This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

As far as PA Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein is concerned, business is booming. The PA Chamber of Business and Industry was named the 2026 State Chamber of the Year by the national association representing state chambers of commerce. The commonwealth’s 13,000-member organization was recognized for its member services, innovative leadership and public policy advocacy. 

Who says there aren’t cross-party collabs in Congress? Pennsylvania’s Senators seem to be on the same page, with Democrat John Fetterman saying he wouldn’t campaign against Republican Dave McCormick. Fetterman told the Washington Examiner he would support McCormick’s reelection campaign, which makes sense given the number of media hits they do together.

After 30 years under the direction of retiring founder Jane Golden, Mural Arts, Philadelphia’s groundbreaking public-arts organization, named Emily Mello to steer the nonprofit’s next chapter. Mello most recently led education, learning and public programs for the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Philadelphia could lose youthful talent to cities like New York and Washington if it doesn’t diversify its economy, according to a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Focus groups comprising 18-to-29-year-old Philadelphians told Pew researchers that, aside from healthcare, the city lacks opportunities in many desirable fields, including tech, finance and the arts – and that, despite Philly’s abundant quality of life, professional ambition could ultimately prompt young workers to migrate elsewhere.

This probably won't come as a surprise, but the data affirms it: 2026 is an especially dicey year to be an immigrant. Pennsylvania is recording historic numbers of deportations, as are neighboring New Jersey and Delaware. The Philadelphia Immigration Court, which handles most commonwealth cases, reported a 71% increase in orders of removal or voluntary departure – from 1,230 to 2,105 – just between May and June, the highest figures since the 1990s.

Chris Rabb’s former campaign treasurer has been charged with wire fraud for routing funds into her own bank account. Federal prosecutors accuse Yolanda Brown, a Florida-based political consultant, of defrauding more than 20 clients out of about $20 million. Rabb, who accused Brown of making unauthorized withdrawals from his campaign accounts, fired her and reported the allegations to federal authorities prior to his primary election win this year.