First Read – Jan. 11, 2024

WEATHER: Philadelphia: sunny, high of 56; Harrisburg: partly sunny, high of 47; Pittsburgh: mostly cloudy, high of 42.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* A shakeup among the Philadelphia City Commissioners has led to the ousting of chair Lisa Deeley and the election of Omar Sabir as the new chair of the three-member board tasked with overseeing the city’s elections and voter registration. 

* The Pennsylvania Capitol’s infamous – and often malfunctioning – East Wing escalators are getting a long-awaited upgrade as part of a renovation project in the Capitol’s East Wing that will cost between $3 million and $4 million.

NEW THIS MORNING:

* A new poll of Pennsylvania voters shows President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, leading in an “if the election were held today” question, 49% to 46% over Donald Trump, the current frontrunner in the Republican nomination battle, PennLive reports.

* U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has come under fire recently for failing to disclose a recent hospitalization, and U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio is joining the chorus in calling for Austin’s resignation, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

* The commonwealth will soon convene a committee to decide how to spend the state's first-ever funding for public defense, though experts cautioned the investment won't be enough to level the playing field, Spotlight PA reports.

* State officials have begun work on a new food assistance program launching this June that will grant eligible Pennsylvanians an extra $40 per student for each summer month as a result of the federally-funded Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, WESA reports.

* State Sen. Jim Brewster said yesterday that he is retiring at the end of this year, but he insists it won’t lead to a sea change in his district, the Tribune-Review reports. 

* The Department of Agriculture wants farmer Amos Miller to succeed but is frustrated at his unwillingness to comply with food safety rules, the state agriculture secretary said Monday, LancasterOnline reports.

* The number of out-of-state patients seeking abortions in Pennsylvania rose significantly in the wake of the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned federal abortion protections, PennLive reports.

* Gov. Josh Shapiro told a crowd gathered for the annual elected officials’ luncheon at the Pennsylvania Farm Show that his economic blueprint for helping the state be more competitive will include agriculture as one of four “pillars of opportunity,” PennLive reports.

* It was late Tuesday when top members of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration held a lengthy video call about how the city would respond to a massive winter storm that dropped buckets of rain on Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

* The Borough of State College entered into a settlement with political activist Eugene “Gene” Stilp in a lawsuit brought against them in 2022, WTAJ reports. 

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Inquirer published commentary from former Philadelphia mayor Michael A. Nutter saying that a ban on menthol cigarettes will only help – not hurt – the Black community. 

* Observer-Reporter has an op-ed from Jeff Kotula, the president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, who writes that when it comes to powering America, our state, and specifically Washington County, continues to drive our country’s energy independence.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* Former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey suspended his presidential campaign yesterday, but he undermined his effort to stop Donald J. Trump when he sweepingly dismissed his Republican rivals during a hot-mic moment, The New York Times reports. 

* President Joe Biden’s son will head back to court today for arraignment in Los Angeles on federal tax charges filed after the collapse of a plea deal that could have spared him the spectacle of a criminal trial during the 2024 campaign, The Associated Press reports.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To former Philadelphia City Councilmember and Mayoral Candidate Helen Gym …  Want to wish someone a happy birthday in our newsletter? Email their name, job title and upcoming birthday to editor@cityandstatepa.com.

TODAY’S SKED:

10 a.m. – Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker will join Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel at a press conference to discuss the ongoing public safety crisis in Kensington and to announce an appointment for the police department, Philadelphia Police Department 24th District, 3901 Whitaker Ave., Philadelphia.

10 a.m. – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding will be joined by Adjutant General of Pennsylvania Major General Mark Schindler to announce increased funding to connect military veterans to success in farming, PA Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg.

11 a.m. – Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner will announce litigation filed to block the implementation of Act 40, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Justice Sonia Sotomayor Training Center, 3 S. Penn Square, Philadelphia. Watch here.

11:30 a.m. – Pittsburgh City Council meets for a briefing on debt, Council Chambers.

12:45 p.m. – Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen will visit The Belvedere, a skilled nursing facility in Chester, Delaware County, to highlight the numerous investments the Health Department's Long-Term Care Transformation Office is funding to upgrade facilities, The Belvedere, 2507 Chester St., Chester. 

1 p.m. – The Basic Education Funding Commission meets to give final recommendations, Hearing Room 1, North Office Building, Harrisburg.

1:30 p.m. – Shapiro will join state Sen. Marty Flynn, state Rep. Jim Haddock, Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo and the Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA to highlight the major expansion of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for nearly 210,000 families, Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA, 10 N. Main St., Pittston.

2 p.m. – The Senate Republican Policy Committee holds a public hearing on human trafficking, Union Trust Building, Pittsburgh. Watch here.

KICKER: 

“I have lost trust in Secretary Lloyd Austin’s leadership of the Defense Department due to the lack of transparency about his recent medical treatment and its impact on the continuity of the chain of command.” – Chris Deluzio, via the Tribune-Review