Force reports, governor's race, long count, close call, Oath Keeper, Senate scramble, and partisan pizza cuts. It's Monday. Welcome to the week.
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💉 COVID-19 NEWS
» VAX STATUS: Pittsburgh's police union plans to file a grievance against the city's vaccine mandate, WESA reports, while 36% of Allegheny County Jail employees are unvaccinated weeks from a county mandate deadline.
» EMERGENCY STAY: A federal court has temporarily halted the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine requirement for businesses with 100 or more workers ahead of the rule's Jan. 4 deadline, CBS News reports.
» CANNABIS CONUNDRUM: Join us Thursday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. EST via Zoom for a free Q&A on cannabis as a treatment for opioid use disorder, the debate in the medical community, and a look at what the research says. Register here and submit your questions to events@spotlightpa.org.
📷 POST IT
A crisp pic of farmland and autumn foliage in Perry County, courtesy of PA Poster Debra R. Thanks for sharing! Send us your gems, use the hashtag #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania.
DAILY RUNDOWN
RIVAL RUNS: Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R., Centre) is set to announce his run for governor in his hometown of Bellefonte on Thursday, Capital-Star reports. State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin), who was exiled by Corman from a high-profile election review this summer, is also said to be exploring a gubernatorial bid, while former Delaware County Councilman Dave White has officially joined the GOP primary.
WRITE-INS: Lancaster County elections staff will work every day — weekends and holidays included — through Nov. 22 to count an "unprecedented" 52,308 write-in votes from the Nov. 2 election, roughly half for school board director spots, LNP reports. The write-ins could decide four local school board races, the paper adds.
SHIFT COUNT: Votes are still being counted in the race for a second opening on Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court, with Democrat Lori Dumas now leading Republican Drew Crompton by more than 12,000 votes. If Dumas wins, the GOP will have claimed three of four judiciary posts in last Tuesday's balloting, not a full sweep as initially expected.
MILITIA TIES: A Pittsburgh Police lieutenant is under investigation and on administrative assignment after USA Today identified him as having used a government email address to join the anti-government Oath Keepers militia. PublicSource reached the president of the local police union who said of the Oath Keepers: "I don’t know who they are."
NEW NAME: Prominent Pennsylvania Republicans are said to be urging investment CEO David McCormick to run for U.S. senator from Pennsylvania as former President Donald Trump's chosen pick in the race, Sean Parnell, weathers domestic violence allegations made by his estranged wife in an ongoing child custody dispute, Politico reports.
IN OTHER NEWS
RADIOACTIVE: A Clinton County lab's missing portable nuclear gauge has been located after a $1,000 reward was offered for its return. The gauge had "minor cosmetic damage" but none of the radioactive material inside was released, per the state. The status of the reward was not immediately clear.
'RIP OFF': State Attorney General — and Democratic candidate for governor — Josh Shapiro is suing Instagram influencer Dana Chanel for allegedly scamming Black small-business owners in Pennsylvania, via Buzzfeed.
SPILLED MILK: A truck crash released a "large amount of milk" into a creek in King of Prussia's Valley Forge National Park last week, temporarily turning the waterway white but presenting no longterm hazard, per the DEP.
IT MEAT: Ice Cream Trail season is over in Pennsylvania and Meat Trail Season is in. Food & Wine offers a sampling from Pennsylvania's new charcuterie trail — a "non-stop, meat-inspired thrill ride." Here's the full experience, by region.
PARTISAN PIZZA:Gerry's Partisan Pizza is offering up hot and weirdly shaped slices from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, all to raise awareness about political gerrymandering. Advocacy group RepresentUS is behind the effort.
THE SCRAMBLER
Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag.
T I B R S E U L F I
*This week's theme: Politics
Friday's answer: Airliner
Congrats to our weekly winner: Lynne E.
Congrats to our daily winners: Susan F., Becky C., Susan N., Neal W., Tracy K., Wendy A., Judith D., Jessica K., Michelle T., Doris T., Mike B., Don H., Kimberly S., Beth T., Suzanne S., Al M., David W., George S., Susan D., Steve D., Tim B., Elaine C., Craig W., Bruce T., Bridget C., Alan V., James B., Karen A., Georgann J., Karen W., Jill A., John A., Dianne K., Vicki U., and Craig E. (double winner, left off Friday's list), Arlene S., and Tish M.
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and WITF Public Media.
RIVAL RUNS: Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R., Centre) is 
WRITE-INS: Lancaster County elections staff will work every day — weekends and holidays included — through Nov. 22 to count an "unprecedented" 52,308 write-in votes from the Nov. 2 election, roughly half for school board director spots, LNP reports. The write-ins 
SHIFT COUNT: Votes are still being counted in the race for a second opening on Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court, with Democrat Lori Dumas now leading Republican Drew Crompton by more than 12,000 votes. If Dumas wins, the 
MILITIA TIES: A Pittsburgh Police lieutenant is under investigation and on administrative assignment after USA Today identified him as having used a government email address to join the anti-government Oath Keepers militia. PublicSource reached the president of the local police union 
NEW NAME: Prominent Pennsylvania Republicans are said to be urging 
