This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

The Abbott name is now a mainstay in the City of Philadelphia. Joyce Abbott, the longtime Philadelphia school teacher and namesake of the popular “Abbott Elementary” sitcom, was honored this week by getting the 1900 block of 59th Street renamed “Joyce Abbott Way” in her honor. Abbott, who retired from teaching in 2022 after 27 years, taught sixth grade for years at Hamilton Elementary School in West Philadelphia – where she instructed the show’s writer and co-star Quinta Brunson.

Pennsylvania officials of all stripes deserve some, um, credit for an improvement in the state’s credit rating. S&P Global Ratings bumped up the commonwealth’s rating from “stable” to “positive” in the last week, while also affirming the state’s A+ rating for its $10.7 billion general obligation bonds.

Pennsylvania legislators joined forces this week to raise more than $140,000 for local food banks through Harrisburg’s annual Capitol All-Stars softball game, in which bipartisan teams of lawmakers faced off at FNB Field on City Island. This year even included a pierogi race! And while the “Youse” and “Yinz” teams fought for bragging rights, the real winners were the lawmakers, volunteers and all others involved who helped raise an impressive sum for a good cause.

More than 50 people have been arrested over the last two nights in Philadelphia stemming from a string of lootings in Center City and throughout northern parts of the city. The looting occurred following – but not in connection to – protests in response to all charges being dropped against the police officer who killed Eddie Irizarry in his vehicle in August. It has affected large retail stores and liquor stores in particular, resulting in state-run liquor stores in the city closing down until further notice.

A Pennsylvania state trooper was charged with felony strangulation and several misdemeanors after he used his position in law enforcement to restrain and involuntarily commit his now ex-girlfriend to a psychiatric facility. Ronald Davis, a trooper since 2015 from Jonestown, is now facing multiple charges stemming from an August incident where he petitioned for his ex-girlfriend’s mental health commitment and restrained her without authorization.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s secretary of legislative affairs, Mike Vereb, abruptly resigned this week after nine months on the job. Less than a day later, multiple reports suggest that Vereb’s resignation came after a former staffer in his cabinet office made a sexual harassment compliant against Vereb, who is a former state representative and – up until his resignation – a longtime aide of Shapiro. Shapiro himself has yet to comment publicly on Vereb’s resignation.