Pennsylvania

How can Kamala Harris appeal to climate voters in Pennsylvania? | StateImpact Pennsylvania

Published

2 years ago

August 2, 2024

Press Room

How can Kamala Harris appeal to climate voters in Pennsylvania? | StateImpact Pennsylvania

Julie Grant/The Allegheny Front

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Julie Grant got her start in public radio at age 19 while at Miami University in Ohio. After studying land ethics in graduate school at Kent State University, Julie covered environmental issues in the Great Lakes region for Michigan Radio’s Environment Report and North Country Public Radio in New York. She’s won many awards, including an Edward R. Murrow Award in New York, and was named “Best Reporter” in Ohio by the Society of Professional Journalists. Her stories have aired on NPR’s Morning Edition , The Splendid Table and Studio 360. Julie loves covering agricultural issues for the Allegheny Front—exploring what we eat, who produces it and how it’s related to the natural environment.

Jeremy Long / WITF

Karen Feridun, co-founder of the Better Path Coalition, left, and Greg Schwedock, head of product and technology
of Climate Clock, unveil the climate clock that will sit at the capitol for the rest of the legislative session. The clock was unveiling at a Pennsylvania Climate Convergence press conference in the East Wing of the Capitol complex on Monday, June 13, 2022

August 2, 2024 | 9:47 AM

When it comes to action on climate change, likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has a strong record compared with Republican Donald Trump. But that doesn’t mean people who see climate as a top issue will necessarily vote for Harris.

On the campaign trail, former president Trump has painted Vice President Harris as an extreme liberal and has repeated her 2019 comment that if elected, she would ban fracking.

Of course, that hasn’t happened, and Harris has said in recent days that she will not ban fracking.

In fact, the Biden administration oversaw record-breaking oil and gas production because of fracking.

“They’re taking two steps forward and one step back when it comes to…solving climate change,” said Ned Ketyer, a retired Pittsburgh-area pediatrician, who is now president of the board of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, which is concerned about the health impacts of fracking on frontline communities.

Some environmental leaders have said they are ecstatic with Harris’s candidacy because of her strong record on climate and clean energy efforts.

Under the Biden-Harris leadership, the country has made big investments in climate action. “You have really important things like the Inflation Reduction Act and the [Bipartisan] Infrastructure bill,” Ketyer said.

Those laws have provided the nation’s largest-ever investments in climate action, providing billions of dollars for everything from clean-running school buses and offshore wind to updates to the nation’s electric grid. All of this is meant to shift the country away from fossil fuels.

But at the same time, Ketyer is disappointed that the administration has supported the oil and gas industry.

“You’ve got approval of drilling in Alaska, which isn’t a good idea from a climate standpoint, and new gas pipelines through the mountains and valleys of Virginia,” he said.

But while Ketyer doesn’t think Harris’ record on climate and clean energy is perfect, “The alternative is like 10 steps back, and the contrast is so real and so obvious to me,” he said.

Ketyer cites the right-wing Project 2025, which promotes fossil fuels. While Trump has not endorsed it, according to reports, he did ask oil executives to donate $1 billion to his campaign and promised to reverse President Biden’s environmental rules that hamper their industry. During his previous term, Trump rolled back nearly 100 environmental regulations.

Campaigning on climate

While climate change is not a top issue for the electorate as a whole, it could still help the Harris campaign in Pennsylvania, according to Parrish Bergquist, who is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, focused on climate, energy and environmental policy.

She said Harris could tout the clean energy projects that have been funded in Pennsylvania through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“Talking about those, I think, would be politically beneficial. Rather than talking about banning fracking, talking about building a new [clean energy] industry in communities that are suffering,” Bergquist said.

Harris could also have an educational role to play when it comes to helping people understand climate change as more than just a niche issue, Bergquist said. “So that it… feels like an economic issue, and a family issue, and a lifestyle issue, and…an issue that matters right now.”

Caring about climate but not voting

For people already focused on solving the climate crisis, the election is not Democrats versus Republicans. “They’re largely deciding not between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump,” said Nathaniel Stinnett, “but between Kamala Harris or staying home on the couch.”

Stinnett leads the Environmental Voter Project, a non-profit that is strategically targeting people who prioritize climate change in Allegheny County and around Philadelphia, along with people in 18 other states, and encouraging them to vote.

He points out that the 2020 election was decided by only 80,555 votes in Pennsylvania. His group has identified 350,000 people in the state, the majority of them young people, who rank climate change as one of their top issues, but who might not vote at all.

Stinnett encourages the Harris campaign or any campaign that wants to take advantage of that to connect caring about the climate with voting.

“You want them to think that even more than biking to work or eating less meat, voting is how they can express themselves as environmentalists,” Stinnett said.

Harris faces criticism from some climate hawks, who fault the administration for compromising with fossil fuel interests to get the climate laws passed. Stinnett thinks she should face this head-on.

“I would suggest to any politician that you can describe what happened in the past in an honest way, which was a victory built on a compromise,” he said. “But moving forward, you need to describe how you’re going to continue getting more climate victories.”

A young climate voter calls for bold action

Elise Silvestri, age 19, is currently a sophomore at New York University, but she became active in the Sunrise Movement, a youth climate and political group when she was in high school in Pittsburgh.

Her friends were not motivated to vote when the matchup was Biden versus Trump.

“But I think Harris being the new nominee is definitely exciting people a little bit more,” she said.

The national Sunrise Movement has not endorsed Harris.

As a Pennsylvania resident, Silvestri understands why Harris might back away from a fracking ban. There’s political liability in the job losses it could cause. Still, Silvestri worries about the pollution from fracking. She wants Harris to revive her 2019 comment, that’s gotten her so much criticism from Trump, that she would ban it.

“As a young person, what I want is not her to be scared and try to cater to other people, but present a bold vision of a just transition,” she said.

Silvestri thinks that’s the kind of move that would get climate-conscious young people to the polls in November.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania High School Wrestling Rankings Before 2026 PIAA States – FloWrestling

Published

10 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Pennsylvania High School Wrestling Rankings Before 2026 PIAA States – FloWrestling

Is Pennsylvania the most wrestling-centric state in the country? Does the Keystone State have the most talent? Or even the top talent? Is it harder to win a state title there than anywhere else?

These all are terrific questions, and the answers may vary depending on who you ask and where they’re from, much like our nation’s great pizza debate, where the answers will vary by region.

What we do know for sure, is that Pennsylvania is well-represented in the 2025-2026 FloWrestling High School Wrestling Rankings, but with the 2026 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys & Girls Individual State Wrestling Championships on the horizon, where do the competitors rank amongst their peers?

If you follow high school wrestling, you’ve probably already heard many of the names, whether it was at past PIAA events, national tournaments, international competition, college recruiting news or signings, etc.

Now, here they are listed by weight class in FloWrestling’s latest Pennsylvania-only rankings.

Among the most recognizable are Bishop McCort senior Bo Bassett (152 pounds), his brother and teammate Melvin Miller (172 pounds) and Adam Waters (189 pounds) from rival school Faith Christian Academy.

As you get ready to see who takes home the titles at the 2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships, set for March 5-7 at GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, here’s a look at where everyone falls in the pecking order:

What Are The Weight Classes For High School Wrestling In Pennsylvania?

Boys: 107, 114, 121, 127, 133, 139, 145, 152, 160, 172, 189, 215, 285
Girls: 100, 106, 112, 118, 124, 130, 136, 142, 148, 155, 170, 190, 235

Pennsylvania High School Wrestling Rankings Before 2026 PIAA State Championships

As of Feb. 22, 2026

Boys

Girls

When Are The 2026 PIAA Boys & Girls Individual State Wrestling Championships?

The 2026 PIAA Boys & Girls Individual State Wrestling Championships will take place March 5-7, live on FloWrestling and the FloSports app.

The first girls wrestling champions in PIAA action were determined in 2024.

The road back to GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, began with regional competition across 12 sites (eight boys, four girls) in February (Feb. 20-21; Feb. 22; Feb. 27-28; Feb. 28)

Among the highlights at the 2025 event was Bassett winning his second individual PIAA state championship and helping Bishop McCort to a Class AA runner-up finish behind Faith Christian.

Read more: 2025 PIAA Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets

How To Watch The 2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships

Live coverage of the 2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships on March 5-7 will be broadcast on FloWrestling and the FloSports app, with news, notes, stats and more available on both platforms.

Archives will be available immediately following the conclusion of each match.

If you’re going to be in the area and want to catch the action in person, click here for spectator and ticket information.

Read more: 2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships Schedule & Brackets

2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships Brackets

Here’s where you’ll be able to find the brackets for the 2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships:

2026 PIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships Schedule

Here’s a look at when everything is going down:

All Times Eastern

Wednesday, March 4

4-7 p.m. – Media registration
4-7 p.m. – School registration (AA/Girls/AAA)
4-7 p.m. – Qualifying wrestlers’ workout (AA/Girls/AAA) (six mats)
6 p.m. – Officials’ meeting

Thursday, March 5 (Session 1)

7:30 a.m. – Media registration
7:30 a.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AA)
7:30 a.m. – Late school registration (AA)
7:45 a.m. – Skin condition check (AA)
8 a.m. – Weigh-ins (AA)
9 a.m. – Preliminaries and first round (AA), six mats (52/104 matches)
12:30 p.m. – First-round consolations (AA), six mats
12:30 p.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (Girls)
12:30 p.m. – Late school registration (Girls)
12:45 p.m. – Skin condition check (Girls)
1 p.m. – Weigh-ins (Girls)
2 p.m. – First round (Girls), six mats (104 matches)
3 p.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AAA)
3 p.m. – Late school registration (AAA)
3:15 p.m. – Skin condition check (AAA)
3:30 p.m. – Weigh-ins (AAA)
3:30 p.m. – First-round consolations (Girls), six mats (52 matches)
4:30 p.m. – Preliminaries and first round (AAA), six mats (52/104 matches)
8 p.m. – First-round consolations (AAA), six mats (52 matches)

Friday, March 6 (Session 2/Session 3)

6:30 a.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AA)
6:45 a.m. – Skin condition check (AA)
7 a.m. – Weigh-ins (AA)
8 a.m. – Quarterfinals (AA), three mats (52 matches)
8 a.m. – Second-round consolations (AA), three mats (52 matches)
10:15 a.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (Girls)
10:30 a.m. – Third-round consolations (AA), three mats (52 matches)
10:30 a.m. – Skin condition check (Girls)
10:45 a.m. – Weigh-ins (Girls)
11:45 a.m. – Quarterfinals (Girls), six mats (52 matches)
12:45 p.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AAA)
1 p.m. – Skin condition check (AAA)
1:15 p.m. – Weigh-ins (AAA)
1:15 p.m. – Second-round consolations (Girls), six mats (52 matches)
2:15 p.m. – Quarterfinals (AAA), three mats (52 matches)
2:15 p.m. – Second-round consolations (AAA), three mats (52 matches)
4:45 p.m. – Third-round consolations (AAA), six mats (52 matches)
6:15 p.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AA/Girls/AAA)
7 p.m. – Semifinals (AA/Girls/AAA), 2/2/2 mats (26/26/26 matches)
9 p.m. – Fourth-round consolations (AA/AAA), 2/2 mats (26/26 matches)
9 p.m. – Third-round consolations (Girls), two mats (26 matches)

Saturday, March 7 (Session 4/Session 5)

8 a.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AA/Girls/AAA)
8:15 a.m. – Skin condition check (AA/Girls/AAA)
8:30 a.m. – Weigh-ins (AA/Girls/AAA)
8:45 a.m. – Skin condition check, finalists (AA/Girls/AAA)
9 a.m. – Weigh-in, finalists (AA/Girls/AAA)
9:30 a.m. – Fifth-round consolations (AA/AAA), 2/2 mats (26/26 matches)
9:30 a.m. – Fourth-round consolations (Girls), 2 mats (26 matches)
11:30 a.m. – Third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches (AA/Girls/AAA), 2/2/2 mats (39/39/39 matches)
11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. – Admit coaches and contestants (AA/Girls/AAA)
3:40 p.m. – Parade of Champions (AA/Girls/AAA)
4 p.m. – Championship Finals (AA/Girls/AAA), 1/1/1 mats (13/13/13 matches)

When Was The 2026 PIAA Team Wrestling State Championships?

The 2026 PIAA Team Wrestling State Championships took place Feb. 6-7 at the 1st Summit Arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and included 20 teams that survived the preliminary and first round of the tournament, which was held Feb. 3 at host schools across the state.

The advancing teams made their way to Johnstown for two more days of intense competition, with the 1st Summit Arena hosting the quarterfinals through the championship matches.

In Pennsylvania this year, there were 475 schools participating in boys wrestling.

They were divided into two classifications – 228 schools in AA and 247 schools in AAA – which are further split into 12 districts. Class AA is for schools with 1-308 male enrollees, and Class AAA wrestling includes schools with 309-9999 male students.

Read more: 2026 PIAA Team Wrestling State Championships Schedule & Brackets

Did You Know: PIAA Wrestling Has A Long History

The first state wrestling championships in Keystone State happened in 1938, while the girls were added to the action in 2024. The PIAA Team Wrestling State Championships debuted in 1999.

There are 14 four-time individual state champions in Pennsylvania. Another 30 have won three times.

2025-2026 FloWrestling High School Wrestling Rankings

Top 20 as of Feb. 18, 2026

Curious about how the top wrestlers from each state stack up against competitors from across the country?

Click here to see the latest high school rankings from FloWrestling.

FULL DUAL: Bishop McCort vs. Faith Christian | 2026 PIAA AA Team State Finals

Faith Christian has been dominant in team wrestling in Pennsylvania, and Bishop McCort keeps falling just short.

Trackwrestling Has Joined The New FloWrestling

Trackwrestling officially has merged with FloWrestling, bringing its powerful tournament tracking tools and live data into a modern, all-in-one platform.

Fans can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles—all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling.

This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community. Through the updated FloSports app, users can track live results, explore brackets and even sign up for free alerts so they never miss a match.

FloWrestling Archived Footage

Video footage from all events on FloWrestling will be archived and stored in a video library for FloWrestling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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Pennsylvania

Man cited after abandoning car in frozen pond at Pennsylvania country club: Police

Published

22 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Man cited after abandoning car in frozen pond at Pennsylvania country club: Police

A man has been cited after police said he drove a vehicle into a frozen pond at a country club in Pennsylvania, left the scene, then spent the night in a hotel.

According to the East Lampeter Township Police Department, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, around 10:38 a.m., officers were called to the Lancaster Country Club after receiving reports about a vehicle in a pond.

Police said that, through an investigation, it was learned that Sung Chun, a 50-year-old man from Hoboken, New Jersey, had driven onto the property the day before around 8:30 p.m., crossed portions of the golf course, and ultimately ended up in a pond.

Chun then exited the vehicle and walked away without reporting the incident and spent the night at a nearby hotel, according to police.

Credit: East Lampeter Township Police Department

Police said Chun returned to the location while police were on scene investigating the incident and was ultimately cited with “Trespass by Motor Vehicle.”

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Pennsylvania

State College, Pennsylvania: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

State College, Pennsylvania: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

In rural Pennsylvania, State College houses Penn State against a backdrop of beautiful country scenery. The university hosts many events, arts performances, and lively festivals that give the town year-round excitement that blends student life with local charm. Visitors can attend a football game, explore nearby parks and trails, and savor the town’s growing culinary scene of pubs and local eateries.

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