News & Brews February 4, 2026
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Shapiro’s massive spending plan ‘raids piggy bank’
Well, Gov. Shapiro pitched his budget yesterday. And it’s a doozy. PennLive reports that Shapiro’s $53.26 billion spending plan “exceeds projected revenues” and also “raids the piggy bank” to pay for it. “As proposed, the gap would be covered by withdrawals from the state’s roughly $8 billion Rainy Day fund, using more than half of its available balance.” Commonwealth Foundation Chief Policy Officer Nathan Benefield explained that Shapiro’s “proposal is unaffordable in every sense of the word—not only does he severely inflate revenue projections, but he proposes illegally tapping the state’s Rainy Day Fund to cover a $6.5 billion gap in spending and revenue.”
The ‘details missing’ from Shapiro’s memoir
Spotlight PA has a story on “important details” missing from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s new memoir. “Less discussed are the stories he chose to tell about his time in state government — and the fine print he chose to leave out,” the story notes. “There are also several high-profile controversies he avoids mentioning altogether, including the clumsy handling of a private school voucher proposal in his first year in office, as well as sexual harassment allegations involving a top aide.” (Spotlight also has a Part 2 to this story, focusing on Shapiro’s time as attorney general.)
Pittsburgh parents explore school choice options
WESA reports that over the weekend, Pittsburgh-area parents attended a National School Choice Week expo to explore educational options that may be more suited for their children than traditional public schools. One parent said, “Traditional schooling just hasn’t worked well for us…. We’re just looking for something that’s less traditional, more hands-on kind of learning.” And Michael Freker of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh noted, “My firm belief is competition is good. Allow competition to exist and allow families to choose what’s the best choice for their child, and public schools will thrive, charter schools will thrive, and private schools will thrive because they’re going to help families.”
Garrity: Shapiro should return money from Epstein-tied donor
State Treasurer and Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity is calling on Gov. Josh Shapiro to return over $2 million in campaign donations from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who “was mentioned over 2,500 times in the newly released Epstein files and traveled to Epstein’s properties.” Garrity added, “If Josh Shapiro truly cares about the victims of sexual abuse, he needs to man up, return Hoffman’s money and disavow his liberal sugar daddy…. Shapiro accepted these donations at a time when it was publicly known that Hoffman was linked to Epstein as early as 2019. Accepting donations from Jeffrey Epstein’s associate is the latest example of Josh Shapiro turning a blind eye to female victims. Makes you wonder… who else has Josh Shapiro accepted money from or done political favors for?”
Smucker sues LNP for defamation
Republican U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker has filed a lawsuit against LNP Media Group, alleging defamation and seeking more than $250,000 in damages. ABC27 reports, “Smucker’s suit alleged the company, which publishes LNP | LancasterOnline, damaged his reputation in an Oct. 8, 2025, editorial that said the congressman was ‘lying to his constituents’ by writing in a newsletter that Democrats ‘demanded taxpayer-funded free healthcare for illegal immigrants.’” Smucker had contended that the nature of Medicaid funding makes it “almost certain” some of the funding went to those in the country illegally. “Smucker argued in his suit that the phrasing ‘almost certain’ exceeds the standard levels of proof in legal matters, and, therefore, LNP published the editorial despite having ‘information directly contradicting the published statements prior to publication.’”