🤠 Weekend work. The Olympics begin today in Paris. And Sunday marks 100 days until the election for those celebrating.
Pennsylvania Weather
☀️ Braddock | Sunny, 84
☀️ Elizabethtown | Sunny, 84
☀️ Olney | Mostly bright, 86
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (64-38) | Friday-Sunday vs. Cleveland
⚾ Pirates (52-50) | Friday-Sunday vs. Arizona
✅ Reader Survey. Who will Kamala Harris choose as her vice presidential candidate? (PoliticsPA)
👂 What do we hearHouse Democrats are looking at Madeleine Dean’s representatives AND Chrissy Houlahan as possible panelists for a newly formed task force to investigate the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
🎂 Happy birthday. Cake and candles for Russ Diamond Representative, Peter Schweyer (Friday) and Perry Warren (Sun.)
🗞️ Pennsylvania Headlines >> Your Inbox. Where can I find the latest news about what’s happening in Keystone State politics?? Sign up for the PoliticsPA Playbook. We’ll deliver all the latest headlines in an easy-to-read format every weekday at 8 a.m. And it’s free. Add your name to the list and sign up now.
The best story
1. Trump to return to Pennsylvania for rally in Harrisburg
“Ex-president Donald Trump will hold a campaign rally in Harrisburg next week, his first appearance in Pennsylvania since he was wounded in the July 13 attack in Butler.
The Republican presidential candidate will appear Wednesday at the New Holland Arena, part of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, the campaign said in a news release. It will be Trump’s first visit to Pennsylvania as the official GOP candidate and his first since President Joe Biden withdrew from seeking re-election.” (Penn Capital-Star)
Related
“13 Keys to the White House”: A Conversation with Allan Lichtman“Voices of Reason spoke with Lichtman about his background, how the system came to be, why the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris saved one of the Democratic primary’s key elections, and discussed predictive modeling and polling.” (Voices of reason)
- Barack and Michelle Obama are backing Kamala Harris, giving her expected but crucial support. (AP)
- This third party endorses Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania and plans to knock on 2 million doors. (Cornerstone)
Republicans see Gov. Josh Shapiro as ‘super-strong’ Harris vice presidential candidate“These Republicans say Shapiro, a first-term governor in a key swing state, is someone who could help broaden Harris’ appeal among independent voters and traditional Democrats who are leaving the party and help him win in his home state — which they see as the most important battleground state on the presidential map.” (NBC News)
- Will Josh Shapiro’s stance on Israel support or hurt Kamala Harris’ candidacy? (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
- Anti-Shapiro activists launch “No Genocide Josh” website. (DV Journal)
- Governors Josh Shapiro and Gretchen Whitmer will campaign for Kamala Harris in Montco next week. (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
- McClinton and Giffords discuss gun violence at a Harris campaign event in Philadelphia. (Penn Capital-Star)
Trump Won’t Commit to Debate Until Harris Is Formally Nominated“Donald Trump’s campaign has refused to commit to a debate with Kamala Harris after the Democratic nominee challenged the Republican nominee to appear at their previously scheduled showdown.” (Bloomberg)
Country
2. Some public education advocates oppose Harris’ vice presidential nomination over Josh Shapiro because he supports vouchers
A network of more than two dozen public education advocacy groups from across the country released a letter Wednesday evening calling for Vice President Kamala Harris don’t choose Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as their vice presidential candidate because of his support for private school vouchers.
Shapiro said he supports vouchers, with the caveat that they must be tied to increased funding for public education so that the money is not diverted from public schools for educational purposes.“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Related
Inside Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Support for Private School Vouchers“Shapiro is being considered as a potential Democratic vice presidential candidate, but with that interest has come intense scrutiny of his support for a traditionally conservative cause: taxpayer-funded private school vouchers.” (PA reflector)
Emerson: Trump 48, Harris 46; Casey 48, McCormick 44. “Polls are just a snapshot in time. But the Democratic Party appears to have stemmed the tide of Republican momentum with Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascent to the top of the presidential ticket.” (PoliticsPA)
Kamala Harris Says She Wants to Ban Fracking, Pennsylvania Republicans Are Ready to Attack“One of the first political balls Harris will have to tackle is the key to Western Pennsylvania. Republicans have quickly moved to portray Harris as a radical who is hostile to fracking for natural gas, a key industry in Western Pennsylvania.” (WESA Policy)
Trump rally shooting puts Pennsylvania gun laws in the spotlight. “Thomas Crooks was 20 when he bought the gun allegedly used to shoot Donald Trump from his father. It was a legal sale. Should it be?” (Public source)
Around the Commonwealth of Nations
3. Barr personally involved in creating misleading statement about investigation into mail-in voting in Pennsylvania, Justice Department watchdog finds
“Former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr personally encouraged the top federal prosecutor in Pennsylvania to issue a misleading public statement regarding the 2020 presidential election, which the former president later attacked Donald Trump to spread false information about election manipulation in the state, an investigation by a Justice Department watchdog agency found Thursday.
The statement — an extraordinary press release revealing details of the FBI’s ongoing investigation into several Trump ballots found discarded in a dumpster in Luzerne County — was issued in September by the bureau David freedthen-U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Related
‘He told me to get over it’: Biden’s close friend and Philadelphia Democratic leader hands over his operation to Harris. “Bob Brady, a longtime friend of Biden’s, runs one of the most important local Democratic parties in politics. His members are pleased that he won over Harris. Now he has to figure out how to bring in historic turnout.” (known)
PA-07: Mackenzie and Wild begin the debate of debates“In the Lehigh Valley’s 7th Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Rep. Susan Wild and Republican candidate Ryan Mackenzie can agree on one thing: They’re ready to debate. Now comes the next step.” (PoliticsPA)
State Supreme Court Declines to Hear Cabell’s Appeal of Write-In Votes in 117th District Republican Primary“Cabell petitioned the state’s highest court to reverse the lower courts’ rulings and grant his request to count write-in votes cast for candidates in the primary election, even those cast for a candidate whose name appears on the ballot.” (Voice of the Citizens)
Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace will not seek a third term. “Sorace, a Democrat, announced her decision via social media video Thursday, saying it was time for a new leader to step up to the plate. The mayor’s four-year term ends in January 2026.” (LNP)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
1 thing
5. Oh, Ohio! Chicken wings advertised as “boneless” may actually have bones
“Consumers cannot expect boneless chicken wings to actually be boneless,” a divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday, dismissing claims by a restaurant diner who suffered earnest health complications after a bone got stuck in his throat.
Michael Berkheimer sued the restaurant Wings on Brookwood, claiming the restaurant failed to warn him that its so-called “boneless wings” — which are, of course, pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast meat — might contain bones.
In a 4-3 ruling Thursday, the Supreme Court said “boneless wings” referred to a method of cooking the food and that Berkheimer should have been careful about the bones because it is common knowledge that chicken has bones. (AP)
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