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🏀 Sixers (36-29) | New York 79-106 | Thu vs. Milwaukee
🏒 Flyers (34-24-8) | San Jose 3-2 | Thu vs. Toronto
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What We’re Hearing
“Our cybersecurity technology spending has more than tripled over the last four years, and this trend can be seen across all counties due to the evolving threat landscape.” – Joe Sassano, executive director of information technology for York County

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Top Story

1. PA Attorney General Candidates Bring Wide Array Of Experiences To Debate

“The five Democratic candidates for attorney general debated on Tuesday, and if you like a debate with sharp disagreements, it wasn’t your night.

All the candidates agreed that adult recreational use of marijuana should be legal, and that more needed to be done to tackle opioid abuse. They each said they would ensure abortion access is protected. They promised to do more to get guns off the streets. And they all agreed with the decision to ban TikTok on government devices.” (WESA)

Related

Pennsylvania Attorney General Debate: Democratic Candidates Respond To Electability Questions. “As abc27’s prime-time Pennsylvania Attorney General Democratic Debate began Tuesday night, each candidate was asked about their qualifications to hold the office.” (abc27)

House Is Likely To Pass A Bill That Could Ban Tiktok, But It Faces An Uncertain Path In The Senate. “The bill would require the Chinese firm ByteDance to divest from TikTok and other applications it owns within six months of the bill’s enactment or those apps would be prohibited.” (AP)

Democrats Cry ‘Carpetbagger’ at Senate GOP Candidates. “Senate Democrats think they’ve found a major weakness in five battleground races that will decide control of the Senate: Out-of-state carpetbaggers.” (Washington Post)

Casey Joins US Steelworkers Union In Call For Investigation Into China Shipbuilding Practices. “The USW filed a petition alleging China engaged in “protectionist and predatory policies.”” (Penn Capital-Star)

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Visited Philly To Check-In On MLK Jr. Drive’s $20M Bridge Rehab. “The bridge rehabilitation is being funded by President Joe Biden’s 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

State

2. Politically Homeless: What Pennsylvania’s Disenfranchised Want From 2024 Candidates

“Though independents won’t be heard from in Pennsylvania’s closed primary, they could have the final word in November.

In any tight race, the unaffiliated can be the difference. Pew Research analysis shows that former President Donald Trump narrowly won over independents in his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton, while President Joe Biden earned the majority of their vote in his 2020 win.

Significant shifts within the independent ranks could be consequential this year.” (Erie Times-News)

Related

Cutler Backs Trump For President, Says He’s Worried About 2024 Election Integrity. “State Rep. Bryan Cutler on Monday said he’s supporting presumed Republican nominee Donald Trump now that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has dropped out of the presidential race.” (LNP)

Rep. Cartwright Takes Donations From Lobbyist For Saudi Arabia, In Contrast To His 2022 Attack Ads Against His Republican Opponent. “In the 2022 election cycle, Democrat Representative Matt Cartwright repeatedly attacked his opponent for working for a lobbying agency — but not just any lobbying agency.” (Broad + Liberty)

State Education Secretary Makes His Case For $1.1 Billion Budget Proposal. “Under Pennsylvania’s system of funding schools, wealthy communities with high local tax bases can adequately fund their schools. But poorer communities cannot.” (WITF)

MacDonald Ends Topsy-Turvy Campaign, Pulls Plug On GOP Write-In Effort For Summer Lee’s Seat. “She ended that short-lived run for office Monday, saying on social media that the world of politics is not for her.” (Tribune-Review)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Cheers and Jeers: Environmentalists Clash With Shapiro

“Cheers and jeers erupted during a speech by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Monday, who was in town to promote hydrogen energy at a public meeting at the Steamfitters Local 420 union hall in Northeast Philadelphia.

Shapiro began by praising Steamfitters’ president, Jim Snell, for “creating clean energy opportunities.” “We are all in when it comes to the hydrogen hubs here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Shapiro, which generated applause from the crowd of more than 100 union members and fossil fuel executives.

But moments into Shapiro’s speech, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s Maya van Rossum stood and began shouting.” (WHYY)

Related

Erie County Elections Board Officially Moves 2024 Voter Registration Deadline. “Before Tuesday, the deadline was April 8, which is also the day of totality when it comes to the total eclipse. The county’s voter registration office is set to be closed on April 8, meaning people won’t get to register at the last minute if needed.” (YourErie.com)

Pittsburgh Receives ‘Stable’ Credit Rating Days After Controller Raises Concerns About Potential Revenue Loss. “S&P Global and Fitch gave the city an AA- credit rating, indicating that the city’s finances are stable and would be a “safe investment” for loans. The highest rating an entity can receive is AAA.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

PA Local Governments Want Long-Term State Money For Cybersecurity As Federal Grant Fills The Gap. “Local governments in Pennsylvania could soon have access to up to $25 million in federal funding to help them prepare for digital security threats facing critical infrastructure, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal.” (Spotlight PA)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Sunshine Starting Point: Records Are Assumed To Be Public. (Daily Item)
• Does Political Party Mean What It Used To In Pennsylvania? (Tribune-Review)
• Empower Students By Better Funding Their Schools, And Watch Them Succeed. (Cory Hulsizer)
• Public School Support Staff Deserve A Living Wage. (Yul Holloway)
• We Will Never Forget — Reflections On The Fourth Anniversary Of School Closures. (Beth Ann Rosica)
• It’s Unconstitutional to Cut Funding to Public Cyber Charter School Students. (Reese Flurie)
• The Creep of Christian Nationalism. (Elwood Watson)

1 Thing

5. A Tradition Like No Other: The Mud Sale

“A couple hundred used buggies — horses not included — were lined up and ready for the auctioneer’s gavel last weekend when day began at the Gordonville mud sale, a local Amish tradition dating to the 1960s.

Mud sales are country auctions that benefit volunteer fire departments across what the Amish community refers to as the Lancaster settlement, located some 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Philadelphia where the devout Christian group began to settle about 300 years ago.

They don’t sell mud, although a cold rain brought plenty of it. The name refers to early spring, when wet fields have begun to thaw but may not be ready for the plow. ” (AP)

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