http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/pa-news/ en-us Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:18:22 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051314/posts Republican presidential candidate John McCain's short list of vice presidential possibilities has been essentially narrowed to six, according to a source familiar with the search. Factions within the Arizona senator's campaign are pushing for their favored candidate, sources tell the Phoenix Business Journal, a Baltimore Business Journal sister publication. The Baltimore Business Journal, Baltimore, Md. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051314/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:18:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051299/posts Conservatives Complicate Ridge Choice As Veep By BRETT LIEBERMANWASHINGTON — He was on the short list in 2000, but passed over because of opposition from social conservatives. Will 2008 be Tom Ridge's year? Or is he destined to be left behind again? Political insiders close to John McCain say the presumptive Republican presidential nominee would really like to pick Ridge, his close friend, national co-chair of his campaign and a fellow former Vietnam veteran, to be his vice-presidential running mate. Analysts and party insiders believe that Ridge would almost certainly guarantee a victory in Pennsylvania, which is viewed as a... Newhouse News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051299/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:48:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051071/posts THE DALAI Lama came to town, and I went to see him. After all, how often do you get to see a world figure, a Nobel Peace Prize winner? I saw his holiness at the majestic Kimmel Center, the perfect setting for such a holy man. --snip-- The angry murmur that went through the crowd when His Holiness proclaimed his love for George Bush was the exact opposite reaction you think you'd get from a bunch of peace-loving folk Philadephia Daily News Letter http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051071/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:05:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050940/posts Sources say the White House has tentatively signed off on a package of five judicial nominees proposed by Pennsylvania Sens. Arlen Specter and Robert Casey that would fill all of the vacancies on the Eastern District of Pennsylvania bench and one of two openings on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. If the deal goes through, the White House will first withdraw the nomination of Eastern District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter to the 3rd Circuit, replacing her with Eastern District Judge Paul S. Diamond. Pratter's nomination had been met with significant opposition and was ultimately doomed when Casey refused... Law.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050940/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:09:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050826/posts WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- Supporters of John McCain here acknowledge that Democrat Barack Obama wins attention with his speaking style and charisma, but they say those qualities can't match the Republican candidate's stellar background. Some of those attending McCain's town-hall-style meeting Wednesday said the Arizona senator's biggest asset is his own life -- a military family, a quarter-century in Congress and the five-and-a-half years spent as an oft-tortured prisoner of war in Vietnam. "Anyone who can withstand what he did in Vietnam can certainly take the pressure of the presidency," said Joan Hendon, 67, a businesswoman from Lake Ariel, Pa. And... johnmccain.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050826/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:44:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050588/posts Fountain Of Youth Gushes For Baby Boomers By ANNE McGRAW REEVESIf you're having a hot flash right now, you're hot. Hair thinning? Memory fading? Skin wrinkling? Don't give it another thought, oh, aging baby boomer. Getting older is now chic. The Middle Ages haven't been this thrilling since the exploits of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men. Just when those of us born before the swinging '70s are beginning to wonder if the best years are behind us, along comes a set of midlife Midases who prove that age is, indeed, just a number. Everywhere you look —... Newhouse News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050588/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:53:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050568/posts According to the most recent Rasmussen survey, "49 percent of voters believe most reporters will try to help the Democrat with their coverage ... Just 14 percent believe most reporters will try to help Mr. McCain ... a plurality of Democrats - 37 percent - say most reporters try to offer unbiased coverage of the campaign. Twenty-seven percent believe most reporters are trying to help Mr. Obama and 21 percent in Mr. Obama's party think reporters are trying to help the Republican candidate. Among Republicans, 78 percent believe reporters are trying to help Mr. Obama and 10 percent see most... The Bulletin http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050568/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:27:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049949/posts The Man Who Could Topple Jack Murtha Michelle Malkin Wednesday, July 23, 2008 A jaw-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I'm not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I'm talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman's challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second fundraising quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell's underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The 45-year-old... Townhall http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049949/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:44:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049998/posts Manager Of Business Shot Robber, Police Say MANHEIM, Pa. -- A would-be robber picked on the wrong victim in Manheim early Tuesday, according to police. Kevin Smith, 19, of Lancaster City was shot twice in the chest and died hours later at a local hospital. The botched holdup occurred just after 5 a.m. when two men followed the operations manager of Power Pro Battery into his office. Police said knowing he was about to be robbed, the manager pulled out his own handgun, turned and fired twice, hitting one of the robbers. The other man got away. Police are now... WGAL.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049998/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:30:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049962/posts A federal appeals court yesterday refused to reconsider the decision denying a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal in the 1981 murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. In a two-page decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit denied Abu-Jamal's request for a rehearing of his appeal in the controversial case, which has helped fuel an international debate about the death penalty. Abu-Jamal's lawyer, Robert R. Bryan of San Francisco, said he planned to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the case. In March, a three-judge panel of the Third Circuit left intact Abu-Jamal's conviction but said... Philadelphia Inquirer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049962/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:06:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049844/posts A JAW-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I'm not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I'm talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman's challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell's underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The challenger, a Desert Storm veteran and Army reservist who survived the 9/11 Pentagon attack, wasn't... New York Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049844/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:57:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049559/posts Former CBS3 anchor Larry Mendte was a man obsessed, if a record compiled by federal investigators is any measure, hacking into the personal e-mail of onetime colleague Alycia Lane 537 times in 146 days, checking in 10 or more times on busy days. He logged in from home, his desk at work, his Shore home in Ocean City, and even the Union League. He did so virtually round the clock, at 3:03 a.m. one time and 4:18 a.m. another, and each and every day in January after Lane was fired from CBS3 and nearly every day after that. He passed... The Philadelphia Inquirer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049559/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:37:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049335/posts It's 6 a.m. in Rittenhouse Square, one of Philadelphia's most elegant parks. As the sun rises, its overnight summer residents - more than two dozen homeless men and women - are asleep on benches. --snip-- And while homeless people say they like the comforts of the high-end neighborhood, the Rittenhouse Square residents, managers of nearby businesses, and Fairmount Park Commission employees who maintain the grounds complain that the resulting problems have gotten worse this summer, making their jobs and neighborhood life more difficult Philadephia Inquirer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049335/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:44:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049096/posts WASHINGTON, July 21, 2008 – For deployed troops, hearing about support from back home can do wonders for morale, but getting a big box full of goodies and necessities is even better. “The ‘American Troop Support Team’ has been formed to provide tangible support to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces, particularly those currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Joseph Natale, the team’s founder, said. “They deserve to know that we, at the grassroots level, are here for them.” The packages, full of donated snacks, personal hygiene items, reading material and the occasional special request, all... America Supports You http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049096/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:13:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049039/posts A man is cleared in a fatal York County shooting. He shared his story with CBS 21 News. Brian Fentiman found himself in the type of situation many of us have thought about and wondered what we would do. He chose to take action and that decision resulted in the death of 42-year-old Douglas Need. Fentiman says it all began on June 28th when he was driving after dinner with his fiancée Maria. He says, “He ran back to the car, reached through the window and started hitting them.” He says he saw Douglas Need attacking two women on east... WHPCBS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049039/posts#comment Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:46:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049012/posts Memo to Allentown, PA Morning News staff From: Kennedy, Timothy Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 3:00 PM Subject: A Message from the Publisher Dear Colleagues, I am writing today to update you on the status of the redesign and resizing of our paper. The new design will debut on Monday, July 28th. We will introduce the redesign beginning with a letter to our readers from me this Sunday with daily in-paper communication throughout the week. Beginning today you will be able to see prototypes displayed in both Publishers Hall and on the second floor in the newsroom. Later this week... Poynter Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049012/posts#comment Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:54:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048953/posts United cabbies have elected driver accused of assault by brian x. mccrone / metro philadelphia JUL 21, 2008 PHILADELPHIA. The past two weeks have been momentous ones for the city’s roughly 3,000 taxi drivers, with an election July 9 that unified fragmented unions and a meeting last week that appointed 15 board members. But the election of longtime drivers’ advocate Ron Blount as president of the newly-formed Unified Taxi Workers Alliance — by 64 percent of an estimated 900 to 1,000 votes cast — has put the new group at immediate odds with the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Blount, who was... Philly Metro http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048953/posts#comment Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:05:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048843/posts Election: There's little doubt voters want more drilling if even congressional candidates are starting to trek to Alaska to urge more oil development. Seven are there now. That's a wake-up call to Congress. Congressional challenger Craig Williams of Pennsylvania spoke to us Wednesday by phone from Deadhorse, Alaska. He and six other Republican candidates think there's enough voter disapproval with Congress' failure to do anything about gas prices to win this election, even in a season when Democrats are believed to have the advantage. "We've got a Democratic Congress doing absolutely nothing. Even the Republicans (before them) didn't do anything.... Investors Business Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048843/posts#comment Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:40:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048715/posts PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- A Pennsylvania woman has been charged in the slaying of an 18-year-old woman who was found with her uterus cut open and her fetus removed, authorities said Sunday. Andrea Curry-Demus, 38, of Wilkinsburg was charged Sunday with criminal homicide kidnapping and unlawful restraint in connection with last week's death of Kia Johnson, Allegheny County police Superintendent Charles Moffatt said. Police found Johnson's body in Curry-Demus' apartment Friday, two days after Curry-Demus arrived at a hospital with a newborn and falsely claimed that the baby was hers, authorities said. Police have not confirmed whether the infant belonged... CNN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048715/posts#comment Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:11:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048544/posts HARRISBURG -- As the pivotal 2006 legislative election season began, top Democratic House aides, using state resources, undertook a wide-ranging opposition research campaign into both Democratic and Republican office seekers, e-mails show. The project was spearheaded by Eric Webb, director of the Democratic Office of Member Services, who, on Jan. 31, sent e-mails to state employees advising them to begin digging up information on 35 declared and potential candidates for the state House. "We are mainly looking for bad things: liens, bankruptcies, homicides ... you get the picture," Mr. Webb advised a dozen House colleagues via their state e-mail accounts.... Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048544/posts#comment Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:04:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048412/posts Sunday JULY 20, 2008 Murtha outraised in most recent quarter By MICHELLE GANASSI Daily American Staff Writer In April, William Russell's name didn't even appear on the ballot because of a challenge to signatures on his nominating petition. Three months later, Russell has outraised Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, by $511,000 in the most recent fundraising quarter. The quarter ended on June 30. While the veteran congressmen still has more than $1.6 million in the bank compared to $918,000 for the Army lieutenant colonel, the money is a much needed boost for the political newcomer's campaign. “The average American is saying... Daily American (Somerset, PA) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048412/posts#comment Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:08:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048311/posts “The Appalachian voting bloc will be critical in the … 2008 presidential election,” former Democratic National Committee executive director Mark Siegel says. Yet his broad statement comes with its own geopolitical caveat: location. “It all depends on what part of Appalachia you are talking about,” says Siegel. “If they live in Pennsylvania and Ohio, then, yes, without a doubt they are the key voters. If they live in West Virginia, then no, because for the Democrats that is not a state that is in play.” Appalachia is not a single state but a region that has its own unique frame... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048311/posts#comment Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:23:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048095/posts Just wanted to point out the dueling rallies at High & Market streets, West Chester, PA. On one side of the street, patriots thanking the troops and supporting our president. On the other side, peaceniks (mostly wrinkled hippies), crying about the Iraq war. Motorist support seemed to be decidedly in favor of the pro-america rally, but not exclusively. Complicating matters were the kids running in and out of stop and go traffic to collect money for a basketball team while their idiot parents condoned the behavior. my own two eyes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048095/posts#comment Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:52:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047782/posts FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa., July 18, 2008 – Officials at the National Guard’s Eastern Aviation Training Site here yesterday unveiled the new UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter, for which they will become the military’s sole trainers. The new UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter sits on the tarmac at the National Guard’s Eastern Aviation Training Site at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. The facility will provide all aviator and aircrew training on the new aircraft. Photo by Army Pfc. Coltin Heller  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. This central Pennsylvania post will be the only Army training site for the military’s... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047782/posts#comment Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:57:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047780/posts FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa., July 18, 2008 – Medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences are getting a healthy dose of the challenges in providing battlefield medicine during two concurrent field exercises under way here. Air Force Staff Sgt. Lacy Johnson, a staff member at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, applies “moulage” to simulate a combat wound on Army 2nd Lt. Dan Coughlin, a first-year medical student. Photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andre Nicholson  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. About 360 medical, public health and graduate-level nursing students from the... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047780/posts#comment Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:55:56 GMT