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Democrat Bob Harvie sends cease-and-desist letter to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, claiming defamation in campaign ads

Democrat Bob Harvie sent a cease-and-desist letter to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) accusing him of defamation over campaign ads claiming Harvie is under FBI investigation for stealing taxpayer money. Harvie's attorneys say he was never a subject of any investigation — he testified before a grand jury in 2022 alongside other officials in a probe that's been inactive for years — and that Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, knows the claims are false ("actual malice"). Fitzpatrick's campaign has spent $2.81M since Jan 2025 in the PA-01 race, one of four targeted swing seats that could decide House control.

Read more at the The Philadelphia Inquirer

Suplizio pleads guilty to money laundering, federal program theft in corruption case

"After years of denying sweeping allegations of public corruption, former DuBois City Manager Herm Suplizio pleaded guilty Thursday to money laundering and federal program theft, potentially ending a polarizing case that tested the reputation and future of the small city he once helped govern."

Via SpotlightPA

ICE Scraps Plans for Rural PA Detention Centers

Source: WHYY News by Susan Phillips.

The federal government is officially dropping its plans to turn two warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties into immigration detention centers that would have housed up to 9,000 people.

Governor Josh Shapiro announced that the Department of Homeland Security withdrew its requests for the necessary water and sewage permits. The reversal follows strong opposition from the state. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had previously prohibited the project, estimating the massive facility would demand 800,000 gallons of water daily.

DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley noted that adding a 9,000-person facility would double the population of the surrounding rural communities. This surge would have severely strained local drinking water supplies and risked overwhelming sewage systems, potentially leaking raw waste into local waterways. State officials view the withdrawal as a vital step in protecting the local environment and community infrastructure.

For my part, I think looking at environmental and infrastructure regulations is a clever way to stop a horrific thing. I'll take the win, but that we have to resort to these work-around tactics instead of "Maybe we don't build concentration camps" is just too bold in today's United States is a damn shame.