Northeast

DAVID MARCUS: Election shenanigans show Dems' fear of Pennsylvania turning red

Published

1 year ago

November 23, 2024

DAVID MARCUS: Election shenanigans show Dems' fear of Pennsylvania turning red

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DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – The crowd lined up waiting for the meeting of the Bucks County Election Commission earlier this week was angry. The only thing missing was the pitchforks.

The hullabaloo was caused when one of the commissioners, Diane Ellis-Marseglia, announced the week before that state Supreme Court rulings don’t actually matter, and she was going to count illegal ballots in the Keystone State’s U.S. Senate race, anyway.

DAVID MARCUS: PENNSYLVANIA VOTERS TO SEN. CASEY: ‘IT’S OVER, BOB’

On Wednesday, she sort of apologized to the frothing crowd demanding her resignation, then on Thursday Democratic Sen. Bob Casey conceded his loss to challenger Dave McCormick. For all intents and purposes the controversy was over, but why had it happened in the first place?

“This is all about 2026,” Nick told me outside the government offices.

In his late 20s or early 30s, Nick is one of those Gen Z conservative men you keep hearing so much about, hair slicked back, sunglasses just so. “Casey isn’t gonna be the senator, but they want these ballots to count next time,” he said.

A crowd gathers ahead of a meeting of the Bucks County Election Commission in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. (David Marcus/Fox News Digital)

This all speaks to a warranted fear among Democrats that Pennsylvania, long the swingingest of the swing states, could be moving, like Ohio and Florida before it, solidly into the Republican column.

While the race between McCormick and Casey was supposedly close enough to merit a recount, the race atop the ticket between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris was not. It wasn’t a blowout, but like the national tally, at about a two-point lead, Trump’s win was decisive.

Even in Philadelphia, the bluest corner of the commonwealth, Trump improved upon his 2020 vote totals while turnout lagged for Harris and the Democrats. That is a loud warning alarm for what used to be the party of Jefferson and Jackson.

Swing states don’t tend to stay swing states forever. Oregon, for example, which is now so far left that Chairman Mao would say, “tone it down a bit,” was a toss-up 30 years ago, but times and parties change.

Sen. Bob Casey and Sen.-elect Dave McCormick (AP/ Reuters)

For now, Pennsylvania still has one Democratic senator in John Fetterman, who at times seems to chart his own centrist course against the leftist headwinds of his national party, and Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro, who also seems circumspect about abject progressivism.

But if the Democrats nationally fail to see what Fetterman and Shapiro see, that unchecked wokeness and far-left policies are roundly and soundly rejected by the voters, then even they won’t be able to keep Pennsylvania purple.

“If it wasn’t for double standards, the Democrats would have no standards at all,” one man with a Trump sign shouted outside the election commissioner’s meeting on Wednesday, and his point was easily taken.

For four years we heard little else about Trump other than his election denialism, and we were told it was a grave and grievous threat to the country. Yet here was an elected Democratic official promising to break the law and count illegal ballots, just to put one of her own in office.

Democrats in Pennsylvania face a dangerous crossroad looking forward. Fetterman and Shapiro can continue to at least gesture towards a more centrist approach, but if the national party continues its lurch to the far left, it might not matter much.

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If in four years the Democrats once again nominate a far-left San Francisco liberal such as Gavin Newsom, there is every reason to believe that Pennsylvanians will continue their march to the right.

These were always Joe Biden and Ed Rendell Democrats, they were never Nancy Pelosi Democrats.

For Republicans, the lesson of Pennsylvania couldn’t be simpler. Just stay the course, simply embody what President-elect Trump rightly refers to as common sense.

If Republicans can turn Pennsylvania reliably red, it will be a sea change in national politics, the kind that fundamentally transforms what our political parties advocate and stand for.

That is really why Casey tilted at the impossible windmill of a recount. It’s not about him, it’s not about now, it’s about next time. It’s about maintaining that wiggle room in ballot counting that so often nudges Democrats across the finish line.

But this time, the people noticed, this time they came out to protest, and next time, they may be poised to hand Republicans the key to generational power.

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Maine

Housing affordability key issue in Maine’s housing crisis, report shows

Published

21 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Housing affordability key issue in Maine’s housing crisis, report shows

A new report is showing some progress when it comes to housing in Maine, but affordability continues to remain a key challenge.

According to a report by MaineHousing, the income needed to afford a median priced home in the state has increased 187 percent between 2015 and 2024.

In that same period, the state’s median income only went up 44 percent.

The rental market has not fared better, as it is affected by the dramatically increased cost of real estate across Maine, according to the report.

Despite MaineHousing’s record success in 2025 with its first-time homebuyer program, the demand from homebuyers continues to outstrip the supply of homes for sale.

While year-over-year price increases were lower than in the recent past, the supply pressure is not likely to ease meaningfully until interest rates tick down more.

Maine home for sale (WGME)

“Maine, a state famous for natural beauty and quality of life, has become an attractive location for telecommuters and retirees who often have larger home-buying budgets than Mainers,” MaineHousing said in the report.

In a look at the state’s homelessness crisis, the report suggests underfunding at homeless service centers is leading to skewed data.

According to MaineHousing, housing production is one key to solving these problems.

“MaineHousing’s affordable housing production remains well above historical averages, with 755 low and middle-income units coming online in 2025, and a record future production pipeline extending through the next few years,” MaineHousing said in the report.

While affordable housing production is increasing, unpredictable support at the federal and state levels and high construction costs could still bring that increase to a halt in future years.

Moving into 2026, Maine shows evidence of progress on several fronts of the housing crisis, but there is still much work to be done.

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Massachusetts

See top 50 highest-paid state workers in Massachusetts in 2025

Published

39 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

See top 50 highest-paid state workers in Massachusetts in 2025

In 2025, University of Massachusetts employees earned some of the largest salaries among state workers.

For example, Francisco Martin, head basketball coach at UMass Amherst, made $2.18 million last year, according to the Office of the Comptroller’s statewide payroll database. Dr. Michael Collins, chancellor of UMass Chan Medical School, made $1.57 million.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts paid a total of $10.89 billion to state employees in 2025, including $1.82 billion to UMass employees, $955.4 million to MBTA employees, $680.68 million to trial court employees and $486.19 million to Department of Developmental Services employees.

The public payroll also lists the 2025 salaries for Gov. Maura Healey, Attorney General Andrea Campbell and other public officials. They didn’t make the top 50, but their pay is listed below.

Check out the 50 highest-paid Massachusetts state workers in 2025.

50 highest-paid state workers in MA in 2025

Here were the 50 highest-paid Massachusetts state workers in 2025, according to the statewide payroll:

Francisco Martin – UMass Head Basketball Coach ($2.18 million)
Michael Collins – UMass Chan Medical School Chancellor, Senior Vice President of Health Sciences ($1.57 million)
Joseph Harasymiak – UMass Head Football Coach ($1.41 million)
Terence Flotte – UMass Chan Medical School Executive Deputy Chancellor & Provost, T.H. Chan School of Medicine Dean ($1.18 million)
Partha Chakrabarti – UMass Chan Medical School Executive Vice Chancellor for Innovation & Business Development ($1.01 million)
Ryan Bamford – UMass Athletic Director ($912,226)
Martin Meehan – UMass President ($879,454)
Lisa Colombo – UMass Chan Medical School Executive Vice Chancellor of ForHealth Consulting ($821,872)
Javier Reyes – UMass Amherst Chancellor ($731,684)
Donald Brown – Former UMass Head Football Coach ($705,440)
Gregory Carvel – UMass Hockey Coach ($701,048)
Marcelo Suarez-Orozco – UMass Boston Chancellor ($699,908)
John Lindstedt – UMass Chan Medical School Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance ($699,175)
Kenneth Rock – UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Biomedical Research ($692,780)
Katherine Fitzgerald – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Medicine Vice Chair ($676,959)
Gregory Volturo – UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Emergency Medicine ($644,380)
Mark Fuller – UMass Dartmouth Chancellor ($626,750)
Anne Massey – UMass Isenberg School of Management Dean ($599,242)
Peter Reinhart – UMass Institute for Applied Life Sciences Founding Director ($574,265)
Julie Chen – UMass Lowell Chancellor ($549,614)
Andrew McCallum – UMass Center for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence Director ($544,451)
David Flanagan – UMass Chan Medical School Deputy Executive Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management ($533,562)
Donald Towsley – UMass Quantum Information Systems Institute Director ($528,922)
Fouad Abd-El-Khalick – UMass Provost, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs ($515,870)
Lisa Calise – UMass Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance, Treasurer ($511,275)
Phillip Eng – MBTA General Manager ($509,114)
James Healy – UMass Chan Deputy Vice Chancellor for Management ($496,647)
Adam Wise – UMass Boston Vice Chancellor for University Advancement ($491,793)
Mindy Hull – Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner ($491,017)
Roger Davis – UMass Chan Medical School Program in Molecular Medicine Chair ($486,238)
Celia Schiffer – UMass Institute for Applied Life Sciences Chair of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology ($478,484)
Jeroan Allison – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences Chair ($477,782)
Craig Mello – UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Molecular Medicine ($476,992)
Mary Ahn – UMass Chan Medical School Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs ($475,597)
James Watkins – UMass Associate Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement, Strategic Research Initiatives ($474,133)
David McManus – UMass Chan Professor and Chair of Medicine ($471,586)
Richard Gregory – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Molecular, Cell & Cancer Biology Chair ($469,918)
Maxwell Mayer – UMass Chan Medical School Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences ($469,843)
Sanjay Raman – UMass Dean of Engineering ($468,972)
Nefertiti Walker – UMass Senior Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs & Equity ($462,152)
Fousseni Chabi-Yo – UMass Isenberg School of Management Finance Department Chair ($461,411)
Murugappan Muthukumar – UMass Wilmer D. Barrett Professor ($460,783)
Mark Johnson – UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Neurosurgery ($458,421)
Hong Yu – UMass Lowell Center of Biomedical and Health Research in Data Sciences Director ($458,025)
Sheldon Zhang – UMass Lowell School of Criminology and Justice Studies Professor ($453,950)
Albertha Walhout – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Systems Biology Chair, Chair in Biomedical Research ($450,591)
Zhiping Weng – UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Biomedical Research ($450,591)
Beth McCormick – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Microbiology Chair ($450,591)
Shlomo Zilberstein – UMass Amherst Professor of Computer Science ($450,108)
Abdallah Georges Assaf – UMass Isenberg School of Management Professor ($447,486)

How much did Gov. Maura Healey make in 2025?

Gov. Maura Healey did not break the top 50, making $242,509 as a state employee in 2025, according to the payroll.

Her salary increased from $222,185 in 2024 and $220,288 in 2023.

How much did Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll make in 2025?

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll made $216,292 in 2025, according to the state payroll.

Her salary increased from $198,165 in 2024 and $187,952 in 2023.

How much did Attorney General Andrea Campbell make in 2025?

Attorney General Andrea Campbell made $223,495 as a state employee in 2025, according to the official payroll.

This salary is up from $222,639 in 2024 and $203,401 in 2023.

How much did Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble make in 2025?

Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble made $292,711 in 2025, according to the state payroll. Noble was named colonel in October 2024.

How much did Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin make in 2025?

Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin made $202,427 as a state employee in 2025, according to the payroll.

In 2024, he made $201,850, and in 2023, he made $187,433.

How much did State Treasurer and Receiver General Deborah B. Goldberg make in 2025?

State Treasurer and Receiver General Deborah B. Goldberg made $260,637 in 2025, according to the state payroll.

Goldberg made $238,794 in 2024 and $236,901 in 2023.

How much did State Auditor Diana DiZoglio make in 2025?

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio made $253,494 in 2025, according to the state payroll.

Her salary increased from $229,377 in 2024 and $213,224 in 2023.

How much did former State Police Trooper Michael Proctor make in 2025?

Now-former State Police Trooper Michael Proctor made $3,617 in 2025, according to the state payroll.

Proctor, who served as the lead investigator in the Karen Read case, was put on unpaid leave in July 2024 and then fired in March, accused of violating four department policies.

In 2024, Proctor was paid $79,266, and in 2023, he was paid $146,053.

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New Hampshire

NH dog facility owner charged with animal cruelty after video surfaces online

Published

1 hour ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

NH dog facility owner charged with animal cruelty after video surfaces online

A 26-year-old woman, who owns a dog training and kennel facility in Brentwood, New Hampshire, has been arrested after a video surfaced online showing apparent animal cruelty in Methuen, Massachusetts.

Brentwood police notified the Methuen Police Department about the video on Jan. 2. A preliminary investigation then identified the woman in the video as Maddison Eastman.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Eastman on two counts of animal cruelty, and she turned herself into Lawrence District Court last Wednesday.

Eastman was arraigned Friday. Information from her court appearance wasn’t immediately available, and officials haven’t released further details about what Eastman allegedly did.

Methuen police said they’ll have no further comment at this time and referred all inquiries to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.

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