state Pennsylvania: Latest News

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Tom Wolf - Patricia Maccullough - Divided court explains choice of new Pennsylvania congressional map - fox29.com - state Pennsylvania - city Harrisburg, state Pennsylvania
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Divided court explains choice of new Pennsylvania congressional map
HARRISBURG, Pa. - All seven Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices issued opinions Wednesday regarding their 4-3 vote last month to pick a new map of the state's congressional districts, disclosing the majority relied partially on how fair the various proposals would be to the two major parties."We conclude that consideration of partisan fairness, when selecting a plan among several that meet traditional core criteria, is necessary to ensure that a congressional plan is reflective of and responsive to the partisan preferences of the commonwealth's voters," wrote Chief Justice Max Baer, joined by three fellow Democrats.He said tools that evaluate partisan fairness can help "avoid vote dilution based on political affiliation."The majority also rejected the argument that the 17 districts, each with nearly 765,000 voters, could not vary by as much as two voters apiece, as does the map they picked.After Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican majority state House and Senate deadlocked on drawing new lines for 17 congressional districts, reflecting the loss of a seat in the 2020 census, the job was left to the courts.The state's population increases over the past decade have been concentrated in the southeast, a stronghold for Democrats, while losses have occurred in the more rural and Republican areas of Pennsylvania's northern tier and western counties.A Republican Commonwealth Court judge, Patricia McCullough, recommended the justices go with the GOP-favored map that Wolf had vetoed.
Joe Biden - Jake Corman - Lawmakers call to end gas taxes across US amid price surge - fox29.com - Usa - state California - state Minnesota - Washington - state Pennsylvania - Russia - Georgia - state Michigan - state Wisconsin - state Colorado - state New Mexico - Ukraine
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Lawmakers call to end gas taxes across US amid price surge
WASHINGTON (AP) - With gas prices at record highs across the U.S., an increasing number of governors and state lawmakers are calling for the suspension of gas taxes to provide relief to motorists who are facing the prospect of even higher pump prices as the country cuts off Russian oil imports.Proposals for a "gas tax holiday" to counter inflation had been moving slowly in Congress and state capitols before Russia invaded Ukraine, but they have gained momentum this week amid surging prices that averaged $4.25 a gallon on Wednesday, according to AAA.Republican legislative leaders in Michigan and Pennsylvania announced proposals Wednesday to suspend or reduce state gas taxes. That came after the Republican governor of Georgia and Democratic governor of California both called for relief from state gas taxes Tuesday, when President Joe Biden ordered a ban on Russian oil imports.Meanwhile, the Democratic governors of Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin sent a joint letter to congressional leaders urging them to support legislation suspending the federal government's 18.4-cent-a-gallon gas tax through 2022.Critics of the proposals say there is no guarantee the savings would get passed on to consumers and worry that suspending gas taxes could hurt funding for road projects.
Bucks County first responders sending tactical gear, PPE to Ukraine - fox29.com - state Pennsylvania - county Bucks - Russia - county Falls - Poland - Ukraine
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Bucks County first responders sending tactical gear, PPE to Ukraine
BUCKS COUNTY, Pa - As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, many are sending donations, including local first responders.As the war rages on, law enforcement officers in Bucks County have gathered nearly $100,000 worth of ballistic vests and other equipment to send to Ukrainians as they try to defend their country from Russian troops.RELATED: Fire extinguished at Europe's largest nuclear power plant following Russian shelling "Since we can't be there to help, we're going to do as much as we can here," said Falls Township police officer Dean Stecklair.Police in Falls Township met with members of Bucks County's Ukrainian community as they prepared to send supplies."We cannot thank them enough because Ukraine needs our support, our support now," Natalia Vroby. RELATED: Russia-Ukraine war: What to know after Russians take Europe's largest nuclear plant Lower Bucks Hospital employees of Ukrainian heritage also collected donations of gloves, gowns and other PPE materials to send to the country.Eleanor Plavenik, an ultrasound tech at the hospital, is worried about her relatives in Kharkiv, close to the Russian border.She says sending supplies is the least she can do at such a difficult time.The supplies from the hospital and police department are being sent by air to Poland and then they will be transported to Ukraine.RELATED: Man in Poland opens home to Ukrainians seeking refuge from war-torn homeland: If you are interested in participating, contact the Falls Township police department. ___MORE LOCAL HEADLINES___DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP | FOX 29 WEATHER AUTHORITY APPSUBSCRIBE: Good Day Digest Newsletter | FOX 29 Philly on YouTubeAdvertisementFOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Brandon Bostian - Defense argues rock throwers along tracks were to blame for deadly 2015 Amtrak derailment - fox29.com - state Pennsylvania - city Philadelphia
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Defense argues rock throwers along tracks were to blame for deadly 2015 Amtrak derailment
PHILADELPHIA - Prosecutors in the trial of Amtrak engineer Brandon Bostian told jurors Bostian was "grossly negligent" when his train derailed in 2015 killing eight.Bostian, 38, is charged with 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter and hundreds of charges of reckless endangerment in the crash along the Frankford Curve.The prosecution in opening statements argued Bostian "had one job and it was to control the speed of his train", but he failed.Christopher Phillips, a prosecutor in the office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General, said Bostian "had no chance of making that turn" when all 7 train cars derailed while on the "most dangerous part of the track," the Frankford Curve.The defense lays the blame squarely on the backs of what it calls "criminals" who threw rocks at two trains that night as Bostian was rolling through on his train.The trial began Thursday for Brandon Bostian, the Amtrak engineer charged in a deadly high-speed derailment that occurred back in 2015 in Philadelphia."This is the fault of the rock-throwers," defense attorney Robert Goggin said. "They caused the catastrophe." The defense also claims Amtrak failed to take precautions knowing the rock-throwers were out there along the rails. The first witnesses were police officers and a medical examiner, who took jurors through a series of pictures and described the injuries of the dead.Another witness described, after being thrown from the train, and calling for help, she asked Bostian several times to use his cell phone to call her father before he relented and gave her the phone.One of those injured in the Amtrak Train 188 derailment last year was Lenny Knobbs.
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