Pre-drought conditions affect Schuylkill withdrawals, counties compare life expectancy

Good morning, Feeders!

Tom MacDonald is already on the job. He’s covering a forum for the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidates, so expect details and photos from that event later today.
Dave Davies has a busy day ahead of him. For now, check out his blog post about a Planned Parenthood ad attacking Republican Ryan Mackenzie in his race to fill a Pennsylvania legislative seat in a special election.

Lizz Fiedler is chatting with political officials and candidates about whether they post “bandit signs” for their campaigns. The signs have become a hot topic in many Philadelphia neighborhoods where residents liken them to another form of litter.

Carolyn Beeler will have more details on the Schuylkill River Basin Commission’s decision to suspend water withdrawals because of pre-drought conditions. Yes, even though we just had the wettest year on record.

Peter Crimmins story on the bird deaths at Temple University has gotten much more involved. He’s exploring Bucks County bomb shelters today, so we’ll hear more about the birds later.

And Taunya English will look at a new system that tracks life expectancy by county — an accurate measure, or just another way to make you feel superior (or inferior) to your neighbors?