📖 Today’s #PoliticsPA Guide. Why Josh Shapiro’s memoir could complicate the presidential campaign What PA Swing voters think about Trump’s first year The error in the Chester County poll book was due to “simple human error.” Why some people get crazy excited about an upcoming snowstorm.
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. Bad luck. Social distortion
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Weather in Pennsylvania
🌤️ Geneva | Partly sunlit, 12 🔽
☀️ Gallitzin | Mostly sunlit, windy, 17 🔽
☀️ Hazleton | Sunny, 25
Sports PA
🏀 Sixes (24-19) | Houston 128-122 (OT) | Saturday vs. New York
🏒 Flyers (23-17-9) | Friday in Colorado
🏒 Penguins (25/14/11) | Edmonton 6-2 | Sun in Vancouver
🔈 What we hear. “[Josh Shapiro is] the first candidate in American history that I know of who was helped by his run for vice president by not getting elected.” Dave Carneysaid a veteran political consultant for the New Hampshire Republican Party, citing Shapiro’s fundraising skills. “He has a lot of assets.”
☃️ Let it snow. “Snow storms are characterized by a rare mixture of excitement, fear and power, and at the same time beautiful” – clinical psychologist John MayerPh.D. told Glamor magazine. “Natural phenomena like this also influence something we have no control over, which stimulates us mentally in a unique way.”
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The most vital story
1. Why Josh Shapiro’s memoir could complicate the presidential campaign
“When politicians publish memoirs, the goal is usually clear: to introduce themselves to voters outside their home state, often in advance of an expected national broadcast, and present a version of their story that will make it most appealing to the widest possible audience. That’s what makes Josh Shapiro fresh memories potentially counterintuitive.
IN Where we keep the airyscheduled to be released Tuesday, Pennsylvania’s Jewish governor is not shying away from parts of his biography and political history that could complicate a 2028 presidential bid. Instead, he leans over them.” | Attacker
Elsewhere
Trump threatens Siena over poll results. “President Donald Trump wants to add Siena College to his lawsuit against the New York Times, stating in a social media post that the Times/Siena poll “is always extremely negative to me.” Trump, who has been filing almost constant lawsuits against media organizations since the beginning of his second term, also called the results “false” and said Siena would be “held fully accountable for all of their lies and radical left misdeeds.” PoliticsPA
The RNC is eyeing an “America First” midterm convention to shore up Trump and the GOP ahead of a critical election. “RNC Rules Committee Approves Change to Allow Party to Hold Ceremonial Gatherings Outside of Presidential Election Years.” | Fox News
Democratic lawmakers in Pittsburgh want to stop Trump with bills to “melt” the ice and limit its military uses. “Democratic federal lawmakers in Pittsburgh focused their efforts Thursday on two high-profile votes that, while doomed to defeat in a Republican-led Congress, were aimed at stopping President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement and international military conduct.” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
Country
2. What Swing voters in Pennsylvania think about Trump’s first year in office
“How do Biden-to-Trump voters feel after the first year of Trump’s second term? Pennsylvania voter focus group provides unique insights.
[The 14 voters] they are right-wing. They are more likely to identify as Republicans and independents than Democrats. However, they have one thing in common: they are very reluctant to look at both main parties. They were asked to employ one word to describe each side NPR
Elsewhere
Judges in Pennsylvania got raises. How much will they earn in 2026?. “The 3.3% pay increase that affects many state officials also extends to all levels of judges in Pennsylvania, from district judges handling minor offenses, including traffic tickets, to the state’s court of last resort.” | Erie Times-News
PA-17: Deluzio Campaign Raised $635,000 in Q4 2025. “Rep. Chris Deluzio appears to be putting more distance between himself and potential challengers to his congressional seat.” | PoliticsPA
HD-88: Martin announces his candidacy for a vacant seat in the AP chamber. “The race has begun in a bid to fill Republican Sheryl Delozier (R-Cumberland)’s seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.” | PoliticsPA
AP representative wants to lower the voting age in school board elections: “it’s not a new concept”. “MP Chris Piella’s legislation would lower the voting age in school board elections to 16, which would ‘instill responsibility’ to participate in democracy.” | TURN IN
Lawmakers move to notice closing meeting. Ruling loophole weakens PA transparency law. “Pennsylvania lawmakers are seeking to clarify language in the state’s Open Meetings Act following a court decision they say could harm accountability and transparency in government.” | PA reflector
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Study finds Chester County voting error was caused by ‘straightforward human error’
“An independent investigation found “no evidence of intentional wrongdoing” behind the error that resulted in more than 70,000 third-party voters in Chester County being left out of the ballot box during the 2025 general election.
The West Chester-based law firm Fleck Eckert Klein McGarry said in a report released Thursday that Chester County lacked sufficient safeguards, oversight, training and verification checks.” | WHY
Elsewhere
Summary of re-election announcements. “Here is a list of members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly who, as of January 22, 2026, have announced their intention to seek re-election in 2026.” | PoliticsPA
A group of investors wants to create a nonprofit Post-Gazette. “The Post-Gazette is attracting potential saviors. Kevin Acklin, former business president of the Pittsburgh Penguins and chief of staff to former Mayor Bill Peduto, tells Axios he is assembling a team of investors to try to save the Post-Gazette by turning it into a nonprofit.” | Axios Pittsburgh
Cash-strapped Chester can’t sell to the water authority without board approval, Pennsylvania Supreme Court says. “Judges blocked the city’s financial guardian from unilaterally forcing the transfer of Chester Water Authority assets to the city government. Instead, such a transfer would require concerted action by all three municipalities that manage the authority, the court said in a 5-1 decision. ” | Penn Capital Star
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
1 item
5. Here’s why some people are extremely excited about the upcoming snowstorm in PA
“While some are concerned about potentially ponderous snowfall this weekend in central Pennsylvania, Samantha Talton I can’t wait.
Apparently some people are excited at the thought of significant snowfall. For them, information accumulation is like waiting for the Super Bowl or Christmas morning. Social media feeds are filled with posts about the storm and predictions of how many inches will fall.
“I think it’s just because you like a cozy atmosphere where you can sit in front of the TV, drink hot chocolate and let the kids play outside in the snow until it freezes,” she said. | PennLive
Thank you for starting your Friday with us.
Stay safe and sound during the storm. See you on Monday (if we dug in)
