🧑🏭 Back to work.
🗞️ In today’s PoliticsPA Guide. Trump distracts Epstein. How large were Democrats’ gains in Pennsylvania this year? When will SNAP beneficiaries receive their full November benefits? 10 underrated towns in Pennsylvania
🎶 Your morning pick-me-up. I work to live. Huey Lewis and the news
Weather in Pennsylvania
❄️ Warren | Snow showers, 40
☀️ Frackville | Mostly clear, 39
☀️ Meeting in Plymouth | Mostly clear, 47
Sports PA
🏈 Eagles (8-2) | Detroit 16-9 | Sun vs. Dallas
🏈 Steelers (6-4) | Cincinnati 34-12 | Sun in Chicago
🏈 Pitt (7-3) | Notre-Dame 15-37 | I was at Georgia Tech
🏈 Penn State (4-6) | Michigan State 28-10 | Saturday vs. Nebraska
🏀 Sixes (7-5) | Detroit 105-114 | Mine vs. LA Clippers
🏒 Flyers (9-6-3) | St.Louis 6-5 (SO) | Dallas 1-5 | Monday in St. Louis
🏒 Penguins (10-5-4) | Nashville 1-2 (overtime) | Nashville 4-0 | Friday vs. Minnesota
🔊 What we hear. A huge portion of House Republicans have said they are ready to support Rep. Tom Massie’s petition to grant a discharge in the Epstein case, from conservative hardliners to moderate policymakers to endangered swing targets, including Representatives Rob Bresnahan AND Ryan Mackenzie from Pennsylvania. “If the proposal is rejected, I will vote for it,” Mackenzie said.
📰 PoliticsPA Guide was developed by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser click here. Has this email been sent to you? Subscribe for free.
The most essential story
1. Trump turns on Epstein as House Republicans prepare to reject him
“President Donald Trump abruptly reverses its months-long campaign to quash bipartisan efforts to release federal data it handles Jeffrey Epstein — as dozens of House Republicans prepare to oppose his claims involving a recently convicted sex offender.
“House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files because we have nothing to hide and it’s time to move on from this Democrat hoax,” he wrote on Truth Social on Sunday night, adding: “I DON’T CARE! All I care about is that Republicans GET BACK TO POINT” when discussing economic issues.POLICY)
Elsewhere
Pennsylvania continues to fight the Trump administration over confidential voter information. “Voting Rights and Retiree Groups, NAACP Join State in Opposing Data Demands.” (Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper)
How Shapiro’s withdrawal from RGGI could shape Democrats’ climate message. “The Democratic divide on climate policy seemed to be narrowing this month after a pair of moderates ran to victory in the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s races, weaving clean energy into an affordability argument. That unity lasted about a week. On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro helped reopen it.” (POLICY)
Fetterman says he returned home after a fall that sent the Pennsylvania senator to the hospital. “Senator John Fetterman says he has returned home to his family in Pennsylvania after being hospitalized for what his office said was a recurrence of ventricular fibrillation that left him dizzy and he collapsed during a Thursday morning walk.” (WHY)
Fetterman’s book and media attack highlight ‘person as radical purple state centrist’. “His recent emergence in the national spotlight has shown that he is not changing his strategy, even if it continues to irritate some of his voters.” (Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper)
Country
2. How large were Pennsylvania’s democratic gains this year? Big
“We’ve already looked at Democratic gains in Virginia, New Jersey, California and Georgia. But we shouldn’t leave out Pennsylvania, a swing state where Democrats not only kept three vulnerable Supreme Court justices in retention elections, but did so by comfortable margins while flipping a wide swath of down-ballot offices, all in the face of high turnout and high spending in an off-year election.” (Almanac on American Politics)
Elsewhere
Shapiro praises state budget agreement despite concessions. “Pennsylvania lawmakers moved quickly to pass the state budget this week after a 135-day delay, but it wasn’t the desired deal for either party. The $50.09 billion budget includes a lot of proposals. No new taxes, no touching of the rainy day fund, no taxes on arcade games, no new marijuana revenues and no new funding for public transportation.” (WHTM)
Voter support for Trump remains a wild card as the PA heads into the gubernatorial primary election. “Pennsylvania Democrats are confident of winning next year’s governor’s race after recent election victories they say show deep dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.” (PA reflector)
‘Artificial intelligence is already here’: Lancaster Country Day School cited during AP Senate hearing on fraudulent regulations. “The notorious 2024 case involving the use of artificial intelligence software to create nude photos of students for Country Day in Lancaster was cited during a Nov. 10 state Senate committee hearing on legislation to strengthen Pennsylvania’s mandatory reporting law.” (LNP)
PA Turnpike adds civil lawsuits to support collect $237 million in unpaid tolls. “With uncollected tolls now reaching $237 million, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has added another method for dealing with scofflaws: filing civil lawsuits against Pennsylvanians through the state attorney general’s office.” (Union Progress in Pittsburgh)
Around the Republic of Poland
3. When SNAP beneficiaries will receive their full November benefits in each state
“The Trump administration on Thursday directed states to “take immediate steps” to ensure households receive full November SNAP benefits, but in reality it could take a week or longer, some local SNAP offices told Axios. “Benefits are expiring and should be paid to everyone [Pennsylvania] SNAP recipients through the end of the week,” the governor’s office said in a press release. (Axles)
Elsewhere
A Lackawanna County detective is charging two people with illegally writing on Election Day ballots. “A Lackawanna County election judge and her son were charged Friday with election fraud and tampering with Election Day ballots. Kathie Sico, 67, and her son, Michael Sico, 46, who live at the same address in Dunmore, wrote her name on the ballots so they could get votes for election judge in one of Scranton’s Jackson Heights precincts, according to arrest affidavits.” (WVIA)
A Pennsylvania jury found the nation’s leading arcade game developer liable for the murder of a salesman. “Lawyers for the estate of Ashokkumar Patel argued that his death during the robbery could be partially attributed to the companies’ failure to ignore safety and security practices to protect their cash-only gambling operations.” (Penn Capital Star)
PA’s fresh budget establishes a bonus program for child care workers. “The $25 million recurring investment will benefit teachers and other paraprofessionals who are directly responsible for the care of children in licensed child care programs across the Commonwealth participating in the Child Care Grant Program.” (New news about the castle)
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
- Admit it. Gavin Newsom is the favorite of 2028 | Jonathan Martin
- When did I become a Fetterman Republican? | Frank Miele
- Epstein emails are the end of America because they ruined it | Will Bunch
- Chronic budget impasse blames Harrisburg’s political culture | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
- Democrats: Call Trump’s bluff on 2020 election probe | Bruce Ledewitz
- Bush appointee warning: When Justice Department declares ‘war’ on judges, we all lose | John E. Jones III
- Voting on the budget does not result in a flow of funds | Trib LIVE
- Federal Sued to Suspend SNAP, Exploited Hungry Americans for Political Gains as Business Shut Down | Rock Copeland
- Pennsylvania budget deprives cyber students of their money | Guy Ciarrocchi
- Trigger warning: Pennsylvania politicians find this article offensive | Ajay Raju
1 item
5. The 10 Most Underrated Cities in Pennsylvania
“Famous metropolises like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia immediately come to mind when we think of Pennsylvania. True, these vibrant places attract tourists with their rich cultural diversity, vibrant entertainment scene, and constant splendor and color, but they are not the only places worth experiencing in the Keystone State. Although most tourists tend to skip small rural towns, probably due to the general lack of fanfare around them, they constitute some of the state’s best-kept secrets.” “(Atlas of the World)
Thank you for starting your week with us.
Let’s make this one good.
