🎉  I’ve Got Friday On My Mind. Here’s hoping you enjoy your weekend. See you Monday.

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PA Weather
☁️ Seven Springs | Mostly Cloudy, 22
🌤️ Lewisberry | Increasing Clouds, 33
☀️ Mount Pocono | Mostly Sunny, 27

PA Sports
🏈 Penn State (12-3) | Notre Dame, 24-27
🏈 Steelers (10-7) | Sat vs. Baltimore
🏈 Eagles (14-3) | Sun vs. Green Bay
🏒 Penguins (18-17-8) | Edmonton 5-3 | Sat vs. Ottawa | Sun vs. Tampa Bay
🏒 Flyers (17-20-5) | Dallas 1-4 | Sat vs. Anaheim
🏀 Sixers (15-20) | Fri vs. New Orleans | Sun vs. Orlando

🔉  What We’re Hearing. Jeh Johnson, a director at U.S. Steel, resigned from the board effective immediately. He served in key national security positions throughout the Obama/Biden administration, including as Secretary of Homeland Security (2013-2017) and remains on the MetLife board.

📱  Social Media. PoliticsPA has a number of social media outlets for you to get the latest political news from around the Commonwealth: Twitter | Bluesky | Facebook | LinkedIn

Top Story

1. Fetterman Will Meet With Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Culminating Months of Working More Openly with the GOP

“Sen. John Fetterman will be the first sitting Democratic senator to meet with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, the culmination of the Pennsylvania lawmaker’s sustained public openness to work with Republicans in Washington.

The meeting this weekend comes as Democrats reexamine their long-held resistance to Trump as he takes office. Fetterman has continuously said his party needs to cool its hand-wringing and figure out how to get along with Republicans in Trump’s Washington.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

Toretti Gets Another Shot at Foreign Service as Trump Envoy to Sweden. “Christine Jack Toretti, Indiana businesswoman, state Republican notable — and a survivor of the July 13 assassination attempt on Donald J. Trump — has been named by the president-elect as the next United States ambassador to Sweden.” (Indiana Gazette)

New Federal Clean Energy Rebates Are In Limbo For Pennsylvania Residents. “Close to a dozen states are offering new rebates for home upgrades like electric heat pumps and insulation, funded through President Joe Biden’s signature climate law. But some worry the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump could jeopardize those funds for residents of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.” (WHYY)

State

2. McCormick, In First Senate Vote, Joins Fetterman in Support of Laken Riley Act

“Pennsylvania’s newest U.S. senator, Republican Dave McCormick, cast his first vote in support of advancing the proposed Laken Riley Act into law, and he was joined in doing so by his Keystone State colleague, Sen. John Fetterman.

Senators voted 84-9 on Tuesday with bipartisan backing from 32 Democrats to invoke cloture and avoid filibuster when floor debate on the bill begins. Further consideration is expected when senators return to the floor Monday.” (CNHI News)

Elsewhere

Citing Pennsylvania Students’ Low Reading Scores, Advocates Form Coalition to Improve Literacy. “A new statewide coalition aims to respond to alarming data showing that just 1 in 3 Pennsylvania students — and even fewer in Philadelphia — can read proficiently by fourth grade.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Shapiro Says This ‘Broken Process’ Could Lead to Higher Electricity Costs. “Pennsylvanians could face higher electricity bills if federal regulators don’t force the state’s grid operator to fix a “broken process” that artificially affects supply, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration says.” (Spotlight PA)

Rep. Dan Meuser Considering Run For Governor. “I’m considering it,” Meuser told The Hill on Thursday. “I mean if I get in it’s because I think I can win and that means beating the incumbent, which is Josh Shapiro. So it’s no easy task.” (The Hill)

Report: Pennsylvania Third Best State to Raise a Family. “A new report published by ConsumerAffairs ranks Pennsylvania as the third best state for raising a family. The report ranked each state in affordability, safety, education, pediatric health care and quality of life.” (The Center Square)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Change is Coming to Allegheny County Council, With Multiple Seats Opening Up

“Allegheny County Council races tend to be sleepier affairs than other local contests: Council members work part-time, and most balance day jobs with their government responsibilities.

But the 15-member body is poised to see significant turnover this year, as one of council’s first true progressives plans to step aside, along with its longest-serving Democrat and most prominent Republican.” (WESA Politics)

Elsewhere

Montgomery County Moves to Reassure Immigrants As Fears Mount Over Trump’s Threat of Mass Deportation. “County commissioners voted Thursday to approve the creation of a new position: director of immigrant affairs. Neil Makhija, the board’s new chair, said the role is designed to ensure immigrants living in the county can feel safe and continue to contribute to the community.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Rural Schools Find Security in Armed Educators. “The South Side School District Board of Directors voted unanimously in October to approve several staff, including the superintendent and a principal, to act simultaneously as school police officers. As appointed school police officers, both the superintendent and the principal can carry firearms on school property and respond in an emergency.” (Broad + Liberty)

Norovirus is Making the Rounds Again. Here’s What to Know. “Norovirus, a stomach bug, is spiking nationally and in Allegheny County, according to health officials.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• A Delusional Emperor Trump Fiddles While LA Burns. (Will Bunch)
• We Can’t Let PA Legislators Choose Their Voters. (Doug Webster)
• The Truth Will Set Us Free, But Not on Facebook (Nancy Eshelman)
• When Democracy Dies in Broad Daylight. (Tony Norman)
• Why I Risked My Health to Photograph Disability Rights Advocates Crawling Up Steps of PA Capitol. (Nolan Trowe)
• Seeing the Faces in the PA Farm Show Crowds. (Stephanie Speicher)

1 Thing

5. TikTok’s Fate Arrives at Supreme Court In Collision of Free Speech and National Security

“In one of the most important cases of the social media age, free speech and national security collide at the Supreme Court on Friday in arguments over the fate of TikTok, a wildly popular digital platform that roughly half the people in the United States use for entertainment and information.

TikTok says it plans to shut down the social media site in the U.S. by Jan. 19 unless the Supreme Court strikes down or otherwise delays the effective date of a law aimed at forcing TikTok’s sale by its Chinese parent company.” (AP)

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