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🌤️ Erie | Partly Sunny, 57
☀️ State College | Sunny, 62
☀️ Allentown | Sunny, 64

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (3-1) | Atlanta 3-1 | Mon vs. Arizona
🏈 Penn State (5-0) | Sat vs. Massachusetts
🏈 Pitt (1-4) | Sat vs. Louisville
🏈 Temple (2-4) | Sat vs. North Texas
🏈 Eagles (5-0) | Sun vs. NY Jets
🏒 Flyers (1-0-0) | Columbus 4-2 | Sat vs. Ottawa
🏒 Penguins (0-1-0) | Fri vs. Washington, Sat vs. Calgary

What We’re Hearing
“America is not sending their best and brightest, you know, to Washington DC. Sometimes you literally just can’t believe these people are making the decisions that are determining the government here.” – Sen. John Fetterman

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for former PA senatorial candidate Carla Sands and Rep. Donna Bullock (Sun.).

The Best Political News In The State
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Top Story

1. Biden Is Talking About Green Energy and Jobs in Pennsylvania Again. Will His Message Break Through?

“President Joe Biden is returning to Pennsylvania to use the critical battleground state again as a backdrop for some of his favorite political themes, championing steep increases in public works spending and detailing how bolstering green energy can spur U.S. manufacturing.

This time, he’ll be in Philadelphia to announce that it will be one of the regional hubs selected to produce and deliver hydrogen fuel that can run factories, ports and other facilities to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The program will eventually include hydrogen production hubs around the country — a key component of the Biden administration’s clean energy plan — and will be paid for using $7 billion from the sweeping infrastructure package that cleared Congress in 2021.” (AP)

• Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs to Drive Clean Manufacturing and Jobs. (White House)
• Biden Awards $7 Billion For ‘Clean Hydrogen’ Hubs Across The Country To Help Replace Fossil Fuels. (AP)
• What Is A Hydrogen Hub? Explaining The Projects Biden Is Set To Announce In Philly On Friday. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

Lee Calls On GOP Not to Nominate Scalise For Speaker. “Pennsylvania Congresswoman Summer Lee (D-12) called on Republicans to not nominate a “white supremacist antisemite” for Speaker of the House and withdraw support for Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.).” (PoliticsPA)

Fetterman Appears On The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “He spoke about the lack of a Speaker in the U.S. House of Representatives, his health crisis and the importance of mental health services, as well as the situation in Israel.” (PoliticsPA)

• Fetterman: America ‘Not Sending Their Best And Brightest’ To Congress. (The Hill)

State

2. PA Supreme Court Candidates Lament Outside Groups’ Spending, Attack Ads

“During a meeting with the PennLive editorial board on Thursday, the two candidates for Pennsylvania Supreme Court decried the influence of money on judicial campaigns and refuted the most pointed attacks aimed at them.

Both state Superior Court Judge Dan McCaffery, a Democrat, and Montgomery County President Judge Carolyn Carluccio, a Republican, said they have been targeted by partisan outside groups plowing money into the high-profile race.” (PennLive)

Related

Gun Safety Group Launches $500k Ad Buy On Supreme Court Race, Carluccio’s Record. “One of the largest gun safety groups in the country is jumping into the PA Supreme Court race with a $500,000 ad buy in the Philadelphia media market.” (The Keystone)

PA Senate GOP Leader Gives Ultimatum To House Over Presidential Primary Date. “Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman is making one last effort to move up Pennsylvania’s presidential primary election date starting next year.” (PennLive)

Pennsylvania Counties Tell Governor, Lawmakers It’s Too Late To Move 2024’s Primary Election Date. “In a letter, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania said there is no longer enough time for counties to handle the tasks associated with moving next year’s primary election from the current date set in law, April 23.” (AP)

PA House Committee Will Consider Open Primary Legislation. “The Pennsylvania House State Government Committee will consider a pair of bills next week that would do away with the state’s closed primary system.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Muslim Organization Criticizes Shapiro Over Middle East Statements. “The Philadelphia and Pittsburgh chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released a public letter to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro denouncing his statements in reaction to the recent cycle of violence in the Middle East.” (PoliticsPA)

Controversial Provision Raiding PA Game Commission Funds Removed From State Fiscal Bill. “When sportsmen and conservation groups heard about the provision in Pennsylvania House Bill 1300 that would transfer $150 million from the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Game Fund to the state’s Clean Streams Fund, they rallied en mass to show their disdain for the potential raiding of revenues that would ultimately have a severe impact on wildlife and conservation in the state.” (LehighValleyLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Amid Controversy, Innamorato Denounces Local Democratic Socialists Of America on Israel

“All politics is local, an old political maxim has it. But in this fall’s race for Allegheny County executive, at least, sometimes not even local politics is local. Just ask Democratic nominee Sara Innamorato, who found her campaign caught up in the painful aftermath of this week’s horrific violence in the Middle East.

It may seem bizarre that a candidate for county office is contending with conflict on the other side of the globe. Just last week, local Republicans complained that Innamorato was seeking to “nationalize” her race against her GOP rival, Joe Rockey, by bringing up abortion rights.” (WESA Politics)

Related

The Ultimate Guide To The 2023 General Election In Philadelphia. “Everything you need to know about candidates for Mayor, City Council, judges and other positions critical to Philly’s future.” (Philadelphia Citizen)

A Majority Of Philly City Council Plans To Support Johnson For Council President, Sources Say. “Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson appears increasingly likely to become the next Council president after securing commitments from a majority of members who say they intend to vote for him, according to sources familiar with the internal deliberations.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Allegheny County DA Stephen Zappala And Matt Dugan Clashed On Campaign Tactics And Crime In Their Only Debate. “Allegheny County’s longtime district attorney and his progressive challenger brought their increasingly bitter disagreements to a debate stage Thursday, clashing on campaign tactics, the role of the top prosecutor in preliminary court hearings, and other public safety issues. ” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Suburban Leaders Blast Philadelphia DA Krasner For Crime Wave. “Suburban Philadelphia legislators and law enforcement officials lambasted the city’s crime policies, blaming District Attorney Larry Krasner for not prosecuting criminals.” (The Center Square)

Who’s Running In The Lehigh Valley Local Races? “Below is a list of all the candidates in contested municipal elections in Lehigh and Northampton counties.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Dark Money Hits Lancaster County Commissioners Race, Likely A First. “The group, called Open Democracy PAC, is behind a political mailer that attacks Republican county Commissioners Josh Parsons and Ray D’Agostino.” (LNP)

OJR, Phoenixville School Board Races Dominate Chester County Ballots. “Although both Chester County school board races in The Mercury’s coverage area feature full slates of five candidates on each side of the aisle for five open seats, municipal elections in the northern part of the county are much less hotly contested.” (Pottstown Mercury)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

• To Stop Censorship, Stop Doing It Yourself. (Jonathan Zimmerman)
• One Easy Way Pennsylvania Can Get Better Political Leaders. (Dave Kelm)
• Philadelphia’s Columbus Statue Caused Less Harm Than City’s Mayor And District Attorney. (Christopher Tremoglie)
• The Pennsylvania Senate Should Pass The Fairness Act Now. (Michael A. Hellman)
• Trump Watches While His Party Implodes. (John F. Harris)
• Mr. Shapiro Goes to Washington? Not So Fast. (Erik Telford)
• If Ever There Was A Time For A Crossover, It Is Now. (Justin Engle)
• PA Regs Shut Doors to Economic Opportunity. (Elizabeth Stelle)
• Today’s White Working-Class Young Men Who Turn To Racist Violence Are Part Of A Long, Sad American History. (Colin Kohlhaas)

1 Phillies Thing

5. Red October

We’re not “Dancing On Our Own.” We’re dancing together. Bring on the D-Backs.

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