News & Brews October 17, 2025
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Breaking (or not) news: Establishment Dems don’t like Fetterman
A “scoop” published yesterday says, “Top Democrats in Pennsylvania are maneuvering to run against Sen. John Fetterman in a 2028 primary contest, threatening to tear the party apart in the biggest battleground state in the nation.” Now, I don’t have any inside intel (and my co-workers will tell you I sometimes live under a rock). But this doesn’t really seem to be “breaking news.” Think about it. A Democrat who will talk to Trump and who stands for Israel is bound to become a target of a party increasingly controlled by those who hate Trump and hate Israel. I’d be surprised if establishment Dems didn’t go after him.
Josh Shapiro is ‘unusually popular’
The Inquirer considers two recent polls showing Gov. Josh Shapiro with high approval ratings, including among more than a quarter of Republicans. Some pundits and operatives (including those on his staff) claim it’s because Shapiro is doing a good job. Some say it’s because he’s never faced a strong challenger. I would add that his $3 million-per-year taxpayer funded PR team is also part of the reason.
Q&A with Larry Krasner
In August, Broad + Liberty published an interview with former Judge Patrick Dugan, the Democrat who is running for Philadelphia District Attorney on the Republican ticket against incumbent DA Larry Krasner. Now, B+L sat down with Krasner for his perspective on why he thinks he deserves another term. In a nutshell, he says it’s “because Philadelphians are safer and freer than they have been in decades.” You decide if you agree.
The 3- year strike that (almost) no one’s heard of
WESA reminds us that three years ago, Post-Gazette union workers walked out on the job. And today, some of them remain on strike in what’s the longest-running strike in the country. If you haven’t noticed, you’re not alone. The P-G is still operating, as non-striking workers have still been going to work. “Remaining strikers are waiting for a decision by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals following an injunction issued in March this year ordering the company to reinstate the previous healthcare plan and prohibiting further unilateral changes to terms and conditions of employment.”
State-related universities aim to recruit former students
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education plans to begin “a program reconnecting and recruiting former students who didn’t complete their degree to return to college,” the Tribune-Review reports. Although state-related universities saw a very slight enrollment increase this fall, “the initiative comes at a time where colleges nationwide are preparing for a demographic cliff of students, with declining birth rates leading to fewer high school graduates.”