♥️ It’s Friday, I’m in love. Saturday, wait. And Sunday always comes too delayed. But Friday, never hesitate. IYKYK.
🗞️ PoliticsPA guide is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Has this email been sent to you? Subscribe for free.
Weather in Pennsylvania
🌤️Braddock | Becoming solar, 34
⛅Mansfield | Partly bright, 33
☀️ Emmaus | Sunny, 38
Sports PA
🏈 Eagles (15-3) | Sun vs. LA Rams
🏒 Flyers (20-20-6) | New York Islanders 5-3 | Saturday vs. New Jersey
🏒 Penguins (18-20-8) | Friday vs. Buffalo | Saturday vs. Washington | Monday vs. Los Angeles
🏀 Sixes (15-24) | Saturday vs. Indianapolis | Sun vs. Milwaukee
📱 What we hear. The U.S. Supreme Court signals that it will issue a ruling on the proposed TikTok ban this morning.
🎂 Happy birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. Danilo Burgos (Sunny.)
📱 Social media. PoliticsPA has a number of social media sites where you can get the latest political news from across the Commonwealth: Twitter | Blue | Facebook | LinkedIn
The most significant story
1. Fetterman was chosen to challenge the Convention. Now he’s challenging his fellow Democrats
“When a Democrat John Fetterman was elected to the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, many of his supporters hoped he would challenge convention and the status quo. He did it and he has it – just not in the way many expected.
Fetterman broke with his party on some policy issues and reinvigorated himself President-elect Donald Trump. In fact, Fetterman has come to like Trump so much that some members of his party are quietly disowning the man they supported in 2022.” (AP)
Elsewhere
Carville: Fetterman “was just desperate for attention.” “Much has been said about Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman and his overtures to the new Donald Trump administration. This did not go unnoticed by Democratic strategist James Carville.” (PoliticsPA)
The Senate’s New Power duo is John Fetterman and Katie Britt. “When Katie Britt was looking for a Democratic partner on legislation that would subject undocumented immigrants accused of theft to stricter deportation standards, she didn’t have to look far.” (Traffic lights)
The official says Biden will not ban Tiktok, leaving the app’s fate to Trump. “Last year, Congress, under a bill signed by Biden, required ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to divest the company by January 19, the day before the president’s inauguration.” (AP)
Country
2. Shapiro wants to see the design of a full Sixers sports center before deciding whether PA should invest
“Following opposition to the use of any state resources over the Sixers’ now-abandoned proposal to build an arena in Center City, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro says he’s not closing the book on the state’s involvement in the team’s new stadium project in South Philadelphia.
Shapiro maintains he needs to review the final plans for the newly proposed arena in South Philadelphia and the role city officials will play in offering incentives for the project before deciding “whether it makes sense for the Commonwealth to invest or not.”Questioner from Philadelphia)
Elsewhere
Cicero resigns as Pennsylvania consumer advocate. “Attorney General-elect Dave Sunday announced that State Consumer Advocate Patrick Cicero has submitted a letter indicating his intention to resign from office, effective January 31.” (PoliticsPA)
- Pennsylvania’s future attorney general with complaints about politicization. (abc27)
Negotiations on the taxation of skill games ended in failure last year. AP-GOP leaders resume the debate. “Top lawmakers in the Pennsylvania Senate released a memo calling for the regulation and taxation of so-called skill games, signaling that the issue will be a high-profile agenda item for the second session in a row.” (PA reflector)
Lancaster County Democrats will nominate a candidate in the 36th District special election. “The 136 elected commission members of the 36th commission are scheduled to convene virtually at 9 a.m. Saturday to choose between candidates Matthew Good, an Ephrata librarian, and East Petersburg Mayor James Andrew Malone.” (LNP | Lancaster on the Internet)
Pennsylvania approves $56.5 million for violence prevention programs. “Dozens of organizations across Pennsylvania will receive $56.5 million in state grants aimed at reducing community violence and additional funding for after-school programs.” (Penn Capital Star)
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Western AP Congress leaders present visions for the up-to-date session
“Over the last two years, Republicans controlled the U.S. House of Representatives by just a handful of seats — a margin so narrow that they ended up relying on Democrats to pass even modest budget bills.” (THAT’S ALL)
- The Democrat who bucked the Trump wave. (Lever)
Elsewhere
Pennsylvania Republicans face an uphill battle over an automatic voter registration appeal. “A group of conservative state lawmakers opposing automatic voter registration in Pennsylvania faced skepticism from Third Circuit judges Thursday during an appeals hearing as they fought to restore their federal claims.” (Court information service)
The local Republican Party is preparing to change leadership and challenge Pittsburgh Democrats. “With Donald Trump set to return to the White House next week and a local leadership transition underway, local Republican leaders hope to bring new energy to contests like the Pittsburgh mayoral race, where at least three GOP candidates could compete.” (THAT’S ALL)
The monument protection plan depends on the public interest. “There is a new vision for preserving historic sites across Pennsylvania. “It depends on renewed public interest.” (Central Square)
Allentown City Council will consider ‘cordial’ legislation to protect immigrants. “The Allentown City Council introduced a bill Wednesday that, if approved, would seek to protect immigrant residents by preventing city employees from sharing their immigration status with or assisting federal officials unless required by federal law.” (LehighValleyNews.com)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
1 item
5. How Eagles fans turned a diminutive tailgate into an explosive explosion
“When Philadelphia Eagles fans Mike Burnett AND Steve’s eyes they began tailgating in Section C6 of the Wells Fargo Center parking lot in 1998. Their setup consisted of barbecue purchased from Home Depot and meat they raided from Burnett’s mother’s refrigerator.
- Why it matters: Decades later, the C6’s tailgate looks more like a festival, with live DJs and an all-star band of chefs preparing feasts, and the occasional celebrity sighting. And all this for free.
“Two became four, four became eight,” Burnett tells Axios of tailgate party attendees, and soon 500 to 1,000 people showed up for home games at the Linc. (Axios Philadelphia)
Thank you for starting your morning with us.
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