September 30, 2022
If it seems like we are opening each week with another appeal to your generosity, well, you ain’t wrong. This week, Hurricane Ian blasted the Florida Gulf Coast and is heading toward South Carolina, leaving a trail of destruction. If you have some spare change, the Red Cross could sure use it.
Today, Congress is in the process of passing a stopgap spending bill that will fund the government until Dec. 16. Doesn’t it seem like those folks always kick the debt can right up until Christmas every year? The holidays are hard enough, people. Get us into February, at the very least.
It was an incredible week in Ukraine, as Russia decided to illegally annex a third of the country, which led to the U.S. sending another billion clams to the Ukraine military, which then led to Ukraine asking for expedited entry into NATO. We shudder to think what “which led to” is gonna look like next.
Congress is also poised to pass the Bipartisan Electoral Reform Act, which will clarify the vice president’s role in counting the votes (he/she will have officially no role). In addition to providing a bit more certainty to the process, this will bring the extra added bonus of not giving anyone an excuse to try and hang the vice president.
Elon Musk announced his company has designed a “friendly robot,” which would never, EVER harm any humans. Unless Musk smokes another blunt and decides he wants to take over Virginia or colonize Venus with robots.
While reasonable minds in Pennsylvania may argue (and boy have they) over how to make our schools safer, one problem they won’t have is cash, at least for now. The feds are getting ready to dump $41 million on the Commonwealth to help in this fight. Now the fight over how to use it…
The feds (who are amazingly generous all of the sudden) are also sending $80 million to the Commonwealth to continue the fight against opioid addiction. Also, a fine use of federal resources, and we thank you folks for thinking of us.
There will be beer at the Beav this Saturday, as the Penn State Board of Trustees gave the green light to sell suds in the stadium. That place is already deafening, and we cannot imagine what the addition of some barley and hops might do to the decibel level.
Dirt is flying and machines are moving at Pittsburg International Airport. The new terminal is slated to be up and running in 2024, replacing the one built in the eighties that was commonly known as the Pittsburgh Airport, brought to you by U.S. Airways.
Did you know that Pennsylvania has 121 state parks? Well, now you do, and soon it will have three brand-spanking new ones. We continue to take our tourism very seriously around here, so go catch some fall foliage before it too late!
While the November ballot is going to be a pretty clean affair this year, the next one you see may have as many as six proposed constitutional amendments on it. Representative government is coming to a ballot near you, fine people. Read up. Maybe some folks will actually vote in a primary for a change.
As we turn to October, there will probably be much more political news than policy news, so pitter-patter, let’s get at ‘er. First, the trend of party-switching from the Democrats to the GOP continues apace, meaning that we can soon retire that old adage that PA is blue in the east and west and red in the center. You know a new day has dawned when Democrats are outnumbered in Fayette County.
All 203 of Pennsylvania’s state House seats and half the Senate’s are up for grabs this year, and with brand new district maps in place, the elections seem to be a wee bit more unpredictable this time around. Will the Democrats finally make good on their long quest to reclaim the majorities, or will the GOP maintain its grip? We don’t have the foggiest idea, but seemingly everyone on Twitter does, so check there.
Whatever the outcome is in November, it would appear both parties are in a flat-footed tie for voter preference, with the GOP clinging to a 47-46 advantage this week. Check back with us if the stock market continues to drop value like Steeler wide receivers drop passes.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry next week will host conversations with Dr. Oz and Josh Shapiro (Messrs. Fetterman and Mastriano have demurred), giving each candidate 30 minutes to outline their priorities. We will be there, so check in with us if you need an update and can’t watch PCN Tuesday.
Christmas in September came this week for reporters and political hacks, as candidates filed their latest campaign finance reports. While scads of money is being raised by most of our statewide candidates, Josh Shapiro seems to be doing all the lifting on the gubernatorial race, outpacing Doug Mastriano by about a 40-1 margin.
And against this whole backdrop of drama, money, conversations, polling and silliness, counties are now testing and re-testing their voting machines to ensure everything is on the up and square this November, which will satisfy exactly nobody who believes there is widespread fraud. Sorry, those press releases are already written. Just waiting to plug in the numbers and hit “send.”
On the Triad socials this week, pop by and say congrats to Brandi Hunter-Davenport on her third Triadversary!
In our We Can’t Make This Up segment, we take you to scenic North Dakota, where a woman was charged for bringing a wild raccoon into a bar. Apparently, the little trash bandit was using a fake ID and got really drunk before the cops had to be called. The badger that she also brought in was 23 and therefore allowed to stay.
And that’s what passes for news this week as we await the proverbial “turning of the page” into October. From your friends at Team Triad, have a terrific weekend, and we’ll see you right back here again next week.