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Reps. from the Delaware Valley react to George Santos’ expulsion from Congress

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Reps. from the Delaware Valley react to George Santos’ expulsion from Congress


PHILADELPHIA (CBS) –The historic expulsion of Republican Rep. George Santos from Congress has brought an end to the short-lived congressman’s tumultuous tenure in the House. Representatives from the Delaware Valley all voted to oust him and are sharing their thoughts in the aftermath.

In their third attempt to expel him since May, House members voted 311 to 114 in favor of expelling the New York lawmaker, including 105 Republicans who voted for it. Two Democrats voted against ousting Santos. Two members voted present, and eight members did not vote. The resolution required a two-thirds majority to pass. Santos left the House chamber during the vote. 

Who voted to expel George Santos? Here’s the count on the House expulsion resolution

Embroiled in scandals from the start, Santos faced wide-reaching criticism. Critics claimed he embellished his biography to win his seat in Congress last year and federal charges related to alleged fraud and illegal use of campaign funds.

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Dozens of Santos’ colleagues were apparently swayed by a damning report from the House Ethics Committee released two weeks ago that found there was “substantial evidence” that Santos repeatedly broke the law.

In fact, Santos’ trail of alleged offenses can be traced to the Keystone State.

In 2017, Santos was charged with criminal theft in Pennsylvania for bad checks apparently used to buy puppies from dog breeders, according to a lawyer who worked with Santos on the case. However, the case was ultimately dismissed after Santos said the nine checks, totaling more than $15,000, were from a checkbook that had been stolen from him, according to information provided to The Associated Press.

The charges date to a time when Santos claimed to be leading a group, Friends of Pets United, that benefited sick, abandoned or neglected animals.

The bipartisan vote to expel Santos makes him just the sixth House member in U.S. history to be expelled and the first in more than 20 years.

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When looking at the list of members who were expelled from Congress that Santos has now joined, one of them represented the Philadelphia area.

Former Democratic Rep. Michael J. “Ozzie” Myers represented Pennsylvania’s 1st district encompassing all of Bucks County and a sliver of Montgomery County — which has been represented by Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick since 2019.

Myers was expelled from Congress in 1980 after being caught taking bribes in the Abscam sting investigation and served more than a year in prison.

More recently, Myers was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in 2022 after pleading guilty to violations of election law, conspiracy, bribery and obstruction for his work on behalf of Democratic candidates from 2014 and 2018.

Here’s what representatives in the Delaware Valley are saying in the wake of Santos’ expulsion:

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Pennsylvania 

Rep. Dwight Evans (D)

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R)

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D)

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D)

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D)

Rep. Susan Wild (D)

Delaware

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D)





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Delaware

Study: Young Black men in Wilmington say they can’t survive without a firearm

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Study: Young Black men in Wilmington say they can’t survive without a firearm


From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

A new study published in the Delaware Journal of Public Health offers a stark glimpse into the experiences and perceptions of young African American men living in communities often associated with violence.

The research, conducted by scholars from Texas Southern University, Delaware State University, Coppin State University, Jackson State University, and Thurgood Marshall College, interviewed 400 young men between the ages of 15 and 24 who either owned or recently owned a firearm. Of the total group, about 100 participants were from Wilmington, Del.; the others were from Baltimore; Jackson, Miss.; and Houston.

The study — titled “Understanding the Perception of Place and Its Impact on Community Violence” — revealed that many participants felt compelled to carry firearms for safety, often after witnessing or experiencing violence in their neighborhoods. In Wilmington, 86% of respondents described the city negatively, with 74% using only negative terms.

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Their descriptions included words like “murder town,” “treacherous,” “crazy,” “chaotic,” and “a war zone.” A persistent sense of threat pervaded their understanding of the city around them.

Safety concerns drove most participants to arm themselves.

According to the study, young men often encountered firearms at an early age — sometimes as young as 10 — and many had family members or close friends who introduced them to guns. The findings indicate that these decisions are not made lightly, nor in isolation. Social media pressures, limited economic opportunities, limited role models, and easy access to firearms shaped a landscape where carrying a gun seemed logical, even necessary, to the young men for personal protection.

Nurturing hope among young people

These research findings resonate with ongoing efforts at One Village Alliance, a Wilmington nonprofit seeking to nurture young people in a city often misunderstood by outsiders. One evening at the organization’s location on West 31st and Market streets, children gathered in a small kitchen to fill plastic bags with healthy snacks. The exercise, though seemingly simple, has a clear purpose: to instill good nutritional habits and provide a sense of stability. The community around them is sometimes referred to as a food desert, making nutritious food scarce.

By taking part in such activities, the children learn new skills and build confidence. “Can I get this one?” one child asked, eager to take part. Here, learning about healthy eating serves as an introduction to broader life skills that can help counter the environmental factors the study highlights.

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The nonprofit’s after-school enrichment programs aim to reinforce positive experiences and set children on a path toward excellence through education, mentorship, and personal development. It offers a safe space and an alternative to the streets. This approach is informed by staff members who know the stakes all too well.



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A Delaware Water Gap park visit may cost more in ‘25: How you can weigh in

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A Delaware Water Gap park visit may cost more in ‘25: How you can weigh in


A fee increase and expansion are proposed for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and federal park officials want to hear what people think about it.

The National Park Service on Monday opened a 30-day public comment period to solicit public input on several proposed changes to the park’s fee system.

The proposal includes an increase in fee amounts, a two-week extension of the fee season, changes to the annual pass purchases, and the addition of two new fee sites. If approved, the changes would go into effect in April 2025.

The last fee increase was implemented in 2015, and the park service says revenues aren’t stretching as far as they once did. For starters, visitation to the park has increased 26% since 2019, the park service says. And due to inflation and rising costs, the $10 amenity fee currently charged at the park now purchases nearly 33% less than it did in 2015 when the fee was increased from $7 — it now takes over $13 to buy the same goods and services.

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“Over the past several years, the park’s budget has remained relatively flat while costs and visitation have both increased, facilities and equipment have aged, and the need for routine maintenance has grown,” Superintendent Doyle Sapp said in a news release on the proposal.

“It is essential that we seek additional revenue sources to help us fill the funding gap so that we can continue to offer outstanding recreational opportunities and visitor experiences while protecting the park’s natural and cultural resources in perpetuity,” he continued.

The park service is authorized to collect and retain revenue under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, provided the money is used to enhance visitor experiences. More information on the act can be found at nps.gov.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area does not charge entrance fees to visit the park. Amenity fees are charged for specific areas used for swimming, picnicking and launching boats.

Over the past three years, revenue from Delaware Water Gap’s amenity fees has been used for restroom repairs and upgrades throughout the park, river campsite improvements, multiple trail projects including rehabilitation, stabilization and resurfacing of the McDade Recreational Trail, and work at George W. Childs Park. Revenue also has been used to pay for seasonal maintenance, fee collection and public safety staff.

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“What you pay here, stays here, in this park, where it is used for repair, maintenance, and facility enhancements directly related to visitor enjoyment, access, health, and safety and for seasonal staff that serve park visitors and improve their experiences,” Elizabeth Winslow, the park’s fee program manager, states in the release.

The National Park Service is seeking public comment on the proposed changes that include:

  • Increasing amenity fees from $10 per vehicle per day to $20 per vehicle per day at the sites that charge amenity fees and extending the fee season by approximately two weeks to Nov. 1.
  • Increasing the cost of an annual pass from $45 to $60 and discontinuing discounts for multiple passes issued to the same household.
  • Charging amenity fees at two new sites, Kittatinny Point in New Jersey, and Hialeah Picnic Area in Pennsylvania. Day passes for these sites would be available through recreation.gov, the NPS online reservation system, or in person by using a drop box and fee envelope like those used at other unstaffed fee sites in the park.

If approved, increased revenue from the proposed fee changes would allow the park to hire additional seasonal employees, including custodians, trail workers, interpretive park rangers and visitor center staff, and public safety staff to help meet the public’s needs and ensure outstanding visitor experiences, according to the release.

Additionally, over the next five years the park plans to invest around $800,000 of fee revenue on hiking trail improvements and vegetation management, including on popular trails such as the Toms Creek Trail, Cliff Park Trails, and Hornbecks Creek Trail in Pennsylvania, and the Van Campens Glen Trail, Military Road Trail, and Rattlesnake Swamp Trail in New Jersey. Improvements to the facilities at Milford Beach also are planned.

To comment on the proposal, go to parkplanning.nps.gov/DEWAFees25 and click on “Comment Now” or mail your written comment to Superintendent Doyle Sapp, Attention: Fee Change Proposal, 1978 River Road, Bushkill, PA 18324. The 30-day comment period is open until midnight on Jan. 14, 2025.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a nearly 70,000-acre unit of the national park system, located in Pike, Monroe and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Sussex counties in New Jersey.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.



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Delaware

Man injured after car slams into truck in Bear, Delaware

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Man injured after car slams into truck in Bear, Delaware


Man injured after car slams into truck in Bear, Delaware – CBS Philadelphia

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We are learning new details about a crash that left a man seriously injured in Bear, Delaware.
A man was driving a car that slammed into the back of a truck on Summit Bridge Road near Brennan Boulevard Thursday night.
The investigation revealed the truck was stopped at the traffic light but for reasons still unknown the car did not stop.

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