😞 I don’t like Mondays. Tell me why. 🎶
🗞️ In today’s PoliticsPA Guide. Trump Reiterates Call for Jail Democrats. How AP broke through 135 days of budget lockdown Fetterman welcomes primary challenge in ’28. Tips to avoid headaches while traveling in Philadelphia this Thanksgiving.
🎶 Your morning pick-me-up. Blue Monday. New order
Weather in Pennsylvania
🌤️Bradford | Mostly shining, 48
☀️ Newport | Sunny, 52
☀️ Chalfont | Sunny, 51
Sports PA
🏈 Eagles (8-3) | Dallas 21-24 | Friday vs. Chicago
🏈 Steelers (6-5) | Chicago 28-31 | Sun vs. Buffalo
🏈 Pitt (8-3) | Georgia Tech 42-28 | Saturday vs. Miami
🏈 Penn State (5-6) | Nebraska 37-10 | I was at Rutgers
🏈 Temple (5-6) | Tulane 13-37 | Friday in North Texas
⚽ Union | New York 0-1 | MLS semi-final
⚽ Riverhounds | Tulsa FC 0-0 (PK: 5-3) | USL Final
🏀 Sixes (9-7) | Miami 117-127 | Tuesday vs. Orlando
🏒 Flyers (11-6-3) | New Jersey 6-3 | Mon Bay and Tampa
🏒 Penguins (10-6-5) | Minnesota 0-5 | Seattle 2-3 OT | Wednesday vs. Buffalo
🔈 What we hear. “This is a cause bigger than me or the other people who have been targeted. Political violence threatens the fundamental principle that we – Americans and Pennsylvanians – can govern ourselves and live in freedom in our noble pursuit of happiness. I call on everyone to condemn these violent threats.” – Rep. Chris Deluzio
📰 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 renews call for Democrats to be jailed after calling their video statement ‘death penalty’
“President Donald Trump has doubled down on his calls to convict six Democrats — including two members of Congress representing Pennsylvania — over a video directed at U.S. troops.
On Saturday evening, on his Truth Social platform, Trump once again claimed without evidence that six Democrats were traitors because they ordered soldiers to “refuse illegal orders.”
“This was sedition of the highest order, and sedition is a serious crime,” Trump wrote in all caps. | Questioner from Philadelphia
Elsewhere
Houlahan threatens President Trump via Capitol Police. “Pennsylvania Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-06) said yesterday that she called the Capitol Police and ‘made a threat against me from the President of the United States’ in response to Donald Trump’s Thursday tirade against her, Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-17) and four other Democratic lawmakers who served in the military.” | PoliticsPA
Bomb threats attack Rep. offices. Deluzia. “On Friday, at least two bomb threats were made to Rep. Chris Deluzio’s local offices in Carnegie and Beaver County, his spokeswoman Zoe Bluffstone said.” | Axios Pittsburgh
Donald Trump said that Democrats’ call for troops amounts to mutiny. Experts say this is doubtful. “Legal experts told PolitiFact that charging Trump with sedition is not warranted. They said they saw no way to indict Democratic lawmakers under any form of sedition law.” | Political fact
Dems Eye Ranked Choice Voting in Primary Elections. “Democratic politicians and activists are quietly lobbying to change the way the party selects its presidential candidate, pushing for the use of ranked-choice voting.” | Axles
Country
2. How Pennsylvania broke through 135 days of budget gridlock
“Forty-four states approved their budgets on time this year.
Not Pennsylvania.
When Governor Josh Shapiro finally signed off on the $50.1 billion Commonwealth Spending Plan on November 12 – 135 days behind schedule, the last in the country – it marked the end of a marathon of high-stakes negotiations.’ | Trib LIVE
Elsewhere
Pennsylvania’s budget deal has “no connection at all” to the election, a GOP leader says. “After two months of budget impasse in Pennsylvania, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R) said his caucus would be open to a $49 billion plan to end the impasse. But a final deal — set at $50.09 billion — won’t come for another two months.” | WHTM
Pennsylvania regulators propose special treatment for data centers. “The wave of energy-hungry data centers sweeping through the legacy power grid is often described as unprecedented. That’s why it’s difficult for utility regulators to rely on history to provide a roadmap.” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
Shapiro abandoned the same climate pact that Spanberger is joining. “To seal the state budget deal, Pennsylvania is leaving the RGGI emissions control program, but Virginia is jumping back in.” | American perspective
A handful of Allentown Democrats could elect AP’s newest state representative. “A handful of Democratic Party volunteers in Salisbury Township and throughout the city could have a huge impact on electing the next person to represent the 22nd District of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives next year.” | Lehigh Valley News
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Fetterman welcomes the main challenge in ’28
“In an interview on Fox News on Friday Senator John Fetterman said he would welcome a primary challenge in 2028 and praised New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to meet with President Donald TrumpP
Martha MacCallum asked Fetterman about Pennsylvania’s progressive Working Families Party, which announced earlier this week that it would support a primary challenge to Fetterman in 2028 and seek viable candidates.
“I hope so because I guarantee whoever they put in, they’re going to make me a reasonable guy who will work with both sides and find a way to Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said. | PennLive
Elsewhere
PJM is considering proposals to manage the data center’s impact on electricity affordability and reliability. “The regional electric transmission grid and electricity market manager serving Pennsylvania and 12 other states has been given a mid-December deadline to develop a plan to manage the impact of data centers and other large energy consumers on electricity prices and reliability.” | Penn Capital Star
Invoice for PLN 500,000 dollars: Westmoreland is awaiting response from the state regarding lost interest income. “Comptroller Jeffrey Balzer sent a bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro in October alleging the county owed nearly $500,000 in lost interest. The county is seeking repayment of lost interest on accounts where money was reallocated to pay for essential government operations. ” | Trib LIVE
Stefano criticizes PSU, claims school ‘lacks financial responsibility’. “In the recently passed budget, Pennsylvania lawmakers voted in favor of state-funded universities, including the Universities of Pittsburgh and Penn State, but at least one legislator remained opposed due to the latter’s fiscal choices, which include closing several satellite campuses.” | New news about the castle
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
1 item
5. Tips to avoid headaches while traveling in Philadelphia on Thanksgiving
“The worst congestion on regional highways is forecast for Sunday at 2:15 p.m., when people leave Philadelphia after Thanksgiving on Interstate 95 S, bound for Baltimore and D.C. As for the Pennsylvania highway, Wednesday is shaping up to be the worst day to hit the road, with an estimated 705,000 drivers.
Tips for drivers: Nationwide, Thanksgiving will be the best day to drive, according to INRIX. Worst: Tuesday and Wednesday. Journey home: Hit the road in the morning to avoid the worst backups. | Axios Philadelphia
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