🔊 Hello, Wednesday. Did someone say snow?
Weather in Pennsylvania
☂️ New Kensington | Afternoon showers, 64
🌂Elysburg | Chance of afternoon rain, 60
☁️Gilbertsville | Mostly overcast, 61
Sports PA
🏀 Sixes (2-11) | Wednesday – Memphis
🏒 Flyers (8-9-2) | Wednesday vs. Karolina
🏒 Penguins (7-10-4) | Tampa Bay, 2-3 (overtime) | Friday vs. Winnipeg
🎂 Happy birthday. Cake and candles for Senator Rosemary Brown AND Representative Lee James.
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🗞️ Good morning, Pennsylvania. Find the latest on political events in the Keystone State with the PoliticsPA Playbook. We’ll deliver all the latest headlines in an easy-to-read format every weekday at 8am. And it’s free. Add your name to the list and sign up now.
The most vital story
1. The battle over mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania is the latest example of disordered disputes over election rules
“The recount in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race marks the end of a chaotic post-election period that has become the latest example of how contested election rules can expose weaknesses in the core function of American democracy.
The process of counting votes in a race between Democratic incumbents Senator Bob Casey and republican David McCormick “became a spectacle of many hours of electoral commission meetings, outrage on social media, lawsuits and accusations of blatant violations of the law by some district officials.” (AP)
Elsewhere
Bob Casey pleaded not guilty to the race. This gets complicated for Democrats. “The results of the Pennsylvania Senate recount will not be announced until November 27. Meanwhile, Republicans are taking advantage of the high-profile Democrat’s precarious situation.” (known)
- Gov. Josh Shapiro defends Sen. Bob Casey’s decision to recount and points to Dave McCormick’s failed recount. (Questioner from Philadelphia)
- A recount in Allegheny County in the U.S. Senate race will likely show that thousands of people chose not to vote for the senator. (CBS Pittsburgh)
- Casey and McCormick are now arguing over provisional ballots in more than a dozen Pennsylvania counties. (Penn Capital Star)
Dr. Oz elected to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. “Mehmet Oz, who ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in Pennsylvania in 2022, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). (PoliticsPA)
Country
2. Shapiro says he will “not let SEPTA fail” as the agency struggles financially
“Vice President of Nippon Steel Takahiro Mori said he would not accept a potential decision regarding President Joe Biden to block the Japanese steelmaker’s proposed purchase of US Steel.
“I will never give up,” he said Tuesday during an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in West Mifflin. “It’s good for the region, it’s good for the community, it’s good for US Steel and it’s good for the American economy as a whole.” (Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper)
Elsewhere
Chinatown advocates and powerful Philadelphia unions speak out as city council considers 76ers stadium proposal. “Chinatown residents and business owners asked City Council members at a hearing Tuesday morning why they would consider approving a new 76ers arena that researchers and residents say would threaten the survival of the 150-year-old Asian-American neighborhood.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
Hundreds of people support Sara Innamorato’s budget, defending DHS services and programs. “The county government and council have been debating increasing the tax rate since the proposal was presented last month.” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
‘Our city is going backwards’: Allentown councilor Ed Zucal announces mayor’s ouster. “Allentown City Councilman Ed Zucal jumped into the city’s mayoral race Tuesday night, promising to reduce crime.” (LehighValleyNews.com)
Why the Democratic Senatorial Campaign is suing Bucks County over provisional ballots. “The Bucks County Board of Elections is being sued again. The lawsuit alleged that he disenfranchised voters in the Nov. 5 election when he rejected provisional ballots because of errors made by election workers.”Bucks County Courier Times)
Center County officials ‘set a record’ in vote counting. “Center County’s vote counting decisions were misrepresented in national reporting related to this week’s state Supreme Court ruling, county officials said Tuesday.” (StateCollege.com)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
1 item
5. Memorize almost 1,000 Bible verses? For young Christians, the game is on
“The National Bible Bee has achieved quiet celebrity status in some Christian circles, and video clips of its young competitors sometimes circulate outside of these communities on social media. The competition requires astonishing feats of memory that make the televised National Spelling Bee look like a game of tic-tac-toe. Players aged 9 Daniel Chew level, they memorized over 570 verses that they were supposed to be able to recite on command.
At the senior level, ages 15 to 18, participants memorize 938 Bible verses for a total of over 20,000 words. In some rounds of the competition, making even one mistake in a long passage – an incorrect plural or the wrong verb tense – leads to elimination. (New York Times)
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