Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania could decide election — and the economy could be key for Trump
Pennsylvania could be pivotal in November, if new polling suggesting a swing state split between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is on point.
A fresh seven-state survey from Emerson College Polling and the Hill shows the VP taking Michigan (50% to 47%), Georgia (49% to 48%) and Nevada (49% to 48%).
Meanwhile, the former president is up in Wisconsin and North Carolina, 49% to 48% in both states. He also leads in Arizona, 50% to 47%.
If these results hold, Harris leads in the Electoral College, 263 to 256. That means Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes could decide it all — and right now, the Democrat and Republican are neck and neck at 48% each.
“The race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump continues to be tight, within each state’s margin of error,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, before detailing Democratic advantages that the poll’s results divulge.
“Harris leads Trump among independents in each state, with the exception of Nevada, where Trump leads 50% to 44%. There is also a stark gender divide, similar to that of 2020. In six of the seven swing states, Harris leads Trump among women; however, in Arizona, Trump has a two-point edge on Harris among women voters, a group that broke for Biden by about three points in 2020, according to exit polling.”
Though Democrats have their pockets of strength in this polling, there is significant weakness when it comes to the Biden-Harris economy, which voters in all seven states say is the most important issue, to varying degrees.
In Arizona and Nevada, more than 30% of the poll respondents make that claim. In Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin, more than 40% say the same.
And in Pennsylvania, a steep 51% say pocketbook issues are what matter most to them, suggesting that the best closing argument for Team Trump may be in people’s bank statements and credit card balances.
The polling also shows that Trump’s “No taxes on tips” proposal — which Harris also endorses now — is wildly popular across the battlegrounds, with approval numbers ranging from 65% in Michigan to 74% in Arizona and Georgia. Pivotal Pennsylvania falls in the middle of this range at 68%.
In troubling news for Trump, the controversial Project 2025 proposal is hurting him even as he maintains he doesn’t support it.
In all seven states, between 35% and 39% of poll respondents say the so-called “presidential transition project” makes them less likely to support him.
And among independents, the damage is even worse, with between 39% and 46% of respondents across these battlegrounds saying Project 2025 may make them back away from the GOP ticket in November.
Pennsylvania
Man cited after abandoning car in frozen pond at Pennsylvania country club: Police
A man has been cited after police said he drove a vehicle into a frozen pond at a country club in Pennsylvania, left the scene, then spent the night in a hotel.
According to the East Lampeter Township Police Department, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, around 10:38 a.m., officers were called to the Lancaster Country Club after receiving reports about a vehicle in a pond.
Police said that, through an investigation, it was learned that Sung Chun, a 50-year-old man from Hoboken, New Jersey, had driven onto the property the day before around 8:30 p.m., crossed portions of the golf course, and ultimately ended up in a pond.
Chun then exited the vehicle and walked away without reporting the incident and spent the night at a nearby hotel, according to police.
Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department
Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department

Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department
Police said Chun returned to the location while police were on scene investigating the incident and was ultimately cited with “Trespass by Motor Vehicle.”
Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards
Pennsylvania
What the war with Iran could mean for gas prices in western Pennsylvania
The war with Iran could start impacting your wallet as soon as today.
Jim Garrity from AAA East Central says oil prices are up.
“They’re hovering around $72. They were pretty consistently around $65, $66 for a while,” he said.
Nationally, AAA said the average for a gallon of regular sits at about $3, up approximately six cents from last week.
In Pennsylvania, it’s around $3.12 a gallon, and in the Pittsburgh region, it’s around $3.24 a gallon. That’s actually down about four cents from last week.
Garrity added that gas prices this time of year would already be increasing, usually because of higher demand for the warmer months and the production of the summer blend of gas used for those months.
The impacts of what’s happening in Iran may not be immediate, which could be part of why our region and the state overall have not seen a spike yet, he said.
“It could be a couple of days later. It could be up to a week later,” Garrity said.
A lot of people are watching what happens with the Strait of Hormuz. Iran borders it to the north, and 20% of the world’s oil goes through it.
Iran is one of the world’s biggest oil producers, and China gets a lot of that oil.
“If there is an impact there, you could see oil start to come in from other parts of the world, which has a downstream effect on [the United States],” Garrity said.
One way you can save on gas if prices increase in our area is by slowing down.
“When you drive faster every five miles, over 50 miles an hour, your fuel efficiency is going down,” Garrity said. “You’re making the car work harder, making the gasoline consumption less effective.”
Garrity added that in 2022, when our area and many others saw some of the highest gas prices ever recorded, people changed their driving habits.
“We saw people make seemingly permanent changes to their driving behaviors, driving less in general, consolidating trips,” he said.
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