😺 Hello Wednesday. Perhaps your last working Wednesday of the month?
🗞️ In today’s PoliticsPA Guide. Epstein Records is heading to Trump’s desk. Uzbekistan Wanted for terrorism, arrested with PA CDL license. Chester County has accepted over 11,000. provisional ballots. Gettysburg’s address at 162.
🎶 Your morning pick-me-up. Save me. Fontella Bass
Weather in Pennsylvania
☁️ Patton | Cloudy, 44
☁️ Palmyra | Mostly dull, 49
☁️Coopersburg | Mostly dull, 46
Sports PA
🏀 Sixes (8-5) | Wednesday vs. Toronto
🏒 Flyers (9-6-3) | Thu at St. Louis
🏒 Penguins (10-5-4) | Friday vs. Minnesota
📅 What’s happening today. Home 11am | Senate 11:00
🔊 What we hear. Senator Dave McCormick and his wife Dina were on the guest list for last night’s White House dinner for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
📰 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 crucial story
1. Every AP lawmaker votes to release Jeffrey Epstein records after Congress passes bill after Trump steps down
“Congress passed legislation on Tuesday requiring it President Donald Trump administration to release numerous files relating to a notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein after months of pressure from Democrats and survivors on the issue.
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill by a 427-1 majority, prompting lawmakers in the chamber to cheer. The legislation was then quickly passed by the United States Senate by unanimous consent, a process that bypasses debate if no senators oppose the bill.’ | Questioner from Philadelphia
Elsewhere
Lee claims the Trump administration is “slow” to release Epstein files as Congress votes to release them. “For U.S. Sen. Summer Lee, the months of delays, haggling and mishaps leading up to Tuesday’s votes to force the release of investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein were completely unnecessary.” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
Republicans are deeply divided over the Senate’s $500,000 bonus. dollars for intercepting telephone conversation recordings. “House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune disagree on a recently passed measure allowing senators to sue the Department of Justice for up to $500,000 over obtained phone records.” | Axles
‘How we did it’: Democrats’ strategy note for election night dominance. “The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee released a memo on Monday outlining key strategies and lessons learned from the 2025 general election, in which Democrats won state-level races across the country.” | Meidas News
Poll: Democrats have largest advantage in control of Congress in 8 years. “As we approach the 2026 midterm elections, the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows some very serious warning signs for Republicans.” | NPR
Country
2. Uzbekistan Wanted for terrorism arrested in Kansas with Pennsylvania CDL license; Garrity calls for an investigation
“Treasurer of the State of Pennsylvania and candidate of the Republican Party for governor Stacy Garrity Calls for a full investigation into the issuance of a CDL to a suspected terrorist Achor Bozorov.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested him in Kansas on November 9 while he was working as a commercial truck driver and had a commercial driver’s license (CDL) issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Borozow received his CDL license from PennDOT in July 2025, after obtaining his work permit in January 2024.” | PolitykaPA
Elsewhere
Harrisburg GOP and labor leaders celebrate ending PA greenhouse gas program. “Harrisburg Republicans and energy workers spend time after budget victory celebrating Pennsylvania’s withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.” | THAT’S ALL
Rural Somerset County opposes loss of pharmacies. “Many drugstores have closed in recent years, but few have sparked the public outcry that a small drugstore chain has launched in a place where coal once reigned supreme. Parts of rural Pennsylvania are taking a stand against Corporate America, and more than 500 people are joining a federal lawsuit in Pittsburgh that seeks to save an independent drugstore chain from bankruptcy.” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
“Perry should retire,” says the Fifth Challenger, adding that he would accept the support of a sitting president. “Steven Long, the latest potential challenger to Republican Sen. Scott Perry’s seat, has some ideas for the incumbent Republican. Namely, a Dillsburg man running an unaffiliated campaign thinks Perry should retire and endorse him.” | Shipment from York
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Chester County accepts most provisional ballots cast after a voter roll error on Election Day
“After a printing error forced an unprecedented number of voters in Chester County’s Nov. 4 municipal election to cast provisional ballots, the county Board of Elections ultimately accepted the immense majority of those ballots.
The county did not count unaffiliated and third-party voters in printed ballot drop boxes, which are used to check voters at polling places. On Election Day, these voters had to wait hours for additional surveys to be delivered or apply a provisional ballot – a last resort ballot option used when there are doubts about a voter’s eligibility.” | Vote for Pennsylvania
Elsewhere
Pennsylvania local governments are on track to apply nearly all of the $13 billion in pandemic relief by the end of 2026.. “The federal State and Local Recovery Funds program distributed $350 billion to tens of thousands of state, county, city, tribal, territorial and local governments as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 – often referred to as “ARPA money.” PA State College Spotlight
The Department of Energy is borrowing $1 billion to facilitate finance the restart of the nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island. “The loan is in line with the priorities of President Donald Trump’s administration, including strengthening nuclear energy and artificial intelligence.” | AP
A game of chance used in Northumberland County to decide the race for Sunbury Town Council. “Democrat Victoria Rosencrans and Republican Andrew Ramos were competing against each other for an open seat on the city council, but on election night they each received 751 votes. To decide which candidate wins the city council seat, the county board of elections will use a game of chance. The board of elections says it could be anything from a coin toss to a dice, cutting a deck of cards or even drawing straws. ” | To do
Westmoreland will break 200 electoral ties with a drawing from a jar. “Candidates in these races may appear in person and draw a numbered pill from a glass jar to determine the winner. Elections office staff draw randomly for candidates who are not present.” | Trib LIVE
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
- So-called arcade games are a racket that the state should ban, not tax Kyle Sammin
- Giving Thanks – Even for Pennsylvania Politics | Mateusz Dowling
- Pennsylvania’s future looks much brighter without RGGI | Megan Martin
- New budget, same problem: expenditure exceeds reality | Karol Gal
- The ‘club world’ that killed the Epstein story | Melinda Henneberger
- Independent voters are good people. This is a problem | Howard Lurie
1 item
5. Gettysburg Address – 162 years ago
President Abraham Lincoln spoke just 269 words during his speech and delivered a speech about history. | PBS
Thank you for starting your morning with us.
It’s the middle of the week and it’s all downhill from there.
