City & State PA (@cityandstatepa.bsky.social) Specializing in PA government, politics & policy news, get our First Read newsletter - going out every weekday by 7:15AM - here: http://cityandstatepa.com/newsletters

In a new report by @cityandstatepa.bsky.social, readers learn that “State Senate Republican leaders Joe Pittman and Kim Ward, and state House Democratic leaders Joanna McClinton and Matt Bradford, had among the lowest effectiveness scores in either [PA legislative] chamber.”

Just sayin’.

“The federal government's secretive and unlawful collection and consolidation of Americans' personal data is a clear example of the constitutional crisis we are living through."–Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters. www.lwv.org/newsroom/pre... @lwvus.bsky.social @lwvva.bsky.social

Opinion | How to Stop a War

Opinion: "The lessons: Persist. Talk to people you despise. Bring international pressure, particularly from the United States. Don’t push for a military solution before attaining a political settlement; disarmament can wait."

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...

OPINION: Roads To Fairer Representation In Congress … - Coal Region Canary Opinion columnist Lisa Von Ahn says gerrymandering enables bad lawmaking, and only nationwide reforms like banning partisan redistricting and adopting ranked-choice voting can protect democracy from T...

Oh boy! This opinion writer takes a step into good governance. Don’t tell the PA GOP that ranked choice voting would [could] benefit them. Ignorance is bliss.
coalregioncanary.com/2025/09/06/o...

Opinion | Why I Am Not a Liberal

Complex, these arguments, especially considering what happened to “the right,” or “the conservatives” who simply became liars. But essentially I agree.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/o...

Tell it, LWV. But NOT just Black and Brown voters. ALL voters lose their voices if any voters lose their voices. We don’t need to stand for it.

Governor Newsom is ‘dead wrong’ on the League of Women Voters. We are aligned with voters. Period. (1/5)

Keep the wins coming! We are counting on the Courts - ALL OF THEM - to
#DoTheRightThing ⚖️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Welcome to the convo!

Eric Cartman, Welcome (for Now) to the Resistance

Self
Respect
Is priceless?

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/16/a...

#Redistricting should center constituents & communities, not political parties & party leaders.
#txlege power grab is dangerous & wrong.
#gerrymandering other states in response would set a dangerous precedent during crucial moment for US democracy.
www.commoncause.org/california/p...

Opinion | Trump, if You Pull This Off, You Deserve a Nobel

yea. Give Trump the Nobel Peace Prize if he figures out the Middle East: video by Megan Stack & Sam Ellis
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/21/o...

‘Explosive increase’ of ticks that cause meat allergy in US due to climate crisis Unusually aggressive lone star ticks, common in the south-east, are spreading to areas previously too cold for them

Lone star ticks are aggressive and can speedily follow a human target if they detect them. “They will hunt you, they are like a cross between a lentil and a velociraptor,” said a conservationist who lives in the Washington DC area. @theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Former governors say bipartisan unity key to rebuffing questionable federal policy • Pennsylvania Capital-Star In a country flooded by a never-ending wave of talking heads, pundits and fiery social media posts, two bipartisan former governors said the solution to America’s political gridlock may be more talkin...

SOME people are still trying to lift us rather than sink us. Just sayin’.
penncapital-star.com/2025/06/24/r...

YouTube video by Common Cause NC A birthday message from the Gerry in 'gerrymandering'

Can we pul-leeze end Gerrymandering for GOOD?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CK4...

Opinion | I’m Normally a Mild Guy. Here’s What’s Pushed Me Over the Edge.

David Brooks on the moral contempt he is trying to suppress. Sadly, I think he is right. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/o...

Is Every Top Democrat Running for President?

I am so not interested in a man for president.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/u...

In a world where the most outrageous political crimes take place regularly, I reserve a special place for Israel. Looking at you and seeing…a failure of that essence we call ‘heart.’ You will never win.

Israel’s Allies Condemn Expansion of Gaza War

I am so far beyond “tolerate.” This is a crime against humanity. Shame on Israel. Shame.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/w...

This. I have had my clothes burned off once or twice.

Come to Marietta to celebrate the city, the Spring, and living in PA.
@Fair Districts PA will be there! Stop by our booth and say hi!

Lancaster, PA. LWV Lancaster showing children how to make a habit of voting …this time on ice cream!

@lwvus.bsky.social inviting children to VOTE…on their favorite flavor of ice cream…because a habit of voting yields results

Colm Tóibín · The Pope and Pachamama Pope Leo, thus far in his life, has been skilled at placing himself in the middle whenever there are warring factions....

The Pope and Pachamama www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Congratulations to @thenewyorker.bsky.social for THREE Pulitzer Prizes in one year. Many thanks for doing such remarkable reporting!

Police arrest clergy in U.S. Capitol rotunda.

Police arrest clergy in U.S. Capitol rotunda.

Police arrest clergy in U.S. Capitol rotunda.

Police arrest clergy in U.S. Capitol rotunda.

BREAKING: For the second time in two weeks, clergy and faith leaders have been arrested while praying in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, part of a larger protest against the GOP-led budget.

Historic Mifflin House gets national recognition as Underground Railroad site The Historic Mifflin House, a Wrightsville farmhouse that sheltered freedom seekers fleeing from slavery in the 1800s, joined the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom program last week.

The Historic Mifflin House, a Wrightsville farmhouse that sheltered freedom seekers fleeing from slavery in the 1800s, joined the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom program last week.
lanc.news/3GT4yGp

Congratulations @propublica.org on your Pulitzer Award this year! The piece that won was truly a cut
above. Brava!

Congratulations @nytimes.com on your FOUR Pulitzer Awards this year. Richly deserved by your remarkable and indefatigable reporters. Bravo!

‘The Interview’: Ocean Vuong was Ready to Kill. A Moment of Grace Changed His Life. The poet and novelist on the real reason he became a writer.

What did we do to deserve this man? DO we deserve him?

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/03/m...