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Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Remembering the connection the Pope had to NEPA
Apr. 21—WILKES-BARRE — In 2015, with the eyes of the world on the United States for the historic visit of Pope Francis, Wyoming Valley native Bob Ciaruffoli was at the center of it all. Ciaruffoli, who grew up in Swoyersville, attended Central Catholic High School and graduated from King's College, was serving as president/chairman of World Meeting of Families — the organization that convenes every three years, culminating with a visit of the Holy Father. Ciaruffoli, who now resides in the Philadelphia area, took time on Monday to recall his friendship with Pope Francis and to offer comments on the pontiff's passing. "He's going to be missed," Ciaruffoli said. "He was truly the people's Pope. Yes, he met with dignitaries, religious leaders, world leaders and business leaders, but his real passion was meeting with common people. Pope Francis sincerely cared about the people who were often forgotten and under-served." Ciaruffoli said in 2015, he and his team at World Meeting of Families had planned for the pope's visit since 2012. They planned out all events, including Pope Francis' itinerary. There were an estimated 1,800 people at a Mass at the Cathedral of Ss. Peter & Paul and more than 50,000 people attended the Pope's address at Independence Hall. Pope Francis spoke at Independence Hall before celebrating at the Festival of Families — a massive free party held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where the Pope also said a Mass for an estimated 1 million people. Ciaruffoli said he recalls that Pope Francis was beloved wherever he went, making sure to always spend time with the people. Ciaruffoli said Pope Francis visited the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility to meet with 100 prisoners and their families. He also talked to corrections officers and their families. "It was very personal for him to meet with the prisoners and their families and he spent a lot of time with them," Ciaruffoli recalled. "He was so engaging — you could see the passion in his face and hear it in his words." Ciaruffoli said Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) was the first non-European pope in over a millennium. Born in Argentina, Pope Francis was the first Latin American and first from the Americas to hold the papacy. He was elected in 2013 and served until his death in 2025. "He came from an area where economic conditions shaped who he was," Ciaruffoli said. "He shied away from the wealthy. He was always about the commoners. You have to respect him for that." The 2015 experience has never left Ciaruffoli "Not since September 2015 has a day gone by that I don't have a flashback to the events of that visit," Ciaruffoli said. "I guess you can say it's been the gift that keeps on giving. I am very sorry to hear that he has passed." Ciaruffoli said the World Meeting of Families Conference, the world's largest gathering of Catholic families, featured 100 speakers, panel discussions, workshops and more at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Then the citywide Francis Festival took place over the weekend. Ciaruffoli said working on the papal visit was exhausting, but he said he felt honored to have had the opportunity to play such a major role in the visit. Ciaruffoli said he had met the the pope on several occasions prior to the U.S. visit. "It all was very inspiring for me," he said. "Spending so much time on the papal visit and having been able to spend time with Pope Francis was clearly an opportunity of a lifetime." Now retired, Ciaruffoli also is a co-founder of Broad Street Angels, a 100 member Philadelphia based angel investor network which invests in early-stage entrepreneurial businesses with high growth potential. He also serves as an advisor to entrepreneurs and their firms. Local ties Ciaruffoli's connections to the Wyoming Valley are deep. He grew up in Swoyersville on Owens Street and the family moved to Forty Fort when he was 15. After college, he joined the Marine Corps. Ciaruffoli moved back to the area and joined Parente Randolph LLC accounting firm in Wilkes-Barre. He stayed here until moving to Philadelphia in 2004, where he became CEO at Baker Tilly. Ciaruffoli is the oldest of 10 children. Married to the former Kathy Ramage of Pittston, he and his wife have one son. "Growing up in Northeastern Pennsylvania I learned to respect just about everything — certainly all people," he said in 2015. "And I learned the importance of having a great work ethic." In the 2015 story in the Times Leader, he said it's no coincidence that he got involved in the World Meeting of Families, having come from a large family. He said the Catholic Church had a big influence on him and family has always meant a lot to him. Pope's style Ciaruffoli said people generally never knew what Pope Francis would say. "I mean that in the most positive way," Ciaruffoli said. Ciaruffoli said Pope Francis was an inspiring man, calling him refreshing and a man who was not afraid to shake things up and make changes in in areas that he felt aren't going well. "He modernized how the church does business," Ciaruffoli said in 2015. "In 15 months, he and his people modernized the Vatican Bank. He is not afraid to look around and challenge what is going on. He is always willing to do what needs to be done." Ciaruffoli said the Pope's visit to Philadelphia was estimated to generate some $418 million in regional economic impact, according to a study commissioned by the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor's Bureau. All 11,300-plus rooms in Philadelphia were expected to sell out and thousands of other visitors traveled daily from hotels in several states. Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia marked the second time the city has hosted a sitting pope. In October 1979, one million onlookers greeted Pope John Paul II for a Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway during his first papal visit to the United States. Remembering papal visit to Cuba Pope Francis inspired people worldwide — largely due to his constant effort to treat each other as we would want to be treated. Pope Francis seemed to have a calming effect on people. Before Pope Francis arrived in the U.S. in 2015, he stopped in Cuba. He visited with Raul Castro, who had assumed leadership of the island country when his brother, Fidel, become too ill to continue. Some criticized the pope for walking and talking with the Castros. Many thought that the papal visit to Cuba would accelerate positive reform there — that the people would have the freedom to worship as they please. Juan and Elena DeRojas of Mountain Top, both now deceased, knew what it was like to live in a country where decisions are made for you — decisions like where and how to worship. Juan and Elena were raised in the Catholic church in Cuba. They were a young couple with five children and wanted the very best for their kids. And they wanted their children to be raised in the Catholic church. But in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it became clear to them that Cuba was changing. Fidel Castro was in charge and he brought Communism to the country. Juan was a young physician. He knew he had to leave his home country. He wanted to come to America so he and his family could live free, he said in 2015. It was an emotional time for Juan and Elena. They knew they now had new opportunities in America. Back in Cuba, the Castro government was taking control of everything — schools, media, everything, the couple said. Juan said he attended the same school as Fidel Castro, who is a year younger than he was. Everything Christian was being removed from schools, Juan recalled in 2015. It was emotional for Juan and Elena and their children to see Pope Francis visiting Cuba. Juan, who has read Pope Francis' books, has followed the pontiff closely. He saw the reaction of the Cuban people to Pope Francis. He saw their smiles and the look of hope on their faces. He shared that hope, for his fellow countrymen and for a better future. He hoped to see a return of Christian values to Cuba and he felt Pope Francis, simply by visiting, helped move that along. Juan and Elena saw Pope Francis opening his arms to everyone and opening doors that had been closed for years. They saw him drawing attention to world problems, like helping the poor, feeding the hungry, accepting those who are different. Juan was proud of Pope Francis, a native of Argentina. He liked that he was trying to change old ideas and practices. He was confident change would come. On his way to the U.S., Juan said he prayed a lot. He said his faith guided him. That faith kept Juan and Elena together for 65 years. They received an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Francis on the occasion of their 65th wedding anniversary. America opened its arms to Juan and Elena and their children. They have never forgotten that. That's why they smiled when they saw Pope Francis opening his arms to the world. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
5 Democrats seeking the party's nomination for 3 Canton council at-large seats
CANTON – This year's Democratic primary race for Canton City Council at-large is developing more storylines than a daytime soap opera. One challenger is calling on three candidates who have branded themselves as the 'Democratic team' to apologize after the team sent campaign mailers that said they were endorsed by the Stark County Democratic Party when they weren't formally endorsed. One candidate scheduled their campaign fundraiser on the same night as another candidate's fundraiser, a move traditionally seen as a no-no for those in the same party. One candidate is facing a series of anonymous attacks about the companies she owns. And political signs have been broken or gone missing. Five Democrats are seeking the party's nomination for the three at-large council seats: Incumbents James O. Babcock and Crystal C. Smith and challengers Kimberly D. Bell, Joe Cole and Bill Smuckler. The three top vote getters in the Democratic primary will face Republican Carl Bliss in November for the three at-large seats, which are two-year terms and pay an annual salary of $22,922. Bliss is uncontested in the Republican primary. Councilman at-large Louis Giavasis is leaving his at-large seat at the end of his second term to seek the Democratic party nomination for council president, which is being vacated by Kristen Bates Aylward who chose not to seek a second term. Giavasis, who is uncontested in the Democratic primary, will face the winner of the Republican primary contest between Roy Scott DePew and Kerry Jane Dougherty. While the politicking in the Democratic primary for council at-large has been more contentious than recent years, the five candidates cited similar priorities for Canton: Improving housing, roads and neighborhood safety. Here's a look at each Democratic council at-large candidate (listed alphabetically) and where they stand on each priority: Babcock, a Realtor and lifelong Ward 3 resident, has never missed a council meeting since he was first elected in 2011. 'I get elected to be there, so you have to be there,' said Babcock, 75, son of former Canton Mayor Charles Babcock and former Canton Councilwoman Mary Babcock. He wants to continue the progress that council has been making. 'I believe the city is on the move, that's why I'm running,' said Babcock, a 1967 Central Catholic High School graduate. '… My goal is to continue to improve the quality of life for the people of Canton.' On housing: Babcock believes the land reutilization program that council approved last year will help turn more vacant city-owned land into tax-producing lots. The program allows the city to transfer vacant parcels to individuals, developers and nonprofits at the land's appraised fair market value without going through competitive bidding. 'We're maintaining these lots and it's costing us money, so we want to transfer them and have someone build on them,' he said. He also plans to continue supporting the city's ongoing demolition of blighted homes and the multiple incentives the city provides residents to help them fix their homes. On roads: Babcock supports Mayor William V. Sherer's initiative to repave every alley in the city within the next few years and looks forward to major corridors, such as Tuscarawas Street W, being repaved this year. On safety: Babcock believes council's approval of the Canton Police Patrolmen's Association contract in March will help with recruiting and retaining officers so the department can return to full staffing. The contract provides raises, shortens the time it takes for officers to reach the top scale and allows experienced officers from other police departments to laterally transfer to Canton. On campaigning: Babcock, who has been endorsed by Sherer, has joined Smith and Smuckler in branding themselves as the 'Democratic team.' He said he joined the team because he supports Smith as a colleague and believes Smuckler's expertise would benefit council. Challengers have questioned the team's recent campaign mailer that said the team had been endorsed by the Stark County Democratic Party. Dimitrios Pousoulides, chair of the Democratic Party, responded to the Canton Repository's questions about the mailer by saying, 'While the Stark County Democratic Party has not formally endorsed any candidate in the May 6, 2025, primary election, the Stark County Democratic Party supports all Democratic candidates to the best of its ability.' Babcock said similar wording exists in the party's bylaws. 'Supported and endorsed mean the same thing, more or less,' said Babcock, noting that Democratic candidates in other races have used the wording. The team also has promoted endorsements from some current council members and other longtime city officials, such as the law director, treasurer and auditor. The Repository has not independently confirmed whether those elected officials have formally endorsed the team. Bell, a lifelong city resident who operates a wash-and-fold service, is a write-in candidate for the seat. A frequent speaker at Canton council meetings for years, Bell has been critical of the city's support of the Hall of Fame Village and city police officers' treatment of Black residents. The 1982 Canton South High School graduate says her background — being a single mother at age 21, facing a 2006 felony conviction for assault with a knife and attempted aggravated burglary, facing more recent misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and telephone harassment and earning her paralegal degree and a legal assisting certificate from Stark State College in 2018 — helps her understand the community better than many of the other candidates. 'I will bring new ideas to the city at the ground level and not bring the ideology and failed policies that has gotten the city of Canton to where it is now,' said Bell, 60, who lives in Ward 6 and will hold a free clothing giveaway in May for residents of Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority properties for the second consecutive year. On housing: Bell believes the city should crack down on landlords who continually raise rents but fail to improve their properties. She said landlords who complain that tenants damage their properties, causing rents to rise, should do a better job of vetting the tenants at the beginning, or should file court action against the tenants to garnish their wages, which can pay for the repairs. She also believes the city should redevelop existing empty buildings into housing for the homeless or for educational centers to help youth and people rebounding from the justice system learn the skills they need to get jobs that pay better than the service industry. Bell, a volunteer for Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, believes the long-vacant Northeast Community Center at 2600 25th St. NE, which is privately owned, should be developed into a trades training center, and the former Smith nursing home at 2330 Penn Place NE, which is privately owned, could be used to help people earn their GED and develop job skills. On roads: Bell believes recent college graduates with degrees in engineering could provide new ideas on better materials to fix Canton's deteriorated roads. 'The younger generation is our future,' said Bell, who wants the city to create a youth advisory board. 'They are the ones who will take the seats that council members are retiring from. We have to get the people coming out of the colleges to give us better ideas and (road material) formulas to fix these roads.' On safety: Bell believes the key to lowering crime is restoring the community's trust and faith in law enforcement. She believes Police Chief John Gabbard and Safety Director Andrea Perry should interview officers roughly every six months to ensure the officers still want to serve the community. 'Ask them about whatever call they went on, ask them about the arrests they had to make,' said Bell, a member of the National Action Network and the Stark County NAACP. 'Not the same questions for everybody, but to get to know this officer's mindset and how this officer is doing his job, if it's a proper way and not using violence or mistreating people.' On campaigning: Bell, who said several of her campaign signs have been broken or stolen, has focused her campaign on preventing Smuckler from being reelected. Bell and Smuckler both lost in their bids for Canton mayor in 2023. Cole, who has served as a teacher, principal, coach and adviser over his 26-year career as an educator, now teaches social studies at Canton City Schools' Early College Middle School at Lehman. The 1992 Green High School graduate who earned degrees in history and educational administration from the University of Akron is also an academic challenge coach, chess club adviser and Model United Nations team adviser. Cole, who moved to Canton roughly 25 years ago and lives in Ward 9, is seeking to return to council where he served two terms as an at-large councilman, from 2010 to 2013. He believes he has more time to devote to being a councilman than he did a decade ago when his now-teenage daughter was a preschooler. 'I'm doing this because this has been a great city to me and I want to see this city turn around and go in a positive direction,' said Cole, who unsuccessfully ran for council at-large in 2023 and for Stark County commissioner last year. '…If (longtime council members) had the answers, we would've already seen those results.' On housing: Cole believes Canton needs to do a better job of marketing its low cost of housing and its water, sewer and sanitation services to attract families. He said the city also needs to change the perception that Canton is an unsafe place and needs to help its older residents remain in their homes. On roads: Cole believes city roads have not improved much since he left council more than a decade ago. He believes the city should use better planning so that newly paved roads are not torn up within a few years, stop using chip-and-seal to pave certain roads and install manholes outside the tire lanes. He believes city leaders should further discuss possible alternatives for the roundabouts that are proposed for Tuscarawas Street W near Aultman Hospital. He also would like to see the city streamline its sidewalk program so more residents can take advantage of it. On safety: Cole supports council's recent approval of the patrol officers' union contract that increased wages and decreased the time it takes for officers to reach the top wage scale. But he believes more needs to be done, including looking at a higher pay increase for officers, relaxing requirements to create better working conditions and increasing recruiting. 'Until our small city doesn't have the crime it does, we're never going to get folks to say this where I want to be, this is where I want to put down roots,' he said. On campaigning: Cole, who is a member of the Canton Professional Educators' Association, has earned endorsements from multiple labor unions, including the Canton Educators' Association, Teamsters Local 92, Ironworkers Local 550, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 540 and Hall of Fame Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Cole has called on Smuckler, Smith and Babcock to apologize to voters for suggesting they had been formally endorsed by the Stark County Democratic Party, but does not plan to file an elections complaint against the trio. He will host a town hall from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. April 28 at the Stark Library North branch at 189 25th St. NW. Smith, a lifelong city resident, is seeking her second term on council. The 1999 Timken High School and Ohio Media School graduate has operated several businesses over the years, including spas, boutiques, marketing and investment companies. She operated a childcare business for 10 years before starting the Stark Youth Technology Center in 2021. The company provides assessment, support and therapy services, life skills training, housing and advocacy for people with developmental disabilities. The Ward 3 resident also volunteers as an after-school mentor for She Elevates, which supports young girls, and serves on the advisory board for EN-RICH-MENT, which offers fine and performing art classes, workshops, training and leadership opportunities for youth. Smith, 43, said she wants to return to council to continue the progress she made during her first term. She noted that council in February updated the city's comprehensive plan, which guides how the city spends the money it collects from the half-percent income tax increase that voters approved in 2018. Instead of the original plan's six core investment areas, council amended the plan to shift the focus to 16 prioritized neighborhoods. Smith believes the change will lead to more investment in all city wards. 'Improving the quality of life for people is really my focus,' she said. On housing: Smith wants the city to continue partnering with nonprofit organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity and Canton for All people, to help increase housing options while also providing financial help for existing homeowners who want to repair their properties. On roads: Smith said the updated comprehensive plan will help the city address roads as it improves neighborhoods holistically. On safety: Smith pointed to crime statistics that show most violent crime and property crime decreased in 2024 compared to 2023. She supports partnering with organizations to improve the aesthetics of neighborhoods as a way to further reduce crime. She also is working with the city police and law departments to improve the police department's interactions with the community. On campaigning: Smith, a mother to 10 children including two teenage foster daughters who are nonverbal and autistic, has faced anonymous allegations that her company's group homes are compromising the community's stability, safety and property values. Police reports for a northwest group home, which Smith has owned since 2020, shows that officers have responded to numerous calls since 2022 for complaints mostly about arguments or fights between residents or between a resident and caretaker, that someone (often not a resident) was threatening a resident, that an item was stolen from the home or that a resident ran away. A December 2023 report shows that a youth had concealed a handgun at the home. Smith views the accusations as attacks on the vulnerable population she serves. She said the residents who live in the homes have intellectual disabilities that can cause certain behaviors that outsiders may not understand and often are too fearful to learn more about. 'Even though the attack is political, they are really attacking a community of people and that's the sad truth,' said Smith, noting that the property values in the neighborhood of the northwest group home have increased since 2020. Smuckler, who has served 32 nonconsecutive years as a city councilman, is co-owner of the Canton Hotel & Restaurant Supply, a family business he joined in 1982. The 1973 Oakwood High School graduate who earned a journalism degree from Bowling Green State University is a member of Temple Israel, the Temple Israel Brotherhood and the Canton Ex-Newsboys, a charity that raises money to clothe children. The father of three first joined council as a ward councilman in 1984, and has served as council president, councilman at-large and council majority leader. He left council in 2023 when he unsuccessfully sought for a third time to be elected Canton's mayor. Smuckler, 70, a Ward 8 resident, said he's fielded multiple phone calls from residents and city leaders asking him to come back. 'I seem to be very good at helping people get things done, Smuckler said. "Even over these last two years, because I have a good relationship with the mayor and other city council members, I've got some things fast-tracked for people. One of my fortes has been to help people out.' On housing: Smuckler wants to increase the number of homeowners in the city in the same way he and former Ward 1 Councilman Greg Hawk, who died in February, helped a nonprofit organization build market-rate, owner-occupied homes around Summit School. He said council can help by allotting the money to tear down structures that are no longer viable, invest in the neighborhoods that need more housing and work with nonprofit organizations already helping to build new housing. He believes the city should also use its best asset, its water system, to further entice businesses — and their income-tax paying workers — to the area. One way would be to offer different tiers of water rates for large businesses. On roads: Smuckler believes city crews will catch up on repairing the roads damaged during the harsh winter. He supports the mayor's initiative to pave city alleys and said council must review the budget holistically before making promises to increase road funding. On safety: Smuckler said he will continue his push to get as many police officers on the street as possible by making the salaries and working conditions attractive to new officers. 'When people call, they want a policeman to show up in a reasonable fashion,' he said. On campaigning: Smuckler, who has been endorsed by former Mayor Thomas Bernabei, said he joined Babcock and Smith as a team because he believes they will work well together. Reach Canton Repository staff writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or This article originally appeared on The Repository: Five Democrats are seeking three Canton council at-large seats
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called her age-gap marriage an 'atypical love story.' Here's what to know about her life and career.
Karoline Leavitt, 27, is the youngest-ever White House press secretary. She worked for Kayleigh McEnany and Rep. Elise Stefanik before joining Donald Trump's 2024 campaign. She is married to 59-year-old real-estate developer Nicholas Riccio and has a son, Niko. Karoline Leavitt landed a White House internship as a college student during President Donald Trump's first term. In his second non-consecutive term, she serves as the youngest-ever White House press secretary. A former college athlete who spent her summers scooping ice cream in New Hampshire, Leavitt, 27, quickly rose through the ranks of Republican politics through communications jobs with former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik. During her tenure as the 2024 Trump campaign's national press secretary, she traveled across the country while pregnant and returned to work four days after giving birth to her son. Leavitt has also acknowledged her "atypical love story" with husband Nicholas Riccio, a 59-year-old real-estate developer. Here's what to know about Trump's White House press secretary. The White House Press Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Karoline Leavitt grew up in Atkinson, New Hampshire, and went to a Catholic high school. Leavitt's parents owned an ice cream stand where she worked during the summers. She attended Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts. "Having a Catholic education really formed who I am," she said on an episode of The Catholic Current podcast in 2021. She continued, "It taught me discipline, it brought me closer in my own relationship with God, and it also taught me the importance of public service and giving back to your community." She graduated from Saint Anselm College in 2019 with a degree in politics and communication. Leavitt was admitted to Saint Anselm College on a softball scholarship and played as an outfielder on the women's softball team, the Saint Anselm Hawks. Leavitt's extra-curricular activities included founding the Saint Anselm Broadcasting Club, volunteering at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, and writing articles for the college newspaper, The Saint Anselm Crier, defending Trump's travel ban and criticizing the "liberal media." She also spent a semester studying abroad at John Cabot University in Rome. In 2018, she interned at the White House during Trump's first presidency as a presidential writer in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence. She was the first member of her family to earn an undergraduate degree. After graduating, she worked with then-press secretary Kayleigh McEnany in the White House Press Office. From 2019 to 2021, Leavitt worked as an assistant press secretary helping McEnany prepare for briefings. When Trump left office in 2021, Leavitt took a job as Rep. Elise Stefanik's director of communications. Stefanik serves as the House Republican Conference Chair. Leavitt ran for Congress in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district in 2022. "I could no longer sit back and watch as our conservative principles — that make America the greatest country in the world and New Hampshire the best state in the union — fall under attack," Leavitt wrote on her campaign website of her decision to run for office. Leavitt won the Republican primary, but lost the general election to the Democratic incumbent, Rep. Chris Pappas, who is the first openly gay man to represent New Hampshire in Congress. In 2024, she joined Trump's presidential campaign as his national press secretary. Leavitt held press conferences outside of Manhattan Criminal Court during Trump's hush-money trial. Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts, but was not sentenced with any punishment due to the US Supreme Court ruling granting presidents criminal immunity protections. Trump maintained his innocence throughout the trial and often referred to it as a "witch hunt." After Trump won the 2024 election, he appointed Leavitt as the youngest-ever White House press secretary. As press secretary, Leavitt established a "new media seat" in the White House briefing room reserved for podcasters, social media influencers, and other independent content creators who, "despite being some of the most viewed news websites in the country, have not been given seats in this room," she said at a January 29 briefing. Leavitt is married to 59-year-old Nicholas Riccio, who is more than twice her age. They share a son, Niko. Leavitt met Riccio, a real-estate developer, at a campaign event during her 2022 run for Congress. They announced their engagement on Christmas in 2023 and welcomed a son, Niko, on July 10, 2024. Leavitt returned to work just four days after giving birth after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. "I felt compelled to be present in this historic moment," she told The Conservateur. "The president literally put his life on the line to win this election. The least I could do is get back to work quickly." Leavitt and Riccio wed on January 4, 2025, days before Trump's second inauguration. Leavitt spoke about their 32-year age gap in a February interview on The Megyn Kelly Show. "I mean, it's a very atypical love story, but he's incredible," she said of Riccio, adding, "He's the father of my child and he's the best dad I could ever ask for. And he is so supportive, especially during a very chaotic period of life." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Multiple Portland-area schools cancel Friday classes due to snow
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After a snowstorm hit much of the Portland metro area on Thursday, multiple Portland-area schools elected to close schools on Friday. Here are some local schools and districts that will be closed Friday. Central Catholic High School Beaverton School District Forest Grove School District Hillsboro School District Gaston School District Reynolds School District Sherwood School District Tigard-Tualatin School District Scappoose School District North Clackamas School District Horizion Christian Valley Catholic St. Helens School District The Vancouver School District will be under a two-hour delay with no morning preschool. This story will be updated with other district closures in the area. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
30-01-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Who is Karoline Leavitt, the White House's youngest press secretary?
Karoline Leavitt made her debut at a White House press briefing on Tuesday, making her mark as the youngest White House press secretary to take the lectern. Leavitt assured members of the media that President Donald Trump was "hard at work" fulfilling his campaign promises, vowed to hold briefings "frequently" that would physically open the door to an expanse of media outlets, including podcasters and social media influencers. She answered questions about the administration's crackdown on immigration and the mysterious drones that hovered over New Jersey. In November, Leavitt was tapped by President Trump to serve as his second-term press secretary in a highly visible job that was previously occupied by women including Fox News co-host Kayleigh McEnany and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Here's what know about the White House's youngest press secretary. Who is Karoline Leavitt? Karoline Leavitt is a 27-year-old from Atkinson, New Hampshire, and attended Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, according to Seacoastonline. She graduated in 2019 from Saint Anselm College with a bachelors in politics and communication. Leavitt interned at the White House during Trump's first administration and worked as a presidential writer and assistant press secretary to Kayleigh McEnany. Leavitt knocks Ronald Ziegler off the list as the youngest press secretary to ever serve under a U.S. president. Ziegler was 29 when he took the position under Richard Nixon's administration, according to Britannica. Karoline Leavitt's husband; what we know about Nicholas Riccio Karoline Leavitt's husband, Nicholas Riccio, who she often calls Nick in media reports, is a self-employed business owner. The duo got engaged on Christmas Day 2023, she posted on Instagram. Riccio manages a multimillion-dollar real estate business, Riccio Enterprises LLC, according to Newsweek. Karoline Leavitt family Karoline Leavitt shares a son, Nicholas Robert, who she calls "Niko," with her husband, Nicholas Riccio. He was born on July 10, 2024, she posted on Instagram. The new mom was spotted at a May 11, 2024 Trump rally in Wildwood, New Jersey when she was 29 weeks pregnant, and told The Conservateur magazine in October 2024 she quickly learned to be a "master at multitasking" when she became a new mom. She told the magazine she returned to work four days after giving birth. Salary of White House press secretary It is not immediately known how much Karoline Leavitt will be earning as White House press secretary. Karine Jean-Pierre, who took over for former press secretary Jen Psaki in May 2022, was earning $180,000 a year, according to a report by Business Insider. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was earning a salary of $183,000 a year, the outlet reported. Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
