Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader, has endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. This marks the second major endorsement for DeSantis in Iowa this month, and supporters of DeSantis point to Vander Plaats' audience and influence to argue that his endorsement will help DeSantis make inroads with evangelical Christian voters in Iowa. DeSantis' campaign is hoping that Vander Plaats' endorsement will help him gain traction with this key voting bloc, potentially giving him a major boost in the upcoming Iowa caucuses.
Posts tagged as “Pennsylvania”
Democrats had a successful night in the off-year elections on Tuesday, winning critical races in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. The abortion referendum and pot legalization referendum both won in Ohio, and Democrats saw over-performance against 2020, current polls, and expectations. The elections also showed that the war in Israel and other hot-button national issues had a smaller impact on the results than expected, suggesting that voters are looking beyond these issues when making their decisions.
A new poll released Sunday shows that former President Donald Trump (R) leads President Joe Biden (D) in five key swing states, despite doubts from his rivals about his viability in a general election. Trump has been able to maintain a strong base of support among Republican voters, and Biden has been focusing on his plans to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and the economic crisis. The poll results suggest that Trump is in a strong position to take on Biden in the general election, but the race is still in its early stages.
The FDA is expanding an investigation into potentially lead-tainted pouches of apple cinnamon fruit puree marketed for children, with reports of seven illnesses in at least five states possibly linked to the contaminated puree. Two new companies have recalled certain cinnamon applesauce products due to the potential for high levels of lead, and the FDA is urging parents to check their homes for the recalled products and to discard them immediately. The FDA is working with the CDC to monitor the situation and is recommending that children under the age of six be tested for lead poisoning if they have been exposed to lead-tainted products.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib has accused President Joe Biden of supporting "the genocide of the Palestinian people" in a video posted Friday, sparking debate over the Biden administration's stance on the conflict in Gaza. Hassan Abdel Salam, a human rights professor based in Minneapolis, has expressed concern about the White House's messaging and has decided to not vote for Biden and encourage others to do the same. It remains to be seen how the Biden campaign will respond to the accusations and how the White House will address the ongoing conflict.
The race for the next Speaker of the House of Representatives has become increasingly competitive, with 25 entrenched GOP lawmakers blocking Rep. Jim Jordan from winning the gavel. Jordan received 194 votes in the third ballot, 21 votes short of the number he needed to be elected. Another round of voting is required, and the outcome is uncertain as the 25 entrenched GOP lawmakers have yet to declare their support for any of the candidates.
Saturday night's Powerball draw ended without a winner, pushing the jackpot past the $1 billion mark. This marks the fourth-most-valuable Powerball jackpot and the 32nd consecutive drawing without a winner. There were also two $2 million, multiplier-enhanced tickets, and five $1 million tickets won in the draw. Powerball is a lottery game played in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with odds of winning the grand prize at 1 in 292.2 million.
Joie Henney of Jonestown, Pennsylvania, attempted to bring his emotional support alligator, WallyGator, to a Phillies game, but was denied entrance due to the team's policy on support animals. WallyGator has become a popular animal on social media, and Henney believes that he should be allowed to attend the game. Unfortunately, the Phillies' policy on support animals will not be changing anytime soon, and WallyGator was not allowed to enter the stadium.