A Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll shows President Donald Trump trailing the top three Democrats in PA, while the state’s unemployment rate ticked up in October. Here is the Playbook. 

November 15th Ups & Downs: Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is under FBI investigation as a result of pipeline permitting, the Philadelphia Republican Party selects a new chair, and an Allegheny County Democrat is assigned to new committees. All of that and more are in this week’s Ups and Downs.

Morning Call/Muhlenberg College Poll: Trump Trails Top Three Dems in PA: The most recent poll shows President Donald Trump trailing former Vice President Joe Biden by the largest margin of any Democrat by 9 points, while also losing to Sanders and Warren in a hypothetical head to head matchup by 5 points.

Harrisburg & DC   
AP: Talks on Pennsylvania’s minimum wage heat up before deadline 
AP: Pennsylvania jobless rate up; labor force, payrolls at highs 
AP: Faculty union OKs new contract with state-owned universities 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Top Pa. labor leader expresses disappointment with proposed Wolf minimum wage deal
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Top Pa. Senate Democratic campaign staffer steps down after sexual harassment allegation 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: State budget agency projects billion-dollar plus deficits in early 2020’s — and that’s without a recession 
Patriot News: Is Pa. heading toward a $9.50 an hour minimum wage? Tune in next week when lawmakers return to Harrisburg
Patriot News: Reproductive rights, abortion top political agenda as Legislature returns next  
York Daily Record: Pennsylvania woman elected to Congress in Pink Wave of 2018 poised to shape Trump’s fate 
PLSReporter: “Marsy’s Law” vote highlights increased interest in PA ballot questions 
PLSReporter: 5 bills to watch for the week of November 18 
PLSReporter: Right 2 Know Episode 31: Southeast Spotlight with Rep. Joe Ciresi 
PLSReporter: Did You Get The Memo? Veterans Courts, mental health care access and penalties for crimes against disabled individuals 
PLSReporter: Tweets of the Week – November 11, 2019
StateImpactPA: PennEast will appeal to U.S. Supreme Court over lower court’s adverse ruling 
StateImpactPA: Toomey talks pro-fracking legislation, impeachment on Pittsburgh stop 
StateImpactPA: Future owner of PES refinery could be decided as soon as January 
StateImpactPA: U.S. Steel unveils pledge to cut emissions 
StateImpactPA: Despite Scotland’s fracking ban, imported American shale gas is key to the economy in one town. To some, it’s an uneasy state of affairs
Philadelphia Magazine: DePasquale: Climate Change Costs Pa. Hundreds of Millions of Dollars a Year
CNN: Bloomberg plans to spend $100 million on anti-Trump ads in key states
KYW Newsradio: Pa. offering millions to help communities improve water quality
Morning Call: Student debt of $68 billion staggers Pennsylvanians. Two freshmen lawmakers hope to help. 
Inquirer: Biden backers in Pa. shrug off surprise campaigns of Bloomberg, Patrick
Inquirer: Caregivers in Pa. and N.J. provide $31 billion in free care. AARP says that’s ‘unsustainable.’
Inquirer: Penn State soon to unveil national report card on Greek life; 55 colleges have provided data 
Inquirer: A Mexican boy turned 18 at the Berks detention center. His birthday meant handcuffs.
Inquirer: Struggling to save for a down payment? Your county government might be able to help
KDKA: Pa. Senator Pat Toomey Introduces Bill To Prevent Presidents From Banning Fracking
Stateline: With safe injection sites, ‘Somebody has to go first.’ It could be Philadelphia
Beaver County Times: Beaver County to be featured in NBC News yearlong presidential race coverage project 
Fox News: 13 Pennsylvania correctional employees suspended after inmate dies following fight 
Fox News: Trump grants clemency to two Army officer, restores rank of convicted Navy SEAL
Fox News: Bloomberg already shelling out $100M for anti-Trump online ads, before formal announcement
Politico: Trump’s ‘West Point Mafia’ Faces a Loyalty Test
Politico: The Rise of the Battleground Campus
The Hill: Bloomberg to spend $100M on anti-Trump ads in battleground states

Philadelphia 
Inquirer: Philly Mayor Jim Kenney for Pennsylvania governor? City Hall insiders say don’t bet on it.
Inquirer: Philly’s ‘opportunity zone’ tracts are some of the city’s poorest, and among its biggest gentrifiers, Fed finds
Inquirer: 13 Pa. Department of Corrections employees suspended after death of inmate, formerly of West Philly
WHYY Newsworks: Twilight zone: Blackwell to remap West Philly in her last days on Council
WHYY Newsworks: The Sullivan Way is celebrated and dedicated in North Philly
WHYY Newsworks: The police experiment that changed what we know about foot patrol
Billy Penn: How does Philly show up to a presidential impeachment? In a platinum blonde wig with stilettos to match
Philadelphia Magazine: That Odor You Smelled Thursday Came from PES, Fire Department Says
Philadelphia Tribune: Exclusive: Michael White ‘hates what happened’ in Rittenhouse Square last year
Philadelphia Tribune: Mayor Kenney calls on library to eliminate fines for overdue materials
Philadelphia Citizen: How We Voted 
KYW Newsradio: Philadelphia City Council committee votes to cut wage tax for lowest income workers
KYW Newsradio: Number of children murdered in Philadelphia is ‘unprecedented,’ says acting police commissioner 
KYW Newsradio: Cashless fitness clubs operating despite Philly ban
KYW Newsradio: Veteran homelessness down in record numbers, officials say

SEPA
Daily Local News: Some lawmakers had concerns about pipeline safety long before FBI probe
Daily Local News: Chesco controller issues warning on county debt
Daily Local News: Judge frustrated with Chester County DA’s Office 
Daily Local News: Barrar earns national award for his work to benefit military families
Delco Daily Times: Gov. Wolf pushes STEM education in Interboro
Delco Daily Times: Mike Chitwood talks about 55 years in law enforcement
Delco Daily Times: State rep tells panel of family pain of suicide
Bucks Courier Times: Democrats appoint transition team as they prepare to take over Bucks County government 
Bucks Courier Times: PA’s ‘State Superfund’ program cleans up scores of toxic sites across the state. It’s going broke. 
Bucks Courier Times: Pennsylvania pays to clean 14 toxic sites in Bucks County. Here they are. 
Bucks Courier Times: Power Bucks launches election campaigns
Montgomery Media: Judicial assignments announced for Montco bench
Bucks Local News: Newtown Supervisors approve township’s preliminary $13.08M operating budget for the 2020 fiscal year

Pittsburgh 
Tribune Review: Impeachment rules the day, but Pennsylvania lawmakers push bipartisan initiatives
Tribune Review: Political signs waning in mid-November
WESA: Toomey Talks Pro-Fracking Legislation, Impeachment On Pittsburgh Stop 
Post-Gazette: Allegheny County names Al Caponi to lead facilities management department 
KDKA: Following First Week Of Hearings, Senator Toomey Not Convinced President Donald Trump Should Be Removed From Office 
KDKA: ‘We’re Going To Have A Hard Time Keeping Families In The City’: Pittsburgh Public School Board President Says Taxpayers Won’t Support Property Tax Increase 
KDKA: Pa. Senator Pat Toomey Introduces Bill To Prevent Presidents From Banning Fracking
Pittsburgh Business Times: Toomey: Ban on hydraulic fracturing would be damaging to economy
Pittsburgh Business Times: Pennsylvania’s natural gas production growth continues to lead U.S.

SWPA 
Observer-Reporter: Republican announces bid for 37th State Senatorial district
Observer-Reporter: Women will be a majority on Brownsville council for first time 
Observer-Reporter: DePasquale: Climate change costing Pa. millions in infrastructure damage, but there’s a fix 
Observer-Reporter: Canonsburg approves preliminary 2020 budget with tax increase
Beaver County Times: Beaver County watches as Trump impeachment looms 
Beaver County Times: Beaver County to be featured in NBC News yearlong presidential race coverage project
Beaver County Times: Beaver County Republicans: Voters just want qualified officials
Beaver County Times: Shapiro touts rebuilt attorney general’s office 
Altoona Mirror: Pa. reps push abuse bills
Altoona Mirror: Impeachment splits voters
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: PULSE OF THE VOTERS | Younger Pa. voters say they prefer Warren, Sanders over Biden
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: PULSE OF THE VOTERS | Locals’ views reflect national divide between parties on impeachment, politics 
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Survivors await Senate action on abuse lawsuit fix 
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: PULSE OF THE VOTERS | Voters want less heat and more light 

NEPA
Citizens Voice: Trump fundraising excels in NEPA
Times-Tribune: Trump leads NEPA campaign donations
Times-Tribune: Local elections may shade 2020 presidential race 
Times-Tribune: Many in NEPA still struggling to earn living wage
The Times Leader: AG: Proactively addressing infrastructure needs would create new jobs
The Times Leader: Luzerne County struggling to attract heavy equipment operators 
The Times Leader: Attorney researching reason for Wilkes-Barre council’s closed-door meeting on proposed sewer sale 

South Central 
Carlisle Sentinel: Judicial attack mailers in Cumberland County race came from a PAC whose chair didn’t know it existed 
Patriot News: Dauphin County commissioners defy state orders to buy new voting machines, for now; but can this position stand?
Patriot News: Reproductive rights, abortion top political agenda as Legislature returns next 
York Dispatch: ‘To the bone’: York City’s 2020 draft budget calls for plenty of cuts

Lehigh Valley      
Express Times: No changes in winners following Northampton County vote canvass
Morning Call: Student debt of $68 billion staggers Pennsylvanians. Two freshmen lawmakers hope to help.
Reading Eagle: Berks County libertarians making mark on local government
Reading Eagle: Reading considering new plan for Bernhart and Egelman dams

North by Northwest
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: State House speaker to form policy from college visit
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Yaw to hold tele-town hall
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: County commissioners act on service agreements, personnel
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Region using renewable, cleaner resources to cut costs 
Erie Times-News: How Erie-area legislators voted, week ending Nov. 15 
Erie Times-News: Erie looks to slash millions in debt via Water Works deal 

Opinion  
Inquirer Editorial Board: Why 1,200 people who never took a life are condemned to die in Pa. prisons.
Inquirer Editorial Board: A path to preserving Philadelphia for the people 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Overdue reforms: Stricter oversight necessary from the VA
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Mexico oppresses its press: Journalists are under attack, AMLO stands idly by
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Balancing ideals: Animal research needs accountability, transparency
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Say no to long car loans: Car buy­ers shouldn’t stretch them­selves so thin
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Early to bed, early to rise: Lack of sleep can have broad im­pli­ca­tions for teens
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: A black hole stars: New discovery adds to our map of the universe
John L. Micek: Daring opponents to stop them, Philly City Council passes a ‘red flag’ law | Friday Morning Coffee
Brian O’Neill: Just to mix things up, let our reps vote
Lawrence A. Feinberg: Turzai’s vouchers bill is on deck in the Pa. House next week. Let’s send it to the back of the class
Larry Platt: Where’s Our ‘Paige Against The Machine’?
Karen Kane: Rich Fitzgerald needs to find a way to fund pre-K for all
Kia Hansard, Carrie Fowler, and Jody Barksdale: Tuition vouchers will do more harm to Harrisburg’s recovering schools than good 
Susan E. R. Mitchell, Deborah Derrickson Kossmann, and Heather Tuckman: We’re psychologists: This Pa. House bill mandating the burial of fetal remains is emotionally damaging to women
Ashley Macik: Bill Peduto is right to denounce the petrochemical buildout in Western Pennsylvania
Tim Hartman: Pittsburgh’s next big ban bill | Editorial Cartoon
Susie Perloff: Philadelphia has ‘missing men,’ but we’re missing women too — in the halls of power 
Christine Flowers: Sorting through the rubble of the impeachment wars
James P. Leonard: What Philly is doing to fight deed fraud 
Signe Wilkinson: Political Cartoon: Dreaming of Donald Trump
Mike Newall: His life was once dominated by bullets. Now, he’s helping young people heal in a city drowning in violence 
Helen Ubiñas: I heard school shooting survivors’ stories. Then it happened again in California. 
Trudy Rubin: Carrie Lam and Xi Jinping could defuse Hong Kong’s rising tension by listening to protesters 
Signe Wilkinson: Political Cartoon: Ticketing Trump’s bad driving
Will Bunch: Marie Yovanovitch, impeachment, and America’s last stand for playing by the rules
JD Mullane: One year later, Sis Davis and her killer largely forgotten
Keith C. Burris: Romance of the hedgehog
David M. Shribman: The historic resonance of the Winnipeg general strike
Ruth Ann Dailey: King of Kings
Chris Kelly: Terms and conditions may apply
Paul Muschick: Blame Quakertown parents, not school board, for unpaid lunch consequences