11/11 Playbook: Supreme Court To Make Call On SNAP
????️ Veterans Day. A day to pause and remember the sacrifices of our veterans.
????️ In Today’s PoliticsPA Playbook. SCOTUS Expected To Say Whether Full SNAP Food Payments Can Resume. PA Election Results by County 2022-2025. Food Trends For 2026.
???? Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. Pain Lies On The Riverside. Live
PA Weather
????️ Plum | Becoming Mostly Sunny, 38
????️ Mercersburg | Mostly Sunny, 43
????️ Clarks Summit | Cloudy, Snow Showers, 38
PA Sports
???? Eagles (7-2) | Green Bay 10-7 | Sun vs. Detroit
???? Sixers (6-4) | Tue vs. Boston
???? Flyers (8-5-2) | Wed vs. Edmonton
???? Penguins (9-5-3) | Fri at Nashville
???? What We’re Hearing. “I have never viewed my political party as an iron shackle adhering me to the party line,” he said. “And I don’t take positions for my own self-interest. I take positions based on what I believe is right. I know this has cost me support from a significant part of my base, and I’m well aware that it may cost me my seat. I’m completely at peace with that.” – Sen. John Fetterman
???? What We’re Watching. Did you catch Rep. Chris Deluzio on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” last night?
???? 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. Supreme Court Expected To Say Whether Full SNAP Food Payments Can Resume
“It’s up to the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress to decide when full payments will resume under the SNAP food aid program that helps 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries as the financial pressures mount on families in some states.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule Tuesday on a request from President Donald Trump’s administration to keep blocking states from providing full benefits, arguing the money might be needed elsewhere.” (AP)
Elsewhere
SNAP Distribution On Pause In Pennsylvania After U.S. Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Lower Court Ruling. “Approximately $295 million in SNAP benefits in Pennsylvania is on a temporary hold. Pennsylvanians who have already received their SNAP funds can continue using them.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Democrats’ Shutdown Civil War Spills Out In Private Call. “House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed to fight the deal in the House and floated the possibility of a discharge petition to force a vote on extending ACA tax credits, sources said. Several members, including Rep. Madeleine Dean, praised Jeffries’ handling of the shutdown.” (Axios)
Pennsylvania’s House Democrats Are Furious With Colleagues Over Senate Shutdown Deal. “The bipartisan deal would fully reopen the government until Jan. 30. The agreement does not include the healthcare fixes Democrats had demanded but would keep some federal programs, including food assistance and veterans’ benefits, funded through next year.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
VP’s Office Responds to PA Gov Who Said JD Vance Betrayed Appalachian Roots With ‘Bull—- Politics’ Over SNAP. “The spat could preview future events, as Vance and Josh Shapiro are both top potential contenders for the 2028 presidential sweeps.” (Fox News)
In Town Hall, Lee Says Democracy Could Fail, Will Require Sacrifice To Save. “Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee believes we could be living through the failing of democracy in the United States and that the U.S. government under President Donald Trump is already authoritarian.” (WESA)
State
2. Democrats May Sacrifice Climate Program To Break Budget Impasse
“Gov. Josh Shapiro and Democratic leaders are considering a budget deal that would pull Pennsylvania out of an interstate program that charges power plant operators for releasing carbon into the atmosphere, according to a source with knowledge of discussions.
Lawmakers involved in talks to end the four-month budget impasse have been quiet about what is on and off the table, and the exact details of a plan that would formally end the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) aren’t known.” (Spotlight PA)
Elsewhere
This Trump-Friendly PA County Could Feel The Pain Of His Medicaid Cuts, Advocates Say. “The fallout of President Donald Trump’s marquee bill will land particularly heavily on some of the very rural communities that put these GOP politicians in office. Fayette County is one of these places. In Pennsylvania, the once-prosperous coal mining hub trails only Philadelphia in its Medicaid enrollment rates, with almost a third of the county’s residents and more than half its children and youth depending on the program.” (Erie Times-News)
Sports Betting Sites Seek To Crush Any Tax Hike In PA As Budget Deal Rumors Swirl. “The online sports betting industry has rapidly mobilized to quash any possibility of tax increases for internet wagering, as Pennsylvania’s 19-week-long budget ordeal appears to be approaching its end-game.” (PennLive)
McCormick Tells New Yorkers, “The Keystone State Is Calling.” “Seizing on talk that residents of New York City are thinking of leaving the Big Apple due to the election of Zohran Momdani as mayor, Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick is playing travel agent and championing the Commonwealth as an alternative.” (PoliticsPA)
Former Governor Tom Wolf ’77 Declares Nov. 5 Elections A ‘Generational Shift’ For Democrats. “Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ’77 urged the next generation of politicians to lead with “virtue” at a Rockefeller Center for Public Policy event on Nov. 6. “The salvation of our political system and the nation is the rediscovery of virtue,” he said.” (The Dartmouth)
Around The Commonwealth
3. Fun With Maps: PA Election Results by County 2022-2025
“Much has been said about the results of the retention vote for Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht, who won new 10-year terms on the Commonwealth’s highest court.
Democrats nationwide celebrated the victory which, combined with gubernatorial triumphs in New Jersey and Virginia, gave way to talk of a “Blue Wave” among voters disenchanted with the policies of the Trump administration.
So what does this mean for 2026?” (PoliticsPA)
Elsewhere
SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Mail Ballot Deadline Case. “Mail ballots. The issue that just won’t go away. Hard to believe that this one does not involve Pennsylvania.” (PoliticsPA)
Here’s How The Surprising Shift In Voter Turnout Played Out Across Central PA Region. “Voter turnout surged in the Harrisburg region compared to the municipal election four years ago and the high-profile state Supreme Court retention question, as well as unhappiness over President Donald Trump’s policies were likely the main drivers.” (PennLive)
Ed Gainey Touts Progress And Warns Of Fiscal Challenges Ahead In Final Budget Address. “The speech, attended by past and current members of his administration and former campaign staff, doubled as a budget address and farewell speech for Mr. Gainey. He reflected on his time in office as Pittsburgh’s first African American mayor, the programs his administration started and even the initiatives that fell short.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Third Circuit Court of Appeals Rules For Striking Pittsburgh Journalists. “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Monday morning ruled for the journalists of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh in the federal case behind their more than three-year strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.” (Pittsburgh Union Progress)
Editorial
4. What Do You Think?
- Veterans Are Not Victims, But Some Need Help | Sen. Dave McCormick
- On this Veterans Day, Say Thanks … And Show It, Too | Scranton Times-Tribune
- Democrats Caved On Shutdown As Trump’s Indifference To Americans Suffering Proved Stronger | Philadelphia Inquirer
- John Fetterman’s Memoir Is Unlike Any Politician’s Book You’ve Read. | New York Times
- John Fetterman Makes a Case For Himself. It’s Not Very Convincing | Washington Post
- Fetterman’s Cross-Party Strength: The New Face of Pennsylvania Politics | James Williams
- The Future Of The Democratic Party Is Coalition. It Rises Together, Or Not At All | Meredith Burak
- Blame The Shutdown On Citizens Who Prefer Politicians To Vanquish Their Opponents | Robert Talisse
- PA Election Results Signal Danger For The GOP In 2026 | John Hinshaw
- Reflections From A Pennsylvania Veteran | Seth Higgins
- Newspaper Applies ‘Shifting Standard’ to Shutdowns | Rep. Rob Bresnahan
1 Thing
5. Food Trends For The New Year
“Bloody Marys aren’t the only cocktails that can double as apps — martinis are snacks now. That’s according to a forecast, out this morning from The Infatuation, which provides dining recs across the country.
???? What else is trending: Great pizza outside of the traditional hotspots like New York and Chicago, like at Sho Pizza Bar in Nashville which serves up Japanese-style Neapolitan dough.
Plus, elaborate coffees, like Phê in Seattle’s matcha topped with banana pudding.” (Infatuation)
Thanks for starting your morning with us.
Let’s get through this cold snap and we’ll see you tomorrow.
