Pennsylvania Capital-Star

04/08/2024

Eleven Pennsylvania school districts got $14 million in extra funding in the latest budget.

Some Republicans say it’s a dirty deal. Some Democrats say they were only protecting them from Republican cuts.

03/08/2024

Pennsylvania’s Marc Fogel wasn’t part of the Russian prisoner swap, but his family keeps pushing

Fogel, a teacher, was detained in Russia in 2021, for possession of ma*****na that had been prescribed for his chronic back pain. In 2022 he was sentenced to serve 14 years hard labor in a Russian penal colony.

When his sister Anne Fogel and her family started hearing late Wednesday that American prisoners in Russia were being moved, they immediately reached out to as many members of Congress as they could, to plead, yet again, for her brother’s release.

It was not to be.

“He learned this … you can imagine, he’s in a Russian prison. He learns this over Russian television that they’re releasing these Americans,” Fogel said in an interview with the Capital-Star on Friday. “And he is … he’s undone.”

https://penncapital-star.com/government-politics/pennsylvanias-marc-fogel-wasnt-part-of-russian-prisoner-swap-but-his-family-keeps-pushing/

22/07/2024

“Who better to turn the page in American history after 250 years,” state Rep. Joanna McClinton, who is the first woman and the first woman of color to serve as Speaker of the House in Pennsylvania, told the Capital-Star on Sunday. Asked how Harris could secure the swing votes in battleground states like Pennsylvania, McClinton said, “The best thing she can do is choose Governor Josh Shapiro to be her running mate.”

https://penncapital-star.com/election-2024/pennsylvania-democrats-line-up-behind-kamala-harris-with-some-endorsing-josh-shapiro-as-vp/

20/07/2024

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign on Friday launched a new ad focused on how state bans on abortion are affecting Black maternal health.

Titled “Access,” the spot airing in the Atlanta, Raleigh, Charlotte, Philly, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Milwaukee media markets highlights Shawana Moore, a women’s health nurse practitioner from Atlanta, who speaks about the “fear and uncertainty” among patients and health care providers in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

The ad is timed near the two-year anniversary of an abortion ban in Georgia. It’s part of the Biden campaign’s $50 million paid media program for July.

“I think there’s fear and uncertainty,” Moore says in the ad. “Within the United States, there’s a maternal health crisis that disproportionately impacts women of color.”

01/07/2024

It’s been more than 50 years since passenger trains ferried travelers from Scranton to New York City, and many in Northeast Pennsylvania had given up hope that a rail line would ever return. But funding from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law may finally bring back passenger trains to run between the Electric City and the Big Apple.

https://penncapital-star.com/transportation-infrastructure/back-on-track-scranton-may-finally-see-the-return-of-a-passenger-rail-line-to-nyc/

26/06/2024

President Joe Biden will pardon U.S. military veterans who were discharged or convicted under military law for consensual same-sex relations, the administration announced Wednesday.

Biden said in a statement Wednesday that he is “righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves.”

https://penncapital-star.com/lgbt-issues/biden-to-pardon-vets-discharged-for-same-sex-relationships/

02/06/2024

For years, pharmacists have been warning that the rise of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) could help drive community pharmacies out of business. Now, they’re saying that time is here. Last year, more than 50 chain and independent pharmacies closed in Pennsylvania. This year already, according to the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, over 70 chain and independent pharmacies across the state have closed.

For years, pharmacists have been warning that this trend could drive community pharmacies out of business. Now, they’re saying that time is here.

31/05/2024

Critics of the current state of play claim that Pennsylvania's non-public schools — private, charter and parochial schools — have a competitive edge over public schools because their athlete pools are not confined to school district borders. The discrepancy is especially prevalent in playoff and championship games, which they say necessitates the separation of public and non-public schools beginning at the playoff level.

27/05/2024

“The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans who’ve endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but weren’t recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones.”
https://penncapital-star.com/government-politics/as-memorial-day-arrives-bill-unveiled-in-congress-to-assist-purple-heart-recipients/

25/05/2024

Republicans moved their long-awaited new farm bill through the U.S. House Agriculture Committee this week, despite opposition from most Democrats that could stall further advancement of the bill.

The massive $1.5 trillion legislation would set policy and funding levels for key food, agriculture and conservation programs for the next five years.

04/05/2024

https://penncapital-star.com/government-politics/pennsylvania-has-investigated-more-than-a-dozen-ufo-incidents-in-the-past-decade-records-show/

Mysterious lights following a motorist on a dark country road, a saucer-shaped craft hovering over a suburban subdivision, and a flaming orb falling into the woods are among phenomena Pennsylvania residents have reported to authorities, state records show.

After the head of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) casually mentioned during a legislative hearing earlier this year that the agency tracks UFO sightings, the Capital-Star obtained records showing PEMA has investigated more than a dozen such events in the last decade.

“We take all reports and we share it with the appropriate agencies to be able to investigate,” Padfield told members of the state House Appropriations Committee in February.

Often dull and tedious, state budget hearings nonetheless are a chance for the Legislature to grill administration officials about how they plan to spend the taxpayers’ money.

The cabinet secretaries flesh out the details of the governor’s budget proposal but deliver few bombshells. Every once in a while, however, an answer prompts lawmakers to look up from their stacks of white papers with surprise and demand more...

20/04/2024

For years, advocates for mine safety had urged the federal government to adopt strict rules around the substance that has led to an increase in severe black lung cases among young miners. Finally, one was announced.

Mine safety advocates largely agree the rule is a positive change. But some are concerned that it still leaves too much power in the hands of mining companies instead of regulators, and lacks clarity when it comes to how it should be enforced.

“Overall, the rule is a step in the right direction, which is what we’ve been asking for for many years now,” said Erin Bates, a spokesperson for the United Mine Workers of America. “But coal operators are going to have to be held accountable at the end of the day.”

In recent years, severe cases of black lung disease have become more common. One of the major causes is silica dust. Contact with the substance is becoming more prevalent as the Appalachian region has been so aggressively mined that miners are digging into more narrow coal seams. Silica dust is produced when miners break through the rock surrounding those seams.

The new rule creates a limit for levels of silica dust exposure and requires mining companies to actively monitor it. The new limit, 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, is half of what is currently allowed, and has long been called for by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, along with others.

But the rule largely relies on mining companies themselves to measure the quality of air in their mines and to alert regulators when silica dust levels exceed the new limit.

This is in part, Bates said, because the Mine Safety and Health Administration simply doesn’t have the funding to regularly sample air in mines across the country. Still, she likened the rule to asking drivers to enforce the speed limit.

“How often is a driver going to call the police and say, ‘hey, you know, I’m really sorry,’” Bates said. “‘I was going 75 in a 55. Go ahead and write me a ticket.’”
https://penncapital-star.com/energy-environment/mine-safety-advocates-agree-new-silica-dust-rule-is-progress-but-some-worry-its-not-enough/

18/04/2024

President Joe Biden came to the Steel City for the second leg of a three-city trip across Pennsylvania on Wednesday and did two things that bode well for his chances of winning Allegheny County in the general election. First, he reiterated his pledge to oppose the $14.9 billion sale of U.S. Steel to Japan-based Nippon Steel.

Second, he picked up an order at Sheetz.

As he entered the lobby of the U.S. Steelworkers headquarters, he was greeted by a small gathering of union workers. One woman shouted, “Let’s keep U.S. Steel in America!”

Biden responded, “Guaranteed.” He then headed up to a larger gathering of union workers, where he was joined by Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and United Steelworkers president David McCall.

Biden thanked the union workers for their support, and for sending him to the White House.

“The bottom line, all kidding aside, I’m president of the United States because of you guys,” he said. “And as I said earlier, I’m proud to be the most pro-union president in American history.” Biden added he was a “union guy from belt buckle to shoe sole.”

The president reiterated his pledge to oppose the $14.9 billion sale of U.S. Steel to Japan-based Nippon Steel.

12/04/2024

Within three hours of going live, more than 3,500 applications were received for a state-funded stipend to cover an otherwise unpaid semester of student teaching.

But the new program only has enough funding for roughly 600 to 700 student teachers who will take over Pennsylvania classrooms as part of their teaching certification this winter or next spring.

“We all need this money,” student teacher Amber Bloom said. “We need it for gas, we need it for food, we need it for tuition. So we’re all hopeful that we’re one of the [roughly] 700 that get it, but realistically, not all of us are going to.”

More than 3,500 applications were received for a state-funded stipend to cover an otherwise unpaid semester of student teaching.

09/04/2024

“I honestly thought I’d be paying my loans forever,” said Beth Whalen, a school nurse at Richmond Elementary School. “I was very exhausted and stressed, so when I learned of the public loan service forgiveness program, I was very relieved and applied for it.”

Whalen said that she had $65,000 of student loan debt forgiven and now for the first time in years doesn’t have to work over the summer and can take care of her mother, when in years past she had to work extra hours to make ends meet.

In a visit to Philadelphia on Monday, Kamala Harris said that many are “silently struggling with student loan debt” and said those who want to pursue careers in public service shouldn’t have to worry about paying their bills and pursuing their calling.

https://penncapital-star.com/election-2024/vp-kamala-harris-in-philadelphia-to-tout-biden-administrations-latest-student-debt-relief/

08/04/2024

President Joe Biden on Monday will announce the rollout of a student debt forgiveness proposal that the White House believes is narrowly targeted enough to survive legal challenges.

The plan, if finalized, would include a one-time cancellation of all accrued interest for 23 million borrowers. It would also cancel the full amount of student loan debt for 4 million borrowers and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in student debt relief.

Student debt forgiveness remains a key issue for voters, especially younger ones.

07/04/2024

Voter registration at Pennsylvania driver’s license centers soared after Gov. Josh Shapiro announced last year that eligible voters would automatically be registered while applying for a license or state ID card.

The change is a simple and effective step to get more eligible Pennsylvanians onto the voter rolls, voting rights advocates say. Registrations increased by 66% since Shapiro’s order in September compared with a similar period two years ago, according to data published by the state elections office.

While that’s a “huge step” for democracy, automatically registering only people who drive excludes historically disenfranchised groups who face the toughest barriers to voting, advocates say. And records show that while the state is required by federal law to encourage public assistance recipients to register, the number of applications via social service agencies has been on a downward trend for the last decade.
https://penncapital-star.com/voting/advocates-call-for-shapiro-to-extend-automatic-voter-registration-to-social-service-agencies/

06/04/2024

“I’m here to tell you that now is the time more than any other time in our lifetimes to reject what the radical left wants you to be, which is to be discouraged, and instead dig ever deeper than we ever have before because this is the year 2024, when we take this country,” Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation said Saturday at the 2024 Pa. Leadership Conference, an annual statewide conservative gathering.

Roberts said conservatives are fighting in what he calls the “Second American Revolution.”

“I’m not necessarily suggesting that we’re going to enter a season of warfare,” Roberts said. “But what I am suggesting is, at least figuratively, that the radical left has brought this culture of war to our feet. And we darn well better wake up and fight.”

He detailed his vision for Project 2025, the agenda the Heritage Foundation supports if former President Donald Trump wins the presidency and Republicans win a majority in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.

https://penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/conservatives-at-pa-leadership-conference-rail-against-abortion-and-emphasize-border-security/

04/04/2024

These Pennsylvania House primaries will decide who goes to Harrisburg next year.

Sixteen legislative districts have candidates on only one party ballot, meaning the winner takes all.

https://penncapital-star.com/election-2024/these-pennsylvania-house-primaries-will-decide-who-goes-to-harrisburg-next-year/

29/03/2024

The Pennsylvania House passed a bill on Wednesday to close loopholes in the Uniform Fi****ms Act and prohibit the purchase, sale, and production of untraceable gun parts, known as “ghost guns.”

State Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia), sponsor of the bill, said it was an opportunity to get in front of the issue like other states had done already.

“In this body for far too long, we constantly focus on singularly going after bad actors once the crimes are committed,” she said.

Cephas said Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey have taken similar steps in addressing ghost guns. She emphasized that the bill doesn’t make those fi****ms illegal, but it attempts to curb the access to untraceable guns, which are difficult for law enforcement to track, since they don’t have serial numbers on them.

“These are becoming the weapon of choice for so many violent criminals,” Cephas said.

https://penncapital-star.com/government-politics/pa-house-passes-bill-banning-ghost-gun-parts/

28/03/2024

Pennsylvania mail-in ballots that are not dated on the outside envelope by the voter should not be counted even if they arrive at a county election office on time, a three-judge appeals court panel ruled on Wednesday.

The 2-1 decision from the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down a lower court ruling and sets up a potential Supreme Court battle over Pennsylvania’s mail-ballots that began in 2020, and will almost certainly affect how the swing state’s ballots are handled in the upcoming presidential election.

At issue is the materiality provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits officials from denying anyone from voting because of an error or omission “on any record or paper relating to any application, registration, or other act requisite to voting,” unless it is material to the person’s qualification to vote.

Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro, said the date requirement “serves little apparent purpose,” but since the state’s Supreme Court ruled that dating of envelopes was mandatory, “undated or misdated ballots are invalid under state law and must be set aside.”
https://penncapital-star.com/justice-the-courts/undated-pennsylvania-mail-in-ballots-should-not-be-counted-appeals-court-rules/

27/03/2024

In multiple events across the commonwealth on Tuesday, the Forward Party announced its candidates for Pennsylvania attorney general and treasurer.

Eric Settle, a former Republican from Montgomery County who served as Deputy General Counsel to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge and as chief counsel in the healthcare industry, will be the party’s nominee for attorney general.

“As a Republican, the party of Trump had made me both uncomfortable and unelectable,” Settle said. “And for my Democratic friends as an older white male, I did not fit the candidate profile of the Democrats’ new progressive approach.”

Settle highlighted the party’s support for electoral reforms, including open primaries and ranked choice voting, and pointed to his experience in Ridge’s administration. He added that he views the role of attorney general as “so much broader than just being Pennsylvania’s chief prosecutor.”
https://penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/forward-party-announces-candidates-for-pennsylvania-attorney-general-and-treasurer/

24/03/2024

Facing increased threats to election workers and superheated political rhetoric from former President Donald Trump and his supporters, more states are considering firearm bans at polling places and ballot drop boxes ahead of November’s presidential election.

In Pennsylvania, state Reps. Tim Brennan (D-Bucks) and Mary Jo Daley (D-Montgomery) introduced a bill in February that would prohibit the carrying of fi****ms at all polling places.

National surveys show that election officials have left the field in droves because of the threats they’re facing, and many who remain in their posts are concerned for their safety.

20/03/2024

Legislation that would establish a framework for Pennsylvania to develop a wind energy industry off its Lake Erie coast cleared an early hurdle in the Pennsylvania General Assembly on Tuesday.

House Bill 254 would allow the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to lease tracts of lakebed beneath the surface of Lake Erie for companies to develop grid scale wind turbine electricity generation projects.

The bill passed out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee in a vote along party lines, with Republican lawmakers in opposition.

Its advancement to the full House follows Gov. Josh Shapiro’s announcement last week of an energy plan that would increase Pennsylvania’s use of renewable energy to 35% by 2035. Wind energy currently makes up about 1.6% of Pennsylvania’s energy use, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

But the development of offshore wind farms has faced opposition in the United States, including the failure of a pilot project to build a fleet of wind turbines off Cleveland to test the viability of wind generation in icy Great Lakes waters.

Sponsored by state Rep. Robert Merski (D-Erie), the legislation would require leaseholders to pay royalties from the generation of electricity and sale of clean energy credits to be deposited into a special fund to conserve natural resources in Lake Erie.

“H.B. 254 is an important piece of legislation that would help diversify our energy portfolio and be another source of clean energy in Pennsylvania would be a great source of family sustaining jobs for the Erie region,” Merski said during the committee meeting.

Revenue from the leases would be distributed among the DEP, Erie County, the Fish and Boat Commission, the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority and county conservation districts in the Lake Erie watershed.

The bill would allow the state DEP to lease tracts of lakebed beneath the surface of Lake Erie for companies to develop grid scale wind turbine electricity generation projects.

28/02/2024

Erin McClelland, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for state treasurer, campaigned and accepted donations months before registering a fundraising committee with the Pennsylvania Department of State, as candidates for state office are required to do.

While McClelland’s campaign chairperson said the donations and spending were properly reported to Allegheny County, election law experts say Pennsylvania’s campaign finance reporting rules are clear that statewide candidates must report their campaign donations and spending to the state.

“Once you are seeking state office and accepting donations, you need to register with the secretary of state,” Philadelphia Democratic election lawyer Adam Bonin said.

McClelland, a substance abuse and mental health counselor and program director by profession, is running against state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity in November. McClelland also was the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District in 2014, when she lost to the Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus.

Public campaign finance reports and other documents obtained by the Pennsylvania Capital-Star show McClelland received donations and spent money on campaign expenses after announcing her candidacy for the statewide treasurer position in September using a campaign committee registered with the Allegheny County Board of Elections. McClelland ran a primary campaign for Allegheny County executive last year.

But McClelland’s treasurer campaign did not register her fundraising committee with the Department of State until Jan. 29, according to a registration statement filed with the Department of State. The committee filed an annual report for 2023 but did not include spending that it reported to Allegheny County.

Since filing her reports, McClelland said she and her campaign staff have discovered a number of mistakes.

“Going through all of this we have a whole bunch of systemic learning,” McClelland told the Capital-Star.

Erin McClelland raised and spent money for her state treasurer campaign through a committee registered in Allegheny County.

18/02/2024

PHILADELPHIA— Last week, former President Donald Trump was the featured speaker at the National Rifle Association forum in Harrisburg. On Saturday, he made what appeared to be a last-minute visit to Philadelphia to speak at Sneaker Con.

“It’s a slightly different audience than I’m used to,” Trump said during brief remarks to a crowd that included cheers and some boos on Saturday afternoon. “But I love this audience.”

Before Trump took the stage at the Philadelphia Convention Center, people in the crowd waved signs reading “Sneakerheads Love Trump” with a URL to a site offering “President Trump’s official sneaker,” gold high-tops with American flag logos, available for pre-order at $399, with a limit of three pairs per customer, according to the site. A pair of the sneakers was displayed on the stage before Trump was introduced.

Trump claimed that launching the shoe line was something he’s wanted to do for “a long time.”

In addition to promoting the launch of his sneaker line, Trump’s speech appeared to be an attempt to court younger voters, who made up a significant majority of the audience.

“What’s the most important thing,” Trump asked. “To go out and vote.”

“We have got to get young people out to vote,” he said.
https://penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/trump-makes-surprise-appearance-at-sneaker-con-in-philadelphia/

15/02/2024

Federal law enforcement and cybersecurity officials are warning the nation’s state election administrators that they face serious threats ahead of November’s presidential election.

Secretaries of state and state election directors must be ready for potential cyberattacks, both familiar and uncomfortably new, according to the feds. And they must remain vigilant about possible threats to their personal safety.

Voter databases could be targeted this year through phishing or ransomware attacks, election officials were told. Bad actors — both foreign and domestic — are trying to erode confidence in the integrity of elections through dis- and misinformation, and advancements in artificial intelligence present unprecedented challenges to democracy.

“The threat environment, unfortunately, is very high,” said Tim Langan, executive assistant director for the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch of the FBI. “It is extremely alarming.”

10/02/2024

Speaking at the National Rifle Association’s annual outdoor recreation show Friday in Harrisburg, former President Donald Trump delivered a simple but powerful message to a crowd of thousands of shooting and hunting enthusiasts.

“Your Second Amendment will always be safe with me as your president,” Trump said in his first 2024 appearance in Pennsylvania. “When I’m back in the Oval Office, no one will lay a finger on your fi****ms. Not gonna happen.”
https://www.penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/trump-tells-nra-faithful-in-harrisburg-no-one-will-lay-a-finger-on-your-fi****ms/

09/02/2024

When former President Donald Trump addresses a crowd at the National Rifle Association’s Great American Outdoor show Friday in Harrisburg, there’s little doubt that his remarks about the right to bear arms will be well received.

Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, has twice been endorsed by the NRA for his “steadfast support” of the gun rights advocacy group, the Second Amendment, and self-defense rights.

President Joe Biden, who is running for reelection, is cast by the NRA unequivocally as the enemy of gun owners. In a call to defeat Biden, the NRA claims his plan is to severely restrict gun rights by banning and confiscating semi-automatic weapons, enact Red Flag laws that allow the seizure of guns, and require fi****ms licensing and registration.

In reality, neither president, political observers say, has had the opportunity to sign sweeping gun legislation or effectuate dramatic changes in gun policy. While Biden has taken some steps it remains to be seen whether they’ll have the desired effect.

While the Democratic National Committee is using Trump’s appearance before members of the NRA to turn his dismissive words on a school shooting against him on a downtown Harrisburg billboard, guns may not be foremost on voters’ minds in this election.

https://www.penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/despite-rhetoric-both-trump-and-biden-have-had-limited-power-to-change-gun-policy/

07/02/2024

Gov. Josh Shapiro said he wants to invest in the people of Pennsylvania with a $48.3 billion budget that directs new funding to education, economic growth, and creating better opportunities for residents.

“We need to build a more competitive Pennsylvania that starts in our classrooms, runs through our union halls and small businesses, through our farmlands and our high rises, our college campuses, and leads to a life of opportunity and a retirement with dignity,” Shapiro said during his budget address Tuesday in the state Capitol rotunda.
https://www.penncapital-star.com/government-politics/pennsylvania-gov-shapiro-proposes-48-billion-budget-with-focus-on-education-economy-and-people/