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Pennsylvania Tag

Yesterday, we covered the horrific mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA.  We have learned new information, including the victims' names and the state and federal charges filed against the shooter. The shooter reportedly entered the synagogue and then opened fire while allegedly shouting, “All Jews must die.”  He slaughtered 11 people and wounded at least six others, four of whom are police officers responding to the scene.

Today marks the 17th anniversary of the 911 attack on this nation, which hit New York's iconic World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a farm field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The heroes of United Airlines flight 93, who brought down the plane before it could return to Washington D.C. and slam into the White House, are being honored with an innovative memorial.
In a field amid the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania stands the "Tower of Voices." Ninety-three-feet tall, it honors the heroes of Flight 93.

About six days after a report dropped that detailed the child sexual abuse by more than 300 priests in Pennsylvania, Pope Francis has released a statement tearing apart those involved in the abuse and cover-up. From The Washington Examiner:
"'If one member suffers, all suffer together with it' (1 Cor 12:26)," the pope wrote in his statement. "These words of Saint Paul forcefully echo in my heart as I acknowledge once more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons."

The Cook Political Report has moved three House GOP seats to Toss Up from Lean Republican after new polling came out. Another race slipped a little, moving to Lean Republican from Likely Republican. While it may not seem like a big deal, we know the Democrats want the House back and any momentum the Republicans lose, you know the Democrats will jump on the opportunity.

Pennsylvania's newly formed 1st Congressional District is a classic "swing" district, and is rated a toss-up by Cook Political Report. Scott Wallace just won the Democrat nomination, and will run against Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, currently the Rep in the soon-to-be phased out 8th District. Here's the new judicially-ordered congressional map for Pennsylvania:

Philadelphia set the bar last year when officials added a 1.5 cents-an-ounce to sweetened beverages. It only brought in $78.8 million...$13 million less than they city hoped. You mean to tell me that when you charge a lot more for pop that people won't buy it? I'm SHOCKED! Not really. I mean, as a loyal Diet Coke consumer, the tax wouldn't have pushed me away. But come on. You shouldn't really rely on a tax on something that people can avoid.

A new theater has opened up in the great Pennsylvania Redistricting Battle of 2018, with Republicans filing a federal lawsuit to halt court-ordered redistricting that could cost the GOP four seats in the House this November. On January 22, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declared that the state's Congressional map, which had been in place since 2011, violated the state constitution. The Republican legislature and Democratic governor were directed to agree on a new map. They failed to do so, and on February 19, the court adopted a new Congressional map devised by Stanford professor Nathaniel Persily.

On February 19, 2018, the majority Democrat members of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court imposed a new congressional district map that was very Democrat friendly, likely swinging 4-5 seats to Democrats. It could be the difference between Democrats taking control of the U.S. House or not in the 2018 midterms. The map became so Democrat-friendly after a series of decisions as to placement of boundaries that helped Democrats. Nate Cohn at The NY Times described it this way:

On January 22, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, on a 5—2 party-line vote, struck down the state's congressional map and ordered the legislature to draw a new one by February 9. See my prior post, Bad news for GOP: Pennsylvania Supreme Court tosses state’s congressional maps. Two members of PA's state legislature—its Speaker of the House and president pro tempore of the Senate—quickly asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and stay the ruling.