News & Brews July 23, 2025
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Shapiro’s Department of Self-Promotion
The Inquirer reports that the number of taxpayer-funded staffers dedicated solely to promoting Gov. Shapiro’s public image on social media has “nearly doubled” from the size of former Gov. Wolf’s staff. “Counting his communications, press, web, and social media staffers, 21 employees are dedicated to promoting Shapiro’s image, touting his achievements, and communicating his views as governor.” And, “In total, Shapiro’s communications, press, and social media staff cost taxpayers nearly $3 million per year. Twelve of these staffers make more than $100,000 per year, with some earning as much as $190,000.” (Somehow, we feel like we’ve talked about this before, as has Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward. Glad to see the Inquirer catching up more than two years later.)
House lawmakers back Medicaid integrity package
Republican state Reps. Seth Grove and Kate Klunk, both of York County, are supporting the “Program Integrity and Innovation package, a legislative plan aimed at rooting out fraud and ensuring Medicaid dollars go to those who truly need them.” In a news release, Grove and Klunk note, “The U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against 324 individuals, nearly 100 of whom were licensed medical professionals, in connection with schemes totaling more than $14.6 billion in intended losses…. The $14.6 billion in alleged fraud amounts to nearly one-third of Pennsylvania’s entire state budget, and that’s just what investigators uncovered. The actual scope of Medicaid fraud is likely much larger and remains hidden in the shadows.”
Fetterman works to ban cashless stores
Democrat U.S. Sen. John Fetterman joined with Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota to introduce legislation that “would require any in-person business at a physical location to accept cash in amounts up to and including $500 per transaction,” the Inquirer reports. The bill would also prevent stores from charging cash-using customers higher amounts. In a news release, Fetterman said, “We have millions of people in this country who don’t have access to bank accounts, and they must be able to go shopping with their hard-earned dollars.”
Philly trash strike is case against public unionism
The Libertas Institute’s John Yelland writes how the recent AFSCME 33 strike in Philly, which led to mountains of trash piling up across the city, provides a compelling argument against public sector unionism. “When public-sector unions can strike, they don’t negotiate with risk or accountability. They negotiate with leverage built on disruption. And when they win, it’s not because they out-competed in a market — it’s because they made public life unbearable until politicians caved.” Meanwhile, Utah recently banned collective bargaining for public-sector employees, joining “a small but growing number of states leading the way on public-sector union reform, restoring accountability and flexibility to local governments.” Yelland contends that others should follow suit. “The purpose of government is to serve its citizens, not to let them be held hostage by the services they fund.”
WSJ: ‘The Cleveland-Cliffs tariff switcheroo’
Remember when Nippon Steel was in talks to buy U.S. Steel, and Cleveland-Cliffs (which wanted to buy U.S. Steel itself) argued that a Japanese purchase of U.S. Steel would be a threat to national security? Well, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board observes that the Cleveland-Cliffs CEO “on Monday all but admitted his national-security complaint was a ruse when he floated selling his factories to foreign steel makers.”