The PA GOP Central Caucus makes its picks, another Gubernatorial throws their hat into the ring and we ask who the next Republican Chair will be. Good morning politicos, here’s the Playbook!

Central Caucus Makes GOP Recommendations: The endorsement process for the 2017 elections begins.

Reader Poll: Who Will Be the Next Chair of The PA Republican Party?: We ask our readers about the fight to lead the Pennsylvania GOP.

Reader Poll: Our Readers Don’t Rate Pres. Obama Highly: The 44th President was rated “awful” by a plurality.

PA-Gov: Another GOP Hopeful Moves Toward Running: An Allegheny County businessman may throw his hat into the ring.

Statewide
State House Sound Bites: New gaming legislation won’t come easy, committee chairs say
State House Sound Bites: As UC wait times skyrocket, lawmakers appear unmoved
StateImpactPA: Wolf hoping third time’s the charm on severance tax

Philadelphia
Inquirer: Prosecutors: sting investigation was not partisan
Inquirer: Philly restaurateurs to match soda tax with donations to local school
Inquirer: Confronted by Comcast’s lawsuit threat, Kenney hesitates on wage discrimination bill
Inquirer: Mayor Kenney, Comcast looking at legality of proposed wage history bill
WHYY Newsworks: Former prisoners offer advice to new leader of Philly effort to help ex-inmates
WHYY Newsworks: Philly soda tax is here to stay, says Kenney

SEPA
Bucks County Courier-Times: Federal grant to support local trails in Bucks, Montgomery counties
Delco Daily Times: Middletown residents push for pipeline-safety study
Delco Daily Times: Baughn’s back to lead Chester Upland as interim super

Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette: Planning commission rejects new Whole Foods Market development in East Liberty
Post-Gazette: Travel from Pittsburgh to Columbus, Ohio, in 15 minutes?
Post-Gazette: Report on Pittsburgh Schools lays out daunting challenges
Post-Gazette: Snowden to address Pitt students via video stream from Russia
Tribune-Review: Acting chief: Officer acted appropriately during arrest of Steelers’ Porter
Tribune-Review: Palmer airport still works to reinstate commuter service from Unity to Pittsburgh

Southwest
Altoona Mirror: Laid-off workers filling career offices
Altoona Mirror: Councilman suggests change to job policy
Altoona Mirror: Judge puts reassessment injunction request on hold
Beaver County Times: Potential plea deal revoked for Rochester school board member
Beaver County Times: Beaver Falls piloting new drug diversion program

NEPA
Times Leader: Luzerne County Council makes slew of board appointments
Times Leader: Budget surplus, restoring police department subjects of Laflin meeting
Times-Tribune: Nonprofits pay for consultant to continue advising Scranton on finances
Times-Tribune: Lackawanna County businessmen sentenced in Lehigh County streetlight scheme

South Central
Patriot-News: Will Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse run again?
Patriot-News: Gambling expansion in Pennsylvania gets a fresh push from Senate Democrats
Patriot-News: Heroin makes this Pa. city ‘the Most Unhappy Place in America’
York Dispatch: West York names permanent police chief
York Dispatch: Unemployed wait two hours to call for help on compensation

Lehigh Valley
Morning Call: Developer pitches scaled-back plan for Allentown’s historic Neuweiler Brewery
Morning Call: Real ID warnings go up in Pennsylvania airports
Reading Eagle: The 2016 Agricultural Newsmaker of the Year: Sen. Judy Schwank
Reading Eagle: Gettysburg museum auctioning off wax figures of presidents, first ladies

North by Northwest
Erie Times-News: County council approves Knowledge Park tax deal
Sun-Gazette: Funds OK’d for Pathway to Health, Millers Run projects
Sun-Gazette: LH City Council organizes for 2017

Opinion
Inquirer: Cabinet posts too important to rush ethics probes
Daily News: Polaneczky misguided about Trump’s military advisers
Patriot-News: That time Arlen Specter said he regretted not making Jeff Sessions a judge
Patriot-News: Conservatives are better-looking than liberals, because science
Patriot-News: Suburban Philly Dem pushes for Pa. death penalty repeal
Post-Gazette: Prisons on the block: Let data, not politics, guide state prison cuts
Post-Gazette: Iran moves on: Another phase after the death of Rafsanjani

Blogs
Billy Penn: Jeff Sessions as Attorney General condemned by Philly’s Bar Association
Billy Penn: Hillary Clinton’s ‘Ghost Cabinet’ is released, and Philly’s Michael Nutter isn’t in it
Billy Penn: Philly soda tax hits corner stores: ‘It’s been completely dead’
Keystone Crossroads: Defying Toomey and Trump, State College joins Philly in declaring sanctuary city status