News & Brews September 19, 2025
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Shapiro wants you to forget he defended Biden
This is rich. NBC reports that Gov. Shapiro said that former Vice President Kamala Harris will “have to answer” for why she “never said anything publicly” about former President Biden’s declining abilities. Meanwhile, Shapiro claims he was “very vocal with him, privately, and extremely vocal with his staff about my concerns about his fitness to be able to run for another term.” But wait, this is the same Shapiro who, while admitting Biden had a bad debate night, went on CNN to defend Biden. The same Shapiro who went on MSNBC and said after working closely with Biden, “I can tell you Joe Biden is up to the job.” The same Shapiro who campaigned for Biden-Harris. So if Shapiro was privately “vocal” about his concerns, it’s just another example of Shapiro trying to play both sides of an issue.
Lawmakers on ‘high alert’ after Kirk assassination
The Post-Gazette reports, “Pennsylvania state and federal officials are on high alert and working with local law enforcement to bolster security” following last week’s assassination of Charlie Kirk. This comes after Pa. state police had “already stepped up efforts to assist federal and local authorities following the near-assassination of President Donald Trump last summer … along with the April arson attack on Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family.” Meanwhile, one former FBI official predicted that public officials will hold fewer events and avoid “open-air events,” instead choosing “auditoriums where you can control who enters.”
Procession held for slain York County officers
Early this morning, a procession was underway for the three York County police officers who were killed in an ambush on Wednesday. WGAL reports that the officers were identified as Det. Sgt. Cody Becker, Det. Isaiah Emenheiser, and Det. Mark Baker. “The procession departed from York County and proceeded through Lancaster County on Route 30 eastbound at approximately 5:10 a.m., before heading north on Route 222. The procession will make its way to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, where autopsies will be conducted, according to the York County Coroner’s Office.”
Op-Ed: How Pa. budget lines lobbyists’ pockets
The Commonwealth Foundation’s Megan Martin writes that even as the state budget impasse drags on, lobbyists are “siphoning … funds away from the real needs of the commonwealth’s people.” That’s because taxpayers are funding “political lobbying efforts for taxpayer-funded organizations lobbying for more taxpayer funds.” Case in point: SEPTA. “SEPTA claims to be broke, threatening massive service cuts unless the agency can procure state funding. Yet, the agency has still managed to spend millions on retainer fees for lobbyists. And what are these lobbyists advocating for? Why, none other than a multimillion-dollar bailout for SEPTA.”
Pa. March for Life scheduled for Monday
The 5th Annual Pennsylvania March for Life will take place this Monday on the steps of the state Capitol. Organized by the Pennsylvania Family Institute, the event is the largest pro-life gathering in the state, bringing together lawmakers, advocates, and everyday citizens. This year’s event kicks off at 10:00 a.m.