☀️ Happy summer. It is the first full day after the summer solstice
Headlines. Garrity focused on demanding work. The state regulator’s report is still under wraps. A huge data center swallows a compact coal town in PA. Smith Coaching for Aspiring Teachers.
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. A wonderful day. Bill Withers
Weather in Pennsylvania
⛈️ Pittsburg | Rains, storms, 78
⛈️Harriburg | Afternoon showers and thunderstorms, 79
⛈️ Philadelphia | Rains and storms during the day, 84
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (42-35) | New York Mets 6-2 | Mon. in Washington
⚾ Pirates (39-39) | Colorado 8-6 | Tuesday vs. Seattle
⚽ USMNT (2-0) | Australia 2-0 | Thu vs. Türkiye
What’s happening today. The House convenes for a vote at noon, and the Senate opens its session at 1 p.m.
What we hear. Governor Josh Shapiro is scheduled to take part in his second World Cup match and will watch the Iraq-France game in Philadelphia on Monday in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field. Shapiro is also expected to visit the FIFA Fan Zone ahead of the match.
Tips. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s leading source of unbiased political news and analysis. Tips and press releases can be submitted [email protected].
PoliticsPA Guide was developed by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser click here.
The most significant story
1. Stacy Garrity on potentially being Pennsylvania’s first female governor: “It’s my least favorite thing to talk about”
“If elected in November, Stacy Garrity became the first female governor of Pennsylvania in the state’s 238-year history.
The state’s governor has never been a woman; no woman has been elected as a U.S. senator; and every time a woman ran for president, she lost the state. Over the past two centuries, Pennsylvania’s political glass ceiling has proven consistently resistant to cracks.
But on the campaign trail against Democrats Governor Josh ShapiroGarrity (62) said she didn’t attach much importance to it Questioner from Philadelphia
Elsewhere
AI proxy warfare could change Congress – before Congress changes AI. “Artificial intelligence industry groups are pumping money into the midterms in hopes of shaping future AI regulations. Across the country, AI and technology groups are trying to influence elections, from Senate races to local office, even as Americans see growing discomfort with the consequences the technology has on jobs, energy bills and society. ” | NPR
Ratings Changes: 11 House races are moving toward Democrats. “Another month and another round of ratings changes that will benefit Democrats. But according to a district-by-district analysis of the House battleground, the Republican majority in the House is not yet lost. However, Pennsylvania’s 8th District has moved from Tilt Republican to Toss-Up. ” | Roll call
PA has high special education needs. What federal change could mean. “Oversight of special education is being moved away from the U.S. Department of Education, federal officials announced, in a move many disability advocates have decried as potentially fragmenting critical programs. The change could have particular effects in Pennsylvania, which has one of the nation’s highest percentages of students with disabilities.” | USA Today Network
Country
2. Records show Watchdog’s elder abuse investigation was kept secret because Shapiro’s office maintains confidentiality
“For nearly two years, the Shapiro administration refused to say whether a state regulator under the governor’s jurisdiction was investigating Pennsylvania’s network of agencies that are designed to support older adults who are victims of abuse and neglect.
Records show, however, that state investigators prepared the report and delivered it to the governor’s office more than two years ago PA reflector
Elsewhere
Shapiro calls for inspection of ICE facility after district official unable to enter. “Pennsylvania’s governor is calling for an independent inspection of the largest ICE facility in the Northeast after state workers were denied entry last week.” | PennLive
State lawmakers are proposing bills aimed at keeping ICE officers out of “sensitive” spaces. “After Congress provided an additional $70 billion for Immigration, Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, State Senator Lindsey Williams and other lawmakers proposed a package of bills aimed at protecting sensitive places like schools, hospitals and polling places from immigration arrests.” | News from the Valley
Two education bills generate accountability, debate on opportunities. “Two education bills introduced just days ago are quickly making their way to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, sparking a sharp disagreement over whether they will provide needed accountability for school choice programs or undermine funding for the students who benefit from them.” | Central Square
Some private education leaders in PA are joining the GOP. They are pushing for the state to join the federal school choice program. “More than half of the 50 states have chosen to join the Trump administration’s new initiative to provide tax credits and expand school choice for students and families. However, Pennsylvania has not yet joined, and Gov. Josh Shapiro is under pressure from federal Republican lawmakers and community members to commit to the program” | Penn Capital Star
Around the Republic of Poland
3. “It Will Swallow the Future”: Huge Data Center Swallows Small PA Coal Town
“Giant plumes of steam billowing from the cooling towers of the Homer City coal-fired power plant have served as a local landmark and weather vane for decades.
In 2023, the couple stopped.
It was a familiar story in the coal towns of southwestern Pennsylvania.
What happened next was not.” | PennLive
Elsewhere
A year after a 36% tax augment, county council members will soon be able to secure more benefits and a bigger budget. “Some council members want voters to change the county charter to remove restrictions on their own spending, setting the stage for a radical transformation of the ‘citizen legislature.’” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
Primary care physicians: Lessons from the military can support fill health care gaps in rural Pennsylvania. “Just as paramedics and doctors triage and stabilize patients who cannot immediately see a doctor, the new initiative would deploy primary care physicians under the supervision of licensed physicians to improve primary care in the Commonwealth’s rural communities.” | Penn Capital Star
The future of dementia in Pennsylvania may already be evident in Japan. “Pennsylvania’s population is aging. Adults 65 and older outnumber children and make up more than 20% of the state’s population. While this demographic shift is often discussed in the context of retirement trends and tax revenues, other implications run deeper: Age is the greatest risk factor for dementia.” | THAT’S ALL
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
- Candidates should welcome Questions | Grandstand overview
- Fund your higher education responsibility now or lose your competitive advantage | Neeli Bendapudi, John Fry and Joan Gabel
- Senate Bill 908 – A mandatory wage bill with consequences far beyond design | Warren Hudak
- Pennsylvania is drowning in energy but lacking capacity: time to let utilities rebuild | Susan Shanaman
- Pharmacy Benefits Manager Legislation Proposed by AP GOP Lawmakers Would Hurt Black and Brown Communities | Elena Rios
- Orwell warned us and now we live | Marek S. Singel
- The Sunshine State Can Provide PA with a Role Model | Wayne Brookhart
- ‘F… Around and Find Out’: Philly DA Krasner’s Campaign Slogan Comes Back to Haunt Him | Jonathan Turley
1 item
5. How Haverford High’s National Teacher of the Year coaches aspiring teachers
“As the newly named National Teacher of the Year at Haverford High School Leon Smith was celebrated on television: from CBS Mornings and Good Morning America to the Kelly Clarkson Show.
But as the lone black teacher when he started teaching at Haverford 25 years ago, Smith received a different reception. He experienced racism, he told a group of juvenile people interested in teaching, and if it weren’t for the black assistant principal who listened to him and supported him, he might not be teaching today.’ | Questioner from Philadelphia
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LFG! Make it great.
