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Such legislation would make Pennsylvania the first major fossil fuel-producing state to adopt a carbon-pricing program. Shapiro's proposal comes as environmentalists are pressuring him to do more to fight climate change in the nation’s No. 2 gas-producing state and as the state's highest court considers a challenge to his predecessor's plan to adopt a carbon-pricing program. Currently, about 60% of the state's electricity comes from natural gas-fired power plants, and the 50% requirement could hurt demand for electricity from those plants. Shapiro’s administration did not provide many details of his strategy Wednesday, including how much money power plants would pay or how the average household electric bill would be affected.

Persons: Josh Shapiro, Shapiro, ” Shapiro, “, Joe Pittman, Shapiro’s, Patrick Cicero, “ it’s, ” Cicero, That’s, Dave Callahan, Shapiro's, Alex Bomstein, Tom Wolf, “ I’m, ___ Levy, Marc Levy Organizations: —, Pennsylvania Manufacturers ’ Association, Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, Marcellus Shale Coalition, Clean Air Council, Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Greenhouse Gas Locations: SCRANTON, Pa, — Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Scranton, Indiana, Marcellus, Harrisburg , Pennsylvania

☆ Pennsylvania wants student-loan borrowers in the state to take on less debt. Here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Josh Shapiro unveiled a plan to overhaul higher education in the state. AdvertisementPennsylvania's governor has a plan to make higher education more affordable — and prevent the state's residents from taking on unaffordable debt. Along with proposals for those continued investments, Shapiro also put forth a $975 million proposal to overhaul the higher education system in the state. AdvertisementOther states are taking similar approaches to address higher education affordability. Since federal student-loan payments resumed in October after an over three-year pause, the Education Department announced a range of plans to get relief to borrowers who took on debt for higher education.

Persons: Josh Shapiro, —, Shapiro, Shapiro's, " Shapiro, Joan Gabel, Jared Polis Organizations: Service, University of Pittsburgh, Pitt, Colorado Gov, Education Department Locations: Pennsylvania

Most details of the Democratic governor's budget plan for the 2024-25 fiscal year, which starts July 1, remain under wraps. But Shapiro has made it clear he will seek more money for higher education and public transit agencies and possibly underfunded public schools. He also wants to spend more money to attract major companies and seems ready to revisit the controversial item that helped sow a protracted budget fight last year: creating a new private school voucher program. Here’s what to watch for Tuesday:THE BUDGET BASICSShapiro will almost certainly propose an operating budget that spends above this year’s $45 billion approved plan. Those include nearly $300 million more for public transit agencies, a roughly 25% increase, and a substantial, but undisclosed, increase for state-owned universities.

Persons: Josh Shapiro, Shapiro, he's, ” Shapiro, hasn't, Pennsylvania's, Marc Levy Organizations: —, Democratic, Senate, Rotunda . Governors, Republican, Republicans Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Pennsylvania, , Pennsylvania, www.twitter.com

Josh Shapiro has a new slogan for how he wants to run Pennsylvania — and it's not fit for kids' ears. “There’s children here, so we’ll just say ‘stuff.’”That was the G-rated version of the line he’s been delivering in recent months. His social media team also has used the phrase online in videos. One of Shapiro's fellow Pennsylvania Democrats, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, cussed routinely on social media while on his way to winning the Senate seat in 2022. Still, Fetterman — known for his blunt and irreverent talk — generally confined his profanities to his writings on social media when describing his disdain for, say, Pennsylvania's relatively low minimum wage.

Persons: Josh Shapiro, “ We’ve, Shapiro, ”, “, George Carlin ’, Manuel Bonder, Bonder, ” Bonder, Russ Diamond, It's, Sen, Kristin Phillips, Jerry Brown, Benjamin Bergen, Donald Trump —, —, Jennifer Mercieca, Mercieca couldn't, ” Mercieca, John Fetterman, cussed, Fetterman, Bergen, ” Bergen, “ It’s, ’ ” Bergen, Marc Levy Organizations: —, Pennsylvania, Johnstown YMCA, Democratic Party, White, Supreme, York, Twitter, California Gov, University of California, New York Times, Texas, Trump, Pennsylvania Democrats, U.S Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Johnstown, Milwaukee, U.S, Philadelphia, Lebanon, California, San Diego, Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A group of conservative state lawmakers in Pennsylvania filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging three voting-related executive branch actions designed to boost voter registration, including a 2021 executive order by President Joe Biden. One is last fall's introduction of automatic voter registration in Pennsylvania by Democratic Gov. Shapiro's administration said in a statement that it is “frivolous” to suggest that it lacks the authority to implement automatic voter registration. Twenty-three other states and Washington, D.C., already have varying models of what is called “ automatic voter registration,” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Still, former President Donald Trump has already accused Democrats of " trying to steal " Pennsylvania in 2024's election through automatic voter registration.

Persons: Joe Biden, ’, Biden, Josh Shapiro, Tom Wolf, Shapiro, Donald Trump, Trump, Marc Levy Organizations: Democratic Party, Trump, Republican, Democratic Gov, Democratic, Brennan Center, Justice, U.S . Justice, D.C, National Conference of State Legislatures Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Pennsylvania, Washington

In a statement, Shapiro didn't pledge to enforce the regulation, should his administration win the appeal at the Democratic-majority state Supreme Court. Tom Wolf’s plan to fight global warming and make Pennsylvania the first major fossil fuel-producing state to adopt a carbon-pricing program. The regulation had authorized Pennsylvania to join the multistate Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which imposes a price and declining cap on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Republican lawmakers had hailed the court’s decision to block the regulation and had urged Shapiro not to appeal it. Opponents included natural gas-related interests, industrial and commercial power users and labor unions whose members build and maintain pipelines, power plants and refineries.

Persons: Josh Shapiro's, Shapiro didn't, ”, Shapiro's, Tom Wolf’s, Wolf, Shapiro, Joe Pittman, ” “, Pittman, “, —, Marc Levy Organizations: —, Democrat, Democratic, Republican, Greenhouse Gas Initiative, ” Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Pennsylvania, Indiana County

☆ Bill Ackman is defending Elon Musk amid the X owner's antisemitism controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementHedge fund manager Bill Ackman voiced his support for fellow billionaire Elon Musk on Saturday as the X owner faces backlash for retweeting an antisemitic remark. "It is remarkable how quickly the world stands ready to attack Musk for his shoot from the hip commentary," Ackman wrote. "You have said the actual truth," Musk wrote in his retweet, sparking a swift wave of online backlash. In his defense of Musk, Ackman reposted a video from conservative political pundit Ben Shapiro, who said Musk was unjustly being labeled as "some sort of crypto-Nazi." Ackman wrote that he agreed with Shapiro's analysis.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Elon Musk, Ackman, —, who's, Musk, Ben Shapiro, Shapiro, Israel Organizations: Elon, Service, SpaceX, Facebook, Defamation League, ADL, Palestine, Harvard University, Health Locations: Israel, Gaza

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania cannot enforce a regulation to make power plant owners pay for their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, a state court ruled Wednesday, dealing another setback to the centerpiece of former Gov. Tom Wolf's plan to fight global warming. Shapiro's administration had no immediate comment on the ruling, and Shapiro hasn't said publicly if he would follow through on it. 2 gas state, industrial and commercial power users and labor unions whose members work on pipelines and at power plants and refineries. The regulation written by Wolf's administration had authorized Pennsylvania to join the multistate Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which imposes a price and declining cap on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

Persons: Tom Wolf's, Wolf, Josh Shapiro, Shapiro hasn't, Shapiro, Critics, Wolf's, Marc Levy Organizations: Commonwealth, Republican, Democrat, Democratic, Greenhouse Gas Initiative Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Pennsylvania

Previously, Democratic governors who had backed school choice measures had done so in compromise deals with Republican-controlled legislatures. Vouchers have long been viewed in stark partisan terms: Democrats and public school allies say they drain critical resources from public schools. Republicans and school choice advocates say they give freedom to families who may not like their local public schools. That had motivated public school advocates and Democrats to demand billions more for the poorest public schools, a quest that Shapiro has said he supports. Those fluent in the history of school vouchers could think of no other Democratic governor who had embraced them.

Persons: Josh Shapiro —, Shapiro, ”, Robert Enlow, ’ ”, Matthew Brouillette, Christopher Borick, Jeffrey Yass, Jeff Yass, Charlie Gerow, ” Shapiro, Joshua Cowen, Peter Schweyer, —, recriminations, “ cowering, Shapiro shrugged, we've, Marc Levy Organizations: —, Republican, Pennsylvania, Democratic, Republicans, Roman Catholic, Muhlenberg College Institute of Public, GOP, Fox News, Michigan State University, Republican Party, Senate Republicans, Lehigh . Teachers, AFSCME, SEIU, AFL, House Democratic, Wall Street Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Indianapolis, Pennsylvania, statehouses, Yass, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, “, Philadelphia

☆ The healthcare venture firm behind Livongo just raised $217 million to back the next generation of digital-health giants
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Blake Dodge | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

7wireVentures, a prominent venture-capital firm, just raised $217 million to fund the next generation of healthcare startups, bringing the firm's total assets under management to more than $500 million. The fund, which closed last Friday, is the biggest that 7wire has ever raised and represents a strategy shift for the firm. The startups Folx Health and Parsley Health, new investments for 7wire, have also won contributions from the new fund. Livongo7wire keeps funds and the portfolio size, just north of 20 startups, both relatively small, all managed by only four partners: Tullman, Jaffee, Shapiro, and Garber. The small size of the operation is intentional in keeping with 7wire's "quality over quantity" approach to investing, Garber said.

Persons: 7wire, Glen Tullman, Lee Shapiro, Alyssa Jaffee, Alyssa Jaffee Alyssa Jaffee, Jaffee, Tullman, Shapiro, Robert Garber, Livongo's, Livongo 7wire, Garber, Jaffe Organizations: Folx, Parsley Health Locations: Tullman

Josh Shapiro to bypass the Legislature and start automatic voter registration. “THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO STEAL PENNSYLVANIA AGAIN BY DOING THE ‘AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION’ SCAM,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. Democrats contended that Shapiro was well within his legal authority to authorize automatic voter registration. A survey of several states with automatic voter registration revealed similar experiences. Republicans in some states that have switched to automatic registration say it will lead to fraud or illegal voting, and conservatives in Alaska have attempted to repeal that state’s automatic registration.

Persons: — Donald Trump, Josh Shapiro, Trump, Shapiro, ” Trump, Ronna McDaniel, “, ” McDaniel, ” Shapiro, Adam Bonin, ”, Tammy Patrick, Charles Stewart III, ” Stewart, Democrat Joe Biden, Sam DeMarco, ” DeMarco, Christina A, Cassidy, Marc Levy Organizations: Republican, Democratic Gov, Democratic, Republicans, Trump, “, MSNBC, District of Columbia, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Association of Election, Massachusetts Institute, Science, Pennsylvania Project, Public, Institute of California, University of Southern, University of California, Democrat, Democratic Party, Associated Press Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Alaska, Georgia, West Virginia . Georgia, Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, Berkeley, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Atlanta

If voters in the heavily-Democratic district cast their ballots for former congressional staffer Lindsay Powell, Democrats will keep the slight majority they previously had. The party has defended its majority in a series of special elections since November. With either outcome, Pennsylvania's government will remain divided with Democrat Josh Shapiro in the governor's office and Republicans holding a Senate majority. With control over the calendar, Democrats have advanced a number of their priorities on a one-vote margin. If Republicans gain control of the House, they can take some of these questions to voters through proposed constitutional amendments without Shapiro's approval.

Persons: Lindsay Powell, Erin Connolly Autenreith, Josh Shapiro, Powell, “, that’s Organizations: —, Pennsylvania’s, Pittsburgh, Democratic, Republicans, Republican, Senate Republicans Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa

☆ How knockoffs took over America
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But these fake products have major financial and societal impacts that can lead to lost sales, jobs, and livelihoods. US Customs and Border Protection officers inspect boxes of counterfeit products at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport complex. Edward Berthelot/GettyWhy sales of counterfeit goods have soaredE-commerce has been a breeding ground for knockoffs. AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to the US Sentencing Commission , the maximum sentence for selling counterfeit goods is 10 years in prison. In 2020, Amazon established its Counterfeit Crimes Unit, which works with brands to identify and remove counterfeit products.

Persons: Daniel Shapiro's, Hugo Boss, counterfeiters, Spencer Platt, Getty, Shapiro, Jason Armond, Gabrielle Chanel, Michael Kors, Gucci, Chanel, Zers, Edward Berthelot, Superfakes, They've, Wang Zhao, I'm, counterfeits, It's Organizations: Service, Red, Puma, Fila, eBay, US Department of Homeland Security, International Chamber of Commerce, Frontier Economics, Customs, Border Protection, Los, United States Intellectual, United Nations Office, Drugs, UN, Seaport, Economic Cooperation, Development, US Chamber of Commerce, US Customs, Protection, US, Commission, Nike, Amazon Locations: Wall, Silicon, Manhattan, Los Angeles, Long, Beijing, Europe, China

☆ Conservatives are protesting Greta Gerwig's feminist blockbuster 'Barbie' by setting dolls on fire and calling for boycotts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some conservatives aren't happy about Greta Gerwig's new blockbuster, "Barbie." Now the dolls themselves have been targeted, culminating in a fiery stunt by Ben Shapiro. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyGreta Gerwig's "Barbie" blockbuster has sparked a fiery reaction from some conservative commentators. This was the case for Ben Shapiro, who was so irate that he set alight Barbie dolls worth an estimated $69. "The 2023 Barbie movie, unfortunately, neglects to address any notion of faith or family, and tries to normalize the idea that men and women can't collaborate positively (yuck)," she continued.

Persons: Greta Gerwig's, Barbie, Ben Shapiro, Matt Gaetz, Ginger, Ginger Gaetz, Ryan Gosling's, Ken, Jack Posobiec, Gaetz, Gosling's, Posobiec, Piers Morgan, Morgan, I'd, Tesla, Elon Musk, Musk Organizations: Mattel, Service, Republican, Washington DC, Twitter, New York Locations: Wall, Silicon, Republican Florida, Washington

☆ Obama privately met with AOC and other Democrats during a series of reported intimate chats with House Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

According to Politico's Jonathan Martin, Obama has recently hosted a series of "informal, but lengthy private meetings with groups of next-generation House Democrats." One of the topics of dinner conversation, per Martin, was how Democrats can avoid coming off as elitist. Before the 2022 midterms, Obama returned to the campaign trail where he tore into the Republican Party and Trump. It is likely that Obama will eventually take on a high-profile role as the 2024 campaign heats up. As president, Obama dubbed Clinton "Secretary of Explaining Stuff" for his campaign trail appearances.

Persons: Obama, overshadowing Biden, —, Barack Obama, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Politico's Jonathan Martin, Mikie Sherrill, Haley Stevens of, Martin, Josh Shapiro's, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's, Hakeem Jeffries, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Clinton Organizations: Democratic, Politico, Service, Rep, Democrats, Haley Stevens of Michigan, Republican Party, Trump Locations: Alexandria, Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Pennsylvania

☆ Democrats, Republicans, and companies all seem to agree: college degrees aren't the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A bachelor's degree has become a common requirement for landing US jobs, even those that didn't previously require one. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order opening up 92%, or roughly 65,000, of state jobs to those without college degrees. They urged more states to follow to move the economy away from a preference for college degrees, restoring a sense of fairness many Americans feel is lost. Oregon also issued a temporary order in 2022 allowing those without bachelor's degrees to work as substitute teachers. A college degree may increase your earning potential, but it may not hold the keys to the middle class for much longer.

☆ Pennsylvania governor: Norfolk Southern have been 'bad actors' following Ohio train derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Dasha Burns | Dasha Burns Is An Nbc News Now Correspondent Who Covers Politics | Social Issues. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Josh Shapiro criticized Norfolk Southern — the rail company that had a train carrying toxic chemicals derail in East Palestine, Ohio — as "bad actors" who "failed miserably." They have a lot of work to do, and the cost will come out of their pocket." "And then, I think they have a responsibility going forward to make sure something like this never happens again," he added. “We have been paying for the cleanup activities to date and will continue to do so. And Shapiro's office announced earlier this month it filed a criminal referral in response to the crash.

The comments by the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were echoed by President Joe Biden later on Tuesday. The EPA also ordered that Norfolk Southern officials attend town meetings about the Feb. 3 spill in East Palestine, Ohio. The EPA order requires Norfolk Southern to submit a work plan for EPA approval for the cleanup associated with the derailment. Norfolk Southern shares closed down 1.6% on Tuesday and have slid almost 11% since Feb. 3. Norfolk Southern did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Shapiro's remarks.

The Environmental Protection Agency order requires Norfolk Southern to submit a work plan for EPA approval for the clean up associated with the Feb. 3 derailment. Norfolk Southern shares were down 1.6% on Tuesday afternoon and have slid almost 11% since Feb. 3. Norfolk Southern did not immediately reply for a request for comment on Shapiro's remarks. Although no fatalities or injuries have been reported, residents have been demanding answers about health risks and blaming Norfolk Southern, state and federal officials for a lack of information regarding the crash. Norfolk Southern said it had consulted with town leaders and was worried about the safety of its employees if they did attend.

☆ Republican Doug Mastriano told supporters he didn't get any money from Ohio derailment train operator Norfolk Southern. Records show he took $1,000.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano is holding a hearing Thursday on the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. Mastriano, a Republican, recently denied receiving any money from train operator Norfolk Southern. "Biden's in Ukraine and Shapiro's MIA," the user wrote, praising Mastriano for visiting East Palestine over the weekend. Mike DeWine, a Republican, assured East Palestine residents that their drinking water is safe. He lauded the EPA for ordering Norfolk Southern to cover the cost of cleaning up the accident.

Pennsylvania's incoming Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, announced Thursday that he is tapping a Republican who stood up to Donald Trump after the 2020 election to be the state's top elections official. As the vice chair of Philadelphia's Board of Elections, Al Schmidt was at the center of defending the 2020 vote in Pennsylvania, a key presidential battleground that narrowly went to President Joe Biden. Trump prematurely declared victory in the state and tried to stop Philadelphia officials from counting all the ballots there. In Pennsylvania, the top elections official, the secretary of the commonwealth, is nominated by the governor rather than elected. Schmidt said he is "honored to have the chance to continue working to protect the integrity of our elections and strengthen our democracy."

☆ Republican who defied Trump tapped to oversee Pennsylvania elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 5 (Reuters) - Pennsylvania's newly elected Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro has named a Republican who resisted former President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud to oversee the battleground state’s elections. Schmidt also rejected Trump's claims that thousands of dead people were counted as Democratic votes in the election, calling the allegations "fantastical" and "ridiculous." President Joe Biden narrowly won Pennsylvania, and the state became a central front for Trump’s bogus fraud assertions. Pennsylvania law allows the governor to choose the state's elections chief. That made last November’s election, in which Shapiro defeated Republican Doug Mastriano who backed Trump's election lies, particularly consequential in the wake of efforts by Trump and his supporters to undermine the 2020 results.

read moreBut Schottenstein last week withdrew from his cooperation agreement, saying psychologists and a therapist advised him that testifying against his friend Shapiro at his May 2023 trial would "exacerbate" his mental health issues. Prosecutors on Monday said the "unexpected" development warranted dismissing the case against Bortnovsky, the co-founder of Sakal Capital Management, and Shapiro, who founded inmate money transfer service provider JPay. Prosecutors left open the possibility of renewing the charges, saying their investigation was ongoing. Lawyers for Bortnovsky and Schottenstein declined to comment. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Holocaust survivors turn to TikTok to teach a new generation not to forget
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Emma Barnett | Emma Barnett Is An Associate Producer For Nbc News Now. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

In a recent TikTok video, 98-year-old Lily Ebert told her 1.9 million followers about the Auschwitz number tattooed on her forearm: A-10572. Like many Holocaust survivors, Ebert didn’t talk about the experience for decades. The last family photo of Lily and her siblings, taken around 1944; Lily Ebert is bottom right. The social media sensation known for her lighthearted dance videos has 8.7 million followers on TikTok and 2.8 million on Instagram. Those followers are learning through her new TikTok documentary series “How to: Never Forget” that she is also the granddaughter of two Holocaust survivors.

Kathy O’Neil, 68, told NBC News at a campaign stop in Erie that she felt Shapiro has "done so much for us." His support from law enforcement, including the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association and Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police — two groups that have endorsed Oz in the Senate race — stood out to her, too. (Mastriano, 58, has said Shapiro has a “grudge” against the church, while some Catholic organizations believe Shapiro went too far). To take on Shapiro, Mastriano has struggled greatly to raise money and draw financial support from outside Republican groups to boost his campaign. During a campaign stop in Clarion, Shapiro pledged to advocate for "forgotten" parts of the state.

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