🖖  Hi, Tuesday

PA Weather
Corry | Snow showers, 35
Tioga | Cloudy, chance showers, 46
Mt. Pocono | Mostly cloudy, 48

PA Sports
Pirates (10-7) | Colorado 14-3 | Tu-W vs. Colorado
Phillies (6-10) | White Sox ppd | Tu-W vs. White Sox
76ers (2-0) | Brooklyn 96-84 | Th vs. Brooklyn

What’s Happening
House Judiciary Committee, 11a
Allegheny County Executive Town Hall Debate, 630p
Philadelphia Mayoral Forum, 7:30p

What We’re Hearing
“There is a red flashing light – and that red flashing light is the real estate transfer tax. The revenues that have come in from real estate transfer taxes have plummeted. To me, that’s a sign of recession times to come.” – Sen. Joe Pittman

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Top Story

1. Supreme Court Hears Mail Carrier’s Religious Tolerance Case

“The Supreme Court is being asked to decide under what circumstances businesses must accommodate the needs of religious employees.

A case before the justices Tuesday involves a Christian mail carrier in rural Pennsylvania. He was told that as part of his job he’d need to start delivering Amazon.com packages on Sundays. He declined, saying his Sundays are for church and family. U.S. Postal Service officials initially tried to get substitutes for the man’s shifts, but they couldn’t always. When he didn’t show, that meant more work for others. Ultimately, the man quit and sued for religious discrimination.” (AP)

Related

Lancaster County Man’s Religious Rights Case Before U.S. Supreme Court Today. “Lawyers for a former postal worker from Providence Township will make their arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court today in a case that could dramatically expand workers’ ability to secure religious accommodations.” (LNP)

Lawsuit Against Fox For False Election Claims Heads To Trial. “Jurors are set to get their first look Tuesday at a voting machine company’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News in a trial that will test First Amendment protections and expose the network’s role in spreading the lie of a stolen 2020 presidential election.” (AP)

Fox News vs. Dominion: Blockbuster Media Fight Set For Courtroom. “Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems are set to do battle in a Delaware courtroom this week as one of the most closely watched defamation cases brought against an American media company in decades gets underway.” (The Hill)

• Live Updates (Philadelphia Inquirer)

State

2. Worried About A Recession, Pittman Says PA Must Be Judicious With Next State Budget

“Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman signaled an openness to working with Democrats during a 25-minute speech before the Pennsylvania Press Club on Monday, while also calling for a “responsible” budget that keeps state spending in check.” (City & State)

• PA GOP Senate Leader Focuses On ‘Responsible’ Budget More So Than An On-Time One. (PennLive)
• Pittman Talks Schools, Energy, Budget And More. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
• The Volpe Report: Senator Joe Pittman. (WOLF-TV)

Related

Commonwealth Court Passes On Constitutional Bundling Challenge. “There are cable bundles. And then there are constitutional bundles. Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court dealt with the latter on Monday, dismissing a challenge on how state lawmakers have combined five potential state constitutional amendments. Its rationale – essentially, we do not have to rule right now.” (PoliticsPA)

• Court Tosses Wolf Suit Against Voter ID, Abortion Amendments. (AP)

House Panel Plans To Gut Voter ID, Regulatory Reform Constitutional Amendments. “The House Judiciary Committee plans to gut language from a constitutional amendment to adopt voter ID and regulatory reform during a meeting this week.” (The Center Square)

Democrat Cartwright Advises GOP To Tame The ‘Crazies.’ “Rep. Matt Cartwright is a straight shooter. That much is evident upon stepping into his office, and seeing a seven-point buck’s head mounted on the wall among photos of some of the charming downtowns in his Northeastern Pennsylvania district. The Democrat shot the deer recently, on state game lands not far from his home.” (Roll Call)

‘It’s Great To Be Back:’ Fetterman Returns To The Senate. “Sen. John Fetterman made his highly anticipated return to the Senate on Monday, following a six-week hospital stay for depression, which put mental health challenges under a spotlight that had already been trained on him and his health for months.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Modern Courthouse In PA Opens To Public. “Colorful brushstrokes adorn the entryway walls of the newly built federal courthouse in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, paying homage to the nearby Susquehanna River. The expansive mural is visible from the outside through large full-height windows, which provide natural light throughout the building.” (United States Courts)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Lancaster County Announces Mail-Ballot Printing Error Affecting 18,554

“Lancaster County’s elections office on Monday said 18,554 mail-in ballots sent to voters starting last week contained an error that required the ballots to be voided and replacements distributed.

The error affects both Democratic and Republican voters and involves the instructions for the race for Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Instead of directing voters to select two candidates in the race, the ballot incorrectly said to pick just one.” (LNP)

Related

Five Ways Educators Think Lawmakers Could Help Fix PA’s K-12 Staffing Crisis. “As the educator staffing crisis worsens, Pennsylvania lawmakers have introduced a series of proposals to make long-term investments in the teaching profession, hoping to attract and retain new talent in K-12 classrooms.” (CNHI News)

Students, Authors Fight Censorship In PA Schools. “About four hours before the Central Bucks School District passed a new library policy in July, local high school junior Lily Freeman warned a crowd of about 100 what would follow.” (Bucks County Courier Times)

A Primary Primer: How Voters Can Cast A Ballot In Next Month’s Election. “Pennsylvania’s May 16 primary is about a month away, but voters need to start thinking about the logistics of casting their ballots now. Deadlines to register, change party affiliation or request a mail-in ballot are quickly approaching.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

York City’s Elected Controller Signed Off On Public Funding For Her Own Nonprofit. “At first glance, York City’s proposed contracts with The Program, It’s About Change — a nonprofit that assists former prison inmates with housing and reentry services — seemed routine.” (York Dispatch)

DA Stephen Zappala Hits The Airwaves And Reconsidering John Weinstein’s TV Advantage. “The 25-year incumbent’s reelection campaign lined up about $60,000 in broadcast and cable commercial time starting Tuesday and running through early next week, according to AdImpact, which tracks political advertising.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Gainey Still Hasn’t Picked A Police Chief And Community Leaders Are Wary Of Some Of The Finalists. “Two weeks after Mayor Ed Gainey said his announcement of a new police chief was imminent — and one week after sources confirmed the finalists included a former chief from Idaho — some in the community remain leery of bringing in an outsider who they believe comes with too much high-profile baggage.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Philly Mayor’s Race: Five Paths To Victory. “In elections like this year’s mayor’s race, people often talk about about candidates’ “lanes” or “paths to victory,” which means identifying the voters they have a realistic chance at winning over and analyzing whether that will be enough to get them over the finish line.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• The Philly City Controller Race. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Centre County: Who’s Running For Office? (PoliticsPA)
• Westmoreland County: Who’s Running For Office? (PoliticsPA)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

Editorial

• Inquirer Editorial Board Endorsement Guide. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Taxes Add Up In PA. (Tribune-Review)

Opinion

• GOP, Beware. Abortion Politics Are Firing Up Both Sides. (Clarence Page)
• All The People Leaving Blue States For Red States Are On To Something. (David Brooks)
• An Energy Collision Course. (Lowman Henry)
• How “Woke” Are You – And Why? (Jerry Shenk)
• The Lies Of Fox News Hurt Far More Than Just Dominion Voting Systems. (Jean Guerrero)

1 Thing

5. The Future Of Bar Codes

The humble and familiar barcode — a staple on consumer packaging for nearly 50 years — will soon be replaced with a more robust and muscular successor that offers far more information about the product inside.

The new “2D” barcodes will unlock reams of online extras (for consumers) and revolutionize inventory management (for retailers).

The technology promises to improve product safety, give us greater transparency into the origins of the items we buy, and enhance our lives with handy suggestions about how to use or prepare our purchases. (Axios)

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