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Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. It’s Friday, I’m In Love. The Cure.

PA Weather
Youngsville | Mostly Cloudy, 59
York Springs | Mostly Cloudy, 63
Yatesville | Gradual Clearing, 62

PA Sports
Phillies (5-1) | Colorado 3-1 | Fri-Sun vs. LA Dodgers
Pirates (2-5) | Fri-Sun vs. NY Yankees
Flyers (31-36-9) | Sat vs. Montreal
Penguins (30-34-12) | St. Louis 4-5 (OT) | Sat vs. Dallas | Sun vs. Chicago
Sixers (23-54) | Milwaukee 113-126 | Sat vs. Minnesota
Union (4-0-2) | Sat vs. Orlando City

PA Money | Futures (as of 7:30 a.m.)
Dow 🔻1,105.00  |  NASDAQ 🔻590.50 |  S&P 🔻154.25

Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. Greg Scott and Sen. Michele Brooks. Early returns for Sen. Lisa Boscola and Rep. Brad Roae (Sun.)

Top Story

1. China Retaliates With 34% Tariff on U.S. Exports

“China will impose 34% tariffs on all U.S. goods, the nation’s finance minister said on Friday, news agencies reported.

Why it matters: It’s a steep escalation in the U.S-China trade war, following President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on one of America’s largest trading partners.

Driving the news: China said the tariffs are effective on April 10, one day after the U.S.-ordered tariffs go into effect, Reuters and Bloomberg reported.

China also said it would restrict exports of rare-earth materials, effective immediately.” (Axios)

Elsewhere

PA Congressional Reactions to Trump Tariffs: ‘The Right Direction,’ or ‘Gambling With Our Future’? “Within 24 hours of Donald Trump announcing his expansive tariff plan — laid out on what he called “Liberation Day” — western Pennsylvania lawmakers shared widely diverging perspectives on his sudden remaking of U.S. trade policy. But as global financial markets took a plunge, some western Pennsylvania Republicans said any uncertainty was just a bump in the road to American economic superiority.” (WESA)

Dean Blasts President Trump’s Tariffs. “U.S. Congresswoman Madeleine Dean is railing against President Donald Trump’s “so-called ‘Liberation Day,’” saying the latest installment of the on-again, off-again tariffs are “shaking the economy and are a tax on consumers — on you and me.”” (Patch)

Funding Cuts and Tariffs: What Federal Shakeups Could Mean For Pennsylvania Agriculture. “President Donald Trump and his supporters have sent a tsunami of changes through the federal government, and Pennsylvania farmers could be on the receiving end of many of them.” (USA Today Network)

Scott Perry Joined Meeting With Trump and Activist Before National Security Officials Were Fired. “The report detailed a “remarkable spectacle” featuring Loomer, a Sept. 11 conspiracy theorist who is considered by even some Republicans of being too extreme, and, sitting next to her, Perry, one of Trump’s biggest allies in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.” (PennLive)

State

2. PA’s Big Conservative Political Conference Kicks Off in Camp Hill

“The bellwether political conference for Pennsylvania Republicans kicked off today in Camp Hill, as the party prepares for a 2026 gubernatorial campaign and grapples with the expected backlash to President Donald Trump.

The Pennsylvania Leadership Conference runs through Saturday at the Penn Harris Hotel, featuring a long list of forums and workshops with guests who are highly influential in conservative politics.” (PennLive)

Elsewhere

GOP Appeals Federal Judge’s Mail-In Ballot Decision. “Republicans are appealing a federal court ruling that found Pennsylvania’s date requirement for mail-in ballots violates the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, appealing the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.” (City & State)

Former PA U.S. Senate Candidate Mehmet Oz Confirmed to Lead Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “The 53-45 party-line vote places Oz at the helm of the federal agency responsible for administering health care programs relied on by 1 in 4 Americans, including children, seniors and lower-income people.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Philly Port Braces For Tariffs as the Largest U.S. Importer of Fruit

“Philadelphia’s seaport imports more fresh fruit than any other port in the United States.

That cargo is about to get more expensive.

President Donald Trump’s “liberation day” announcement Wednesday of new tariffs on hundreds of global trading partners includes 10% taxes on goods from Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, Guatemala, and Brazil — all big suppliers of fresh fruit that moves through Philadelphia.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

O’Connor Talks Public Safety Plan, Criticizes Gainey’s Police Chief Struggles. “Pittsburgh mayoral challenger and County Controller Corey O’Connor outlined his goals for the city’s public safety on Thursday – and he took some shots at Mayor Ed Gainey along the way.” (WESA)

Dauphin County Official Told Cops He Drank 1/2 Bottle Of Vodka Before Driving To Public Meeting. “The court records reveal county employees failed to ensure Commissioner George Hartwick was tested for drugs and alcohol, a break from county policy, and reportedly did not call law enforcement until more than two and a half hours after he missed a public appearance, crashed a county vehicle and appeared to be slurring his speech during a public meeting.” (PennLive)

Brown Reflects on 2024 as a Year of Growth, Development. “Public safety is top of mind for Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown and the community he serves. It was a key theme in the mayor’s recently released Year in Review report.” (WVIA)

Reynolds, Facing Reelection, Gives State of the City Address. ‘We Do Big Things Here’ “Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds, at his last state of the city address before the mayoral primary election, said the city stands out as a symbol of good governance and unity amid uncertainty at the federal level.” (Allentown Morning Call)

Editorial

4. Speak Your Mind

• The Allegheny Riverfront is a Good Resource, and Could Be Great. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• The America of Trump’s Tariffs is America at its Weakest. (David Brooks)
• Trump and His ‘Little Disturbance’ From Tariffs. (Wall Street Journal)
• Reversal of Fortune in Homer City: New Manufacturing Project a ‘Game Changer’. (Salena Zito)
• Can You Like Trump and Still Love the Birds? (Lauren McCutcheon)
• President Trump Doesn’t Understand Groceries. (Lori Falce)
• The Real Waste in Pennsylvania Government. (Terri Baumgardner)
• Democrats Have a Problem. (Mark Leibovich)
• Trump’s Tariff Plan Peddles An Illusion That Will Bring Real Economic Pain. (Ned Barnett)

1 Thing

5. Demand For Viral ‘Torpedo’ Baseball Bats Has Sent PA Factory Into Overdrive

“A 70-year-old man who plays in an area senior hardball league popped into Victus Sports this week because he needed bats for the new season. Plus he just had to take some cuts with baseball’s latest fad and see for himself if there really was some wizardry in the wallop off a torpedo bat.

Victus isn’t the only company producing the bulgy bats, but they were among the first to list them for sale online after the Yankees’ made them the talk of the sports world. The torpedo bat took the league by storm in only 24 hours, and days later, the calls and orders, and test drives — from big leaguers to rec leaguers — are humming inside the company’s base, in a northwest suburb of Philadelphia.” (AP)

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