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December 2nd Playbook

A GOP State representative announced his intentions to introduce legislation to repeal the expansion of mail-in voting in Pennsylvania. Here is the Playbook. 

Sen. Judy Ward Tests Positive for COVID-19: The State Senator reportedly announced on Monday evening that she tested positive for COVID-19.

As of Wednesday morning, we still are waiting for a call in a state Senate race and multiple congressional candidates have also yet to concede. 

Congressional Races 

All incumbents have secured another term in Congress, although a few challengers have yet to concede in their races. 

PA7: Rep. Susan Wild (D-Lehigh) has defeated GOP challenger Lisa Scheller. The AP called the race for Wild on Nov. 6. As of Wednesday morning, Wild leads by 16,163 votes (or by 4.2 points) with 98% of estimated votes reported. Scheller has not conceded in the race.

PA8: Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Lackawanna) has defeated GOP challenger Jim Bognet. The AP called the race for Cartwright on Nov. 6. As of Wednesday morning, Cartwright leads by 12,213 votes (or by 3.6 points) with 95% of estimated votes reported. Bognet has not conceded in the race.

PA17: Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Allegheny) has defeated GOP challenger Sean Parnell. The AP called the race for Lamb on Nov. 7. As of Wednesday morning, Lamb leads by 2.2 points (9,969 votes) with 97% of estimated votes reported. Parnell has not conceded in the race.

State Senate and House

Republicans have flipped four state House seats, (HD-33), (HD-55), (HD-123), and (HD-143), most notably unseating House Minority Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny). Democrats have flipped one seat in the Philly suburbs (HD-152). For the state Senate, Republicans have flipped one seat in western PA (SD-37), while Democrats have flipped one seat in the Philly suburbs (SD-9), and another race in western PA has not been called yet. 

 

State Senate 

SD-45: Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny) leads GOP challenger Nicole Ziccarelli by 89 votes, as of Wednesday morning, according to DOS

Harrisburg & DC   
USA Today: Toomey’s Senate seat: Crowded field on both sides as contenders jockey to run in 2022 
Patriot News: Pa. GOP lawmaker calls for repealing state’s newly expanded mail-in voting option 
Spotlight PA: GOP leadership silent after Pa. senator tests positive for COVID-19 following maskless election event 
Spotlight PA: You’re invited! A live reader Q&A on COVID-19 in Pa. and the vaccine
Patriot News: Gov. Tom Wolf announces plan to expand coronavirus testing, predominantly in rural counties 
Patriot News: Feds speed sale of Three Mile Island amid state concern about decommissioning 
Patriot News: Nearly 300 vehicles including motorcycles, SUVS and a 1967 Mercedes Unimog to be auctioned off by state 
Patriot News: Court reinstates ex-PSU president Spanier’s conviction, jail sentence on Sandusky-related charges
AP: After White House test, Pa. senator calls COVID-19 case mild
AP: Pennsylvania treasurer offers loan to fund highway projects
AP: Cosby’s sex assault conviction goes before high-level court
AP: Ex-Penn St. president’s Sandusky-related conviction restored
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Wolf vetoes proposal to shield businesses from some pandemic liability 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: New pandemic relief proposal rolled out by bipartisan group in Congress 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: New COVID-19 testing ‘strike teams’ will help Pa. expand its testing capacity, Wolf says 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Pa. Rep. Mike Kelly asks SCOTUS to decertify Pa.’s election returns, report 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Eugene DePasquale files to run against Perry in 2022. But it’s not what you think 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: No law license? No problem for ex-Kansas att’y gen. helping Trump wage election fraud fight in Pa., other states 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: COVID-19 in Pa.: Health Dept. confirms 5,676 new cases, 180 new deaths 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Pa. Planned Parenthood boss resigns over hostile workplace culture claims | Wednesday Morning Coffee
City Paper: PA GOP says current COVID outbreak not an emergency, and is fundraising off of it
WESA: Pennsylvania Uses CARES Funds To Help Dairy Farmers
Inquirer: Trump’s Pa. allies appeal legal bid to overturn the election to SCOTUS, even as Barr says there’s no evidence of widespread fraud
Inquirer: Ex-Penn State president Graham Spanier’s conviction is reinstated by a federal appeals court
Inquirer: COVID-19 outbreak infects more than half of inmates at Pa. prison for elderly and infirm
PLSReporter: Wolf Admin adds new COVID-19 testing sites 
PLSReporter: Sen. Judy Ward tests positive for COVID-19 
Philly Voice: Gov. Wolf vetoes GOP-led measure aimed at protecting schools, businesses from COVID-19-related liability 
Philly Voice: 11,000 Pa. residents must pay back unemployment benefits
The Hill: Cruz urges Supreme Court to take up Pennsylvania election challenge
KYW Newsradio: Cosby’s lawyers go before Pa. Supreme Court to try to overturn his sex assault conviction
CNN: Pennsylvania Supreme Court pointedly questions use of prior bad acts witnesses in Bill Cosby’s trial 
CNN: To win in 2020 and beyond, Democrats need to face 1990s truths
StateImpactPA: Families and advocates criticize Pa.’s fracking health studies  

Philadelphia 
WHYY Newsworks: Philadelphia moves toward creating a new construction tax and delaying abatement change 
WHYY Newsworks: Philly’s other big universities stay silent after $100M UPenn donation
Inquirer: Philly’s Four Seasons Total Landscaping dishes the dirt on the news conference heard ’round the world: ‘It was nothing we anticipated’ 
Inquirer: Philly is set to create a new construction tax and cut a big property tax break in a win for Council President Darrell Clarke
Inquirer: Pa. looks to expand free COVID-19 testing, and Philly implements a few business-aid measures
Inquirer: A Philly jobs program lost 6 to a year of violence. Can it still help young people thrive? 
Philadelphia Citizen: Who Is Philly’s Integrity Icon? 
KYW Newsradio: Report calls for limits on landlords’ access to eviction records
KYW Newsradio: Philly COVID-19 numbers continue to be very high, but officials see some hopeful signs
Philadelphia Business Journal: Philadelphia amends some business tax rules after latest round of closures and restrictions 
Philly Voice: Philly extends tax relief to restaurants, bars impacted by COVID-19
Billy Penn: Accidental overdose death at Philly’s COVID prevention site, which is closing in two weeks

SEPA
Bucks County Courier Times: Commission working on new Pa. sentencing guidelines 
Bucks County Courier Times: COVID-19 killed 64 in Bucks last month
Delco Daily Times: County council approves $5.5M for PPE stockpile 
Montgomery Media: Montco reports 1,927 new COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths
Bucks Local News: NOVEMBER 30 BUCKS COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE: Cases continue to soar as health officials await holiday fallout

Pittsburgh 
WESA: Despite Challenges, Allegheny County Exceeds 2010 Census Response Rate 
WESA: How Pittsburgh’s Equity Commission Wants To Reverse The Gender Pay Gap 
City Paper: PA GOP says current COVID outbreak not an emergency, and is fundraising off of it
City Paper: Pittsburgh’s Latino immigrant community reacts to Biden’s win with optimism, realism 
City Paper: Alexis Johnson’s lawsuit against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette could set precedent for media being immune against race-based discrimination 
City Paper: New report shows how disproportionately Black people in Pittsburgh are incarcerated, arrested, and confronted by police 
City Paper: An ongoing tally of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths in Allegheny County
Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh unemployment rate fell to 7.2% in October 
Post-Gazette: In battling COVID-19, Biden eyes stricter OSHA enforcement of workplaces
Post-Gazette: COVID-19 continues to surge in rural Pennsylvania as the state expands testing
Pittsburgh Business Times: Entercom announces hiring of Rick Dayton for afternoon KDKA News Radio host position
Tribune Review: Rick Dayton named permanent KDKA Radio afternoon host
Tribune Review: Allegheny County reports 603 new coronavirus cases, 5 new deaths 
KDKA: Rick Dayton joins KDKA Radio as afternoon host 
KDKA: COVID-19 In Pittsburgh: Allegheny Co. Health Dept. Reports Over 600 More Cases, 5 Additional Deaths

SWPA 
Observer-Reporter: Peters Township man accused of stalking state representative 
Observer-Reporter: Area jobless rates decline third straight month 
Observer-Reporter: Washington submits CARES grant application
Beaver County Times: KDKA Radio hires afternoon host 
Beaver County Times: The number of new COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Beaver County
Altoona Mirror: Blair inches toward releasing CARES grants
Altoona Mirror: COVID-19 testing expands to Bedford
KDKA: COVID-19 In Butler County: ‘Strike Team’ Testing Center Delay Frustrates County Leaders
KDKA: Pa. National Guard Called Into Westmoreland Co. Long-Term Care Facility Due To COVID-19 Outbreak
Tribune Review: Westmoreland County eclipses 200 total deaths attributed to covid-19
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Budget enables Somerset DA to add assistant prosecutor 
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Brutal November: Cambria adds nearly 3,500 COVID-19 cases, 55 deaths in one month

NEPA
Times-Tribune: Commissioners OK $138.2M Lackawanna County budget 
Times-Tribune: City council introduces tax legislation, rates hold steady in 2021 
The Times Leader: Election director: Ballot mailing leads to higher costs 
The Times Leader: City Council input offered for compromise on Wilkes-Barre budget 
The Times Leader: 126 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Luzerne County; 12 new deaths
Citizens Voice: Council members peck away at proposed county budget for 2021
Citizens Voice: Tax note, but not budget, on Wilkes-Barre council agenda 
Citizens Voice: State plans new COVID-19 free testing as cases keep rising 
Citizens Voice: 12 more deaths, 126 new COVID-19 cases reported in Luzerne County on Tuesday

South Central 
Patriot News: Gov. Tom Wolf announces plan to expand coronavirus testing, predominantly in rural counties 
Patriot News: Entrepreneur, former publisher kicks off 2021 Harrisburg mayor’s race with website, survey 
Patriot News: Feds speed sale of Three Mile Island amid state concern about decommissioning 
Patriot News: Cumberland County ‘not well-equipped’ to operate nursing home anymore: commissioner 
Patriot News: Cumberland County adopts 2021 budget; taxes staying the same 
Patriot News: Harrisburg plan for public safety initiatives would be ‘hugely transformative’ for police department: mayor 
York Dispatch: PennDOT stoppage avoided after Wolf, lawmakers reach short-term deal 
York Dispatch: York County breaks single-day record for COVID-19 deaths
York Dispatch: York County District Attorney’s Office to open for appointments only 
Carlisle Sentinel: DOH: 68 new COVID-19 cases, three new deaths reported Tuesday in Cumberland County
LNP | LancasterOnline: 5 of county’s GOP state reps endorsed measure disputing election results 
LNP | LancasterOnline: Lancaster Countians get a little less optimistic, as economic worries grow 
LNP | LancasterOnline: COVID-19 deaths, now past 500, are increasing in Lancaster County and spreading more broadly beyond nursing homes 
LNP | LancasterOnline: Lancaster County unemployment rate falls for 6th straight month 
LNP | LancasterOnline: No Lancaster County property tax increase for eighth straight year 
LNP | LancasterOnline: Lancaster County reports 310 new positive cases of COVID-19 since Monday [Tuesday’s COVID-19 updates]

Lehigh Valley      
Reading Eagle: The Hispanic Center of Reading and Berks County drives voter engagement 
Reading Eagle: Berks and all Pennsylvania counties but one have substantial risk of community spread of coronavirus 
Reading Eagle: Berks County adds 109 coronavirus cases; Reading Hospital up to record 125 patients
Morning Call: Lehigh Valley’s economic recovery has outpaced the state. But there’s still a long way to go 
Morning Call: Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf announces coronavirus testing ‘strike teams’; Northampton among first counties to host one 
Express Times: Pa. deploying COVID-19 ‘strike teams’ for free testing. Northampton County among 1st sites. 
Express Times: Pa. coronavirus update: 5,676 new cases on highest positivity rate ever; 180 new deaths after slow Thanksgiving reporting; most Lehigh Valley deaths since July | Pa. COVID-19 county map (12/1/20)
WFMZ: Bethlehem advances stormwater fee ordinance 

North by Northwest
Centre Daily Times: Ex-Penn St. president’s Sandusky-related conviction restored
Centre Daily Times: ‘A scary situation for all.’ Nearly 90% of residents at Centre Crest have COVID-19
Centre Daily Times: Dec. 1 update: Pa. adds 5,676 cases of COVID-19; Centre County reports 11 new positives
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Comms to further address pandemic
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: City budget proposal under microscope
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Hospitals urge caution as virus patients spike
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: County accepts $1m settlement for leachate tank
Erie Times-News: Erie City Council members seek at least $3 million in cuts to 2021 budget

Opinion  
Allyson Y. Schwartz: Seniors can trust President-Elect Biden on Medicare
Paul Muschick: How did a Pennsylvania senator with COVID get to meet with the president?
Will Bunch Newsletter: Could a coup plotter become Pa. governor? 
Ernest Owens: I’m a Penn Alum — There’s Nothing Charitable About Their $100 Million Donation 
Inquirer Editorial Board: Philly’s new homeowner protection law is a useful tool for neighborhoods facing gentrification
Inquirer Staff: Should the Philly School Board be elected instead of appointed? A parent and city official debate. | Pro/Con 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: State election review nixed 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Shop local this holiday season
Anish Agarwal: For health-care workers during COVID, the burnout is real, and it’s getting worse | Expert Opinion
Bruce Ledewitz: The Electoral College is dangerously vulnerable to manipulation. It’s time to fix it 
Trudy Rubin: Victory for U.S. democracy: Courts serve law, not a president’s will 
Chris Freind: Vatican report shows why sainting Pope JP II was sinful
Cass Breslin Egan and Mary C. Tracy: Closing the country’s first all-girls Catholic school is a mistake 
Jay Maddock: Why your brain’s built-in biases insulate your beliefs from contradictory facts
Signe Wilkinson: Political Cartoon: How low can you go, cybercriminals?

3 Responses

  1. Next the GOP will be passing laws that forbid blue jeans, tennis shoes or dreadlocks at a polling place. Sick MF GOP.

  2. GOP will do anything to curb voting (suppress votes) because that’s the only way they can “win”. The GOP must CHEAT.

  3. Yes, let’s allow a Republican legislator undue all the good that has come with mail-in ballots which offer an option to voters to participate in the democratic process by repealing mail-in which has had zero signs of fraud and make people physically attend a voting facility twice a year. Christopher Krebs, a Republican appointee by Trump, has signed off on this years past elections as fraud free. Enough is enough with allowing political conspiracy theorists who are a minority of voters to tell the majority of voters what to do.

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    • Yes. It's a national security risk. (60%)
    • No. It's an app used by millions and poses no threat. (40%)
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    Total Voters: 30

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