Author | Lightnews

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 6h

Students, workers, and commuters shouldn’t pay the price for Republicans' fecklessness.
whyy.org/articles/sep...

SEPTA shifts budget to keep service running amid state funding stalemate

SEPTA said it will postpone buying new buses, upgrades to the Bristol Regional Rail Station and a new facility at its Frazer Railroad site.

whyy.org

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

#COVID boosters are widely available, free, and recommended for everyone 6 months and up—but misinformation and Trump-era policies still make people hesitant.
triblive.com/local/region...

Pa. officials roll up sleeves for covid shots and encourage residents to follow

At a Harrisburg pharmacy Thursday, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen and Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys rolled up their sleeves for covid shots to underscore the vaccine’s ...

triblive.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

150,000 could lose coverage, premiums could double, all because Republicans refuse to extend ACA tax credits. Politics over people—again.
www.witf.org/2025/10/23/c...

Clock ticking for ACA tax credit extension, Pa. official warns | WITF

The clock is ticking for Congress to extend enhanced health care tax credits slated to expire this year for more than 100,000 enrollees in the com […]

www.witf.org

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Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

GOP priorities: jets, bailouts, and ballrooms for billionaires. Meanwhile, millions face 75% ACA premium hikes, risking bankruptcy or going without care.
@repvenkat.com
www.unionprogress.com/2025/10/23/i...

'It's cruel, and it's not OK': GOP health care cuts will prove devastating, officials say - Pittsburgh Union Progress

We’ve learned a lot about our country the past several weeks simply by watching our most powerful leaders fling cash around with the abandon of drunken relatives tossing rice at a wedding. Folks in th...

www.unionprogress.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

Students are paying the price while #PASenate Republicans play politics.
www.post-gazette.com/news/educati...

Pennsylvania colleges and students feel strains of state budget impasse

Pennsylvania’s higher education institutions and students are feeling the effects of the state’s 100-plus-day budget impasse in their pocketbooks. Millions...

www.post-gazette.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

300,000+ Pennsylvanians could be left in the cold because of the Republicans' Epstein shutdown.
www.inquirer.com/politics/pen...

More than 300,000 Pennsylvanians need help heating their homes. The federal shutdown has delayed that assistance.

The commonwealth cannot compensate for the hundreds of millions of dollars in funding the federal government typically provides for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program.

www.inquirer.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

2 million Pennsylvanians are about to go hungry because Republicans in Congress can’t get their act together.
www.observer-reporter.com/news/local-n...

Officials express frustration over potential loss of SNAP benefits

About 2 million Pennsylvanians are just a handful of days away from losing food assistance as a result of the federal government shutdown, and officials on both the state and federal levels are expres...

www.observer-reporter.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

Meanwhile, Republican policies keep giving tax breaks to the wealthy.
www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/l...

Nearly 60,000 in York County lost food assistance due to federal government shutdown

The state announced on Oct. 17 that SNAP benefits, or food stamps, will not be paid due to the federal government shutdown.

www.yorkdispatch.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

Scott Perry calls Democrats’ military service a ‘credential’—meanwhile, he’s using his rank to insult fellow veterans.
www.pennlive.com/politics/202...

Dems bring out Rep. Deluzio to support Stelson, blast Perry for his comments on veterans

Deluzio gave a stump speech in Hampden Township on Thursday to criticize Perry, who said last week that Democratic lawmakers see military service as "only a credential."

www.pennlive.com

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Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

$1M+ at Trump properties and counting.

Republican Ethics? Optional.

Trump Profits? Mandatory.
www.spotlightpa.org/berks/2025/1...

GOP campaign spending at Trump properties hits $1M mark

Spenders include PA U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser’s campaign and the state Republican Party.

www.spotlightpa.org

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

The Federalist Papers warned against states turning their troops against each other.

Trump read that as a to-do list.
stateline.org/2025/10/22/t...

Trump’s National Guard deployments raise worries about state sovereignty • Stateline

As President Donald Trump prepares to send out-of-state National Guard members to Chicago and in Portland, Oregon, other cities are bracing for the arrival of troops in anticipation that the deploymen...

stateline.org

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Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 7h

Kids, families, and educators shouldn’t be pawns in a political standoff. PA Republican leaders need to get serious about passing a #PABudget so schools can keep programs running and students on track.
penncapital-star.com/government-p...

Layoffs loom over Westmoreland County educators as state budget impasse delays funding • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Westmoreland County schools could see a gap in services in the coming weeks due to the ongoing state budget impasse.

penncapital-star.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 8h

Republican shutdowns mean hungry families.

Democrats are fighting to keep food on the table.

It’s not complicated — feed people, don’t starve the government.
apnews.com/article/shut...

States worry about how to fill the gap in food aid ahead of a federal benefits halt

A federal food aid program that helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries stands to be paused Nov. 1 because of the government shutdown.

apnews.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 8h

@pahousedems.com aren’t waiting around for Washington to fix things — they’re working with communities to tackle housing, childcare, and mental health.

Because governing isn’t a spectator sport.
triblive.com/local/north-...

North Hills Community Outreach's breakfast for local leaders emphasizes need for collaboration

Amid the state budget impasse and federal funding cuts, three state representatives at the North Hills Community Outreach Community Leaders Breakfast said collaboration among nonprofits, businesses an...

triblive.com

Reposted by Michael Herzing

PA House Majority Policy Committee @padempolicy.bsky.social · 8h

What unifies PA Senate Republicans? Cutting funding for schools, hospitals, public safety - leading to local tax increases.

The @pahousedems.com budget meets PA’s needs *without* raising taxes.

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Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 8h

[email protected] want to make sure you don’t get stuck paying the electric bill for billionaire data centers. Republicans? They’d rather plug you in as the backup generator.
pahouse.com/Matzie/InThe...

PA House Energy Committee considers first-ever regulations on data centers in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Oct 23 – Yesterday, PA House Energy Committee Chair Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., convened a public hearing on legislation introduced by state Rep. Robert Matzie, D-Beaver. House Bill 1834 would authorize the Public Utility Commission to establish a regulatory framework for...

pahouse.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 8h

[email protected] are moving to protect reproductive freedom in Pennsylvania’s Constitution — because women’s rights shouldn’t depend on which way the Supreme Court swings or who’s sitting in Harrisburg.
www.pahouse.com/InTheNews/Ne...

Pa. House Judiciary Committee advances key measures to protect health privacy, reproductive rights and public safety

HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 – The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee today held a public hearing on a proposed state constitutional amendment (H.B.1957), followed by a voting meeting to advance significant women’s health measures designed to protect medical privacy, strengthen...

www.pahouse.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 8h

Hey Secretary Duffy — thanks for showing up three months late to the SEPTA crisis with zero solutions and a full tank of political gaslighting. Maybe next time, try boarding the train before it derails.
www.fox29.com/news/septa-f...

SEPTA Funding Crisis: U.S. Transportation Secretary calls on Gov. Shapiro for urgent intervention

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is pushing for stable funding for SEPTA as it grapples with service cuts and deferred repairs.

www.fox29.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 1d

TACO

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d

Breaking News: President Trump said he called off the deployment of federal immigration agents to San Francisco at the request of his friends in the tech industry. It was not clear what that meant for the rest of the Bay Area.

Trump Calls Off Federal Operation in San Francisco

President Trump said he had called off a planned federal deployment of immigration agents to the city. It was not clear what that meant for the rest of the Bay Area.

nyti.ms

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 1d

Gov. Shapiro and PA health leaders are standing up for science & Pennsylvanians’ health! Vaccines are safe, effective, & accessible—no one should face barriers protecting themselves & their families this respiratory virus season.
www.pa.gov/agencies/hea...

Respiratory Virus Dashboard

Check the respiratory dashboard every Tuesday for the latest updates.

www.pa.gov

Reposted by Michael Herzing

PA House Majority Policy Committee @padempolicy.bsky.social · 1d

More info:
pahouse.com/PolicyCommit...

repsalisbury.bsky.social @repsalisbury.bsky.social · 2d

It was great getting to speak with PCN about the potential causes and links to Autism. As a member of the Autism community, it’s important to combat the dangerous rhetoric coming from Washington D.C.

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Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 1d

Under Trump, federal vaccine guidance is being politicized, putting kids at risk. Pediatricians in PA are stepping up to protect families and follow science. Gov. Shapiro’s order ensures children still get the lifesaving vaccines they need.
www.pennlive.com/health/2025/...

As vaccine policies shift, Pa. pediatricians focus on keeping patients informed

Pediatricians are speaking often and openly with parents who are anxious about the safety of vaccines amid changing federal policies. “We feel like the government is in our exam room,” one said.

www.pennlive.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 1d

It’s shameful that hardworking early educators and thousands of Philly kids are being held hostage Republicans' state budget impasse. Passing a budget that funds Pre-K Counts isn’t optional—it’s urgent. Kids can’t wait, and neither can their teachers.
penncapital-star.com/education/so...

Some Philadelphia preschools say they’ll have to close classrooms if a Pa. budget isn't passed soon • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

For more than three months, Lisa Smith has operated several state-funded pre-K classrooms at Amazing Kidz Academy early learning centers in Philadelphia without being paid for those services.

penncapital-star.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 1d

School districts across the state are making tough choices while Republicans in Harrisburg refuse to fund our schools. Students shouldn’t pay the price for Senate GOP leaders' gridlock—teachers on budget freezes and districts draining reserves is unacceptable.
www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-n...

Williamsburg district running out of money amid impasse

After an in-depth discussion, the Williamsburg Community School Board approved an Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth Agreement with Nittany Learning Services in a 4-2 vote. All board members e...

www.altoonamirror.com

Michael Herzing @mherz67.bsky.social · 1d

Thousands of Pennsylvanians may face financial hardship this winter due to a federal shutdown. Programs like #LIHEAP, which help low-income families heat their homes, shouldn’t be held hostage to politics. Republicans in Congress must act now to fund the people, not play games.
shorturl.at/ufu3K

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