First Read – Dec. 27, 2023

WEATHER: Philadelphia: rain and patchy fog, high of 53; Harrisburg: showers, high of 50; Pittsburgh: rain, high of 56.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* Our partners at Route Fifty break down the 10 biggest challenges state and local government leaders will confront in the new year.

NEW THIS MORNING:

* Pennsylvanians are reminded year after year of our state’s political significance – and 2024 will be no different. In fact, the state’s impact could be even more critical than usual. The Philadelphia Inquirer previews what to watch for in 2024. 

* For a few hours on Sept. 25, 2024, countless eyes will turn their attention to two candidates who want to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. All of this will happen at Lafayette College, potentially drawing millions of dollars of economic activity to the Lehigh Valley and introducing College Hill to many students, LehighValleyNews reports. 

* President Joe Biden may be getting a warning sign from Pennsylvania, where a growing number of voters are switching their party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, Newsweek reports.

* State lawmakers’ base salary recently rose to more than $106,000, prompting a fresh round of criticism about the annual automatic pay bump, Spotlight PA reports.

* The Pennsylvania Capital-Star breaks down the top 10 storylines from the legislature this year. 

* In an interview in Philly City Council’s ornate Caucus Room, longtime councilman Darrell Clarke reflected on his career and his legacy. In characteristic fashion, he shunned questions about his personal life and took issue with how the press has treated him over the years, the Inquirer reports. 

* Philadelphia Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker yesterday announced that Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel will serve as her administration’s managing director following her Jan. 2 inauguration, the Inquirer reports. 

* What began in 2022 as a one-paragraph public records request has morphed into a full-blown court fight over who owns digital copies of the state's historical records, Spotlight PA reports.

* Through local and state-level connections, elected officials and community members in the town of Kane have created a place where people want to stay and move to, shaping the town into a gateway to the Allegheny National Forest, Spotlight PA reports. 

* Part of Senate Bill 843, the omnibus education bill approved last week, includes a provision that high schools offer a stand-alone personal finance course, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.   

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Tribune-Review offers a glimpse into the most popular editorials from 2023 and why they mattered to readers.  

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* Politico sat down with U.S. Sen. John Fetterman earlier this month to talk about his disagreements with the left, his beef with Democratic strategist James Carville, why the app formerly known as Twitter is no longer on his phone and his predictions for 2024.

* With under three weeks left until the Iowa caucuses, Nikki Haley is treading cautiously as she enters the crucial final stretch of her campaign to shake the Republican Party loose from the clutches of Trump, The New York Times reports. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To former state Rep. Nick Kotik … to state Sen. Nikil Saval … and a belated happy birthday to Stefan Roots, Chester City Councilman and Mayor-Elect

 … 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 at this time.

KICKER: 

“Biden does not have to win every swing state, but he can ill afford to lose Pennsylvania.” – Jay Townsend, political consultant, via Newsweek