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Alarm Bells Ring as Delaware 'Radically' Shifts More Power to Corporate Insiders | Common Dreams

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Alarm Bells Ring as Delaware 'Radically' Shifts More Power to Corporate Insiders | Common Dreams


While Democratic Gov. Matt Meyer declared that “Delaware is the best place in the world to incorporate your business, and Senate Bill 21 will help keep it that way,” critics reiterated concerns about the corporate-friendly state legislation he signed this week.

The Delaware House of Representatives sent the Senate-approved S.B. 21 to Meyer’s desk on Tuesday in a 32-7 vote, with two members absent. The Delaware Business Timesreported that the governor “arrived in Dover to sign the measure into law less than two hours after it passed,” and “the bill signing was closed to the press.”

The bill sailed through the Delaware General Assembly despite anti-monopoly, economic, and legal experts blasting it as a “corporate insider power grab” and accusing state legislators of choosing “billionaire insiders—like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg—over pension funds, retirement savers, and other investors.”

Delaware Working Families Party (WFP) political director Karl Stomberg said in a Wednesday statement that “at a time when rank-and-file Democrats across the country are begging their leaders to stand up to” President Donald Trump and Musk, his billionaire adviser, Democratic lawmakers in the state “just gave Musk a $56 billion handout.”

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That’s a reference to Musk’s 2018 compensation package for his electric vehicle maker, Tesla, which a Delaware judge ruled against, prompting the richest billionaire on Earth to ditch the state and encourage other business leaders to do the same. Fears of a potential “Dexit” led to lawmakers’ frantic effort to pass S.B. 21.

“The Working Families Party has been standing up against this proposed bill for weeks now, and we recognize the need to fight back against corporate overreach in our government,” said Stomberg. “WFP electeds proposed serious amendments to address our concerns with the bill that would protect the people of Delaware, but the Democrats chose to side with Musk and vote them down.”

“This bill is an indictment of the failed Delaware Way, which continues to allow big corporations and the ultrawealthy like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to enrich themselves at the expense of working people,” added Stomberg.

Zuckerberg is the CEO of Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company. CNBC recently revealed that “a day after The Wall Street Journal published its story on Meta considering a Delaware departure, Meyer, who was brand new to the job, convened an online meeting with attorneys from law firms that have represented Meta, Musk, Tesla, and others in shareholder disputes in the state, according to public records obtained by CNBC. Other attendees included members of the Delaware Legislature.”

“The following day, records show, Meyer invited a second group to meet with him and new Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez. That invitation went to Kate Kelly, Meta’s corporate secretary, and to Dan Sachs, the company’s senior national director of state and local policy,” according to CNBC. “The invite also went to James Honaker, an attorney with Morris Nichols, a firm that’s represented Meta in federal court in Delaware, and to William Chandler, former chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, who is now part of Wilson Sonsini’s Delaware litigation practice.”

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Just weeks after those meetings, the governor urged state lawmakers to swiftly pass S.B. 21. The Lever‘s Luke Goldstein wrote Wednesday that “the timing of the emails obtained by CNBC reveals clear motivations driving the current law which was rushed before the Legislature last month by the new governor: to let top executives off the hook for legal liabilities.”

In earlier reporting, Goldstein highlighted that “Delaware, which has long been perceived as a billionaire playground and corporate tax haven, is the incorporation home to more than 60% of all Fortune 500 companies. That means, if enacted, the wide-ranging regulatory handouts in the bill will have sweeping consequences for corporate behavior across the country.”

The Lever’s founder, David Sirota, on Wednesday lamented the limited attention the Delaware law is receiving, compared with a major national security breach involving several top Trump officials’ unsecure group chat about war plans. As he put it, “Cannot overstate how significant this is—while the national media is focused on the D.C. drama, a group of Democrats off the radar in a tiny state just radically shifted more power to the planet’s largest corporations via world-changing legislation.”

Daniel Hanley, senior legal analyst at the Open Markets Institute, said Wednesday that “the Delaware lawmakers that enacted S.B. 21 are lapdogs for corporations and Musk. How this one state came to control practically all of American corporate law is a long story, but regardless, Congress can and should take the power away.”



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Delaware

Snow melting soon as Delaware warms after icy blast

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Snow melting soon as Delaware warms after icy blast


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Delaware may have seen its first snowfall of the season, but it won’t stick around for long.

Despite below freezing temperatures Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, it’s possible that by the weekend there won’t be a trace of snow.

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Here’s what to know about this week’s weather and snow melt.

When will the snow melt away?

While Delaware will face freezing temperatures Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, the National Weather Service forecast is calling for a warmup starting on Dec. 17. Here’s the forecast:

New Castle County

Cold weather will continue this evening and into Dec. 16 with lows dropping into the teens. The county will hit 32 degrees on Dec. 16 before dropping to 22 that night. Temperatures start climbing into the low 40s with partly sunny skies on Dec. 17. Highs will hit 51 degrees on Dec. 18. If most of the snow hasn’t melted by that point, it should be gone after rain goes through the area during the overnight between Dec. 17 and Dec. 18. Highs will remain above freezing, hitting 44 on Dec. 18.

Kent County

Lows will drop into the teens overnight before climbing above freezing on Dec. 16. On Dec. 17, Kent County will see partly sunny skies with highs in the upper 40s. It will be mostly cloudy on Dec. 18 with highs hitting 55. There’s a 90% chance of rain during the overnight hours into Dec. 19. The 19th is looking mostly cloudy with highs reaching 47.

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Sussex County

After lows hit 19 during the overnight tonight, the high for Dec. 16 will be 38 degrees with sunny skies. Any snow in the southern part of the state will vanish Dec. 17 and Dec 18. Both days will feature sunny skies with highs reaching the low 50s on Dec. 17 and almost hitting 60 on Dec. 18.

What is black ice?

Despite the warm up, overnight temperatures are expected to be below freezing. If you are driving at night, you’ll need to watch out for black ice.

According to The Weather Channel, black ice is a thin layer of ice that forms on roads and is difficult to see. It’s generally found on bridges, overpasses and spots on the road shaded by trees or other objects.

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If roadways are wet from rain, snow or fog and temperatures drop below 32 degrees, black ice can form on roadways.

If you hit black ice, you should do the following:

  • Keep your steering wheel straight.
  • Do not brake
  • Take your foot off the accelerator to reduce speed



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Delaware

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

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Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?


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Potentially icy road conditions have led every public school in Delaware to announce delayed openings for Dec. 15.

Every public school is operating on some sort of delay, most of which are two hours. The Delaware Department of Transportation already sent out a warning about treacherous driving conditions. Whatever has not dried from the Dec. 14 snowstorm will freeze over as temperatures plunge into the 20s and winds kick up over night.

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The following school districts have announced delays.

New Castle County

  • Red Clay- 2 hours
  • Christina- 2 hours
  • Brandywine- 2 hours
  • Colonial- 2 hours
  • Appoquinimink- 2 hours
  • New Castle County Vo-Tech- 2 hours

Kent County

  • Smyrna- 2 hours
  • Capital- 1 hour
  • Lake Forest- 2 hours
  • Polytech- 2 hours

Sussex County

  • Milford- 2 hours
  • Woodbridge- 2 hours
  • Cape Henlopen- 2 hours
  • Laurel- 2 hours
  • Seaford- 2 hours
  • Delmar- 90 minutes
  • Indian River- 2 hours
  • Sussex Tech- 2 hours

(This story was updated to add a photo gallery.)



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Delaware

How much snow fell on Sunday? Totals for Philadelphia area

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How much snow fell on Sunday? Totals for Philadelphia area


Snow stacked up quickly across the Philadelphia region Sunday, with new reports showing nearly 9 inches in some suburbs and several inches on the ground in much of the city.

December Snow in Willow Grove, PA (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)

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The latest Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, issued at 10:36 a.m. Sunday, shows significantly higher snowfall totals than the early-morning reports. Many communities that were sitting at 1 to 3 inches before sunrise are now in the 5 to 8 inch range, especially north and west of Philadelphia.

5,500+ PECO homes, businesses without power Sunday as winter storm impacts region

In the city, an observation from Center City lists 3.6 inches of snow, while neighborhoods in the Northeast like Fox Chase, Bustleton and Somerton are reporting between 4 and 5 inches. An official reading at Philadelphia International Airport shows 1.3 inches, underscoring the sharp gradient from the airport to the rest of the city.

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The heaviest bands have focused on parts of Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties, where multiple towns are now reporting 7 to 8 inches. South Jersey and northern Delaware have also seen a solid plowable snow, with widespread 4 to 7 inch totals in some communities.

These totals are based on reports collected through about 10:30 a.m. Sunday and may continue to rise where snow is still falling.

Snow totals in the Philadelphia area

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Philadelphia

  • Fox Chase: 5.0″
  • Bustleton: 4.9″
  • Rockledge (city border): 4.9″
  • Somerton (1 SW): 4.3″
  • Center City/Philadelphia (observer): 3.6″
  • Philadelphia International Airport: 1.3″

December Snow in Willow Grove, PA (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)

Southeastern Pennsylvania

Chester County

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  • East Nantmeal Twp: 8.8″
  • East Nottingham Twp: 8.5″
  • Malvern: 8.0″
  • Berwyn: 8.0″
  • Exton area: 7.9″
  • Atglen / West Sadsbury Twp: 7.8″
  • West Caln Twp: 7.5″
  • West Chester (2.4 SSE): 6.5″

Montgomery County

  • Blue Bell (2.3 NW): 8.7″
  • Near Worcester Twp: 8.5″
  • Skippack area: 8.0″
  • Harleysville / Salford Twp: 7.5″
  • Pennsburg area: 7.0″
  • New Hanover Twp: 7.0″
  • Pottstown area (including Stowe and NE Pottstown): 6.6″–7.3″
  • Norristown: 7.2″
  • Willow Grove / Jenkintown corridor: 6.0″–6.4″

Bucks County

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  • Doylestown (3.4 SW): 8.0″
  • Hilltown Twp: 7.8″
  • Tinicum Twp area: 7.5″
  • Perkasie / Souderton / Trumbauersville: around 7.0″
  • Fricks: 7.0″
  • Newtown / Langhorne area: around 6.0″
  • Levittown: 5.0″
  • Croydon: 5.2″

Delaware County

  • Bethel Twp: 6.5″
  • Springfield: 6.0″
  • Upper Chichester: 5.5″
  • Aston: 4.8″
  • Morton: 4.9″
  • Lansdowne: 4.0″

Berks, Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties

  • East Nantmeal / Alburtis / Earl Twp / Lake Harmony / Lehigh Twp (Carbon): around 7.0″–8.0″
  • Coopersburg (Lehigh): 8.0″
  • Center Valley: 7.0″
  • Macungie (1 NW): 6.5″
  • Allentown: 5.6″
  • Bethlehem area: around 6.0″
  • Pen Argyl: 7.0″

New Jersey

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Burlington County

  • Moorestown: 7.0″
  • Mount Laurel / Burlington: 5.8″
  • Medford Lakes: 4.8″
  • Mount Holly (NWS office): 3.6″

Camden and Gloucester counties

  • Haddon Township: 5.7″
  • Pennsauken: 5.7″
  • Pitman: 5.6″
  • Washington Twp (Gloucester): 5.5″
  • Monroe Twp (Gloucester): around 4.0″
  • Winslow Twp: 3.1″

Atlantic, Salem and Cumberland counties

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  • Hammonton: 4.0″
  • Woodstown: 4.5″
  • Salem: 3.8″
  • Pennsville: 3.5″
  • Ventnor City: 2.5″
  • Atlantic City International Airport: 0.6″

Delaware

New Castle County

  • Bear: 6.8″
  • Hockessin: 6.0″
  • Wilmington (north): 5.4″
  • Newark area: 3.9″–4.6″
  • Middletown area: 3.8″
  • New Castle County Airport: 3.3″

Kent County

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  • Smyrna / Clayton / Cheswold area: around 2.0″
  • Magnolia area: 1.4″

Winter Light Spectacular at Lehigh Valley Zoo canceled Sunday due to snow, cold temperatures

By the numbers:

  • Highest total so far: 8.8″ in East Nantmeal Township (Chester County)
  • Other standout totals: 8.7″ in Blue Bell (Montgomery County), 8.5″ in East Nottingham Township (Chester County), 8.0″ in Doylestown area, Coopersburg and parts of Carbon County
  • City of Philadelphia: generally 3″–5″ away from the airport, with around 3.6″ in Center City and up to 5.0″ in Fox Chase
  • Many suburbs: now in the 5″–8″ range, especially north and west of the city

What’s next:

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Snow continues to impact travel across the region Sunday, with many neighborhood and secondary roads still snow-covered or slushy. Drivers should plan for reduced visibility, slick spots, and extended travel times, especially in areas that picked up more than 5 inches of snow.

The Source: This article is based on observed snowfall totals from the National Weather Service Mount Holly Public Information Statement.

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