A retired airline pilot announces a GOP bid against Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester) for the 6th Congressional District. Here is the Playbook. 

Retired Airline Pilot Announces GOP Bid Against Houlahan: The former airline pilot and naturalized citizen born in Germany claims that Houlahan is not the moderate voice that she campaigned to be and promises to prioritize immigration, healthcare, and education if elected to Congress.

August 23rd Ups & Downs: Another special election takes place, anti-pipeline activists talk to Gov. Tom Wolf, and Pennsylvania’s community colleges come under scrutiny. All of that and more are in this week’s Ups and Downs.

Harrisburg & DC   
Inquirer: No criminal charges against ex-Pa. legislator accused of sexual assault
Inquirer: Pa.’s treasurer has two Twitter accounts: one staid, one subversively millennial
Politico: Swing-district Dems face blowback from progressive voters 
WITF: AGs announce agreement to crack down on robocalls
Morning Call: Pennsylvania draws short straw for Democratic National Convention housing  
AP: Pennsylvania House wins appeal in atheist prayer-policy suit 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Gov. Wolf touted near-majority backing for his infrastructure plan in June. Environmental advocates are trying to chip away at that support 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Federal court upholds Pa. House policy that blocks non-believers from offering opening prayer 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: How the Trump administration’s regulatory changes are touching everything from family planning to food stamps
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Can the Dems topple U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly in PA-16 in 2020? | Analysis
PLSReporter: Governor, Republicans face off over charter school reforms 
PLSReporter: Did You Get The Memo? 
PLSReporter: Right 2 Know Episode 20: Sit down with Rep. Jordan Harris 
PLSReporter: Tweets of the Week – August 19, 2019
Reading Eagle: Robocall epidemic continues to grow; Pa. is 6th among states with 239,000 complaints filed in 2018
Reading Eagle: Pennsylvania State Police seek donated horses
StateImpactPA: Wolf allocates $3.8M to Bucks, Montgomery county towns for PFAS treatment, eliminating surcharges on water bills
StateImpactPA: Renewable energy producer S.G. Preston interested in buying PES refinery

Philadelphia
KYW Newsradio: City judge tosses police union suit against DA’s office over so-called “Do Not Call” list 
KYW Newsradio: Potential buyer for fire-damaged South Philly refinery has been identified 
KYW Newsradio: Philly police aim to close cases of unsolved murders with new interactive website 
KYW Newsradio: Hahnemann workers say their final goodbyes: ‘We were a family’ 
KYW Newsradio: 100,000 Philly streetlights will get energy-efficient LED upgrade
Inquirer: Court rejects FOP suit against Krasner on police ‘misconduct’ list 
Inquirer: After a Philly charter school operator gave Pa. lawmakers $360,000, a law was changed. A critic calls it ‘very suspicious.’
Inquirer: After resigning amid scandal, how will Philly’s former top cop Richard Ross be remembered?
Inquirer: Winter is coming: Why gas pump isn’t where you see the impact of Philly refinery closure 
Inquirer: Your 2020 candidate dropped out. Now what? We asked Jay Inslee and John Hickenlooper supporters.
Philadelphia Magazine: Philly Launches “Unsolved Murders” Website to Help Police Solve Thousands of Open Homicides 
Philly Voice: Penn professor Amy Wax: Determining whether President Trump is a racist is ‘so shallow’ 
Billy Penn: Philly’s female cops sue police department over civil rights abuses every other month, records show  
Billy Penn: Philly just got its first female police commissioner — 45 years after top cop used ‘God’s wisdom’ to keep women off the force

SEPA
Lower Bucks Times: Fitzpatrick on DCCC 2020 ‘Retirement Watch List’
Daily Local News: Quinn renews push to close gun show loophole 
Daily Local News: Local lawmakers to speak at rally Sunday to end puppy mills
Philadelphia Magazine: The Senator Says He’s Not a Rapist 
Inquirer: In Montgomery County, prosecutors are targeting a persistent source of the opioid crisis: ‘rogue’ doctors
KYW Newsradio: Wolf makes stop in Chester County to hear Mariner East pipeline concerns
Delco Daily Times: It’s Oil Over: Refinery workers mull future after massive layoffs  
Bucks County Courier Times: Mallon to run for Oettinger’s supervisor seat in Middletown  
Pottstown Mercury: Berks commissioner speaks out against Wolf’s Restore Pennsylvania infrastructure plan

Pittsburgh  
KDKA: Two Local Congressmen Have Different Opinions On Gun Reform In Wake Of Mass Shootings 
KDKA: Pittsburgh Beefs Up Climate And Energy Efforts, Names New Advisors
Post-Gazette: Conor Lamb’s 2020 challenge: Avoiding partisanship while keeping the momentum going  
Post-Gazette: Elections board, voting machine search committee: No lobbying here  
Post-Gazette: Female Trump backers meet in Pittsburgh area and across nation to try to sell his message  
Post-Gazette: Post-Gazette wins NLRB ruling  
Post-Gazette: ‘We want renters to understand their rights.’ Meeting focuses on residents displaced by W. Oakland fire 
WESA: Ahead Of 2020, Women For Trump Come Together To Show Support For President, Each Other
City Paper: Seven things we learned about Conor Lamb’s challenger from reading his tweets
Tribune Review: VA Pittsburgh’s new director aims to make health care for vets more convenient, close to home 

SWPA
Beaver County Times: Cranberry Twp. Republican announces congressional bid with eye on Conor Lamb
Beaver County Times: Knoll seeking rematch with Gaydos in 44th District
Beaver County Times: Conservation District to hold first public meeting since DEP revocation
Beaver County Times: Bernstine: State paying $150,000 for study at Hereford Manor
Observer-Reporter: Monessen’s 2018 audit shows signs of economic recovery for the city 
Observer-Reporter: New state law could eliminate need for snow days 
Observer-Reporter: Report: Student loan debt especially prevalent in Pennsylvania
Altoona Mirror: Climate activists pressure Dems 
Altoona Mirror: Tea party to discuss red flag laws

NEPA
Times-Tribune: Cullen, Spano talk issues as Scranton mayor campaign begins
The Times Leader: Luzerne County Council voting on capital projects plan
Citizens Voice: Lawmaker: Retirement tax still on table to lessen property tax load

South Central  
Patriot News: Serious fundraising kickstarts 2020 Democratic primary in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District 
Patriot News: Dauphin County DA to discuss sexual misconduct claims against Pa. lawmakers 
Patriot News: As Harrisburg school year starts, a look back at the summer of turmoil and change 
Patriot News: Pa. school districts turn to collection agencies to pursue payment of debts for meals 
LNP | LancasterOnline: Lancaster’s state lawmakers respond — or don’t — to current gun proposals 
Carlisle Sentinel: Pa. legislators look to give fire companies more power to bill for response costs 

Lehigh Valley    
Morning Call: How well-off are the Lehigh Valley’s members of Congress? 
Morning Call: School property tax credit for seniors being explored by Scavello would be offset by sales tax increase 
Reading Eagle: Lou Barletta bows out of 2020 run for Congress, establishes immigration-control PAC 
Reading Eagle: Gov. Wolf says he won’t stop Mariner East construction

North by Northwest
Erie Times-News: Erie Coke: No settlement, but a hint at a resolution 
Erie Times-News: NPRC ends talks with Erie County Council on college 
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Clinton County to pay former warden $225,000

Opinion  
Inquirer Editorial Board: Rising water costs will require turning up consumer pressure 
Inquirer Editorial Board: How many more women need to be sexually harassed before the city takes their complaints seriously? 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Safe2Say keeps kids safe: Tipline revealed information that demands action 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Lives at stake: State inspectors should check for working smoke detectors
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Out with the old: United Auto Workers leadership should step down
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Staying vigilant: Uptick in rabies offers opportunity for preparation
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Champion of the other America
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Keeping babies safe: Hello Baby program aims to reduce child neglect
Daily Local News Editorial: Property tax hikes are harsh reality
York Dispatch Editorial: Social media use deserves scrutiny
LNP Editorial Board: Staffing shortage at county’s sheriff office strikes us as critical 
John Yudichak: These homegrown companies are helping fuel economic growth in NePa 
Tom Killion: Red flag laws prevent gun suicides and mass shootings. Pa. needs this law now
Mark O’Keefe: Trump has polling trouble in Pa. But it’s a long time ’til Election Day 
John L. Micek: Report: Trump’s tariffs have cost Pa. $816M through June | Friday Morning Coffee
Brian Clites: Catholic Church sex abuse: The difference a Pennsylvania grand jury made in lives of survivors
Mike Newall: Philly’s new website for unsolved murders is a grim reminder of the deaths we don’t pay attention to 
Chris Kelly: A very Brady Scranton
Signe Wilkinson: Political Cartoon: Sexual harassment? Call the Philadelphia police!
Charlie Gerow: The Trump economy has been strong, but uncertainly clouds the horizon
Paul Muschick: Stall tactic on addressing Allentown schools deficit was disgraceful
Kevin Johnson: Trump’s assault on a landmark legal settlement means immigrant children will face harsher treatment in U.S. custody
Tim Hartman: So that’s what it takes to get a little property tax relief | Editorial Cartoon
Brendan Cox, Adarrel Omar Fisher and Miriam Aroni Krinsky: With eyes on Philly, it’s time for the U.S. to embrace overdose prevention sites 
Karen Kane: Don’t weaponize school lunches
John Chin: Improvement district near Chinatown risks leaving community behind 
Signe Wilkinson: Political Cartoon: Philadelphia law enforcement working together for a safer city
Keith C. Burris: It’s an old war
Chip Minemyer: When we ‘weaponize’ our views and words
Kelley DeSantis: Philly start-ups need more early-stage investments to compete 
Sarah Clark Stuart and Randy LoBasso: Taking steps to hold drivers accountable signals a change in Philly’s pervasive car culture
Kevin Riordan: Kicked out of N.J., right-leaning event on ‘ending racism’ is headed to Philly 
JD Mullane: Elites go small ball because they’re clueless on big issues
David M. Shribman: 2020 will be about everything
Jenice Armstrong: Teach your children about slavery’s evil past so they can understand its many influences on the present 
Brendon Jobs: To confront the 2020 election cycle, we need emotional intelligence in schools 
Gene Therapy: School’s open. Study meaningfully.
Ruth Ann Dailey: Summertime congestion
Will Bunch: Oilman David Koch set the world on fire, then died and left us to face the rising flames 
Brian O’Neill: The curious case of the clicking water meter