Pennsylvania

Hello, Pennsylvania! Why Harris and Trump can’t get enough of the Keystone State

Published

2 years ago

September 13, 2024

Hello, Pennsylvania! Why Harris and Trump can’t get enough of the Keystone State

Pennsylvania is easy for the candidates to get to

Urban points out there is also a practical reason both campaigns are spending so much time in Pennsylvania. It’s close to home for Trump — who spends his summers in New Jersey — and for Harris, who lives at the vice president’s residence in Washington, D.C.

“Arizona and Nevada, you’ve got to go all the way across America,” said Urban. “It’s a long flight. To go to Pennsylvania, both for Harris and for Trump, it’s a 20-minute flight.”

Trump is working to drive up turnout among the state’s white working-class voters, outside of the major cities, aiming to win the same way he did in 2016 – though he is also hoping to make gains with Black and Latino men.

The Harris campaign is trying to boost turnout in the cities and suburbs, but also aims to cut into Trump’s margins in more rural parts of Pennsylvania. The stops in Johnstown and Wilkes-Barre are part of that strategy.

“We are going into places where Democrats haven’t gone before,” said Quentin Fulks, Harris’ deputy campaign manager.

In August, Harris did bus tours of both Western Pennsylvania and the southeastern part of Georgia, in and around Savannah. That’s a city that hasn’t seen a general election candidate visit since the 1990s.

“When you are talking about some of these states that are being decided by 12,000 votes, it doesn’t matter if those votes come from Atlanta, or it doesn’t matter if those votes come from Savannah or Augusta or somewhere more rural like Schley County, my home town,” said Fulks.

According to AdImpact numbers, the Trump team has reserved nearly $30 million in ads in Georgia, while Harris and her allies plan to spend more than $40 million. It’s a sign they both see the state as winnable.

North Carolina is another state getting a lot of candidate facetime, even though Obama was the last Democratic nominee to win there, back in 2008.

Trump has been there three times since Harris got into the race. Harris made her second visit there as a presidential candidate on Thursday, but had held public events in the states six other times this when she was still President Biden’s running mate.

Polls show North Carolina is close, with an advantage to Trump. But he probably wouldn’t be spending all the time he is in North Carolina, if his campaign was sure they had it in the bag.

NPR’s Gus Contreras, Kai McNamee, Clayton Kincaide and Juweek Adolphe contributed to this story.

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Pennsylvania

It’s back: What is ‘senior assassin’ and why are Pennsylvania police warning against it?

Published

9 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Press Room

It’s back: What is ‘senior assassin’ and why are Pennsylvania police warning against it?

DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — As high school graduation season approaches, so does a rise in teens participating in a popular game known as “senior assassin.”

The Swatara Township Police Department is asking parents to speak with their kids about the risks associated with the game, where students try to “eliminate” each other by spraying each other with water guns or squirt bottles.

“The game is played outside of school hours and away from school property but has been reported to be causing disruptions and posing risks to participants and bystanders alike,” police wrote Tuesday in a news release.

READ MORE | What is the ‘Senior Assassin’ game?

The police department said there have been reports of students playing the game outside of local businesses and alarming the public.

There are online resources that advise students avoid private property and use brightly-colored water guns, police said, but not all students are following those rules.

Police said some students have used paintball guns, which can lead to injuries.

“We urge parents and guardians to speak with their children about the potential risks associated with participating in this game and to discourage them from taking part,” the Swatara Township Police Department wrote. “The safety of students and community members is our top priority, and we must work together to ensure a safe and respectful environment for everyone.”

Another Pennsylvania police department out of Bucks County, the Buckingham Township Police Department, said the game sometimes results in 911 calls reporting “armed subjects.”

“In case you are unfamiliar, Senior Assassin is a game that involves high school students ‘stalking’ and ‘shooting’ each other with water guns in an attempt to be the last senior standing,” Buckingham Township police wrote. “We have heard that some students are using Nerf guns or silly string. Think of this game as ‘hide and seek.’”

The Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department also spoke out about the game back in 2023, warning that students sometimes use water pistole that could easily be confused for real firearms.

“This behavior, though intentionally innocent, could easily be perceived, reported, or confronted as suspicious behavior by unknowing persons and outcomes could have serious consequences,” the police department had said.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | ‘Senior Assassination’ game among high schoolers concerns police in Lancaster County

While the Buckingham Township Police Department said it does not condone the game, it offered the following safety tips for students who might decide to play anyway:

Do not use realistic-looking weapons; use clearly identifiable, brightly colored water guns.
Do not wear masks or behave in ways that would make a reasonable person to believe you are a threat.
Avoid trespassing on private property or playing in public spaces, especially at night.
Immediately comply with any police officer’s instructions and stop playing if instructed to do so.

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