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A daily newsletter by  |
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Your Postmaster: Tom LisiJanuary 7, 2021 |
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| Capitol chaos, low testing, speaking out, new lawmakers, swimming in the cold, and a hopeful hotline. It's Thursday. |
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State lawmakers denounced violence in Washington after a mob of Trump supporters breached the U.S. Capitol to impede the official count of Electoral College votes.
Top Republicans in the state House and Senate said in statements the chaos was not acceptable, Spotlight PA reports. They had earlier cast doubt on the integrity of the state’s presidential election.
Gov. Tom Wolf called the events "an attempted coup" and said they were the "direct result of a deliberate disinformation campaign by Republicans from the president down to legislators in Pennsylvania."
THE CONTEXT: The mob attack yesterday erupted minutes after U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey carefully rebuked an effort to block the popular vote for president. In a later statement, Toomey called the situation at the U.S. Capitol "an absolute disgrace."
At least one former state lawmaker and one current member were in Washington on Wednesday as President Donald Trump vowed to “never concede” the election he lost.
Rick Saccone, a former Republican state representative and failed 2018 congressional candidate, posted a photo of himself on Facebook with state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R., Franklin), saying he bumped into the “fellow patriot” near the Capitol. Mastriano later called the violence "unacceptable" and "unAmerican." |
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NOTABLE / QUOTABLE
"No one should feel like they have to endure this period and its stress, anxiety, and uncertainty alone."
— Teresa Miller, secretary of the Department of Human Services, on additional food benefits that are now available |
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| POST IT: A shot of our Capitol dome in late fall. Thanks, Robert N., for the submission! Send us your hidden gems use the hashtag #PAGems, or tag us on Instagram at @spotlightpennsylvania. |
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POLAR LAPS: Don't get too jealous, but a Philadelphia-area swim club was holding 5 a.m. winter workouts in an outdoor pool when indoor sports were halted by COVID-19 restrictions. The club bought special heaters to get the water near 80 degrees. CLEAN FUN: Northeastern Pennsylvania skiing has held up as a solid option for some COVID-friendly recreation. Even on the open-air slopes, resort operators are enforcing mask-wearing and social distancing. THIS OLD HOUSE: An Erie businessman spent millions restoring several 19th-century downtown homes on "Millionaire's Row," and the converted one- and two-bedroom apartments are now up for lease. You don't have to buy one to enjoy the photos. CALL FOR HOPE: Philadelphia's poet laureate, Trapeta B. Mayson, has set up a toll-free hotline for callers to get 90-second "affirming poems." The project is meant to be an outlet in difficult times. Each Monday, a new poem will be featured at 1-855-763-6792. LOCAL GEMS: Esquire is out with a list of 100 restaurants "America can't afford to lose," including a handful here in Pennsylvania. I have eaten at none of them, giving me something else to look forward to when this pandemic is over. |
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Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag. Z T R N R P O E F U Y C
Yesterday's answer: Euphemism
Congrats to our daily winners: David I., Neal W., Jill G., Joel S., Irene R., John C., Ron P., Jill A-S., Dennis E., Deb N., David W., Jessica K., George S., Anne G., Dianne K., Carol D., Linda N., Karen W., and Kim C. |
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UNPROTECTED: The low conviction rate for gun-related crimes is not new or unique to Philadelphia, but one crucial problem remains: 
