May 20: The Farm Bill Is Here

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Phillies (34-14) | Washington 11-5 | Tue-Thu vs. Texas


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What We’re Hearing. Speaker Mike Johnson is in the Commonwealth today, headlining a breakfast for GOP congressional candidate Rob Bresnahan at a private residence in Luzerne County before heading to Philadelphia for a fundraiser with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.

Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. Barbara Gleim.

Daily Bruce. “The road is dark, and it’s a thin thin line. But I want you to know I’ll walk it for you any time.” – Tougher Than The Rest

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Top Story

1. Thompson Unveils $1.5T Farm Bill

“House Agriculture Chair Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson (R-15) unveiled the long-awaited farm bill on Friday morning that significantly boosts farm safety net programs but sets the stage for a battle between Republicans and Democrats to get it across the finish line.

Delayed since last year, the legislation includes several bipartisan measures such as restoring SNAP eligibility for those convicted of drug-related felonies, Republican committee staffers told reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

The package comes in at $1.5 trillion and sets the partisan debate over food and agriculture policy.” (PoliticsPA)

Related

Vice President Harris Coming To Philadelphia To Speak at SEIU Convention. “Vice President Kamala Harris will return to Philadelphia on Tuesday to deliver the keynote speech at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) convention, the White House announced Saturday.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Why Biden and Trump Ditched the Commission on Presidential Debates. “By now, people should really stop being surprised when a “norm” gets shattered. The strangest reaction to the bipartisan hit job on the CPD was the idea that Joe Biden, who had run on restoring an old, calm order, had just demolished an American tradition. That tradition started in 1987; it’s younger than “The Legend of Zelda” video game franchise, and enjoyed by fewer people.” (Semafor)

FBI Probe Into Rep. Perry’s Work To Overturn 2020 Election Could Undo His Committee Hopes. “U.S. Rep. Scott Perry’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results are coming back to haunt him as some House Republicans lobby to keep him off a key committee, Politico.com reported.” (PennLive)

State

2. With PA Desperate For More Pre-K Teachers, Shapiro’s Budget Proposal Offers Some Hope

“The reality of early childhood education looks much different than it once did.

A historic staffing crisis is causing classrooms and entire programs across the state to decrease their capacity or close, leaving working families without access to critical early learning programs. Less than half of eligible children in Pennsylvania attend a high-quality preschool program.

Providers and early childhood advocates are hopeful, though, that some relief is on the way. Governor Josh Shapiro has asked the General Assembly to invest in programs that make Pre-K more accessible to low-income families, and an initiative to attract and retain teachers.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Related

PA’s Election Chief Front And Center At Berks County Law Day Event. “With 2024 being a pretty big year when it comes to elections — the presidential rematch is already starting to heat up — the American Bar Association chose the topic as the focus of this year’s National Law Day.” (Reading Eagle)

Pennsylvania Lags In Electing Women To Political Office. “In a state where half of the 12.9 million residents are women, there still is an imbalance — 68% of the positions in the Legislature, for example, are filled by men. For some candidates — and voters — it’s not a focal point.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

PA Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged in April. “Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was unchanged over the month at 3.4% in April. This was the seventh consecutive month at 3.4%. The U.S. unemployment rate rose by one-tenth of a percentage point from its March rate to 3.9%.” (PoliticsPA)

Listening Session: College Students Share Concerns This Election Cycle. “WITF’s Ben Wasserstein met with six students from Millersville University on April 29 to discuss their hopes and concerns.” (WITF)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Pennsylvania School District’s Decision To Cut Song From Student Concert Raises Concerns

“A Pennsylvania school district’s decision to remove a song from a recent student choral concert has divided the community and spurred a review by a civil rights group.

“Lift Every Voice And Sing,” a late-19th century hymn sometimes referred to as the Black national anthem, was among several songs that were to be performed during the May 7 show by the Spring Cove Middle School chorus. The Altoona Mirror reported that district officials cut the song the day before the concert, saying students had voiced concerns about the song and the “divisiveness and controversy in the nation.” (AP)

Related

Commissioners Take Responsibility For Breaking Sunshine Law; Controller Does Not. “The three Mercer County commissioners voted against ratifying the special pay to two senior controller employees and instead, the two Republican commissioners said they would pay the figure – almost $6,000 – personally.” (CNHI News)

Smith Falls Short In Primary Write-In Effort For 22nd District. “Counties recently certified results of the April 23 primary election, and one question in a Lehigh County state House race has been resolved.” (Armchair Lehigh Valley)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Older Pennsylvanians Are Most Important Voting Bloc This Year. (Bill Johnston-Walsh)
• Scared About America Losing Democracy? Texas Is Already Gone. (Will Bunch)
• America’s Struggles With Church Attendance Predate Even The 1960s. (John A. Tures)
• Gov. George Leader Was An Example Of Ethical, Moral Leadership: We Shouldn’t Settle For Less In A President. (Mark S. Singel)
• Hold The Phone. (Beth Ann Rosica)
• Put Women In The Rooms Where It Happens. (Brooke D. Anderson)
• State Lawmakers Must Deliver Adequate Funding To Public Schools. (Martin J. Hudacs)

1 Thing

5. The Most Misunderstood Emoji

“Eight in 10 Americans have been stumped by emoji use, according to a new report from language education platform Preply.

Why it matters: Emoji have become a tool for communicating quickly and visually, but varying cultural and generational uses continue to create communication roadblocks.

Driving the news: Preply surveyed 2,201 Americans from February 1-29, 2024 to better understand how people interpret different emoji.

The most confusing emoji is

, per the report.”

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