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The surprise Pa. House speaker is just the beginning | Morning Newsletter

And honoring a teenage hero

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

It’s the first Friday of the year. Expect a cooler day, with a high of 49 and some rain showers.

Berks County Democrat Mark Rozzi becoming the Pennsylvania House Speaker was a surprise to everyone and it had all the markings of a Harrisburg deal.

Our lead story explains how the surprise vote came to be and the many ways it could all play out.

If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Mark Rozzi may be the new Pennsylvania House speaker, but there’s so much still up in the air.

A quick recap: Democrats won a majority of the House seats in the November election, but three vacancies left them with a slight minority when they walked on the floor Tuesday.

  1. Republicans nominated a Democrat to become the next House speaker despite having 101 seats compared to Democrats’ 99.

  2. Their Democratic pick Rozzithen announced he’d be the state’s first independent speaker and wouldn’t caucus with either party.

Rozzi struck a deal with Republicans, most notably that he’d change his political affiliation. He was one of multiple Democrats that was offered the deal but he was the only one who took it.

No one knows what to expect. It’s unclear if he’ll actually change his party affiliation or if he’ll act as an independent leader without the influence of either party.

Also, Democrats are still pushing for Rep. Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia) to become the first woman and first Black woman speaker of the House, after special elections are held to fill vacancies in three Democratic-leaning districts.

Keep reading to find out what’s next in the fallout from the Pennsylvania House speaker election. 🔑

What you should know today

  1. Al Schmidt, a Republican and former Philly elections official, was named as Josh Shapiro’s nominee for secretary of state.

  2. A year after the Fairmount fire, the victims’ graves finally have a headstone.

  3. Two workforce diversity reviews show the racial makeup of city workers looks more like Philly, except for the higher-paying jobs.

  4. Bob Casey announced his diagnosis of prostate cancer and plans to have surgery in the coming months.

  5. New COVID variant XBB.1.5 is driving increased infections in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

  6. Local coronavirus numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.

Back in August, 17-year-old Kaheem Bailey-Taylor used first-aid skills he learned in his Philadelphia public school’s Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program to save his friend’s life. When gunshots rang out at his cousin’s birthday party, most people raced away, but Bailey-Taylor ran straight into the peril.

Today, he will receive the Medal Of Heroism. It’s the highest honor the U.S. Army gives to JROTC cadets.

Notable quote: “My instinct was, I have a lot of family in there, and I need to help,” he said. “I need to do something.”

Some background: The honor is reserved for those who perform valiant acts demonstrating an “acceptance of danger and extraordinary responsibilities, exemplifying praiseworthy fortitude and courage.”

The award is rarely given. Among the last recipients were three JROTC students killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla. They were awarded the medal posthumously.

Keep reading for the full story of the heroic teenager.

Pennsylvania can expect more than $2 billion in opioid settlement funding from various lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors, consulting groups, and pharmacies.

A partial Philly region breakdown:

  1. Philadelphia: The city will distribute the first $20 million payout from the Johnson and Johnson suit to several initiatives aimed to help people in addiction and communities grappling with an overdose epidemic. Among the initiatives are mobile methadone vans that can get people quickly into addiction treatment.

  2. Bucks County: The district attorney’s office received its first payment of $4.5 million settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors.

  3. Montgomery County: Officials set up a multi-agency group to develop a spending plan for about $35 million in funds that the county will receive as part of a settlement between opioid distributers and Johnson and Johnson.

Continue reading for see how much settlement money other Philly-area counties received.

🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠

What’s the name of the nonprofit that wants you to donate your Christmas tree to hungry goats this weekend?

A) The Philly Goat Project

B) The Pennsylvania Goat Project

C) Trees and Goats Galore

D) None of the above

Find out if you know the answer.

What we’re...

📰 Reading: A formerly incarcerated man’s reflection on why people who leave prison need protection when they come home.

Wondering: About the future of non-compete clauses for workers that prohibit them from joining a competitor, as the FTC proposes a potential ban.

❤️ Picking: The Philadelphia icons we loved last year, including celebrities, athletes, mascots, and more.

🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩

Hint: “Heaven” 🎶

CARTIER HAWK

We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Cheers to Pat Saverino, who correctly guessed Thursday’s answer: Avalon. Email us if you know the answer.

Photo of the Day

Alright, that should be everything you need as you head into the weekend. My colleague Ashley Hoffman has you covered Sunday. I’ll be back bright and early Monday ☀️.