This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

Pittsburgh-area parents rejoice: Allegheny County Council approved a paid parental leave policy on Oct. 20 to require employers in the area with 15 or more workers to provide new parents and legal guardians with 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Despite pushback from the business community and potential legal barriers, the county – led by Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato – is poised to become the first in the commonwealth to adopt such a law. 

The Steel City was one of five global locations chosen as a hub for transit innovation by Alstom, the international rail outfit. The Pittsburgh innovation site – like its counterparts in Paris, Montreal, Stockholm and Singapore – will engage government agencies, universities and regional customers to develop transit solutions, building on Pennsylvania’s status as the state with America’s largest railroad presence.

Going into the midterm elections, Commonwealth Democrats are winners in the race for registered voters, widening their statewide registration advantage over Republicans to roughly 240,000. Democrats grew their voter ranks by 55,400 this year – adding more than 15,000 voters in Philadelphia alone – while Republicans lost 7,400 registered voters during the same timeframe.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is facing more heat from federal officials, with the Justice Department reportedly opening up a criminal investigation into his office. According to local reports, the department also allegedly sent grand jury subpoenas in an inquiry focused on potential obstruction of justice related to a post-conviction case. The developments come one month after a federal judge referred Krasner and a member of his staff to the DOJ for a possible criminal investigation, suggesting that Krasner and a deputy may have pressured prosecutors to lie in court. 

Take a deep breath, Allentown residents. Or, maybe not. A report from The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America found that A-Town in the Lehigh Valley has the highest rate of asthma-related hospital visits in the country. Not far behind Allentown are several other commonwealth cities – including Philadelphia at No. 4, Harrisburg at No. 32 and Pittsburgh at No. 38 – due to a cough-causing combo of pollution and persistent poverty in the region.  

Thomas Johnson, a Democratic candidate running for Pennsylvania Senate, dropped out of the race for the 28th District seat on Oct. 20 after a past criminal conviction surfaced weeks before the election. Johnson, according to news reports, is on probation in connection with a 2024 conviction for a 2023 assault involving an ex-boyfriend. He ended his campaign once reporters started asking about the conviction. In a statement, Johnson said he made the decision due to “recent changes in my personal life, potential career shifts and an opportunity to return to Maryland.”