Boston 25 News • 11th July 2024

New bill would help foster care youth pay for college campus housing

WASHINGTON — Eugenia Wallace was just 16 years old when she started college. It’s an incredible accomplishment for any teen, and especially for Eugenia who was in foster care.

“Just getting there as a foster youth I endured many challenges,” Wallace told our Washington News Bureau. “I didn’t at the time have parents that could lead me through that situation.”

Wallace went on to complete a four-year degree and later a master’s degree – beating the odds by becoming part of less than one percent...

Boston 25 News • 6th June 2024

‘A new Internet’: Billionaire makes pitch to buy TikTok, enhance online data protections

United by shared grief, a group of parents from around the country who say their children died from social media harms traveled to Washington, D.C. on Thursday to meet with an American billionaire interested in buying the popular app TikTok.

Frank McCourt started the initiative Project Liberty with the goal of creating a safer space online. It’s now working to put together a group of bidders to purchase TikTok from Chinese-owned ByteDance.

Our Washington News Bureau was present during a breakf

Boston 25 News • 5th June 2024

Senate committees weigh efforts to better support caregivers for veterans

WASHINGTON — Peter Townsend is an Army veteran living in northeastern Pennsylvania with his wife Lisa, who is also his caregiver. Townsend has multiple sclerosis (MS) and often relies on a wheelchair to get around.

“I’m not able to live independently,” Townsend told our Washington News Bureau.

Townsend said they applied for benefits through the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). But they were surprised to learn their application was turned down.

“We were den

Boston 25 News • 17th May 2024

‘Forever changed:’ Terrorism victims push for passage of new bill to fix U.S. victims fund

WASHINGTON — Jane Synnestvedt survived unimaginable horror. She was on board TWA Flight 847 in 1985 when the plane was hijacked by terrorists after taking off from Athens. The FBI says the hijackers were connected to the terrorist organization Hizballah.

“When your freedoms are taken away, it changes your life,” Synnestvedt told our Washington News Bureau. “There are a lot of people that have a lot of long-term issues from being in a situation where you’re held against your will.”

Synnestvedt

WPXI • 1st May 2024

Mother who lost daughter to fentanyl praises law sanctioning traffickers, manufacturers

WASHINGTON — Janet Morrison-Heberling says she’s grateful for the close and loving relationship she had with her daughter Brianna Sanner.

“She had an infectious laugh. A beautiful smile,” said Morrison-Heberling. “Loved her momma. We used to hug and smooch each other all the time.”

Tragically, Brianna’s life was cut short in 2022 when she was just 30 years old. Brianna died from fentanyl-laced heroin, leaving behind her young son.

“There comes a time in your grief that you have to find purpos

KIRO 7 News Seattle • 23rd April 2024

Family fighting to reunite with self-deported mom meets with lawmakers in DC

WASHINGTON, D.C. — For more than six years now, 11-year-old Ashton Rochester has been separated from his mother Cecilia Gonzalez-Carmona.

His dad, Jason Rochester, has been leading the fight to bring her home.

“I’ll never give up. I can’t give up,” said Rochester.

But it’s been a long and grueling journey.

We’ve told you how the father and son have traveled to Washington, D.C. nearly half a dozen times over the last few years looking for help.

Rochester is a U.S. citizen living in Georgia.

Action News Jax • 19th April 2024

Congressional investigation blames China for fueling fentanyl crisis in U.S.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On average, more than 200 Americans are dying every day from fentanyl. It’s the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-45.

This week, grieving parents held up photos of their children who died from the dangerous drug during a House hearing that revealed new findings from a bipartisan investigation that blames China for fueling the fentanyl crisis in the U.S.

April Babcock’s 25-year-old son Austen died from fentanyl in 2019. She now advocates for change through a nonp

WPXI • 16th April 2024

‘Something has to give:’ Senate committee tackles long-term care worker shortages

Nicholas Smith has worked as a direct support professional (DSP) for more than 25 years. His role is to help people with intellectual disabilities in Pennsylvania for the organization SPIN.

“I believe that this is my calling,” Smith told our Washington News Bureau. “I’m proud. I love the work I do.”

But like so many other long-term care workers, Smith has felt the burden of the industry’s severe staff shortages.

“I am working 60 to 75 hours a work week. So, I give up time with family,” Smith

WPXI • 9th April 2024

‘You don’t have a voice:’ Congress weighs impact of forced arbitration on employees

For almost 50 years, Joanne Grace worked as a registered nurse. It was a job she loved and said she planned to keep doing as long as she was useful and effective.

But around age 71, Grace said she was unfairly pushed out by her former employer because of her age.

She said older employees were being steadily let go and replaced by younger workers.

“You work all your life and expect just fairness from your employer,” Grace told our Washington News Bureau.

Grace sued for age discrimination but

Boston 25 News • 6th March 2024

‘They can give somebody a life:’ Transplant recipients, donors push for donor job protection

WASHINGTON — Elle Crofton was 25 when she was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer.

“At 25-years-old, you kind of think you’re still invincible,” said Crofton. “The diagnosis hit. I wasn’t fully aware of what that meant for a long time.”

What it meant was she needed a stem cell transplant to save her life.

Thankfully, she got the call that a match was found through the national registry: NMDP, formerly known as the National Marrow Donor Program and Be The Match.

“She was able to save my life a

WFTV • 28th February 2024

New report released on rideshare attacks as part of ‘Sami’s Law’ requirement

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Samantha Josephson was just weeks away from graduating from the University of South Carolina in 2019 and getting ready to head to law school, when an innocent mistake cost her life.

Samantha was kidnapped and killed by a man she thought was her Uber driver after getting into the wrong car.

“It’s a nightmare,” her father Seymour Josephson told our Washington News Bureau. “We teach our kids growing up, don’t talk to strangers and don’t get in cars with strangers.”

That’s why

Action News Jax • 16th June 2023

Mom of son with Autism warns Congress about lack of information in emergencies

WASHINGTON D.C. — Responding to an emergency that is man-made or a natural disaster is difficult for any family or individual.

But it can be even more challenging for people with disabilities and their caregivers, especially if they aren’t getting the information they need.

This week, a mother of a son with special needs testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging about her family’s difficulty getting reliable emergency information from local authorities.

Annie Lloyd and her family...

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 27th March 2023

‘I have to keep fighting:’ Husband hopes reintroduced immigration bill will reunite family

GEORGIA — Jason Rochester and his family have been fighting for nearly five years to bring his wife Cecilia back home to Georgia after she self-deported to Mexico in 2018 following bad legal advice.

They’re hoping a bill that has been reintroduced in the House will help reunite their family and others that also involve a U.S. citizen trying to reunite with a spouse who is a non-citizen.

We told you how Cecilia voluntarily went to Mexico because they thought she would have been able to apply fo

Action News Jax • 7th February 2022

Skyrocketing drug prices: A deep dive into the partisan divide in Congress over how to fix it

Mindy Solango starts every day making sure she has the medication and devices she needs to treat her type 1 diabetes.

“As soon as I wake up, feet hit the floor, check to see where we are,” Salango said.

She takes about seven to eight insulin injections a day and uses a continuous glucose monitor.

“With insulin and everything, it’s about $350 a month,” Salango said.

It was even tougher years ago when she was a single mom with a different insurance plan.

Back then, she paid around $500 a mont

Boston 25 News • 2nd February 2024

‘We cannot wait any longer:’ Grieving parents fight for social media protections for kids

WASHINGTON — Bonded together by unimaginable tragedy, a group of 20 grieving parents traveled to Capitol Hill this week from around the country to be the voices for their kids.

Each of them say they lost a child to the dangers of social media.

“My son Nate Bronstein, forever 15, was viciously cyberbullied over Snapchat by his classmates and basketball teammates,” said Rose Bronstein.

“A drug dealer contacted our son on Snapchat, and he delivered a lethal dose of fentanyl like a pizza to our h

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 5th January 2024

‘What I lived through is real:’ Former Capitol Police sergeant reflects on Jan. 6 attack

WASHINGTON — As people around the world watched the images of the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, police officers like former U.S. Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell were there on the frontlines.

Sgt. Gonell sat down with our Washington News Bureau to reflect on the attack ahead of the three-year mark since that day.

“Did you fear for your life that day on January 6th?” asked Washington Correspondent Samantha Manning.

“Yeah. If I tell you no, I’d be lying,” said Gonel

KIRO 7 News Seattle • 4th January 2024

Bill in Congress aims to protect against deadly dangers of contaminated poppy seeds

Poppy seeds may look like many other items you have in your spice rack, but some come with a dangerous risk.

Some poppy seeds may contain high levels of opiates like morphine, which can be deadly.

Stephen Hacala Jr. was just 24 when he died in 2016 at his Arkansas home.

“You never expect a knock at the door, somebody telling you that your son had passed away,” his dad Steve Hacala told our Washington News Bureau.

At first, Hacala says the cause of death was puzzling for investigators and his

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 6th December 2023

Grieving parents push for bill to enable alerts for dangers on social media

WASHINGTON D.C. — Home videos of Sammy Chapman provide a snapshot of a young man who was described as sweet and curious by those who knew him.

The videos show happy times of Sammy fishing, celebrating birthdays, and playing with his brother.

“He was nose tackle on the football team,” his dad Sam Chapman told our Washington News Bureau. “He was a big bruiser weightlifter and he always protected his little brother.”

But Sammy’s promising life was cut short in February of 2021 when he was just 1

WFTV • 16th November 2023

Father warns Congress about AI scammer who sounded just like his son

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Gary Schildhorn was on his way to work in 2020 when he got a phone call from someone who sounded just like his adult son Brett.

“He was crying and talking and said that he had been in an accident,” Schildhorn said as he described the call to our Washington News Bureau. “He had broken his nose. He had hurt a pregnant woman. He was arrested. He was in jail.”

Schildhorn is an attorney in Philadelphia and instinctively wanted to do whatever he could to help his son.

He said he

KIRO 7 News Seattle • 12th September 2023

‘I want to be able to save money:’ SSI recipient urges Congress to raise asset limits

Emily Demko takes pride in her work as an artist and especially enjoys making canvas paintings.

The 18-year-old balances creating her art while also working two other jobs in her hometown of Albany, Ohio.

Emily also happens to have Down Syndrome and receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits each month.

Since she receives SSI, Emily is limited on how many hours she can work and how many paintings she can sell because of the asset limits established for SSI recipients in 1984.

Curre

KIRO 7 News Seattle • 20th July 2023

Mom who uses wheelchair shines light on accessible housing barriers

WASHINGTON — For Domonique Howell, finding a place to live that she can afford and access with her wheelchair has been a lifelong struggle.

“It’s always been a challenge,” said Howell.

It’s a challenge that she says too often strips people of their dignity.

“In every house or apartment I’ve ever lived in up until this point, which is only the last five years, I’ve had to either leave my chair outside of the bathroom or leave it in a hallway or another room and either be carrying it in the bat

WFTV • 14th June 2023

Working mom calls for more ‘family friendly policies’ amid child tax credit debate

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As a mother of two young girls, Melissa Lester knows firsthand about the struggle of keeping up with childcare costs.

“I often say this that when they’re older and they ask where their college fund is, I’m going to have to say, I’m sorry it went to your childcare costs,” said Lester.

The Ohio mother testified before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday about her experience.

“Even with two working parents, making ends meet is a real struggle for us,” said Lester. “Today

WFTV • 13th June 2023

Former President Trump was indicted in federal case. Now what?

WASHINGTON, D.C. — We know many people have questions about the impact of the federal indictment against former President Donald Trump and about what could happen next.

Former President Trump faces 37 counts in a federal indictment connected to the alleged mishandling of classified documents.

We spoke with two legal experts about the case: Georgetown University Law Professor David Super and the Vice President of the Institute for Constitutional Government at the Heritage Foundation, John Malco

WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta • 18th December 2022

‘Utterly powerless’: Formerly incarcerated women testify about sexual abuse by BOP staff

WASHINGTON D.C. — A new Senate report is shining a spotlight on the sexual abuse of female prisoners at the hands of Federal Bureau of Prisons employees.

The findings from the bipartisan investigation spearheaded by Sen. Jon Ossoff,D-Ga.; and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., reveal female inmates have been sexually abused at 19 of 29 federal prisons where women were held over the last decade.

Members of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations heard powerful firsthand testimony Tuesday fro