Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is used to running the state — but now his neighbors say he’s been running their backyard too.
A bitter property fight between the governor and the couple next door has exploded into a federal lawsuit, with Jeremy and Simone Mock accusing Shapiro and his wife, Lori, of trespassing on a slice of their land and trying to claim it for themselves.
At the center of the dispute is roughly 2,900 square feet of property between the two homes in the Philadelphia suburb of Jenkintown. The Mocks say the strip belongs to them. The governor’s family says otherwise.
According to the complaint filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the fight began after security concerns intensified around Shapiro’s homes. In April 2025, an arsonist hurled a Molotov cocktail into the governor&#8217;s mansion in Harrisburg while Shapiro and his family were inside celebrating Passover. The attack prompted officials to review security at the governor’s other home as well.
As part of those discussions, the Shapiros wanted to build an eight-foot security fence near the edge of their property in Jenkintown.
The situation also carries a dose of political irony. Shapiro previously criticized former President Donald Trump’s border wall and other immigration policies. Now the Democratic governor finds himself in a legal fight tied to building a fence around his own home.
That’s when surveyors discovered something surprising: a piece of land the Shapiros had long treated as part of their yard was actually deeded to the Mocks.
Court filings say the governor first tried to buy the land from his neighbors so the security project could move forward. When the two sides couldn’t agree on a price, the Mocks say they offered another option — leasing the strip instead.
But the lawsuit claims negotiations soon broke down.
The Mocks allege the Shapiros began acting as though the land already belonged to them, planting trees on the disputed strip and asserting control over the area. The complaint also claims that the Pennsylvania State Police began patrolling the property as part of a security zone connected to the governor’s protection detail.
When the Mocks attempted to access the land, officers allegedly told them the area was considered “disputed” and ordered them to leave.
The neighbors say the situation forced them to halt construction of their own fence and prevented contractors from entering the area.
The Shapiros strongly dispute the allegations and have filed their own legal action.
Their argument relies on Pennsylvania’s adverse possession law, which allows someone to claim ownership of land if they have openly used and maintained it for 21 continuous years without the legal owner objecting.
According to their filing, the Shapiros say they’ve treated the fence line as the real property boundary since they purchased their home in 2003, mowing and maintaining the area for decades.
The Mocks call the situation something else entirely — an “outrageous abuse of power.”
In the end, it’s the kind of neighbor property fight many homeowners have seen before — just with a governor on one side of the fence.
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<a style="color: #098642; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Shapiro Lawsuit on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1011011344/Shapiro-Lawsuit#from_embed"> Shapiro Lawsuit </a> by <a style="color: #098642; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Leif Le Mahieu's profile on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/user/646035392/Leif-Le-Mahieu#from_embed"> Leif Le Mahieu </a>

Home improvement Josh Shapiro

The Backyard Battle Between Dem Governor And Couple Next Door

Josh Shapiro

Pennsylvania

Politics

According to a new law, all public and private schools in Pennsylvania will be required to add cursive handwriting lessons into their curriculum beginning next month.
The bill was signed into law by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) last month and will take effect on April 12. It also had bipartisan support and passed the House 195‑8 and the Senate 42‑5 before being signed by the governor, according to <a href="https://www.fox29.com/news/pennsylvania-schools-will-be-required-teach-cursive-again-starting-april">Fox 29 Philadelphia.</a>
PA Senator and bill sponsor Wayne Langerholic (R) said in a statement that &#8220;by reintegrating cursive into the curriculum…we are investing in our students’ cognitive development, strengthening their legal preparedness and preserving their connection to historical literacy.&#8221;
&#8220;Cursive is more than handwriting. It’s a bridge,&#8221; Rep. Dane Watro (R), a cosponsor of the bill, said in a statement. &#8220;It connects us to our history, strengthens learning and deepens our understanding of the world. By teaching cursive, we’re equipping students with skills that sharpen the mind and safeguard our shared heritage.&#8221;
There’s been a big debate over cursive writing instruction ever since the Common Core Standards for public school education, which were adopted in 2010, did not include a cursive handwriting requirement. Those standards stressed printed writing and keyboard skills to be used for writing instead. 
One recent <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11943480/">study</a> found that cursive helps children with brain development. 
“The Neuroscience Behind Writing” found that “cursive writing involves greater activation of the motor cortex and cerebellum, as it requires fine motor coordination and smooth transitions between letters.” The report went on to note that, …this fluidity enhances memory retention and cognitive engagement, as the writer must anticipate the next letter in a continuous motion.”
Per the website <a href="https://mycursive.com/states-that-require-cursive-writing/#:~:text=Arizona,introduced%20as%20recently%20as%202022.)">MyCursive</a>, almost half of states still require or encourage cursive instruction in the classroom. That number has been steadily increasing over the years. 
New Jersey just updated their cursive writing requirements earlier this year as Governor Phil Murphy (D ) signed a cursive mandate into law just before leaving office in January. The new standards will go into effect next school year for students.
“We owe it to our students to give them a well-rounded education that ensures they have the tools to fully understand our rich history and become competent leaders,” Murphy said in a statement at the time, per the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/20/us-news/nj-flips-script-mandates-teaching-cursive-writing-in-schools-starting-next-fall/">New York Post</a>.

cursive handwriting

Cursive Makes A Comeback In Pennsylvania Schools

Cursive Handwriting Instruction Will Be Required In Pennsylvania Schools

Education

Public Schools

Schools

The 2028 presidential primaries may have just begun to peek over the horizon, but media personalities are already starting to put their thumbs on the scales as they go about interviewing those who seem likely to throw a hat into the ring.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
On Sunday, two competing interviews — one with Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week&#8221; and the other with Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; — gave viewers a glimpse of what they might expect from legacy media as the next presidential election approached.
Early polling suggests that both Shapiro and Newsom could be considering a 2028 run for the White House, and as is often a precursor to such a campaign, both have published recent memoirs in an effort to test the waters. But the tone of those interviews shed some light on how the legacy media might treat the two governors differently during a presidential campaign.
On &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host Martha Raddatz was conciliatory toward Shapiro as long as he was keeping the attack focused on President Donald Trump.
At one point, knowing that Shapiro had been at a meeting with the president at the time, she asked him to describe Trump&#8217;s demeanor when he learned that his tariffs had been shot down by the Supreme Court.
Shapiro said that Trump had been taking questions from the governors at the meeting when an aide approached and handed him a piece of paper detailing the ruling. &#8220;I think he said, ‘we lost?’, as a question, the aide nodded in affirmation.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gov. Josh Shapiro describes what happened when President Trump found out about the Supreme Court ruling during a meeting at the White House: “I think he said, ‘we lost?’, as a question, the aide nodded in affirmation.” <a href="https://t.co/ZpBwNhvycr">https://t.co/ZpBwNhvycr</a> <a href="https://t.co/vimv2UdJcN">pic.twitter.com/vimv2UdJcN</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2025595617683333368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Raddatz went on to ask about Trump&#8217;s new plan — to use Section 122 to levy tariffs rather than the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as he had previously — and Shapiro once again condemned Trump.
&#8220;I wish he would just adhere to the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling and stop the pain for the American people,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on President Trump’s plan to use Section 122 to levy tariffs: “I wish he would just adhere to the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling and stop the pain for the American people.” <a href="https://t.co/oAxlKTXb3i">https://t.co/oAxlKTXb3i</a> <a href="https://t.co/gcKLdxKBFU">pic.twitter.com/gcKLdxKBFU</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2025600792900878810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When asked about the possibility of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surge in Pennsylvania, Shapiro toed the party line: &#8220;We do not want that kind of chaos in our communities in Pennsylvania, so don&#8217;t come. But if you come, we are prepared to address it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gov. Josh Shapiro says Pennsylvania is preparing for a potential ICE surge: “We do not want that kind of chaos in our communities in Pennsylvania, so don&#8217;t come. But if you come, we are prepared to address it.” <a href="https://t.co/KOQRly9D1A">https://t.co/KOQRly9D1A</a> <a href="https://t.co/ISi98wnkw2">pic.twitter.com/ISi98wnkw2</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2025602518022340772?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But then Raddatz pointed to a recent New York Times piece about a long-running feud between Shapiro and Senator John Fetterman (D-PA). Shapiro, clearly uncomfortable with the line of questioning, said only that his relationship with Fetterman was &#8220;constructive&#8221; — and would not commit to supporting the senator if he chose to run for reelection.
&#8220;I think he needs to decide if he&#8217;s running, and then we&#8217;ll make a decision from there,&#8221; Shapiro said, arguing that the feud was a fabrication on the part of journalists attempting to stir up drama.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gov. Josh Shapiro says he has a “constructive relationship” with Sen. John Fetterman, but did not say if he would support a re-election bid: “I think he needs to decide if he&#8217;s running, and then we&#8217;ll make a decision from there.” <a href="https://t.co/dGjJbpGGuw">https://t.co/dGjJbpGGuw</a> <a href="https://t.co/uxs577D8Oy">pic.twitter.com/uxs577D8Oy</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2025602050915221871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; the tone shift was slight but noticeable. Newsom was given a lot of the same opportunities to bash Trump — &#8220;he&#8217;s flailing,&#8221; the California governor said of the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling striking down the tariffs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Newsom reacts to Supreme Court ruling striking down most of Trump&#8217;s tariffs: &#8220;He&#8217;s flailing&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/tI1yiSoZw1">pic.twitter.com/tI1yiSoZw1</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2025602757479084482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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But then Newsom was given far more room to sell himself throughout the interview, from questions about how he dealt with the death of his mother to a detailed explanation about his lifelong struggle with dyslexia and how he now views that as a &#8220;superpower.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gavin Newsom on his lifelong struggle with dyslexia: &#8220;I do think it&#8217;s a superpower&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/7Q0J8d0xks">pic.twitter.com/7Q0J8d0xks</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2025602206624292896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The most difficult question posed to Newsom was how he planned to handle it if his career and the career of his old friend — former Vice President Kamala Harris — ended up on a collision course in 2028. When Newsom <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gavin-newsom-laughs-off-potential-face-off-with-kamala-in-2028-thats-fate-if-it-happens">dismissed the question</a> out of hand as up to &#8220;fate,&#8221; Bash simply let the matter drop and allowed him to pivot right back to talking about his book.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gavin Newsom on possibly facing Kamala Harris in the 2028 presidential primary: &#8220;I&#8217;ve never gotten in the way of her ambition&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/PDm8CmkR96">pic.twitter.com/PDm8CmkR96</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2025602268746145959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“That’s — you know, fate will determine that,” Newsom shrugged. “And I’ve never gotten in the way of her ambition, ever. I haven’t. And I don’t imagine I would in the future. But I don’t —”
“But if you run against each other for president —” Bash tried again.
“That’s fate,” Newsom said again, dismissing the question entirely. “You only can control what you can control. I think this entire book is that fundamental lesson. And this notion of controlling what you control, and taking responsibility for what you control, is a big part of what I try to communicate in this book. That’s the third thing, it’s like how this book will be received. It’s the third thing, I can’t control it. I can’t control whatever decisions she makes.”
As the primaries approach, the delineation will get clearer — but it&#8217;s already clear that Newsom has the media&#8217;s attention, and media outlets want to be sure he has yours too.

Gavin Newsom

SPIN CYCLE: Two Interviews Reveal How The Press Is Framing 2028

Dana Bash

Donald Trump

Kamala Harris

Martha Raddatz

Media

Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) claimed on Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had no legitimate &#8220;mission&#8221; when going into cities like Minneapolis, saying that he believed their only mission was &#8220;to violate people&#8217;s constitutional rights.&#8221;
Shapiro, who was a contender to be former Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217; running mate in 2024 and is considered to be in the running for the 2028 Democratic nomination, discussed the situation during a conversation on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View.&#8221; He argued, among other things, that it was time for ICE&#8217;s &#8220;mission&#8221; to end — and said that he&#8217;d have no problem thwarting federal law enforcement if such operations targeted his state.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Shapiro says he&#8217;s ready to stop ICE from enforcing immigration law in Pennsylvania. <a href="https://t.co/hoXXZ2C0KB">pic.twitter.com/hoXXZ2C0KB</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/2016186174411354127?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Co-host Ana Navarro raised the question of Minneapolis, referring first to the deadly confrontation between Border Patrol agents and Alex Pretti, and asking Shapiro to weigh in on the still-unfolding scene.
&#8220;Well, it&#8217;s obviously extremely disturbing,&#8221; Shapiro said of Pretti&#8217;s death. &#8220;To me, it is very clear that the mission the president and Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller and JD Vance and all of them sent these federal officials on is a mission to violate people&#8217;s constitutional rights, and it is clear that the mission needs to be terminated immediately, period, hard stop.&#8221;
Co-host Sara Haines took the next question, noting that Philadelphia could be a potential target for a similar surge of federal immigration enforcement resources and personnel, and she asked how Shapiro planned to respond if that were the case.
&#8220;What can you do if they bring this crackdown to your state next?&#8221; she asked.
Shapiro quickly made it clear that he had already considered that possibility — and was taking preemptive action to prepare ahead of time. &#8220;Look, Sara, we&#8217;ve been planning for this. We understand that this is a risk — maybe not just in Philly, but Pittsburgh, Lancaster, other communities across Pennsylvania; we&#8217;ve heard similar rumors. Wherever it comes, we&#8217;ll be prepared, we&#8217;ll be prepared in the community, we&#8217;ll be prepared in the court of law.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ll remind you, as a former attorney general, I know how to take this president to court and win,&#8221; he declared, going on to boast, &#8220;And even as governor, I&#8217;ve taken him to court 19 times in his first 12 months in office. We&#8217;ve won every single time on behalf of the good people of Pennsylvania.&#8221;

Rally Against Hate Held In Philadelphia Days After Jewish Cemetery Vandalized

2028 Dem Hopeful Claims ICE Has No Real ‘Mission,’ Only Shows Up To Violate Constitutional Rights

Josh Shapiro Claims ICE Has No Real 'Mission,' Only Shows Up To Violate Constitutional Rights

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ended his campaign for re-election, a stunning reversal and likely the end of the political career of a man who many pundits projected would be the Democratic nominee for president as early as 2028.
But if a once-popular governor can be toppled by widespread welfare fraud, where does that leave other Democratic presidential hopefuls?
The revelations of staggering levels of fraud in Minnesota — and Walz’s preemptive exit from the big stage — should send a chill down the spines of Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, and JB Pritzker, who are likely sitting on powder kegs of fraud themselves. What are the odds that Tim Walz is an outlier among blue-state governors with the exact same political philosophy and ideology? Unlikely.
Federal prosecutors allege more than <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/12/18/u-s-attorney-fraud-likely-exceeds-9-billion-in-minnesota-run-medicaid-services/">$9 billion</a> in Minnesota Medicaid dollars were stolen by scammers primarily from the state’s Somali community, an enormous sum, equivalent to roughly three-quarters of <a href="https://nbs.gov.so/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Somalia-GDP-2024-release-text-v3-2025.pdf">Somalia’s GDP</a>. Investigations are ongoing, and the real total loss may be even higher.
Welfare programs are an enormous money pot that inevitably attracts scammers. And the bigger the pot, the bigger the potential payoff for thieves. With state budgets the size of those in California, Illinois, and New York, not to mention Democrats’ general posture toward welfare expansion, it would be truly shocking if there were less fraud in those larger states.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins requested data from the states on who is receiving food stamps early last year, including identifying information like Social Security numbers and, importantly, immigration status. The Trump administration has previously discovered that more than one million people were illegally receiving <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/cms-doge-identify-wasteful-duplicate-medicaid-enrollments.html">Medicaid in multiple states</a> — and it’s likely the same with food stamps and SNAP benefits. Individual states are not able to detect this kind of fraud: only the federal government can find it by comparing recipients across the states.
But Democrats have refused to help the Trump administration find fraud. In fact, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-sues-trump-administration-over-illegal-demands-states">in July</a>, 22 blue states sued to block the Trump administration from requiring the data. Democrats want the federal government to pay for food stamps without knowing who is receiving them.
Tim Walz and the other 21 governors have all seen the information they are currently hiding from the feds. In the absence of transparency from these elected officials, federal investigators, journalists, and citizens of goodwill all need to keep digging until the American people get the truth and law enforcement can bring fraudsters to justice.
Food stamp fraud is a known fact. According to the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO), more than <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-25-107753.pdf">$10 billion</a> in the food stamp program is wasted every year — <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/key-statistics-and-research">more than 10%</a> of the program. Some blue states have even higher error rates: Massachusetts and D.C. overpay by an average of more than <a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-fy24QC-PER.pdf">13%</a> — and New York and New Jersey aren’t far behind at more than 12%. That means that one out of every eight dollars in these states is wasted — and this is just the waste, fraud, and abuse that we know about.
Nearly <a href="https://thefga.org/research/categorical-eligibility-in-food-stamps-is-fraud-by-design/">every Democrat-run state</a> in America also uses an accounting gimmick called Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility, or BBCE, to hide its own erroneous payments from the federal government. BBCE means that if someone receives a non-monetary TANF benefit, like a brochure or the number to a welfare agency hotline, the state assumes that they qualify for food stamps, too, without bothering to check their assets to see if they are actually eligible. The result is an explosion in the welfare state, costing taxpayers more than <a href="https://thefga.org/solution/promoting-work-over-welfare/bbce/">$11 billion per year</a>, with the benefits going to people with liquid assets well above the limits set in federal law.
The good news is that, thanks to a new law signed by President Trump, states with high error rates can no longer waste federal tax dollars with impunity. States with food stamp payment error rates over <a href="https://www.sas.com/en_us/news/press-releases/2025/november/payment-integrity-food-assistance.html">six percent</a> are now legally required to start paying back a small part of the cost of the program. Left-wing Massachusetts could owe more than <a href="https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/understaffed-dta-faces-steep-snap-penalty-risks/">$250 million per year</a>. Deep-blue Maryland may be on the hook for more than <a href="https://marylandmatters.org/2025/12/03/maryland-may-face-more-than-300-million-in-new-snap-costs-due-to-high-payment-error/">$300 million</a>. This is a great first step, and not only will it help repay federal taxpayers, but it will also encourage states to finally get their act together and stop wasting money.
As the old story goes, criminals rob banks “because that’s where the money is.” And there are no bigger pots of money than the federal treasury and the bloated budgets of blue states. Attorney General Bondi and investigators across the country are beginning to look at where the real money is — and the fallout could bring down the entire top-tier slate of 2028 Democratic presidential nominees.
* * *
Adam Gibbs is the communications director for the Foundation for Government Accountability.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Opening Day Of World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026

Welfare Fraud Threatens Top-Tier Democratic Presidential Nominees Ahead Of 2028

Welfare Fraud Threatens Top-Tier Democratic Presidential Nominees Ahead of 2028

2028 presidential election

Democrats

Elections

Fraud

J.B. Pritzker

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Somalis

Tim Walz

Taxpayers in Pennsylvania continue to pay for transgender procedures on children despite actions from the Trump administration to protect them from the life-altering procedures, according to government data shared with The Daily Wire. 
Pennsylvania funding for the procedures has continued to surge, even with President Donald Trump’s executive actions to cut funding for entities that promote the procedures on kids. From January to September 18, 2025, Pennsylvania has shelled out nearly $3 million in funding for the procedures, according to data obtained by the Pennsylvania Family Institute. 
The spending numbers come from “Right to Know” requests filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services by Dan Bartkowiak, the chief strategy officer at the Pennsylvania Family Institute. He said that there should be a drop in funding due to the Trump administration’s actions. 
“So are other entities doing this?  Will we see the drop?” he said. “The assumption would be, it&#8217;s going to be less than last year&#8217;s total.” 
In 2015, Pennsylvania&#8217;s spending on “sex reassignment and transition-related services and drugs” for children and young adults surged from $74,000 per year to over $5 million in 2024. In total, the commonwealth has spent over $31 million on transgender procedures on 6,229 patients between the ages of 5 and 18 since 2015.
Despite increasing backlash from lawmakers and parents about the dangers of the procedures, the spending hasn’t appeared to slow down.
How young were the patients? According to the data, there were 133 children last year between the ages of 6 and 12 who received transgender procedures. 
<div id="attachment_1012881" style="width: 1090px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1012881" class="size-full wp-image-1012881" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sex-Reassignment-Infographic-Square-120125-v2.jpg" alt="" width="1080" height="1080" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sex-Reassignment-Infographic-Square-120125-v2.jpg 1080w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sex-Reassignment-Infographic-Square-120125-v2-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sex-Reassignment-Infographic-Square-120125-v2-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sex-Reassignment-Infographic-Square-120125-v2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sex-Reassignment-Infographic-Square-120125-v2-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />PA Family Institute.</div>
One of the hospitals that has performed transgender procedures on kids, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is currently fighting the Trump administration’s efforts to gain data on the use of puberty blockers. They sued to block the Justice Department&#8217;s efforts to investigate the hospital. 
From January until September 18, $2,925,736 in Pennsylvania Medical Assistance has gone toward the procedures through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), fee-for-service claims, physical health paid encounters, and behavioral health paid encounters, according to the data. 
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Bartkowiak flagged the increasing amount of CHIP funds going toward the procedures, rising from just over $15,000 in 2015 to over $1,114,367 in 2024. Already over $487,00 in CHIP funding has been spent on the procedures. CHIP is Pennsylvania’s program for uninsured kids and teenagers who aren’t eligible for Medicaid. 
The Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services told The Daily Wire that it is &#8220;required to follow all applicable federal and state Medicaid rules and covers services related to gender transition that otherwise fall within a beneficiary’s scope of covered Medicaid benefits, such as physician’s services, inpatient and outpatient hospital services, behavioral health services, and prescribed drugs when medically necessary.&#8221;
It added that relies on the guidance from the radical World Professional Association for Transgender Health &#8220;in determining medical necessity for gender-affirming health care services.&#8221;
Senator Judy Ward, a Pennsylvania Republican, is attempting to stop taxpayer funding of the procedures and protect kids from gender surgeries, cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers. In June, she introduced the &#8220;<a href="https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/PDF/2025/0/SB0843/PN0921">Do No Harm Act</a>&#8221; to shield kids from the procedures. 
“It&#8217;s just a horrible, horrible thing, and we&#8217;re doing it to children,” Ward told The Daily Wire of the transgender procedures. “It is child abuse [in] every sense of the word.”
Ward did not believe that Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro would sign the legislation if it passed the Republican-controlled Senate and managed to get across the finish line in the Democrat-run House. Under Shapiro, $14 million has been spent on the procedures. Shapiro did not respond to a request for whether he would sign Ward’s legislation. 
She said that more awareness is needed to make Pennsylvanians aware of where their hard-earned money is going. 
As a registered nurse, Ward said that health professionals were supposed to help people, not push them into experimental treatments. 
“We are to help people to heal and to be the best person that they can be physically, mentally, spiritually, even, and in doing this sort of care is not helping people,” she said. “I think it&#8217;s taking advantage of someone who is confused.&#8221;

Biden Addresses Building Trades Union Conference After Endorsement

Swing State Still Spending Millions On Trans Procedures For Kids

Swing State Still Spending Millions On Trans Procedures For Kids, Data Shows

Transgender

Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro (PA) went scorched earth on failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris this week, when he heard — seemingly for the first time — what she wrote about Shapiro in her then-unpublished memoir.
Shapiro, who was once considered to be Harris&#8217; running mate, bluntly stated that the former VP told &#8220;blatant lies&#8221; about him and said she was trying to &#8220;cover her *ss&#8221; and &#8220;sell books.&#8221;
Harris claims in &#8220;107 Days&#8221; that Shapiro was overbearing and suggests he wanted to be a co-president if they won the election.
Shapiro had &#8220;mused that he would want to be in the room for every decision,” Harris also says, adding that this made her tell Shapiro that “a vice president is not a co-president.”
Harris also wrote that she questioned if Shapiro “would be unable to settle for a role as number two and that it would wear on our partnership.”
During an <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2025/12/josh-shapiro-pennsylvania-trump-president-election/684991/?gift=cHrwJAzy2nnCJKPvBwa_LO1BZWUFSTjotKSD05I4z-g">interview</a> with The Atlantic, Shapiro was told about these comments, which were apparently unbeknownst to him at the time. “I did ask a bunch of questions,&#8221; he reacted. &#8220;Wouldn’t you ask questions if someone was talking to you about forming a partnership and working together?”
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Shapiro was also told that Harris wrote that the governor asked her residence manager how many bedrooms were in the vice-presidential residence and was curious if the Smithsonian might work with him to loan Pennsylvania art for the house.
Those comments, according to The Atlantic, set off Shapiro.
<div class="wpds-c-PJLV article-body type-text" data-qa="article-body">
“That’s complete and utter bullsh*t,” Shapiro said. “I can tell you that her accounts are just blatant lies.”
Asked if he felt betrayed by Harris, Shapiro continued to go off: “I mean, she’s trying to sell books and cover her *ss,” he said. “I shouldn’t say ‘cover her *ss.’ I think that’s not appropriate … She’s trying to sell books. Period.”
</div>
Harris performed incredibly poorly in her 2024 run for the White House against President Donald Trump. She decided against Shapiro as her VP pick, and instead chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who tanked a debate against Vice President JD Vance. Walz was also plagued by past scandals during the campaign.
Some speculated at the time that Harris opted for Walz over Shapiro since the latter is Jewish, which wouldn&#8217;t sit well with far-Left Democrats who are anti-Israel or even antisemitic.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamala-goes-scorched-earth-recalls-how-biden-angered-her-in-pre-debate-pep-talk?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Kamala+Goes+Scorched+Earth%2C+Recalls+How+Biden+‘Angered’+Her+In+Pre-Debate+Pep-Talk">Kamala Goes Scorched Earth, Recalls How Biden ‘Angered’ Her In Pre-Debate Pep-Talk</a>

Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Campaigns Across Wisconsin

‘Trying To Cover Her *ss’: Democrat Gov Rips Kamala Harris For ‘Blatant Lies’

‘Trying To Cover Her *ss’: Dem Gov Rips Kamala Harris For ‘Blatant Lies’

Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro headed to a West Philadelphia hair salon to sign a bill that would prohibit “hair discrimination” in the state.
The CROWN Act, which stands for &#8220;Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,&#8221; explicitly calls for protections for &#8220;natural&#8221; hairstyles, including locs, braids, twists, afros, and more. The legislation passed the state Senate with a 44-3 vote.
&#8220;Real freedom means being respected for who you are — no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, or who you pray to,” Shapiro <a href="https://www.pa.gov/governor/newsroom/2025-press-releases/governor-shapiro-signs-crown-act-into-law">said</a>. &#8220;For too long, many Pennsylvanians have faced discrimination simply for hairstyles that reflect their identity and culture — that ends today.&#8221;
House Speaker Joanna McClinton and U.S. Democratic Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes have been working to get the CROWN Act implemented since 2019. 
Both women said the motivations were personal. 
&#8220;I never wore braids from law school to being a public defender for seven years in this city, because I always had a perception that it would not be respected,&#8221; McClinton said. &#8220;They will not look at your hair and say you cannot work here. They will not look at your hair and say you do not belong.&#8221; 
&#8220;Hair discrimination has taken confidence from our children, but that ends today,&#8221; Mayes added. &#8220;Hair discrimination has taken dignity from workers, but that ends today. It has taken access to economic opportunities, hopes and dreams, but that begins to end today.&#8221;
The CROWN Act was introduced in the House of Representatives in 2021 and was approved in 2023. It was reintroduced in both the House and Senate last year, but has not passed.
Twenty-eight other states have similar legislation on the books.
Black hair has been a hot topic of conversation lately, especially during former first lady Michelle Obama’s book tour. 
Obama said that black women are “trapped” by societal pressure regarding their looks and feel compelled to keep their hair straight, meaning they can’t participate in everyday activities.
“Let me explain something to white people. Our hair comes out of our head naturally in a curly pattern,” the 61-year-old said earlier this month. “When we straighten it to follow your beauty standards, we are trapped by the straightness.”
“That’s why so many of us can’t swim, and we run away from the water. People won’t go to the gym because we’re trying to keep our hair straight for y’all! It’s exhausting, expensive and takes up so much time.”
Obama concluded by effusively telling society to “get out of&#8221; her hair.
“So why do we need an act … an act of law to get white folks out of our hair? Don’t tell me how to wear my hair. Don’t wonder about it. Don’t touch it. Just don’t. It just is.”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-becomes-first-state-ban-racial-hair-jeffrey-cawood">California Becomes The First State To Ban Racial &#8216;Hair Discrimination&#8217; Against Braids, Cornrows, And Dreadlocks</a>

Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Signs Bill Banning ‘Hair Discrimination’

Pennsylvania Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting 'Hair Discrimination'

Beauty

Discrimination

Racial Discrimination

Social Issues

A man who expressed anti-Israel views and called Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro a “monster” pleaded guilty to all charges on Tuesday morning after firebombing the Governor’s Residence in April.
Cody Balmer, 38, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted homicide and terrorism, along with dozens of arson-related charges, The Philadelphia Inquirer <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/crime/cody-balmer-arson-guilty-plea-josh-shapiro-mansion-fire-20251014.html">reported</a>. Balmer was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.
Balmer scaled the property fence and broke into the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence at around 2:00 a.m. on April 13, shortly after Shapiro — who is Jewish — finished celebrating Passover with his family. The arsonist lit multiple homemade incendiary devices and threw them on the floor inside the home as Shapiro and his family slept, security footage shows. Balmer then fled the property.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Video inside Gov. Shapiro&#8217;s residence shows the moments Cody Balmer threw Molotov Cocktails inside the residence earlier this year
More details on <a href="https://t.co/7vlW67ZTdM">https://t.co/7vlW67ZTdM</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZKWrn5LQqm">https://t.co/ZKWrn5LQqm</a> <a href="https://t.co/scIl39YPYH">pic.twitter.com/scIl39YPYH</a>
— abc27 News (@abc27News) <a href="https://twitter.com/abc27News/status/1978097948140388429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After the blaze erupted, the governor and his family were awakened by state troopers and escaped unharmed. The fire damaged much of the home, costing more than $7 million to repair, the Inquirer reported.
Hours after he set the fire, Balmer called police and admitted to the attack, saying that he would not “take part in [Shapiro’s] plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arsonist-arrested-for-attack-on-josh-shapiro-hated-israel-911-call-reveals">reported</a>. Balmer told authorities that he strongly disagreed with Shapiro’s stance on the war between Israel and Hamas and admitted that he would have beaten Shapiro with a hammer if he had encountered the governor during his rampage, according to police documents.
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Balmer had past run-ins with law enforcement, and his mother said that he is “mentally ill and he went off his medication.” In 2023, police responded to a call from Balmer’s home, and he reportedly told police that he attempted suicide with a “bottle full of pills” and got into a fight with his wife and 13-year-old son. His wife alleged that Balmer hit the teenager and punched her in the face and bit her. He was charged with three counts of simple assault at the time.
Last year, as Shapiro was on the shortlist of potential running mates for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the governor faced intense criticism from many on the Left for his stance on the war in Gaza. Harris ultimately skipped over Shapiro and selected Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz. Shapiro maintained that he was not passed over due to any form of antisemitism within the party.
Balmer’s social media activity shows that he expressed a range of leftist beliefs, while also criticizing former President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/14/us-news/cody-balmer-suspected-josh-shapiro-arsonist-pictured/">reported</a>. Leftist media personalities like Don Lemon and Joe Scarborough <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-the-attack-on-democrat-josh-shapiros-house-is-not-an-example-of-maga-violence">attempted</a> to spin Balmer’s attack as an example of Right-wing violence.

Anti-Israel Man Pleads Guilty After Terrorizing Pennsylvania Governor’s Home

anti-Israel

Arson

Crime

Fire

Israel

Amid the furor over Charlie Kirk’s assassination, claims have been made in the attempt to &#8220;both sides&#8221; political violence that the man who attacked Pennsylvania Democrat governor Josh Shapiro’s home was a Trump supporter.
Shapiro himself, responding to the anger from President Donald Trump after the Kirk assassination, wrote, “No one party is immune from political violence. My family and I can attest to that.”
“Violence transcends party lines — and the way to address it and have true peaceful debate is for leaders to speak and act with moral clarity. That needs to start with the President,” Shapiro said.
But the evidence available suggests that Shapiro&#8217;s attacker, Cody Balmer, is almost certainly not an example of right-wing violence.
Balmer had declared “himself a “socialist” in social media accounts <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/14/us-news/cody-balmer-suspected-josh-shapiro-arsonist-pictured/">expressing a range of far-left beliefs</a>,” The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/14/opinion/josh-shapiro-survives-fire-assassination-attemptthe-left-must-own-the-culture-of-political-violence-it-created/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&amp;utm_source=pasteboard_app">pointed out</a>, adding, “Balmer also shared multiple left-wing anti-capitalist posts on his Facebook.”
According to a search warrant, the motivation for Balmer&#8217;s hatred of Shapiro was rooted in the Jewish governor&#8217;s <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/04/16/arson-attack-shapiro-palestine-motive/83113218007/">support for Israel</a>.
After Balmer set the fire at Shapiro’s home, he reportedly <a href="https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county/county-officials-release-cody-balmer-911-call-shapiro-residence-attack/521-593ceb32-d9af-4692-860e-d623e77b5ce7">called 911</a>, declaring he “&#8230;will not take part in his (Shapiro&#8217;s) plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people&#8230; he needs to stop having my friends killed.” District Attorney Fran Chardo <a href="applewebdata://26D98909-A91F-46CC-A43A-4774AD366721/v">stated</a>, “We will use the statement [by Balmer] regarding Palestine as evidence the defendant targeted the Governor because he is Jewish. We allege that this was a hate crime.”
“His posts express opposition to former President Joe Biden, President Donald Trump, the GOP and the Democratic Party. He also posted memes critical of the COVID-19 pandemic response, suggesting that the media and government overreacted and taking pride in disobeying lockdown orders,” News From The States <a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/plagued-legal-woes-alleged-shapiro-attacker-espoused-murky-political-views?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a>.
Although his brother <a href="https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/04/pennsylvania-governor-mansion-arson-attack-mental-health-shapiro/">claimed</a> that he tried to convince everyone in his family to vote for Trump in 2024, Balmer <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2025/04/14/who-cody-balmer-harrisburg-pa-arson-shapiro/83079845007/">said</a> of politicians, “I don&#8217;t play favorites especially since they all suck.” His family also <a href="https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/04/pennsylvania-governor-mansion-arson-attack-mental-health-shapiro/">said he had mental illness issues</a> and would not take his medication.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
No one party is immune from political violence. My family and I can attest to that. 
Using the rhetoric of rage and calling some of our fellow Americans “scum” — no matter how profound our differences — only creates more division and makes it harder to heal.
We are at an… <a href="https://t.co/XCbI5Z3RfR">https://t.co/XCbI5Z3RfR</a>
&mdash; Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorShapiro/status/1967399740418498912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
None of these facts have stopped the media from labeling the attack on Shapiro right-wing violence.
Joe Scarborough of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” in listing attacks by members of the Right on political figures, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGzT8Zyzb80">limned</a> Shapiro’s attacker as from the Right as Scarborough included Shapiro in his list, saying, “This followed Josh Shapiro having his home, an attempted arson, trying to burn down his home with his wife and his children sleeping inside of it. His goal, he admitted, was to burn the house down, find the Democratic governor of the state of Pennsylvania, and then beat him to death with a hammer.”
Don Lemon <a href="https://x.com/DeplorableWench/status/1967585901539926253">stated</a>, “The man who targeted the home of Democratic governor Josh Shapiro &#8230; was a Trump supporter.”
Other voices on social media made <a href="https://x.com/TheRickyDavila/status/1911808208722936004">claims</a> such as, “The terrorist attack on Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence wasn’t random, it was a MAGA lunatic who was radicalized by hate and propaganda online.”

Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro’s Residence Set On Fire In Suspected Arson Attack

No, The Attack On Democrat Josh Shapiro’s House Is Not An Example Of ‘MAGA’ Violence

antisemitism

Charlie Kirk

A Philadelphia landlord is fighting to evict squatters who broke into her rental property and have been living there for over two months.
Naydia Smith tells The Daily Wire that a couple with five young children broke into the house in April or May, at which point they began trashing the home. She was first made aware of the squatters in June, when her business partner Richard Watson’s parents received an anonymous call about the intruders.
On June 7, Watson’s parents confronted and filmed a man in the house. The man — whose documents found in the house appear to identify him as Antonio Stewart — said he had rented the property and gained entrance through the back. He had one page of a fake lease, dated April 1, 2025.
Smith and Watson rented out the house almost continuously until their most recent tenant moved out in January 2025, leaving it vacant while they considered selling or finding a new renter. They called the police but were unable to file a report, since they weren’t the legal homeowners.
On June 13, Smith visited the home with her fiancé and cousin, finding it neglected and damaged.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-952993" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Squatter_House_Damage-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Squatter_House_Damage-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Squatter_House_Damage-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Squatter_House_Damage-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Squatter_House_Damage.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></div>
“We go inside the home, and we find that the home is in squalor, meaning that there were beds on the floor, clothes on the floor,” Smith said. “There were a lot of vermin — there were roaches outside and everything, and they weren’t there before, so clearly it’s unkempt and unclean.”
Smith said they also discovered five unsupervised children inside, ranging in age from 2 to 14.
A video provided to The Daily Wire shows children sitting on two couches while Smith and her family examine the house.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Squatters continue to be a problem across the U.S.
Meet Naydia Smith, who has been trying for over two months to remove a family of squatters in Philadelphia—two adults and five children—who forcibly broke into her house.
Full report: <a href="https://t.co/whXpoYTjDo">https://t.co/whXpoYTjDo</a> <a href="https://t.co/uweCHAM06V">pic.twitter.com/uweCHAM06V</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1949886665205354615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“There were no adults there, no supervision,” Smith said. “The house was in disarray.”
Smith says she filed a report with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services about the unsupervised children.
Neither the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services nor the Philadelphia Department of Human Services replied to requests for comment.
As they explored the house, they found the back door severely splintered and damaged, with a new lock.
Alarmed by the condition of the home, Smith called the police, hoping they would arrest the squatters for breaking and entering.
“The police wanted to turn it into a squatting situation instead of a breaking and entering situation, which is exactly what it is,” Smith said. “I have illegal trespassers in the home who are squatting, who broke through the back door.”
The alleged squatters — Stewart and a woman — arrived with several friends or family members around the same time as police. Stewart presented a fake lease and a gas bill to law enforcement, but could not provide a water bill or an electric bill, according to Smith.
The electric company stated that the squatters had contacted them to restore power to the house, according to Smith. Smith asked the company not to restore power.
Squatters often use fake leases to delay removal by police, knowing that only a judge can determine their validity. As a result, police are often required to let them remain in the home until the matter is settled in court.
While in the home, Smith said she found a second fake lease with the couple’s name for a different property in Elmwood Park, dated March 15, 2025.
“One of the documents on the other fake lease was a signed document by the landlord, who was the rightful owner of the property, and Antonio, saying that they planned to leave the property on Tuesday, April 15,” Smith said. “That was sketchy, because that shows that they did not actually legally rent the place.”
Another document showed that the couple was bribed by the rightful landlord to vacate the property, according to Smith.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-953005 alignleft" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image1-1-432x576.jpeg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image1-1-432x576.jpeg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image1-1-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image1-1-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image1-1-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image1-1.jpeg 1512w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-953003 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image0-4-432x576.jpeg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image0-4-432x576.jpeg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image0-4-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image0-4-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image0-4-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/image0-4.jpeg 1512w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /></div>
“He actually paid them $1,500 to actually leave the property, to get them out,” Smith said.
Both leases named the landlord as Bryan Pulliam, but the documents showed two different rental companies.
“The person who is on these rental companies, the Bryan Pulliam guy, uses different, fake real estate companies to generate these leases for them,” Smith said.
Smith said she does not feel safe interacting with the squatters. She believes they are “career squatters.”
“The woman who was there, who would not give her name, also said, ‘You know what you have to do. You have to go downtown and evict us,’” Smith said. “So she knows the process, and they know how to do this, and they know what they can and can’t do as a part of this process.”
The rampant squatter crisis has captured the nation’s attention in recent years, with states such as <a href="https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2025/governor-ron-desantis-signs-anti-squatting-legislation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a> and <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-passes-squatter-reform-act-impact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Georgia</a> passing laws to crack down on the issue and A&amp;E launching the new TV show “Squatters,” featuring a former handyman who became a “squatter hunter” after squatters took over his mother&#8217;s home.
A squatting map published by Newsweek <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/squatting-map-cities-highest-number-homes-1886005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> Atlanta, Dallas, and Orlando as the cities with the most homes taken over by squatters. The survey, conducted by the National Rental Home Council in 2024, found 1,200 homes in Atlanta, 475 in Dallas, and 125 in Orlando that had been taken over by squatters.
Under Philadelphia law, Smith must let the legal process play out, which gets complicated in the case of fake leases. Homeowners are not permitted to forcibly <a href="https://phillysheriff.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/PSO-Squatters-and-Evictions-Brochure-Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evict</a> squatters by changing locks or removing belongings.
Smith filed <a href="https://fjdefile.phila.gov/efsfjd/zk_fjd_public_qry_03.zp_dktrpt_frames" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ejectment paperwork</a> with the sheriff’s office on June 13, but says serving the paperwork can take up to 30 days. Once served, the squatters have up to 20 days to file a response. If the squatters do not respond, they must be given a 10-day notice. At that point, Smith said, either the squatters will be ejected or a court date will be set.
“Where is the arrest warrant for the people who broke into the home? Arrest them for breaking and entering,” Smith said. “It’s very unfair that people break the law, and then they have rights and are protected for breaking the law. That’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Neither the city councilwoman for the district of Smith’s property, the mayor of Philadelphia, nor the governor of Pennsylvania responded to requests for comment.
The squatters, Smith said, have caused significant financial harm, since she’s losing rental income while still covering the mortgage.
“Once they leave the property, we’re going to have to do repairs,” Smith said. “We’re going to have to deep-clean and replace things in the home. On top of that, we’re also going to have to exterminate the heck out of that place.”
Smith said it is hard to find a lawyer willing to take ejectment cases.
“The fees for a lawyer to take an ejection case are $5,000,” Smith said. “Now you tell me why I have to spend all of that money to get somebody out of a property that they do not rightfully belong in.”
Now, she fears a lengthy battle to reclaim her property.
“I am the rightful owner, and I can’t understand why it’s so hard to eject someone who has no right to your place, your home, and something that you’ve worked so hard for,” Smith said.
The squatters have not responded to attempts to negotiate. Smith said she wishes she could speed up the ejection process.
“I wish the City of Philadelphia would really help,” Smith said.
Stewart did not return a request for comment.

Squatter Cover

‘You Literally Have No Protection:’ Philadelphia Squatters Take Over Woman’s House

Philadelphia

Squatters

The man suspected of setting the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion on fire while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping was motivated by his hatred for Israel, a 911 call reveals.
After 38-year-old Cody Balmer set fire to the mansion in the early hours of Sunday morning, he called the police to tell them he would not take part in [Shapiro’s] plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” <a href="https://www.pennlive.com/crime/2025/04/arson-suspect-targeted-pa-gov-shapiro-for-what-he-wants-to-do-to-palestinian-people-search-warrant.html?outputType=amp">Penn Live</a> reported.
Balmer added that he wanted to “stop having my friends killed” and that “our people have been put through too much by that monster.” Police reportedly say Balmer appeared to be reading from a script, based on his intonation and cadence.
“You all know where to find me. I’m not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done,” Balmer said.
Balmer targeted Shapiro “based upon perceived injustices to the people of Palestine” and because of Shapiro’s faith, according to a warrant for his devices signed Tuesday by Corporal Benjamin Forsythe of the Pennsylvania State Police, Penn Live reported. The warrant reportedly does not cite the evidence that Shapiro was targeted for being Jewish.
Balmer’s storage unit in Swatara Township reportedly had stickers of South American Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara inside a toolbox.
Police <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25896483-balmer-criminal-complaint-and-affidavit-mdj-klein/">documents</a> reveal that Balmer admitted to harboring “hatred towards” Shapiro and planned on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arson-suspect-planned-on-beating-josh-shapiro-with-hammer-police?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Arson+Suspect+Planned+On+Beating+Josh+Shapiro+With+Hammer%3A+Police">beating him with a hammer</a> if he encountered the governor during the attack, where he allegedly threw two Molotov cocktails into the Harrisburg home.
The attack, which did significant damage to the governor’s mansion, led to police waking and escorting Shapiro’s family from the home. The attack took place hours after the Shapiro family finished their Passover Seder meal.
Balmer has been charged with eight crimes, including attempted homicide, aggravated arson, burglary, reckless endangerment, terrorism, and multiple counts of aggravated assault. He faces over 100 years in prison.
Balmer turned himself in to the police shortly after his ex-girlfriend alerted authorities that he was responsible. Balmer admitted to the attack and told police that he knew people could be harmed, according to a police affidavit.
“He advised on the date in question he removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into Heineken Bottles he found at his residence,” the police affidavit says. “Balmer advised he walked for approximately one hour from his residence to the Governor’s Residence to throw his homemade Molotov cocktails into the residence.” 
Balmer’s mother <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/josh-shapiro-governors-residence-harrisburg-fire/">told</a> the media that her son was “mentally ill and he went off his medication.”
Police were dispatched to Balmer’s home in January 2023 to respond to a report of domestic violence. When police arrived, Balmer told them he attempted suicide with a “bottle full of pills” and got into a fight with his wife and 13-year-old son, according to an affidavit from the Penbrook police department.
Balmer’s wife said he hit the boy and punched her in the face and bit her hand, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/14/politics/cody-balmer-shapiro-arson-suspect-invs/index.html">CNN reported</a>. His wife added that another 10-year-old son was elbowed in the chest multiple times, and had his already-broken leg stepped on. 
Balmer was reportedly charged with three counts of simple assault at the time, but it is unclear whether he entered a plea. The case is ongoing.

Arsonist Arrested For Attack On Josh Shapiro Hated Israel, 911 Call Reveals

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