News & Brews September 16, 2025
Get News & Brews in your inbox each day: Subscribe here!
Pa. congressional maps at stake this November?
The Inquirer reports, “The future of Pennsylvania’s congressional maps will be at stake this fall when voters decide whether to retain three state Supreme Court justices.” As proof, the Inky notes that twice in the past decade, the Democrat-controlled court has picked or imposed maps. “This year’s retention race offers Republicans their best shot at altering the court before the next redistricting cycle.”
Krasner’s ties to ‘shadowy’ progressive group
The Delaware Valley Journal reports that a new report from the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund alleges that Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office has “leaned heavily on a little-known but influential activist group that has been pushing … progressive policies behind the scenes.” That group—Wren Collective—”embedded itself inside the operations of Krasner’s office and others, providing free services that shaped both policy and politics.”
Fetterman: Dems must change rhetoric on Trump
Democrat U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has “urged Democrats to change their tune when it comes to attacking President Donald Trump as an autocrat,” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. “We have to turn the temperature down…. [W]e can’t compare people to these kinds of figures in history [such as Hitler or other dictators]. And this is not an autocrat. This is a product of a democratic election. … I participated in that. It was safe and it was secure. We lost, and the American people put us in the minority. That’s democracy … I may not like the outcome, but I have to respect that.”
Johnny Doc wants early prison release
Five years ago, headlines reported the indictment of Philadelphia labor leader and Democrat powerhouse John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty on charges of theft, embezzlement, and more. And nearly a year ago, Johnny Doc reported to prison to serve a six-year sentence. Now, he’s asking a judge to let him serve the rest of his sentence on house arrest so he can care for his ill wife. The Inquirer reports, “Federal prosecutors opposed Dougherty’s request, telling the judge … although they were sympathetic to his wife’s ailing health, lack of money to pay for specialized, round-the-clock medical assistance was not a reason to release Dougherty….” They added that although his wife “would benefit … from the presence of her husband, that fact does not distinguish this case from that of countless defendants whose loved ones suffer as a result of their crimes.”
Q&A with new Pa. Democrat Party Chair
The progressive Pennsylvania Capital-Star interviewed newly elected Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair Eugene DePasquale “about the challenges he sees facing the state’s Democratic Party, his opinion on Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman’s job performance, and what steps need to be taken to win back voters who have left the party.”