News & Brews October 27, 2022
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Pa. House Republicans introduce impeachment articles against Krasner
Yesterday, House Republican lawmakers introduced Articles of Impeachment against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. In a news release announcing the move, Republican Rep. Martina White (Philadelphia), who is the prime sponsor of the effort, stated, “Larry Krasner is the top law enforcement official who is supposed to be representing the interests of our Commonwealth in Philadelphia criminal cases. His dereliction of duty and despicable behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.” View the Articles of Impeachment here.
Op-Ed: John Fetterman is the ‘midterm’s October surprise’
Wall Street Journal opinion columnist Daniel Henninger writes that Democrat John Fetterman erred greatly in not releasing his medical records to Pennsylvanians earlier this year. Fetterman “went into this debate in a virtual polling tie with Mr. Oz,” Henninger writes, but “[t]he debate ended with Mr. Oz delivering a strong, comprehensive closing statement, which heightened the hour-long contrast with Mr. Fetterman’s difficult performance. It’s now likely the Republicans will hold the Pennsylvania seat and win control of the Senate. Withholding crucial information from voters is a time bomb. This one detonated.“
Biden and Harris coming to Philly to campaign for Fetterman
In what POLITICO is calling “a rare occurrence for the duo who typically don’t travel alongside one another,” President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are both scheduled to headline a Democrat Party fundraiser in Philly tomorrow evening, where they’ll stump for John Fetterman. The move comes following Fetterman’s debate performance, which “has [Democrat] operatives more worried than ever they could lose the pivotal race.”
Pa. Supreme Court hears case on forced taxpayer funding of abortion
Yesterday, the state Supreme Court heard oral argument in Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. PA Department of Human Services, in which the pro-abortion industry is seeking to force taxpayers to fund elective abortions. The Independence Law Center, which works to “protect human rights, life, family, and liberty in Pennsylvania,” explained, “The abortion industry’s attorney argued that if the state provides medical assistance, then it has to pay for abortions for any reason…. Current law allows taxpayer funds to be used in cases of life endangerment of the mother, rape, and incest. But the abortion industry is demanding taxpayers’ money for abortions for any and all reasons.” Read more here.
Committee hearing this morning on LNG and energy security
The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing this morning at 9:00 a.m. “to examine the role of LNG [liquefied natural gas] in strengthening American energy security on the world stage.” Among those scheduled to testify are the head of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, the business manager for Steamfitters Local 420, the former Minister of Climate and Environment of Poland, and several others. Click here for the agenda and live-stream link.
Government COVID shutdowns prove deadly in Philly
The Inquirer reports that in 2021, Philadelphia saw the highest number of overdose deaths ever … ever … at 1,276. The story notes that “city officials attributed the staggering death toll in part to lasting harms from the COVID-19 pandemic, citing ‘the impact on mental health, social isolation, and access to health care, treatment, and harm reduction services.'” But remember, it was government shutdowns that dramatically exacerbated social isolation and impaired access to services, and Philly’s shutdowns were among the more draconian. When will government officials apologize to the families and loved ones of these 1,276 individuals?