Latest news with #CommonwealthMediaServices
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shapiro sues Trump administration over canceled farm and food bank funds
Gov. Josh Shapiro announced his administration has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over its cancellation of millions of dollars in federal funding to farmers who supply food banks throughout the state. (Commonwealth Media Services) PHILADELPHIA — Gov. Josh Shapiro announced his administration has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over its cancellation of millions of dollars in federal funding to farmers who supply food banks throughout the state. 'I'm tired of waiting for someone to stand up for our farmers and our food banks. That task falls to us,' Shapiro said Wednesday in Philadelphia. 'The USDA and the Trump administration ignored our farmers, and they ignored folks who are hungry here in Pennsylvania.' Shapiro said his administration filed a lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg asking a judge to reverse the USDA's decision to cancel its contract with the commonwealth. The program, known as the Local Food Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA), was established by President Joe Biden's administration in response to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic in 2021. In December, Biden's administration renewed the contract with Pennsylvania for three years and $13 million. In March, the Trump administration announced that the program was ending. 'This lawsuit calls on the USDA to simply honor its commitment to our farmers, to honor its commitment to folks who are hungry and to simply follow the contract that they signed,' Shapiro said In Pennsylvania, LFPA provides funding that supports 189 farms and 14 food banks. Shapiro said it represented between 10% and 15% of the annual market share for many of the farmers participating in the program. The back-and-forth between Shapiro and the Trump administration over the matter has spanned multiple months. In March, Shapiro held a press conference at a food bank in Harrisburg sounding an alarm on the program's cancellation. He said his administration appealed to get the money and wrote a letter to Trump's administration in late March. In April, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins made a trip to multiple central Pennsylvania farms where she claimed the money for food banks was, in fact, available. She said Shapiro and other officials either didn't 'have their facts right,' or were playing political 'games.' Shapiro disputed the claim at the time and re-upped his criticism of Rollins' explanation Wednesday in Philadelphia. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The LFPA initiative works as a reimbursement program, Shapiro said, so the state doesn't get the money until after it pays farmers and provides receipts. A USDA spokesperson told the Capital-Star that they 'do not comment on pending litigation,' and directed inquiries to the U.S. Department of Justice. George Maysik, executive director of Share Food Program in Philadelphia, said the food bank serves more than 500,000 people per month in the greater Philadelphia area and demand has risen over 120% in the last three years. 'The LFPA program was designed to provide some level of relief for the 14 food banks like us across the commonwealth who are serving that rising need,' Maysik said. He addressed Trump directly, criticizing his administration's decision to cancel the program. 'You had a deal with food banks serving 67 counties trying to alleviate poverty,' Maysik said. 'And above all, Mr. President, you had a deal with the American people and you broke your word.' 'The art of the deal,' he scoffed. Julie McCabe, executive director of Pennypack Farm & Education Center, explained her 13 acre vegetable farm in Montgomery County participated in the LFPA program to provide products to local food banks. 'Our produce giving program has grown tremendously,' McCabe said. 'From just over 8,000 pounds donated in 2017 to more than 26,000 pounds given in 2024.' While Shapiro said his administration has increased investments to connect farmers with hungry people, he said the state doesn't have the money to backfill the federal cuts, if the lawsuit is unsuccessful. Still, Shapiro said he has reasons to be optimistic that he would succeed. 'I've got a pretty good track record when I take Donald Trump to court,' said Shapiro, who served as the state's attorney general during Trump's first term. 'We're going to win this, and we're going to get our money back for the good people of Pennsylvania.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What to know about new Pa. law banning hand-held cellphone use while driving
It's time to put the cellphone down. Beginning Thursday, police in Pennsylvania can issue written warnings for using hand-held devices while driving — even if you're stopped temporarily in traffic, at a red light or other brief delay. Gov. Josh Shapiro last June signed the measure, known as Paul Miller's Law. Miller was killed in a crash with a tractor-trailer in 2010 in Monroe County as the result of a distracted driver who reached for their phone while driving, officials said. Paul Miller Jr. was killed in a crash with a tractor-trailer in 2010 in Monroe County as the result of a distracted driver who reached for their phone while driving. (Courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services) Pennsylvania already had been enforcing a texting-while-driving ban that prohibits drivers from using mobile devices to send, read or write text-based communications while their vehicle is in motion. The new law, in addition to prescribing the written warnings, allows law enforcement to issue summary citations for cellphone use beginning June 6, 2026. 'Paul Miller's Law is about saving lives,' PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll announced following an event last week drawing attention to the effective date of the ban. 'Your choices behind the wheel can change lives forever. Make the safe choice. Put your phone out of reach and don't text and drive. One text, one glance down — it could kill someone. And it's not worth it.' Under the law, drivers can still use their phones to alert emergency responders and if they are using hands-free technology to make phone calls, use a navigation program and listen to music. In 2024, there were 9,950 crashes involving a distracted driver, resulting in more than 6,000 injuries and 49 fatalities, according to PennDOT. Officials note that distracted-driving crash data is likely underreported because many drivers are reluctant to admit to being distracted at the time of a crash. Police perspective Cumru Township Police Chief Madison Winchester, drawing on his experience as a parent of a young driver as well as his work as a policeman, recommends turning off your cellphone and putting it out of view to avoid the temptation to read a text or answer a call. 'There's just too much of a temptation to look at it,' he said. 'I think the safest way is to turn it off and put it away.' Cumru Township Police Chief Madison Winchester The law will make it easier to enforce the prohibition of texting while driving because drivers seen holding a cellphone while driving can no longer claim they were talking instead of texting, Winchester said. Now both are illegal uses of hand-held devices. Winchester said the law is a step in the right direction but doesn't eliminate all distractions drivers face from using cellular communication in a vehicle. He said drivers can still be distracted by talking on the phone using hands-free technology. 'It's still a distraction to talk or have any communication away from driving,' Winchester said. Amity Township Police Chief Jeffrey Smith said it's common to see people holding a phone while stopped at a red light. They're going to have to change their behavior or face potential consequences because the law says you can't use a hand-held device while behind the wheel, even if the vehicle is stationary, he said. Amity Township Police Chief Jeffrey Smith (READING EAGLE) 'I think it's going to be a learning curve for everyone,' Smith said. 'Just like when the seat belt law went into effect. And you still have people who don't wear seat belts.' Exeter Township Police Lt. Sean Fullerton said he's hoping people get on board with the law. They should be at least familiar with it from their travels in nearby states, including New Jersey, that already ban the use of hand-held devices while driving. A mother's cause Since Miller's death, his mother, Eileen, has become a national advocate for stronger laws to curb distracted driving. Eileen Miller, national advocate and mother of Paul Miller Jr., during a conference in Harrisburg on May 27 urges drivers to put down the phone while driving. (Courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services) 'Nearly 15 years ago, two Dunmore state troopers knocked on my door to tell me that my son was killed,' she said at the PennDOT event publicizing the law. 'My son did everything right — he was killed by someone else's unsafe choices behind the wheel. 'This law is for every family in Pennsylvania that doesn't have to experience two state troopers knocking on their door to tell them that their loved one was killed by distracted driving. Paul Miller's Law will be a beacon of protection for every driver and passenger in Pennsylvania.' The law, penalties PennDOT provided the following breakdown of the law and the penalties: The law: • Defines an interactive mobile device as a hand-held wireless phone, personal digital assistant, smartphone, portable or mobile computer or similar device that can be used for voice communication, texting, emailing, browsing the Internet, instant messaging, playing games, taking or transmitting images, recording or broadcasting videos, creating or sharing social media or otherwise sending or receiving electronic data. • Defines driving as operating a motor vehicle on a highway, including anytime the vehicle is temporarily stationary because of traffic, a traffic control device (e.g., a traffic light or stop sign), or other momentary delay. • Defines the use of an interactive mobile device as using at least one hand to hold, or supporting with another part of the body, an interactive mobile device, dialing or answering an interactive mobile device by pressing more than a single button, or reaching for an interactive mobile device that requires a driver to maneuver so that the driver is no longer in a seated driving position, restrained by a seat belt. Penalties: This is a primary offense, meaning drivers can be stopped by police who observe them with a mobile device in their hand while driving. • For the first 12 months, the penalty is a written warning. • Effective June 5, 2026, the penalty is a summary offense with a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees. • If a driver is convicted of homicide by vehicle and driving while distracted, they may be sentenced up to an additional five years in prison. A driver may use an interactive mobile device if the driver moves the vehicle to the side of or off a highway and stops where the vehicle can safely remain stationary. The hands-free law allows for an emergency use exception if it is necessary to communicate with a law enforcement official or other emergency service to prevent injury to persons or property. In the nation According to the Governors Highway Safety Association: • Hand-held cellphone use: 30 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cellphones while driving. All but Alabama and Missouri are primary enforcement laws — an officer may cite a driver for using a hand-held cellphone without any other traffic offense taking place. • All cellphone use: No state bans all cellphone use for all drivers, but 36 states and D.C. ban all cellphone use by novice drivers, and 25 states and D.C. prohibit it for school bus drivers. • Text messaging: Washington was the first state to pass a texting ban in 2007. There are text-messaging bans for all drivers in 49 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All but six have primary enforcement.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pa. primary elections 'relatively calm and successful,' top election official says
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt holds a press conference to provide an update on the administration of Pennsylvania's primary election. (Commonwealth Media Services) One hour after polls closed Tuesday, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said that 'it's been a relatively calm and successful primary election day,' in the Keystone State. 'As always, I'd like to thank the hundreds of county election officials and the approximately 45,000 poll workers who made democracy possible today,' Schmidt said. 'Because of them, Pennsylvanians were able to cast their vote at more than 9,000 precincts across 67 counties.' 'A quiet day like today is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our county election officials, especially those new ones who are running elections for the first time and have done their part to make sure voters in their counties can cast their ballot and make their voice heard,' he added. The 2025 primary election featured contested Republican races for the state's Superior and Commonwealth courts. There was only one Democratic candidate in each race who will move on to the general election. Despite few statewide races, several of the state's biggest cities had big-ticket contests Tuesday. Pittsburgh and several other Democratic strongholds held mayoral primaries, while Philadelphia Democrats voted in a closely watched district attorney primary. Schmidt said that although municipal primaries are lower profile elections, in his experience, they are some of the most complex. 'There are so many different candidates running for so many different offices, down ticket at the local level, that makes them a particular challenge,' Schmidt said. 'Nevertheless, we had reports of only a few minor and isolated issues occurring in the Commonwealth.' Schmidt said that the Department of State received approximately 500 calls on its voter hotline, which is fewer than the municipal primary election in 2023, when the state received about 600 calls. 'It's not an insignificant number, of course, but it does demonstrate that Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly encountered an improved voting experience this year,' Schmidt said. Schmidt said that with a 'successful primary election day' behind them, it was now time for election workers across the state to count the votes. Although voter turnout tends to be lower during these primary elections, he urged patience, saying 'this work takes time.' As of 7:30 p.m., Schmidt said counties reported at least 70% of the 800,000 mail-in ballots issued had been returned. The official vote count will be available in a few days, according to the Department of State, but it added that 'anecdotal reports indicate turnout was typical for municipal primary elections.' Unofficial results for the statewide races can be found on the Department of State's website:
CBS News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Security report into arson at Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro's home won't be made public, consultant says
A consultant paid to review security at the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro after it was firebombed by a late-night intruder said Friday that his team's findings will not be made public. Retired state police Col. Jeffrey Miller said in a statement that the "sensitive nature" of the findings he has given to Shapiro and the state police "precludes their release to the public for obvious reasons." The dangerous breakdown in protection has raised questions about how the intruder was able to elude state police security as he climbed a 7-foot (2-meter) fence and smashed two windows, then crawled inside and ignited destructive fires with two gasoline-filled beer bottles. "I am confident that if fully implemented, the key recommendations that we have made will prevent an attack of this nature from succeeding in the future," Miller said. His San Diego-based security consulting firm is being paid more than $35,000 for the work. This image provided by Commonwealth Media Services shows damage after a fire at the Pennsylvania governor's mansion while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside on Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (Commonwealth Media Services via AP) / AP Paula Knudsen Burke, the Pennsylvania lawyer with the nonprofit Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said portions of the report could be released even if the full report isn't. "It seems we're spending taxpayer dollars to review taxpayer-paid employees working in a taxpayer-owned building," Burke said. "It seems taxpayers should have some visibility into what their money is used for." Miller and his team assessed security at Shapiro's official residence and have recommended how to "mitigate the gaps discovered," as Miller put it in a contract document filed with the state. They interviewed state police employees about duty assignments the night of the attack and about security monitoring systems that were in place. They also looked into fire suppression, the outer and inner perimeters, training and other factors. State Police Col. Christopher Paris said some of Miller's recommendations have already been implemented. "The State Police value the trust of the people we serve, and I believe that this review by an independent examiner with first-hand knowledge of our Commonwealth government will help us continue to earn that trust," Paris said in a release. Myles Snyder, the state police's communications director, said Friday that Paris agrees with Miller that the report should not be made public, and Shapiro's press secretary, Manuel Bonder, deferred to state police about disclosing the details. The Associated Press has filed a request that state police release the document under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law. Shapiro has thanked police and firefighters for rescuing him and his family, but also said there were security failures at the three-story brick Georgian-style residence that sits along the Susquehanna River more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) north of the Capitol. Pennsylvania House Minority Leader Jesse Topper, a Bedford County Republican, has pressured the administration to give parts of the report to lawmakers that show what went wrong with the governor's security. He has said, however, that he understands that plans to enhance the security shouldn't be made public if it compromises the governor's safety. "However, in terms of the accountability of what happened and how it happened, I think that is a question that needs to be answered and that those answers need to be provided to the people's representatives here in the House and the Senate," Topper said Thursday in his Capitol office. Topper said Friday that he had not received a response to an inquiry about whether lawmakers — who may be called upon to approve more money for enhanced security — will be allowed to read parts of the report. Miller was named to lead the state police in 2003 by then-Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, and spent nearly six years in the top job. He has also been a senior security official with the National Football League and held other security related posts. A Harrisburg man, Cody Balmer, 38, has been charged with attempted homicide, arson and other offenses for the attack on the state-owned Harrisburg residence about 2 a.m. on Sunday, April 13. The fire caused an estimated millions of dollars in damage, but no one was hurt. Shapiro fled the residence along with his wife and their kids — he has since clarified that only three of their four children were home — after being awakened by police. They and their guests had participated in a Passover Seder the previous evening. A message seeking comment was left for Shapiro. Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo has said investigators are assessing whether religious or political bias could explain why Balmer expressed "hatred" for Shapiro, who is Jewish. Balmer, who denied having a mental illness despite his family's comments to the contrary, is accused of breaking into the residence in Harrisburg in the dead of night early Sunday and starting the fire. "As bad as the outcome of the attack was, we are grateful that the actions of members of the Executive Services Office in immediately evacuating the Governor and his family to safety prevented any injuries or loss of life," Miller said in the statement. Shapiro splits his time between the Harrisburg mansion built in the 1960s and the family home in Abington, a Philadelphia suburb. The Democrat is seen as a potential White House contender in 2028. In a 911 call less than an hour after the fire, Balmer said, "Gov. Josh Shapiro needs to know that Cody Balmer will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people," according to a recording released by Dauphin County. When asked what he might have done had he encountered Shapiro, Balmer said he would have hit the governor with a sledgehammer, police said. Balmer subsequently turned himself in at the state police's headquarters in Harrisburg and remains jailed without bond. Balmer's family has said he has a history of mental illness, which Balmer denied at a brief court appearance. Proceedings in the criminal case are on hold while he is evaluated to see if he is mentally competent to stand trial.
Forbes
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Suspect In Pennsylvania Governor's Mansion Arson Cited Josh Shapiro's Stance On Palestinians
Cody Balmer, who is suspected of setting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home on fire over the weekend, said his motivation for the attack was Shapiro's stance on the death of Palestinians in Gaza, according to a search warrant from police. This image provided by Commonwealth Media Services shows damage after a fire at the Pennsylvania ... More governor's mansion on Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. A search warrant made public Wednesday said Balmer made contact with Dauphin County 911 at 2:50 a.m. EDT on Sunday—shortly after the attack—and said Shapiro needed to know that Balmer 'will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.' Balmer also said he needed to 'stop having my friends killed' and that 'our people have been put through too much by that monster.' Before the call ended, Balmer said he was not hiding and would 'confess to everything that I had done,' according to the warrant. This story is developing and will be updated. Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here. Suspect in Pa. Governor's Mansion Arson Cited Treatment of Palestinians, Police Say (New York Times)
