This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

What happens when the governor goes against the warning of one of the heads of his own party? We may soon find out. Gov. Josh Shapiro endorsed Working Families Party incumbent candidate Kendra Brooks for Philadelphia City Council this week, bucking Bob Brady, chair of the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee, in the process. Going against the DCC, Shapiro not only backed a third-party candidate but also aligned himself with one of the city’s most progressive candidates.

The commonwealth’s second family just got a bit bigger. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and his wife Blayre Holmes Davis – one of Pennsylvania’s preeminent power couples – announced Sunday the birth of their daughter, Harper. The Davises first met at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in summer 2012. Now over a decade later, they welcome their first child.

The Democratic nominee for a vacant seat in the state’s 21st House District, Lindsay Powell, picked up an endorsement this week from NextGen PAC as candidates head into the home stretch before the special election on Sept. 19. A spokesperson for the organization said Powell “is a person who will fight for and represent young voters’ values and beliefs,” according to PoliticsPA. In a race that has the potential to determine control of the state House, every bit of momentum counts.

It’s safe to say the physical infrastructure of many schools is … well … not safe. During the first week of school in Philadelphia, Allentown and a handful of districts around the state, hundreds of schools were forced to dismiss early all week due to a lack of adequate cooling. But that’s not all. Taking a sip of water to cool off may not be safe either, according to a study by national environmental groups. The national report ranked Pennsylvania on the bottom tier of states in lead reporting and remediation in schools, earning the infamous “F” grade.

As commonwealth lawmakers work to finalize that last remaining pieces of the state budget, Erie County is experiencing some budget drama of its own. Joe Maloney, an Erie-based accountant who helped the county council with its budget for more than four decades, is accusing Erie County Executive Brenton Davis of violating local law, according to GoErie. Maloney said by vetoing multiple budget reductions, Davis freed up money for his travel budget, as well as for the county economic development department and new positions in his administration.

It hasn’t been a banner year for correctional institutions in Pennsylvania. The state has experienced two high-profile prison escapes this year, including a duo that escaped the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center unnoticed back in May. Now the commonwealth is once again making headlines after Danelo Cavalcante, a convicted murderer, broke out of Chester County Prison by climbing up a wall on Aug. 31. He’s been on the run since, and has been spotted several times in surveillance videos, according to CNN.