April Fools' Day:

It’s a New Week, A New Month and a New Quarter. That’s no April Fool.

PA Weather


Indiana | Showers, 60


Sayre | Showers, 50


Collegeville | Rain, 54

PA Sports


Sixers (40-35) | Toronto 135-120 | Tue vs. Oklahoma City


Flyers (36-29-10) | Chicago 1-5 | Mon vs. NY Islanders


Penguins (32-30-11) | Sat vs. Columbus 3-4 (SO) | Mon vs. NY Rangers


Pirates (4-0) | Miami 9-7 | Mon vs. Washington


Phillies (1-2) | Atlanta 5-4 | Mon vs. Cincinnati

What We’re Hearing
PA-10 Democratic candidate Janelle Stelson is up with her first ad, focusing on access to IVF and access to abortion rights.

Happy Birthday
Cake and candles for Sen. John DiSanto.

Pennsylvania Political Headlines In Your Inbox Daily
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Top Story

1. The Church of Trump: How He’s Infusing Christianity Into His Movement

“Long known for his improvised and volatile stage performances, former President Donald J. Trump now tends to finish his rallies on a solemn note.

Soft, reflective music fills the venue as a hush falls over the crowd. Mr. Trump’s tone turns reverent and somber, prompting some supporters to bow their heads or close their eyes. Others raise open palms in the air or murmur as if in prayer.

In this moment, Mr. Trump’s audience is his congregation, and the former president their pastor as he delivers a roughly 15-minute finale that evokes an evangelical altar call, the emotional tradition that concludes some Christian services in which attendees come forward to commit to their savior.” (NY Times)

Related

Obsessions with Biden’s Age: Blame Cultural Perceptions About Growing Old. ““We call it ageism. That’s one of the ‘isms’ used to blatantly, or overtly or not overtly discriminate against people because of their age.”” (PennLive)

Pulse of the Voters 2024: Young Voters Agree On Issues, Prefer Younger Choices. “Generation Z voters — some eligible to vote in their first presidential election — are focused on many of the same issues resonating with veteran voters: The economy. The border. Abortion rights. Climate change.” (CNHI News)

Expect to See AI ‘Weaponized To Deceive Voters’ In This Year’s Presidential Election. “As the presidential campaign slowly progresses, artificial intelligence continues to accelerate at a breathless pace — capable of creating an infinite number of fraudulent images that are hard to detect and easy to believe.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Senate Rankings: 5 Most Likely to Flip. “The air wars in the Keystone State started in earnest this week as Sen. Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick both went up with their first batch of television ads.” (The Hill)

The Republican Party’s Plan to Win Over Black Men Is a Mess. “Republicans want to court Black male voters, but absent any clear infrastructure from the Republican National Committee, prominent Black leaders say they are devising strategies of their own.” (NOTUS)

State

2. How a SCOTUS Ruling On Mifepristone Might Disrupt Abortion Care In PA

“More than half of abortions in Pennsylvania are medication abortions that use a two-pill regimen.

Pennsylvania is one of the states where patients can get a medication abortion via telehealth appointment, which means they don’t have to travel as far to receive care.

But a case that was heard last week by the U.S. Supreme Court threatens widespread access to medication abortion — including in Pennsylvania where abortion is legal up until 24 weeks of pregnancy.” (WESA)

Related

PA Lawmaker Says It’s ‘Outrageous’ To Use Federal Money To Fix Baltimore Bridge. “Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-09) said he didn’t think federal funds should be used to fix the bridge and criticized President Biden for pledging to do just that.” (PennLive)

Rep. Jared Solomon’s $1 Million Campaign Stash Is Tops Among Candidates For PA Attorney General In Primary. “A million-dollar bank account pumped up by a burst of donations in 2023 has given Philadelphia state Rep. Jared Solomon a leg up in the quest for statewide name recognition as five candidates seek the Democratic nomination for attorney general.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Can Democrats Make Inroads in State Legislatures This Year? “Democrats picked up four chambers in 2022 but struggled to get their voters to concentrate on down-ballot contests.” (Governing)

Third Parties Could Cause Voting Upheaval In What’s Shaping Up To Be A Tight Presidential Race in Pennsylvania. “Will RFK Jr. tilt the presidential race in the direction of one candidate or another?” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Pitt Has a $5.5 Billion Endowment. Should The University Spend More To Lower College Costs?

“The University of Pittsburgh hasn’t been tapping into its multibillion-dollar endowment at the same rate as other affluent universities, choosing not to spend millions annually that some experts say could support the university and its students as college costs rise.

Endowments are composed of gifts from individual donors. State law and donor stipulations place restrictions on how Pitt can spend its roughly $5.5 billion endowment, which is meant to support scholarships, faculty positions and academic programs in perpetuity. But Pitt has some leeway over the allocation of its endowment funds — and its choices can reflect certain priorities.” (Public Source)

Related

Pennsylvania’s Primary Election Is At The Start Of Passover. Why Some Jewish Voters Feel Disenfranchised. “The first two and last two days of Passover are “full-fledged” holidays, meaning observant Jews do not go to work, drive or participate in most public activities during those days. That would include casting a vote in person.” (Allentown Morning Call)

Hundreds of Thousands Of People Will Descend On Erie For The Solar Eclipse. Here’s How The City Is Preparing. “Erie’s population could soon eclipse that of Pittsburgh.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Inside PA Politics With Jon Delano. “KDKA has launched a new 30-minute panel-driven politics show where the panelists are all young, diverse Pennsylvanians.” (KDKA)

Sunday Shows

• This Week in Pennsylvania: Sen. Bob Casey (abc27)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Congressman’s Bridge Comments Embarrass Pennsylvania. (Tribune-Review)
• Outrage Ginned Up By Lancaster County GOP Commissioners Over Library’s Drag Queen Story Hour Had Consequences. (LNP)
• Renovations at Governor’s Residence Reflect Entitlement, Irresponsibility. (Williamsport Sun-Gazette)
• The False Promise — And Hidden Costs — Of School Vouchers. (Joshua M. Cowen)
• Helping More Students In Pennsylvania Achieve Their Dreams. (Rep. Rob Mercuri)
• Our Rights Don’t Come From Government, And Other Lessons In Civics For Ruling-Class Elites. (Jennifer Stefano)
• Medicaid Should Pay For Abortions in Pennsylvania. (Dr. Libby Wetterer)
• Pennsylvania’s Elections Are Safe, Secure, Accurate, And Fair. (Charlie Dent)
• Vote Like Your City Depends On It. (Diana Lind)

1 Thing

5. Gmail Turns 20

“When it was launched on April 1, 2004, Gmail offered an entire gigabyte of storage, an unbelievable amount compared to other email providers at the time. That, along with Google’s reputation for pranks, had many people thinking Gmail was another April Fools’ gag.

Gmail accounts were initially invite-only and so coveted that they were selling for up to $250 on eBay. Two decades later, Gmail has an estimated 1.8 billion users, or approximately one user for every email in your archive. And that’s what made Gmail so innovative when it launched—you can seemingly hang on to emails forever.” (Morning Brew)

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