😎 Good morning! A recent week begins.
📰 Headlines. Information about Trump’s efforts to “take over” the midterm elections. Republicans at PA Leadership Conference express concerns about midterm elections. Quietly running Super PACs in sight. The finfluencers are coming.
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. I’d like. Stevie Wonder
Weather in Pennsylvania
🌧️ Butler | Showers, 75
☁️ Breezewood | Mostly dull, 78
☁️ Nanticoke | Mostly dull, 75
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (7-8) | Arizona 3-4 | Mon vs. Chicago Cubs
⚾ Pirates (9-6) | Chicago Cubs 6-7 | Mon vs. Washington
🏀 Sixes (45-37) | Indiana 105-94 | Milwaukee 126-106 | Wednesday vs. Orlando
🏒 Leaflets (41-27-12) | Winnipeg 7-1 | Tuesday vs. Montreal
🏒 Penguins (41-24-16) | Washington 3-6 | Washington 0-3 | Tuesday in St. Louis
⚽ Union (1-0-6) | Montreal 2-1 | I was sitting at DC United
📅 What’s happening today. The state House will resume session at noon.
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The most crucial story
1. Information about Trump’s efforts to “take over” the midterm elections
“Ahead of this year’s midterm elections President Donald Trump he systematically broke down federal safeguards that prevented him from overturning the 2020 election.
At least 75 professional staff have left. Twenty candidates were hired, many of them from the voter denial movement. Ten helped attempt to overturn the 2020 vote.
Once marginal actors now have access to enormous power, which they have already used to push through unprecedented actions that critics say amount to partisan interference.” | ProPublica
Elsewhere
McCormick ‘Will Not Call Balls and Strikes’ on Trump’s Language. “U.S. Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) agreed with the actions President Donald Trump took in Iran but stopped short of endorsing his message.” | abc27
Trump launches tirade at “weak”, “terrible” Pope Leo. “President Trump sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, calling him “WEAK on crime and terrible on foreign policy” and accusing him of “satisfying the needs of the radical left.” Trump’s comments escalate already high tensions between the president and the first US-born pope, who has increasingly spoken out about the Trump administration’s immigration policy and the war in Iran.’ | Axles
DNC chairman tries to quash confusion over election autopsy coverup. “Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin is quietly trying to quell criticism surrounding his decision to conceal the party’s ‘autopsy’ of what went wrong in the 2024 election.” | Axles
Fetterman downplays concerns about rising gas prices, blames the media. “Senator John Fetterman, in a televised appearance over the weekend, downplayed rising gas prices amid the war with Iran, saying the media was giving a false impression of a crisis.” | PennLive
Country
2. AP Republicans defend Trump’s agenda, but admit at annual conference that election year is “extremely difficult”
“Pennsylvania Republicans – bracing for a series of tough elections this fall – gathered on Friday for their largest annual rally, where participants defended President Donald Trump achievements in the face of growing public dissatisfaction around its international and economic programs.
The conference, attended by some of the state’s most prominent Republican leaders and grassroots organizers, provided a glimpse into the message of a party trying to motivate a base that helped usher in sweeping victories less than two years ago.’ | Questioner from Philadelphia
Elsewhere
Republicans at PA Leadership Conference express concerns about midterm elections. “The chief executive of conservative group Citizens Alliance – Cliff Maloney – asked the audience to ‘do the work’ to ‘beat [Democrats] on your own game. Because 2026 could be ugly,” Maloney said. | PennLive
Gov. Josh Shapiro is rallying Center County Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterms. “Shapiro urged the audience to vote for him as governor in November so he can continue to fight Trump’s policies, try to raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania and build more housing. Shapiro also called on Democrats to vote to flip the U.S. House of Representatives.” | WPSU
Deluzio’s next mission: recruiting other Democratic Party veterans to run for Congress. “As his party once again looks to gain a majority in the House and gain some power in Washington, Navy veteran turned U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio is helping recruit and help military veterans run for Congress as Democrats, strengthening the party’s strength ahead of the fall midterm elections.” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
Lieutenant Davis begins the tour at an affordable price. “The Shapiro-Davis administration is focusing on affordability – a political pressure point in the 2026 midterms – while touting policy victories to lower costs.” | Axios Pittsburgh
Around the Republic of Poland
3. How two Congressional candidates in Philadelphia are quietly running a Super PAC in plain sight
“Democrats in Philadelphia’s hotly contested congressional race have spent months crafting detailed strategies to convince voters in the final weeks before the open primary elections in May. But the two front-runners aren’t keeping those plans close to the vest.
Instead, they put them on their websites.” | Questioner from Philadelphia
Elsewhere
Interview with Jason Richey, part 2. “This is the first time since I was in college that Democrats have a real shot at controlling the entire Legislature, and they have already moved toward abortion on demand, which Governor Shapiro supports by allowing abortion up to the point of delivery. This is something we absolutely oppose.” | Wide + Freedom
A Pennsylvania city is facing fallout from Trump’s rollback of environmental regulations. “North America’s largest coking plant straddles the west bank of the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania and spews emissions from converting superheated coal into carbon-rich fuel. Scientists say children at Clairton Elementary School about a mile away are paying the price.” | CBS News
Philly is considering recent restrictions on working with immigration agents. “Philadelphia would ban federal immigration officials from wearing masks and using city property for operations as part of a legislative package lawmakers are taking up today.” | Axios Philadelphia
Local election officials fear retaliation ahead of the fall elections. “Local elections officials are raising serious concerns about federal interference in their work as the fall midterm session heats up and experts worry about President Donald Trump’s efforts to assert greater control over voting.” | POLICY
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
1 item
5. The influencers are coming
“Gen Z is more invested than any other generation in sowing what they scroll through. And in between all the videos showing the fruits of AI, they are scrolling through a lot of financially influential content, aka ‘finfluencers.’
“Suddenly you have someone who doesn’t look like your dad’s financial advisor. You have someone who looks like I could have been anyone’s best friend from college.” Vivian Herealso known as Your Rich BFF, a Wall Street trader turned influential businesswoman, she told Fortune. He’s among a group of newborn creators who get hundreds of thousands to millions of views on each video, explaining personal finance tips on FaceTime the same way a chronically online friend would.” | Morning infusion
Thank you for starting your week with us.
Let’s make the most of it. See you tomorrow.
