Category: The Northeast

Reporter Tom Pappert Points Out Panic Among Democrats amid President Biden’s Disastrous Debate Performance

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert and MPL

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Pennsylvania Daily Star, suggested that there is a sense of panic among Democratic candidates across the country, including Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), as the Democratic Party scrambles to explain President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week against former President Trump.

Last Thursday, during a 90-minute televised debate hosted by CNN, Biden appeared absent-minded and confused, stumbling over his words and losing his train of thought multiple times.

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Dave McCormick Named in ‘Carpetbagger’ Article Despite New York Times Confirming His Childhood in Pennsylvania

Tom Pappert
Dave McCormick

Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick was mentioned by The Washington Post among a list of Republican candidates across the United States who have faced questions about their ties to the state where they seek office, even after the New York Times confirmed the Republican nominee spent his childhood and formative years in the commonwealth.

McCormick was mentioned by the Post due to claims about his residency, which were advanced by the campaign of Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) in an advertisement that declared, “McCormick’s running for Senate in Pennsylvania but he doesn’t live here.”

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Dave McCormick Slams Bob Casey for ‘Lying to Pennsylvanians’ About Joe Biden’s Fitness, Drops Ad Highlighting Senator’s Friendship with President

Tom Pappert
Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)

Following the poor debate performance by President Joe Biden last Thursday, Pennsylvania U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick accused Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) of “lying to Pennsylvanians” about the mental and physical fitness of President Joe Biden on Friday and released a new advertisement highlighting their purported friendship on Sunday.

“Bob Casey has been protecting Joe Biden for years and lying to Pennsylvanians about his ability to serve as Commander-in-Chief,” wrote McCormick in a Friday post to the social media platform X.

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Fetterman Argues Biden Can Recover from Poor Debate Performance, Notes Pennsylvania Voters Forgave Performance Against Dr. Oz

Tom Pappert
Sen John Fetterman (D-PA)

U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) argued on Sunday that President Joe Biden can recover from his debate performance that has Democrats questioning his candidacy, with the Pennsylvania Democrat noting his own 2022 victory followed a difficult debate against former Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Fetterman argued on “Fox News Sunday” that Biden will recover from his poor debate performance, which left some Democrats questioning whether he should be replaced as the party’s nominee.

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Connecticut’s Vaccine Exemption Ban Survives Legal Challenge

The Center Square
COVID Vaccine

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging Connecticut’s 2021 ban on religious exemption for school vaccination requirements.

A lawsuit filed by parents and conservative groups argued that the state violated their First Amendment rights by approving a bill that eliminated the option for Connecticut families to request a religious exemption to mandated immunizations when a student enrolls in public school. Several previous court rulings rejected the legal challenge. 

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Dave McCormick Argues White House Must Consider ‘Responsibility’ to Remove President Joe Biden with 25th Amendment

Tom Pappert
Dave McCormick

U.S. Pennsylvania Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Friday raised the possibility of White House officials using the 25th Amendment to remove President Joe Biden from office due to poor physical fitness due to his poor debate performance on Thursday.

McCormick suggested White House officials consider the 25th Amendment during an appearance on KDKA NewsRadio in Pittsburgh.

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Senate Leadership PAC Spends $24 Million on Pennsylvania Ads to Support Dave McCormick

Tom Pappert
Dave McCormick and Bob Casey

The Senate Leadership Fund confirmed on Thursday it will spend $24 million to support U.S. Senate nominee David McCormick in Pennsylvania, signaling further support for the former Trump administration official in the tight race to unseat Senator Bob Casey (D-PA).

A Thursday report by German-owned Politico described the $24 million investment by the Senate Leadership PAC, which is closely tied to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), as “going all in on Pennsylvania.”

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Jill Stein Claim They Have Enough Signatures to Qualify for Presidential Ballot in Pennsylvania

Tom Pappert
RFK and JIll Stein

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and presumptive Green Party presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein both claim their campaigns have obtained enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in Pennsylvania, setting the stage for multiple potential spoilers as former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden prepare for a rematch in the Keystone State.

Kennedy filed paperwork with Pennsylvania election officials last week, with Pennsylvania Capital-Star reporting the Kennedy campaign claimed to submit 9,000 signatures, which the outlet noted is nearly twice the legally required number of signatures.

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Sen. Bob Casey Confirms Democrats May Kill Trump Tax Cuts, Prompts Dave McCormick to Vow No Hike for ‘Middle Income Pennsylvanians’

Tom Pappert

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) confirmed last Thursday that Democrats are still making decisions about tax cuts, including whether they will reverse the 2017 tax cuts championed by former President Donald Trump and other Republicans, including U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick.

Casey made the remarks to Roll Call after the publication noted that allowing the reduced tax rates established in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to expire would violate President Joe Biden’s pledge not to increase taxes on those earning less than $400,000 per year.

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Pennsylvania Progressives Resolute in Palestinian Support

The Center Square
Pro Palestine Protest

Recent critical remarks from top-ranking state officials, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, have not deterred Palestinian support among progressive lawmakers and advocacy groups in Pennsylvania.

Earlier this month, Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-Jacobus, and Steven Santarsiero, D-Doylestown, announced a bill to prevent state-funded institutions from divesting from Israel. The legislation explicitly names schools like Penn and Pitt whose encampments made headlines across the globe.

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PennDOT Releases Draft Plan to Guide Transportation Improvements

The Center Square

The next major transportation plan is out and PennDOT wants the public to comment on it.

The Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan was released to the public this week, laying out how the agency plans to spend almost $29 billion in the next few years to build “a safe and reliable transportation network that connects Pennsylvanians to opportunities and services,” according to an agency press release.

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Trump Leads Biden by Two Percent in Pennsylvania: Poll

Just the News
Donald Trump and Joe Biden

Former President Donald Trump holds a narrow lead over President Joe Biden in battleground Pennsylvania, according to a recent survey.

In the latest Marist poll, Trump led with 47% support among registered voters in the Keystone State to Biden’s 45%. A further 3% opted for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while fellow independent Cornel West and the Green Party’s Jill Stein each received 1%.

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Unorthodox Pennsylvania Program Challenges Traditional School Curriculum

The Center Square
Students enrolled in the Total Learning Experience program

An unorthodox learning program percolating across Pennsylvania schools infuses business innovation into traditional curriculum, leaving lawmakers split on its effectiveness.

Dr. Adelle Schade, founder of the Total Learning Experience, told a joint Senate committee on Tuesday about how she “reimagined” school curriculum to help students “win at capitalism.”

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Pennsylvania Charter Schools Hit Hard in Proposed Funding Formula

The Center Square
Dr. Anne Clark

A bill altering the state’s public school funding formula passed the lower chamber Monday, spawning both fanfare and consternation among lawmakers.

While supporters call the plan a victory for students held back by economic disparities, critics point out that 64 of the bill’s 87 pages focus on cutting financial support and tightening regulations for charter schools to save money.

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Connecticut Weighs Ranked Choice Voting

The Center Square
People Voting Polling Place

Connecticut’s Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont wants the state to look into scrapping the state’s winner-take-all electoral system for ranked choice voting.

Lamont has created a new bipartisan commission to study a legislative proposal that would allow local governments and political parties in Connecticut the option to use ranked choice voting in caucuses, conventions, primaries and municipal elections.

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Connecticut City Rejects Flying ‘Thin Blue Line’ Flag to Honor Fallen Trooper; Flies Pride Flag at Half Staff Instead

Admin
Aaron Pelletier

Council members in Wethersfield, Connecticut voted against flying a “Thin Blue Line” police flag in honor of Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier, who was killed last week in a hit and run, opting instead to hoist a gay pride flag at half staff.

Pelletier was conducting a routine traffic stop in Southington, Connecticut last Thursday, when he was hit outside of his cruiser by Alex Oyola-Sanchez, a Puerto Rican native who had already been convicted of third-degree murder, attempted homicide and other felonies.

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Pennsylvania Zoning Restrictions Debated in Committee Hearing

The Center Square
Home Construction

When questions on land use arise in the General Assembly, Pennsylvania politicians play a game of role reversal. Republicans, generally quicker to defend the free market, stand up for local government control, while Democrats tell of the virtues of the market at work and the dangers of government heavy-handedness.

So it was in the House Local Government Committee hearing on Wednesday as Democratic Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, proposed the removal of zoning restrictions and Republican Reps. Jack Rader, R-Effort, and R. Lee James, R-Seneca, defended the power of zoning officials.

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Pennsylvania Democrat Claims Buying Israel Bonds Risky Due to Gaza War, Hackers

Tom Pappert
Eric McClelland

Erin McClelland, the Democratic nominee to become the next Pennsylvania Treasurer, raised concerns about foreign policy, credit worthiness and hackers to explain why she would not use state money to buy Israel Bonds in remarks published Tuesday.

McClelland won her party’s nomination after establishing herself the only candidate opposed to Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity’s decision to purchase $20 million in Israel Bonds, and in remarks to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, claimed Garrity and other Republicans are inappropriately taking sides in a foreign conflict while neglecting financial and security ris

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Second Ethics Complaint Filed Against NY Judge Merchan as Concerns Increase over His Handling of Trump ‘Hush Money’ Case

Rachel Alexander
Donald Trump

The unanimous jury verdict last week against former President Donald Trump in the “hush money” case involving porn star Stormy Daniels is prompting concerns about unethical behavior by New York Judge Juan Merchan. Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY-24) filed a misconduct complaint against Merchan last week, alleging that he violated ethics rules by presiding over the case since his progressive activist daughter made money from the case.

The complaint Stefanik filed with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct (NYSCJC) stated that under Section 100.3(E)(1)(d)(iii) of the Rules of Judicial Conduct for the New York State Unified Court System, “a judge is disqualified from a case when the judge knows that a person known by the judge to be within the sixth degree of relationship to him ‘has an interest that could be substantially affected by the proceeding.’”

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Math Professor Fired After Criticizing Slavery Reparations Continues Legal Battle Pennsylvania College

Admin
Saint Joseph's University campus

A math professor’s two-year-old lawsuit against Saint Joseph’s University, filed in the wake of controversy over his social media posts criticizing slavery reparations and other comments, continues to wind its way through the court system.

Gregory Manco sued the institution he taught at for nearly two decades, as well as coached baseball for, alleging some administrators conspired with a few left-leaning alumni to effectively “cancel” him over tweets that ran afoul of progressive dogma.

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One Pro-Palestine Protester Arrested at New Anti-Israel Encampment at University of Pittsburgh

Tom Pappert
University of Pittsburgh protesters

One pro-Palestine protestor was arrested on Sunday night after a new anti-Israel encampment was constructed at the University of Pittsburgh earlier that day.

The Office of Safety and Emergency Management at Pitt has confirmed on Sunday evening that the Cathedral of Learning remained “closed until further notice” on Monday due to “a protest in the vicinity” of the building.

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First Lady Jill Biden Claims Trump ‘Dangerous’ at Pittsburgh LGBT Pride Speech

Tom Pappert
Jill Biden at Pittsburgh Pride event

First Lady Jill Biden made a previously unannounced speech at Pittsburgh Pride 2024, held in Allegheny Commons Park on Saturday. During her speech, she branded former President Donald Trump “dangerous” to the LGBT community.

Jill Biden reportedly met with members of the crowd prior to her speech, according to TribLive reporter Renatta Signorini, who posted a photo to the social media platform X showing two members of the crowd holding Biden-Harris campaign signs.

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Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Claims Guilty ‘Verdict Reflects’ Justice in New York Trump Trial

Tom Pappert
Sen. Bob Casey, Donald Trump

Senator Bob Casey claimed in Saturday remarks that the guilty verdict reached by a New York jury in former President Donald Trump’s controversial hush money trial accurately reflects the country’s justice system.

Casey initially held his silence on the outcome of the trial after the jury found Trump guilty on 32 felony counts, with Go Erie reporting on Friday, “Casey did not immediately issue a public statement on the conviction.”

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Rule of Lawfare: Jury Instructions from NY Judge to Manhattan Jurors in Trump ‘Hush Money’ Case Contained Made-up and Selectively Chosen Language

Rachel Alexander
NY Judge Juan Merchan

A New York jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 criminal counts related to falsifying business records last week, prompting outcry that New York Judge Juan Merchan, who was handpicked to handle the case and who donated to Joe Biden, committed misconduct during the trial, including how he handled the jury instructions. A CNN senior legal analyst reported that the case was full of so many legal stretches that employees of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office referred to it as the “zombie case.”

Daniel Street, an attorney in Louisiana who writes about lawfare, told The Tennessee Star the jury instructions were “terrible.”

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Connecticut Gov. Lamont Signs Paid Leave Bill into Law

The Center Square
Ned Lamont

Connecticut employers will be required to provide workers with up to a week of paid leave under a proposal signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont, despite a number of concerns from the state’s business community that it will drive up costs and hurt bottom lines.

The new law pushed through the state Legislature despite Republican opposition, will require Connecticut employers in most retail and service occupations to provide up to 40 hours of annual leave. It would allow eligible workers to accrue one hour of paid time off for every 30 hours worked up to a maximum mandated benefit of 40 hours a year.

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Reuters Anti-Trump Propaganda Begins in Pennsylvania

Tom Pappert
Women for Trump rally

The global news organization Reuters claimed on Friday that women voters in Pennsylvania may now have second thoughts about voting for former President Donald Trump after he was convicted in the controversial New York hush money trial on Thursday.

Reuters claimed to have conducted 22 interviews with female voters in Pennsylvania in the hours after Trump became the first former president convicted in a criminal trial in U.S. history.

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Philadelphia DA’s Office Gave Free Consultations to Migrants Charged with Violent Crimes, Docs Show

Admin
Larry Krasner

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office provided free consultations and legal assistance to migrants charged with violent felonies in 2023, documents reveal.

The taxpayer-funded consultations were provided to migrants charged with various heinous crimes, such as rape, robbery, strangulation, aggravated assault and homicide by vehicle, in an ostensible effort to help them avoid convictions that would lead to their deportation, documents obtained by the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) reveal. Krasner created the immigration counsel position in 2018 to provide the consultations and work on cases involving migrants.

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Pro-McCormick Group Reserves $30 Million Ad Buy in Pennsylvania amid Tight Polls Against Sen. Bob Casey

Tom Pappert
Bob Casey Dave McCormick

A super PAC supporting Pennsylvania U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick reserved $30 million in television advertising following the release of polling showing the Republican gaining ground on Senator Bob Casey (D-PA).

The New York Times confirmed the advertising reservation on Thursday. The newspaper reported that a pro-McCormick Keystone Renewal PAC spokesman stated it “is all in to elect David McCormick to the U.S. Senate” and described Casey as aligned with President Joe Biden’s “left-wing agenda.”

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Biden Support Craters Among Arab Voters in Pennsylvania over President’s Handling of Israel-Hamas War in Gaza

Tom Pappert
Palestine Protesters

Support among Arab voters in Pennsylvania for the campaign to reelect President Joe Biden has collapsed, with former President Donald Trump now polling higher with the demographic, according to polling data released Thursday.

The poll included “900 Arab voters in four key states: Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia,” according to the Arab American Institute, which commissioned the poll.

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Conviction of Trump in ‘Hush Money’ Case by New York Jury Marks Ominous Turning Point for the Rule of Law in America

Rachel Alexander
Donald Trump

A New York jury unanimously convicted Donald Trump on all 34 counts in the criminal case against him on Thursday for falsifying business records to disguise a $130,000 hush money payment from Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels.

New York Judge Juan Merchan set a sentencing date for July 11.

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Biden Launches Outreach Effort to Black Voters in Philadelphia Speech Following Trump Rally in South Bronx

Tom Pappert
Joe Biden

President Joe Biden on Wednesday began a campaign tour to reach black voters with an event at Girard College in Philadelphia.

Biden began his minority outreach efforts with remarks alongside Vice President Kamala Harris at Girard College, the Philadelphia-based private, independent boarding school for “academically capable students” who are from “families with limited financial resources.”

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Pennsylvania Bill Would Name Group Opposed to School Choice Vouchers as Sole Agency Capable of Training Directors

Tom Pappert
School with students learning

Legislation that passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would name the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) the only entity capable of training school directors, even though the organization has seemingly adopted political positions on school choice and charter schools.

While PSBA is currently the only agency approved by Pennsylvania to provide training for school directors, a Broad and Liberty report notes that HB 1743 would codify its monopoly status into law.

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John Fetterman Campaign Donates to Pennsylvania Treasurer Nominee Despite Apparent Disagreement over Israel

Tom Pappert
John Fetterman PA Treasurer Candidate

The political campaign committee for Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) donated $1,000 to Erin McClelland, the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania Treasurer who said she would not have invested in Israeli Bonds after the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas.

While Republican Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity reportedly has more than $700,000 heading into the general election, Spotlight PA reported McClelland only has about $67,000.

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Pennsylvania Has Received over $20 Million in Presidential Campaign Spending from Biden, Trump for 2024 Election

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump and President Joe Biden in front of Pennsylvania State Capitol building (composite image)

Former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and political action committees supporting the candidates have spent more than $20 million in Pennsylvania so far, with the Keystone State so far the recipient of more political advertising than any other battleground state.

A National Public Radio analysis of campaign spending published Sunday found the major presidential campaigns have spent more than $72.1 million so far. Of that money, $21.2 million has been spent in Pennsylvania, meaning about 30 percent of presidential campaign money has been spent in the commonwealth.

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Pennsylvania House Passes Bill Offering Tax Credits to Businesses Covering Employee Child Care

Tom Pappert
Pennsylvania Sate Rep. Morgan Cephas with Pennsylvania State Rep. Liz Hanbig (composite image)

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved legislation that would provide tax credits to businesses that cover childcare costs for employees, with employers able to offset up to 30 percent of the costs.

HB 1958, also known as Incentivizing Employer Contributions to Employee Childcare, passed the Pennsylvania House last Wednesday with 155 votes in favor and 47 against.

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Secretaries of State from Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia Claim AI ‘Disinformation’ Top Threat in 2024

Tom Pappert
Arizona Sec State Adrian Fontes

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes on Sunday joined a number of his counterparts from other states for a Meet the Press panel discussion, and the top state election official claimed that artificial intelligence (AI) will pose new “mis- and disinformation” threats during the 2024 elections.

Fontes told Meet the Press host Kristen Walker, “AI is not a new weapon. It’s an amplifier and a magnifier of mis- and disinformation,” and revealed that his office held a “tabletop exercise” that apparently involved both election officials and members of the media.

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Disabled Connecticut Veterans to Receive Break on Taxes

The Center Square
Disabled Veterans

Connecticut veterans with disabilities will get a break on their property and vehicle taxes under a bill signed by Gov. Ned Lamont.

The measure, which passed the Legislature with bipartisan support, covers veterans with a permanent and total disability rating resulting from their active-duty service. The exemption, expected to impact about 1,200 veterans in the state, will apply to the primary resident owned by an eligible disabled service member or, if they don’t own a home, to one motor vehicle owned by the service member.

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Drexel Anti-Israel Encampment Dissolves as University Calls Philadelphia Police

Tom Pappert
Protesters Leaving After Police Come to Drexel University

The anti-Israel encampment at Drexel University disbanded early on Thursday after President John Fry asked the Philadelphia Police Department to assist with clearing the protestors.

After Fry warned protestors the university planned to act shortly before 5 a.m., the encampment was reportedly cleared by noon, with law enforcement telling 6 ABC that protestors “picked up their belongings for the most part and left by their own free will,” and evidence suggested police would “be able to complete this operation without having to make any arrests, any use of force, anything of that nature.”

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Drexel Students Learn Virtually as Anti-Israel Protestors Demand University ‘Terminate’ Jewish Organizations

Tom Pappert
Drexel Students for Justice Palestine

Drexel University continues to instruct students virtually on Wednesday after campus buildings were closed or locked down following the establishment of an anti-Israel encampment. In addition to calls to divest from Israel, the activists have demanded the university “[i]mmediately terminate” its chapters of the Chabad and Hillel Jewish community organizations.

Classes at Drexel were virtual for the fourth consecutive day, according to Fox 29. The outlet reported that members of the encampment told the outlet they “will continue to disrupt until Drexel University meets our demands.”

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Dave McCormick Campaign Resurfaces 2006 Video of Sen. Bob Casey Warning Politicians Who Fail to Secure Border Owe Voters ‘Lot of Explaining’

Tom Pappert
Bob Casey

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick resurfaced on Tuesday an 18-year-old video that features Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) warn longtime politicians who are unable to secure the U.S.-Mexico border should prepare to offer “a lot of explaining” to their constituents.

The McCormick campaign explained the video was recorded in 2006, when Casey was campaigning against former Senator Rick Santorum.

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