☕ TGIF. Cold start to the weekend.
🗞️ In today’s PoliticsPA Guide. Trump will visit NEPA to talk about the economy. Fetterman leaves the door open to all the events of 2028. Forum PA-03 kicks off the 2026 campaign season. A spray-painted deer depicting an “animal” wanders through Lebanon County.
🎶 Your morning pick-me-up. Friday I’m in love. Medicine
Weather in Pennsylvania
🌥️Swiss Valley | Rising Clouds, 35
☁️Gettysburg | Cloudy, 32
🌥️East Stroudsburg | Rising clouds, 27
Sports PA
🏈 Eagles (8-4) | Mon. in the LA Chargers
🏈 Steelers (6-6) | Baltimore sun
🏀 Sixes (12-9) | Złoty Stan 99-98 | Friday in Milwaukee | Sun vs. LA Lakers
🏒 Flyers (15-8-3) | Sun vs. Colorado
🏒 Penguins (14-7-5) | Tampa Bay 4-3 | Sun in Dallas
🎙️Voices of reason. House Speaker Jordan Harris and Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Scott Martin speak with host Steve Ulrich via an truthful, bipartisan look at Pennsylvania’s budget battles. Together, they explore the state’s fiscal outlook, the pressures shaping this year’s negotiations and why passing a budget has become more challenging than ever.
🥂 Society of Pennsylvania. The calendar of events for December 11-13 can be found here.
🔊 What we hear. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. welcomes the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz this morning to Scranton for a health care roundtable with local stakeholders and officials.
📰 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. Trump will visit NEPA on Tuesday to talk about the economy
“President Donald Trump on Tuesday will visit northeastern Pennsylvania for the first time since his election last year, a White House official confirmed Thursday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide details on where or what time the president would speak.
Trump will talk about his administration’s progress in improving the U.S. economy, the official said. | WVIA
Elsewhere
The education secretary defends the agency’s efforts to “bring education back to the states” during a visit to Harrisburg. “Linda McMahon defended her department’s downsizing efforts, which have included mass layoffs and the outsourcing of core functions, but said the Trump administration has no plans to completely dismantle the 45-year-old agency.” | PennLive
New data reveals details of $1 million in taxpayer-funded security improvements at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s private residence. “Publicly funded improvements to an elected official’s private home or other property are rare. This is because the country has strict ethics rules that generally prohibit public officials from profiting personally from their positions.” | PA reflector
Mackenzie among Bipartisan House Group proposing health care plan. “U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie is among a group of 35 House members proposing a set of options for lawmakers to consider as they deal with the issue of rising health insurance premiums if the tax credits expire at the end of the year. They are calling for a vote by December 18 in both chambers of Congress, before they expire.” | LehighValley News
McCormick Says Pennsylvania Could Lead Artificial Intelligence Boom: ‘I Think Our State Is Uniquely Blessed’. “The role of technology in America’s future was a passionate topic for U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, who wrote a book on the subject and advocated for Pennsylvania to be at the forefront of the burgeoning technology industry.” | Morning talk in Allentown
Country
2. Fetterman Leaves All Doors Open to 2028 as Progressives Face Primary Challenge
“Progressives are already planning a primary challenge Senator John Fetterman when he seeks re-election in 2028. Another question is whether Fetterman will even have a chance in the primary.
It seems that the newly minted senator is leaving all doors open, according to NOTUS: re-election, retirement and even a long run for president. Some people think he will probably leave the Senate, even though they don’t think he likes it very much.” | known
Elsewhere
Uri Monson steps down as budget secretary; Reber named as successor. “The Secretary of State for the Budget has announced that he is stepping down to become executive director of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System, commonly referred to as PSERS.” | PoliticsPA
PA Medicaid will stop paying for the apply of drugs like Ozempic to cover weight loss next month. “Beginning in January, Medicaid will no longer pay adults to take medications solely for obesity, but coverage will continue to be provided for diabetes and other conditions.” | WESA
Pennsylvania’s unique system for selecting poll workers has flaws. “Ties, vacancies and alleged fraud have convinced some officials that change is necessary.” | Let him vote
Around the Republic of Poland
3. The 2026 regular season starts earlier thanks to the PA-03 Candidate Forum
“Five Democratic candidates are running to replace those retiring Congressman Dwight Evans from Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District gathered in Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood on Thursday evening for an unusually early, high-profile start to the campaign season.
Country Representative Morgan Cephas, Dr. David Oxmancountry Rep. Chris RabB, Dr. Unfortunately, Stanford and condition Senator Sharif Street participated in a forum organized by the 9th District Democratic Committee | City and state
Elsewhere
Meet the billionaire promoting taxpayer-funded school vouchers. “How Jeff Yass, One of the Richest Men in the World, Uses Politics to Press on His Favorite Issue: School Choice.” | Washington Post Office
FIFA World Cup: Philadelphia will learn how to compete in the group stage next weekend. “The World Cup draw has finally arrived. We will find out who will play who in the first round of the tournament taking place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. The draw will take place at noon at the Kennedy Center in Washington” | Axios Philadelphia
Former Montco employee sues county, alleging it violated ADA regulations, committed ‘fraud’ and concealed ‘financial mismanagement’. “Former Montgomery County employee sues county for alleged failure to accommodate his disability. Anthony Olivieri, former chief information officer, also claims county officials “engaged in fraud, waste, misconduct and/or concealment of financial mismanagement.” | WHY
Lake is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 22nd Senate District. “Jeffrey Lake made what he called a “pivotal decision” to run for the Pennsylvania Senate because he said he believed the community’s hard-working residents deserved full transparency and true accountability from their leaders.” | Leader of the Wilkes-Barre Times
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
1 item
5. A deer with “animal” painted on its sides found in Lebanon County
“A deer with the word “pet” painted on its sides in glowing orange letters was found wandering through a community in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
The Cornwall Borough Police Department said in a Facebook post that a “very friendly” antlerless male deer approached a business in West Cornwall Township on Saturday. Both sides of the deer’s body were marked with fluorescent orange “animal” paint.
Police said the deer was not afraid of people and acted as if it wanted the officer to pet it. He didn’t even run away when the officer turned on the cruiser’s sirens. Instead, “Mr. Deer” hung around there for about 45 minutes until he moved on.” | CBS News
Thank you for starting your weekend with us.
Make it great. See you on Monday.
