Author

Patrick Abdalla
Correspondent Patrick Abdalla covers northeastern Pennsylvania for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Follow him on Twitter @PaddyAbs.
Efforts to bring passenger rail back to NEPA keep chugging along
By: Patrick Abdalla - January 26, 2023
'Hopefully, 2023 is the year this went from an idea to implementation,' rail backer Tyler Kusma told the Capital-Star
Who’s tougher on crime? A familiar 2022 fight comes to a high-stakes NEPA congressional race
By: Patrick Abdalla - October 23, 2022
Democratic incumbent Matt Cartwright and Republican Jim Bognet are trading jabs in their 8th District rematch.
Biden touts public safety policy in visit to Wilkes-Barre
By: Patrick Abdalla - August 30, 2022
The president also knocked Republicans who have defended the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Biden tests positive for COVID, cancels Pa. trip
By: Patrick Abdalla, Jennifer Shutt and Ariana Figueroa - July 21, 2022
The Democratic president had been set to visit Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre. Those visits were canceled.
At home in Scranton, facing a fight in D.C., Biden pitches his sprawling domestic agenda
By: Patrick Abdalla - October 20, 2021
'This has been declared dead on arrival from the moment I introduced it,' Biden said. 'But I think we’re going to surprise them because I think people are beginning to figure out what’s at stake.'
In Luzerne Co., feds investigate issues with mail-in ballots
By: Patrick Abdalla - September 23, 2020
Federal officials are investigating a “small number of mail-in” ballots that were sent into Luzerne County’s Bureau of Elections on Sept. 17, according to the local District Attorney’s office.
In Scranton, despite pandemic, annual Fringe Festival lets art find a way
By: Patrick Abdalla - September 21, 2020
Fringe Under Glass, the replacement for the COVID-19 preempted Fringe Festival, runs from Sept. 25-27. Expect some changes.
On home turf for CNN town hall, Biden pitches White House race as fight ‘between Scranton and Park Ave’
By: Patrick Abdalla - September 17, 2020
During a "drive-in" town hall appearance hosted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper at PNC Field, Biden tried to stake out a populist message while tackling an array of topics.
‘I’m going to be the strongest labor president we’ve ever had’: Biden tells union workers during Pa. campaign stop
By: John L. Micek and Patrick Abdalla - September 7, 2020
Biden's appearance, his second in a week, comes as the former vice president's campaign, and President Donald Trump's re-election campaign focus increased resources on Pennsylvania.
For Biden, Trump, must-win NEPA is a high-stakes numbers game. This is the math behind it | Analysis
By: Patrick Abdalla - September 6, 2020
The numbers are striking. It’s impossible to inspect them and deny that President Donald Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 because of his performance in the seven northeastern counties
White and old no more. Forget everything you think you know about Scranton
By: Patrick Abdalla - August 23, 2020
Old and white? That's news to Scranton's Black and Brown voters. They see a diverse and vibrant city on the rise. And Joe Biden needs them to win.
Ahead of Biden’s DNC speech, and running behind in a battleground, Trump trolls ex-Veep on his home turf
By: Patrick Abdalla - August 20, 2020
“Joe Biden is no friend of Pennsylvania,” Trump said during an hour-long appearance at Mariotti Building Products in Old Forge. “... He’s your worst nightmare.”