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Delaware Received Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Meant to Be Shared Among States, Supreme Court Finds

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Delaware Received Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Meant to Be Shared Among States, Supreme Court Finds


Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has written her first majority opinion for the Supreme Courtroom.

The opinion launched Tuesday in a dispute between states over unclaimed cash is certainly one of roughly a half dozen she is anticipated to write down by the point the courtroom finishes its work for the summer season, often in late June. The 23-page resolution was unanimous, although all of the justices didn’t be a part of the entire opinion.

The justices sided with a gaggle of states that stated that Delaware had improperly acquired tons of of tens of millions of {dollars} in unclaimed funds over greater than a decade that ought to have been shared among the many states.

Every justice usually writes not less than one opinion from the seven separate two-week arguments classes the courtroom holds from early October to late April. However in January and February, for instance, the courtroom has solely seven argued instances every month, which means there should not sufficient to go round.

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Jackson, 52, joined the excessive courtroom in June following the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer. She is the primary Black girl to function a justice and simply the third Black particular person on the courtroom. The others are Justice Clarence Thomas, the longest-serving among the many 9 justices, and the late Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Jackson’s first majority opinion got here in a case involving two merchandise offered by the money-transfer firm MoneyGram: the corporate’s “teller’s checks” and “agent checks.” Clients should purchase the checks at banks and credit score unions.

When teller’s checks and agent checks aren’t cashed, the Dallas-based MoneyGram sends the deserted funds to Delaware, the state the place MoneyGram is integrated. However different states pointed to a federal legislation about deserted cash orders, traveler’s checks and “related written devices.” The legislation says that when these go uncashed, the funds from them return to the state the place they had been bought.

The states argued that MoneyGram’s teller’s checks and agent checks counted as “cash orders” or “related written devices” and that they had been due cash.

In ruling towards Delaware, Jackson famous that teller’s checks and agent checks function “like a cash order” and that the unclaimed funds had been being despatched again “inequitably” solely to Delaware.

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In a press release Brenda Mayrack, the director of Delaware’s Workplace of Unclaimed property, stated the state is “dissatisfied within the ruling.”

The case now returns to a federal choose the courtroom has appointed to supervise the dispute, a “particular grasp,” for extra proceedings.

Jackson wrote her first dissenting opinion in November, in help of a dying row inmate from Ohio who did not win Supreme Courtroom evaluation of his case.

Legal professionals for the inmate, Davel Chinn, argued that the state suppressed proof which may have altered the end result of his trial.

Jackson wrote that she would have ordered decrease courts to take one other have a look at the case. Solely Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined Jackson’s opinion.

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Related Press reporter Randall Chase in Dover, Del. contributed to this report.



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Delaware

Study: Young Black men in Wilmington say they can’t survive without a firearm

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Study: Young Black men in Wilmington say they can’t survive without a firearm


From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

A new study published in the Delaware Journal of Public Health offers a stark glimpse into the experiences and perceptions of young African American men living in communities often associated with violence.

The research, conducted by scholars from Texas Southern University, Delaware State University, Coppin State University, Jackson State University, and Thurgood Marshall College, interviewed 400 young men between the ages of 15 and 24 who either owned or recently owned a firearm. Of the total group, about 100 participants were from Wilmington, Del.; the others were from Baltimore; Jackson, Miss.; and Houston.

The study — titled “Understanding the Perception of Place and Its Impact on Community Violence” — revealed that many participants felt compelled to carry firearms for safety, often after witnessing or experiencing violence in their neighborhoods. In Wilmington, 86% of respondents described the city negatively, with 74% using only negative terms.

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Their descriptions included words like “murder town,” “treacherous,” “crazy,” “chaotic,” and “a war zone.” A persistent sense of threat pervaded their understanding of the city around them.

Safety concerns drove most participants to arm themselves.

According to the study, young men often encountered firearms at an early age — sometimes as young as 10 — and many had family members or close friends who introduced them to guns. The findings indicate that these decisions are not made lightly, nor in isolation. Social media pressures, limited economic opportunities, limited role models, and easy access to firearms shaped a landscape where carrying a gun seemed logical, even necessary, to the young men for personal protection.

Nurturing hope among young people

These research findings resonate with ongoing efforts at One Village Alliance, a Wilmington nonprofit seeking to nurture young people in a city often misunderstood by outsiders. One evening at the organization’s location on West 31st and Market streets, children gathered in a small kitchen to fill plastic bags with healthy snacks. The exercise, though seemingly simple, has a clear purpose: to instill good nutritional habits and provide a sense of stability. The community around them is sometimes referred to as a food desert, making nutritious food scarce.

By taking part in such activities, the children learn new skills and build confidence. “Can I get this one?” one child asked, eager to take part. Here, learning about healthy eating serves as an introduction to broader life skills that can help counter the environmental factors the study highlights.

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The nonprofit’s after-school enrichment programs aim to reinforce positive experiences and set children on a path toward excellence through education, mentorship, and personal development. It offers a safe space and an alternative to the streets. This approach is informed by staff members who know the stakes all too well.



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A Delaware Water Gap park visit may cost more in ‘25: How you can weigh in

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A Delaware Water Gap park visit may cost more in ‘25: How you can weigh in


A fee increase and expansion are proposed for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and federal park officials want to hear what people think about it.

The National Park Service on Monday opened a 30-day public comment period to solicit public input on several proposed changes to the park’s fee system.

The proposal includes an increase in fee amounts, a two-week extension of the fee season, changes to the annual pass purchases, and the addition of two new fee sites. If approved, the changes would go into effect in April 2025.

The last fee increase was implemented in 2015, and the park service says revenues aren’t stretching as far as they once did. For starters, visitation to the park has increased 26% since 2019, the park service says. And due to inflation and rising costs, the $10 amenity fee currently charged at the park now purchases nearly 33% less than it did in 2015 when the fee was increased from $7 — it now takes over $13 to buy the same goods and services.

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“Over the past several years, the park’s budget has remained relatively flat while costs and visitation have both increased, facilities and equipment have aged, and the need for routine maintenance has grown,” Superintendent Doyle Sapp said in a news release on the proposal.

“It is essential that we seek additional revenue sources to help us fill the funding gap so that we can continue to offer outstanding recreational opportunities and visitor experiences while protecting the park’s natural and cultural resources in perpetuity,” he continued.

The park service is authorized to collect and retain revenue under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, provided the money is used to enhance visitor experiences. More information on the act can be found at nps.gov.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area does not charge entrance fees to visit the park. Amenity fees are charged for specific areas used for swimming, picnicking and launching boats.

Over the past three years, revenue from Delaware Water Gap’s amenity fees has been used for restroom repairs and upgrades throughout the park, river campsite improvements, multiple trail projects including rehabilitation, stabilization and resurfacing of the McDade Recreational Trail, and work at George W. Childs Park. Revenue also has been used to pay for seasonal maintenance, fee collection and public safety staff.

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“What you pay here, stays here, in this park, where it is used for repair, maintenance, and facility enhancements directly related to visitor enjoyment, access, health, and safety and for seasonal staff that serve park visitors and improve their experiences,” Elizabeth Winslow, the park’s fee program manager, states in the release.

The National Park Service is seeking public comment on the proposed changes that include:

  • Increasing amenity fees from $10 per vehicle per day to $20 per vehicle per day at the sites that charge amenity fees and extending the fee season by approximately two weeks to Nov. 1.
  • Increasing the cost of an annual pass from $45 to $60 and discontinuing discounts for multiple passes issued to the same household.
  • Charging amenity fees at two new sites, Kittatinny Point in New Jersey, and Hialeah Picnic Area in Pennsylvania. Day passes for these sites would be available through recreation.gov, the NPS online reservation system, or in person by using a drop box and fee envelope like those used at other unstaffed fee sites in the park.

If approved, increased revenue from the proposed fee changes would allow the park to hire additional seasonal employees, including custodians, trail workers, interpretive park rangers and visitor center staff, and public safety staff to help meet the public’s needs and ensure outstanding visitor experiences, according to the release.

Additionally, over the next five years the park plans to invest around $800,000 of fee revenue on hiking trail improvements and vegetation management, including on popular trails such as the Toms Creek Trail, Cliff Park Trails, and Hornbecks Creek Trail in Pennsylvania, and the Van Campens Glen Trail, Military Road Trail, and Rattlesnake Swamp Trail in New Jersey. Improvements to the facilities at Milford Beach also are planned.

To comment on the proposal, go to parkplanning.nps.gov/DEWAFees25 and click on “Comment Now” or mail your written comment to Superintendent Doyle Sapp, Attention: Fee Change Proposal, 1978 River Road, Bushkill, PA 18324. The 30-day comment period is open until midnight on Jan. 14, 2025.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a nearly 70,000-acre unit of the national park system, located in Pike, Monroe and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Sussex counties in New Jersey.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.



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Man injured after car slams into truck in Bear, Delaware

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Man injured after car slams into truck in Bear, Delaware


Man injured after car slams into truck in Bear, Delaware – CBS Philadelphia

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We are learning new details about a crash that left a man seriously injured in Bear, Delaware.
A man was driving a car that slammed into the back of a truck on Summit Bridge Road near Brennan Boulevard Thursday night.
The investigation revealed the truck was stopped at the traffic light but for reasons still unknown the car did not stop.

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