Pennsylvania
Trump returns to Pennsylvania with rally in pivotal Lehigh Valley • Pennsylvania Capital-Star
NORTH WHITEHALL TWP — Former President Donald Trump returned to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania on Saturday to rally supporters in a pivotal battleground region 10 days before the state’s primary election.
Saturday’s visit comes two days before Trump is scheduled to stand trial in criminal proceedings in a New York City courtroom. Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up payments made in 2016 after an alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels. He will be the first former U.S. president to stand trial in criminal proceedings.
Although Trump is the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, there are several competitive races for GOP candidates in Pennsylvania’s April 23 primary.
Prior to Trump’s evening rally, he attended a fundraiser in Bucks County, which is considered the lone purple county of the Philadelphia suburbs.
Saturday was Trump’s third visit to the state in 2024. In February, he spoke at a National Rifle Association event in Harrisburg and one week later unveiled a new line of Trump-branded sneakers and delivered brief remarks at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia.
President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has also kept a steady presence in the crucial battleground state. He’s made four separate appearances in Pennsylvania, all in the eastern region of the state, most recently visiting in Delaware County the day after his State of the Union address.
Biden will return to the state for three separate visits in the upcoming week. On Tuesday, he’ll be in his hometown of Scranton, to deliver a “major address” regarding the nation’s tax code. On Wednesday, he’ll visit the Pittsburgh region and Thursday will return to Philadelphia.
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Ahead of Trump’s visit, a group of Democratic women lawmakers spoke at a press conference in Bucks County and criticized Trump’s stance on abortion. U.S. Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon (5th District), and Madeleine Dean (4th District), were joined by Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Rep. Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia, and candidate for PA-01 Ashley Ehasz.
“When I go to the doctor, there’s only room for me. There’s not room for the state legislature. There’s not room for Congress. There’s not room for the president, no matter who’s there. There’s not room for the Supreme Court,” McClinton said. “Unfortunately, the government has gotten into these medical offices by taking away our rights, by rolling back almost 50 years of precedent. And we cannot blindly sit still while the former President is in Bucks County frolicking around, continuing to spread the Big Lie.”
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) put up billboards in Allentown criticizing Trump’s comments on abortion before the former president’s rally on Saturday. And Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a Friday statement that Trump’s agenda was “too dangerous and extreme” for Pennsylvania.
The Lehigh Valley is considered one of the most competitive political regions of Pennsylvania.
In 2016, when Trump beat Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, he lost Lehigh County by just under 5 points, but won neighboring Northampton County by nearly 4 points. In 2020, Biden secured a victory in Pennsylvania and won Lehigh County by roughly 7.5 points, while also flipping Northampton County blue.
In 2020, Northampton County was the only county in Pennsylvania to pick the winner in all four statewide elections. The only debate between the candidates for vice president will take place in Northampton County in September.
Widespread polling shows Biden and Trump are currently locked in a close race for Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes. The Cook Political Report, a national ratings outlet, labels Pennsylvania as one of the six “toss-up” states this cycle. It’s the state with the most electoral votes on the line in this category.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
When 32-year-old Beth Dudley, a mom of two, walked into a convenience store in Salem Township, Westmoreland County, last month, she was stressed out about her flat tire.
Now, after winning $1 million from a scratch-off ticket, not only is Dudley getting a new tire, but she’s thinking about getting an entirely new car.
The Pennsylvania Lottery celebrated Dudley on Friday ahead of Mother’s Day, presenting her with a commemorative $1 million check.
Luck didn’t seem to be on Dudley’s side when she visited the Crabtree Gas and Go on Roosevelt Way in April. But she said she decided to treat herself to a lottery ticket anyway.
“I thought, ‘What’s it going to hurt?’” Dudley said. “I play occasionally. Before I won, my brother said, ‘You’re going to get the tire changed and your whole world will turn around.’”
And turn around it did. Dudley scratched the ticket and learned that she had won $1 million.
“I thought, ‘Am I seeing this right?’ Then I just started to cry,” said Dudley.
She said she was crying so much that when she called her mom, her mom thought something was wrong. She called her husband next, and she said he didn’t quite believe her at first.
Now she plans on buying a new car and investing the rest of her winnings. One thing’s for sure: she’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day this year with a little more money in the bank.
“It’s great to see a hardworking mom who juggles so much have some luck come her way,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne said.
Former Somerset County 911 director Bradley Lavan has been sentenced to as long as 120 years behind bars for sex crimes he committed against five children.
Late last year, Bradley Lavan pleaded guilty late last year to dozens of charges stemming from a 2023 arrest where police alleged he sexually abused five young children.
Lavan was ordered Thursday to serve 60 to 120 years in state prison, a sentence that Somerset County District Attorney Tom Leiden called “appropriate,” citing the seriousness of the crimes he committed.
“Today, justice was served,” Leiden said, adding that “the sentence should assure that Mr. Lavan is never able to prey on innocent children again.”
At the time of his arrest, then District Attorney Molly Metzgar said that it was alleged that Lavan groomed children in ages from 3 to 6 years old and forced them into performing various sex acts on him while they were in his home.
Police at the time said that Lavan’s time as the 911 director in Somerset County ended before he was arrested and the charges and his work with the county weren’t connected.
“This successful prosecution and sentence are the result of the District Attorney’s Office’s commitment to seeking justice for victims and for protecting the children of Somerset County,” Leiden said. “We will continue to work tirelessly to make Somerset County a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.”
Thursday, May 7, 2026 5:11PM
POTTSTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) — The Montgomery County District Attorney’s office has issued an arrest warrant for a man they say is wanted in connection with a fatal stabbing in Pottstown, Pa.
Officials say Ryan Grace, 37, allegedly stabbed 33-year-old Shaquille Nicholas to death inside an apartment on the 300 block of Walnut Street on Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators believe the stabbing stemmed from an argument between the two men.
Nicholas was stabbed in the chest. He was transported to Pottstown Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Witnesses told investigators they saw Grace was seen running from the apartment after the incident.
The DA says Grace is homeless.
If you know where Ryan Grace is, you’re asked to contact Montgomery County Detectives at 610-278-3368 or Pottstown Police at 610-970-6570.
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