Pennsylvania

Editorial: Pennsylvania will flood with campaign cash in 2024

Published

2 years ago

January 13, 2024

Editorial: Pennsylvania will flood with campaign cash in 2024

We knew it was coming.

The 2024 election year was bound to be some rough weather for Pennsylvania. It’s a presidential year, after all, which means national campaign funds and political action committee money will fall like rain.

Presidential years also mean state and federal representatives will be on the ballot. Let’s not forget state senate seats. Some of those will be shuffled or face new contenders after the 2020 census results and the periodic redrawing of legislative maps.

But Pennsylvania has another cloud on the horizon — the U.S. Senate race.

Just two years after a free-for-all that pitted unconventional political star John Fetterman against surgeon-turned-talk show host Mehmet Oz, the state will now be at the mercy of the fight for its second U.S. Senate seat.

Incumbent and Pennsylvania legacy politician Bob Casey Jr., D-Scranton, is seeking reelection. He has a challenger in Pittsburgh engineer Blaine Forkner for the Democratic nomination.

On the Republican side, former hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick is making a second run at the Senate after a strong showing against Oz in 2022 came down to a photo finish, court challenges and ultimately a McCormick concession. Two other Republicans announced, but neither Tariq Parvez or Cory Widmann are the kind of prominent GOP names who were drawn to the last race. There is still time, though — the filing deadline isn’t until Feb. 13.

So far, Casey and McCormick are the ones accumulating cash — and that’s what we foresaw in November when U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced he would not seek reelection.

“Literally, as goes Manchin, so goes the Senate. But without Manchin, the math becomes uncertain, and that makes the future of the Pennsylvania seat all the more important,” we said at the time, predicting a tsunami of campaign money and, therefore, campaign ads in 2024.

That’s being proven as McCormick reports $5.4 million in donations in the last quarter of 2023, plus $1 million of his own cash, for a $6.4 million total. That’s the highest of any Senate candidate so far.

Casey’s campaign apparatus has been in place far longer and is steadily chugging along with $3.6 million in the last quarter of 2023. That seems a lot smaller but is added to $3.2 million in the third quarter and $4 million in the second.

And none of that includes the real blizzard of cash that can blanket the airwaves and mailboxes with ads — the third-party PACs.

Brace yourself. It’s going to be a long year.

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Pennsylvania

1 dead, 2 hospitalized after crash in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, police say

Published

2 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

1 dead, 2 hospitalized after crash in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, police say

Updated on: June 2, 2026 / 9:28 PM EDT
/ CBS Philadelphia

One person is dead, and two others were taken to the hospital after a crash involving multiple vehicles in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The crash happened around 4:45 p.m. at East Bristol Road and Brownsville roads, police said.

Police said a person driving a Toyota RAV4 was involved in a domestic-related incident in Lower Southampton Township before the crash.

The person driving the Toyota RAV4 was traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed, crossed into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle while attempting to pass a Hyundai Kona, according to police.

The Toyota then became airborne, struck a Honda SUV and a Ford pickup truck and rolled over. The driver of the Toyota died in the crash, police said.

The driver of the Hyundai Kona left the road and came to a rest after striking a fence on Bristol Road, according to police.

It’s unclear if any drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, police said.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Bensalem police.

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Pennsylvania

Digital News Publishers Launch Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA) to Advocate for Local News Organizations – Saucon Source

Published

12 hours ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

Digital News Publishers Launch Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA) to Advocate for Local News Organizations – Saucon Source

The publishers of two dozen local news brands across Pennsylvania today announced the official formation of the Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA).

The new Harrisburg-based organization is dedicated to bringing together digital-first local news organizations to strengthen the independent press, modernize laws and policies, and ensure the long-term sustainability of community news.

“The news industry is in a period of profound transformation, and digital news publishers need a seat at the table,” said Tom Sofield, PiNA’s president and publisher of LevittownNow.com.

PiNA’s mission is to provide these publishers with a collective voice, advocating for policies that reflect the modern reality of news consumers, local businesses and civic organizations.

An immediate focus for the new association is the reform of Pennsylvania’s outdated public notice laws, which currently prohibit digital outlets from publishing legal notices. PiNA seeks the right for qualified and established digital outlets to compete against incumbent print outlets and for local municipalities to choose the publication and medium that’s best for their communities. PiNA’s proposed amendment draws from similar legislation in Virginia that was signed into law in 2024.

“PiNA publishers have long been ready to compromise and find policy solutions that work for all Pennsylvanians,” said PiNA secretary and treasurer Davis Shaver, publisher of LebTown. “When lawmakers and local government organizations say they want the ability to self-publish notices, it’s a result of legacy newspapers treating the print monopoly over public notices as a profit center.”

PiNA’s position is that independent outlets can provide the third-party affidavits of publication required to demonstrate compliance with public notice mandates–an essential role of the notice process that would not be possible if agencies were allowed to publish on their own websites.

“We understand why self-publication is desirable, but it’s not the only way to provide urgently needed financial relief for the onerous print newspaper tax on public notices,” said Shaver. “We’re tired of waiting for legacy newspapers to disrupt themselves. Enough is enough, let’s move on.”

PiNA has already engaged with state legislators from across the Commonwealth. PiNA leadership said that the group has been encouraged to learn that its position has widespread support. In particular, PiNA commends Representative Robert Freeman (D-136) for his leadership on this issue.

PiNA represents a group of serious-minded news organizations and leaders. Its membership spans the Commonwealth, from the most rural area to the suburbs and to the neighborhoods of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. PiNA member outlets are read by millions of Pennsylvanians monthly.

“We are coming together to advocate for our staffs, our readers and common-sense policies–like public notice reform–that support a free and modern press,” said Sofield. “By combining our strengths, we can ensure that every community in Pennsylvania has access to reliable local news.”

The association will work to bring collaboration among the locally-owned Pennsylvania small businesses to share ideas and solutions for growth, technology and sustainable revenue models.

“We believe in the power of local news to build stronger communities and improve lives,” said Sofield. “By forming PiNA, we’re creating a base for independent publishers to thrive together.”

PiNA is focused on ensuring that high-quality, trustworthy local news is a permanent fixture in Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The founding members of PiNA include Burb Media, EYT Media Group, Fideri News Network, Lazerpro, Lebanon Publishing Company, NCPA Media LLC and Street Light Media Group. The first associate members include West Hills Gazette and Saucon Source.

Member Outlets: AroundAmbler.com, CentralBucksNews.com, explore814.com, exploreClarion.com, exploreJeffersonPA.com, exploreVenango.com, GlensideLocal.com, HorshamNow.com, LebTown.com, LevittownNow.com, MediaPANow.com, MoreThanTheCurve.com, NewHopeFreePress.com, NewtownPANow.com, NorthCentralPA.com, NorthPennNow.com, PerkValleyNow.com, PhillyDaily.com, SauconSource.com, StateCollege.com, WestHillsGazette.com, WillowGroveNow.com, and WissNow.com.

About PiNA

The Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA) is a trade association representing digital-first local news publishers. PiNA works to promote the health and sustainability of independent news outlets through advocacy, collaboration and innovation.

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