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Members of the Electoral College from Pennsylvania say they are receiving thousands of phone calls and emails from around the world ahead of Monday's vote in Harrisburg, according to a report from Philly.com. One elector told the website that each elector has been assigned a plain clothes state police trooper for protection. "Such has been the life of Pennsylvania's 20 electors for President-elect Donald Trump since the Nov. 8 election," according to the report. The state's electors will convene inside the state House chamber at the Capitol at 12 p.m. to cast their votes.

HERSHEY, Pennsylvania — President-elect Donald Trump went after White House spokesman Josh Earnest during a rally here Thursday, calling him a "foolish guy." "This foolish guy Josh Earnest, I don't know if he's talking to President Obama. You know, having the right press secretary is so important because he is so bad, the way he delivers a message. He can deliver a positive message and it sounds bad," Trump said during a stop on his post-election "Thank You Tour." While Trump never mentioned Russia specifically — he mentioned China and Mexico over the course of his speech — the slam...

Final preparations are underway for President-elect Donald Trump's visit to Hershey today as part of his "thank you" tour. (TWEET-AT-LINK) As News 8's Hannah McDonald reports, the cold weather is having an effect on guests who are waiting outside the Giant Center. Vice president-elect Mike Pence is also listed on the schedule. The "USA Thank You Tour" event at the Giant Center begins at 7 p.m.

Thursday, December 15, 2016: Join President-Elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President-Elect Mike Pence for the USA Thank You Tour 2016 at the Giant Arena in Hershey, PA. RSBN will be on scene and the rally will begin at 7:00 PM ET. Giant Arena

Facing a budget shortfall that has grown to more than $600 million, the Wolf administration has pledged to cut agency spending before turning to tax increases to shore up revenue as Republicans clamor for a sweeping restructuring of government services. Budget Secretary Randy Albright on Wednesday estimated the current fiscal year shortfall has grown to $603 million, up from roughly $500 million projected a month ago by the Independent Fiscal Office. Albright said the administration will first look to restrain or reduce state spending before seeking additional revenues through tax increases.

<p>Trump's victory in Wisconsin was reaffirmed following a statewide vote recount that showed him defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton by more than 22,000 votes.</p> <p>Meanwhile, a federal judge issued a stinging rejection of a Green Party-backed request to recount paper ballots in Pennsylvania's presidential election and scan some counties' election systems for signs of hacking.</p>

African American politicians are held to a higher standard. It's not fair, but it's the way it is. Black corporate executives and lawyers also have to work twice as hard to get the same respect and recognition as their peers. It's that old saying I learned at Howard University: "You have to be twice as good to go half as far." In public service, the level of accountability is much higher. And former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah really let us down. He shamed his office. He failed the public trust. He disgraced his city. His conviction will forever eclipse any...

(AP) Republican Donald Trump’s victory in Wisconsin was reaffirmed Monday following a recount that showed him defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton by more than 22,000 votes. Wisconsin finalized its recount on the same day that a federal judge issued a stinging rejection of a Green Party-backed request to recount paper ballots in Pennsylvania’s presidential election and scan some counties’ election systems for signs of hacking. Green Party candidate Jill Stein successfully requested, and paid for, the Wisconsin recount while her attempts for similar statewide recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan were blocked by the courts. Stein only got about 1 percent of...

And then there was only Wisconsin. As widely expected, US District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond denied a demand from Jill Stein to order a statewide recount in Pennsylvania. Time had run out on that option, Diamond ruled, and he did not want to “disenfranchise some six million Pennsylvania voters.” A federal judge rejected a Green Party-backed request to recount paper ballots in Pennsylvania’s presidential election, won by Republican Donald Trump, and scan some counties’ election systems for signs of hacking. So far, no publication of the order has emerged, but this outcome was all but certain on Friday. The...

A federal judge on Monday issued a stinging rejection of a Green Party-backed request to recount paper ballots in Pennsylvania's presidential election, won by Republican Donald Trump, and scan some counties' election systems for signs of hacking. In his 31-page decision, U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond said there were at least six grounds that required him to reject the Green Party's lawsuit, which had been opposed by Trump, the Pennsylvania Republican Party and the Pennsylvania attorney general's office.

BREAKING NOW!! PA COURT BLOCKS RECOUNT!! https://twitter.com/AP?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Chester County on Thursday ordered a hand recount of 190,462 paper ballots cast in last month's election, as former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein continues her bid for a statewide recount. The county's Board of Elections, which consists of the three county commissioners, ruled that the Department of Voter Services must recount the ballots in 143 of the 228 precincts for the presidential and U.S. Senate races. Many counties have adopted electronic voting systems, but Chester relies almost exclusively on paper ballots. Of nearly 275,000 ballots cast there last month, all but about 850 were on paper. The ruling...

Federal Judge Paul Diamond heard arguments today. The computer science expert whose opinions catapulted presidential election recounts into the national spotlight today admitted in a federal courtroom in Philadelphia that there’s no evidence Pennsylvania’s voting systems were hacked. Meanwhile, an expert witness testifying on behalf of the GOP — which is working to protect electors for President-elect Donald Trump — said the likelihood that Pennsylvania’s voting system was hacked is about as likely as aliens living among us. It’s possible, but there’s no evidence to show it’s happening.

A school district where a black student was upset that a classmate was allowed to wear a sweatshirt depicting the Confederate flag said on Friday that after more students went to class wearing Confederate flag clothing, it must be banned. Earlier Friday, Plum Borough School District Superintendent Timothy Glasspool had told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that a high school student had a right to wear a sweatshirt depicting a Confederate flag even though it upset the black student and her father. He said courts had determined school officials can’t prevent a student from wearing a sweatshirt unless it’s disruptive. However, when...

PHILADELPHIA — A judge is rejecting a Green Party-backed effort to allow software experts to inspect Philadelphia's election systems for any evidence that hacking affected the result of Pennsylvania's Nov. 8 presidential election. The judge's refusal Wednesday comes after Philadelphia's election board rejected the idea, too. It is part of a broader effort by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein to recount votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states where Republican Donald Trump won narrowly over Democrat Hillary Clinton...

Updated at 2 pm Jill Stein’s Pennsylvania recount attempt continues to sputter, with a Wednesday ruling from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas denying her request to have the city’s electronic voting machines examined. The request to forensically study the machines was considered by her lawyers to be one of the best ways to determine the validity of the votes, and they had previously said they thought they had a chance in court. The city’s Election Board had already refused to let Stein’s computer experts examine the machines. Judge Abbe F. Fletman wrote in her decision that Stein basically missed...

So Jill Stein is demanding three state recounts, for "election integrity" as she says. Odd that she is only targeting states where Trump won by razor-thin margins. Why not also recount New Hampshire (Hillary by 0.4%)? I hope that the next time something like this happens, the GOP immediately demands a recount as well, but of those states the Democrats barely won.

THE GREEN Party-backed push for a recount of Pennsylvania's presidential election results will get its day in federal court. U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond on Tuesday ordered a Friday hearing to consider the party's request for a forensic examination of voting machines used across the state and a statewide recount of paper ballots. The proceeding will take place just days before the Dec. 13 federal deadline for the state to certify its votes, setting up a tight window for the examination should the judge allow it to proceed. "This is a step toward ensuring that voters of this state...

Simply put, the numbers are stunning: In Allegheny County, Pa., alone, estimates of “totally technically recoverable reserves” of shale natural gas exceed 150 trillion cubic feet. “This is nearly five times the minimum required for classification as a super-giant gas field and enough natural gas to provide all of America’s needs for more than five years,” recently wrote Gregory Wrightstone and Justin Skaggs in Oil and Gas Investor. Wrightstone, a petroleum geologist/consultant at Wrightstone Energy Consulting in Allison Park, Pa., and Skaggs, a geologist with Pin Oak Energy Partners in Akron, Ohio, say at today’s depressed market prices, “the...

The Green Party-backed push for a recount of Pennsylvania's presidential election results will get its day in federal court. U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond on Tuesday ordered a Friday hearing to consider the party's request for a forensic examination of voting machines used across the state and a statewide recount of paper ballots. The proceeding will take place just five days before the Dec. 13 federal deadline for the state to certify its votes, raising questions over whether that would leave enough time for a thorough examination should the judge allow the recount to proceed. Former Green Party presidential...