Uncommon Knowledge
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Donald Trump suffered a blow in the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday, as tens of thousands of Republicans refused to vote for him despite being the presumptive GOP nominee.
The former president won the primary race in the key swing state with 83.5 percent of the vote, amounting to more than 786,000 votes.
However, Nikki Haley, who ended her campaign for the White House after Super Tuesday in March, still received 16.5 percent of the vote, equating to more than 155,000 ballots.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Trump has dominated the Republican primary, and won enough delegates to clinch the Republican presidential nomination in March after victories in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington state.
However, there have been signs that Trump is still struggling to garner support from more moderate and independent voters who could be key in the general election against President Joe Biden, especially in the swing state of Pennsylvania.
Trump continued his dominance in the GOP primary with a resounding victory in Pennsylvania, one of the states which could ultimately decide who wins the 2024 election.
While Trump still won more than 83 percent of the vote, Haley, seen as a more moderate Republican candidate who was also to sweep up the so-called “Never Trump” brigade, appears to still be causing problems for the former president’s campaign despite no longer officially being in the race.
Haley, who was Trump’s last remaining serious challenger in the GOP primary, had previously received more than 2 million votes on Super Tuesday, including winning the strong blue state of Vermont.
Haley also received more than 26 percent and 18 percent of the GOP primary vote in the key swing states of Michigan and Arizona respectively, amounting to hundreds of thousands of votes.
Several polls have indicated that many Haley supporters will not go on to vote for Trump in the 2024 election.
Trump lost Pennsylvania to Biden in the 2020 election by just over one percent (80,555 votes).
Trump’s office has been contacted for comment via email.
Anthony Scaramucci, Trump’s former White House communications director, said: “Nikki Haley dropped out of the race over a month ago, yet she is polling nicely in PA.
“Trump has no shot to win the presidency. Write it down and study it. And if you are with him: CRY.”
J.J. Abbott, who previously worked in former Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s office, said: “Nikki Haley did not campaign in Pennsylvania. She dropped out in early March.
“The entire PA GOP establishment including Dave McCormick endorsed Trump. Haley is on track to get nearly 150,000 votes.”
The Indiana GOP primary will be held on May 7.
The Republican National Convention, where Trump will be confirmed as the 2024 nominee, will take place in Milwaukee in July.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Get ready, King of Prussia, something new is coming to the community.
Valley Forge Casino Resort announced a partnership with NBA legend and Philadelphia icon Charles Barkley to open a new steakhouse and cigar lounge at the Boyd Gaming-owned resort.
“The Philadelphia area has always felt like home to me, and I’m thrilled to bring something new to a community that’s played such a big part in my life,” Charles Barkley said in a news release. “We’re creating a spot that’s fun, comfortable, and full of personality. I want it to be the kind of place where people can unwind, share a great meal and feel that same energy and connection that make this community so special.”
The steakhouse is set to “fuse contemporary elegance with nods to Barkley’s storied career.” It will have personal memorabilia and design elements that celebrate him and his ties to the Philadelphia region.
Next door to the steakhouse, the cigar lounge will have a club-like vibe with a walk-in humidor, private lockers and a bar.
“Charles Barkley’s personality, charisma and love for Philadelphia make him an incredible partner, and we are incredibly honored to have the opportunity to bring his vision to life at Valley Forge Casino Resort,” said Martha Morales, Vice President and General Manager of Valley Forge Casino Resort.
Officials said that at Valley Forge, Barkey will help shape the restaurant’s menu and overall vision.
Boyd Gaming has even entered a national partnership to feature spirits from Redmont Distilling Co., Barkley’s signature liquor brand, across all of its properties.
In addition, Boyd Gaming will make an annual contribution to Barkley’s charitable foundation, The Charles Barkley Foundation, which supports education and historically Black colleges and universities.
Known as one of the greatest players in NBA history, Barkley first rose to fame as a power forward for the Philadelphia 76ers from 1984 to 1992.
After retiring from the NBA, Barkey became a successful television analyst, working on shows such as “Inside the NBA.”
Fentanyl continues to destroy lives across the state, and western Pennsylvania is not immune.
Pennsylvania’s attorney general was in Pittsburgh on Monday to talk about how to stop the flow of the dangerous drug.
First, there was OxyContin, then there was heroin, and now, fentanyl is what’s taking so many lives when it comes to illegal drugs.
Attorney General Dave Sunday has released some shocking numbers. He says the battle against the deadly drug is ongoing, and they’re making progress, but this war is far from over.
“The mission is to stop fentanyl, to remove fentanyl from our streets, in our streets and neighborhoods, and to hold accountable the predatory traffickers profiting in death and destruction,” Attorney General Sunday said.
Sunday pointed out the cold reality in the form of numbers. Figures that he says add up to the fatal toll the illegal drug continues to produce.
“We have seized more than 100,000 grams, which is more than 220 pounds, through September, which puts us at over 50 million doses and counting,” Attorney General Sunday said. “Nearly 18 million doses have been seized in the greater Pittsburgh area.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2024, statewide, 3,358 people died from overdose deaths. Sixty percent of those deaths were from fentanyl, with 665 of the victims coming from Allegheny County alone.
“[The drug] enters the United States from Mexico, from chemicals in China,” Attorney General Sunday said, but it’s not exclusive.
Law enforcement officials say the precursor chemicals for fentanyl are also flowing into American ports on both coasts, with millions of pills being produced in clandestine production facilities in homes, apartments, and businesses.
“People are obtaining these pill presses, they’re making these pills, they’re making their way to schools, to colleges, to parties; it’s unbelievably dangerous,” Attorney General Sunday said.
These operations are dramatically dropping the cost of the deadly drugs.
“A few years ago, an ounce of fentanyl could be upwards of $8,000. That’s 14,000 doses of fentanyl. Today, an ounce can be purchased for $200.”
Attorney General Sunday added that times are dark, but there is hope. He cited the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative program, otherwise known as LETI.
“The program diverts individuals out of the criminal justice system and into treatment,” Sunday said. “Long-term recovery is a very real thing.”
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating after a man’s body was found on Saturday night in Westmoreland County.
A hunter came across the body on state game lands across from the 17th hole of the Mannitto Golf Course in New Alexandria.
The victim was later identified as Robert Friend, state police said via social media.
Police have not said how Friend died, but they are calling his death suspicious. Anyone who saw Friend on Friday is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police Troop A barracks at 724-697-5780.
More information is expected to be made public on Monday, police said.
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