October 3, 2025
A few weeks back in this very space, we mentioned that Congressional Democrats were threatening to withhold their budget votes in exchange for the renewal of the Affordable Care Act exchange subsidies. At the time, you probably thought to yourself, “surely cooler heads will prevail, and a compromise will be struck.” Did you really think that? Aw, that’s cute.
The government shutdown will imperil up to $40 billion in federal funding for Pennsylvania, we found out this week. Maybe you were not aware that federal funds are a huge component of spending here in the grand old Keystone State, but there it is. Forty. Billion. Clams. Throw in the fact that we still don’t even have a state budget, and what a stew we have going here in the Cap City. Gonna need to have a car wash or bake sale soon.
Of course, that $40 billion shortfall could go higher if President Trump’s budget director has his way. In addition to finding new and creative ways to financially punish those intransigent blue state lawmakers, he’s also gonna fire just about everyone he can find. Sounds like he could have been a really good Willy Wonka. “YOU GET NOTHING! GOOD DAY, SIR!”
A report was released this week showing that the U.S. job market shed 950,000 jobs via layoffs in the first nine months of the year. That number is the highest since 2020, when there was obviously something huge going on in the country; we just can’t quite recall what it was. There are a whole lot of people who entered the job market in the last decade who have no idea what a tight labor market is. Man, are they gonna be pissed.
A federal judge ruled this week that the USDA cannot snatch away all of Pennsylvania’s SNAP cash because we refused to turn over the personal data of all SNAP recipients…yet. We have now officially lost count of how many lawsuits have been filed against the Trump Administration. When it comes to job openings, Trump 2.0 has been a full employment act for lawyers.
Just as we were composing a paragraph about our budget impasse’s effect on human service funding (it was scintillating; trust us), we were informed that Michigan finally passed a state budget, which means we are NUMBER 50, BABY! The last in line, y’all. We can’t help but recall the famous lyric from the 90s alt-rock band, the Presidents of the United States of America: “Lump lingered last in line for brains, so the one she got was kinda rotten and insane.” Let’s hope our budget, when it comes, is neither of those things.
Ever since Texas went all rogue and decided to re-draw Congressional maps in the middle of the show, national pundits have, from time to time, asked what Pennsylvania might do when it comes to joining the Great Map Redraw of 2025. The answer is…nothing. Stop asking. Split legislature. Nothing to see here. STOP ASKING!
The Pennsylvania State Police last year laid out a cool $600 million worth of patrolling and policing to Pennsylvania local governments who decided they don’t need a local police force of their own. There are a whole lot of free riders out there, and as it turns out, it ain’t free after all. Anyone wanna save $600 million in this year’s budget? Anyone? Bueller?
If you’ve ever traversed U.S. Route 22 up in the Lehigh Valley, you know it is not exactly a breezy joyride. It’s more like a car ride through Mordor. Well, the U.S. DOT has given Pennsylvania the green light to turn that baby into a full-blown Interstate, and with it all the new bells and whistles and upgrades it sorely needs. They grow up so fast. When we were kids, U.S. 22 was a little dirt road.
In case you were not aware, next year is a pretty big election year in Pennsylvania, with half the Senate, the whole state House and the governor’s chair all up for grabs. Yup, a big ‘ol donnybrook on the Susquehanna. Out of the gate quickly we have State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the top PA vote-getter of all time, looking to retire the current Governor, Josh Shapiro.
Shapiro will begin his title defense buoyed by the latest Quinnipiac poll, which shows a pretty solid approval rating (approaching 60%) and good marks across all demographics. Apparently, lugging around a late budget has not taken its toll on Shapiro at all, at least not yet. Check back in when the snow flies.
The latest City and State 40 in their 40’s power list was released this week, and would ya look at that! Our own Jen Riley is front and center! Congrats, and H2P!
In our We Can’t Make This Up segment this week, we take you to Denmark, where a zoo is asking people to donate their pets (chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and even horses) to the facility. AS FOOD! Yes, you read that correctly. The zoo said that their captive predators like the lynx need authentic prey in their diets. Hilariously, the zoo says your pets will be “gently euthanized.” Have you seen a lynx? Do you think it does anything “gently?”
That’s what passes for news around here as we stroll into October and all the amazing autumn scenery we are so blessed to have here in Pennsylvania. We have a foliage report on our local news, for cryin’ out loud! From all your friends at Triad, have a great weekend!