounting some of the highlights throughout her journalism career. She said leaving the network "was not my choice."The video has racked up thousands of likes and views. Citing an anonymous CTV employee, Globe and Mail reported LaFlamme was allegedly let go for not dyeing her hair and letting it turn gray. Since then, support for LaFlamme has flooded social media."We have no control over what stays black and goes gray…Lisa your hair looks gorgeous," one user tweeted. LaFlamme never said why she was fired.

Janae Kalia-Henry (PA State Police)READING, Pa. - An Amber Alert has been issued for a 13-year-old missing from Reading, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.Janae Kalia-Henry, 13, was reportedly last seen in the area of Schuylkill Avenue in Reading around 2 a.m. Wednesday.Police say she was abducted by an unknown man, who was last seen traveling in a silver Chevrolet Traverse with a Pennsylvania registration.Henry is described as being 5-foot-1, 106 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

(Photo by Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/picture alliance via Getty Images) HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Commonwealth Drought Task Force has declared a drought watch for 36 counties and the agency is asking for voluntary water conversation. This comes as the Delaware Valley has had five heatwaves since the start of summer. "A few counties have experienced very dry conditions over the summer, and a number of others have inched not increasingly dry conditions in recent weeks.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY - Isaiah Sheilds is making his way across the county one step at a time - and he's already taken over 15 million!"Inevitably, the first question is, are you really walking across America?" the Utah native said.Isaiah took the first steps off his Utah driveway over a year ago. Loaded up a cart with supplies, he left for Cape Alava, the western most part of Washington State, He then turned around and walked east, down through Texas, and along the gulf, before he turned up north to Maine. "I remember just sitting at my desk and I used to work in corporate finance and I was looking at an Excel spreadsheet. And the only thing I can recollect is just thinking, I want to go on like a really, really long walk," Isaiah explained.Fox 29 Photojournalist Bill Rohrer met up with him in North Wales as his trip reached about 7,430 miles."I'm doing it because I really, really like it.

UNITED STATES - AUGUST 19: The sun shines off One Liberty Place in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, August 19, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) PHILADELPHIA - The City of Brotherly Love may not be so loving to others, according to a study conducted by Preply. "For those who travel often, experiencing cultural mismatches can be common," the language learning website said.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - President Joe Biden on Tuesday railed against the "MAGA Republicans in Congress" who have refused to condemn the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S.

CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. - One community's first day of school was just moments away from taking a tragic turn, and now police are looking for the driver they say would have been responsible.A school bus was picking up students for their first day of school Monday morning when a car reportedly sped past. Police say the bus was stopped with its red lights activated.Parents reportedly witnessed the incident at the corner of South Keim Street and Chester Drive in North Coventry Township.Police say the driver was fleeing from Warwick Day Care Center, where he is suspected of attempting to steal from a car in the parking lot."Luckily no one was injured but this could have been a real tragedy for a family and the entire community on the first day of school," police said.The suspected car is reportedly a newer model 4-door blue Mazda.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 02: Festivalgoes attend the 2018 Made In America Festival at Benjamin Franklin Parkway on September 2, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Zachary Mazur/FilmMagic) PHILADELPHIA - As the City of Philadelphia prepares to welcome thousands of visitors to the area for the 2022 Made in America Festival, officials have released information on road closures and other important details ahead of the Labor Day weekend event. The two-day event will take place on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4, with stages along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The festival is set to run both days from noon to midnight. RELATED: Made In America Festival 2022: Tyler, The Creator & Bad Bunny to headline annual two-day eventRoads in the area will begin closing to accommodate venue staff for the setup and clean-up of the event. The following road closures will be in effect the week of the event: Phase 1: Sunday, August 28 at 7 a.m. to Tuesday, September 6 at 11:59 p.m.Phase 2: Monday, August 29  at 7 a.m. to Tuesday, September 6 at 5 p.m.Phase 3: Tuesday, August 30  at 7 a.m. to Tuesday, September 6 at 11:59 p.m.Phase 4: Wednesday, August 31 at 10 a.m. to Tuesday, September 6 at 5 a.m.Phase 5: Thursday, September 1 at 7 p.m. to Tuesday, September 6 at 5 a.m. Phase 6: Friday, September 2 at 10 a.m. to Tuesday, September 6 at 5 a.m. Phase 7: Saturday, September 3 at 3 a.m. to Monday, September 5 at 5 a.m. Officials say all road closures will be lifted before morning rush hour on Tuesday, September 6. The following parking restrictions will be in effect: According to authorities, additional road closures and parking restrictions may be necessary near the event.

CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. - Reports of a police impersonator in Chester County have prompted an investigation, and now law enforcement are asking for the public's help.A 17-year-old boy told police he was pulled over by a black Ford Taurus on Route 340 in Caln Township Thursday morning. He says the Ford appeared to be an unmarked police vehicle with blue and red lights on the windshield and heavily tinted windows.A man in his early 20s wearing black tactical pants, boots, T-shirt and ballistic vest with the word "police" on the front and back then reportedly approached the teen.The alleged impersonator was not wearing a badge, and did not identify himself.

FILE - The iconic "Welcome To Las Vegas" sign is pictured in a file image. (Photo by Chris Farina/Corbis via Getty Images) Where is the "happiest" place to travel in North America? Las Vegas, apparently. Club Med, a French hospitality group with all-inclusive resorts around the world, released a list of the top 10 happiest travel destinations for 2022, including those ranked in North America, Europe, and worldwide overall.The ranking was based on the 50 most visited tourist destinations globally and using nine metrics, which included crime, safety, pollution, cost of domestic beers in a restaurant, outdoor activities, day trips, spa and wellness centers, LGBTQ+ friendliness, and an overall happiness score on a scale of 0 to 100.After compiling a final average score for each city, "Sin City" came out on top as the most popular destination for vacationers in search of a happy getaway, according to Club Med. "Las Vegas had the edge thanks to a wide range of daytime activities, perfect for visitors planning to make the most of their stay," the group said in a statement. Kreskin Torres, a 33-year-old Army veteran, kicked off his adventure in Los Angeles, California, and since then, he has visited 49 states.

CHESTER, Pa. - As heat and lack of cooling systems prompted early dismissals for 100 Philadelphia schools, officials with the Chester Upland School District are also dismissing students early. According to the district, the schools will close early on Tuesday and Wednesday. RELATED: Weather Authority: Storms with heavy downpours, strong winds set to move across the region Tuesday nightStudents at Chester High School and STEM Academy at Showalter will dismiss students at 11:30 a.m., while the elementary schools, including Toby Farms Intermediate School, dismiss students at noon. "Temperatures are expected to reach into the high-80s and low to mid-90s over the next few days," superintendent Dr. Craig Parkinson said.

President Joe Biden is ready to talk up his crime prevention plans during a visit to Pennsylvania, where Democrats and Republicans are looking for ways to gain leverage on the issue ahead of November's midterm elections.The White House said Biden will use his Tuesday visit to call out Republicans for opposing his proposal to restore a ban on assault-style weapons.Both parties worked together in a rare effort to pass bipartisan gun safety legislation earlier this year after massacres in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, but Biden has repeatedly said more needs to be done.As a U.S. senator, Biden played a leading role in temporarily banning assault-style weapons, including firearms similar to the AR-15 that have exploded in popularity in recent years, and he wants to put the law back into place."A majority of Americans support this ...

CHESTER, Pa. - More than a dozen Pennsylvania elementary school students were sent to the hospital when their bus was rear-ended on Monday. Officials from the Chester Upland School District said the bus was carrying students from Toby Farms Elementary School when it was involved in a crash around 3:45 p.m.13 students were taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center for treatment and later released, according to the district. "This was such an unfortunate and scary accident," Superintendent Dr.

NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. - A Pennsylvania man turned himself in after police say he strangled a woman during a road rage incident in Wildwood earlier this month. Authorities say on Aug. 20, 49-year-old Christopher Krier was driving erratically and tailgating another vehicle near the area of 13th and New Jersey avenues. The victim, according to police, rolled down her window and commented on Krier's dangerous driving and mentioned there being children in the area.Police say both Krier and the victim pulled over and a Krier attacked the victim, strangling her, which caused a bystander to step in.MORE LOCAL HEADLINESKrier, a Bucks County resident, fled the scene immediately following the incident and turned himself in several days later.

Brianna and Alyssa Cahoon, 1st Battalion 34th Regiment . (1st Battalion 34th Regiment)Doctors revealed the reason behind the unexpected death of a 17-year-old member of the Pennsylvania National Guard after she suffered a medical emergency during training on Aug. 20.

DELAWARE COUNTY - A patient's trauma was escalated even further after police say she was allegedly assaulted while under the care of an EMT.Police say the incident began last week when the victim needed to be transported from a medical facility in Brookhaven to a local hospital for further treatment.During transport, the woman was reportedly exposed and photographed in the back of the ambulance by an EMT. Police say the woman was semi-conscious at the time.MORE HEADLINES:The EMT, identified as 24-year-old Kevin Hakeem Pressley, of Philadelphia, was arrested and charged with indecent assault, invasion of privacy and related charges.

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Pennsylvania man won $2.08 million after buying a lottery ticket while visiting family in Michigan.The 59-year-old man, who chose to remain anonymous, bought the Lotto 47 ticket at Shoppers Market Plus on East Nine Mile in Warren last September, and came forward this month to claim the prize before it expires."I purchased the ticket while I was in Michigan visiting family," he said.

DREXEL HILL, Pa. - Panic at a high school football game in Upper Darby, as fans raced from the stands Friday night, thinking there was an active shooter nearby.Upper Darby police say no shots were fired, but a fight did break out.It was at a game between Upper Darby High School and Bonner-Prendie.The game was canceled and the superintendent for Upper Darby Schools says several people were injured."The coaches are very upset. Feeling defeated.

Aaron Cunagin, 22, was charged with rape of a child, indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors and indecent exposure. (Credit: CRIMEWATCH) Graphic content warning: This story discusses alleged crimes against children.The grandfather of a five-year-old girl punched his daughter's fiancé after discovering him molesting the child, according to police in Middletown, Pennsylvania.The grandfather walked past his granddaughter's bedroom on Aug.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. - Norristown residents are being told to boil their water before using for drinking or cooking, Pennsylvania American Water said in a statement issued Sunday.The boil water advisory was issued due to a water main break on West Elm Street. The break happened Sunday and crews began working on a repair about 11:30 in the morning.The water from the tap could be used for bathing, washing and other uses, but not for drinking or cooking, officials said.The advisory is in place until further notice.

SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA - Police in Southwest Philadelphia are investigating a double shooting that left one victim in critical condition.Officials say the shooting happened on the 6200 block of Buist Avenue Sunday afternoon, around 3 p.m.Two men were shot multiple times. A 22-year-old man had three bullet wounds in his back and was grazed in his ear.

Emily Gross (Monroe County, Pa.)STROUDSBURG, Pa. - A woman has been sentenced to one to two years in state prison in the purchase of a gun used in the shooting death of a state trooper more than a decade ago in eastern Pennsylvania.Court records indicate that 37-year-old Emily Joy Gross of Westfield, N.J. pleaded guilty in June in Monroe County to a third-degree felony firearms charge.

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. - Most alligators looking to cool off tend to take a dip in a pond or river, but a Pennsylvania alligator was recently treated to a trip to a splash pad on a hot summer day.Visitors to Philadelphia’s LOVE Park are used to seeing people walk dogs on leashes, but did a double take on Friday when they spotted a girl taking an alligator on a stroll.Video shows a young girl with an alligator on a leash as the pair played in a series of water fountains at the park.

Officials at a Pennsylvania school district are allowing the Satanic Temple to host a back-to-school event at a high school.Administrators with the Northern York County School District are allowing the Satanic Temple to host the event at Northern High School in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. The event is a back-to-school night for the After School Satan Club, according to FOX 43.The group tried to establish an After School Satan Club at a school within the district in April, but its efforts were denied by the school board at the time, according to the report.Parents and community members were livid about the proposed group's attempt to enter the school district.NORTH CAROLINA PARENTS OUTRAGED OVER SCHOOL'S 'SATAN CLUB'Jennifer McAllister, a resident of Perry County, said in April that the idea is "crazy.""They already took God out of schools now they're going to let Satan in, it's just crazy," McAllister said.Lucien Graves, the co-founder of the Satanic Temple, said that the group is seeking "other religious representation.""We don’t decry or begrudge anybody having a prayer event or anything like that," said Greaves.

Brianna and Alyssa Cahoon, 1st Battalion 34th Regiment via Facebook (1LT Boyd, 1-34 INF REG) A 17-year-old member of the Pennsylvania National Guard has died after suffering a medical emergency during training, the U.S. military said.Officials at South Carolina’s Fort Jackson said that PFC Alyssa Cahoon died on Aug. 25 after collapsing during physical training on Aug.

SHARON HILL, Pa. - It’s been one year since Fanta Bility was shot and killed by police at a high school football game. The community gathered Saturday at one of her favorite spots in Sharon Hill to honor and remember a shining life cut way too short."I look forward to this day because it’s been a year and we need to remember this young lady and we need to know who this family is," a speaker at Fanta's memorial said.A heartbroken mother, surrounded and supported by family, friends and even strangers, struggles to come to grips with the fact she has been without her daughter for an entire year.RELATED HEADLINES:Police say on August 27, 2021, Bility and her family were leaving the Academy Park High School football field among a crowd of fans when a shooting between two young men erupted. Bullets from that shooting came in the direction of three Sharon Hill Police officers, who were monitoring the crowd.The officers returned fire, shooting toward a car they believed was involved in the initial gunfire, striking the car and members of the crowd.

CARLISLE, Pa. - Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano, three years before retiring from the U.S. Army, posed in a Confederate uniform for a faculty photo at the Army War College.The photo, which Reuters said Friday it obtained after a request under the Freedom of Information Act, shows Mastriano in the uniform in a 2013-14 portrait for the Department of Military Strategy, Plans and Operations, where he worked until he retired in 2017.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. - Riley Gracely and his family were looking around the piles of dirt and gravel at Palmetto Fossil Excursions in Summerville when he saw something that looked like a tooth.The 8-year-old Lebanon, Pennsylvania, boy started digging in the soil, clay and gravel and pulled out a huge fossilized tooth from the long-extinct angustiden shark species, that was 22 million to 28 million years old."He got lucky," Riley’s dad Justin Gracely said in a phone call Monday.Sky Basak, who owns Palmetto Fossil with her husband Josh, called it a "once in a lifetime find."The tooth measured 4.75 inches — about the size of Riley’s hand.The Gracely family was on their annual vacation to Myrtle Beach and made the 2.5-hour trip south to Summerville to go to Palmetto Fossil, a 100-acre pit rich with prehistoric material including all manner — and parts — of sea creatures.South Carolina has many such locations, buried deep in the earth along the coastal plain, where ocean and rivers ebbed and flowed for millions of years.Gracely, 40, said he has been visiting Myrtle Beach since he was 5 and he and his mother, a microbiologist, scoured the sand for shark’s teeth.Two years ago, when Palmetto had just opened, Gracely saw something on Instagram about it and made the trek. This summer was their third visit.Last year, older son Collin, 10, found a 4-inch megalodon tooth, a species that came after the angustiden and the largest fish that ever lived, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

PHILADELPHIA - Oneil Cruz’s bat slipped out of his hands and went flying into the stands after the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie struck out in the third inning Friday night against Philadelphia.That's when things got sticky.The lumber landed in Jen Mehall's lap behind the Phillies dugout. Mehall, a Pirates fan, was thrilled to get the souvenir — especially after it dinged her in the leg and lip.

BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. - An early morning crash in Bucks County sent one car flying into a local flower shop Saturday.Officials say two cars, a Mitsubishi and a Honda, collided on Street Road in Bensalem around 1:30 p.m.After the initial crash, the Mitsubishi ended up slamming into the entrance of "A Fashionable Flower Boutique."Video from the scene showed the car on its side, with its rear up against the shop door.MORE HEADLINES:It is unclear what led to the crash, and the conditions of the drivers was not immediately known.PECO Gas was also on the scene to secure a reported leak caused by the crash,

DREXEL HILL, Pa. - Authorities say a fight at a high school football game just outside of Philadelphia sparked false reports of a shooting and sent fans and players running for safety. The Upper Darby Police Department said in a tweet that a physical fight broke out at Saturday night's matchup between Upper Darby High School and Monsignor Bonner. Amid the commotion, some believed they heard shots being fired which caused players and fans to run for safety. A video tweeted by Philadelphia Sports Digest captured crowds of rushing across the field, towards the exit. Police said reports of a shooting at the game were false and that officers were in the process of clearing the area. No arrests were reported immediately following the incident and police did not say what sparked the initial fight.The game was canceled with Monsignor Bishop leading 6-0 in the third quarter.

OCEAN CITY, N.J. - Friday nights are exciting again as high school football is back in play.The Philadelphia Eagles are keeping true with a tradition and helping some high schoolers for the annual Battle at the Beach.Battle at the Beach. It’s all going down at Carey Stadium in Ocean City.Top high school football teams from all over New Jersey and Pennsylvania are taking part in 11 games scheduled for the weekend.Battle at the Beach.

Scots radio DJ Ewen Cameron has opened up about his mental health struggles in an emotional video on social media and has urged others who are struggling to go and get help.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC.