🏀 I’ve Got Friday On My Mind. If you’re a basketball fan, then this weekend is for you. Make it a great one.

PA Weather
☁️ DuBois | Increasing Clouds, 45
🌤️ Gettysburg | Mostly Sunny, 51
🌤️ Mt. Pocono | Mostly Sunny, 39

PA Sports
🏀 Sixers (38-31) | Fri vs. LA Lakers
🏒 Flyers (35-27-8) | Carolina 2-3 (OT) | Sat vs. Boston | Sun vs. Florida
🏒 Penguins (30-30-8) | Fri vs. Dallas
🏀 Duquesne (NCAA MBB) | (6) BYU 71-67 | Sat vs. (3) Illinois, 8:40 p.m.
🏀 Drexel (NCAA WBB) | Fri vs. (1) Texas, 3 p.m.

What We’re Hearing
“We are focused on using every legal tool available to win at the ballot box.” – Jessica Anderson, president of Sentinel Action Fund, a conservative super PAC.

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Reps. Stephanie Borowicz and Joe Webster (Sat.)

Pennsylvania Political Headlines In Your Inbox Daily
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Top Story

1. Majority of Voters In Michigan And Pennsylvania Are Dissatisfied With Their Presidential Choices

“Voters in Michigan and Pennsylvania – two states that flipped from red to blue in the 2020 presidential election – begin this year’s general election campaign more dissatisfied than pleased with the candidates they have to choose from, with a fairly small but crucial share saying they are open to changing their minds on the race, according to new CNN polling conducted by SSRS.

The surveys of registered voters find a dead-even race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in Pennsylvania (46% each), with Trump ahead in Michigan (50% Trump to 42% Biden).” (CNN)

Related

Pennsylvania Republicans Are At Odds Over Critical Mail-In Voting Measures. “Republican groups in the pivotal battleground state announced a multimillion-dollar vote-by-mail initiative at the same time as state party leaders are trying to prohibit a key way of submitting those ballots.” (USA Today)

Republicans Plan Blitz Of Election-Related Lawsuits, But Prospects Uncertain. “Donald Trump’s allies who took over the Republican National Committee promise to fight more election battles in court as the 2024 campaign heats up.” (Washington Post)

Energy Agency Announces $475M In Funding For Clean Energy Projects In PA And Other Battleground States. “The projects will accelerate clean energy development on current and former mine lands, the U.S. Department of Energy announced.” (AP)

PA Democrats, Doctors Push Preservation Of Federal Health Care Law In Face Of Trump’s Promise To Repeal. “Although initially highly partisan, Republicans appear to have largely given up the fight over the 2010 law. However, the presumed party nominee still has it in his sights.” (WHYY)

State

2. Pennsylvania’s Population Loss Since 2020 Occurred Mostly In Counties Joe Biden Won

“Newly released Census data show Pennsylvania’s population declines since the last presidential election are mostly concentrated in counties where President Joe Biden won in 2020.

About 45,000 Pennsylvania residents left counties that Biden won, according to the analysis from Franklin & Marshall College. Counties that voted for former President Donald Trump gained 4,500 residents, adding up to a net statewide loss of about 41,000 people from the 13.0 million residents counted during the 2020 census.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

PA-17: Mercuri’s Incomplete Financial Disclosure. “A Pittsburgh-area attorney has asked the DOJ to investigate holes in the financial disclosure forms submitted by PA-17 GOP candidate Rob Mercuri.” (PoliticsPA)

Shapiro’s Alternative To A Key Climate Program Comes With One Major Catch: It Needs GOP Support. “While labor, environmental, and consumer protection groups have met Shapiro’s proposal with optimism, state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman has pushed back, saying that any form of cap-and-trade program would be “a very difficult piece to support.”” (Spotlight PA)

PA Lawmakers Call Out Dave McCormick’s Investments In Antisemitic Media Platform. “Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick’s financial investments into Rumble, an online platform that houses right-wing extremists and neo-Nazis, have been called into question by Pennsylvania Democratic lawmakers and members of Pennsylvania’s Jewish community.” (The Keystone)

U.S. Rep. Summer Lee Touts Her Success At Bringing Federal Dollars Back To Pittsburgh Area. “Taking a victory lap for a federal investment in your district is politics 101, of course. Even some Republicans who voted against the laws that made the money available are happy to take credit for investments in their district.” (WESA Politics)

Around The Commonwealth

3. A Billionaire-Backed Conservative Latino Outreach Push Comes To PA

“A conservative Latino political group is launching a Pennsylvania chapter just days after President Joe Biden’s campaign launched its own Latino voter outreach initiative.

Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus endorsed Biden’s reelection in Harrisburg on Tuesday as part of the “Latinos con Biden-Harris” campaign launch.

Just two days later, The Libre Initiative, which describes itself as the largest center-right Latino organization in the nation, prepared to launch its Pennsylvania chapter with a Thursday evening event at the Penn’s Landing Hilton.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

Is The Tide Turning On Larry Krasner? “The progressive prosecutor movement is losing momentum. Its poster boy may have to adjust to a new political zeitgeist.” (The Philadelphia Citizen)

How Two Of Mayor Parker’s Top Aides Got City-Issued Mustangs. “Parker’s administration says the 2023 electric Mustangs were purchased last year, before she took office. And they’re trying to get Washington to help pay for them.” (Philadelphia Inquirer Clout)

Fulton County May Be Shielding 2021 Emails With Voting Machine Inspector. But Why? “A rural Pennsylvania county may be withholding officials’ communications with a company that inspected 2020 voting machines — and has shown no sign of changing course.” (Chambersburg Public Opinion)

Director of Elections Addresses Electoral Misconceptions. “With Pennsylvania’s April 23 primary just one month away, Union County’s director of Elections is debunking some of the misconceptions surrounding the electoral process.” (Milton Standard-Journal)

Feds Send $90M For Largest Pennsylvania Solar Project Yet. “The project, in Clearfield County, will be almost twice as big as the large solar project in operation, estimated to produce more than 400 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 70,000 homes.” (The Center Square)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Biden and PA Senators Are Alienating Immigrant Voters Like Me. (Miguel E. Andrade)
• We All Pay For Corporate Tax Dodging. (Sarah Anderson, William Rice and Zachary Tashman)
• Pennsylvania Voters Would Come Out In Force To Protect Social Security. (Natalie Bencivenga)
• Income Inequality Is Gutting The Middle Class. (Geoffrey Sanzenbacher)
• More On Those So-Called “Banned Books” (Beth Ann Rosica)
• Opponents As Enemies A Dangerous Tactic. (Maya Haber)

1 Thing

5. National Cheesesteak Day Is Sunday

Invented in Philadelphia in the 1930s by brothers Pat (of the iconic South Philly spot Pat’s King of Steaks) and Harry Olivieri, the cheesesteak exploded in popularity during the second half of the 20th century, and has become the signature Philadelphia food, as synonymous with the city as the Liberty Bell and Rocky Balboa.

As National Cheesesteak Day rolls around on Sunday, here is what you need to know about Philly’s iconic sandwich. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

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