Northeast
McCormick-Casey recount cost to top $1M; GOP slams blue counties defying high court
The cost of Pennsylvania’s Senate recount is expected to top $1 million as Republicans seek to prevent three Democratic-friendly counties from counting ballots against the apparent wishes of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, a Philadelphia Republican appointed by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, said Thursday that automatic recounts are triggered if the unofficial margin is within 0.5%.
GOP Sen.-elect David McCormick and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr. were separated by 0.43% with a maximum 80,000 provisional and mail-in ballots to be counted, Schmidt said in a video address.
In a press call, McCormick representatives analyzed raw data and calculated “zero” path for Casey — recount or not — to overtake their boss.
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Schmidt said the last automatic recount, between McCormick and cardiothoracic surgeon Mehmet Oz, cost Pennsylvania taxpayers $1.053 million and resulted in Oz moving on to the general election against John Fetterman.
In Casey’s case, about 7 million ballots will be subject to recount, and counties must report their data to Schmidt by Nov. 27.
The trailing candidate in three of the state’s previous eight automatic recounts waived the opportunity.
Pennsylvania’s top legislative Republican also slammed the incumbent for declining to waive the costly recount.
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“Throughout his entire career, Sen. Casey has publicly called for the enforcement of the rule of law and the upholding of judicial norms,” said House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler of Lancaster.
“The facts and the law are clear: The election was free and fair; Dave McCormick is our new U.S. senator; a costly, statewide recount is unnecessary and duplicative; and Democrat-controlled counties are now openly defying the courts and the plain language of the election law to try and overturn a legal election result.”
Cutler said Casey should “immediately” concede and halt the recount and multiple cases of litigation across the state relating to the race.
McCormick’s campaign call foreshadowed news from Bucks, Centre and Philadelphia counties that their boards of election were prepared to count small numbers of undated or misdated ballots.
Bob Casey and Dave McCormick (Getty Images)
Republicans said that runs counter to a recent ruling from the 5-2 Democratic majority Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
The high bench declined to rule on the September case’s merits in tossing a lower court ruling that Philadelphia and Allegheny counties should count misdated or undated ballots from a prior election.
The RNC filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court, urging it to reaffirm its recent decision.
While the Casey campaign did not immediately return a request for comment, campaign manager Tiernan Donohue told PennLive the campaign was working to ensure all “Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard.”
“McCormick and his allies are working to disenfranchise voters in Pennsylvania and spread misinformation,” Donohue said.
Fox News Digital reached out to officials in Bellefonte, where the Centre County elections board reportedly signaled its intent to count undated ballots.
McCormick and the Pennsylvania GOP have sued Centre County, and a hearing was scheduled for Friday in Bellefonte. The plaintiffs alleged Centre’s decision is “legally erroneous.”
The mostly rural county, home to Penn State University, had been ground zero for Republicans seeking to make inroads in Democratic-friendly areas.
Philadelphia Commissioner Al Schmidt testifies at a House Jan. 6 hearing. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
Philadelphia’s city commissioners also voted 2-1 to count about 607 questioned ballots.
In a response to Fox News Digital, the board said several counties voted to count a “relatively small number of undated and incorrectly dated mail ballots” and acknowledged GOP litigation.
“We are reviewing the filings,” Board Chairman Omar Sabir and Lisa Deeley, both Democrats, and Republican Seth Bluestein said in a joint statement.
In Doylestown, Bucks County Board of Elections Chairman Bob J. Harvie Jr. told KYW he’d rather “be on the side of counting ballots than not counting them.”
“The courts, I believe, will take this up. So, we’re going to get sued either way,” he said.
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Crews battle blaze on salvage barge in Delaware bay
Crews battled a blaze on a salvage barge in the Delaware Bay Tuesday morning. No injuries were reported. 3/10/26
Delaware, Pennsylvania, and federal agencies have been responding to a barge fire in the Delaware Bay.
The barge, which is carrying salvage metal, is being moved to shallow water so it can be secured, allowing on-scene responders to extinguish the fire and complete salvage operations, according to a March 10 statement from the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.
No injuries have been reported as of 1:15 p.m.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is on scene to perform air monitoring, the statement said.
Responding agencies include the Wilmington Fire Department, Good Will, Leipsic Volunteer, Bowers and South Bowers fire companies. Also there are Delaware State Police, DNREC, New Castle County Office of Emergency Management, Kent County Department of Public Safety, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay.
The Philadelphia Fire Department was enroute.
This is a developing story. Check back with delawareonline.com for more information.
Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.
Health care premiums set to rise as ACA subsidy deal collapses
Obamacare subsidies are set to expire after Congress failed to reach a deal, leaving millions facing higher health care costs.
Thousands of Rhode Islanders dropped health insurance coverage through Rhode Island’s public insurance marketplace instead of maintaining plans with rising premiums and lower subsidies, HealthSource RI said.
Enrollment through HealthSource, Rhode Island’s “Obamacare” exchange, plunged 20% between the end of last year and the close of the annual enrollment period a month later, as federal funding for premium tax credits expired, according to a HealthSource new release.
There were 48,060 individual and family enrollments on Dec. 31 of last year, the day the premium subsidies from the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act ended.
On Feb. 1, there were 38,557 enrollments.
Before this drop, HealthSource has posted enrollment increases almost every year since Affordable Care Act exchanges launched in 2013.
How did we get here?
Last year, the Republican-controlled federal government declined to extend premium tax credits after a protracted budget battle with congressional Democrats, who are now negotiating to restore the health insurance subsidies.
The lapse in subsidies coincided with an increase in premiums, driven by a combination of factors, which sent the total cost of coverage climbing.
The average premium across HealthSource enrollees more than doubled (101%,) the exchange said, or $111 per person, per month.
Many enrollees opted for cheaper insurance plans despite their higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.
Others dropped coverage altogether.
“The increase in premiums, combined with the decrease in federal supports, makes this an incredibly challenging year for folks depending on HealthSource RI for health coverage,” HealthSource Director Lindsay Lang said in the release. “Having health coverage helps protect against one bad turn of luck becoming years of financial burden. We will work with every customer to find options that are best for their needs and budget, and continue to work with state leaders and our federal delegation to find long-term solutions.”
Could help be on the way?
Gov. Dan McKee included $9.5 million in his proposed state budget for the year starting July 1 to subsidize coverage for some of the lowest-income exchange enrollees.
The enrollment declines show that may be too little for some Rhode Islanders, and too late for others.
“It is disheartening but not surprising that, as President Trump’s policies have caused health insurance costs to skyrocket, more Rhode Islanders are struggling to pay for health coverage,” McKee said.
Since the exchange opened in 2013, Rhode Island’s uninsured rate has declined by two thirds, down to 2.2%, HealthSource said.
A portion of a Vermont highway has been shut down following a rock slide on Tuesday.
Vermont State Police said in an email around 1:22 p.m. that they had received a report of a rock slide on Route 5 in Fairlee, just south of the Bradford town line.
“Initial reports are of a substantial amount of rock & trees in the roadway, making travel through the area difficult or impassable,” they said. “Motorists should seek alternate routes or expect delays in the area.”
Route 5 is a nearly 200-mile, mostly two-lane highway running from the Massachusetts border to Canada.
In an update shortly after 2 p.m., state police said Route 5 in Fairlee between Mountain Road and Sawyer Mountain Drive will remain closed while the Vermont Agency of Transportation assesses the stability of the roadway.
No further details were released.
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