News & Brews April 16, 2025
Get News & Brews in your inbox each day: Subscribe here!
Lawmakers wait for answers on governor’s security
In the wake of Sunday’s arson attack on the governor’s mansion, lawmakers are awaiting more information on the security lapse that allowed an intruder to gain access to the residence. And PennLive reports, “At least one lawmaker says they would like to see a legislative review of the matter.” GOP Sen. Dan Laughlin (Erie County) said, “As chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, which has direct oversight of the Pennsylvania State Police, this is something that has increased importance to me. We expect to have a full review of what processes and procedures were in place during the time of this senseless act and what needs to be done to ensure it doesn’t happen in the future.”
Alleged arsonist harbored pro-Palestinian views
The suspect in Sunday’s arson attack on the governor’s residence with the intent to harm Gov. Shapiro reportedly confessed to harboring pro-Palestinian views. PennLive reports that the suspect “called 911 following the attack early Sunday, identified himself by name and told operators Shapiro needs to know he ‘…will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,’ the search warrant written by police said.” The suspect “continued, saying he needed to ‘stop having my friends killed’ and that ‘…our people have been put through too much by that monster.’” The story adds that the warrant for the suspect’s devices says Shapiro was targeted “‘based upon perceived injustices to the people of Palestine,’ as well as Shapiro’s Jewish faith, though the warrant does not elaborate on why Shapiro’s faith is believed to have been a motive.”
McCormick: ‘No side has monopoly on violence’
In an op-ed in The Free Press, Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick addresses the “frightening” trend “of using political violence to settle our differences.” Noting recent instances of political violence ranging from the attack targeting Gov. Shapiro to the attacks on Tesla dealerships, McCormick writes that “the truth is that no side has a monopoly on violence and the rhetoric that can incite it.” And he concludes, “As we fight for our visions of the future, we must do so without demonizing our opponents, by avoiding venomous language that paints as evil those with whom we disagree, and by unambiguously condemning violence as a means for resolving our differences.”
Joint committee hearing today on AI innovation
The Pa. Senate Majority Policy Committee and Pa. House Republican Policy Committee will hold a joint hearing this morning at 9:00 a.m. to discuss the future of AI innovation in the commonwealth. Among those scheduled to testify are Shandong Wu, Ph.D. (Professor, University of Pittsburgh; Director, Intelligent Computing for Clinical Imaging Lab; and Director, Pittsburgh Center for AI Innovation in Medical Imaging) and Hooman H. Rashidi, MD, MS, FCAP (Endowed Professor & Associate Dean of AI, University of Pittsburgh; Executive Vice Chair of Computational Pathology & Informatics, UPMC; and Executive Director, Computational Pathology & AI Center of Excellence). Click here for the live stream at 9:00 a.m.
Lawmakers hear testimony on Do No Harm Act
A yesterday’s Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing on the Do No Harm Act, lawmakers “discussed the potential lifelong harm caused by allowing minors to undergo gender transitioning operations.” Among those testifying was Dr. Kurt Miceli, a psychiatrist and current director of Do No Harm. He “described how a review of publicly available insurance data found 316 children received sex reassignment surgeries in Pennsylvania between 2019 and 2023. He also referenced a review of gender identity services that found ‘no good evidence on the long-term outcomes of interventions to manage gender-related distress.’ This review led to the United Kingdom banning puberty blockers for minors.” The Do No Harm Act, sponsored by Sen. Judy Ward, would “prohibit minors from receiving irreversible gender transitioning procedures. The legislation would also prevent taxpayer dollars from being used for this purpose.”