🖖  Good Day, Wednesday

PA Weather
Mars | Sunny, 63
Boiling Springs | Sunny, 66
Limerick | Sunny, 63

PA Sports
Pirates (11-7) | Colorado 5-3 | W vs. Colorado
Phillies (7-11) | White Sox 7-4, 0-3 | W vs. White Sox
76ers (2-0) | Th vs. Brooklyn

What We’re Hearing
“Our honesty and openness in dealing with mental health makes us a better nation, and people will have better lives as a result of it. I thank my colleague, Senator Fetterman, for stepping up and making the right decision in his life.” – Sen. Dick Durbin

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Top Story

1. Fox, Dominion Reach $787.5 Million Settlement Over False Election Claims

“Fox News agreed Tuesday to pay Dominion Voting Systems nearly $800 million to avert a trial in the voting machine company’s lawsuit that would have exposed how the network promoted lies about the 2020 presidential election.

The stunning settlement emerged just as opening statements were supposed to begin, abruptly ending a case that had embarrassed Fox News over several months and raised the possibility that network founder Rupert Murdoch and stars such as Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity would have to testify publicly.” (AP)

Related

Why I’m Watching I Was Going To Watch Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News. “I have to admit. This one hits close to home.” (PoliticsPA)

• Fox To Pay $787.5 Million To Settle Dominion’s Defamation Lawsuit. (WSJ)
• There Are Even More 2020 Election Defamation Suits Beyond The Fox-Dominion Case. (NPR)

Supreme Court Tests Religious Tolerance On Sunday Work. “The Supreme Court on Tuesday wrestled with the case of a Christian mail carrier who refused to work on Sundays when he was required to deliver Amazon packages.” (AP)

• Supreme Court Justices Pose Tough Questions To Both Sides In Gerald Groff’s Religious Rights Case. (LNP)

State

2. Shapiro Administration To Schedule Xylazine As Controlled Substance

“During a Tuesday morning press conference in Philadelphia, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that his administration would be taking action to limit access to xylazine, also known as “tranq.”” (PoliticsPA)

Related

Shapiro Is Moving To Restrict ‘Tranq’ In PA As Deaths From The Animal Sedative Surge. “Seeking to curb a dramatic rise in deaths from a powerful nervous system depressant typically used to sedate large animals, Gov. Josh Shapiro is ordering that the drug xylazine be temporarily classified in Pennsylvania as a Schedule III controlled substance.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

PA House Panel Advances Relief For Abuse Victims In Opposition To Senate Amendment Bundle. “Pennsylvania lawmakers on Tuesday took another step on the tortuous path toward long-sought legal relief for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, but the route to making it a reality remains to be mapped out.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

• PA House Again Advances Constitutional Amendment Proposals. (CNHI News)
• Constitutional Amendment Redux Heads Back To House Floor. (The Center Square)

PA Judge Candidates Can’t Talk Politics. Here’s How To Gauge Their Values, Qualifications Anyway. “Though Pennsylvania judges are tasked with being non-political, most of them run their elections on the same fuel as other politicians.” (PhillyBurbs.com)

GOP Spending Cuts Tied To Debt Limits Would Be ‘Devastating,’ Rep. Boyle Warns. “A top U.S. House Democrat has warned that the chamber’s majority Republicans are “rudderless,” and “continue to hold our economy hostage,” as a showdown over the nation’s debt limit looms.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

State Agency Has Years Of Unspent Funds That Total Nearly $100 Million. “State Rep. Clint Owlett grilled state officials with the Department of Community and Economic Development last week about nearly $100 million in unspent funds in that agency’s coffers.” (Broad + Liberty)

Around The Commonwealth

3. The Race For Allegheny County Executive Got Testy At Forum

“Candidates for Allegheny County’s top elected office threw rhetorical elbows Tuesday night in a wide-ranging debate Downtown, with personal digs punctuating sharp exchanges on property assessments, mass transit and the campaign itself.

The 90-minute event at Point Park University ranked among the more heated gatherings since candidates for county executive began facing off at public forums in February.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Related

At Town Hall Debate, Allegheny County Executive Candidates Address Texas, Jail, Housing And ‘The White Elephant.’ “Candidates for Allegheny County executive made wide-ranging pledges to tackle the affordable housing crisis, fix property taxes and improve management of the jail during a vigorous town hall debate.” (Public Source)

Shapiro Calls On Tech, Robotic Companies To Join Pittsburgh’s Growing Innovation Industry. “Pittsburgh has become a fast-growing hub for many technology and robotics companies, and leaders across the region and state are hoping that expands even more.” (Tribune-Review)

• Shapiro Boots Commitment To Boosting Region’s Innovation. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

PA Voters Are Becoming More Aligned With National Trends, Report Says. “A recent study from Franklin & Marshall College delves deeper into this phenomenon by examining split-district voting in Pennsylvania state house elections, and analyzing voter behavior over time.” (WITF)

New Mayor, New Police Chief? “The Philadelphia mayor’s race could decide the future of a city employee who’s not up for election: Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Ballot Mailings To Westmoreland Voters Awaits Court Action. “Nearly 22,000 mail-in ballots are scheduled to be sent out to Westmoreland County voters this week, but a dispute over the candidacy of two Republican candidates for commissioner might put that delivery on hold.” (Tribune-Review)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

Editorial

• PA Courts Dig Deeper To Support People With Autism. (Daily Item)
• After 3 Ballot Printing Debacles Since 2020, Lanco Officials Should Offer Grace To Voters Who Make Mistakes On Mail Ballots. (LNP)

Opinion

• Can The Post Office For A Christian To Deliver On Sunday? (Nathan J. Diament)
• The Political-Industrial Complex That Is Destroying America. (Rabbi Smuley Boteach)
• American Politics Is Now Generational And The Republicans Are Too Old To Succeed. (David A. Hopkins)
• This Is Why Philly’s Ethics Board Needs More Money And A Bigger Toolkit. (Pat Christmas)

1 Thing

5. Body Double

Thought it was time to address the rumor: I do not have a body double. pic.twitter.com/dndGUt9OK7

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) April 18, 2023

Two for the price of one?