News & Brews July 9, 2026
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Judge: Property lawsuit vs. Shapiro can proceed
A federal judge has ruled that Gov. Shapiro “cannot be sued in his official capacity in a dispute over a strip of yard between his and his Abington Township neighbors’ adjoining properties…. But Shapiro and his wife, Lori, will still have to face their neighbors in federal court as homeowners,” as the lawsuit against him personally can move forward. As a refresher, Shapiro is trying to seize his neighbor’s property to build a fence. Celebrating the judge’s decision, the attorney for the neighbors said, “Make no mistake about it, a federal court has said that the sitting governor of Pennsylvania can be held liable for damages over constitutional violations.”
Abortion giant spending $47M, including in Pa.
POLITICO reports that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion supplier, is spending $47 million this election cycle targeting Republicans, including U.S. Reps. Ryan Mackenzie and Brian Fitzpatrick here in Pa. “The near-record investment from Planned Parenthood Votes … will fund ads and voter-outreach efforts targeting Republicans across 10 battleground House races in seven states, as well as in Maine and Michigan’s critical Senate contests.”
Sore loser? GOP candidate files lawsuit
Looks like we might have a sore loser here, and I’m not talking about Graham Platner. After losing a Republican primary to state Sen. Camera Bartolotta, former candidate Al Buchtan has filed a lawsuit in federal court “alleging interference from local officials and the Senate GOP’s campaign arm,” WESA reports. The lawsuit claims Buchtan’s loss may have been “due to defamatory campaign statements.” For her part, Bartolotta said that the suit “reflects Buchtan’s ‘litigious nature.’”
Judge blocks Philly law on masked ICE agents
Legal Newsline reports that a federal judge has “issued a preliminary injunctionpreventing the City of Philadelphia from enforcing … an ordinance that would make it a crime for law enforcement officers, including federal officers, to wear face masks or conceal their badges or other identifying information.” City Solicitor Renee Garcia had previously warned that the legislation had “significant legal problems, primarily concerning the authority of the City to regulate the conduct of federal officers when carrying out their duties under federal law.”
Man charged after threatening Shapiro
The Inquirer reports that a Delco man has been charged “after allegedly making [antisemitic] threats against Gov. Josh Shapiro during a visit to a state representative’s office, including a threat to ‘burn down … [Shapiro’s] mansion with him in it,’ Pennsylvania State Police said.” The man had come “to dispute and request help with an unanticipated and unpaid tax bill totaling $19.” Having worked in constituent services for years, I can attest that some folks come in super angry and say completely ridiculous things, which, indeed, often require police involvement. “State law enforcement officers charged … [the man] with felony levels of terroristic threats and ethnic intimidation, in addition to lower-level charges of harassment and disorderly conduct.”