😀 Just Another Manic Monday. Welcome back from NYC. LFG.

PA Weather
☁️ Swissvale | Cloudy, 42
☁️ Mifflintown | Mostly Cloudy, 45
🌥️ Paoli | Partly Sunny, 47

PA Sports
🏈 Eagles (10-2) | San Francisco 19-42 | Sun vs. Dallas
🏈 Steelers (7-5) | Arizona 10-24 | Thu vs. New England
🏒 Penguins (11-10-2) | Philadelphia 3-4 (SO) | Mon vs. Philadelphia
🏒 Flyers (12-10-2) | Pittsburgh 4-3 (SO) | Mon vs. Pittsburgh
🏀 Sixers (12-6) | Boston 119-125 | Wed vs. Washington

What We’re Hearing
The PA Republican State Committee is discussing whether to hold a virtual meeting prior to its winter meeting to make an endorsement in the primary for state attorney general.

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Sen. Camera Bartolotta.

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Top Story

1. In NYC, Gov. Shapiro Urged The PA Society Gathering To Continue Bipartisan Vibe Back In Harrisburg

“From a glamorous ballroom in Manhattan, Gov. Josh Shapiro boasted about his administration’s successes in his first 11 months in office and emphasized that Pennsylvania’s annual weekend of bipartisanship doesn’t have to end back home.

Continuing a long tradition of governors speaking to the sold-out Pennsylvania Society crowd that his predecessor Gov. Tom Wolf avoided, Shapiro said the weekend represented a pause in polarization, recalling some of his administration’s highs and excluding its lows.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Pennsylvania Residents Protest Billionaire Jeffrey Yass At Lavish Manhattan Celebration. (The Keystone)

Related

These Democrats Could Be Contenders For Their Party’s Nomination In 2028. But First, They Must Boost Biden In 2024. “This is the delicate and sometimes uncomfortable dance the next generation of national Democratic leaders like (Gavin) Newsom find themselves doing in 2024. For the next 11 months, they are stuck being intriguing but not enticing, stoking flames but not fanning them.” (CNN)

• ‘Time to Be Bold’: Advice for Democrats from a Quietly Powerful Governor. (POLITICO)

Pennsylvania May Lean Democrat, But That Doesn’t Mean Biden Will Win The State. “Pennsylvania is a big state with a critical 20 electoral votes. In many ways it is a good proxy for how the US as a whole will vote and – as someone who works with businesses across the state – fast-approaching 2024 will be all about the economy.” (The Guardian)

How PA Delegation Voted On George Santos Expulsion. “For just the sixth time in American history, a U.S. Congressman has been expelled from the chamber. New York Rep. George Santos was expelled by a 311-114 vote with two members voting present and another eight, including Mike Doyle (R-16), not voting.” (PoliticsPA)

• Santos Gets Expelled From Congress. Fetterman Says This Senator Should Be Next. (PennLive)

State

2. Casey, McCormick Play Nice and AG Race Heats Up At Pennsylvania Society

“Divisions between the parties are stark. The political stakes of the 2024 election are sky high.

But at Pennsylvania Society, the annual glitzy gathering of politicians in Manhattan, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick were perfectly nice.

Casey and McCormick both addressed a politically mixed audience of Pennsylvania movers and shakers Saturday at the Metropolitan Club.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

What Has Bob Casey Done During Three Terms In The Senate? We Take A Look. “As Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey looks to win a fourth term in a race that will help determine which party controls the chamber, his colleagues point to an almost two-decades-long track record of supporting children, seniors, people with disabilities and veterans.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

PA Governor, Legislature Wrapping Up Remarkably Unproductive Year. What Happened? “As of Dec. 3, Gov. Josh Shapiro had signed just 32 new bills into law. That’s fewer than a third of the 96 approved by former Gov. Tom Wolf during his first year in office — a year in which the Democratic governor was locked in a prolonged budget standoff with a Republican-controlled Legislature.” (PA Pressroom)

Inside the Pennsylvania Taxpayer-Supported Fund That Pays Out Millions Of Dollars In Settlements. “The taxpayer-supported pool of money that covered most of the $295,000 sexual harassment settlement involving a former top Shapiro administration official has paid out almost $19 million for 138 claims of various types generated in recent years, state records show.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Pinsley Joins Auditor General Race. “Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania Auditor General on Friday morning, declaring himself “the only candidate that can flip the office back to the Democratic Party and promising to boldly reimagine the office with “audits to impact” intended to result in policy change and spur the legislature forward.” (PoliticsPA)

Ward Slams PA Attorney General’s Website Targeting Pregnancy Resource Centers. “Sen. Judy Ward condemned the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s decision to launch a website targeting pregnancy resource centers and soliciting anonymous complaints against them using a new form on the website.” (PoliticsPA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Pennsylvania Among Top Beneficiaries Of US Aid To Ukraine, Report Says

“Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Texas are three of the US states to have benefited the most from aid sent to Ukraine, according to a map that the Biden Administration has been sending around Capitol Hill.

Pennsylvania tops the list, having received $2.364 billion to manufacture arms and ammunition. Arizona has brought in $2.196 and Texas $1.45 billion.

Three out of eight Republican members of Congress from Pennsylvania, three out of six from Arizona, and 18 out of 25 from Texas have been voting against sending aid to Ukraine, Reuters reported.” (Business Insider)

Related

We Tracked Josh Shapiro’s 11 Biggest Campaign Promises Through His First Year. See How He Did. “During his run for governor, Josh Shapiro was boosted by his reputation as a deal-making coalition-builder. That standing ran into a different reality during the Democrat’s first year in office.” (Spotlight PA)

Philly’s Head Of Elections Speaks Out After Trump’s Call To ‘Guard The Vote’ In The City. “Philadelphia’s head of elections assured the public on Sunday that the 2024 presidential election will be “completely fair and accurate” after former President Donald Trump urged followers over the weekend to “go into” cities like Philly to “guard the vote.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

More Than 100 Lancaster County Mail-In Ballots Tossed After Postal Service Delay. “Several Lancaster County voters are trying to get answers from the U.S. Postal Service about why their mail-in ballots, all postmarked Oct. 30 in Harrisburg, did not arrive at the county elections office until two weeks later.” (LNP)

Bucks County Pro-Life Activist Houck Sues DOJ for Wrongful Prosecution. “(Mark) Houck, a Bucks County pro-life activist, was acquitted by a jury of violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act earlier this year. He is suing the Biden administration for $1.1 million.” (DV Journal)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

• Some Republicans Are Trying To Pry The Party Away From Trump, And For Good Reason. (Mark S. Singel)
• Burns’ Opposition To Honor For City Ill-Timed, Unnecessary. (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)
• When Fighting Crime Meant Fighting Crime. (Guy Ciarrocchi)

1 Thing

5. How Pennsylvania’s Electric Vehicle Use Measures Up

Chester County had the state’s highest EV usage at 305 miles per 1,000 residents.

The data, from mobility analytics platform Replica, is based on anonymized mobile device info, roadside sensors, transit agencies and more.

PennDOT was awarded $34 million in federal grants earlier this year to help businesses build fast-charging EV stations in 35 counties across the state, per the Inquirer. (Axios)

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