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Funding for Pa. state-related universities passes Legislature – Pennsylvania Capital-Star

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Funding for Pa. state-related universities passes Legislature – Pennsylvania Capital-Star


The General Assembly on Wednesday sent a bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk, after months of wrangling, that will fund state-related colleges and universities. 

The Senate voted 45-5 to pass legislation to provide level funding for state-related schools Penn State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Temple University, while Lincoln University and Penn College of Technology will receive increases of $3,235,000.

The House concurred, voting 149-54.

Funding in the bill is directed to provide tuition discounts for in-state students, while universities are required to meet financial reporting requirements as a condition of receiving the money. 

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Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) described the bill as a “consensus product,” during remarks on the Senate floor. 

State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) noted the effort of 14 students from Lincoln University who walked the 66 miles from the Chester County campus to Harrisburg in an effort to persuade lawmakers to approve funding for the school. 

“I think all of us on both sides of the aisle were moved by that effort,” Hughes said. 

Every Democrat in the Senate voted to support the bill, while Republicans Sens. Chris Gebhard (R-Lebanon), Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango), Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin), Tracy Pennycuick (R-Montgomery), and Judy Ward (R-Blair), voted no

State Sen. Cris Dush (R-Jefferson), who voted yes on the bill, expressed concern about recent on-campus violence against those supporting Israel and Jewish students, as well as the University of Pittsburgh conducting fetal tissue research

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“Although I voted yes today, my vote next year on the funding of these universities is contingent on them…continuing on the path that I’ve seen in the last couple of weeks at making some corrective action,” Dush said.

Dush also said he wants to ensure that the schools are responsive to future Right-To-Know requests.

“House Democrats have stood united over the past several months in our commitment to increasing funding for higher education,” Rep. Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia), said in a statement on behalf of House Democratic leadership. “We have voted multiple times this summer and fall to send money to our state-related universities. As recent as October, the House approved both the increased funding to these universities and a tuition freeze for their students.”

“This week, the Senate Republicans decided to remove the tuition freeze and flat fund our universities, making our students responsible for the difference,” Harris continued. “While we want an increase for all state-related universities, we must balance that desire with the reality that these universities need funding now to continue delivering high-quality education without interruption.”

House Bill 1556, which aims to increase transparency to the records of the state-related universities, was unanimously approved by the state Senate on Wednesday. The House already approved the bill by a 201-1 vote on Oct. 30, with state Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) casting the only vote against it. That bill will also advance to the governor.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania university on lockdown following pro-Palestinian encampment – KYMA

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Pennsylvania university on lockdown following pro-Palestinian encampment – KYMA


PHILADELPHIA (NBC, KYMA/KECY) – A group of pro-Palestinian protesters set up tents on Drexel University’s campus in West Philladelphia Saturday, forcing the school’s buildings to be placed on lockdown.

The protest is mainly organized by the Philly Palestine Coalition. They started at 4:00pm Eastern at City Hall, marching down JFK Boulevard into West Philly.

By 7:00pm, they were setting up tents on Drexel’s Academic Quadrangle. and around 8:00pm Eastern, police set up barricades and came out in riot gear.

Similar to the Penn protests, their two main demands are for Drexel to disclose its investments and redirect any money going to the Israeli military.

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“We wanna keep it peaceful. At the same time, we don’t want anyone to get hurt…just want people to be heard,” said Kendell Lewis, a student of the university.

“Open the books, let us see what it is…Let us see where you’re actually spending your money, and democratically, we should be able to decide, as students who go to the area, who work for the schools, we should be the ones to decide where that money goes and what’s done with it.”

Marie Gioulis, Drexel alumni

The encampment at Penn was disbanded eight days ago when 33 people were arrested, but protesters returned to campus Saturday night, trying to occupy Fisher-Bennett Hall and start a new encampment.

Police arrested 19 people, including six students, one for one for assaulting a police officer. Penn said police found lockpicking tools and homemade metal shields while adding:

“The exit doors had been secured with zip-ties, barbed wire, and barricaded with metal chairs and desks, and the windows were covered over with newspaper and cardboard. Bike racks and metal chairs were also found blocking outside entrances. Penn remains focused on maintaining the safety and security of our campus.”

Now, protesters at Drexel said they’d like to combine with folks from the Penn protest to create a bigger footprint. They also want to encourage the university unions to go on strike in solidarity.

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“Seeing it finally trickle down from our next-door neighbor to finally here, I hope it is more fruitful, and then more organizations around the area will also step up and also collab,” Lewis expressed.

In a statement, Drexel says its buildings are on lockdown and people unaffiliated with drexel are not allowed to trespass on campus. They also added:

“We will be prepared to respond quickly to any disruptive or threatening behavior by anyone against anyone… We will not tolerate the destruction of property…or threatening behavior of any kind, including speech.”



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Fetterman: I think Biden will win Pennsylvania in 2024 | CNN Politics

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Fetterman: I think Biden will win Pennsylvania in 2024 | CNN Politics


Fetterman: I think Biden will win Pennsylvania in 2024

Senator John Fetterman tells CNN’s Jake Tapper “I do believe that Joe Biden is going to carry” Black voters by wide margins in November, but the election is “going to be very close.”



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Weather alert issued for dense fog in part of Pennsylvania Sunday morning

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Weather alert issued for dense fog in part of Pennsylvania Sunday morning


A report from the National Weather Service was issued on Sunday at 6:03 a.m. for dense fog until 8 a.m. for Westmoreland Ridges, Fayette Ridges and Higher Elevations of Indiana as well as Mercer, Venango, Forest, Lawrence, Butler, Clarion, Beaver, Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington, Greene, Westmoreland, Fayette and Indiana counties.

“Patchy dense fog is ongoing this morning, especially in and around river valleys and areas that saw the heaviest rainfall this weekend. If traveling, take it slow and allow extra time to reach your destination. Fog should begin to lift in most locations after 8 am,” according to the weather service.

Fog safety: Tips from the weather service for safe travels

If you must drive in foggy conditions, keep the following safety tips in mind:

Reduce speed:

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  • Slow down and allow extra travel time to reach your destination safely.

Visibility priority:

  • Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If you have fog lights, use them.

Avoid high-beams:

  • Refrain from using high-beam lights, as they create glare, making it more difficult for you to see what’s ahead of you on the road.

Keep your distance:

  • Keep a considerable following distance to account for sudden stops or shifts in traffic patterns.

Stay in your lane:

  • Use the road’s lane markings as a guide to staying in the correct lane.

Visibility near zero:

  • In situations of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a secure location, such as a nearby business’s parking lot, to pull over and come to a stop.

Limited parking options:

  • If no parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far to the roadside as possible. Once stationary, turn off all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.

By adhering to these weather service precautions, you can navigate foggy conditions more safely, reducing the likelihood of accidents and ensuring your personal safety.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.



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