On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding will visit the Lancaster County Rapid Response Center to host a roundtable with poultry producers and industry leaders regarding the ongoing surge of bird flu. The discussion will be streamed live at 11:30 a.m. in the player above.
The fight against highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu or avian flu, is ramping up in Pennsylvania.
Governor Josh Shapiro has expanded the state’s response by deploying more personnel, increasing testing capacity, and coordinating with the USDA and industry partners to limit the spread of the virus to protect the state’s $7.1 billion poultry industry.
Since the outbreak began in February 2022, officials said more than 14.3 million birds in Pennsylvania have died.
State officials also report that since early 2026, 7.2 million birds have been affected by the virus.
Last week, Shapiro deployed 42 USDA employees and six Commonwealth workers to support veterinarians, Penn State Extension experts, and National Guard members in containing the virus.
“I know farmers are worried given the recent increase in cases, but I want them to know that my Administration is standing with them and continuing our aggressive response to protect Pennsylvania flocks,” Shapiro said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, Shapiro, along with Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, will visit the Lancaster County Rapid Response Center to host a roundtable discussion with poultry producers and industry leaders on the ongoing surge. You can watch the discussion live at 11:30 a.m. in the player above.
To learn more about how Pennsylvania is handling the bird flu, visit www.pa.gov/agencies/pda.
Josh Shapiro says Kamala Harris’ team asked if he was an Israeli agent during vetting process – CBS News
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says former Vice President Kamala Harris’ team asked him if he was a double agent for Israel while he was being vetted to be her running mate. Political strategists John McCarthy and Lance Trover join with analysis.
The very electable Andy Beshear. Photo: Jon Cherry/Bloomberg/Getty Images
In a long profile of potential presidential candidate Andy Beshear at Politico, Jonathan Martin elicited one absolutely firm comment from the Kentucky governor about 2028: “The Democratic Party needs to nominate a Democratic governor.” He wasn’t just talking about himself, though he’s nearing the end of two terms as chief executive of a very red state. California’s Gavin Newsom and Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker are likely 2028 candidates perceived as very different in temperament and even ideology from the model moderate Beshear. Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro is perceived as being in the same “lane” as the Kentuckian, but doesn’t have the same laid-back personality. Maryland’s Wes Moore is an up-and-comer who hasn’t chosen sides in national party factional battles. Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer’s star has faded a bit, but she’s still a major party figure who could take the presidential plunge.
Putting aside all these individuals and their specific strengths and weaknesses, is Beshear right about governors being not just a better bet for Democrats right now but essential for victory?
Traditionally, big-state governorships were thought of as the best platform for a presidential candidacy. Though only 17 of the 47 presidents were governors, only four men (James Garfield, Warren Harding, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama) have gone directly from Congress to the White House. Among Democrats, however, the last sitting or former governor to win a presidential nomination was Bill Clinton. Indeed, the last governor to run a viable Democratic nomination contest was Howard Dean in 2004, and his signature issue was foreign policy (his opposition to the Iraq War). In the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential field, four governors or former governors ran, but three dropped out before Iowa and the other (Deval Patrick) had zero impact on the race. So the prospective bumper crop of Democratic governors in 2028 is rather remarkable.
What governors have that senators simply don’t is a record of executive accomplishment and practical management experience. Only the top tier of members of Congress get anything like the media coverage virtually every governor commands. As state civic leaders, governors are presumed to represent people of both parties even if they are the bitterest of partisans. And in this era of chronic anti-Washington sentiment, governors can treat the federal government with the disdain most voters feel.
A governor might also provide a positive contrast to the very likely GOP presidential nominee in 2028, J.D. Vance, who has never run much of anything other than his mouth. When he heads out on the 2028 campaign trail right after the midterms, Vance will have had two years experience as Donald Trump’s very subordinate attack dog, and two years as an obscure Senate backbencher who barely got his seat warm. And most of all, Vance will be the candidate of the incumbent presidential party in 2028, with any “outsider” claims looking ludicrous.
Looking at Trump-era Democratic politics more generally, senators make noise while governors at least have a chance to make laws, build things, and do things. This is one reason members of Congress posture so much about “fighting” Trump. Words are all they have. And in 2028, as Beshear makes clear to Martin, Democrats will likely be in a mood to stop fighting and start winning. All other things being equal, governors have an advantage in electability, if only because their identities transcend party and many of them have a record of winning Republican votes. If Democrats enter the 2028 election cycle feeling very confident of victory, maybe an AOC, who has never run a campaign outside New York City, or a Pete Buttigieg, whose top elected post was in a small Indiana city, will suffice. But if, as is more likely, prospects for victory look iffy, Democrats are very likely to look for a champion who’s not mostly known for long speeches in Congress (sorry, Cory Booker!)
Among the governors who may run in 2028, of course, Beshear is distinctive for his enormous political success in a state where Republicans have super-majorities in both legislative chambers and hold seven of eight spots in the congressional delegation. He would enter the nomination contest as presumptively electable. If he can just figure out how to excite people who have been “fighting Trump” so long that they sometimes mistake words for action and moral victories for actual victories, Beshear could go all the way to the White House.
DrinkPAK, which cans White Claw, High Noon and Monster Energy, is investing $195 million in a facility at the Bellwether District. It’s the first tenant at the redeveloped refinery.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said this week it would withhold $75 million in federal funding from Pennsylvania if the state does not meet demands to address how it issues commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants.
WASHINGTON (AP) — For a day, at least, beleaguered Democrats are hopeful again. But just beneath the party’s relief at securing its first big electoral wins since last November’s drubbing lay unresolved questions about its direction heading into next year’s midterm elections.
The Election Day romp of Republicans stretched from deep-blue New York and California to swing states Georgia, Pennsylvania and Virginia. There were signs that key voting groups, including young people, Black voters and Hispanics who shifted toward President Donald Trump’s Republican Party just a year ago, may be shifting back. And Democratic leaders across the political spectrum coalesced behind a simple message focused on Trump’s failure to address rising costs and everyday kitchen table issues.
The dominant performance sparked a new round of debate among the party’s establishment-minded pragmatists and fiery progressives over which approach led to Tuesday’s victories, and which path to take into the high-stakes 2026 midterm elections and beyond. The lessons Democrats learn from the victories will help determine the party’s leading message and messengers next year — when elections will decide the balance of power in Congress for the second half of Trump’s term — and potentially in the 2028 presidential race, which has already entered its earliest stages.
People cheer as Democrat Abigail Spanberger walks out on stage after she was declared the winner of the Virginia governor’s race during an election night watch party Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
People cheer as Democrat Abigail Spanberger walks out on stage after she was declared the winner of the Virginia governor’s race during an election night watch party Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
“Of course, there’s a division within the Democratic Party. There’s no secret,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference about the election results.
Sanders and his chief political strategist pointed to the success of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, as a model for Democrats across the country. But Rep. Suzan Del Bene, who leads the House Democrats’ midterm campaign strategy, avoided saying Mamdani’s name when asked about his success.
Del Bene instead cheered the moderate approach adopted by Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill in successful races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey as a more viable track for candidates outside of a Democratic stronghold like New York City.
“New York is bright blue … and the path to the majority in the House is going to be through purple districts,” she told The Associated Press. “The people of Arizona, Iowa and Nebraska aren’t focused on the mayor of New York.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a likely Democratic presidential prospect who campaigned alongside Democrats in several states leading up to Tuesday’s elections, noted the candidates hit on a common issue that resonated with voters, regardless of location.
“All of these candidates who won in these different states were focused on peoples’ everyday needs,” Shapiro said. “And you saw voters in every one of those states and cities showing up to send a clear message to Donald Trump that they’re rejecting his chaos.”
Intraparty criticism
Amid Democrats’ celebratory phone calls and news conferences, members of the party’s different wings had some sharp critiques for each other.
While Shapiro cheered the party’s success during a Wednesday interview, he also acknowledged concerns about Mamdani in New York.
Shapiro, one of the nation’s most prominent Jewish elected leaders, said he’s not comfortable with some of Mamdani’s comments on Israel. The New York mayor-elect, a Muslim, has described Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks as “genocide” against the Palestinian people and has been slow to condemn rhetoric linked to anti-Semitism.
“I’ve expressed that to him personally. We’ve had good private communications,” Shapiro said of his concerns. “And I hope, as he did last night in his victory speech, that he’ll be a mayor that protects all New Yorkers and tries to bring people together.”
Meanwhile, Sanders’ political strategist, Faiz Shakir, warned Democrats against embracing “cookie cutter campaigns that say nothing and do nothing” — a reference to centrist Democrats Spanberger and Sherrill.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat who defeated democratic socialist Omar Fateh to win a third term, said at a news conference Wednesday that “we have to love our city more than our ideology.”
“We need to be doing everything possible to push back on authoritarianism and what Donald Trump is doing,” Frey said. “And at the same time, the opposite of Donald Trump extremism is not the opposite extreme.”
Signs welcomes voters on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Del Mar, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Signs welcomes voters on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Del Mar, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Democrats win everywhere
Despite potential cracks in the Democratic coalition, it’s hard to understate the extent of the party’s electoral success.
In Georgia, two Democrats cruised to wins over Republican incumbents in elections to the state Public Service Commission, delivering the largest statewide margins of victory by Democrats in more than 20 years.
In Pennsylvania, Democrats swept not only three state Supreme Court races, but every county seat in presidential swing counties like Bucks and Erie Counties, including sheriffs. Bucks County elected its first Democratic district attorney as Democrats there also won key school board races and county judgeships.
Maine voters defeated a Republican-backed measure that would have mandated showing an ID at the polls. Colorado approved raising taxes on people earning more than $300,000 annually to fund school meal programs and food assistance for low-income state residents. And California voters overwhelmingly backed a charge led by Gov. Gavin Newsom to redraw its congressional map to give Democrats as many as five more House seats in upcoming elections.
Key groups coming back to Democrats
Trump made inroads with Black and Hispanic voters in 2024. But this week, Democrats scored strong performances with non-white voters in New Jersey and Virginia that offered promise.
About 7 in 10 voters in New Jersey were white, according to the AP Voter Poll. And Sherrill won about half that group. But she made up for her relative weakness with whites with a strong showing among Black, Hispanic and Asian voters.
The vast majority — about 9 in 10 — of Black voters supported Sherrill, as did about 8 in 10 Asian voters.
Hispanic voters in New Jersey were more divided, but about two-thirds supported Sherrill; only about 3 in 10 voted for the Republican nominee, Jack Ciattarelli.
The pattern was similar in Virginia, where Spanberger performed well among Black voters, Hispanic voters and Asian voters, even though she didn’t win a majority of white voters.
This combination of photos taken on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, shows Abigail Spanberger in Richmond, Va., left, Zohran Mamdani in New York, center, and Mikie Sherrill in East Brunswick, N.J. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, Yuki Iwamura and Matt Rourke)
This combination of photos taken on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, shows Abigail Spanberger in Richmond, Va., left, Zohran Mamdani in New York, center, and Mikie Sherrill in East Brunswick, N.J. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, Yuki Iwamura and Matt Rourke)
Democrats will soon face a choice
The debate over the party’s future is already starting to play out in key midterm elections where Democrats have just begun intra-party primary contests.
The choice is stark in Maine’s high-stakes Senate race, where Democrats will pick from a field that features establishment favorite, Gov. Jan Mills, and Sanders-endorsed populist Graham Platner. A similar dynamic could play out in key contests across Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Michigan.
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who is aligned with the progressive wing of the party, said the people he speaks to are demanding bold action to address their economic concerns.
“Folks are so frustrated by how hard its become to afford a dignified life here in Michigan and across the country,” he said.
“I’m sure the corporate donors don’t want us to push too hard,” El-Sayed continued. “My worry is the very same people who told us we were just fine in 2024 will miss the mandate.”
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Associated Press reporter Mike Catalini in Newark and Joey Cappelletti in Washington contributed.
Voter anger over the cost of living is hurtling forward into next year’s midterm elections, when pivotal contests will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill to power Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers.
Electricity costs were a key issue in this week’s elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, a data center hotspot, and in Georgia, where Democrats ousted two Republican incumbents for seats on the state’s utility regulatory commission.
Voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City all cited economic concerns as the top issue, as Democrats and Republicans gird for a debate over affordability in the intensifying midterm battle to control Congress.
Already, President Donald Trump is signaling that he’ll focus on affordability next year as he and Republicans try to maintain their slim congressional majorities, while Democrats are blaming Trump for rising household costs.
Front and center may be electricity bills, which in many places are increasing at a rate faster than U.S. inflation on average — although not everywhere.
“There’s a lot of pressure on politicians to talk about affordability, and electricity prices are right now the most clear example of problems of affordability,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of politics and government and pollster at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.
Rising electric costs aren’t expected to ease and many Americans could see an increase on their monthly bills in the middle of next year’s campaigns.
Higher electric bills on the horizon
Gas and electric utilities are seeking or already secured rate increases of more that $34 billion in the first three quarters of 2025, consumer advocacy organization PowerLines reported. That was more than double the same period last year.
With some 80 million Americans struggling to pay their utility bills, “it’s a life or death and ‘eat or heat’ type decision that people have to make,” said Charles Hua, PowerLines’ founder.
In Georgia, proposals to build data centers have roiled communities, while a victorious Democrat, Peter Hubbard, accused Republicans on the commission of “rubber-stamping” rate increases by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of power giant Southern Co.
Monthly Georgia Power bills have risen six times over the past two years, now averaging $175 a month for a typical residential customer.
Hubbard’s message seemed to resonate with voters. Rebecca Mekonnen, who lives in the Atlanta suburb of Stone Mountain, said she voted for the Democratic challengers, and wants to see “more affordable pricing. That’s the main thing. It’s running my pocket right now.”
Now, Georgia Power is proposing to spend $15 billion to expand its power generating capacity, primarily to meet demand from data centers, and Hubbard is questioning whether data centers will pay their fair share — or share it with regular ratepayers.
Midterm battlegrounds in hotspots
Midterm elections will see congressional battlegrounds in states where fast-rising electric bills or data center hotspots — or both — are fomenting community uprisings.
Analysts attribute rising electric bills to a combination of forces.
That includes expensive projects to modernize the grid and harden poles, wires and substations against extreme weather and wildfires.
Also playing a role is explosive demand from data centers, bitcoin miners and a drive to revive domestic manufacturing, as well as rising natural gas prices, analysts say.
“The cost of utility service is the new ‘cost of eggs’ concern for a lot of consumers,” said Jennifer Bosco of the National Consumer Law Center.
In some places, data centers are driving a big increase in demand, since a typical AI data center uses as much electricity as 100,000 homes, according to the International Energy Agency. Some could require more electricity than cities the size of Pittsburgh, Cleveland or New Orleans.
Meanwhile, communities that don’t want to live next to one are pushing back.
It’s on voters’ minds
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll from October found that electricity bills are a “major” source of stress for 36% of U.S. adults.
Still, the impact is still more uneven than other financial stressors like grocery costs, which just over half of U.S. adults said are a “major” source of stress.
And electric rates vary widely by state or utility.
For instance, federal data shows that for-profit utilities have been raising rates far faster than municipally owned utilities or cooperatives.
In the 13-state mid-Atlantic grid from Illinois to New Jersey, analysts say ratepayers are paying billions of dollars for the cost to power data centers — including data centers not even built yet.
Next June, electric bills across that region will absorb billions more dollars in higher wholesale electricity costs designed to lure new power plants to power data centers.
That’s spurred governors from the region — including Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, Illinois’ JB Pritzker and Maryland’s Wes Moore, all Democrats who are running for reelection — to pressure the grid operator PJM Interconnection to contain increases.
High-rate states vs. lower-rate rates
Drew Maloney, the CEO of the Edison Electric Institute, a trade association of for-profit electric utilities, suggested that only some states are the drivers of higher average electric bills.
“If you set aside a few sates with higher rates, the rest of the country largely follows inflation on electricity rates,” Maloney said.
Examples of states with faster-rising rates are California, where wildfires are driving grid upgrades, and those in New England, where natural gas is expensive because of strained pipeline capacity.
Still, other states are feeling a pinch.
In Indiana, a growing data center hotspot, the consumer advocacy group, Citizens Action Coalition, reported this year that residential customers of the state’s for-profit electric utilities were absorbing the most severe rate increases in at least two decades.
Republican Gov. Mike Braun decried the hikes, saying “we can’t take it anymore.”
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Associated Press reporter Jeff Amy in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Newly released surveillance video shows the arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence. A 38-year-old was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder and arson charges. Scott MacFarlane has details.
Former United States Vice President Kamala Harris on stage at the Tabernacle on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Former United States Vice President Kamala Harris was back in Atlanta on Wednesday night. Harris, who also served as the former Attorney General of California and United States Senator, was on her tour for her latest book, “107 Days.” The book is a diary-like rehashing of her historical presidential run that ended with a loss to the current President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.
The line outside the Tabernacle was reminiscent of the lines outside the many arenas, stadiums, and event spaces in Georgia that Harris spoke at during her campaign. The line stretched down Luckie Street and around the corner. It was clear that Harris remained popular in Atlanta.
Upon taking the stage, Harris, in one of her signature looks, a pant suit, said, “It’s good to be back in the ATL.”
The evening’s moderator was social media influencer and Spelman College alumna, Lynae Vanee.
There was a long line outside the Tabernacle hours before the ‘107 Days’ book tour event was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Harris’s 107-day campaign was self-described as “American history.” By the looks and sounds of the capacity crowd in attendance, it has left an indelible mark on Georgians. Between applause and laughter from the crowd, Harris retold stories from her book and acknowledged that she had her toughest day at the end of the campaign on Election Day.
“It took a lot of time for me to think, reflect, and feel,” said Harris of her new post-election reality. “Writing this book was part of what helped me do that.”
On more than one occasion, Trump was mentioned by name and in jest. On one more serious note, Harris said of the current administration’s actions towards immigrants, for example, “I predicted all of this.”
That comment was followed by loud applause.
“When this is over, meaning his presidency, there will be a lot of debris,” she added.
Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
During the conversation, Harris discussed portions of the book, including the pages in which she invited Megan Thee Stallion to perform at a campaign event at the Georgia State University Convocation Center. Harris got pushback from people who supported her and Megan, but thought the rapper wasn’t a good look, Harris recalled.
“I did ask her to come, and I was happy to have her because she is very talented,” said Harris of the Houston-born rapper. “It wasn’t traditional, and it didn’t comport with what people thought was the norm.”
Nothing about Harris’s campaign was normal, and she would have Hip-Hop performers, actors, actresses, and the like make appearances on her campaign throughout the 107 days. Many of these moments are in her book. Other moments described in “107 Days” include former running mate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the vetting of a potential running mate, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, her relationship with her family, and her relationship with other people in the White House.
With 91 days till Election Day, Harris shared the sights and sounds of the first time she and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, took the stage in Philadelphia. “The roar that met us when we walked out onstage was so deafening we could barely hear ourselves,” Harris recalled (page 100).
In the book, Harris also reveals behind-the-scenes moments from the campaign and her relationship with former United States President Joseph R. Biden, her running mate and friend. One revelation that will get readers’ attention is the lack of support for her campaign by members of Biden’s camp (pages 40-41), and her suspicion that former First Lady Jill Biden hadn’t gotten over some of the barbs Harris and Biden exchanged during the 2019 presidential primary (page 39).
The former vice president was reflective during her time on stage.
“During the 107 days I did not allow myself, nor was there any room for reflection,” Harris said of the whirlwind that was her life last year.
Harris also added that losing that election brought on emotions that she hadn’t felt since she lost her mother.
“I was grieving for our country, because I knew what was going to happen,” she said.
There was no grieving this evening, however. Harris was showered with applause from the start to the finish of her time on stage.
“This is true talk right here,” she said. “It may get worse before it gets better. But we cannot afford to put the blanket over our head and say, ‘Wake me up when it’s over.’ If we give up, then all is lost. We cannot let our spirits be defeated by one election.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro held a lead over potential Republican challengers in the first public poll of the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race.
Newsweek reached out to Shapiro and the two Republicans included in the poll, Treasurer Stacy Garrity and state Senator Doug Mastriano, for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Pennsylvania is a critical battleground state roughly divided between Democrats and Republicans. It has swung between both parties in recent elections, backing President Donald Trump last November but voting for former President Joe Biden in 2020.
Shapiro, first elected in 2022, remains popular in the state, but Republicans are hoping to make the race competitive. The new poll from Quinnipiac University, however, underscores Shapiro’s strong approval among the state’s voters and suggests he may be favored in the midterms.
What To Know
Shapiro will be up for reelection next November and has already drawn a challenge from Garrity, who has received the endorsement of the state’s Republican Party and has announced her candidacy. Mastriano, who lost to Shapiro in 2022, has also been floated as a potential candidate but has not officially made a campaign announcement.
Shapiro defeated Mastriano by about 15 points in 2022 (57 percent to 42 percent), but Garrity is seen as a potentially stronger opponent, having already won statewide—including in 2020, when she eked out a victory despite Democrats winning other statewide races.
The Quinnipiac University poll showed Shapiro up 16 points against Garrity (55 percent to 39 percent), while he led Mastriano by 17 points (56 percent to 39 percent).
Shapiro enjoys a strong approval rating among Pennsylvanians, according to the poll. In total, 60 percent of the state’s voters view his tenure positively, while only 28 percent view him negatively. Among independents, a critical voting group in such a competitive state, 66 percent gave him positive marks, while only 20 percent disapprove of his time in office.
The poll surveyed 1,579 registered voters from September 25 to September 29, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Shapiro is viewed as a rising star in the party and is considered a potential 2028 presidential contender by Democrats, who see his strong electoral record in Pennsylvania, a must-win state in presidential elections, as a critical asset against a Republican. The poll found that he would lead Vice President JD Vance by 10 points in the state.
Whether he can win over enough voters in the party’s presidential primary, however, is yet to be seen. Polls suggest that voters are considering other well-known options, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom or former Vice President Kamala Harris, both of whom are also considered potential candidates.
What People Are Saying
University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy wrote in the polling memo: “Governor Josh Shapiro clinches an enviable 60 percent job approval and leaves his two potential gubernatorial challengers in the rear-view mirror in a very early look at Pennsylvania’s 2026 gubernatorial race.”
Democratic influencer Harry Sisson wrote on X: “Democratic Governor of PA Josh Shapiro remains wildly popular in his state. People love that he’s focused on hard working Americans. This is how we win people back and beat MAGA.”
What Happens Next
The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball both classify the race as Likely Democratic.
Sep. 21—Ahead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) September meeting, the Shapiro Administration urged members of ACIP to take decisive, scientifically-informed action to protect vaccine access in Pennsylvania and ensure parents and individuals maintain the freedom to make health care decisions for themselves and their children.
This is just the latest step Gov. Josh Shapiro has taken to ensure Pennsylvanians have the freedom to make their own health care choices, after he called on the State Board of Pharmacy earlier this month to protect COVID vaccine access for those most in need and provide clarity for Pennsylvanians, many of whom were left confused and frustrated after the Trump Administration upended COVID vaccine access across the country.
At this week’s meeting, ACIP members will consider a wide range of immunization topics, including discussions on:
The agenda is also likely to include recommendation votes for these vaccines as well as Vaccines for Children (VFC) program votes.
If ACIP were to abandon its recommendations for safe and effective vaccines, it could become much harder for individuals who actively seek vaccinations to obtain them because the lack of a recommendation often translates into lack of insurance coverage, limited provider availability, and patient and provider confusion.
In the public comment, the Shapiro Administration urges ACIP to recommend these vaccines to all populations indicated in prior ACIP recommendations in order to facilitate timely insurance coverage, minimize consumer and health care provider confusion, and ensure that individuals who wish to receive vaccines can do so without barriers.
Clear, consistent recommendations help to align payers, providers, and public health systems and result in widely available access to vaccinations.
In the letter, the Administration strongly urges ACIP to uphold its recommendations for vaccines that have demonstrated irrefutable public health benefit, in some cases for generations.
It’s important to note that ACIP’s vaccine recommendations do not impose a vaccine mandate or requirement on Pennsylvanians in any way — rather, it protects their right to choose what’s best for them. However, if ACIP withdraws its recommendation, that could directly restrict choice.
The governor said proper immunization is one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools for preventing serious illnesses, reducing hospitalizations, and protecting those who are most vulnerable to severe illness.
Vaccines not only safeguard individuals but also strengthen the resilience of entire communities — keeping children in school, parents in the workforce, and health care systems from being overwhelmed during seasonal surges. Consistent and science-driven recommendations from ACIP are therefore essential to preserving both individual autonomy and collective well-being.
September is ‘National Preparedness Month’
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) this week announced Shapiro’s proclamation that September 2025, is National Preparedness Month in the Commonwealth, and Sept. 19, 2025, was designated as Emergency Management Coordinators Day to recognize the important work that county and municipal coordinators perform daily to keep Pennsylvania communities safe and ready.
“National Preparedness Month is a reminder that readiness is a responsibility at every level, from individuals and families to entire communities,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “Our county and local emergency management coordinators are often the unsung heroes of community readiness. They work tirelessly, often behind the scenes and without recognition, to ensure plans are in place, resources are available, and residents are protected when disaster strikes. Their dedication is a cornerstone of keeping Pennsylvanians safe.”
County and local officials across the Commonwealth are echoing the need for individual preparedness as we shine a spotlight on the topic for National Preparedness Month.
The selfless service of your neighbors, the local and county EMC’s across Pennsylvania’s 2,560 municipalities and 67 counties is being recognized. These dedicated coordinators are required to be proficient in emergency management practices and take countless hours of training to do so.
All Pennsylvanians are encouraged to visit Ready PA to learn how to be informed, be prepared, and be involved as a way to celebrate National Preparedness Month.
Also, residents across the Commonwealth are encouraged to reach out to their local municipal and county officials to learn how they can use their skills to volunteer or support their emergency management programs to keep their communities safe and ready.
State launches weekly fall foliage report
Pennsylvania residents and visitors will get a new way to plan their autumn adventures this fall as the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is launching a redesigned weekly fall foliage report on Sept. 25, featuring regional updates, photos, and expert tips to help people experience the Commonwealth’s vibrant seasonal landscapes.
The updated report, posted every Thursday during peak foliage season on DCNR’s website, will feature a fresh design, dedicated pages for each week, and detailed information by region. DCNR experts will also be available to provide regional insights and answer questions throughout the fall.
“Whether you’re camping in one of Pennsylvania’s 124 state parks, hiking through our 2.2 million acres of state forests, or taking a scenic drive, fall is one of the best times to experience the outdoors,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “This new report will give people the tools they need to plan trips and discover new activities across the Commonwealth.”
Visitors can also explore Pennsylvania’s fall offerings through — Pennsylvania: The Great American Getaway — a statewide campaign highlighting public lands, scenic drives, festivals, pick-your-own farms, and family-friendly autumn activities.
Fall foliage typically peaks in October, and DCNR’s weekly reports will feature updated photos and tips on the best places to see the colors. This season, visitors can also enjoy the newly reopened the Skywalk at Kinzua Bridge State Park in the Pennsylvania Wilds.
Fall is a major driver of Pennsylvania’s tourism industry, which generated $83.9 billion in economic impact, supported more than 514,000 jobs, and welcomed 201.6 million visitors in 2024, according to a new Pennsylvania Tourism Office report. The industry grew by $7 billion from 2023 to 2024, creating 30,000 additional jobs across the Commonwealth.
Walsh to host veterans recognition event
State Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Ross Township, will host a Veterans Recognition Event and Expo for Luzerne County veterans on Saturday, Nov. 1, in conjunction with Misericordia University.
“Our veterans and their family members have sacrificed a great deal for our country, and this is one small way in which we can honor them,” said Rep. Walsh. “The vendors present that day will also have a lot of helpful information to share targeted specifically for veterans and their family members.”
The event will include a recognition ceremony along with dozens of vendors offering programs and services for veterans and their family members. Light refreshments will be served.
It will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lemmond Theater and Insalaco Hall, Misericordia University, 301 Lake St., Dallas.
Registration is required for this event, and veterans can each bring one guest.
RSVP by Oct. 24 by calling 570-675-6000 or going to www.RepWalsh.com.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Josh Shapiro has said Kamala Harris will “have to answer” for why she did not publicly alert people to Joe Biden’s declining ability to serve during his term in the White House.
The Democratic Pennsylvania governor was a candidate to become Harris’s running mate when she replaced Biden as the Democratic party nominee for president late in the 2024 campaign after the president dropped his re-election bid, but narrowly lost out to Minnesota governor Tim Walz – whom Harris dishes on in her new book.
Shapiro is also regarded as a potential 2028 candidate for the White House.
Shapiro’s remark came when he was asked by Stephen A Smith on a political podcast about Harris’ memoir 107 Days, published next week but already seen by the Guardian. In that book she draws a distinction between Biden’s ability to govern and to campaign for reelection – and that she had concerns over the later.
Harris also said that Biden’s decision to run for a second term, only turning over the Democratic candidacy after a disastrous TV debate with Donald Trump, was based in “recklessness. The stakes were simply too high.”
Shapiro said he has not read Harris’s account, but added: “She’s going to have to answer to how she was in the room and yet never said anything publicly.”
Shapiro was asked how Americans should feel “when we hear something that we suspected but wasn’t acknowledged by politicians who were looking for our support, and then we find out later we were right, and they should have spoken up, and they should have shown more courage”.
Shapiro said that while he wasn’t present for White House discussions, he looked at the 2024 race from the perspective of Pennsylvania, which Biden ultimately lost.
“If you can’t win Pennsylvania, it’s pretty darn hard to win the national election,” Shapiro continued. “And I was very vocal with him, privately, and extremely vocal with his staff about my concerns about his fitness to be able to run for another term. I was direct with them. I told them my concerns.”
In the book, Harris questions her decision to not confront Biden, explaining that “of all the people in the White House, I was in the worst position to make the case that he should drop out” and feared that, if she did, it would be seen as “incredibly self-serving” and “poisonous disloyalty”.
In Harris’ account she writes that Shapiro, before she’d interviewed him, had asked how many bedrooms were in the vice-president’s residence and if the Smithsonian would lend Pennsylvania art for display.
Harris writes that she “mused that he would want to be in the room for every decision” and told him that was “an unrealistic expectation” and “a vice-president is not a co-president.”
Harris also writes about her consideration of Pete Buttigieg, saying that he would have been “the ideal partner” as her running mate if he had been “a straight white man”.
“I had nagging concerns that, of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man,” Harris writes. Then adding a gay man to the ticket: “It was too big a risk.”
Buttigieg – who, like Shapiro, Harris and Gavin Newsom, the California governor, are considered likely 2028 candidates – told Politico that he was “surprised” to read the passage from the book suggesting that, as a gay man, he was too risky.
“My experience in politics has been that the way that you earn trust with voters is based mostly on what they think you’re going to do for their lives, not on categories,” he said. “I wouldn’t have run for president [in 2020] if I didn’t believe that.
On countering Trump, Shapiro said:
“Some people would say that the only way to deal with it is to fight fire with fire, to replicate his behavior to some degree,” Shapiro said, “just to be able to fend off the onslaught of momentum he appears to be building as his presidency continues.”
But Shapiro pointed to his own election victories in Pennsylvania, winning by “bringing Republicans and Democrats and independents together”.
An unknown person fatally shot three police officers and wounded two more Wednesday afternoon in York County, according to Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris.
There is no active threat to the community, according to Paris, and the shooter was killed by law enforcement.
York County District Attorney Tim Barker will release more information this evening, Paris said.
Law enforcement officers were at a property in North Codorus Township where the shootings occurred to follow up on a “domestic-related” investigation that began Tuesday, Paris said. He said police are not releasing more details because they are obtaining and serving more search warrants.
“There are no words I can offer to assuage the grief the community experiences,” Paris said. “We stand here united. We will not rest until we’ve conducted a full, fair, competent and thorough investigation into this matter.”
The shooting, which occurred at around 2:10 p.m., stemmed from a warrant service on Haar Road in North Codorus Township in York County, according to NBC10.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro lamented the tragedy of the shooting, and referred to the fatal shooting of Officer Andrew Duarte who was killed in February by a stray projectile while responding to a hostage situation at York Memorial Hospital.
“This is an absolutely tragic and devastating day for York County and the entire commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said.
“We need to help the people who think that picking up a gun, picking up a weapon, is the answer to resolving disputes,” Shapiro said. “We need to do better when it comes to mental health, and dealing with those in need.
“We have to do better as a society,” Shapiro said.
A log of 911 calls describes the incident as “officer down,” with a “signal 13,” which means officer in trouble. Officers needed medical transport, according to dispatch logs, with a medivac helicopter and ambulances sent to the scene.
At least two officers were transported with multiple gunshot wounds, according to dispatch logs.
Officers were keeping people well back from the scene in the area’s rolling farmland, with some 30 police vehicles blocking off roads bordered by a barn, a goat farm and soybean and corn fields.
Michelle Baughman with the York County District Attorney’s office said Wednesday afternoon, “We will come forth with information at an appropriate time; however, now is not that time.”
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, in a social media post, said, “Please send prayers to the officers and those involved in the shooting in York County.”
The Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia said in a social media post that they were “monitoring the incident” in Pennsylvania and advised Mexican residents nearby to follow official instructions.
A spokesperson for the Mexican consulate in Philadelphia said the post was “only a precautionary alert for our community.
PennLive staff writer Madison Montag and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Governor Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania State Police commissioner offer details on a shooting in York County that left three police officers dead. (Photo courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services)
*This is a breaking news story. We’ll move quickly to provide the best information we have at the time.*
Three law enforcement officers were shot and killed in North Codorus Township, York County, on Wednesday during an investigation into a “domestic-related” incident that happened at a home there the previous day, state police said.
Two others were wounded and were in critical, but stable, condition Wednesday night. The suspect was killed by police, according to State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris.
As of 6:15 p.m. Wednesday evening, there was no active threat to the public, Paris said at a press conference.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to them, to the families of the deceased and the families of those officers who were wounded,” Paris said. “There are simply no words that I can offer to assuage the grief that this community has experienced, and unfortunately will continue to experience.”
The injured officers are being treated at WellSpan York Hospital. Paris did not share which law enforcement agencies the officers who were shot worked for, and noted that many details would not be made public until the investigation progresses.
It’s the second time a York County officer has been killed in the line of duty this year. In February, West York Patrolman Andrew Duarte was killed during a hostage situation at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, who made a speech against political violence last night in Pittsburgh at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, travelled to York County Wednesday.
“This kind of violence isn’t ok,” he said at a press conference. “We need to do better as a society. We need to help the people who think that picking up a gun, picking up a weapon, is the answer to resolving disputes. We need to do better when it comes to mental health.”
It was the deadliest single day for law enforcement in the commonwealth since the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police began keeping track on their fallen heroes page, which dates back to 2012. On April 4 2009, three officers were killed in a shooting in the Stanton Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh after responding to a domestic call. Two others were wounded.
Governor Josh Shapiro talks with Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris after a shooting in York County left three police officers dead on September 17, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services)
The name of the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting was not released, but the incident took place near a home on Haar Road.
Phoebe Luckenbaugh, who lives several houses away from where the shooting happened, said the property with a farmhouse and a red barn close to the road was home to a young family.
Craig Zumbrum, who is listed in property records as the owner with his wife, Elizabeth, died in 2023. His widow and four children, including two teenagers, still live in the home and were often seen in the yard, Luckenbaugh said.
“They’re a nice normal country family,” she said, adding that she has no first-hand knowledge of what happened at the farm Wednesday. Since Craig Zumbrum’s death, a relative has raised crops on the farm for the family, Luckenbaugh said.
State Police are asking the public to avoid the scene.
Paris said that state police will lead the investigation, in collaboration with York County District Attorney Tim Barker. He added that state police have been in touch with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s office in Philadelphia.
“I can assure you that all of the resources of the Pennsylvania state police are being brought to bear,” Paris said. He added that, for the time, state police will be taking over calls for service for the Northern York County Regional Police Department.
Shapiro said he was contacted by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who he said “shared with me we have the full support of the federal government.”
“We so appreciate law enforcement at every level, and we of course appreciate our federal partners,” Shapiro added.
“Violence against law enforcement is a scourge on our society and never acceptable,” she wrote. “Pray for the officers involved.”
Attorney General Dave Sunday, who previously served as the York County District Attorney, said on social media that he was travelling to the county after hearing about the incident.
“Learning that three officers were killed in York County where I worked for many years as a prosecutor, and where I still call home, is unfathomable,” he said in a statement. “Having served alongside these officers, I know of their caliber, their professionalism and the lasting impact they had on our community. This loss is a heart-wrenching reminder of the sacrifices police officers and other first responders make every single day.”
Shapiro has ordered flags in the commonwealth to be flown at half-staff until the officers are interred. No date has been set yet.
The Pennsylvania Capital-Star’s Peter Hall contributed to this story.
It was April 13, and the governor’s mansion was full of family.
“Just hours before we had gathered in the state dining room to celebrate the first night of Passover in the very room the arsonist broke into and set on fire and launched Molotov cocktails and made his way through the governor’s mansion weilding a metal hammer,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said.
Shapiro relives those moments to a crowd of hundreds at the fifth Eradicate Hate Global Summit. He speaks to the current climate we live in, where violence may be in different places, with different people with different perspectives, but each person is human.
“I think what we need right now is calm. What we need is what Governor Corbett, Governor Wolf, Governor Ridge and others demonstrated in the wake of the attack here in Pennsylvania: they all came together, and they didn’t give any space for finger-pointing or blame or giving any pass to any particular type of violence. They came together; they condemned it and brought down the temperature,” Shapiro said.
Sitting in the crowd listening and relating to the Governor were survivors of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting.
“What was really heartwarming to me was Governor Corbett called him up and said, ‘what can we do,’ and all the governors were there to support him. That’s the kind of stories we need to be telling people coming together from different political parties and supporting each other,” said Andrea Wedner, who’s a survivor of Tree of Life.
As the summit rounds out another year of conversations on preventing this type of violence, Wedner believes progress is being made.
“People are working extremely hard to try to eradicate hate and make this world a better place to live,” Wedner told Channel 11.
She believes a key piece is also opening the dialogue with the students of our region.
“They are going to be the leaders of the world, and if we can start that process now, hopefully, they will grow up in a better place,” Wedner said.
The Eradicate Hate Global Summit wraps up on Wednesday.
Several uniformed police officers stood side by side along the entrance of a public park where the Democratic candidate for New Jersey governor, Mikie Sherrill, met voters Friday to discuss measures designed to bring transparency to the state budget process.
The significant security presence was a sharp shift from Sherrill’s recent events.
Across the nation, it has been much the same for Republican and Democratic officials after another stunning act of political violence, with the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Politicians in both parties and at virtually every level of public service are suddenly being forced to deal with acute security concerns — and feelings of grief, anger and fear — as they move deeper into a fraught election season.
Some political leaders are canceling public appearances. Others are relying on a large police presence to keep them safe. And still others insist that the fallout from Kirk’s death won’t have any impact on their duties.
Even before the killing of Kirk, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania was struggling with the emotional toll of political violence.
In the middle of the night just five months ago, someone broke into his home and set it on fire. Shapiro, who is also a likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender, was asleep with his wife and children.
And in the weeks since his family fled the blaze, Shapiro has been forced to confront the vexing questions now consuming elected officials in both parties as they face the impact of Kirk’s assassination on their own public lives.
“The emotional challenge for me that’s been the hardest to work through is that, as a father, the career I chose, that I find great purpose and meaning in, ended up putting my children’s lives at risk,” Shapiro, a father of four, told The Associated Press. “Make no mistake, the emotional burden of being a father through this has been something that continues to be a challenge for me to this day.”
Indeed, even as Shapiro offered prayers for Kirk’s widow and children, the Democratic governor said he is undeterred in his duties as a leading figure in his national party and his state.
“I’m not slowing down,” he said.
On that, he and President Donald Trump appear to agree.
The Republican president was asked during a Friday appearance on Fox News if he would cancel any public appearances of his own.
“You have to go forward,” he said.
Violent rhetoric surges
Bellicose rhetoric and even death threats have surged in the days since Kirk was killed.
“The left is the party of murder,” Elon Musk, the tech titan and CEO of the social media platform X, wrote. “If they won’t leave us in peace, then our choice is to fight or die.”
To that, Fox News host Jesse Waters said during a broadcast, “They are at war with us. Whether we want to accept it or not, they are at war with us. What are we going to do about it?”
On Friday, a right-wing activist posted online a video outside Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s home, calling on followers to “take action.”
The charged environment prompted a number of public officials, largely Democrats, to postpone public appearances.
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., canceled a Saturday town hall in Las Vegas “out of an abundance of caution for town hall participants, attendees, and members of the media.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., also postponed a weekend event in North Carolina due to security concerns.
Former Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, president of Young America’s Foundation, which works to attract young people to the GOP, said his group canceled a Thursday night event in California featuring conservative commentator Ben Shapiro out of respect for Kirk and his family.
And while officials in both parties acknowledged that new security precautions would be in place — at least for the short term — cancellations have been rare.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, another potential Democratic presidential prospect who recently announced his 2026 reelection campaign, said he would not change his public schedule because of the increased threat, even as political violence will be on his mind.
“It’s never something that completely leaves you, but I don’t think it can be something that debilitates you,” Moore told The Associated Press.
When asked if he expects a retaliatory attack against Democrats, the former Army captain insisted, “We are not at war with one another.”
“As someone who has seen war, as someone who knows what war looks like, as someone who will live with the realities of war for the rest of my life, I refuse to ever believe that we in the country are at war with one another,” he said. “And I refuse to believe that we as a country are devolving into some just kind of type of retaliatory tit for tat.”
“Resorting to violence is a remarkable sign of weakness,” Moore added. “It means you can’t win a political argument.”
And yet political violence is becoming more frequent in the United States.
Former Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in the head as she met with constituents in 2011. Republican Rep. Steve Scalise was shot at a congressional team baseball practice in 2017. Trump was grazed by a bullet last summer on the stump in Pennsylvania. And barely three months ago, the top Democrat in the Minnesota state house and her husband were gunned down at home.
What it looks like on the campaign trail.
In Illinois, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Aaron Del Mar said he and other GOP candidates are discussing new security precautions, such as bringing events indoors, enhanced use of metal detectors and background checks on those who attend their events.
“There’s a lot of concern right now,” he said.
In New Jersey, 35-year-old Democrat Maira Barbosa attended Sherrill’s event on Friday with her 16-month-old son. She said she’s never been more resolved to show up to a political event in person, even as she admitted she had second thoughts.
“We’re seeing so much hate speech and we’re seeing people advocate for violence, so of course it makes me concerned, especially to the point of bringing my son,” she said. “If we don’t participate, if we don’t get involved, who is going to represent us?”
No Kings protest
In interviews, governors Shapiro and Moore largely avoided casting blame for the current era of political violence, although they were critical of Trump’s immediate response to Kirk’s shooting.
The Republican president highlighted only attacks against Republicans during his Oval Office address on Thursday and blamed “the radical left” for Kirk’s shooting, even before the suspect was arrested.
Shapiro said Trump “misused the power of an Oval Office address.”
“To be clear, the political violence has impacted Democrats and Republicans, and the rhetoric of vengeance and the language that has created division has come from both sides of the political divide,” Shapiro said. “No one party has clean hands, and no one party is immune from the threat of political violence.”
Moore called for everyone to tone down the rhetoric.
“I just think it’s important for the president and anyone else to understand that your words matter, and leadership is how you lift us up in darkness, not how you use it as a moment for opportunism and to introduce more darkness and finger-pointing into an already horrific situation,” he said.
“I’m praying for our country,” Moore continued. “I’m praying that the legacy of this moment is we got better — not that we got worse.”
NJ Advance Media contributed to this report.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is among the leaders calling for an end to political violence following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In April, Shapiro and his family were the target of an apparent assassination attempt when a man broke into the governor’s mansion and allegedly started a fire as they slept inside.
Several students at Carnegie Mellon University gathered to paint the Fence in tribute to Kirk.
“When we found out he had passed away…it was a very hard moment for us. We’re all big supporters. My mom called me on the phone and was crying with me,” said Emma Gladstein with College Republicans.
President of CMU College Republicans Anthony Cacciato said he worries people will not be able to express themselves after an event like this.
“For anyone expressing their opinions on a college campus to be met with violence is a scary thought,” Cacciato said.
Politicians from both sides of the aisle sent support for Kirk and his family.
Senator Dave McCormick released a statement saying:
Senator John Fetterman released a statement saying:
Gov. Shapiro talked about the rising cost of items and events while expressing concerns about how it could impact the busy list of events planned for Philadelphia in 2026.
“Their policies, their tariff policies, and their broader economic policies are making things cost a whole lot more. And, so, for the average family that wants to be able to go take in a World Cup game or go check out the All-Star game, or even just participate in the activities surrounding those events, even if they don’t go inside the link or inside the bank, the reality is things cost more because of Donald Trump. And when things cost more, it makes it harder on families, harder on their family budgets,” Shapiro said. “Make no mistake, from the price of food to the price of activities, they’ve all gone up on Donald Trump’s watch.”
The governor added that he believes the Trump Administration’s stance on immigration has caused a dip in tourism across the country.
“I think because of the Trump administration’s conduct on immigration, we’ve already seen tourism dip, not just in Philadelphia, but all across this country. I think their policies are making it so people in other countries are afraid to come here or don’t want to come here,” Gov. Shapiro said.
The NBC10 Investigators found that international travel to the United States is down in 2025 compared to 2024.
In the first seven months of the year, the number of international travelers dropped by 3.8%, according to the Federal International Air Travel statistics data.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia has seen an even steeper decline with travel dropping 8.2% year over year.
“Josh Shapiro should check his facts. Foreign visitors to the United States have spent nearly $127 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods in the first six months of 2025 – a record high thanks to President Trump’s efforts to Make America Beautiful & Safe Again for Americans and foreign visitors alike,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai wrote in a statement to NBC10.
