First Read PA – Nov. 29, 2023

WEATHER: Philadelphia: mostly sunny, high of 38; Harrisburg: partly cloudy, high of 36; Pittsburgh: mostly cloudy, high of 37.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* Two new candidates – one Democrat and one Republican – have thrown their hats into the increasingly crowded ring for becoming the next attorney general of the commonwealth.

NEW THIS MORNING:

* Pennsylvania’s highest court yesterday weighed whether the Legislature can proceed with an impeachment trial against Philadelphia’s elected progressive prosecutor and whether the court or lawmakers should determine what qualifies as misbehavior in office, The Associated Press reports.

* Pennsylvania expects to receive more than $1.6 billion in opioid settlement funds, but the state’s ban makes it significantly harder for the money to directly support expanding syringe services in many places, Spotlight PA reports.

* The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh region was unchanged last month at 3.5%, the lowest since records dating back to January 1976, according to the state Department of Labor & Industry, the Tribune-Review reports.

* After a decision in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania that says undated or misdated ballots must be accepted, county commissioners across the state are weighing in on what has changed since the ruling, WITF reports.

* A national environmental advocacy group is suing the Allegheny County Health Department over its alleged failure to issue air quality permits for two local chemical facilities, the Capital-Star reports.

* The meticulous system Philadelphia Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker and her transition committee developed to select incoming Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel – including soliciting advice from a bevy of advisers and asking former top policing officials to score applicants before reporting back to her – demonstrates how she’s likely to govern, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

* A former Philadelphia teacher and social justice advocate who flipped a police car during the 2020 racial justice protests was sentenced yesterday to one year and a day in federal prison – marking the final chapter of a high-profile case that has drawn widespread political attention and community outcry, the Inquirer reports.

* An 84-year-old woman with family ties in Lower Merion was one of 12 hostages released by Hamas on Tuesday as part of ongoing cease-fire negotiations with Israel, the Philly Voice reports.

* Life in Newville started getting more expensive last night, as borough council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance that, pending a judge’s approval, will see local earned income taxes on borough residents jumping up by 90%, PennLive reports.

* Pennsylvania Auditor General Tim DeFoor has announced that he plans to run for reelection for the position in 2024, Politics PA reports.

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Tribune-Review wants to know why, with more hunters per square mile than any other state, and the fifth-highest deer population in the country, state lawmakers are letting hunting legislation languish.

* The Inquirer has an op-ed explaining how the present wave of anti-teacher public policies and private initiatives is a chilling reminder of past injustices, and what lessons from that time need to be applied now.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* The political network founded by the billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch has endorsed Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential nominating contest, giving her organizational muscle and financial heft as she battles Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida to be the top rival to former President Donald Trump, the New York Times reports. 

* Newly published data on life expectancy in the United States shows a partial rebound from the worst phase of the coronavirus pandemic, but drug overdoses, homicides and chronic illnesses such as heart disease continue to drive a long-term mortality crisis that has made this country an outlier in longevity among wealthy nations, the Washington Post reports.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: to Marion Leary, director of innovation, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing … 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 Pittsburgh City Council Standing Committee will meet. City-County Building, Pittsburgh.

1:30 p.m. – The Pittsburgh City Council Committee on Hearings will meet. City-County Building, Pittsburgh.

4 p.m. – The Allegheny County Council Committee on Public Works will meet. Watch here.

4:30 p.m. – The Allegheny County Council Committee on Budget and Finance will meet. Watch here.

KICKER: 

“I mean, it’s whatever the House wakes up to today and what they have for breakfast and then they bring impeachment. And then tomorrow the Senate wakes up and they think of the polar opposite as what any misbehavior means.” – State Supreme Court Justice David Wecht weighs in on the effort to impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, via the AP