Government Relations Updates
The city and state’s leaders were busy this week! The quick highlights: The Philadelphia Airport rebranded, the Department of Revenue is warning residents of a phishing scam, and Philadelphia City Council is in full swing with the introduction of a slew of bills and resolutions. At the state level, the governor is investing in public safety, Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging unveiled new support for seniors, and the tourism industry in Pennsylvania is booming—you’ll have to read on to find out more!
The Bellevue Compass
Congress is planning to punt the shutdown through the use of a stopgap funding bill that keeps essential federal services funded until November 21—but what happens after that? And more importantly: will the bill pass the Senate? We talked about it this week in The Bellevue Compass.
In Case You Missed It
RFK Jr. and his panel made a controversial choice this week, voting not to recommend the MMRV vaccine (a combination shot that protects against four diseases: Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), and Varicella (chickenpox)) to children younger than 4. Instead, the panel advises that children receive two separate vaccines: the MMR and the chickenpox vaccine.
Another figure made a controversial move: Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr pressured ABC to remove late-night host Jimmy Kimmel from the air for his comments regarding Charlie Kirk’s death. The move to suspend him is splitting the party—and has everyone talking about how far the First Amendment reaches.
On Monday, the president launched a $15B lawsuit at The New York Times—by Friday, a federal judge had thrown it out, claiming that the 85-page defamation lawsuit wasn’t a “well-reasoned legal case”.
The Epstein saga just won’t stop: the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has begun receiving materials from the Treasury Department as part of its investigation into the agency’s handling of the case against Jeffrey Epstein, according to Politico.
That’s it for this week.
Til next time.
The Bellevue Team