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1. Ignoring biology won't fix discrimination — but it will erase women

By Beth Ann Rosica

Last week, seven Commonwealth Court judges heard arguments about the definition of “sex” according to Pennsylvania law. While I have been involved in this case as a petitioner since its inception, I was nevertheless surprised at the lunacy of the discussion.

Let’s think about this — ten years ago, no one would have questioned what the definition of “sex” means. It’s a binary, biological fact. There are men with XY chromosomes and women with XX chromosomes. (This comprises the vast majority — over 99.8 percent — of humans on the planet while a minute number of people have chromosomal disorders.)

Yet despite this common sense and widely accepted definition, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) changed the definition of the sex in 2023 to include gender, sexual orientation, and gender expression, amongst other things.

The attorney for the PHRC argued that the Pennsylvania State Constitution does not define sex. Even one of the Commonwealth Court judges commented that the state does not have a definition for sex.

Why It Matters.  How did we get to a point in history where educated people do not understand this very basic fact? Attorneys are generally smart people, they must pass the bar exam, which is a rigorous test. Lawyers are taught to think critically and in a way different from most professions. And yes, part of their job is to find loopholes and ways to argue and support their case or client.

Attorneys are not taught to suspend rational thought and common sense. Yet that is exactly what is happening in Pennsylvania and other blue states across the country. Even the most recently appointed federal Supreme Court Justice was incapable of answering the question, “what is a woman?”

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2. Listening, learning, and leading with Dave McCormick at St. Helena-Incarnation School

By Guy Ciarrocchi

Senator Dave McCormick was a leading co-sponsor of the new federal law that encourages donations to scholarship organizations, so that they can offer financial aid and scholarships for K-12 students, providing thousands and thousands of working class and middle income families with “school choice.” This mission is why he visited North Fifth Street in Philadelphia.

Just as he had promised as a candidate when he visited Ligouri Academy in Kensington, Senator McCormick visited St. Helena-Incarnation School because of his commitment to school choice. To listen. To learn. So that he can lead in the Senate — and in the public arena. And, yes, to persuade would-be donors to give to scholarship organizations that support even more parents so that their children can attend schools like St. Helena’s and Ligouri.

McCormick is quick to remind his audiences that he attended public schools and that his parents taught in public schools. This isn’t about public versus non-public schools. His cause is about empowering all parents so that they can find a school that works for their children.

Why It Matters.  McCormick genuinely believes in school choice — it’s why he co-sponsored the new law and continues to visit schools that will benefit. To learn from students and parents, teachers, administrators, and those who manage the scholarship organizations.

During a roundtable discussion with students, they posed questions to McCormick and state legislators in attendance who champion Pennsylvania’s tax credit program. These included Martina White and Amen Brown of Philadelphia, and also David Rowe from Union County. Rowe’s home is a tiny county in central Pennsylvania whose population is smaller than the Olney section of Philadelphia — he was there to see how his good works make a difference.

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3. Lightning Round

4. What we're reading.