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August 31st Playbook

The Associated Press reports that former state Rep. Rick Saccone will run for the GOP nomination for Lt. Governor. Here is the Playbook. 

‘Ex-lawmaker to run for lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania’: The Associated Press reports that former state Rep. Rick Saccone (R-Allegheny) “will run for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor next year.” Saccone told PoliticsPA in mid-July about his interest in the statewide office. 

‘Two Pa. Democrats propose legislation to impose mask mandates in K-12 schools, childcare facilities’: The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that “days after House and Senate leadership denied a request from Gov. Tom Wolf to mandate face coverings in public schools, Sens. Nikil Saval, D-Philadelphia, and Judy Schwank, D-Berks, announced plans for legislation to establish a mandate for school staff and students.”

‘Trump-supporting GOP candidate in Northampton County says he’ll bring ‘strong men’ to confront pro-mask school board’: The Allentown Morning Call reports that “Steve Lynch, the Republican candidate for Northampton County executive, told a crowd at a Harrisburg political rally he would confront pro-mask school board members with “20 strong men” and deliver them an ultimatum — get out or get removed.”

‘’Deserving of restoration’: Lt. Gov. Fetterman urges support for historically Black York cemetery’: The York Dispatch reports that “Lebanon Cemetery, a historically Black cemetery in North York, is returning to its “former glory” — and in the process catching the attention of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and his wife, Giselle.”

‘Former state Rep. Babette Josephs remembered as a progressive pioneer’: City & State PA reports that “Babette Josephs, a former state legislator and attorney who established herself as a leading liberal voice in Harrisburg for nearly three decades in office, has died at the age of 81.”

‘January 6 committee to ask telecommunications companies to preserve phone records of members of Congress who participated in ‘Stop the Steal’ rally’: CNN reports that “the House Select Committee investigating the deadly January 6 riot has requested that a group of telecommunications companies preserve the phone records of a group of GOP members of Congress and former President Donald Trump, as well as members of the Trump family, who played some role in the “Stop the Steal” rally that served as the prelude to the Capitol insurrection.” The list of GOP members of Congress includes Rep. Scott Perry (R-York).

‘Wounded Afghan war vet, PA congressional candidate: Biden’s botched withdrawal ‘ripped off a lot of scabs’’: Teddy Daniels, “a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and Pennsylvania Republican congressional candidate” for the 8th District, “described how the execution of President Biden’s withdrawal strategy “ripped off a lot of scabs,” as he recounted the incident that wounded him to Fox Nation’s “Tucker Carlson Today”.

‘Biden faces Dem defections’: Axios reports that “vulnerable House and Senate Democrats,” including Rep. Susan Wild (D-Lehigh) “are distancing themselves from President Biden over Afghanistan, with one calling the evacuation “egregiously mishandled.” 

‘Rural districts to lose prison vote tally’: The Williamsport Sun-Gazette reports that “the 3-2 vote by the commission redrawing the state’s election maps means most prisoners will be counted in their home communities, not the sites of their imprisonment. That means a small but noticeable shift in population from the rural districts where prisons are located to the more populous areas many incarcerated people call home.”

‘Your questions about climbing COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania, answered’: Spotlight PA reports that “cases of the coronavirus are steadily climbing in Pennsylvania to levels not seen since the beginning of the year, driven by the highly contagious delta variant… Spotlight PA held a free panel with health experts about what you need to know going into the fall.”

‘Sen. Casey holds hearing in Wilkes-Barre to address Medicare expansion’: The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reports that Sen. Bob Casey on Monday in Wilkes-Barre “said the time is now to expand Medicare to cover “whole person care” — eyes, ears and teeth — to assure senior citizens can get the care they need to retain a high quality of life.”

‘Sen. Toomey visits students in Emmaus, checks out school’s honeybee colony’: WFMZ reports that “Sen. Pat Toomey visited Seven Generations Charter School in Emmaus. He met with fifth-grade students and school officials to learn about Seven Generations’ honeybee colony.”

‘Repeal Pa.’s fireworks law now, Lehigh Valley veterans, 1st responders tell lawmakers’: Lehigh Valley Live reports that “Rep. Peter Schweyer has introduced a bill to repeal the fireworks law, and a handful of Lehigh Valley legislators have co-sponsored it, including Rep. Jeanne McNeill, who organized Monday’s town hall in Whitehall.”

‘Cartwright and Brown advocate for Congress investing in climate action’: The Scranton Times-Tribune reports that Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown joined Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Lackawanna) “and climate action advocates at a news conference on Public Square on Monday to call for Congress to take immediate action to address the increasingly frequent and severe weather events that affect communities like Wilkes-Barre.”

‘Masterman parents, Council members push for safety assurance after asbestos issues’: KYW Newsradio reports that “parents of students at Masterman High School joined City Council members Monday in continuing to press the school district for assurances that their school building is safe. Parents are concerned about damaged asbestos from ongoing construction.”

‘’Uplifting’: More than 1,000 Afghan evacuees come through Philly airport, get needed help’: KYW Newsradio reports that “nearly 900 evacuees from Afghanistan arrived in Philadelphia over the weekend, and hundreds more were scheduled to come through Philadelphia International Airport Monday. A medical staff member on scene told KYW Newsradio that 1,600 evacuees have come through the airport.”

‘Peduto seeks approval for $2.5M universal basic income program in Pittsburgh’: The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that “Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is seeking council approval to use $2.5 million in federal covid pandemic relief funding to start a guaranteed personal income program.”

‘Yet Another Allegheny County Judgeship On The Line This November’: WESA reports that “Allegheny County voters who take part in this fall’s election can help decide a bonus judicial race beyond the nine they had on the primary ballot: Common Pleas Judge Guido DeAngelis notified officials late last week that he will not be seeking retention for another 10-year term.”

‘Pittsburgh City Council to consider bereavement time for pregnancy loss’: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that “Councilman Bobby Wilson will introduce a proposed ordinance Tuesday that would allow the city’s non-union employees a maximum of three days paid time off for those who lost a pregnancy or for their partners, regardless of gender. The policy would match what already is offered to employees who lose an immediate family member.”

‘Here’s how the lawmakers who represent Centre County in Congress voted Aug. 20-26’: The Centre Daily Times reports on how Reps. Fred Keller and G.T. Thompson voted from Aug. 20-26.

‘Turnpike buys $2.8 million in U.S. Steel property for Mon-Fayette Expressway’: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that “the turnpike commission this month agreed to pay U.S. Steel Corp. more than $2.8 million for more than 60 acres of land in three locations.”

‘Luzerne County Children and Youth license downgraded by state’: The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reports that “still reeling from criminal charges against the former director, Luzerne County’s Children and Youth agency is being downgraded to a provisional state license.”

‘Electronic Billboard In South Park Twp. Gaining Attention For Messaging About Masks, COVID-19’: KDKA reports that “a slide on an electronic billboard at the intersection of Brownsville Road and Broughton Road says that masks don’t work and urges people to stop getting tested for COVID-19.”

‘These are the 10 best employers in Pennsylvania, according to Forbes’: Philadelphia Business Journal reports that “Forbes has released its third annual list of the best U.S. employers by state and, not surprisingly, eds and meds lead the way in Pennsylvania.”

Harrisburg & DC   
AP: Ex-lawmaker to run for lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania 
AP: Federal aid ending for hundreds of thousands in Pennsylvania
Spotlight PA: Your questions about climbing COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania, answered
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Two Pa. Democrats propose legislation to impose mask mandates in K-12 schools, childcare facilities
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Pa. GOP candidate says he’ll bring ‘strong men’ to intimidate pro-mask school boards
Axios: Biden faces Dem defections
City & State PA: Former state Rep. Babette Josephs remembered as a progressive pioneer 
USA Today: Federal unemployment benefits are ending. Here’s where you need to go for additional help
Morning Call: One family escapes, but fate of other Pennsylvania residents stuck in Afghanistan unclear as U.S. military evacuation ends
Patriot News: For the first time in its history, the Pennsylvania Cable Network is accepting donations
Patriot News: More than 9,000 new COVID-19 cases reported in Pa. over the weekend
Fox News: Wounded Afghan war vet, PA congressional candidate: Biden’s botched withdrawal ‘ripped off a lot of scabs’
KYW Newsradio: Many COVID-19 unemployment benefits to end Saturday, but Pa. is providing alternatives
StateImpactPA: Ida expected to bring heavy rain, flash floods to Pennsylvania
Post-Gazette: Pa. State System will offer emergency aid of up to $1,000 to students
KDKA: In Wake Of Hurricane Ida, Emergency Officials Urge Pennsylvania Homeowners To Get Flood Insurance
KDKA: COVID-19 In Pennsylvania: State Reports 3-Day Total Of 9,078 New Cases, 34 Additional Deaths
Politico: Trump acolytes poised to push out Senate dealmakers 
Politico: Jan. 6 probe takes first step to obtaining phone records — possibly those of lawmakers
Philadelphia Business Journal: Pa., New Jersey and Delaware business groups argue proposed drug pricing legislation could cost thousands of jobs
Delaware Valley Journal: PA Could Pass Texas in Natural Gas Production For First Time
CNN: January 6 committee to ask telecommunications companies to preserve phone records of members of Congress who participated in ‘Stop the Steal’ rally 
Huffington Post: GOP Candidate Suggests Forcibly Removing School Board Members Over Mask Mandates

Philadelphia 
KYW Newsradio: ‘Uplifting’: More than 1,000 Afghan evacuees come through Philly airport, get needed help
KYW Newsradio: Masterman parents, Council members push for safety assurance after asbestos issues
KYW Newsradio: New milestone for Philly COVID-19 vaccinations, but cases rising even more
WHYY Newsworks: Hundreds of Afghan evacuees stream through Philadelphia airport
WHYY Newsworks: A day before Philly schools reopen, facilities woes take center stage 
Inquirer: Nearly 1,000 Afghanistan evacuees have landed in Philly, with hundreds more expected 
Inquirer: Philly teachers’ contract down to the wire: ‘We’re not at all close’ 
Inquirer: COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations tick upward in Philly region; N.J. likely to reopen vaccine mega-sites for booster shots 
Inquirer: Fractured record keeping leaves Philly hospitals unsure which patients are vaccinated 
Philadelphia Tribune: City courts’ orders delaying evictions remain following U.S. Supreme Court ruling
Billy Penn: Why 911 calls ring and ring: Inside the crisis at Philly police dispatch
Philly Voice: How to help Afghan evacuees arriving in Philadelphia 

SEPA
Bucks County Courier Times: Why has PFAS health study been delayed?
Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks COVID vaccine numbers on the rise as delta variant and mandates increase 
Pottstown Mercury: Montgomery Bar Association recommends 2 judges for retention 
Pottstown Mercury: Montgomery County adds nearly 600 coronavirus cases, 3 deaths over weekend
Delaware Valley Journal: Chesco’s Williams on Afghanistan: People First, Politics Later 
Delaware Valley Journal: Made in the Delaware Valley, Left Behind in Afghanistan: Vets Upset As US Weapons Wind Up With Taliban
Delaware Valley Journal: Bucks County Resident David Tuck Talks About Surviving the Holocaust

Pittsburgh 
Tribune Review: Peduto seeks approval for $2.5M universal basic income program in Pittsburgh
Tribune Review: Aspinwall eyes human rights ordinance to bolster equality
Tribune Review: Plum mayor not happy that Verizon requested he wear a mask while in his home during a service call
WESA: Yet Another Allegheny County Judgeship On The Line This November 
WESA: Millions In Federal Rental Assistance Remains Available In Allegheny County
WESA: With PPS Students Returning This Week, School Board Still Evaluating Superintendent’s State Ethics Violations 
Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh City Council to consider bereavement time for pregnancy loss 
Post-Gazette: Turnpike buys $2.8 million in U.S. Steel property for Mon-Fayette Expressway 
Post-Gazette: With e-bike use growing, Port Authority will allow them on transit vehicles 
Post-Gazette: Pace of COVID-19 cases may be slowing down in Pennsylvania
KDKA: Port Authority Reverses Policy Banning E-Bikes On The T, Mon Incline
KDKA: Crews From 911th Airlift Wing Help American And Afghans Escape Kabul
KDKA: Electronic Billboard In South Park Twp. Gaining Attention For Messaging About Masks, COVID-19
KDKA: COVID-19 In Pittsburgh: Allegheny County Reports 945 New Cases In 72 Hours
WTAE: Port Authority announces major staffing shortages, impacting routes and Pittsburgh Public Schools students
WTAE: COVID-19 transmission levels in Pennsylvania by county
City Paper: Port Authority to allow e-bikes on Pittsburgh-area transit vehicles with new pilot program
City Paper: Driver, staff shortage at Port Authority causing missed trips and less transit frequency

SWPA 
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: New COVID-19 cases rising, state 7-day average tops 3,000 cases a day
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: House GOP re-examines potential property tax fixes

NEPA
Times-Tribune: Cartwright and Brown advocate for Congress investing in climate action
Times-Tribune: Taylor Borough to consider legislation for fire department to bill insurance
Times-Tribune: Commissioners to meet Wednesday in Moosic 
Times-Tribune: New COVID-19 cases drop, but higher compared to last week
The Times Leader: Sen. Casey holds hearing in Wilkes-Barre to address Medicare expansion 
The Times Leader: Luzerne County Children and Youth license downgraded by state 
The Times Leader: 70 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Luzerne County on Monday; 2,389 statewide
Citizens Voice: Action on DA election suit expected this week 
Citizens Voice: Luzerne County CYS downgraded to provisional license
Citizens Voice: 70 new COVID-19 cases reported in county 

South Central 
York Dispatch: ‘Deserving of restoration’: Lt. Gov. Fetterman urges support for historically Black York cemetery 
Carlisle Sentinel: DOH: 45 new COVID-19 cases for Cumberland County Monday, hospitalizations increase
Patriot News: ‘Something is clearly wrong’: Why does this small town spend so much in police overtime every year?

Lehigh Valley      
Morning Call: Trump-supporting GOP candidate in Northampton County says he’ll bring ‘strong men’ to confront pro-mask school board
Morning Call: COVID cases among Lehigh Valley children are rising, but hospitalizations remain low
Morning Call: Pennsylvania coronavirus update: 9,078 additional cases since Friday; 1,800 people hospitalized
Reading Eagle: Why has Gov. Tom Wolf changed his approach to fighting the COVID pandemic?
Reading Eagle: League of Women Voters of Berks County celebrates milestones
Reading Eagle: Berks County adds 144 new COVID cases in 2 days
WFMZ: Candidate for Northampton County executive says he would confront pro-mask school boards with ’20 strong men’ 
WFMZ: Sen. Toomey visits students in Emmaus, checks out school’s honeybee colony
WFMZ: Reading schools reopen with health guidelines in place
WFMZ: Berks begins planning for economic development efforts
Express Times: ‘20 strong men’: Lehigh Valley candidate plans to intimidate school boards over mask mandates
Express Times: Repeal Pa.’s fireworks law now, Lehigh Valley veterans, 1st responders tell lawmakers

North by Northwest
Centre Daily Times: Here’s how the lawmakers who represent Centre County in Congress voted Aug. 20-26
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Rural districts to lose prison vote tally
Erie Times-News: After PA Supreme Court decision, county’s chief judge reaffirms terms in Domitrovich order
Erie Times-News: ‘Here we go again’: Erie hospital nurse, doctor deal with second COVID-19 surge

Opinion  
Donna Bullock: Critical race theory legislation in Pa. misses the more urgent issues in our schools
Hank Kim: PSERS doesn’t deserve the bad rap 
John L. Micek: Pandemic unemployment benefits are ending. Here’s how to get help in Pa. | Tuesday Morning Coffee
Jan Jarrett: Our family, friends and neighbors who work at the polls deserve better than another sham audit 
Inquirer Editorial Board: Afghans are welcome here 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Onsite school COVID-19 testing is a smart move that should be embraced by parents, students
Sharahn Santana and Ivey Welshans: As Philly teacher contract expires, School District must increase pay after years of frozen wages
Jason Han: Philly doctor: I’m now as fearful of the delta variant as I was of COVID-19 in March 2020 | Expert Opinion
Elaine Maimon, PhD: Higher Ed Should Learn From The Pandemic 
Paul Devine Bottone: Congress can help Philly plant more trees 
Mark Zandi: Why the lack of workers? Blame lack of child care, COVID illnesses, and the economy reopening all at once
Betty Druckenmiller: How to prevent the child care industry from collapsing
Jack Brubaker: Why is the City of Lancaster shaped like an octopus? [The Scribbler]
Alvin Blake: We must protect our power grid 
Roxanne Patel Shepelavy: 18+ Ways to Help Students (And Teachers) Succeed This Year
Jenice Armstrong: It’s your civic doo-dee: Scoop up after your dog

5 Responses

  1. Now the state GOP should get behind Rick! Here is a man who deserves to be nominated. Loved his video from January 6 at the U.S. capitol.
    He was Trump before Trump and that’s good enough for me. Don’t let the fact he lost an election in a congressional district to Conor Lamb that Trump won by 20 pts only a few shorts months before make you think he can’t win statewide. Vote Rick Saccone for Lt. Governor!!

    1. I’ve never prayed harder. In fact I assure you every registered Democrat is doing the same!

  2. Yes! Please GOP nominate Colonel Shit Eating Grin Mastriano and this dude. It will be so fun to watch them on the campaign trail!

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