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PA Sports
Penguins (31-21-9) | d. Tampa Bay 5-4 (OT) | SAT vs. Florida
Flyers (23-29-10) | SUN vs. Detroit
76ers (40-22) | lost to Dallas, 133-126 | SAT vs. Milwaukee

What We’re Hearing
The American Action Network has made a $335,000 ad buy in PA, upping pressure over President Biden’s planned cuts to Medicare Advantage. The ads target congressional members Rep. Susan Wild and Rep. Matt Cartwright and will run for three weeks on broadcast and digital.

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Top Story

1. Haywood Releases State of Black Pennsylvania Report

Somewhat lost in the noise of the change in leadership in the Pennsylvania House on Tuesday, state Senator Art Haywood announced the release of his first State of Black Pennsylvania report.

The report details the changing position of Black Pennsylvanians from 2010 to 2021, with several data points indicating the upward socioeconomic mobility of the Black community. (PoliticsPA)

Related

McClinton Voted PA Speaker, First Black Woman To Win Post. “When the state House of Representatives voted 102-99 Tuesday to make Rep. Joanna McClinton the first African-American female speaker of the House, it wasn’t the first time she had made history.” (Philadelphia Tribune)

How Latino-Heavy Counties In PA Stack Up On Voter Accessibility. “Drawing from the work conducted by Spotlight Pa. and Votebeat, AL DÍA looked into how the five PA counties with the most Latinos fared in the survey, using census data and findings by the Pennsylvania State Data Center.” (Al Dia News)

Harrisburg

2. Second Person Accuses Democrat Lawmaker of Sexual Harassment; House GOP Call For Him to Resign

“A second person has stepped forward to accuse a Delaware County Democratic Rep. Mike Zabel of sexual harassment and calling on him to resign.

Zabel’s former campaign manager Colleen Kennedy confirmed to PennLive an account she published on medium.com of being inappropriately touched by the three-term representative while at a fundraiser in 2018.” (PennLive)

• A Delco House Democrat Was Accused Of Sexual Misconduct. Here’s What You Need To Know. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• House GOP Calls On Democratic State Representative To Resign. (CNHI News)
• Law Firm Cuts Ties With Zabel. (PoliticsPA)

Related

Audio / Video

• One on One With PA House Speaker Joanna McClinton. (NBC Philadelphia)
• A Conversation With PA Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward. (ABC27.com)
• County Executive Candidates Are Expected to Raise Record Breaking Funds. (The Confluence, WESA)

PA Lawmakers Hear Challenges to Electric Grid Reliability; Experts Call For Clear Policy. “State lawmakers are questioning electricity reliability after a winter storm around Christmas left more than 100,000 people without power.” (StateImpact Pennsylvania)

PA’s ‘Silver Tsunami’ Could Mean $18B Shortfall. “Pennsylvania’s population is aging, but not saving enough wealth, according to Treasurer Stacy Garrity.” (The Center Square)

Union Calls On PA Legislators to Reset Salary Floor For Teachers. “Pennsylvania’s largest teachers union is calling on state lawmakers to boost starting salaries and wages for classroom professionals and support personnel toward improving a shallow candidate pool for public schools.” (CNHI News)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Allegheny County Democrats Vie For Party, Labor Endorsements For Primary

“For the ancient Greeks, spring marked the time when the goddess Persephone was freed from Hades and allowed to walk the earth, bringing forth life in all its richness. But when the spring political season truly gets underway in Pittsburgh this weekend, the process will be more like the reverse.” (WESA)

• Allegheny County Democrats Prepare For Endorsement Meeting. (PoliticsPA)

Related

Ups and Downs. “One of the more memorable first weeks of a state House session has come and gone. There is a new Speaker of the House. There are new rules for the upcoming session. And there is a credible accusation of sexual harassment by a member of the chamber. Let’s see who is Up and who is Down this week.” (PoliticsPA)

Pretend You’re In Congress and We’ll Give You a Committee Assignment. “Congratulations, you’ve been elected by the voters in your House district to represent them in the 118th Congress. Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start making legislation. Seems pretty straightforward, right?” (Washington Post)

Will The Cost of a Central PA Thruway Reach $1B? PennDOT Officials Hope Not. “Will the cost of the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway reach $1 billion? Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials hope not but they have estimated the 12.4-mile thruway cost to increase by $35 million to $938 million by the time it is completed in 2027.” (PennLive)

Hundreds of PA Residents Turn To Beaver County Resource Center Near Train Derailment Site For Help. “Pennsylvania’s Department of Health opened a resource center in Beaver County for state residents concerned about the impact of last month’s train derailment in nearby East Palestine, Ohio.” (Tribune-Review)

Philly Mayoral Candidate Cherelle Parker Just Snagged Another Big Union Endorsement From SEIUBJ32. “Mayoral candidate Cherelle Parker on Thursday scored a coveted endorsement from Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, a major political spender in East Coast municipal elections that represents 12,000 workers in Philadelphia.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Local 98, On The Sidelines in Philly’s Race For Mayor, Is More Focused On Its Own Union Election. “Philadelphia has crowded, competitive primaries for mayor and City Council looming in May, but the city’s most politically influential union is still sitting on the sidelines.” (Clout, Philadelphia Inquirer)

Five Takeaways From Kenney’s Final Budget Proposal. “Mayor Jim Kenney on Thursday proposed a $6.1 billion budget, kicking off a four-month process known in City Hall as “budget season.”” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Kenney’s Final Philly Budget Draws Mixed Reaction From City Council. (WHYY)

The Real Legacy of Darrell Clarke. “Is the retiring City Council President a statesman … or has he been a guardian of the status quo?” (Philadelphia Citizen)

Don’t Touch That Dial: Lehigh Valley Politics Could Be Next On Your Morning Drive. “Lehigh County commissioner candidates may soon become a staple on local radio airwaves thanks to an unusual election cycle and federal law.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

A glance around the Keystone State at editorials and opinions.

• Democrats Must Call For Rep. Zabel’s Resignation. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• PA Does a Bad Job of Electing Women. Why? (Alison McCook, Philadelphia Inquirer)
• McClinton Breaks New Ground. (Citizens Voice)
• Mark Rozzi Is An Exception To The Rule In The PA Legislature. (Russell (Ron) Bahn, PennLive)
• Failed Promise of Bipartisanship In PA House. (Reading Eagle)
• Now’s The Time Gov. Shapiro Has to Turn Ideas Into Realities. (Lillian Bates, PennLive)
• It’s Time To Hear Bold Leadership On Oil & Gas In Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Address. (Melissa Ostroff, PA Capital-Star)
• All Eyes On Gov. Josh Shapiro To Set Tone For Fixing PA School Funding. (MediaNewsGroup)
• Is Politics Making Kids Depressed? (James Freeman, Wall Street Journal)
• East Palestine Should Never Be Forgotten. (Patrick O’Shea, Beaver County Times)

1 Thing

5. Where to Get Philly’s Best Soft Pretzels

You can eat one for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Most condiments complement it. You can find it on almost every street corner or bodega you travel to in Philly. What is it?

We’re talking about a twisted soft pretzel — a Philadelphia delicacy alongside cheesesteaks, “wooder ice” and city wides.

DYK: Pennsylvania is the nation’s capital of pretzels with more than 40 pretzel companies producing 80 percent of the country’s production. In fact, the first pretzel bakery in America was opened in Lititz, Lancaster County, in 1861.

Interesting. But where can you get the best pretzels in Philly? Read on. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

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