😎Good Friday morning. Loading until the weekend.
Headlines. Senate approves ICE funding. Defeats Trump’s settlement ban. PA budget talks are ongoing. What Springsteen tells us about ourselves. Amusement park without admission.
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. It’s five o’clock somewhere. Alan Jackson
Weather in Pennsylvania
☀️ Presque Island | Sunny, 83
☀️ Raystown | Mostly shining, 88
☀️ Lake of Harmony | Mostly shining, 85
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (33-29) | San Diego 6-4 | Friday-Sunday vs. Chicago White Sox
⚾ Pirates (34-29) | Houston 5-1 | Friday-Sunday in Atlanta
What we hear. Key liberal group Demand Justice is planning a six-figure attack ad buy in Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman for the decision not to veto the resolution Antonio Pozos nomination as a federal judge.
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. Senate approves $70 billion immigration bill after rejecting efforts to permanently ban Trump settlement fund
“The Senate passed the financing bill President Donald Trump immigration enforcement agencies early Friday morning, after weeks of delays and fierce opposition to an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that threatened to derail the bill.
Senators voted 52-47 to approve a $70 billion bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for the next three years.
The final vote came just before 5 a.m. after Republicans narrowly defeated repeated attempts by members of both parties to add language to the bill that would permanently ban the operate of Trump’s settlement fund for allies who believe they have been politically persecuted.” | AP
Elsewhere
Fitzpatrick joins Democrats to pass the war powers resolution. “Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01) sent another shot over President Donald Trump’s bow, joining three other Republicans in voting for the House War Powers resolution that requires an end to hostilities with Iran.” | PoliticsPA
Fetterman allows Judge Trump to advance. “Senator John Fetterman is allowing President Donald Trump’s nomination of a federal judge in Pennsylvania to proceed, waiving his right to block the selection. For the first time in Trump’s second term, a Democrat senator has filed a blue card on one of Trump’s judicial picks.” | Punchbowl News
Trump will pump $700 million into coal power in Pennsylvania and other states, destroying renewable energy once again. “President Donald Trump said he was invoking the Cold War-era Defense Production Act, which gives the president authority over domestic industries, to save 13 existing power plants and build two new ones. He said the move would save 14,000 coal jobs and lower energy costs, although the spending would not lower gasoline or diesel prices. ” | Penn Capital Star
Fetterman says no to Blanche. “Senator John Fetterman says he will vote ‘no’ on confirming Todd Blanche as attorney general.” | PolitykaPA
Country
2. Budget talks continue as the annual PA deadline approaches
“The deadline for Pennsylvania’s annual budget is approaching, and top lawmakers say negotiations are ongoing.
It is not known whether the budget for 2026–2027 will be adopted by June 30. Each of the previous four budgets was adopted tardy, with budget overruns being the most common over the past twenty years.’ | New news about the castle
Elsewhere
Pennsylvania is introducing regulations for the home equity investment industry. “Pennsylvania lawmakers this week sent a strong message to a rapidly growing industry that critics say has operated in the shadows for too long.” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
Pennsylvania’s governor has a plan to make data centers supply their own power. Now comes the hard part. “For months, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has been promising a plan to curb the state’s rapidly rising energy costs by forcing energy-hungry AI data centers to pay their way. Now his office has officially revealed details of how he intends to turn BYOE – ‘bring your own energy’ – into more than just a slogan. | Inside Climate News
Should Pennsylvanians receive $250 to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary? One legislator thinks so. “Would you like $250 for America’s 250th birthday? That’s what one Pittsburgh-area state legislator is proposing. On Wednesday in Harrisburg, state Rep. Eric Davanzo of Westmoreland County unveiled a proposal that could help curb the rising costs of inflation. ” | CBS Pittsburgh
Shapiro releases the campaign’s first TV ad. “And so it began. The Shapiro for Pennsylvania campaign aired a new television and digital ad highlighting Governor Josh Shapiro’s efforts to make universal free breakfast for all Pennsylvania public school students a law in the commonwealth.” | PoliticsPA
Around the Republic of Poland
3. What Bruce Springsteen tells us about ourselves
“Maybe you were there. Last Saturday night in Philadelphia was the final performance of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on their Land of Hope and Dreams tour.
What did I learn this evening? I hope I have that much energy when I’m 76. What a performer. What a team. What a show!
But I also learned that as much as we would like music to unite us, even the E Street Band can only take us so far.” | PolitykaPA
Elsewhere
Pennsylvania fruit growers are struggling with catastrophic losses after historic spring freezes. “On a century-old farm in Franklin County, more than 400 young plum trees were expected to produce their first commercial harvest this year. A grower spent four years expanding his orchard for a special buyer who promised to buy every plum he could grow. Then came the April frosts.” | Penn State News
Democrats saw relatively high turnout in the PA gubernatorial primary. What does this mean for November? “In May’s uncontested primary for Pennsylvania governor, turnout was significantly higher among Democrats than Republicans, sending a strong signal to the party heading into the general election.” | PA reflector
Students across Pennsylvania will step up on Election Day to keep democracy working. “If you recently voted in person in Pennsylvania, you may have noticed that one of the election workers checking you out was a high school student. And if you ask one of them why they wanted to become a poll worker, most will give a similar answer.” | Let him vote
Environmental officials say Nanticoke pollution cleanup across Pennsylvania requires continued state funding. “There are more than 200 contaminated sites across Pennsylvania, such as the Lower Broadway Recreation Complex in Nanticoke. These are areas where heavy industry has left dangerous chemicals in the soil that are contaminating ground and surface water, and where environmental officials say state funds are needed to remediate the site so future generations can use it.” | WVIA
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
- The boss shows the way | Larry Platt
- Shapiro’s billionaire bonanza | Greg Maresca
- From Nazi-hugging Greg Bovino to the Supreme Court, the MAGA hood is falling | Will Bunch
- Poor energy policy threatens jobs and discourages investment in critical infrastructure | Jon O’Brien
- Even legal immigrants are no longer protected from ICE detention | Joyce M. Davis
- Why Transferring Philadelphia to an Elected School Board Would Be Very Complicated | Dale Mezzacappa
- A Shocking Betrayal of Black Americans | MaraGay
- Older adults in PA are in trouble; Arcade games can fix this | Rebecca May-Cole
- 17,000 EMS professionals keep Pennsylvanians protected thanks to multimillion-dollar investments | Dr. Debra L. Book
- Small universities will be closed. With courage, we can turn them into labor dynamos | Jeff Ritter
1 item
5. Nearly 100 years later, the beloved amusement park still refuses to charge admission
“In an age of pricey theme parks and guarded admission, one Pennsylvania amusement park still lets guests in for free.
The Knoebels Entertainment Center in Elysburg has been free of charge since it opened almost a century ago.
Many of the earliest amusement parks at the turn of the 20th century operated without admission fees, especially the so-called “trolley parks” that made their money by charging visitors for rides, food, and drinks.” | Fox News
Thank you for starting your Friday with us.
Enjoy your weekend. See you on Monday.
