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Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to nominate Republican as secretary of commonwealth

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Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to nominate Republican as secretary of commonwealth


Incoming Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) is planning to cross get together traces and nominate Republican Al Schmidt as secretary of the commonwealth.

Shapiro, who is ready to take workplace on Jan. 17, lauded Schmidt’s integrity Thursday and alluded to his work on Philadelphia’s Board of Elections throughout the firestorm that erupted within the 2020 election. Schmidt has been an unabashed critic of former President Donald Trump and his allies’ efforts to problem elections.

IN REP. SCOTT PERRY’S DISTRICT, STRIDENCY AGAINST MCCARTHY IS FALLING FLAT

“Al Schmidt has a confirmed observe file of defending our democracy, defending voting rights, and standing as much as extremism — even within the face of grave threats — and I’m proud to appoint him to be Pennsylvania’s subsequent Secretary of the Commonwealth,” Shapiro stated in a press release, per the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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FILE – Al Schmidt, former metropolis commissioner of Philadelphia, testifies because the Home choose committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol continues to disclose its findings of a year-long investigation, on the Capitol in Washington, on June 13, 2022. Schmidt, a former Philadelphia election official who has informed of tolerating loss of life threats whipped up by Donald Trump for defending the town’s 2020 vote-counting towards the previous president’s election lies, will probably be nominated for the highest election administration submit in Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro’s administration. (AP Picture/Susan Walsh, File)

Susan Walsh/AP

In contrast to different states, which decide to carry elections for the secretary of state submit, the Pennsylvania governor nominates the state’s high elections official. Schmidt is the primary publicly introduced Cupboard choose for Shapiro, who handily dispatched Republican Doug Mastriano within the governor contest throughout the 2022 midterm elections.

“Our elections are the muse of our democracy, and I sit up for working with anybody — no matter get together — to make sure they continue to be free and truthful right here in Pennsylvania, and that we do extra to make sure each eligible voter could make their voice heard,” Shapiro added.

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Trump prematurely declared victory in Pennsylvania in 2020 and sought to impede Philadelphia from ending its voting tabulations, however Schmidt refused to capitulate. He later informed the Jan. 6 committee he suffered threats for crossing Trump, who finally misplaced Pennsylvania to Biden in 2020.

“After the president tweeted at me by title — calling me out the way in which that he did — the threats grew to become rather more particular, rather more graphic, and included not simply me by title, however included members of my household, by title, their ages, our handle, photos of our dwelling, simply each little bit of element possible,” Schmidt testified.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Now that he’s set to be nominated, Schmidt should get confirmed by a two-thirds vote within the state Senate to safe the submit. Republicans maintained management of the Pennsylvania Senate within the midterm elections.

Schmidt is poised to obtain a Presidential Residents Medal from President Joe Biden Friday. He stepped down from his perch at Philadelphia’s election board in 2021 to spearhead the Committee of Seventy, a pro-democracy nonprofit group.

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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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