😎 The Weekend. 

Headlines. Deadline Missed To Reform State’s Felony Murder Statute. Shapiro’s Admin Consulted With Amazon and Data Centers On His Marquee Protections. Podcast: Election Integrity. Meltiest Cheeses For Your Weekend Burger.

🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting). Elton John

PA Weather
☀️  Presque Isle | Sunny, 80
🌤️  Raystown | Increasing Clouds, 82
☀️  Mount Pocono | Sunny, 77

PA Sports 
⚾  Phillies (56-47, 4.5 GB, +2 GB WC) | Fri vs. NY Yankees
⚾  Pirates (53-50, 11.5 GB, 1 GB WC) | Fri vs. Chicago Cubs
⚽  Union (2W, 3D, 11L) | Sat vs. Seattle

What We’re Hearing. “Senate Republicans are serious about public safety and securing our communities, which is why we acted decisively and in a bipartisan way. Since the day the House announced their return to Session this week, there has been no outreach to us by the Governor or House Democrat Leadership. The lack of engagement on such a significant issue is gravely troubling and a complete failure of leadership.”

Tips. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s premier source for nonpartisan political news and analysis. Tips or press releases can be sent to [email protected].

The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. 

Top Story

1.   Under Deadline Pressure, PA House Passes Bill To Reform Felony Murder Sentencing Statute

“On the eve of a court-imposed Friday deadline for the Legislature to reform the state’s felony murder statute, the House narrowly passed a bill to update the controversial law.

But because the bill differs substantially from the one passed by the Republican-controlled Senate in June, the Legislature will still not meet the state Supreme Court’s deadline.

Changes to the law could impact roughly 1,100 incarcerated people statewide who were convicted of second-degree murder as well as anyone convicted of the crime in the future.” | Tribune-Review

Elsewhere

Shapiro Joins Lawsuit Challenging Election, Immigration Conditions On Federal Grants. “In response to the Trump administration’s latest effort to place conditions on federal  grant money owed to the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined more than two dozen other state leaders in a lawsuit.” | Penn Capital-Star

House Votes To End Iran War, But Senate Republicans Vote To Let Trump Continue Waging It. “The House approved a Democratic-led proposal to end the Iran war, directing President Donald Trump to remove armed forces from hostilities. The resolution is nonbinding, however. The House voted 214-208, with four Republicans, including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick,  joining all Democrats to cast decisive votes for the measure. The Senate voted 47-49 to reject a “joint resolution” to end the Iran war that would have the force of law, but would be subject to a presidential veto. Sen. John Fetterman voted against the resolution.” | NBC News

100 Days Out: House GOP in Danger Zone. “Sunday is 100 days ahead of the midterm elections. The House is gone for five weeks. And things are looking bleak for the House Republican majority.” | Punchbowl News

A New Federal Judge For Philadelphia Was Confirmed By the U.S. Senate. “Antonio Pozos will become the region’s first new district court judge to be appointed by President Donald Trump during his second term.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

State

2.   Shapiro’s Admin Consulted With Amazon and Data Centers On His Marquee Protections, Records Show

“Gov. Josh Shapiro spent months preparing a set of standards he promised would “hold data center developers accountable.”

But behind the scenes, top Shapiro administration aides were drafting the framework with the input of Amazon and the powerful data center lobby and sharing early drafts with company officials before making them public, records show.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

Elsewhere

DCCC Targets Republican-Held Seats With Digital Ad to Mark 100 Days Till Midterms. “The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is marking 100 days until the midterm elections with a new digital ad. Among the 25 districts targeted are Pennsylvania’s 1st, 7th, 8th and 10th.” | Roll Call

Perry, Stelson 10th District Race For Congress Most Expensive in PA. “With over $11.5 million raised so far this cycle and $4.3 million already spent this election cycle, Pa.’s 10th-district race for Congress is the most expensive in the state.” | WITF

PA-09: Wallace Confident In Fight For Meuser’s Congress Seat. “Rachel Wallace faces several challenges in Pennsylvania’s heavily conservative 9th Congressional District, but in remarks she delivered at the fundraising event, she expressed confidence in her ability to unseat Rep. Dan Meuser after his four terms in office, calling him “a hilariously underrated villain who deserves to be fired.”” | NorthCentralPA.com

PA Health Insurers Want Significant Hike In Obamacare Rates For 2027. “Pennsylvanians who get their health insurance through the state’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange are facing double-digit percentage increases next year — another shock to a market already roiling from the expiration of extra federal subsidies.” | PennLive

Around The Commonwealth

3.   Voices of Reason: Election Integrity

In this episode of Voices of Reason, PoliticsPA’s Steve Ulrich and his guests discuss Election Integrity. What does Election Integrity mean to you? Does it require an ID to vote? Is it making sure that non-citizens do not vote? Do you want the government to have Pennsylvania’s voter rolls? 

Mercer County Director of Elections Thad Hall and Committee of Seventy Senior Advisor on Election Administration Tim Benyo share their thoughts on mail-in ballots, the SAVE Act, and more. | PoliticsPA

Elsewhere

We Asked, You Answered: How Confident Are You That PA’s Election Process Is Fair and Secure? “With the midterms approaching and the president again trying to cast doubt on the integrity of elections, we asked Keystone newsletter readers if they believe Pennsylvania’s elections are fair and secure.” | The Keystone

Former DuBois City Manager Suplizio Pleads Guilty In Federal Corruption Case. “A long-running public corruption case in DuBois is apparently coming to a close. Former DuBois city manager John “Herm” Suplizio pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to a pair of felony charges stemming from theft and misuse of city funds.” | PoliticsPA

Elephant in the Room: Glimpses from the Defense Summit, Philly Election Ruling, and Praise For Boyle and Fitzpatrick. “Pennsylvania companies, large and small, along with universities, strutted their stuff at the recent two-day Defense Summit at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, hosted by Sen. Dave McCormick.” | Broad + Liberty

Trump Administration Drops Demands For List of Jewish Employees at UPenn. “Court documents filed Thursday reveal that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the university reached an agreement in which the agency will not enforce its subpoena seeking information on university employees. Penn, in return, will file a stipulation of dismissal.” | Politico

Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• The Fetterman Show | Jacob Heilbrunn
• Ethics Matter For Public Trust in Government | Rep. Ben Waxman 
• House Must Act On Second-Degree Murder Sentencing | Sen. Devlin Robinson
• ‘E Pluribus Unum’ Is Not a Slogan. It’s a Choice | Tim Storey and Sue Urahn
• Pennsylvania Could Get Left Behind In Broadband Network Modernization | Steven J. Samara
• The Congressional Stock Trading Meme | Wall Street Journal
• Disappearing Daily Newspapers | Paul Kengor
• Sophie Cunningham’s Pointed Defense of Women’s Sports | Al Perrotta
• Protecting Kids From Measles Is Not A Partisan Issue | Jessica Kemmerer

1 Thing

5.   The Meltiest Burger Cheeses, Tested and Ranked

“A great burger is made all the better with a blanket of melted cheese. Whether you grill thick pub-style burgers over ember coals or press thin smash burgers in a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet, the perfect cheese truly makes all the difference.

This got me thinking: What cheese melts the best on burgers? I’m not talking about the best-tasting cheese, simply the meltiest. While I had a clear favorite in the melting department, all of the cheeses I tested melted well and would be a worthy addition to any burger.” | Food and Wine

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Enjoy the weekend. See you Monday.