Happy daylight saving time, Early Returners. I know you're all wound up from Sunday's local Democratic endorsement nailbiter, but here's a handful of stories we think you should check out.

1. Here's Jim O'Toole's full story on the endorsement.

2. Andrew McGill and Ed Blazina write on local municipalities struggling not to collect windfalls after the reassessment. 

3. Len Barcousky profiles Krista Harris, 28, the youngest member of Allegheny County Council. She was appointed last week to replace veteran Republican member Vince Gastgeb, who stepped down to serve on the Allegheny County Airport Authority. 

4. Sequestration, what? Americans are in denial about the impact of sequestration, a new poll said. The story from McClatchy. In the meantime, we'll try to do a better job of scaring you. 

5. OK, but probably not these Americans. Tracie Mauriello writes about Army and Marine Corp veterans who will have to foot more of their tuition bills because of cuts to assistance programs for veterans pursuing higher education.  

In the Democratic committee endorsements Sunday, there was little suspense on the top line -- Michael Lamb was unopposed in the mayor's race --  but there were some surprises elsewhere on the ballot.

In city Council District 8, the seat Mr. Lamb's rival, Councilman Bill Peduto, is vacating to run for mayor, his longtime aide, Dan Gilman, won with 33 votes over Jeanne Clark, 23, and Sam Hens-Greco, 14.  In the only other contested council race in the city, former Councilwoman Tonya Payne won over the man who defeated her for the Democratic nomination four years ago, incumbent councilman R. Daniel Lavelle.  Ms. Payne had 45 votes; Mr. Lavelle, 37.

From a field of 14, the four endorsed candidares for vacancies on Comon Pleas Court were Mark Tranquilli, Jen Satler, Paul Cozza and P.J. Murray.

The Allegheny County Labor Council will remain neutral in the Pittsburgh mayor's race, although city Councilman Bill Peduto came just short of winning the group's support.

. Four Democrats sought the labor endorsement Friday, but none of the mayoral hopefuls was able to muster the two-thirds majority needed to win the union umbrella group's support.

In addition to Peduto, city Council President Darlene Harris, city Controller Michael Lamb,  and former Auditor General Jack Wagner sought the group's backing.  According to a source familiar with the deliberations, Mr. Peduto led in all four rounds of voting.  In the first round, he was followed by Mr. Wagner, Mr. Lamb, and Ms. Harris, who was dropped from the competition after finishing last.  In a second ballot, Mr. Lamb moved ahead of Mr. Wagner, forcing the former auditor general out.  Mr. Peduto ousted Mr. Lamb in the next round, but then fell just short of the two-thirds threshhold needed.  He had 24 votes among the union leaders; he needed 26. 

After Mayor Luke Ravenstahl decided not to run for re-election, Mr. Wagner returned from a vacation in Israel to mount a last minute bid for the Democratic nomination,  His appearance before the labor council amounted to the first formal appearance of his late-breaking campaign and it demonstrated that despite his prominent name in state politics, he has significant ground to make up in his 11th hour campaign.

Mr. Peduto and Mr. Lamb had received endorsements from individual unions who are members of the labor council and they and their rivals will continue to court other labor groups.

 Several other Democrats who are considering city hall bids did not seek the ACLC support.  Among them are state Sens. Jim Ferlo, and Wayne Fontana;  county councilman Bill Robinson and city councilman Ricky Burgess.

In other races, according to ACLC president Jack Shea, city council incumbents Natalia Rudiak and R. Daniel Lavelle did meet the endorsement threshold.  Ms. Rudiak is being challenged by sports analyst John Lee, while Mr. Lavelle wlll face former Councilwoman Tonya Payne, and former mayoral candidate Dok Harris in the May 21 primary.  In the 8th District, the seat now held by Mr. Peduto, Jeanne Clark won the labor backing over Dan Gilman and Sam Hens-Greco.

For the open, 3rd District seat on county council, the ACLC voted to back Mary Gibson, who is facing Shawn Flaherty for the Democratic nomination. From a big field of lawyers vying for the four open seats on Common Pleas Court, the union leaders chose Paul Cozza, Mark Tranquilli, Jennifer Statler, and P.J. Murray.

WSJ columnist Peggy Noonan says America has lost its muscle, its efficiency and its competitiveness because Obama isn't focused on job creation. She knows this because of how depressing the Pittsburgh airport is.

From her column today:

I'm in Pittsburgh, making my way to the airport hotel. The people movers are broken and we pull our bags along the dingy carpet. There's an increasing sense in America now that the facades are intact but the machinery inside is broken.

Salon's Alex Pareene does a breakdown:

Peggy Noonan went to Pittsburgh and it made her sad, and a little scared. Everyone I talk to says Pittsburgh is lovely, but Peggy Noonan simply did not like the airport, or the airport hotel. (Maybe Peggy Noonan should've gone during the baseball regular season; PNC Park is supposed to be super nice.) This is all Obama's fault, because of the sequester. Also the federal tax code, which is "a killer of the spirit of guts ..." Guts have spirits.

Photo: Flickr, Skeddy in NYC