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| Today: Protest policy, portrait mode, Yass or no?, gun case, presidential polling, surprise source, and a tornado touches down at church. |
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A revision to the Shapiro administration's code of conduct for state employees, one coinciding with widespread protests over the war in Gaza, is raising alarm among First Amendment advocates.
The vaguely worded update went into effect last week and bars employees from engaging in “scandalous or disgraceful” behavior, with transgressions punishable by disciplinary action and even termination.
Neil R. Weaver, head of the cabinet-level Office of Administration, said hate speech can take many forms, from “social media posts, to boycotts, to graffiti, to public confrontations.”
Bryn Mawr lawyer Mark Schwartz, who has handled cases involving free speech and whistleblower protections, called the amendment “so overbroad it's ridiculous,” adding, "Scandalous behavior — what does that mean? Anybody at any time could be accused of anything."
Read Spotlight PA's full report: Shapiro orders state employees to avoid 'scandalous' conduct amid Gaza protests, raising free speech concerns. |
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NOTABLE / QUOTABLE
“April 10th will always be remembered as a day of a miracle. Nobody lost their mother, nobody lost their son.”
—Imam Saifullah Muhammad of the Philadelphia Masjid on the April shooting that injured several people during an Eid al-Fitr celebration nearby |
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| The northern lights and moon in Somerset County, via Karyl S. Send us your photos by email, use #PAGems on IG, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania. |
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 ART BUYERS: Official portraits of Pennsylvania's House speakers don't come cheap. But who exactly pays for them? LNP (paywall) reports the costs are covered by a nonprofit that doesn’t publicly disclose its donors, "leaving taxpayers unaware of who paid for the painting and what stakes they might have in shaping state policy."  DOX DONOR? Did Pennsylvania political megadonor Jeff Yass give $1 million to a group now engaged in the doxxing of pro-Palestinian college students? CNBC reports Yass’ name appears on Accuracy in Media's 2022 tax return, which the group seemingly forgot to redact, alongside its biggest donation of the year. But the group says he never gave.  |
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IN MEMORIAM: Pittsburgh-based and world-famous pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht — who worked cases from the JFK assassination to the murder of JonBenét Ramsey — died on Monday at the age of 93, per TribLIVE.
TRADE SECRETS: A Gibsonia man is charged with "exploiting" his friend, who worked for Coraopolis-based Dick's Sporting Goods, to gain nonpublic information about the company and reap $800,000 in illegal profits.
STORM SERVICE: A Washington County church was full of people when a suspected EF2 tornado tore through it Saturday. Minor injuries were reported, but damage to the building was severe.
ALLEY HOUSE: New "alley houses" are being eyed for Bethlehem amid an ongoing affordable housing crisis. Lehigh Valley News reports a pilot is in the works. Dozens more of the accessory dwelling units could follow.
MEISSEN MUSEUM: Did you know Butler is home to the "only museum in Western Pennsylvania that focuses on Asian art and Meissen porcelain?" Atlas Obscura has a look inside the Maridon Museum. |
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HOT, HOT, HOT Our exclusive 'All Sun, No Shade' beach towels are HOT!
Bold and thick, get ready for Memorial Day with this exclusive Spotlight PA swag. But hurry! Once they're gone, they're gone for the year. SHOP NOW > |
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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. Answers submitted by 5:30 p.m. on issue date will be counted. O M L F U E L L I S U
Yesterday's answer: Plangent
Congrats to our daily winners: Marc G., Stacy S., Bob C., Don H., Sandi H., Richard A., Jon W., Kimberly D., Barbara F., Wendy A., Susan N.-Z., Alan B., Vicki U., Beth H., bnyce3, Jeffrey F., Tom M., William Z., William S., and Stanley J.
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