🌎 Just Another Manic Monday. Here we go.

PA Weather
🌦️ Tyrone | Mostly Cloudy, Chance Showers, 54
☁️ Wyomissing | Mostly Cloudy, 61
🌥️ Souderton | Partly Sunny, 61

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (0-0) | Mon-Tue vs. Arizona
🏈 Penn State (6-0) | Massachusetts 63-0 | Sat vs. Ohio State
🏈 Pitt (2-4) | Louisville 38-21 | Sat vs. Wake Forest
🏈 Temple (2-5) | North Texas 14-45 | Fri vs. SMU
🏈 Eagles (5-1) | NY Jets 14-20 | Sun vs. Miami
🏒 Flyers (1-1-0) | Ottawa 2-5 | Tue vs. Vancouver
🏒 Penguins (2-1-0) | Calgary 5-2 | Wed vs. Detroit

What We’re Hearing
“That’s the group that continually tells us pollsters, that they don’t like this likely matchup. They don’t like that this is the choice that they’ll have again and that they are very worn out on politics.” – Chris Borick

What’s Happening Today
The House will convene at noon, while the Senate convenes at 1 p.m.

The Best Political News In The Keystone State
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Top Story

1. McCormick’s PAC Gave PA Republican State Committee $50k in Weeks Before ‘Unprecedented’ Endorsement

“U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick’s political-action committee gave $50,000 to the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee just weeks before its early endorsement, campaign finance records show.

The contribution, which came on Sept. 6, was “absolutely not” connected to McCormick’s endorsement by the committee on Sept. 30, said Sam DeMarco, an Allegheny County Republican who chairs the Pennsylvania Rising PAC.

“The contribution was to help them with their mail-in and absentee ballot program,” said DeMarco, who pointed out that there were other PAC contributions to county-level committees in the Cycle 4 filing covering the summer months.” (PennLive)

Related

Biden Announces State Wins $1.675B In Hydrogen Hub Grants. “President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced Friday afternoon that Pennsylvania is the recipient of up to $1.675 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to accelerate the domestic market for low-cost, clean hydrogen.” (PoliticsPA)

Biden Visited Philly To Announce Funding For ‘Transformational’ Hydrogen Energy Projects. “President Joe Biden visited Philadelphia on Friday to announce that the region will receive $750 million in federal funding to build a hydrogen energy network — one of seven hydrogen projects nationwide that the White House announced.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Southwestern PA Is Part Of ‘Transformational’ Investment In Clean Hydrogen, Biden Says. “The Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (Arch2), a West Virginia-led effort that also includes Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Ohio, combines the production of hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture and storage. The Department of Energy awarded up to $925 million to the effort.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Biden Awards $7 Billion For Clean Hydrogen Hubs Across The Country To Help Replace Fossil Fuels. (AP)
• ‘So Many Ways Hydrogen Can Go Wrong’: Hub Announcements Viewed With Caution. (Penn Capital-Star)
• Southwestern PA Unions Disappointed That Regional Hydrogen Hub Will Be Based In West Virginia. (WESA)

Can We Have Another Candidate, Please? “If you were looking for the perfect female voter for Joe Biden, Christa is that woman. She is in her mid-forties, a union member who works as a laborer, has been a Democrat-leaning independent voter most of her life with a near perfect record of voting for Democrats. She happily voted for Joe Biden in 2020. She has no interest in voting for him in 2024.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

State

2. Shapiro’s Office Quietly Settled Sexual Harassment Allegation Against Top Aide

“Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office quietly entered into a settlement agreement to resolve allegations of sexual harassment against one of his most trusted senior aides weeks before the staffer resigned, Spotlight PA has learned.

The settlement contains a clause that bars both sides from discussing the allegations, according to two sources familiar with the agreement. The sources were not authorized to publicly discuss the settlement and requested anonymity.” (SpotlightPA)

Related

Shapiro’s Office Quietly Settled Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Vereb. “Spotlight PA is reporting that Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office quietly settled a sexual harassment case against top aide Mike Vereb in the weeks prior to Vereb’s resignation.” (PoliticsPA)

GOP Lawmakers Say Shapiro’s Response To Harassment Case Shows Room For Improvement. “As lawmakers return to Harrisburg this week, some in the state House and Senate say they will be discussing a response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s handling of sexual harassment allegations against a longtime ally and cabinet secretary that reportedly led to a secret settlement with the accuser.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Firm Powering Haley’s Presidential Bid Hit With Harassment Lawsuit. “A spokesperson for ColdSpark, which also works for Pennsylvania GOP Senate hopeful Dave McCormick, denied the allegations.” (POLITICO)

Pennsylvania’s 2024 Presidential Primary Date Unlikely To Change Due To Legislative Impasse. “The effort to move Pennsylvania’s 2024 presidential primary date appears to be dead due to a legislative impasse, leaving the commonwealth as the only state with an April 23 election that conflicts with Passover.” (VoteBeat)

• ‘Unresolvable’: Pennsylvania Primary Date Change Efforts Unravel In Harrisburg. (Erie Times-News)

Reproductive Rights Advocates: You Can’t Trust Carolyn Carluccio. “For Pennsylvania voters who care about reproductive health freedoms, Montgomery County Judge Carolyn Carluccio can’t be trusted on the Supreme Court, abortion rights advocates argued this week.” (The Keystone)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Abortion, Mental Health, And The Outdoors Highlight Final ACE Debate

“With less than a month until the Nov. 7 election, the candidates for Allegheny County executive used their third and final debate to make closing pitches to voters.

In the shortest of the debates so far, Democratic nominee Sara Innamorato and Republican rival Joe Rockey had just 30 minutes to appeal to voters on topics ranging from reproductive rights to affordable housing and even the Steelers.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• KDKA+ Hosts Allegheny County District Attorney Debate Between Stephen Zappala And Matt Dugan. (CBS Pittsburgh)

Related

HD-137: Thomas Announces Candidacy To Challenge Emrick. “If at first you don’t succeed … try again. Democrat Anna Thomas announced that she is embarking on another campaign for the 137th House District seat in Northampton County.” (PoliticsPA)

Ask The County Commissioner Candidates: Top Concerns For Somerset County. “Somerset County has four official candidates nominated in the May primary for county commissioner. There is one write-in candidate as well.” (Somerset Daily American)

• Parsons and D’Agostino Defend Record In Bid For New Term As Commissioners. (LNP)
• Lancaster County Democrats Aim For Surprise Showing In Commissioners Race. (LNP)

U.S. Rep. Meuser, Northumberland County Republican Committee Endorse Trump. “The Northumberland County Republican Committee voted to become the first county in the state to endorse former President Donald Trump.” (Daily Item)

Ballot Questions To Decide Term Limits For Most Northampton County Officials. “Voters will weigh in on proposed amendments to the county’s home rule charter limiting the county executive and controller to two consecutive four-year terms; members of the county council could serve three consecutive terms.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

• Charter School Students Use Critical Thinking Skills To Call Out The Mess Of Their School’s Closure. (Helen Ubiñas)
• For Optimism, For Growth, For Progress: Joe Rockey For Allegheny County Executive. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Sara Innamorato’s No Good, Very Bad Week. (Brandon McGinley)
• Boys Aren’t Girls When It Comes To Education. (David Conrad)
• Really? Republicans Are Philly’s Biggest Problem? (Larry Platt)
• Progressing Backwards. (Joseph Sabino Mistick)
• Lancaster County Is Dealing With Mail-In Ballot Error Yet Again. County Voters Shouldn’t Pay The Price. (LNP)

1 Thing

5. The Origins of Candy Corn

“Candy corn: Is it a treat or some kind of trick candy makers are playing on us?

The question arises because the candy is truly divisive. But those who love it are delighted by the approach of Halloween.

For many, candy corn represents the reason for the Halloween season. Most of the 9 billion kernels, more than 35 million pounds produced annually according to past pronouncements by the National Confectioners Association, are eaten around Halloween.” (USA Today)

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