????  Today’s #PoliticsPA Playbook. Shapiro Accuses Vance of Giving ‘Comfort’ to Right-Wing Antisemitism. How Social Media Is Transforming Campaign Messaging. Krasner Joins National Group of Prosecutors To Push Back Against Federal Overreach. Catholic Church Emerges As A Bulwark of Resistance

????  Your Morning Pick Me Up. American Idiot. Green Day

????  Tips. No Tax Here. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s premier source for nonpartisan political news and analysis. Tips or press releases can be sent to [email protected].

PA Weather
????️  Kittanning | Partly Sunny, 16
????️  State College | Mostly Cloudy, 13
????️  Allentown | Mostly Sunny, 19

PA Sports 
????  Sixers (25-21) | Thu vs. Sacramento
????  Flyers (24-19-9) | Columbus 3-5 | Thu at Boston
????  Penguins (26-14-11) | Thu vs. Chicago

????  What We’re Hearing. “They find (creators’) voices authentic, they find their voices relatable, and therefore, give a certain degree of trust to their opinions,” Muhlenberg professor Chris Borick said. “Podcasters or online influencers form these relationships around (a lifestyle) that people are feeling or are interested in, then it branches out into more overtly political content.”

????  The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free.

Top Story

1.   Shapiro Accuses Vance of Giving ‘Comfort’ to Right-Wing Antisemitism

“Vice President JD Vance has “offered comfort” to people on the right who espouse anti-Jewish views, according to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, as the Republican Party navigates an ongoing intra-coalition feud over antisemitism.

Vance made a statement marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day that failed to mention either Jews or Nazis, igniting further Jewish criticism of the vice president from both sides of the aisle.

[Shapiro] said he did not think it was surprising that Vance’s post did not explicitly include Jews given his handling of the issue of right-wing antisemitism.” | PoliticsPA

Elsewhere

Pennsylvania Senators Show Rare Sign Of Fraternal Bipartisanship As Political Temperature Rises. “Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick exhibited a rare sign of bipartisanship this week as the two tried to counteract the rising political rhetoric.” | Washington Examiner

PA-03: Congressional Forum Set For February 9. “The leading candidates for the 3rd Congressional District seat presently held by retiring Rep. Dwight Evans will meet in a forum on Monday, February 9, at the Church of the Holy Trinity on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia.” | PoliticsPA

PA-09: Wallace Campaign Raises Over $250,000 In Q4. “Rachel Wallace, a former White House staffer from Schuylkill County, announced that her campaign for the Democratic nomination in the 9th Congressional District raised more than $250,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025.” | PoliticsPA

McCormick Talks Immigration Enforcement, Shooting Death, ICE Funding During Telephone Town Hall. “Two separate investigations are underway into the Saturday shooting death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti at the hands of Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, according to U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick.” | Penn Capital-Star

These Young Voters Are Starting to Regret Their Vote for Trump. “A Wall Street Journal poll found 58% of voters under 30 disapproved of the job Trump is doing as president.”| Wall Street Journal

State

2.   Under the Influencers: How Social Media Is Transforming Campaign Messaging

“It took Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reelection campaign just four words – “Credentialed Creator Access Only” – to show how different the coverage of and access to the 2026 gubernatorial race will be compared to the 2022 tilt, thanks to the continued rise of social media influencers in the political realm.

Shapiro’s approach is far from unique: The continuing ascendance of social media has reshaped how parties and candidates look at content creators and so-called “influencers” – people with a strong online presence who’ve built credibility and an engaged audience. ” | City & State

Elsewhere

Pennsylvania’s Rainy Day Fund At Risk As Spending Outpaces Revenue. “The state Independent Fiscal Office is warning that if Pennsylvania’s government spending continues to outpace revenue, the state’s Rainy Day Fund will be cut in half as the state confronts a structural deficit topping $5 billion in the 2026-27 fiscal year.” | Capitolwire

The Cost of Housing in PA Is Too Damn High. Here’s What Shapiro Will Need To Overcome To Fix It. “Rents are soaring, homelessness is rising, and homeownership is out of reach for many families in Pennsylvania. As the state grapples with a serious housing shortage and affordability dominates the national political conversation, Gov. Josh Shapiro is preparing to release a long-awaited plan to tackle the crisis.” | Spotlight PA

Grove Announces Resignation From State House. “State Rep. Seth Grove is resigning on Saturday. He served 17 years in the House for the state’s 196th Legislative District that includes and surrounds Dover.” | York Dispatch

Around The Commonwealth

3.   Krasner Joins National Group of Prosecutors To Push Back Against Federal Overreach

“A national coalition of locally-elected, top prosecutors, including Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, announced the formation of the Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach – an effort to hold federal officials accountable when they exceed their lawful authority, especially in states around the country where federal agents are being surged.” | PoliticsPA

Elsewhere

Pittsburgh Police Chief Says No ‘Interest In Immigration Enforcement’. “Nominated leaders for Pittsburgh’s public safety and police departments say they don’t “have an interest in immigration enforcement” as violent clashes between ICE and protestors break out across the country.” | The Center Square

911 Surcharge, Mental Health Funding Top PA County Commissioner Budget Wishlist. “Less than a week before Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to unveil his spending proposal to kickstart the next state budget process, a group of county commissioners detailed their funding requests to support all 67 counties.” | Penn Capital-Star

‘What Fear Does to a Small Town’. “Through his work as an immigration lawyer, Joseph Murphy has seen a pattern emerging: provoke, publish, distribute. “The intimidation is the product. The video is just the delivery mechanism,” he said, referring to a widely-circulated video of a white man using racial slurs toward a Charleroi business owner.” | Washington Observer-Reporter

Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• Tough Fiscal Lessons From My First Year in the Senate | Sen. Dave McCormick
• I’m a Conservative. I Want a Whole Lot More John Fettermans. | Ingrid Jacques 
• Removal of Slavery Exhibit From The President’s House Will Not Whitewash History | Philadelphia Inquirer
• Philadelphia’s Ambitious Plan to Scare Off ICE | Amanda Marcotte
• Will Shapiro’s PA Success Translate at the National Level? | John Hinshaw
• Pennsylvania’s Energy Bills Are Out Of Control | Rep. Tim O’Neal
• Why is Trump Trying To Bury – Forever – The Final Report About His Theft Of Classified Documents? | Dick Polman
• Three Under-The-Radar Healthcare Fights This Year Will Impact Pennsylvanians | Jennifer Riley

1 Thing

5.   Catholic Church Emerges As A Bulwark of Resistance

“President Trump’s immigration crackdown and aggressive foreign policy has put him on a collision course with one of the oldest institutions in the world: The Catholic Church.

Why it matters: Faith leaders and scholars tell Axios that Trump’s agenda conflicts with the Church’s commitment to safeguarding human dignity. With an American Pope at its helm for the first time, the Vatican is positioned to be a unique foil for the president.

“Leo is the pope for this moment,” said Vincent Miller, a theology professor at the University of Dayton, adding that he’s been “utterly unambiguous” in his criticism of Trump’s policies.” | Axios

Thank you for starting your Thursday with us.
Make someone’s day brighter. See you tomorrow.