Local news starting to cover how Trump decisions impact local residents

[Deminpenn]

Last edited Wed Jan 29, 2025, 01:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Coffee can be Dems new "eggs".

Yesterday on its noon newscast KDKA TV (CBS local affiliate) did a long story on how Trump tariffs and threats of tariffs are affecting the coffee futures market creating uncertainly and how that is causing coffee prices to rise. The report specifically linked it to Trump's tariffs.

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/coffee-bean-prices-colombia-tariffs/

There was also a story about this in the Pgh Tribune-Review, a conservative newspaper centered on (red) Westmoreland county, although it didn't cite Trump's tariff threats as a factor.
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Then there's coverage of the funding freeze and its impacts.

Last night, WTAE TV (local ABC affiliate) was promoting a story on how Trump's policies are affecting residents on its 11PM newscast. Didn't stay up for the it, but perhaps this is it: https://www.wtae.com/article/fetterman-trump-funding-pause-statement/63593177

WGAL (Lancaster/Harrisburg local NBC affiliate) covered and reported on Gov Shapiro's presser regarding the federal funding freeze.
https://www.wtae.com/article/pennsylvania-gov-josh-shapiro-press-conference-federal-grant-loan-freeze/63594809

Pgh Post-Gazette has a front page story today covering Shapiro's presser.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2025/01/28/pennsylvania-shapiro-medicaid-trump/stories/202501280079

[twodogsbarking]

1. This pisses me off.

https://www.wtaj.com/news/local-news/cambria-county-coroner-to-hold-press-conference-on-man-found-dead/

[Deminpenn]

2. It's unreal what the financial threshold is

in Pennsylvania that disqualifies someone from getting help paying utility bills. It's been over a decade now, but one of my neighbors could've used this help but did not qualify because my neighbor's total assets were more than $4000.

[Deminpenn]

3. Tariffs and other Trump policies continue

to be covered on local TV newscasts. Fairly in depth reports on them and the impact on the area and local economy. Usually newscasts are weather, traffic accidents, fires, crime, sports, station investigative reporter segment. National political stories get a cursory mention, if any mention at all, but that hasn't been the case lately.

[Deminpenn]

4. People are paying attention and engaged

Just anecdotal, but chatting with my neighbor and while getting a haircut, there was a lot of concern about Trump. Both of them said they were either scared or becoming scared at the things Trump and the Rs are doing.

At the grocery store when I was getting a couple pennies in my change after paying for my stuff, I joked about no more pennies. The checkout clerk just said the cost of making pennies wasn't on the clerk's list of worries.

[Number9Dream]

5. Gasoline in the Lehigh Valley shot up 25 cents / gal today

The price of gas at our 'Giant' pumps went from $3.19.9 yesterday to $3.45 / gal today.

Bringing prices down on "day one"! This won't be mentioned on WFMZ, Allentown... I guarantee it. Dick Dean will be on tonight whining about the "radical left", etc.

[Deminpenn]

6. Front page story in Sunday's Pgh Post-Gazette about farmers affected by the funding freeze

It was an depth story on the Ag Dept funding and grants, how long and fairly complex actually getting the grants is and what the money goes to fund.

On yesterday's local newscast, KDKA-TV interviewed an employee, who asked not to be identified, of the local IRS branch who had been fired by Musk. He was just shy of his 1 year anniversary. He said the "poor performance" rationale was a joke. What was his job? Auditing taxes to make sure giant corporations paid their fair share of taxes.