Senate Dress Codes, Hellbender License Plates & Airport Auction Finds

It’s the Friday news roundup! Lawmakers in Washington have been up in arms — about the possibility of a shutdown, yes — but also the state of John Fetterman’s shorts; Pennsylvania’s favorite amphibian, the snot otter, is getting some official state love on local cars; and if you’ve ever wanted to buy 100 single air pods, the county airport auction is just for you. 

We’re lucky to have socially conscious journalist and media consultant Natalie Bencivenga on mic today. She’s also the newest City Cast contributor! Welcome, Natalie! You can hear her very own show every Saturday at 2 p.m. on KDKA-AM.

We love to cite our sources!

• Lawmakers voted to create an official dress code last week, aimed primarily at Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman, who regularly wears hoodies and gym shorts to the U.S. Senate floor. 
• Forty-six Republican senators (all but three) sent a letter to Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer demanding he reverse the change.
• Politico reported the code was dubbed the SHORTS Act, or “Show Our Respect To the Senate.”
• During shutdowns, federal employees can’t get paid. The Trib’s Ryan Deto reported there are about 19,000 federal employees in the Pgh region, and WHYY found 1.9 million Pennsylvanians would lose access to SNAP benefits.
• Fetterman’s online store is now doing pre-orders for “I vote in this hoodie” apparel, printed by Commonwealth Press. Note: Proceeds go to his campaign, so only buy it if you want to support his cause.
• The state just released its new specialty license plate options, and the newest includes the eastern hellbender, Pennsylvania’s official state amphibian.
• If you want to know more about how vanity and other special license plates work in Pennsylvania, we did a crossover podcast with City Cast Philly about them awhile back. It’s so fun — it takes $85 to apply for one, and there are a LOT of ways and reasons the state can deny you. Highly recommend!
• This is the weekend for the county's annual airport auction. The full list of sale items includes a ton of cars, electronics, and even designer items like bags and coats. Pittsburgh Magazine shared some additional history on finds of previous years.
• If you’re heading to Fall Fest on Bigham Street, check out other Mount Washington recommendations in newsletter editor Francesca Dabecco’s neighborhood guide.

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