At a rally outside the Capitol on Wednesday, restaurant and bar owners pleaded for help — and a slice of the $1.3 billion in coronavirus relief funding the state has yet to spend. 

“We want our share of those federal dollars,” Tom Tyler, president of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association and owner of McStew’s Irish Sports Pub, said. “We deserve our share of those dollars.”

But as lawmakers this week negotiate how to fund state services for the next seven months, they're not ruling out using some or all of that money to instead pay for the state government, Spotlight PA reports.

THE CONTEXT: In May, lawmakers approved a plan to spend about $2.6 billion sent by Congress on nursing home aid, small business grants, and funding for child care providers. But they’ve sat on the remaining $1.3 billion for months, watching to see if Washington would send another federal relief bill or provide more flexibility in how to spend those remaining dollars. 

Time is about up, as they face a Nov. 30 deadline to finish the budget.

The money cannot be used to replace lost revenues, but it can be used for a host of other costs like salaries for state employees who are primarily responsible for pandemic response. So as lawmakers look to their own bottom line, interest groups like restaurants and those that serve people with autism and intellectual disabilities fear they will be left out in the cold.

"It will stay on my record forever. I can never work with autistic kids, which is what I was going to school for. I have $25,000 in student loans."

— Jennina Gorman, an Altoona woman who was accused of endangering her child, never had a trial and was put on the child-abuse registry. Her situation is not unique.

GLAMPING: You know, it's kinda like camping but with a bit of an Urban Outfitters vibe. If you haven't done it, I suggest you go before the weather dips below freezing by the end of the month. But don't take it from me, hear from a New Yorker who made the trek to *gasp* Western Pennsylvania to try it out.

PASS THE WINE: No, seriously, we all need a glass. If you're like millions of people, you're fretting what to do about the coronavirus and the holidays. Well, whether you're home or with family, make sure you're with some of Pennsylvania's best wines this year.

IT'S A VIRTUAL LIFE: Typically, on the Friday before Thanksgiving, downtown Indiana throws its annual "It's a Wonderful Life" parade, which pays homage to the Pennsylvania borough's favorite hometown son, Jimmy Stewart. This year, the parade will be virtual. You can still stroll around to see the 37-foot tree and light displays.

THIS LITTLE PIGGY: A couch shaped as a pig was advertised for sale in NYC on Craigslist, but it has a very Pennsylvania connection. The couch, which desperately needed someone "to pick it up ASAP as my new boyfriend hates it and sadly this is non-negotiable for him," is actually a college art project. And the post is fake. It's all a bit wild, and you can read about it here. 

NAME GAME: John Oliver, on his HBO show "Last Week Tonight," recently poked fun at the name of the Northeast Pennsylvania borough Forty Fort. "It feels so good in the mouth," Oliver accurately declared. Personally, my favorite municipality name in the state is probably Eight Four (why is it named a number? No idea!), but I understand why people find the Dutch Country names so delightful.