🐪 Today is Garba Day.
Headlines. McCormick on Iran, allowing reforms, and his Fetterman Bonds. NEPA Representatives Support the Baker Bill on Murder. How the threat from an ICE detention center spurred a coal town in Trump Country. Utz will go private.
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. Who are you. WHO
Weather in Pennsylvania
🌤️ Pittsburg | Shrinking clouds, 76
☀️Harriburg | Mostly bright, 83
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Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (56-46, 3GB, +3.5GB WC) | Los Angeles Dodgers 1-2 | Wednesday vs. LA Dodgers
⚾ Pirates (52-49, 11 GB, – GB WC) | NY Yankees ppd | Wednesday at NY Yankees (2)
⚽ Union (1W, 3D, 11L) | Wednesday vs. NY Red Bulls
What’s happening today. The AP House meets at noon for a non-voting session. The US Senate will vote in favor of this resolution at 2:00 p.m Antonio M. Pozos nomination as judge of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
What we hear. Senator David McCormick is in line to take the gavel of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress.
Voices of reason. In the latest episode of Voices of Reason, PoliticsPA’s Steve Ulrich and his guests discuss the integrity of the elections. What does election integrity mean to you? Is an ID document required to vote? Does he make sure non-citizens don’t vote? Do you want the government to have Pennsylvania voter rolls? Mercer County Elections Director Thad Hall and the Committee of 70 Senior Advisors on Electoral Administration Benyo Team will share their thoughts on absentee ballots, the SAVE Act, and more.
Tips. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s leading source of unbiased political news and analysis. Tips and press releases can be submitted [email protected].
PoliticsPA Guide was developed by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser click here.
The most vital story
1. McCormick on Iran, its reform permit, and its Fetterman bond
“Like many successful senators, Dave McCormick he honed his knowledge on a few side issues – in his case, U.S. dominance in energy and enabling reforms. We talked about whether Congress can actually pass reforms that free up energy development, which has now been stalled for three years and counting, and how the war in Iran affects those goals.
In addition, he boasted about his unique relationship with Senator John Fettermanand I got very livid when I asked him about it President Trump primetime chatter about election security.” | Puck
Elsewhere
Fetterman joins colleagues on reintroducing the federal marijuana legalization bill. “U.S. Senator John Fetterman and his Senate Democratic colleagues have reintroduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, comprehensive legislation that would end harmful federal cannabis prohibition by removing cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances and allowing states to create their own regulations.” | PoliticsPA
Former Governor AP Corbett, co-author of a column criticizing other Republicans’ SAVE Act. “Corbett wrote a column with former U.S. Republican Reid Ribble of Wisconsin for Time magazine. It was shared with Yahoo! News this month after President Donald Trump refused to sign a housing bill until Congress passed the SAVE Act.” | PennLive
Thune says the GOP would welcome Fetterman if he left the Democratic Party. “Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said Tuesday that Republicans would welcome Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) to their caucus if the independent lawmaker decides to leave the Democratic Party.” | Washington Examiner
What you need to know about the PA-07 spending race ahead of 2018. “National Republicans and Democrats are treating PA-7 as a top-flight race four months before the general election begins.” | Lehigh Valley Public Media
Country
2. NEPA Advocates Support the Baker Bill on Murder
“A contingent of district attorneys and lawmakers from across northeastern Pennsylvania gathered at the Luzerne County Courthouse Tuesday afternoon to rally behind legislation that would change the state’s murder sentencing framework as a deadline imposed by the state Supreme Court approaches.
Last month, the state Senate passed a state-sponsored bill Senator Lisa Baker this would respond to the court’s ruling and allow for a sentence of 35 years to life for second-degree murder. But the bill has not yet been approved by the House.” | Voice of Citizens
Elsewhere
Shapiro highlights the Commonwealth’s startups and innovation network in Philadelphia. “In a speech in Philadelphia, Governor Josh Shapiro highlighted investments in innovation as part of the 2026-2027 budget, including $125 million to create the “Innovation in PA 2.0″ program.” | PolitykaPA
Doug Mastriano’s bid for ambassador to Slovakia is in doubt after a senator threatens to stop the vote. “Senator John Cornyn, who serves on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Semaphore that he would block Mastriano’s nomination unless the president’s emergency plan for AIDS relief was released.” | abc27
PA’s modern law combats the billions of robocalls people receive. “Are you afraid of phone calls from unknown phone numbers that seem legitimate? Is this someone you need to talk to, or is it just another telemarketing call that could be an outright scam? A piece of legislation that came into force this week can help.” PennLive
The state Supreme Court has ruled that warrantless searches by PA officials are unconstitutional. “Property owners have a greater right to privacy on their land under the Pennsylvania Constitution than under the U.S. Constitution, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.” | Penn Capital Star
Around the Republic of Poland
3. How the threat of ICE detention spurred a coal town in Trump Country
“What we heard was work, work, work” – Joe Wiscount told during a recent afternoon in the couple’s living room. But no one could explain how a town – little more than a Family Dollar, a pizza parlor and a few semi-detached houses – could support an immigration prison with five times its population. No one could answer why the federal government chose this city.
Since 1930, Schuylkill County’s largely working-class and white population has been failing. Tiny local governments are desperate for revenue, leaving them vulnerable to corporate exploitation. Brianna DelValle argues. Typically, “there’s not a lot of political will to push back on certain things,” she said. “People are tired and busy and they just don’t have the resources to do it.” | Mother Jones
Elsewhere
After $16 million investment, Pennsylvania State Police recruitment begins. “Governor Josh Shapiro has made hiring more soldiers a state budget priority, and the final version includes about $16 million to fund four new cadet classes. This will allow the state to hire about 380 soldiers on top of those already covered by multiple classes. ” | USA Today Network
Pennsylvania Neighbors Protest Data Center Boom and Warn: ‘This Is Not a Proving Ground’ “The steady rain in downtown Wilkes-Barre didn’t stop a handful of Pennsylvanians and political candidates from calling for a hold on the rapidly growing wave of data center proposals in the region. Among the concerns raised during the protest were utility burdens, high water use, air pollution, noise and harm to wildlife. ” | Cool
President Donald Trump has denied Johnny Doc’s request for an early release from prison. “Convicted former Philadelphia labor leader John J. Dougherty has taken various steps to reduce his six-year prison sentence, including taking the witness stand in the spring to tell a federal judge about the unique health challenges his wife faces. But the other path he took last year – appealing to the White House for mercy – appears to have reached a dead end.” | Questioner from Philadelphia
(*22*)Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
- Government intervention, not the free market, has made housing and health care unaffordable | Nathan Benefield
- Pennsylvania and 19 other states keep workers in poverty trap with $7.25 minimum wage | Holly Sklar
- Pennsylvania Farmers Can’t Afford a Weakened Farm Bureau | Chris Torres
- Paige Cognetti is not limpid with voters about her cooperation with National Democrats | Amy Curtis
1 item
5. Utz To Go Private In Deal Worth $2.9 Billion
“Utz Brands Inc. plans to enter into a private deal with a German company that values the snack maker behind “The Crab Chip” at $2.9 billion.
Intersnack Group, which owns about 30 snack brands sold in Europe and Oceania, will pay $14.25 a share in cash for all of Utz’s public shares. Once the transaction is completed, Intersnack will own 50% of the Hanover, Pennsylvania-based chip and pretzel maker, with the remaining 50% owned by its founding family.
Utz was founded in 1921 in Hanover, and Baltimore was one of its first major markets. The snack company sells potato chips, pretzels and cheese puffs under its own brand and owns a dozen other brands, including Bachman, Boulder Canyon and Vitner’s. Utz also produces snacks for TGI Friday’s.” | Baltimore Business Journal
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