🦃 A Week From Thanksgiving. Do you know where your turkey is?

PA Weather
❄️ Bethel Park | Snow, 38
☁️ Shippensburg | Increasing Clouds, 47
☂️ Jim Thorpe | Rain, 44

PA Sports
🏈 Steelers (8-2) | Thu vs. Cleveland
🏀 Sixers (2-12) | Memphis 111-117 | Fri vs. Brooklyn
🏒 Flyers (8-10-2) | Sat vs. Chicago
🏒 Penguins (7-10-4) | Fri vs. Winnipeg

🎂 Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. Carol Hill-Evans and Sen. David Argall.

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🗞️ Good Morning Pennsylvania. Find all the latest news on what’s happening in Keystone State politics with the PoliticsPA Playbook. We’ll deliver all the latest headlines in an easy-to-read format every weekday at 8 AM. And it’s free. Add your name to the list and subscribe now.

Top Story

1. Bob Casey’s Likely Casting Some of His Final Votes in Washington as PA Senate Recount Is Underway

“Sen. Bob Casey was displaying his usual calm.

Reporters surrounded the Pennsylvania Democrat as he exited the underground Senate tram to head to a vote and asked if his refusal to concede the Senate race against Republican Dave McCormick was fostering mistrust in elections.

For Casey, who has been in the Senate for 18 years, his long tenure here may likely end with a slow march toward defeat as the recount unfolds.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

Philly Recount Underway in McCormick-Casey U.S. Senate Race. “The race was close enough to trigger an automatic recount, but Philadelphia officials don’t believe it will make a difference.” (WHYY)

Wild Is At the Center of the Firestorm Surrounding U.S. Attorney General Nominee Matt Gaetz. “U.S. Rep. Susan Wild may be a lame duck, but she’s in the epicenter of an intensifying fight over an investigation into U.S. attorney general-nominee Matt Gaetz.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Blue Dogs Propose New Task Force to Look at ‘Winner-Take-All’ Election System. “The bipartisan task force would investigate structural reforms like multimember districts and adding more House members in an effort to address growing polarization and distrust of Congress.” (NOTUS)

Shady Wizard of Oz: Who Is Trump’s Newest Pick For Health Care, Turkish-American Dr. Mehmet Oz? “Although a talented heart surgeon, the public persona Oz has created for himself has not always aligned with scientific principles in the eyes of his peers. He has garnered much criticism for his embrace of pseudoscience, including on the topics of alternative medicine, faith healing and various paranormal beliefs.” (Türkiye Today)

State

2. Shapiro’s ‘Critical’ Engagement in U.S. Steel Sale Questioned

“As the $14.9 billion overseas acquisition of Pittsburgh’s U.S. Steel barrels toward resolution of some kind, the state’s top-ranking Republican says Gov. Josh Shapiro hasn’t been clear about whether he supports it.

The public silence is deafening for those who, like Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, want to see Japanese-owned Nippon Steel buy the iconic company and preserve 4,000 jobs in the region.” (The Center Square)

Elsewhere

Pennsylvania Education Advocates React to Education Secretary Appointment. “Some education leaders across Pennsylvania are sounding alarms as they prepare for a Trump administration that has the potential to dramatically change K-12 education across the country.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

DEP Says It Has Reduced Permit Backlog. “A backlog for oil and gas permits in the state has completely been eliminated, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced this week.” (PennLive)

The 2024 Pennsylvania Society Calendar of Events. “The Pennsylvania Society is an annual weekend retreat for Pennsylvania’s politicians and business leaders and will be held December 6-7, 2024 in New York City.” (PoliticsPA)

Dave Sunday Announces Leadership of Transition Team. “The committee will be charged with advising Sunday as he prepares to take office in January. A full transition team will be announced in the coming weeks.” (PoliticsPA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. PA Supreme Court Rejects Philly’s Latest Attempt to Pass Its Own Gun Laws

“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected another attempt by Philadelphia officials to overturn a long-standing state provision that prevents the city from enacting its own gun laws.

In a 6-0 decision, the high court ruled that the city’s arguments had fallen “woefully short” of the standard needed for a legal victory — and said that despite the pleas of city attorneys and those impacted by gun violence, they had not proven that the current prohibition against local gun ordinances was the cause of Philadelphia’s gun violence.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

Bucks County Commissioner Meeting Sees Calls For Resignations, An Apology After Election. “Wednesday morning’s Bucks County Commissioners meeting saw dozens of public comments from residents and others in a packed meeting room calling for the board’s two elected Democratic members to resign after a viral video clip drew a national spotlight.” (Bucks County Courier Times)

Jon Delano, Long-Time KDKA Money & Politics Editor to Retire on December 1. “Delano joined KDKA in October 1994 to provide political analysis during that year’s gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. In 2001, he was named Money & Politics Editor, covering government, business, and political issues with the depth and expertise that made him a household name.” (CBS Pittsburgh)

Penn State Trustees Rarely Discuss Key Issues Before Voting — Unless They’re Related to Athletics or Rules For Members. “A Spotlight PA analysis of public full board meetings since 2019 found that, on average, Penn State’s board spends 7.6% of their meetings deliberating university business. The data also show that nearly two-thirds of the trustees’ discussions focused on either athletics or internal board operations.” (Spotlight PA)

‘Inevitable:’ Majority Commissioners Adopt Budget, Approve 33% Tax Hike. “Lackawanna County’s Democratic majority commissioners approved a nearly 33% property tax hike Wednesday, adopting a 2025 budget their chief financial officer described as “a practice in inevitability.”” (Scranton Times-Tribune)

Delaware County Residents Will See an Increase in County Taxes, Councilwoman Says. “A county tax increase is coming, although how much is not determined.” (Delco Times)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Can Trump, Musk and Team Really Gut Big Government? (John Baer)
• What Green Party and Third-Party Voters in PA Might Tell Us About the Future of Close Elections. (Devi Lockwood)
• Dave McCormick, You Must Say No to Donald Trump. (David Mills)
• The Emerging Democratic Majority Is No Longer Emerging. Now What? (Megan McArdle)
• Political Stress: Can You Stay Engaged Without Sacrificing Your Mental Health? (Karen Kaplan)

1 Thing

5. A Duct-Taped Banana Sells For $6.2 Million at An Art Auction

“A piece of conceptual art consisting of a simple banana, duct-taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million at an auction in New York on Wednesday, with the winning bid coming from a prominent cryptocurrency entrepreneur.

Comedian, by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was a phenomenon when it debuted in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach, as festival-goers tried to make out whether the single yellow piece of fruit affixed to a white wall with silver duct tape was a joke or cheeky commentary on questionable standards among art collectors. At one point, another artist took the banana off the wall and ate it.” (WQLN)

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