Every week, This Week in Pennsylvania gives a comprehensive look at the week’s biggest news events in Pennsylvania, provided by the abc27 News team, along with the latest updates on local stories.
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Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair: Some PA delegates believe Biden shouldn’t run
(WHTM) – Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairperson and State Senator Sharif Street says there is concern in the Democratic Party and some members do not want to see President Joe Biden leading the ticket going into the Democratic National Convention.
“I haven’t done a tally but there are people that believe that,” said Street (D-Philadelphia) when asked how many people in the Pennsylvania delegation going to Chicago for the convention want the 81-year-old President to step aside.
“It’s hard to say,” said Street when asked about the likelihood of Biden still being atop the party’s ticket. “Whether he’s the candidate or a different Democrat, we can look at the policies of the Biden-Harris administration have been extremely successful, very few people question that. What they question is first, President Biden’s health and that’s something he has to make an evaluation of.”
Nationally Democrats are concerned that a poor performance by the President on Election Day could affect Congressional and local races. Senator Bob Casey has remained steadfast in his support of Biden and Governor Josh Shapiro, rumored to be a potential replacement, told reporters Friday “I think it is super unhelpful to engage in any hypothetical. The president has made clear he is running, I support the president. I think there is a clear contrast in this race.”
Street says there are some in the party feeling concerned about potential issues down-ballot seeing that Pennsylvania has a contested Senate seat and a narrow majority in the State House.
“I don’t know if nervous is the word, but I can tell you we are concerned,” said Street. “We’re not taking anything for granted.”
Street added that there weren’t many who believed Democrats could flip the State House, as well as win a U.S. Senate seat, the Governor’s Mansion, and other local races that year.
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If you received a text message from the “Pennsylvania Turnpike Toll Services,” do not engage with it — it’s a scam.
The “smishing” (SMS/Phishing) scam falsely informs individuals that they have unpaid toll fees and threatens additional charges if the fees are not paid promptly. The scam includes a link that impersonates the official Pennsylvania Turnpike website, directing victims to pay the fraudulent fees.
According to Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) Press Secretary Marissa Orbanek, they received over 3,000 reports since Saturday, when the PTC was first notified of the scam.
While the scammers are contacting PTC customers, Orbanek reiterated there was no security breach or loss of official information. The scammers randomly messaged drivers who live inside and outside of Pennsylvania. Orbanek said the PTC will never directly communicate with customers through text messages.
In a statement released Saturday, the PTC advised potential victims of the scam on how to handle the perilous text message.
“People who receive an unsolicited text, email, or similar message suggesting it is from the PA Turnpike or another toll agency should not click on the link.”
Donald Trump solemnly presented the man’s helmet and uniform, kissing them in homage.
Washington:
Donald Trump, in his acceptance speech today after presidential nomination at the Republican convention in Milwaukee, paid tribute to the man who lost his life during the shooting at his rally in Pennsylvania last week.
In his first public address since surviving an assassination attempt, Trump honoured Corey Comperatore, the firefighter who was killed by the shooter. He solemnly presented the man’s helmet and uniform, kissing them in homage before a hushed crowd. Trump hailed Corey as a “highly respected former fire chief” and recounted how he “lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect others”. He asked for a moment of silence to honour the firefighter.
Tragically, the shooter claimed the life of one of our fellow Americans, Corey Comperatore, and seriously wounded two other great warriors, David Dutch and James Copenhaver.
– President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/6W04vbXSKA
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) July 19, 2024
Trump also paid his respects to those injured in the attack, referring to them as “dedicated Trumpsters”.
Last week, during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, the former US President was struck near the ear in an assassination attempt by a 20-year-old man.
Agents from the Secret Service, the law enforcement agency responsible for protecting US political leaders, swiftly intervened, rushing to the stage and escorting him quickly to a nearby vehicle.
The gunman and a bystander were killed, and two spectators were critically injured. The man was a 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore.
“We’ve had a significant conversation here in western Pennsylvania about how we rehabilitate buildings that need new uses, how we reinvent and reimagine Downtown. These dollars are going to go a long way to the efforts,” Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor says.
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