🎖️Veterans Day. A day when we can stop and remember the sacrifices of our veterans.
🗞️ In today’s PoliticsPA Guide. SCOTUS to say whether full SNAP food payments can be resumed. PA election results by county for 2022-2025. Food trends for 2026.
🎶 Your morning pick-me-up. Pain lies on the river bank. Live
Weather in Pennsylvania
🌤️ Plum | More and more clear, 38
🌤️Mercersburg | Mostly clear, 43
🌨️ Clarks Peak | Cloudy, snow showers, 38
Sports PA
🏈 Eagles (7-2) | Zielona Zatoka 10-7 | Sun vs. Detroit
🏀 Sixes (6-4) | Tuesday vs. Boston
🏒 Flyers (8-5-2) | Wednesday vs. Edmonton
🏒 Penguins (9-5-3) | Friday in Nashville
🔊 What we hear. “I have never viewed my political party as an iron shackle keeping me to the party line,” he said. “And I don’t take positions out of self-interest. I take positions based on what I believe is right. I know it has cost me the support of a significant portion of my base, and I am well aware that it may cost me my seat. I am completely at peace with that.” – Senator John Fetterman
📺 What are we watching?. Did you catch it Rep. Chris Deluzio ON “Daily show with Jon Stewart“last night?
📰 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. The Supreme Court is expected to say whether full SNAP food payments can be resumed
“It will be up to the Supreme Court and the U.S. Congress to decide when full payments will resume under the SNAP food assistance program, which helps 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries amid growing financial pressure on families in some states.
The Supreme Court is expected to announce on Tuesday, upon request, among others: President Donald Trump administration not to block states from providing full benefits on the grounds that the money may be needed elsewhere.AP)
Elsewhere
SNAP distribution halted in Pennsylvania after the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court ruling. “Approximately $295 million in SNAP benefits in Pennsylvania has been temporarily suspended. Pennsylvanians who have already received SNAP funds can continue to use them.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
Democrat Suspension Civil War Breaks Over in Private Conversation. “House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has vowed to fight the deal on the House floor and has floated the possibility of filing a discharge petition to force a vote on extending the ACA tax breaks, sources said. Several members, including Republican Madeleine Dean, praised Jeffries’ handling of the shutdown.” (Axles)
Democrats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives are furious with their colleagues over the agreement to shut down the Senate. “The bipartisan agreement will fully reopen the government by Jan. 30. The agreement does not include health care fixes demanded by Democrats, but it will provide funding for some federal programs, including food assistance and veterans benefits, through the next year.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
VP’s Office Responds to AP Governor Who Said JD Vance Betrayed Appalachian Roots with Bull Bull Politics Over SNAP. “The dispute could be a sign of things to come as Vance and Josh Shapiro are top potential 2028 presidential contenders.” (Fox News)
At the town hall, Lee says that democracy may collapse and it will require sacrifices to save it. “Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee believes that we could be living with the decline of democracy in the United States and that the U.S. government under President Donald Trump is already authoritarian.” (WESA)
Country
2. Democrats may sacrifice the climate agenda to break the budget impasse
“Governor Josh Shapiro and Democratic leaders are considering a budget deal that would exclude Pennsylvania from an interstate program that charges power plant operators for releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions.
Lawmakers involved in talks to end the four-month budget impasse are mute on ongoing issues, and the exact details of a plan that would formally end the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) are not known.” (PA reflector)
Elsewhere
Supporters say a Trump-friendly Pennsylvania county could feel the pain of Medicaid cuts. “The consequences of President Donald Trump’s tent bill will hit particularly hard in some very rural communities that have put GOP politicians in office. Fayette County is one such place. In Pennsylvania, the once-thriving coal mining center is second only to Philadelphia in Medicaid enrollment rates, where nearly a third of the county’s residents and more than half of children and youth depend on the program.” (Erie Times-News)
Sports Betting Sites Seek to Suppress Any Tax Hike in Pennsylvania as Budget Deal Rumors Circulate. “The online sports betting industry has quickly mobilized to quell any possibility of tax increases on online betting as Pennsylvania’s 19-week budget woes appear to be coming to an end.” (PennLive)
McCormick tells New Yorkers, “The Keystone State is calling.” “Having picked up on the rumor that New Yorkers are considering leaving the Big Apple over the election of Zohran Momdani as mayor, Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick is playing the role of travel agent and defending the Commonwealth as an alternative.” (PolitykaPA)
Former Gov. Tom Wolf ’77 is calling the Nov. 5 election a “generational shift” for Democrats. “Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ’77 urged the next generation of politicians to lead with “virtue” at a Rockefeller Center for Public Policy event on November 6. “The salvation of our political system and nation lies in the rediscovery of virtue,” he said. (Dartmouth)
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Fun with Maps: Pennsylvania Election Results by County 2022-2025
“Much has been said about the results of the vote to retain Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices Christina Donohue, Kevin DoughertyAND David Wechtwho gained a modern 10-year term on the Commonwealth Supreme Court.
Democrats across the country celebrated the victory, which, combined with gubernatorial triumphs in New Jersey and Virginia, allowed talk of a “blue wave” among voters disenchanted with the Trump administration’s policies.
What does this mean for 2026?” (PolitykaPA)
Elsewhere
SCOTUS agrees to hear case related to mail-in ballot deadline. “Mail-by-mail ballots. A problem that just won’t go away. It’s hard to believe this doesn’t affect Pennsylvania.” (PolitykaPA)
Here’s the surprising change in voter turnout across the Central Pennsylvania region. “Voter turnout in the Harrisburg area is up compared to the municipal elections four years ago, with the main factors likely being the high-profile retention issue in the Supreme Court as well as dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s policies.” (PennLive)
Ed Gainey touts progress and warns of upcoming fiscal challenges in final budget speech. “The speech, which included former and current members of his administration and former campaign staff, also served as Mr. Gainey’s budget speech and farewell address. He reflected on his time in office as Pittsburgh’s first African-American mayor, programs his administration started and even initiatives that failed.” (Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper)
Third Circuit Court of Appeals Rules for Striking Pittsburgh Journalists. “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Monday morning ruled in favor of Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh journalists in a federal case involving their more than three-year strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.” (Union Progress in Pittsburgh)
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
- Veterans are not victims, but some need aid | Senator Dave McCormick
- On Veterans Day, say thank you… and show it too | Scranton Times Tribune
- Democrats caved in the face of a shutdown as Trump’s indifference to Americans’ suffering became stronger | Questioner from Philadelphia
- John Fetterman’s memoir is unlike any politician you’ve ever read. | New York Times
- John Fetterman lays out the case for himself. It’s not very convincing | Washington Post Office
- Fetterman’s Bipartisan Power: The New Face of Pennsylvania Politics | James Williams
- The future of the Democratic Party is coalition. It is created together or not at all | Meredith Burak
- Blame the shutdown on citizens who prefer politicians to defeat their opponents | Robert Talisse
- AP election results signal danger for GOP in 2026 | John Hinshaw
- Reflections of a Pennsylvania Veteran | Seth Higgins
- Gazeta uses “change of standards” in case of downtime | Representative Rob Bresnahan
1 item
5. Food trends for the New Year
“Bloody Marys aren’t the only cocktails that can double as apps – martinis are now snacks,” according to a forecast published this morning in The Infatuation, which provides culinary reviews across the country.
🍕 What else is trendy: Great pizza outside customary places like New York and Chicago, like at Sho Pizza Bar in Nashville, which serves Japanese-style Neapolitan dough.
Plus fancy coffees like Phê in matcha in Seattle with a side of banana pudding. (Infatuation)
Thank you for starting your morning with us.
Let’s get through this frigid snap and see you tomorrow.
