News & Brews May 15, 2026
Get News & Brews in your inbox each day: Subscribe here!
Shapiro silent in Philly congressional primary?
As the Democrat primary for Pennsylvania’s 3rd congressional district in Philly remains heated, the Inquirer reports that Gov. Shapiro “has remained notably silent,” even as he’s “been busy putting his thumb on the scale elsewhere in Pennsylvania’s competitive congressional races.” His campaign claims his silence is because he’s focusing on four other congressional districts. (What, he can’t endorse in 5 instead of 4? That doesn’t hold water.) But the much more likely explanation, per “experts and insiders,” is that Shapiro is “a rumored 2028 presidential hopeful who’s known to have a careful demeanor, rocky relationships with some of the candidates, and his own reelection campaign to think about.” (You’ll recall that Axios recently reported that behind the scenes, Shapiro has not been quite as silent in this race.)
State police failed to notify lawmakers of threat
Coming on the heels of state police not knowing an arsonist was setting fire to the governor’s mansion until after the arsonist had fled the scene, the news that state police also failed to notify lawmakers of a threat against them is particularly concerning. Spotlight PA reports, “In a letter Wednesday to top lawmakers, Acting Commissioner George Bivens said that while his agency’s investigation and subsequent arrest of a Lebanon County man accused of making those threats was conducted properly, ‘a review of the matter reveals a breakdown in the notification process that should have occurred to the affected legislators.’”
Progressive v. party? Or are they the same?
A story in Spotlight PA portrays two Democrat primaries in Lehigh County as a battle between progressives and the Democrat party. But it turns out those in the party actually respect the progressives, per interviews. This, of course, is not surprising as the party has itself embraced far-left progressivism. Maybe the real divide is between progressives and what one person termed “extreme progressives”?
Spending in state Senate GOP primary hits $1M
It’s not unusual for contested state Senate races to see millions of dollars in spending. But for a primary Senate contest to hit the $1M mark is less common. Yet, a GOP primary in Lebanon, Lancaster, and Berks counties between incumbent Sen. Chris Gebhard and challenger Clovis Crane has hit that milestone. PennLive reports that Clovis has “received more than $500,000 in contributions this year, including $480,000 from a single political action committee” funded largely by another skill games PAC. Gebhard, meanwhile, “has spent more than $800,000 on the campaign.”
Employers oppose Allegheny paid leave proposal
The Tribune-Review reports that a proposal by Allegheny County health officials to require employers to provide 18 weeks of paid parental leave is raising concern among some “business owners and their representatives,” who “argue it would come at too great a cost.” One local chamber leader “envisions the policy pushing businesses into surrounding counties, which lack paid parental leave mandates. It may also motivate employers to hire contractors over in-house workers to avoid providing benefits.”
Philly charters sue school district
A coalition of charter schools has sued the Philadelphia school district, alleging the district “illegally forces charter schools to agree to certain conditions in order to stay open,” the Inquirer reports. “The group, Philadelphia Charters for Excellence, said in its complaint that requiring charters to agree to enrollment caps and to close if performance targets are not met amounts to abusing the charter-renewal process.” The city school board, for its part, said it “will continue to hold all schools to high standards.” Which is laughable as the city’s traditional public schools are held to no standards as kids regularly are not taught basic reading and math.