Northeast
Biden stirs outrage in Scranton by commuting 'kids for cash' judge's sentence
President Biden has sparked anger among Pennsylvanians after he commuted the sentence of a corrupt judge who was jailed for more than 17 years after he was caught taking kickbacks for sending juveniles to for-profit detention facilities.
In what came to be known as the kids-for-cash scandal, former Judge Michael Conahan shut down a county-run juvenile detention center and shared $2.8 million in illegal payments from the builder and co-owner of two for-profit lockups. Another judge, Mark Ciavarella, was also involved in the illicit scheme, the effects of which are still felt today among victims and families.
The scandal is considered Pennsylvania’s largest-ever judicial corruption scheme with the state’s supreme court throwing out some 4,000 juvenile convictions involving more than 2,300 kids after the scheme was uncovered.
BIDEN COMMUTES 1,500 JAIL SENTENCES, GRANTS PARDONS FOR 39 OTHERS: ‘LARGEST SINGLE-DAY GRANT OF CLEMENCY’
Former Luzerne County Court Judges Michael Conahan, front left, and Mark Ciavarella, front right, leave the United States District Courthouse in Scranton, Pa., on Sept. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/The Citizens’ Voice, Mark Moran)
Conahan, 72, pleaded guilty in 2010 to one count of racketeering conspiracy but was released from prison to home confinement in 2020 because of COVID-19 health concerns with six years left in his sentence.
But Biden, the so-called favorite son of Scranton, commuted his sentence Thursday as part of the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history in which he commuted jail sentences for nearly 1,500 people and granted 39 pardons.
“My Administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second chances,” Biden said.
The decision has raised questions as to why Biden would choose to commute the sentence of a judge who is detested in the area.
Fox News has reached out to the White House for comment but has not received a response.
Sandy Fonzo, who once confronted Ciavarella outside federal court after her son was placed in juvenile detention and committed suicide, said that the president’s actions were an “injustice” and “deeply painful.”
“I am shocked and I am hurt,” Fonzo said in a statement, per The Citizens Voice. “Conahan‘s actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son’s death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power. This pardon feels like an injustice for all of us who still suffer. Right now I am processing and doing the best I can to cope with the pain that this has brought back.”
The scheme began in 2002 when Conahan shut down the state juvenile detention center and used money from the Luzerne County budget to fund a multimillion-dollar lease for the private facilities.
WHO ELSE MIGHT BIDEN PARDON AFTER HE SPARED HUNTER FROM SENTENCING?
In this Feb. 18, 2011 file photo, Sandy Fonzo of Wilkes-Barre, right, confronts former Luzerne County Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr., as he leaves the federal courthouse in Scranton Pa. Fonzo’s son, who was jailed when he was 17 by Ciavarella, committed suicide at the age of 23. (AP Photo/The ScrantonTimes-Tribune, Michael J. Mullen)
Ciavarella, who presided over juvenile court, pushed a zero-tolerance policy that guaranteed large numbers of kids would be sent to PA Child Care and its sister facility, Western PA Child Care.
Ciavarella ordered children as young as 8 to detention, many of them first-time offenders deemed delinquent for petty theft, jaywalking, truancy, smoking on school grounds and other minor infractions. The judge often ordered youths he had found delinquent to be immediately shackled, handcuffed and taken away without giving them a chance to put up a defense or even say goodbye to their families.
In 2022, both Conahan and Ciavarella were ordered to pay more than $200 million to nearly 300 people they victimized, although it’s unlikely the now-adult victims will see even a fraction of the damages award.
During the case, one victim described how he shook uncontrollably during a routine traffic stop — a consequence of the traumatizing impact of his childhood detention — and had to show his mental health records in court to “explain why my behavior was so erratic.”
Several of the childhood victims who were part of the lawsuit when it began in 2009 have since died from overdoses or suicide, prosecutors said.
President Biden speaks at a “Christmas Dinner for All” in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Dec. 10, 2024. Biden commuted jail sentences for nearly 1,500 people and granted 39 pardons. (Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The scheme, per The Citizens Voice, involved former Pennsylvania attorney Robert Powell paying Ciavarella and Conahan $770,000, who in turn funneled juvenile defendants to two private, for-profit detention centers Powell partly owned.
Powell served an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to felony counts of failing to report a felony and being an accessory to a conspiracy.
Real estate developer Robert K. Mericle paid the judges $2.1 million and was later charged with failing to disclose to investigators and a grand jury that he knew the judges were defrauding the government. Mericle served one year in federal prison, per The Citizens Voice.
Ciavarella is serving a 28-year prison sentence on honest services mail fraud charges, per the publication.
Fox News’ Matt Finn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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New Hampshire
Hudson, NH, man accused of ramming couple’s SUV in drunken road‑rage incident
HUDSON, N.H. — A 70‑year‑old Hudson man is behind bars after police say he rammed another vehicle in a road‑rage attack on Thursday afternoon, tried to pull open the driver’s door and later registered twice the legal limit on a breath test.
Richard Feener was arrested at his home about 30 minutes after the confrontation at Library and Central streets, where a Litchfield, New Hampshire, couple — a 66‑year‑old man and 67‑year‑old woman — told police their SUV was struck multiple times by a white Ford Escape that had been tailgating them since Lowell Road, according to the Hudson Police Department.
The couple told police that at about 3:45 p.m. Feener threw what they described as a “temper tantrum” before intentionally crashing into the rear of their vehicle three times. Police said he then got out, approached the driver’s side door and tried to pull it open while yelling, before returning to his SUV and sideswiping their vehicle as he fled.
No injuries were reported.
A third‑party witness allegedly confirmed the tailgating, the confrontation at the door and the intentional sideswipe.
Police said they traced the Ford’s veteran license plate to Feener’s home on Barbara Lane about 30 minutes after the reported incident. There they found the SUV with a warm hood and fresh damage consistent with the victims’ account.
According to police, Feener told officers from his doorway that he had been home for about four hours and admitted to drinking but claimed he had not driven recently.
When officers pointed out the fresh damage on his vehicle, he allegedly said it had been there for a while. Police said that they could smell the odor of alcohol on his breath, and when asked what time it was, Feener said it was 8 p.m. despite it being hours earlier.
In addition to appearing intoxicated, and giving inconsistent statements, he struggled to complete field sobriety tests. A breath test later registered a blood‑alcohol concentration of 0.16, according to police.
Feener was charged with three counts of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, a Class B felony; aggravated driving while intoxicated, a Class A misdemeanor; driving under the influence, a Class B misdemeanor; conduct after an accident, a Class A misdemeanor; and disorderly conduct, a violation.
At his arraignment Friday in Nashua District Court, Judge Amy Manchester entered no plea on the felony charges and not guilty pleas on the misdemeanors and violations.
Prosecutors acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations but noted Feener has “little to absolutely no criminal or vehicle history,” citing only a 2002 Massachusetts assault‑and‑battery case that was continued without a finding — a disposition in which a defendant admits the facts but avoids a conviction if they complete probation.
The prosecution described Wednesday’s incident as a “one‑off” and requested $500 cash bail with conditions including no driving, no contact with the victims and mandatory drug and alcohol treatment. The defense agreed, saying the episode stemmed from a substance‑abuse issue.
Manchester rejected the joint recommendation.
“Despite your agreement, I can’t accept this,” she told the attorneys.
Turning to Feener, she added, “I find you to be a danger to the community, and I am going to detain you without bail.”
Feener is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing at 10 a.m. on June 22.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
New Jersey
Vacant lot in Trenton’s North Ward transformed into city park
Blacksmith Triangle, the site of a former gas station at the corner of North Olden and Lawrence avenues in Trenton, has taken on a new life as the city’s latest green space.
New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJ Conservation), in partnership with the City of Trenton and other environmental and community organizations, worked to transform the site into a forested park addition over the last two years. Improvements included site clearing and grading, seeding, new sidewalks, bollards, a brick-paved entry plaza, and 14 honey locust trees. The project’s completion was celebrated in May.
The City remediated Blacksmith Triangle years ago to clean up the contamination left behind from its former use as a gas station. But until recently it remained covered with concrete and asphalt and was often used as a de facto parking lot. In 2024, NJ Conservation received a grant from the Licensed Site Remediation Professionals Association Foundation to plant trees on the site, which spurred conversations with Trenton officials about turning the lot into a forested plaza and gateway to George Page Park and the Assunpink Greenway. Construction began in December 2025, thanks to a significant financial contribution from the City of Trenton and additional funding secured by NJ Conservation from private donors.
With this new green space, project leaders aim to increase shade for city residents, who are experiencing disproportionate impacts of climate change. Trenton neighborhoods are dealing with the ‘heat island effect’ that causes higher ambient temperatures in urban areas than in suburban and rural areas.
“Excessive heat is deadly in our communities, and this work will help future generations of Trentonians cope with the rising temperatures that will come with our new climate realities,” said Jay Watson, NJ Conservation’s Senior Fellow for Conservation Justice. “New Jersey Conservation Foundation is proud to do this green infrastructure work in our capital city.”
At a grand opening celebration for Blacksmith Triangle last month, Paul Harris, Trenton’s Director of Recreation, Natural Resources, and Culture, said the City is excited about the lot’s transformation, highlighting the partnership that made the project possible.
“Our goal is to green as much of the town as we can, but in order to do that successfully, we need to bring on partners,” said Harris.
The revitalization of Blacksmith Triangle is part of a larger greening effort throughout the city. NJ Conservation and its partners — City of Trenton, Isles, the New Jersey Tree Foundation, the Watershed Institute, and the Outdoor Equity Alliance — are working to build a greener, more equitable New Jersey through the Trees for Trenton program. Thanks to a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 1,000 shade trees are being planted throughout Trenton, creating a healthier environment for residents and visitors.
Trees for Trenton was announced in 2023 at an Arbor Day celebration when the first trees were planted at Mulberry Street Park. More than 900 trees have been planted throughout the city since then.

(Courtesy of New Jersey Conservation Foundation)
About New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Recognizing that a healthy environment is critical to the well-being and survival of all living things, New Jersey Conservation Foundation is devoted to preserving land and protecting natural resources throughout New Jersey’s rural, suburban, and urban landscapes.
Since 1960, the nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide organization has preserved more than 140,000 acres of open space, farmland, and parks. The organization manages more than a dozen nature preserves, conducts public outreach and education programs, and advocates for sensible land use and climate policies that will protect the health of New Jersey’s plants, wildlife, and people for generations to come.
Courtesy of New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Pennsylvania
3-alarm fire spreads across multiple row homes in Columbia Borough
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Crews are battling a massive blaze that has spread to multiple buildings in Columbia Borough on Saturday afternoon.
The fire was reported around 3:23 p.m. on South 4th Street, according to Lancaster County’s online incident list.
According to the incident list, the fire has been upgraded to a third alarm, meaning additional personnel has been dispatched to the area.
Photos and videos obtained by CBS 21 shows smoke and flames coming out of the roofs of multiple row homes.
Video of the fire on South Fourth Street in Columbia, Pennsylvania. (Credit: Juanita Hammond)
Dispatch was unable to confirm any additional information about the fire at this time. Injury and displacement information is currently unavailable.
This is a developing story. CBS 21 is working to learn more.
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