A new Morning Consult poll shows positive numbers for Gov. Tom Wolf, while President Trump’s approval rating is under water in the state. The PA Dems are divided on a recent impeachment resolution. Here is the Playbook. 

PA Likes Wolf, Not Trump: Gov. Tom Wolf is the lone statewide Pennsylvania elected official in a new poll in the top half in approval rating among his peers, while over half of voters in the keystone state disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance.

PA Dems Split on Trump Impeachment Resolution: Five members of Pennsylvania’s Democratic delegation against killing the impeachment resolution Wednesday. Only 2 Democrats in PA voted to kill the impeachment resolution in the previous vote in January 2018.

Harrisburg & DC   
WITF: Warning of danger to children, psychologists urge Wolf to close Berks detention center
PA Post: U.S. House shoots down impeachment effort; Pa. Dems divided
Philadelphia Business Journal: DiGiorgio no longer with Stradley Ronon in wake of sexting scandal 
AP: Attorney general announces partnership to fight gun violence
AP: Pennsylvania casinos rolling out online gambling
Patriot News: Pa. auditor general’s budget cut: ‘He’s obviously getting under somebody’s skin,’ an analyst says
Patriot News: Gov. Tom Wolf promotes a ‘cone-do’ way to bolster Pa. businesses and dairy industry 
Patriot News: ’Substantial progress on several key issues’ reported from latest round of state universities’ faculty contract talks
Patriot News: Gov. Wolf again pushes statewide broadband expansion and gas severance tax to fund it 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Wolf pitches $4.5 billion infrastructure plan as way to expand broadband access in Pa.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Pa.’s Fitzpatrick votes with Dems — again — this time for $15-an-hour minimum wage
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Pa. Rep. Smucker to help lead bipartisan border trip to U.S.-Mexico border on Friday
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: As Pa. faces home-care worker ‘crisis,’ lawmakers set the stage for a small wage increase
Inquirer: Democratic super PAC makes Pa. part of four-state, $100 million push for 2020 race
Inquirer: Pennsylvania gambling revenue up about $60 million, boosted by sports betting
Inquirer: It’s official: iGaming comes to Pennsylvania, allowing gamblers to wager ‘real money’ online, 24/7 
WHYY Newsworks: Pa. initiative targets the biggest pipeline for illegal guns — women
PLSReporter: Wolf calls for investments in rural broadband internet
PLSReporter: Pennsylvania Supreme Court upholds Pittsburgh City Council Paid Sick Leave law
PLSReporter: Dept of State to re-examine Philly voting systems
PLSReporter: Murt, gun control activists hope third time is the charm to close state’s gun show loophole
PLSReporter: 3 under 3!
StateImpactPA: Ask StateImpact Pennsylvania: Vote for which reader question we should answer 
StateImpactPA: WHYY’s ‘The Why’: Pa.’s widening PFAS water-contamination crisis
Morning Call: Former Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak on deciding to run for president and his uphill fight to the Democratic debate stage 
Morning Call: Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick ‘reluctantly’ sides with Democrats on raising the minimum wage

Philadelphia
Philly Clout: President Trump loves to brag about Wharton but Joe Biden is Penn’s big man on campus 
Inquirer: Philadelphia Police Department to fire 13 officers over offensive Facebook posts
Inquirer: Attorney General Josh Shapiro announces new partnership to combat gun violence in Philadelphia
Inquirer: Philly judge orders city and schools to repay nearly $50 million in tax revenue to commercial property owners
Inquirer: 4 lawsuits that could change the face of justice in Philadelphia
Inquirer: Summers are hotter, but heat-related deaths have dropped. Philadelphia has a lot do with that.
Philadelphia Magazine: Inquirer Management Fears Philly Could Have No Daily Paper in 5 Years
Philadelphia Magazine: 13 Philly Cops to Be Fired After Investigation Into Facebook Posts
WHYY Newsworks: Philadelphia Police Department to fire 13 officers over ‘vile’ Facebook posts  
KYW Newsradio: 13 Philly police officers to be fired in Facebook investigation 
KYW Newsradio: About 40% of Drexel medical staff to be cut with Hahnemann closure
Philadelphia Business Journal: DiGiorgio no longer with Stradley Ronon in wake of sexting scandal
Philadelphia Business Journal: City’s $118 million property reassessment suffers huge blow
Philly Voice: Penn professor: The United States ‘will be better off with more whites and fewer nonwhites’
Billy Penn: Philly’s opioid epidemic is so bad Starbucks has blue lights in the bathrooms

SEPA 
Bucks County Courier Times: Brian Fitzpatrick breaks party lines, condemns Trump’s tweets
Bucks County Courier Times: Santarsiero to host town hall Thursday
Daily Local News: Houlahan backs House plan to raise federal minimum wage
Daily Local News: New drilling method proposed at troubled Mariner East site; public meeting tonight
Daily Local News: West Chester officials vote to ban single-use plastic bags and straws
Delco Daily Times: After protest, Springfield GOP ‘retires’ elephant from parade

Pittsburgh  
KDKA: Mayor Peduto Announces On Twitter He Will Be Running Again In 2021  
KDKA: Local Representatives React To President Trump’s Tweets And ‘Send Her Back’ Rally Chant  
KDKA: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Eliminating 2 Additional Days Of Print  
KDKA: Governor Wolf Announces $136 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure  
KDKA: Commonwealth Flags Ordered To Half-Staff In Honor Of North Belle Firefighter  
KDKA: Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Fund Says Pittsburgh Downtown Safety ‘Declining’
Post-Gazette: County Republicans to select new chairman Saturday
Post-Gazette: Port Authority has tentative deal with police supervisors
Tribune Review: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to reduce print publishing to 3 days a week 
Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh owed at least $36 million in unpaid parking tickets
City Paper: As Pa. state schools freeze tuition hikes, Pittsburgh universities raise rates again 
City Paper: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to cut two more print days, print only 3 days a week 

SWPA
Observer-Reporter: County controller reveals $96,000 missing from Clerk of Courts office
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Local GOP congressmen echo Trump’s targeting of ‘radical policies,’ sidestep allegations of racism by president 
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Audit finds Johnstown in black for 3rd straight year

NEPA
The Times Leader: Wilkes-Barre city council urged to include KKK in dialogue about racism 
The Times Leader: Bee hive monument with controversial brick removed from Public Square 
The Times Leader: Luzerne County criticizes Wyoming Valley West collection letters 
Times-Tribune: 17 people seek temporary Scranton mayor appointment
Citizens Voice: WVW kids face foster care over lunch bills
Citizens Voice: Meuser: Trump is not a racist

South Central  
Patriot News: Pa. auditor general’s budget cut: ‘He’s obviously getting under somebody’s skin,’ an analyst says
Patriot News: Harrisburg school board president voted for husband’s pay raise, and that could be a problem
Patriot News: Gov. Tom Wolf promotes a ‘cone-do’ way to bolster Pa. businesses and dairy industry 
Patriot News: ’Substantial progress on several key issues’ reported from latest round of state universities’ faculty contract talks
Patriot News: Gov. Wolf again pushes statewide broadband expansion and gas severance tax to fund it
LNP | LancasterOnline: Elanco enlists Independence Law Center for legal help as it implements policy regarding transgender students

Lehigh Valley    
Morning Call: Former Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak on deciding to run for president and his uphill fight to the Democratic debate stage 
Morning Call: EPA raises concern about elevated cancer risk for people living around B. Braun plant near Allentown
Morning Call: Bethlehem City Council member resigns
Morning Call: Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick ‘reluctantly’ sides with Democrats on raising the minimum wage
Inquirer: Reading mayor under fire after calling off LGBTQ Pride flag raising at City Hall
Reading Eagle: Berks County current, former school administrators tapped to lead failing Harrisburg School District 
Reading Eagle: Commissioners debate future of Berks County Residential Center
Reading Eagle: Executive director parts ways with the Reading Parking Authority
Express Times: With resignation of councilman, there’s now a vacancy on Bethlehem City Council 

North by Northwest
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Officials: Hospital may bring $200 million to area in 2020
AP: Penn State board keeps in-state tuition flat in coming year
Erie Times-News: Erie County wants bed tax on Airbnb, B&B
Erie Times-News: Erie City Council debates smoking, alcohol bans in parks

Opinion  
Inquirer Editorial Board: It’s time for Pennsylvania to abolish the death penalty 
Inquirer Editorial Board: The seeds of “send her back” chants were sown by Trump’s racism. Congress should respond. 
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: John Paul Stevens was a study in Democratic values
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Pedal power: Bikes left on buses should go to needy kids
Malcolm Jenkins and Chris Long: Krasner deserves support from media, legislature 
John L. Micek: Pittsburgh scored a win with paid sick leave. States across the country are trying to stop that from happening | Thursday Morning Coffee
Will Bunch: Only Pa. Legislature could have a ‘Climate Caucus’ that wants 20 more years of fracking 
Ian Gavigan and Amy Zanoni: Hahnemann shutdown shows city hasn’t learned from gutting of Philadelphia General Hospital 
Brian O’Neill: Apolitical Wolosik had the memory of an elephant
Christine Flowers: Firing Leana Wen a reminder of Planned Parenthood’s true mission 
Jenice Armstrong: Lead reporter on Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse story left home at 16 and knows how hard it is for girls living on their own 
David Murrell: Outdoor Smoking Bans Are Spreading — and Useless
Christopher Tremoglie: Sixty years ago today, Philly was the center of U.S.-Soviet Union tensions 
Elisa von Joeden-Forgey: My friends were detained by ICE in Philly. Here’s what happened when I tried to help them. | Perspective
Miciah Foster: What does it really mean to have reproductive “choice”? 
Signe Wilkinson: Political Cartoon: Nancy Pelosi socks it to Donald Trump
Inga Saffron: Can heritage retail like Hoa Binh Plaza withstand the tidal force of Philadelphia’s housing boom? 
Colin McNickle: Can Pittsburgh International Airport afford a new terminal?
Victoria W. Wolcott: The forgotten history of America’s segregated swimming pools and amusement parks
Mike Newall: For 300 years, Philly’s ‘founding fish’ has been missing from the Brandywine. Meet the folks trying to bring it back