Budget Standoff Threatens Elite Gala
Then-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, left, toasts with Vice President Joe Biden as Annie Coons, wife of Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, looks on during the annual dinner of the Pennsylvania Society at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Good morning, and happy National Deviled Egg Day. Here’s what you need to know today.
The Pennsylvania Society — the annual New York gala where the Keystone State’s elite meet to greet — might be a victim of the state’s budget impasse.
“Every December, the commonwealth’s top politicians head to New York City to see and be seen at a long weekend of fundraisers, parties, and one swanky gala collectively referred to as Pennsylvania Society,” NewsWorks reports. “But some are already talking about skipping the trip if the state doesn’t have a budget by the Dec. 12 main event.”
“It would look like what it is – out of touch with where Pennsylvanians are,” said Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia. “You’re going to a big old party in New York City and schools are closing.” But the Pennsylvania Society’s membership director says that ticket sales for the weekend are running at about the same pace as previous years.
What if they gave an election and no one came? Philadelphia could find out on Tuesday.
Yes, the mayoral election is all-but-decided thanks to the city’s decided majority of Democrats. But local Dems still want to see a big turnout — and for more than pride reasons. “Democrats have a shot at becoming the majority party on the supreme court and Philadelphia party leaders are especially interested in seeing family court judge Kevin Dougherty elected,” KYW reports. “But that would require a large turnout in the city, and with the mayoral election considered a foregone conclusion, they fear many voters will stay home.” If you’re going to vote — and you should! — check out Philly Mag’s No-B.S. Election Guide.
Needles in Halloween candy? That’s just an urban myth, right? Well, maybe — unless you live in Kennett Square.
Police there took two reports — about needles in Twix bars, another in a Snickers, 6ABC reports. “These reports can turn out to be any way, and right now it’s an active police investigation,” Cpl. Chris Wills told the station. “So what we’re doing is we’re interviewing the people who have reported the incident, we’re trying to figure out where they were trick-or-treating at and we’re trying to get more information from them.” Parents are, of course, urged to examine all the candy their children received on Halloween.
A weekend kidnapping in West Philly turned out not to be a kidnapping at all.
Police on Sunday released dramatic footage that appeared to show a woman being abducted at a West Philly gas station. Turns out that wasn’t the case. “The woman has been identified and located, and it turns out that the incident was far less serious than it could have been,” Philly Mag’s Victor Fiorillo reports. Police report: “The female was upset due to recent personal matters and she had fled from another vehicle while driving with a family member. The video that was released to the media depicts the female’s family members grabbing her to take her home where she would receive the full support of her family.” No charges are being brought in the matter.
Temple may have lost a nail-biter to Notre Dame on Halloween Night, but the Owls emerged with their reputation enhanced.
Saturday’s game was “ABC’s highest-rated regular season college football game ever in the Philadelphia market,” Temple University reports — approximately 528,000 households viewed the game locally. Temple dropped to 23 in the polls, which is actually good news: “Temple carries a national ranking for the third-straight week, marking the first Owls’ team in program history to accomplish that feat. Three other Temple teams had spent two weeks in the top-25, the 1936, 1941, and 1979 Owls.”
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