This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

Not everyone thinks Harrisburg lawmakers deserve a raise, especially after they took an extra four months to approve this year’s state budget. Be that as it may, the nation’s third-highest-paid state legislators were recently rewarded with a hefty raise in the form of a 3.25% cost-of-living adjustment, bringing their average base salary to a healthy $113,000.

The commonwealth’s law enforcement is welcoming a fresh class. The Pennsylvania State Police will welcome 49 new troopers on Dec. 5, the fourth class to graduate from the PSP Academy since the college credit requirement was removed to increase cadet applications. Cheers to the 174th cadet class!

Democratic congressional candidate Janelle Stelson, who is once again seeking to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in the 10th Congressional District, appears to be starting the 2026 campaign cycle on a strong footing. A new poll from Public Policy Polling shows the former TV anchor leading Perry 48% to 44% roughly a year out from a potential rematch with the incumbent. 

A new report shows that gains in population and business in Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood have resulted in a decline in the share of Asian residents. An Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund study found that Philly’s Chinatown, like its counterparts in Boston and New York, continues to have gentrification and displacement issues amid new real estate developments.

The commonwealth’s largest school district is facing a federal investigation for systemic antisemitism by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The committee chair, U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, notified SDP Superintendent Tony Watlington and two other district heads nationwide – in Fairfax, Virginia and Berkeley, California – of allegations that their schools created hostile environments for Jewish K-12 students, violating Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination.  

It’s the season of giving, and gift card grifters are earning the ire of Pennsylvania officials. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced a settlement this week with the owner of the Lancaster-based Visage á Visage Day Spa and Salon, which customers reported was selling gift cards in the weeks leading up to its closure – with requests for refunds going unanswered. State Sen. Lisa Boscola is also hoping to crack down on gift card grifters this holiday season, as she introduced a package of bills to prevent gift card fraud. Scrooges and scammers, beware!