First Read PA – Oct. 27, 2023

WEATHER: Philadelphia: mostly cloudy, high of 79; Harrisburg: cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, high of 79; Pittsburgh: cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, high of 77.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* Less than two weeks until the race for Philadelphia’s 100th mayor is decided, the two party nominees met for what’s likely to be the one-and-only live debate of this election season. City & State has your recap of yesterday’s debate.

* In this week’s Winners & Losers, Wendy Spicher is confirmed as banking and securities secretary, the university of Pennsylvania faces backlash from donors – and more. 

* More than 145 people packed Level 2 in Harrisburg on Tuesday night for City & State’s 2023 Forty Under 40 celebration, which honored 40 of Pennsylvania’s rising stars in politics, government, business and advocacy. Click here for snapshots from Tuesday’s Forty Under 40 event. 

NEW THIS MORNING:

* Jessica Shirley will take over as acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, stepping in for Rich Negrin, who resigned his position yesterday and will stay on medical leave until Dec. 9, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

* Democratic U.S. Rep. Summer Lee was one of several lawmakers who voted against a pro-Israel resolution that passed the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday, though Lee defended the move, arguing that the resolution did not acknowledge the “loss of life and humanity of Palestinians,” the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

* Five years after a gunman killed 11 worshippers inside Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, the General Assembly has established security grants for organizations in need, such as synagogues, though stricter gun laws and an expanded hate crimes bill have failed to advance through the legislature, Spotlight PA reports.

* Two candidates running for Commonwealth Court – Republican Megan Martin and Democrat Matt Wolf – sparred over the role of conservative billionaire Jeffrey Yass during an editorial board forum this week, PennLive reports.

* Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson told The Spark on Wednesday that U.S. Rep. Scott Perry was “central to the planning of Jan. 6” – referring to former President Donald Trump’s efforts to try and stay in power despite losing the 2020 election, WITF reports.

* Allen Issa, a Penn State law student and former congressional aide, has joined a crowded GOP field seeking the nomination in the state’s 7th Congressional District, Politics PA reports.

* Gov. Josh Shapiro touted his administration’s progress on reducing backlogs for permits and licenses yesterday at a Harrisburg mall, ABC 27 reports. 

* Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered outside of U.S. Sen. John Fetterman’s Philadelphia office yesterday to criticize his support for Israel as the country’s war with Hamas continues, WHYY reports.

* Members of Congress from throughout the Delaware Valley had a range of reactions to Mike Johnson’s election as the next speaker of the House, CBS Philadelphia reports.

* Philadelphia City Council candidate Gary Masino has lived in Northeast Philadelphia for more than 10 years, though from 2020 until last year, Masino held a seat on the Pennsylvania Convention Center board that was reserved for residents of Bucks County, the Inquirer reports.

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Inquirer has a column from Helen Ubiñas, who writes that yesterday’s meeting between Philadelphia Democratic mayoral nominee Cherelle Parker and Republican David Oh lacked the intensity you would expect from a debate.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* Democratic U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips is running for president, and while Philips’ primary challenge against President Joe Biden is considered a long shot, it also signals that there is a feeling of discontent with Biden among Democratic voters, Politico reports.

* The Pentagon announced last night that U.S. military forces conducted airstrikes on facilities in eastern Syria used by organizations with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Axios reports.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Teresa Lundy, CEO of TML Communications … and to Markita Morris-Louis, CEO at Compass Working Capital … and, on Saturday, to Neil Weaver, secretary of the Office of Administration … to City & State senior reporter Harrison Cann … to Greg Rowe, executive director at Keystone Restituere Resource Center … to Martial Hebert, dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University … and, on Sunday, to Zach Shamberg, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association … and to Lynn Charytan, executive vice president and general counsel at Comcast … 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. – The House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee meets, Hatboro Borough Hall, 414 South York Road, Hatboro. Watch here. 

KICKER: 

“But I think it is also important for central Pennsylvanians to know that Scott Perry was central to the planning of Jan. 6.” – Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson speaking about Perry, via WITF