State bar leader charged with patronizing prostitute quits
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association is quitting after being charged with patronizing a prostitute who police accused of trying to extort him. David Eric Schwager was also put on leave from his job as an assistant solicitor in Luzerne County. His attorney is declining comment. Luzerne County detectives say that in late December 2019 the 58-year-old Schwager answered an advertisement for an escort by going to a house in Wilkes-Barre and paying Emily Ann Merth to engage in sex acts. The 25-year-old Merth faces charges of prostitution, theft and sexual extortion. She’s accused of demanding hundreds of dollars or she would release a video she recorded of him.

(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that they were called to the scene of a two vehicle accident Monday, April 26, 2021, at 5:10 PM  on Interstate 376 in Hopewell Twp.

Troopers reported via release that when they arrived on scene and investigated they found that both vehicles were traveling West on I-376 in Hopewell Twp. . The vehicles were in the left lane when traffic slowed. The driver of a 1996 Peterbilt truck did not notice traffic slowing and and rear ended a 2001 Mercedes Benz E320 pushing it into the grassy median. Both vehicles were able to be driven away from the scene only sustaining minor damage. Neither driver was identified in the release and no injuries were reported. The driver of the Peterbilt truck was given a citation for following too closely.

(Hopewell Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting via release that they were called to the scene of a one vehicle accident on Interstate 376 Eastbound in Hopewell Twp. on Monday, April 26, 2021, at 3:15 PM.
Troopers reported upon arriving on the scene and investigating they found that a 2013 GMC Sierra was traveling Eastbound when the trailer that it was towing got a flat tire and became unattached from the truck. The trailer continued traveling east on I-376 and struck a guard rail causing damage to both the trailer and guard rail. The trailer came to a final rest on the berm of the road. The drivers name was not released and there were no injuries in the incident.

Harrisburg, Pa. – Acting Secretary of State Veronica W. Degraffenreid reminded Pennsylvanians today that they can vote early in-person by mail ballot until May 11, the deadline to apply for a mail ballot.

“Once your county’s ballots are available, voting early in person by mail ballot is one of the new options under the bipartisan Act 77,” Secretary Degraffenreid said. “It’s simple, secure, easy and convenient.”

Once their county has finalized and printed ballots, voters can visit their county election office or satellite office and apply for a mail or absentee ballot. County election officials will check their eligibility while they wait and, once verified, will provide them with the ballot. Voters can then complete their ballot and cast it all in one visit.

Voters can use this option until 5 p.m. on May 11, the deadline to apply for a mail ballot for the May 18 primary election.

Before making the trip to vote in person by mail ballot, voters should check the hours of their county’s election office or satellite office, Secretary Degraffenreid advised. A list of satellite voting locations designated by county election boards will be updated as information is made available.

Whether voting at home or in person at the county office, voters should make sure they enclose their mail ballot first in the inner secrecy envelope and seal it, insert the inner envelope into the outer envelope and sign and date the outer envelope.  Voters must complete these steps in order for their ballots to be counted.

Voters have until 5 p.m. on May 11 to apply for a mail ballot through their county election board. Voted mail ballots must be received by county election boards by 8 p.m. on May 18, Election Day. More than 677,500 Pennsylvanians already have applied for a mail-in ballot and more than 36,000 Pennsylvanians have applied for an absentee ballot.

Pennsylvania voters can choose to vote by mail ballot or to vote in person at their polling place on Election Day. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 18.

The deadline to register to vote in the municipal primary, May 3, also is fast approaching. Pennsylvanians can register to vote and check their registration status online. Or they can download and print a registration form and mail it to their county election board. Applicants using the online voter registration system must complete and submit their application by 11:59 p.m. on May 3 to vote in the primary. Traditional paper voter registration forms must be received in county voter registration offices by close of business on May 3.

Individuals wishing to register to vote in the May 18 primary must be:

• A citizen of the United States for at least one month before the primary
• A resident of Pennsylvania and of the election district in which the individual plans to register and vote for at least 30 days before the primary
• At least 18 years of age on or before the date of the primary

On May 18, voters who are registered as Republican or Democrat will choose their parties’ nominees for seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, county Common Pleas Courts, and Philadelphia Municipal Court.

Also on the party ballots will be a wide variety of county, school board, and local seats such as mayor, city or borough council member, township commissioner or supervisor, magisterial district judges, and precinct election officials.

All registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, will be eligible to vote on four ballot questions. Three of the questions are proposed constitutional amendments, and the fourth question is a referendum on making municipal fire departments or companies with paid personnel and emergency medical services companies eligible for an existing state loan program.

In addition, all registered voters in the following four districts, regardless of party affiliation, will be voting in special elections to fill vacancies:

• 22^nd State Senate District (Lackawanna County and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties)
• 48^th State Senate District (Lebanon County and parts of Dauphin and York counties)
• 59^th State House District (parts of Somerset and Westmoreland counties)
• 60^th State House District (parts of Armstrong, Butler, and Indiana counties)

For more information on voting and elections, call the Department of State’s toll-free hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772) or visit votesPA.com.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will use his first joint address to Congress to pitch a $1.8 trillion investment in children, families and education that would transform the role government plays in American life. Biden delivers the Wednesday speech on the eve of his 100th day in office. Biden will make his case before a pared-down gathering of mask-wearing legislators due to coronavirus restrictions. Biden will lay out a sweeping proposal for universal preschool, two years of free community college, $225 billion for child care and monthly payments of at least $250 to parents.

DHS Announces Extension of REAL ID Full Enforcement Deadline

WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is extending the REAL ID full enforcement date by 19 months, from October 1, 2021 to May 3, 2023, due to circumstances resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has significantly impacted states’ ability to issue REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards, with many driver’s licensing agencies still operating at limited capacity. DHS will publish an interim final rule in the coming days to effectuate this enforcement date change.

“Protecting the health, safety, and security of our communities is our top priority,” said Secretary Mayorkas. “As our country continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, extending the REAL ID full enforcement deadline will give states needed time to reopen their driver’s licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card.” 

Beginning May 3, 2023, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card, state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another TSA-acceptable form of identification at airport security checkpoints for domestic air travel.  

All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and four of five U.S. territories covered by the REAL ID Act and related regulations are now compliant with REAL ID security standards and are issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards. However, many state licensing agencies have extended the deadline for renewing expiring licenses due to a widespread shift to appointment-only scheduling protocols during the pandemic that has significantly limited states’ capacity to issue REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards. As a result, only 43 percent of all state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards are currently REAL ID-compliant.  DHS and various states also need time to implement requirements mandated by the REAL ID Modernization Act, including changes that will streamline processing by allowing the electronic submission of certain documents.

DHS continues to work closely with all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories to implement REAL ID Act requirements. For more information on REAL ID, visit www.dhs.gov/real-id.