First Read – Oct. 13, 2023

WEATHER: Philadelphia: sunny, high of 66; Harrisburg: sunny, high of 65; Pittsburgh: mostly sunny, high of 68.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* The race for state attorney general is ramping up, with more candidacy and endorsement announcements dropping each week. An EMILY’s List’s endorsement of Democrat Keir Bradford-Gray is the latest update, but you can find our full list of candidates running for attorney general – and their endorsements – here.

* In this week’s Winners & Losers, Pittsburgh cleaners secure a new contract, Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative remains up in the air – and more. 

NEW THIS MORNING:

* In a letter sent to Gov. Josh Shapiro and lawmakers yesterday, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania warned officials that it is too late to change the date of the state’s 2024 presidential primary, The Associated Press reports.

* President Joe Biden is expected to announce today that the Philadelphia region will receive a portion of $7 billion in federal funding for the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub, also known as MACH2, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. 

* The chair of the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee says the panel will consider two bills that would repeal the state’s closed primary election system and allow unaffiliated voters to vote in primaries, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports.

* The Council on American-Islamic Relations released a letter this week criticizing Gov. Josh Shapiro’s recent comments on Israel, saying the governor “deliberately chose to ignore the humanity of Palestinians,” Politics PA reports.

* Sara Innamorato, the Democratic nominee for Allegheny County executive, has publicly denounced the Democratic Socialists of America over their public statements on violence in the Middle East, with Innamorato distancing herself from an organization she was a member of as recently as 2018, WESA reports. 

* SEPTA is using artificial intelligence in an attempt to discourage drivers from blocking bus lanes, as the agency placed cameras with “computer vision” technology on seven buses to detect vehicles that block bus lanes and stops, Billy Penn reports.

* A majority of members on Philadelphia City Council appear to have coalesced behind Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson as the next council president, though one of Johnson’s rivals says the race is far from over, the Inquirer reports.

* PennWest University President R. Lorraine “Laurie” Bernotsky said an evolving array of course offerings and the university's recent name change could be factors in the university’s 22% drop in enrollment since July 2022, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

* A new study from the Latino Donor Collaborative found that while the state’s Latino economy is smaller than that of California and Texas, Pennsylvania ranks 6th among all U.S. states for Latino economic output, WITF reports.

* Rachel Powell, a 43-year-old mother from Grove City who earned the nickname “pink hat lady” after smashing a window at the U.S. Capitol with a cardboard tube and ice ax, is seeking probation – though prosecutors want Powell to serve eight years in prison, the Pittsburgh Union Progress reports.  

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Inquirer has a new column from Jenice Armstrong, who examines a new memorial for victims of gun violence at Swarthmore College called the “House of the Living” – a memorial created from a converted greenhouse.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* Israel’s military on Friday ordered the evacuation of roughly 1 million Palestinians in northern Gaza – an order that applies to nearly half the population – ahead of an expected ground invasion against Hamas, the AP reports.

* House Republicans rejected Steve Scalise as the next speaker of the chamber, leaving the caucus with no clear choice for a speaker who can unite the conference, though the GOP appears to be looking to U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, Politico reports. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Marley Parish, rural affairs reporter at Spotlight PA … and on Sunday: to Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd … and to state Rep. Donna Bullock … 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:

10:30 a.m. – Shapiro administration to announce an Indigenous peoples cultural and heritage tourism initiative, Lehigh University Alumni Memorial Building, 27 Memorial Drive W., Bethlehem.

4 p.m. – Rally for Palestine, Front Capitol Steps, state Capitol, Harrisburg.

KICKER: 

“In the Senate we now consider this matter to be closed.” – Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman on the possibility of moving the 2024 presidential primary to April 2, via the AP