Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania Democrat Warns of Losing Latino Voters to GOP

Feb 10, 20243 min read
A Democrat in the battleground state of Pennsylvania voiced concerns over her party increasingly losing Latino voters to the GOP ahead of the November election, Politico reported Friday. Democrat Nicarol Soto of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, who ran an unsuccessful city council campaign in 2023, told the outlet that she’s seen signs of the voting bloc moving toward the Republican Party within her own family. Soto, who immigrated to Pennsylvania from the Dominican Republic, believes the shift is largely due to the community’s views on the economy and abortion, according to Politico.

Pennsylvania Energy Policies Exacerbating Reliability, Blackout Concerns

Feb 7, 20244 min read
Pennsylvania’s energy future isn’t only a question of renewables versus fossil fuels — it’s a question of whether the state can reliably provide enough energy to meet growing demand. One problem is that power plants retiring is happening quicker than new, cleaner ones get built. The shuttering has been driven by state and federal rules to mitigate pollution, but getting projects approved and built takes years and years.

Red Tape Closes Pennsylvania Power Plants Before Replacements Ready

Feb 3, 20245 min read
Despite the key positions states like Ohio and Pennsylvania hold to solve future energy problems, shifting the power grid from coal and natural gas to wind and solar isn’t as easy as flipping a switch. A cadre of Pennsylvania legislators trekked to Columbus for a joint meeting of three House and Senate committees from the two states to be advised by energy officials on PJM, the regional power grid to which both belong.

High Court Brushes Up Against Constitutional Abortion Access

Jan 31, 20243 min read
A recent state Supreme Court ruling side-stepped the question of constitutional abortion access in Pennsylvania, reviving discussion over a would-be ballot referendum mired in legislative gridlock. Five justices said Monday the Commonwealth Court erred when it dismissed a 2019 case brought by seven abortion providers challenging Medicaid coverage restrictions first established in 1982 and upheld in 1985.

Pennsylvania Wants to Bet Big on Outdoor Recreation

Jan 27, 20243 min read
Pennsylvania’s economic future, state officials think, means growing the outdoor recreation economy. Such was the discussion during the Department of Conservation and Natural Resource’s advisory council meeting on Wednesday. The newly launched Office of Outdoor Recreation touted the industry’s impact, calling it responsible for $17 billion annually and 164,000 jobs.

Pennsylvania Bill Proposes Mental Health Days for Students

Jan 24, 20244 min read
A proposal that recently cleared the House Education Committee would consider mental health days as excused absences for students. The bill was one of three approved Thursday after lawmakers fielded testimony about the public education system’s struggle to offer comprehensive mental health support to students.

UPenn Sees Increase in Chinese Donations After Biden’s Think Tank Documents Scandal

Jan 20, 20243 min read
The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) saw the amount of donations from China more than triple in its most recent reporting period, shortly after the university faced a scandal regarding Joe Biden’s storage of classified documents in his think tank’s offices at the university. As reported by Fox News, the surge in foreign donations was revealed in documents obtained by Americans for Public Trust (APT). With donations from individuals and entities directly tied to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the university saw roughly $25 million in such donations during the 2022-2023 academic year. By contrast, the academic year of 2021-2022 saw just $8.6 million from China.

Outcomes of the 92 Election Cases from the 2020 Election Reveal Widely Divergent Decisions by Judges: Part 1

Jan 18, 20248 min read
The Arizona Sun Times examined the outcomes of the 92 cases challenging problems with the 2020 election and discovered many of the rulings were opposed to each other despite the facts and laws being very similar. The analysis was based on a comprehensive report compiled by physicist John Droz and a team of statistical PhDs, which refuted the mainstream media’s claim that were 60 lawsuits thrown out on the merits. The report found that only 30 of those cases were decided on merit, and of those 30, Trump and/or the Republican plaintiff prevailed in 22. This analysis, Part One, examines some of the divergent opinions on standing, fraud, and injury.

Forward Party in Pennsylvania Targets More Local Victories

Jan 17, 20244 min read
A growing dissatisfaction with America’s two-party system might make voters more open to supporting an alternative candidate this year – something the Forward Party is banking on.  Forward’s current goals are to get candidates on the ballot in swing states like Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and achieve official party status – both statewide and nationally.

Pennsylvania Funds $40 Million to Replace Diesel Trucks with EVs

Jan 13, 20243 min read
The diesel-to-electric vehicle conversion continues as Pennsylvania coughs up the funds for localities and trucking companies to make an upgrade. The Department of Environmental Protection announced on Wednesday $40 million in grants to 16 applicants to replace aging diesel vehicles with EVs.

National Park Service Backtracks on Removing Beloved Pennsylvania Statue After Widespread Ridicule

Jan 10, 20243 min read
The National Park Service reversed its decision to remove a famous statue from Welcome Park in Philadelphia, according to a Monday statement from the agency. A statue of William Penn, who founded the then-colony of Pennsylvania in 1681 and played a significant role in American politics, will not be removed from Welcome Park after deliberation from the National Park Service, accordingto The Associated Press. The agency first planned to remove the statue as part of “rehabilitation” efforts for the park, but backpedaled on that commitment after public backlash.

Pennsylvania’s SNAP Benefits Up 76 Percent Since 2019

Jan 6, 20243 min read
When the pandemic hit, state and federal governments upped financial aid to the public with more welfare benefits, stimulus checks and loans. That aid is still high in some cases, with no signs of changing.

‘I Actually Feel Quite Valued’: Mentorship Program Works to Retain New Teachers

Jan 6, 20244 min read
Jack Fredericks is investing in new teachers because he wants to help them stay in the classroom for the long haul. He serves as the program coordinator for the new teacher mentorship program in the West Tallahatchie School District, something he worked with his superintendent to create after researching mentorship as a Teach Plus Mississippi policy fellow. 

Pennsylvania Representative’s Candidacy Subject of 14th Amendment Lawsuit

Jan 4, 20242 min read
A new lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania asks the state court to scrub Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry from the upcoming primary ballot. Gene Stilp, a Harrisburg-based activist, filed the legal challenge in Commonwealth Court on Tuesday, claiming Perry – who represents the 10th Congressional District in south-central Pennsylvania – violated the Constitution’s 14th Amendment for his support of 2020 election fraud “conspiracy theories.”

Pennsylvania Rural EMS Agencies Fight the Drug Scourge as They Lose Workers

Dec 30, 20234 min read
Rural EMS agencies respond to, and train for, more drug-related calls. But they can’t always get people the help they need. In northwest Pennsylvania, Elk County EMS has had training sessions to learn more about drug use as a disease and how to use overdose-reversal drug naloxone (also known as Narcan).