The governor’s race heats up: a new poll on the left, an anonymous attack on the right. Good morning politicos, here’s the Buzz.

And don’t forget to check back later for the Ups & Downs.

EMILY’s List Poll: Schwartz Leads Dem Primary for Gov: Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz leads the Democratic field for Governor according to a poll commissioned by EMILY’s list. She narrowly leads former Rep. Joe Sestak in a crowded primary.

Anonymous Website Smacks Castor: The Republican primary for Governor just heated up. Anonymous critics of Bruce Castor have launched a website for opposition research on the Montgomery County Commissioner. He is considering a challenge to Tom Corbett.

Harris Drops Out of Pittsburgh Mayoral Primary: City Council President Darlene Harris has withdrawn her name from the ballot in the race for Pittsburgh Mayor, bringing the number of Democrats down to five. The change benefits Jack Wagner.

Wagner Staffs Up: Former Auditor General Jack Wagner announced his Pittsburgh mayoral campaign staff Thursday.

Statewide
New York Times: Riding Wave of Popularity, Craft Brewers Ask Congress for a Tax Cut (features Gerlach)
State House Sound Bites: PA horse track betting rises 12 percent in 2012
State House Sound Bites: Bucknell basketball coach Dave Paulsen signs extension
State House Sound Bites: State says PA workers’ compensation rates drop
State House Sound Bites: PA high court takes case on retirement age for judges
State House Sound Bites: Xerox now operates PA’s electronic welfare payments
State House Sound Bites: Supreme Court cases could have impact on PA LGBT community
PA Independent: Sequester cuts on resource extraction don’t hit Pennsylvania hard
PA Independent: Unions promise challenges to PA pension reform
StateImpactPA: Some Groups Miffed to Be Left Out of DCNR Meeting on Loyalsock Forest Drilling
StateImpactPA: Cheap Natural Gas Pumping New Life Into U.S. Factories
StateImpactPA: ProPublica: Rendell Stumps for Fracking Without Revealing Ties to Industry
StateImpactPA: U.S. Army Corps Okay’s Controversial Pipeline Project
Capitolwire: McCord joins Corman lawsuit to direct PSU sanction money in Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia
ProPublica: Rendell: ‘Learn to love fracking’
phillynow.com: No online voter registration yet in Pa. – but they’re working on it
WHYY Newsworks: Philly schools will beg city and state to help close $242 M deficit
WHYY Newsworks: U.S. Supreme Court rejects class-action suit against Comcast
WHYY Newsworks: New caucus aims for good government reforms in Pa. legislature
KYW Newsradio: Tasco accuses Nutter of deliberately delaying playground renovation
KYW Newsradio: Cash-strapped Philadelphia School District requests millions from city, state
KYW Newsradio: Nutter fights for gun law reform as part of “Mayors Against Guns”
Inquirer: House Democrats hear retail clerks rebut Pa. liquor privatization plan
Inquirer: Poll shows Pa. shift to backing same-sex marriage
Baer Growls: Gov. Corbett’s Commencement Flap
Big Tent: Anti-Castor website launches in Pa. gov race
Harrisburg Politics: On a need-to-know basis?
Harrisburg Politics: Bruce Castor is being watched…
Harrisburg Politics: Casey a holdout in Senate on gay marriage
Heard in the Hall: Fields shrink for judicial offices

SEPA
AP: Mysterious website targets Castor
AP: Pa. breweries, beer sellers wary of reforming liquor system
AP: Pa. high court takes case on judge retirement age
AP: Xerox takes over Pa.’s electronic welfare payments
AP: Harrisburg mayor says remark taken out of context
AP: Wagner picks up union nod for Pittsburgh mayor
AP: Pa. boro rec official to trial on teen sex charges
AP: Pa. mayor accused in gun incident won’t run again
AP: Pa. budget chief: Some pension changes needed by June
Daily Delco Times: Marcus Hook mayor pulls out of upcoming primary

Pittsburgh
Tribune Review: New Pennsylvania Turnpike CEO Compton vows to ‘change culture’
Tribune Review: Chiaramonte resigns seat on Scottdale council
Tribune Review: Scottdale judge delays hearing as defendant claims he never downed vintage booze worth $102K
Tribune Review: Scottdale chamber’s goal: More growth
Tribune Review: State will audit Port Authority finances, more
Post-Gazette: U.S. Supreme Court facing issue of federal treatment of gays
Post-Gazette: Privatization could affect Pittsburgh consumers’ beer choices
Post-Gazette: Pennsylvania begins Port Authority audit
Post-Gazette: City mayoral race still an evolving contest
Post-Gazette: Energy upgrades offered to Allegheny County homeowners
Early Returns: More on Fitzgerald’s resignation letters
Early Returns: Sen. Pileggi, aka The Count
Early Returns: Wagner camp comes together
Early Returns: PG pulls back the curtain on SCOTUS coverage
Early Returns: Schwartz poll: Leads primary and general for guv
City Paper: Tarnished Brass
KDKA: Mayoral Candidates Come Together To Call For Universal Gun Background Checks
KDKA: Pa. Secretary Of Education Talks Public Education
WTAE: State representative introducing legislation that would ban anonymity in lawsuits
WTAE: Pitt’s Shell taking leave of absence
WPXI: East Hills officer pinned between 2 cars during traffic stop turned chase
WPXI: Wagner picks up union nods for mayor; Harris drops out of race

Southwest
AP: Court: EPA can stop some power plant modifications
AP: Pa. breweries, beer sellers wary of liberalization
AP: Pa. budget chief: Some pension changes needed by June
AP: Pa. workers’ compensation rates drop, state says
Beaver County Times: Pennsylvania still a top energy producer
Observer-Reporter: Cecil supervisors awaiting audits
Observer-Reporter: Attorney: Challenges to Marcoline’s petitions being withdrawn
Altoona Mirror: Solicitor may be witness
Altoona Mirror: City revives capital plan
Altoona Mirror: Murray put on paid leave
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Council deadlocks on vacancy: Task of filling Wilson’s seat may fall to court

NEPA
Citizens Voice: PNC committee helped Mellow campaigns
Citizens Voice: Lawton nominates Archbald accountant for budget director post
Citizens Voice: Pittston candidates OK’d to appear on primary ballot
Citizens Voice: Major NEPA-New York drug rings busted
Times Leader: Pa. budget chief: Pension changes needed by June
Times Leader: Cartwright leads cries against sequestration
Times Leader: Sewer bill set to rise in stages
Times Leader: Officials see tax money at work
Times Leader: County to get $9.7M more in flood funds from feds
Pocono Record: State increase in social services won’t make up for cuts
Pocono Record: Corbett may agree to Medicaid expansion
Times Tribune: Exchange to offer health insurance to nearly 81,000 in Northeast Pennsylvania
Times Tribune: Legislators share realities with businesses
Times Tribune: Jailed former Lackawanna County Commissioner owes nearly $40K tax bill
News Item: Saleski is candidate for Northumberland prothonotary
Standard Speaker: School board initiates independent probe of PSSA results
Standard Speaker: State officials end tour of Pa. businesses in Hazleton

Lehigh Valley
WFMZ: Easton mayor addresses downtown rally for gun control
WFMZ: Gov. Corbett cuts ribbon to open PEMA’s eastern office in Berks
Reading Eagle: Some pension changes needed by June, Pa. budget chief says
The Morning Call: Gov. Corbett announces manufacturing job training grant
Express Times: Local officials gather to protest federal sequester
Express Times: Gov. Tom Corbett tours Lehigh County vo-tech school, announces workforce development initiative

South Central
York Dispatch: PA breweries, beer sellers wary of liberalization
Roxbury News: The Harrisburg Authority: Estimated water readings
Roxbury News: Mayor Thompson: “We’re not opening up our flood gates for you know some scumbag that comes from Perry County”
Patriot-News: Harrisburg Mayor Thompson says context matters in Perry Co. ‘scumbag’ kerfuffle
Patriot-News: More than 5,000 join ‘Perry County Scumbags’ Facebook group looking to impeach Mayor Linda Thompson
Patriot-News: Sen. Jake Corman says Harrisburg mayor’s ‘scumbag’ remarks offensive
Patriot-News: ‘Scumbag Pizza’ the latest menu item at Perry Co. restaurant
Patriot-News: Rep. Mark Keller from Perry Co. says he is unsatisfied with apology from Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson
Patriot-News: Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson described as ‘rude, nasty person’ by Perry Co. resident
Patriot-News: Pennsylvania Medicaid expansion: new study points out pros and cons
Patriot-News: In Middletown, tough choices await as borough grapples with budget woes
The Sentinel: Linda Thompson: ‘Scumbag’ comment distorted
The Sentinel: Pennsylvania receives ‘B’ grade on transparency
The Sentinel: S. Middleton Township won’t take ownership of historic bridge

North by Northwest
Campaign ’13 Blog: Erie area Pride Alliance to host candidates’ night
Erie Times-News: Erie County magistrate candidate changes mind 3rd time, officially leaves race
Erie Times-News: Hanger campaigns for governor in Erie
Centre Daily Times: Rep. Scott Conklin weighing gubernatorial run
Williamsport Sun Gazette: Legislators explain votes on privatizing liquor sales in state
Williamsport Sun Gazette: Corbett promotes Act 13 impact fees

Opinions
Observer-Reporter: Don’t uncork the champagne yet
Altoona Mirror: Melvin exit can’t be too soon
Altoona Mirror: State incomes on rise
Williamsport Sun Gazette: Slump or not, gambling revenue will never meet promised goal
Williamsport Sun Gazette: State takes first steps toward liquor privatization – finally
News Item: Need exists for new prison, but study all options
Times Tribune: Many inmates halfway back to prisons
Times Tribune: Krancer’s exit opportunity
Wayne Independent: Association should help this region
Daily News: LIQUID ASSETS: A bottled-water ban has its merit, but it’s not crystal clear
Inquirer: Worldview: Mideast lesson on leadership
Pottstown Mercury: Chester county is healthiest because its wealthiest
Daily Delco Times: Hook has bigger problems than free speech
Patriot-News: Thompson’s “scumbag” remarks were an unforced error
The Sentinel: Mayor Thompson must apologize personally

Blogs
Keystone Politics: Did Alan Butkovitz recruit Michael Williams as a spoiler for Philly Controller race?
Keystone Politics: Poll: Schwartz and Sestak statistically tied in Gov. primary
Keystone Politics: Jack Wagner’s totally unsurprising endorsements
Keystone Politics: OFA pushing publicly-financed campaigns in New York state
Keystone Politics: Plan for seniors to work in schools for property tax credits at below minimum wage passes PA House
Keystone Politics: Ed Rendell on who shouldn’t run for office
Above Average Jane: PA gun safety ads
Above Average Jane: Open letter from Brian Sims to Sen. Bob Casey