Massachusetts
‘Democracy is on the line’: Kamala Harris voters in Pennsylvania
With Pennsylvania emerging as the most critical battleground for the election, over 200 Massachusetts Democrats have spent the past month in Scranton to boost voter turnout for the Harris-Walz ticket.
Jesse Mermell, a former congressional candidate from Massachusetts who grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania, is leading a team that recently organized over 150 Bay State volunteers to canvass neighborhoods and engage with voters in a last-minute push.
“This is the most important election of our lifetime,” Mermell told Newsweek, adding that she saw this outreach as an opportunity to “make a difference” in the region where she has roots.
“The future of every issue I care about, and so many people I care about, hangs in the balance. The future of our democracy is literally on the line tonight,” she said.
Scranton, a largely Democratic urban center in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, is a crucial area for the election. The surrounding counties have shown a conservative shift in recent elections, with President Joe Biden narrowly losing the district to former President Donald Trump by a 51-48 percent margin in 2020.
Jesse Mermell
This year, the district remains highly contested, with Trump holding a slight lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in local polling—49 percent to 46 percent, according to a survey by Noble Predictive Insights. For Mermell, who has been involved in politics for more than 25 years, these tight margins underscore the potential impact of their grassroots efforts.
“In a very purple area of a swing state, you can’t assume Democrats will automatically vote Democrat. It’s not the same as in a deeply blue area like Brookline, Massachusetts,” she said.
Mermell, who served as communications director for former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, highlighted the enthusiasm among local volunteers. She noted that canvassers from her team have knocked on thousands of doors, visiting over 6,500 homes in early October and reaching 29,000 this past weekend.
“People were having real conversations and convincing others of the importance of voting. In this divisive time, being able to have civil conversations on someone’s porch about important issues is powerful,” Mermell said.
Jesse Mermell
In 2020, Joe Biden narrowly won Pennsylvania with 50.01 percent of the vote, reversing the Democrats’ 2016 loss when Trump beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 48.18 percent to 47.46 percent. Polling experts say Pennsylvania could once again decide the next president. For Mermell and her team, these tight margins underscore the importance of their efforts.
“I see a path, but I also remember 2016, when we thought Clinton would win, and it all came crashing down,” she said. “But when it’s this close, that margin is exactly where volunteers make a difference.”
Massachusetts
Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
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Massachusetts
How will the Iran war impact gas prices in Massachusetts?
With a widening conflict in the Middle East after the American and Israeli attack on Iran Saturday, global markets are bracing for a shakeup in the energy supply chain.
So, here at home, what can consumers expect at the gas pump?
An increase in oil prices is almost always followed by an increase in gas prices. And the oil market has already reacted to the war. NBC News reported on Sunday that U.S. crude oil initially spiked more than 10%, while Brent, the international oil benchmark, rose as much as 13%.
Early Monday morning, reports were coming in of black smoke rising from the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City.
While Iran’s oil reserves supply less than an estimated 5% of global production, the main concern is the Strait of Hormuz. This maritime passageway borders Iran at the bottleneck of the Persian Gulf, and more than 20% of the world’s oil passes through. If Iran closes or restricts Hormuz, the oil market could face severe disruptions.
Gas prices rise about 2.5 cents for every dollar increase in crude oil prices. As of Sunday, U.S. crude oil prices had already increased by nearly $5 a barrel.
“I fully expect that by Monday night, you could credibly say that gas prices are being impacted by oil prices having gone up,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan told NBC News.
GasBuddy characterizes their expectations for price increases as “incremental” rather than “explosive”. The group said to anticipate a potential 10-15 cent increase over the next couple of weeks.
Massachusetts
Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News
EASTON, Mass. (WBZ) — Police body camera video shows an Easton, Massachusetts, officer rescuing a 78-year-old Raynham man from a burning car on Friday morning.
A Mack dump truck was experiencing problems on the side of Turnpike Street just after 2 a.m. when a Ford pickup truck struck the back of it, according to police.
The pickup truck then became stuck under the dump truck, trapping the driver, Francis Leverone, inside. A Toyota Camry then hit the back of the pickup truck and caught fire, police said.
Easton police officer Dean Soucie arrived at the crash and saw that the two vehicles were on fire. Video shows Soucie rushing over before breaking the driver’s side window and then, with the help of the two witnesses, freeing Leverone from the pickup truck. Soucie said he was confused but conscious.
“As I reached inside the vehicle, one of the passersby — he actually jumped into the cab of the truck, and he helped me free the individual,” Soucie said.
They then carried the driver to safety.
Leverone was taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to a Boston hospital. He received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
No one else was injured in the crash.
Dee Leverone told WBZ her husband is doing OK. “I’m just thankful for the people that got him out,” she said. “Very thankful.”
After watching the police body-cam video on the news she said, “I was shocked, I was like ‘Oh my God!’ I just couldn’t believe it. His truck is like melted.”
She says she realized that something was wrong last night when her husband never made it home from work.
“I kept trying to call him and call him, and I finally got a hold of him at like 4:30 a.m., and he was at (Good Samaritan Hospital) and he told me he’s gotten in an accident,” Dee said.
She says he’s recovering at the Boston Medical Center and being treated for a dislocated hip.
“He’s a trooper,” Dee said. “He’s a strong man — and you know he’s 78, but you know he’s a toughie. He definitely is a toughie.”
Soucie commended the help of the two witnesses and said that before he arrived at the crash, they had attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher and removed a gasoline tank from the pickup truck before it could ignite.
“They jumped into action like it was nothing,” Soucie said. “Those two individuals were absolutely awesome.”
Easton Police Chief Keith Boone said that he is “extremely proud” of Soucie and the witnesses.
“He saved a life last night,” Chief Boone said. “He is an exemplary police officer and this is just one example. I think he’s a hero.”
Turnpike Street was closed for several hours following the crash. Easton Police are investigating.
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