This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his running mate, and at least nine third-party candidates are facing challenges that could see them kicked off of Pennsylvania’s Nov. 5 general election ballot.
The petition against Kennedy, an independent candidate and member of a dynastic Democratic family who rose to prominence as a vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist, was apparently filed with the backing of Clear Choice Action. The political action committee was formed by allies of President Joe Biden to challenge third-party and independent candidates.
In a state where recent presidential elections have been decided by just tens of thousands of votes, Kennedy’s appearance on the Pennsylvania ballot could affect whether Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump takes home the state’s coveted electoral votes. Recent polls show Kennedy with roughly 3% support among commonwealth voters.
Challenges to several other candidates were filed with Commonwealth Court by the 5 p.m. deadline Thursday.
The petition targeting Kennedy and his running mate Nicole Shanahan makes several arguments, including that Kennedy provided the wrong home address and that the candidates did not submit enough signatures.
The Pennsylvania Department of State advises third-party candidates for president that it will accept nomination papers with 5,000 signatures. However, it also warns candidates that this standard — which is much lower than the one prescribed in the state’s Election Code — is based on a court ruling that explicitly applies to the Constitution, Green, and Libertarian Parties.
“A voter or other interested party could file an objection to a candidate whose nomination papers contain only 5,000 signatures, which the state judiciary would need to resolve,” the agency warns.
The petition argues that Kennedy’s nominating papers fail to meet either standard. The filing alleges that the candidate filed 23,680 signature lines with “numerous ineligible signatures and defects.”
Two Pennsylvania voters are listed as the petitioners. However, according to a statement obtained by The Inquirer, Clear Choice Action is involved in the objection. The PAC has filed similar challenges in other states including New York and Illinois.
One of the lawyers who filed the petition referred questions to a Clear Choice Action representative, who did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Two separate challenges target the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates: Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia.
One petition challenges the eligibility of some of the party’s presidential electors. The other, filed by the same voters objecting to Kennedy, also targets the number of signatures filed.
Another challenge seeks to disqualify the entire slate for the ultraconservative Constitution Party, which is connected to the Christian right and based in Lancaster.
More than two dozen dogs were rescued after an investigation into a dog fighting ring in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania State Police said they seized 28 dogs from a home in West Hazleton, Luzerne County, last week.
Troopers said the dogs and “numerous items of animal fighting paraphernalia” were found at the home. Police found weighted collars, heavy chains and treadmills at the scene, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is now caring for the dogs and puppies.
After getting another search warrant, police said they found 19 dogs crated inside the home and eight outside. Another was found running loose and was captured, troopers said.
Griffin Pond Animal Shelter and the Luzerne County Animal Response Team helped remove the dogs, and the shelter temporarily cared for them until they were given to the ASPCA. The dogs will have to undergo forensic veterinary evaluations, general vet care and behavioral analysis.
The ASPCA said some of the dogs had scarring and injuries consistent with dog fighting.
In a Facebook post, the Griffin Pond Animal Shelter said it was one of “the most horrific cases we’ve been a part of.”
“Seeing these photos brings tears to our eyes. We’re beyond tired of experiencing these heartbreaking situations because of humans that have failed the voiceless. The cruelty they were subjected to is unimaginable,” the shelter said.
Police said the person at the center of the search warrant is in the Luzerne County Jail on other charges. The investigation is ongoing.
March 10 (UPI) — A small plane has crashed in rural Pennsylvania, injuring all five on board, officials said.
The plane crashed at about 3:18 p.m. EDT on Sunday in a parking lot of a retirement community in Manheim Township, located about 85 miles northwest of Philadelphia, Manheim Township said in a statement.
All five people on board sustained injuries of unknown severity and were transported to local hospitals for medical treatment, according to the township. No injuries were reported on the ground and there were no deaths, it added.
The Brethren Village facilities also avoided sustaining damage, though several cars in the parking lot were damaged.
Officials told reporters during a press conference that the aircraft was on fire when responders arrived at the scene. About a dozen cars were damaged in the crash, with at least five having been “severely damaged,” Manheim Township Police Chief Duane Fisher said.
The fire has since been extinguished, the officials said.
According to FlightAware, the aircraft had departed from Lancaster Airport near the crash site with a final destination of Springfield, Ohio.
The cause of the crash was under investigation.
Fisher said they initially imposed a shelter-in-place order for the retirement community following the crash as a “precaution.”
“At no point did the plane or the aircraft strike any part of the structure,” Fisher said. “So, we’re very confident that all safety concerns have been addressed as far as the facility here and everyone that lives here.”
“I don’t know if I consider it a miracle, but the fact that we have a plane crash where everybody survives and nobody on the ground is hurt is a wonderful thing.”
The FAA, which said it was investigating the crash, identified the plane in a statement as a Beechcraft Bonanza.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said state police were on the scene assisting first responders.
“All Commonwealth resources are available as the response continues,” he said on X.
The incident follows a series of high-profile aviation crashes in the United States, including a crash involving a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines Jet in Washington, D.C., in January.
A plane has crash-landed in a parking lot in suburban Pennsylvania.
Dramatic footage showed the aircraft erupt in flames in the parking lot, lined with other vehicles, in Manheim Township.
Medics, ambulances, and emergency vehicles rushed to the scene in Lancaster County – as flames engulfed the plane. It is unclear how many people were on board.
The aircraft crashed, triggering a fiery inferno and causing multiple vehicles to burst into flames, between Fairview Drive and Meadowview Court.
The aircraft’s tail can be seen in the wreckage, squashed up next to parked cars and surrounded by thick black smoke billowing through the air.
Numerous injuries have been reported at the scene – including burn victims.
The parking lot where the plane landed is just two streets away from Lancaster Airport – and serves a retirement home, Fairview Meadows.
Public records provided by Lancaster Airport show that a commuter airline provided by Southern Airways Express was scheduled to land at the airport at 2:14pm. It took off from Dulles International Airport in Virginia earlier on Sunday.
Dramatic footage showed the aircraft erupt in flames in a parking lot, lined with other vehicles, in Manheim Township
The aircraft’s tail can be seen in the wreckage, squashed up next to parked cars and surrounded by thick black smoke
Emergency services are seen working on the small plane crash in Pennsylvania
Smoke is seen billowing from the site of the aircraft crash
This comes after a particularly tumultuous start to the year for the aviation industry.
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