News & Brews October 7, 2025
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CNN: Pa. retention races have ‘major 2028 stakes’
Reporting on the upcoming retention elections for three Democrat state Supreme Court justices, CNN notes, “Since the pandemic election of 2020, Pennsylvania has … been the target of ferocious litigation. In the last two White House races, the liberal majority on the state’s high court ruled in favor of Democrats’ arguments in key cases related to mail-in deadlines, provisional ballots and signature matching. Flipping the ideological balance of the court ahead of the next White House campaign would have dramatic implications for future rulings on such contentious issues, particularly in a state with electoral margins as narrow as Pennsylvania.”
AG Sunday starts mental health diversion program
WITF reports that state Attorney General Dave Sunday yesterday “announced that his office will launch a pilot program to aid people with mental illness who commit minor crimes by connecting them with treatment without fear of facing criminal charges.” Sunday said, “This is not what we call a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card. Treatment and accountability go hand in hand.” Under the program, instead of charging individuals experiencing a mental health or behavioral health issue, law enforcement officers can refer them “to relevant treatment programs.”
On Oct 7 anniversary, some Philly teachers praise Hamas
This is disturbing. The Delaware Valley Journal reports, “Some Philadelphia public school teachers are using the second anniversary of the Hamas terror attack on Israel to show their support for the ‘Palestinian resistance fighters’ who killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Philadelphia Educators for Palestine (PEFP), its parent organization Racial Justice Organizing Committee (RJOC), and the Philly Palestine Coalition posted news of their ‘Rally for Rage and Resistance’ on social media.” The post praises the Hamas terrorists, saying that today “marks two years since Palestinian resistance fighters bravely broke out of the prison that the zionist regime has turned Gaza into.” These are some of the same teachers teaching Philadelphia’s children.
Pittsburgh Public Schools recommend tax hike
WESA reports that “amid declining real estate tax revenues,” Pittsburgh public schools are “recommending a 4% millage increase to generate additional income.” Without the hike, the district is projecting a $25.7 million operating deficit in 2026. With the hike, the deficit would be $18.8 million. All of this comes as the state budget remains unfinished, meaning the district “has yet to receive its annual allocations of basic education funds, special education dollars and reimbursements for transportation, retirement and social security.”
Court allows robocalls from lawmakers
A lawsuit challenging robocalls made by Pa. House Democrat Leader Matt Bradford has been decided in Bradford’s favor, after a federal court ruled that “the federal law that restricts robocalling does not apply to state legislators conducting government business,” the Inquirer reports. The case stems from a complaint from someone who received several calls and claimed he “was temporarily deprived of legitimate use of his telephone and his privacy was improperly invaded.” Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle had sided with Bradford. The ruling is not surprising. I mean, seriously, does anyone think lawmakers at any level would pass a law restricting their own ability to talk to people?