This week's biggest Winners & Losers

President Joe Biden’s Commonwealth roots are paying off for the University of Pennsylvania community. The university’s president, Amy Gutmann, has been nominated to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Germany. She’s known for her writing in political theory, and has led UPenn’s growth as an academic and philanthropic powerhouse. Her family also has a history with the country, as Gutmann’s father fled Nazi Germany in 1934. Now, she’s set to become the first woman to hold the position of ambassador to Germany. You could say it was “schicksal” (fate).

Allentown-area state Rep. Mike Schlossberg scored a major victory this week when Gov. Tom Wolf signed language into law authored by Schlossberg that will direct $100 million to the state’s 100 poorest schools. Through this “Level Up” initiative, underfunded school districts will now receive extra cash in addition to the traditional basic education funding outlined in this year’s budget. A win for Pennsylvania students brings a win to Schlossberg this week.

Who’s against cheaper parking and garbage removal? On Wednesday, the Wilkes-Barre City Council unanimously approved Mayor George Brown’s proposal to reduce fees in an effort to help residents’ finances. The city is in a position to reduce these costs, reportedly, thanks to the infusion of $37.1 million from the American Rescue Plan. The parking meter fee in the city will now be $1 an hour, down from $2. The cost of a curbside garbage collection will also be cut down for large and small bags. Diamond City residents rejoice.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele looked like a hero in 2018 when he secured a sexual assault conviction for Bill Cosby, the first celebrity to be tried in the #MeToo era. All that changed yesterday when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned that conviction and Cosby walked out of prison a free man, just hours later. The Court’s decision hinged on what Steele called a “procedural issue … irrelevant to the facts of the crime.” For Steele, convincing a jury of Cosby’s guilt might have been one of the most satisfying moments of his career, but now, we’re willing to bet it’s just a memory he’s trying to quickly forget.

Prior to current state Rep. Amen Brown’s time in office, two out of the last three people to hold the seat were arrested for crimes ranging from bribery to theft. And now, a report from Billy Penn has revealed that Brown was previously implicated in a deed fraud scheme in 2014, but the criminal case was later thrown out. (Brown maintains that he was the victim of a Craigslist scam.) Multiple agencies are also currently pursuing the Philadelphia lawmaker for various debts. We don’t know where this story will end. All we can conclude is that the 190th House District truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Allentown City Councilmember Ce-Ce Gerlach was charged Tuesday with two misdemeanors, endangering the welfare of children and failing to report or refer information in violation of the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law. During her time as a social worker at a Valley Youth House, Gerlach allegedly failed to report suspected child abuse and dropped off a teenage boy at a homeless encampment where he was solicited for sex. The Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office’s investigation has resulted in her charges, her dismissal from Valley Youth House and calls for her to resign from city council. This all comes weeks after she lost a bid for the Democratic nomination for the city’s mayoral primary. A rough few weeks for Gerlach.