First Read – Dec. 22, 2023

WEATHER: Philadelphia: partly sunny, high of 40; Harrisburg: mostly cloudy, high of 40; Pittsburgh: partly sunny, high of 49.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* High-profile endorsements, the threat of yet another lost congressional seat and a booted Amazon truck are just some of the entries in this week’s Winners & Losers.

* As 2024 approaches, it’s time to take a look at what to watch out for in the first installment of what could be the biggest storylines next year.

NEW THIS MORNING:

* President Joe Biden believes “serious scrutiny” is warranted for the planned acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel, the White House said yesterday after days of silence on a transaction that has drawn alarm from the steelworkers union, the AP reports.

* A new poll of Pennsylvania voters shows that a would-be presidential race between Biden and Republican Donald Trump is a statistical dead heat, the Tribune-Review reports.

* Voters participate in local elections to pick who they want to represent them in government, but when a seat on a municipal governing board is vacant in Pennsylvania, the public has little to no say in who fills it, Spotlight PA reports.

* Philadelphia leaders have a new blueprint plan in the ongoing effort to reduce gun violence in the city: The Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia offers 140 recommendations that came out of a summit held in September, WHYY reports.

* Pennsylvania natural gas companies may be on track to frack the lowest number of new wells in 2023 than any year of the past decade, StateImpact Pennsylvania reports.

* The city of Erie's 2024 budget has been finalized – but not without a number of adjustments, including a significant cut in police overtime, when Erie City Council gave final approval to the budget on Wednesday night, the Times-News reports. 

* Westmoreland County commissioners blamed past fiscal neglect in approving a 32.5% tax hike, the Tribune-Review reports.

* An expansion of Pennsylvania’s child care tax credit signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro after passing the Legislature last week will increase the amount families with children in child care can receive, the Capital-Star reports.

* Google will pay millions of dollars in restitution to Android users in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as part of a $700 million settlement to a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of using anticompetitive practices in its mobile app store, according to the states' attorneys general, the Philly Voice reports.

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Inquirer has a new column from Will Bunch, who explains why U.S. Sen. John Fetterman’s betrayal of progressives is why young people are turning off politics.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* The Biden administration is planning to crack down on banks and financial services firms that are helping Russia evade sanctions on access to military technology that is aiding its war against Ukraine, according to senior administration officials, the New York Times reports.

* Top officials with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Colorado Republican Party spoke yesterday to discuss plans of action after the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to throw the former president off of the Republican primary ballot, Politico reports.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: to state Rep. Patrick Harkins … to Kim Kockler, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Independence Blue Cross … and to Philadelphia City Councilmember Brian O’Neill … on Saturday, to Jake Wheatley, chief of staff to the Pittsburgh mayor … to Stefani Pashman, CEO, Allegheny Conference On Community Development … and to Jason Robert Henry, chief of staff to the lieutenant governor … on Sunday, to State Supreme Court Associate Justice Christine Donohue … on Monday, to Kandice Hull, member and litigation group chair, McNees Wallace & Nurick … and to Lisa Sanford, director, PA Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities … and on Tuesday, to Sherrell Dandy, associate attorney, Kline & Specter … 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:

No events scheduled.

KICKER: 

“I’ve been warning since I took office in August that this county was falling off the fiscal cliff. And, while I can’t be responsible for the past three years, I certainly have an obligation to cast difficult votes, as distasteful as they might be, to make sure this government remains solvent.” – Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas, via the Tribune-Review