Secrecy envelopes will cause electoral chaos, official warns
By MARC LEVY Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Philadelphia’s top elections official is warning of electoral chaos in the presidential battleground state if lawmakers there do not remove a provision in Pennsylvania law that, under a days-old court decision, requires counties to throw out mail-in ballots returned without secrecy envelopes. Lisa Deeley, chairwoman of the three-member board overseeing Philadelphia’s elections, wrote Monday to the state Legislature’s presiding Republicans to urge them to back legislation to remove the requirement. Some 30,000 to 40,000 mail-in ballots could arrive without secrecy envelopes in Philadelphia alone in November’s presidential election, Deeley estimates, and the state Supreme Court’s interpretation of current law forces election officials to throw them out.

Wolf vetoes school sports bill; override attempt planned
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press
Gov. Tom Wolf has vetoed a bill that would give school districts the sole ability to make decisions on sports, including whether and how many spectators to allow. Lawmakers are planning to vote to try to override Wolf’s veto. Legislation that cleared the House and Senate would have empower schools to make their own rules about the number of spectators permitted at games. Wolf says his gathering limits of no more than 25 people indoors and 250 people outdoors should apply to youth sports to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Below is the press release from Gov. Tom Wold’s Office:

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today vetoed House Bill 2787, which would have mandated that school fall activities be under the sole jurisdiction of local school districts. This bill is superfluous given that local school governing bodies already have authority but it restricts state and local officials’ ability to respond to health concerns and potential outbreaks as we enter this year’s particularly risky flu season.

The bill would have done nothing more than create legislation for something that already exists. Instead of drafting bills such as this the legislature should be focused on bills that protect the health and safety of our children in their learning environments, minimize exposure to COVID-19 and prevent the spread of this deadly virus.

Gov. Wolf’s HB 2787 veto message:

“We have been confronting extraordinary challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue the fight against COVID-19, we need to continue to prioritize the health and welfare of Pennsylvanians and minimize public health risks. However, this bill does nothing to promote public health or ensure that our children have a safe learning environment. As we reopen our schools, we need to continue to be vigilant and take precautions to keep ourselves, our communities, and our children healthy. These mitigation efforts not only help keep our children, teachers, and staff healthy, they also help keep our schools open.

“This bill is entirely unnecessary. While I recommended against holding school sports before January 2021, it was a recommendation and neither an order nor a mandate. Local school governing bodies have maintained the authority to decide how extracurricular activities, including school sports, proceed at the local level. Furthermore, to the extent COVID-19 cases may rise and spread during the fall and through the upcoming cold and flu season, the Department of Health must maintain the critical authority to limit exposure to COVID-19. Minimizing this exposure is paramount.

“This bill also has constitutional infirmities as it attempts to take away executive authority during the 2020-2021 school year. Instead of unnecessary legislation, we need to focus on providing schools the tools and resources they need to be successful in educating our children and we need to help people impacted by the pandemic with legislation such as funding for small businesses and child care, and paid sick leave for employees.”

Wolf to veto school sports bill; override attempt expected
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf says he will go through with his plan to veto a bill that would give school districts the sole ability to make decisions on sports, including whether and how many spectators to allow. The Wolf administration’s gathering limits of no more than 25 people indoors and 250 people outdoors apply to youth sports. Legislation that cleared the House and Senate would empower schools to make their own rules about the number of spectators permitted at games. Both chambers of the GOP-controlled General Assembly approved the bill by veto-proof two-thirds majorities, and lawmakers are expected to attempt to override Wolf’s promised veto.

Arrest in case of ricin letters sent to White House, Texas
By MICHAEL BALSAMO, ERIC TUCKER and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the poison ricin, which was addressed to the White House, has been arrested at the New York-Canada border. She is also suspected of sending similar poisoned envelopes to law enforcement agencies in Texas. Law enforcement officials tell the AP the woman was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and is expected to face federal charges. Officials say the letter addressed to the White House was intercepted at a government facility that screens mail addressed to the White House and President Donald Trump.

More Biden, Trump visits this week in fight for Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump will make his fourth and fifth appearances in September in Pennsylvania, flying into and out of rallies at two different airports this week. Tuesday’s event is at Pittsburgh International Airport and Saturday’s event is at Harrisburg International Airport. Trump’s visits underscores the importance of Pennsylvania to the Nov. 3 presidential election, as Trump seeks a second term against Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Biden has made four visits to Pennsylvania this month, including an address Sunday in Philadelphia, where he slammed Trump and leading Senate Republicans for trying to install a replacement on the Supreme Court for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

As Democrats balk, Trump to make high court pick by Saturday
By JONATHAN LEMIRE, LISA MASCARO and ALEXANDRA JAFFE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he expects to announce his pick for the Supreme Court on Friday or Saturday, after funeral services for Ruth Bader Ginsburg and just days before the first presidential debate. Trump told “Fox & Friends” on Monday that he had a list of five finalists, “probably four,” and that he is pushing for a confirmation vote before Election Day. Democrats have howled in protest, pointing to the hypocrisy of Republicans for rushing through a pick so close to the election after refusing to do so for President Barack Obama in 2016. Trump confirmed that among the top contenders are Indiana’s Amy Coney Barrett and Florida’s Barbara Lagoa, both appellate court judges he appointed.

According to a recent Pew Research Center report, children in the United States are more likely to live in a single-parent household than children in at least 129 other countries, including China, India, and all of Europe. Maintaining a household as a single parent presents a number of challenges, the largest of which for many single-parent families are financial.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2018 Consumer Expenditure Survey, single parents with minor children devote a larger share of their spending on necessary costs of living, like food and housing, than married parents do. COVID-19 has only intensified the challenges faced by single parents. Those who have lost their jobs might struggle to cover living expenses, while those still employed must cope with a lack of child care options and schools being closed.

In spite of the strain experienced by many single parents, the percentage of single-parent households has tripled from less than 10 percent of families with children in 1950 to about 30 percent in 2019. The 22.7 percent of households with children that were headed by a single mother last year represents the lowest percentage of single-mother households since 2003. On the other hand, single-father households reached an all-time high of 7.4 percent in 2019. In 1950, single-father households accounted for only 1.1 percent of households with kids.

 

 

The proportion of single-parent families also varies widely by race and ethnicity. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, about one in four white families, and one in three Hispanic families, are headed by a single parent. Meanwhile, nearly 60 percent of black families are headed by a single parent, although this represents the lowest value since 1982. The percentage of white and Hispanic single-parent families has increased by 5.5 and 4.1 percentage points, respectively, over the same time period.

 

 

Geographically, Southern states tend to have the highest percentage of single-parent households, with Louisiana leading the nation at just over 40 percent. Mississippi, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia all report percentages of at least 35 percent. Only 19 percent of family households in Utah are headed by a single parent. Hawaii and Idaho have the second and third lowest rates of single parenting, both at about 26 percent.

 

 

To determine which states have the most single parents, researchers at Smartest Dollar analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey. For each state, researchers calculated the percentage of families with children under 18 living in households headed by a single parent. The analysis also includes the percentage of households with single moms, single dads, and the total number of households headed by a single parent in each location.

Consistent with state-level trends, researchers found that a number of cities in the South report a high percentage of single-parent households. Several cities in the Midwest also appear atop the rankings, including Cleveland with the national high of 73.3 percent of single-parent households.

The analysis found that in Pennsylvania, 33.1% of families are headed by a single parent, which is above the national average of 32.1%. Here is a summary of the data for Pennsylvania:

• Percentage of families with a single parent: 33.1%
• Total families with a single parent: 415,373
• Percentage of families with a single mom: 24.0%
• Percentage of families with a single dad: 9.1%

For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:

• Percentage of families with a single parent: 32.1%
• Total families with a single parent: 10,519,285
• Percentage of families with a single mom: 23.7%
• Percentage of families with a single dad: 8.4%

For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Smartest Dollar’s website: https://www.smartestdollar.com/research/cities-with-the-most-single-parents-2020