Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) released the following statement today on his swearing in as a member of the 112th Congress: “It is truly an honor to be sworn in today to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. I am thankful for and humbled by the tremendous support I received from people all across Pennsylvania, from my family, and from my staff. There is much challenging work before us, but with hard work and a commitment to the principles of fiscal responsibility, I am optimistic that we can make real and constructive progress for Pennsylvania and our country." Pictured, Toomey is sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden. Toomey's wife, Kris, holds the Bible. Coutesy of Toomey's office

During a trip to the Middle East, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, met with Vice President Biden at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to discuss the security situation in the country as well as the ongoing negotiations over the Iraqi government formation. He later met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Iyad Allawi, the heads of the leading blocs. Earlier in the day, he traveled to a U.S. military base in Salah ad Din to discuss political and security developments in the Kurdish region of the country, where he met with U.S. troops, including Captain Philip Balliet from Allentown. Photos provided by Casey's office

Penn State University has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to receive a $1.5 million grant for a research project that could fundamentally change the way the country uses and produces energy. In an announcement made today by Vice President Joe Biden, the DOE is awarding a total of $106 million, through the Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), for 37 projects that could produce advanced biofuels more efficiently from renewable electricity instead of sunlight; design completely new types of batteries to make electric vehicles more affordable; and remove the carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants in a more cost-effective way. Penn State's project is Electron Source – Solar Hydrogen: An oil-producing algae that usually derives its energy from residual light and organic waste at the bottom of ponds will be “rewired” to use electricity. The organism will be able to convert hydrogen and carbon dioxide into a bio-oil that can be refined int...

Statement from Vice President Joe Biden: “My mother, Catherine Eugenia “Jean” Finnegan Biden, passed away peacefully today at our home in Wilmington, Delaware, surrounded by her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and many loved ones. At 92, she was the center of our family and taught all of her children that family is to be treasured, loyalty is paramount and faith will guide you through the tough times. She believed in us, and because of that, we believed in ourselves. Together with my father, her husband of 61 years who passed away in 2002, we learned the dignity of hard work and that you are defined by your sense of honor. Her strength, which was immeasurable, will live on in all of us.” ~~~ Catherine Eugenia “Jean” Finnegan Biden was born on July 17, 1917, the daughter of the late Ambrose J. Finnegan and the former Geraldine C. Blewitt of Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1941, she married Joseph Robinette Biden. They were married for 61 years before Mr. Biden pa...

WATTSBURG, PA – Vice President Biden today announced the availability of $4 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act loans and grants to help bring broadband service to un-served and underserved communities across America. This is the first round of Recovery Act funding aimed at expanding broadband access to help bridge the technological divide and create jobs building out Internet infrastructure. Vice President Biden was joined today by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper at Seneca High School, the first stop on the President’s National Rural Tour. “Today’s announcement is a first step toward realizing President Obama’s vision of a nationwide 21st-century communications infrastructure – one that encourages economic growth, enhances America’s global competitiveness and helps address many of America’s most pressing challenges,” said Vice Preside...

Vice President Joe Biden will visit Erie on Wednesday to make an announcement regarding broadband investments in the federal stimulus package. Biden will be joined by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski. The vice president's appearance is scheduled for noon Wednesday at Seneca High School. General public tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis from 4:00pm to 7:00pm on Tuesday, June 30, at the main lobby of Seneca High School, 10770 Wattsburg Rd., Erie, PA 16509.

Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood challenged governors to think boldly when designing high-speed rail plans during a roundtable discussion at the White House today. The session was a unique opportunity for state leaders to share their ideas with the Obama Administration about the future of high-speed trains in America. In April, President Obama released a strategic plan outlining his vision for high speed rail. The plan identifies $13 billion in federal funds -- $8 billion in the Recovery Act and $5 billion requested in the President’s budget -- to jump-start a potential world-class passenger rail system and sets the direction of transportation policy for the future. Detailed guidance for up to the first $8 billion in federal grant applications will be announced later this month and the first round of grants are expected to be awarded as soon as late summer 2009. In developing the high-speed rail program, Administration officials have sought extensive...

Washington DC -- Vice President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Chu today announced Pennsylvania will receive $352,477,062 in weatherization and energy efficiency funding – including $252,793,062 for the Weatherization Assistance Program and $99,684,000 for the State Energy Program. This is part of a nationwide investment announced today of nearly $8 billion under the President’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – an investment that will put approximately 87,000 Americans to work. “This energy efficiency funding for states is an important investment in making America more energy independent, creating a cleaner economy and creating more jobs for the 21st century that can’t be outsourced,” said Vice President Biden. The funding will support weatherization of homes, including adding more insulation, sealing leaks and modernizing heating and air conditioning equipment, which will pay for itself many times over. “Even as we seize the enormous potential of clean energy sources like wi...

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the nearly $800 billion economic stimulus bill pending in Congress will deliver about $16 billion in unemployment benefits, bridge repairs, and other aid to Pennsylvania. Biden was in the state to try to drum up support for the legislation. Negotiators for Congress and the White House reached agreement just minutes after he spoke at a state Capitol news conference For the full story, go to pennlive.com .

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — This blue-collar town is known mostly as the birthplace of Little League baseball, but it turned into an epicenter for vice presidential politics for one crisp, fall afternoon. The Democratic and Republican vice presidential candidates were holding campaign rallies Thursday just a couple hours, and several miles, apart in this often-overlooked area of Pennsylvania, one of the most hotly contested battleground states in the nation. "It's a big deal. I even kept my kids out of school to bring them here," said William Shannon, 41, of Cogan Station, as he waited outside the late-afternoon rally for Democratic candidate Joe Biden at a gym at Lycoming College. "Kind of open their eyes to the world, of what the big picture is." A couple hours later, Republican Sarah Palin was slated to give her own speech at Bowman Field, an old, minor-league ballpark. For the full story, go to pennlive.com . From the AP story on Palin's visit to Erie: Pali...

Is someone intentionally skewing my poll , or are we more Republican than I thought? And, would a woman really vote for another woman just because she's a woman? That's sad.

Just wanted to share this e-mail with y'all. "Anne -- I have some important news that I want to make official. I've chosen Joe Biden to be my running mate. Joe and I will appear for the first time as running mates this afternoon in Springfield, Illinois -- the same place this campaign began more than 19 months ago. I'm excited about hitting the campaign trail with Joe, but the two of us can't do this alone. We need your help to keep building this movement for change. Please let Joe know that you're glad he's part of our team. Share your personal welcome note and we'll make sure he gets it: http://my.barackobama.com/welcomejoe Thanks for your support, Barack P.S. -- Make sure to turn on your TV at 2:00 p.m. Central Time to join us or watch online at http://www.BarackObama.com." You didn't know I was on a first-name basis with Senator Obama, did you? And, for the record, I haven't sent him a penny.

In case you're just waking up and haven't heard any news yet ... CNN confirms Sen. Barack Obama has chosen Delaware Sen. Joe Biden to be his vice-presidential running mate. We ran a story on the air Thursday saying that Governor Ed Rendell believed Biden would be the best choice. I guess this means Rendell and Obama agree on something.