👋 Another crazy Monday. This week the curtain falls on July.
Pennsylvania Weather
☀️ Ambridge | Mostly bright, 84
🌤️ Muncy | Partly bright, 89
☁️ Souderton | Mostly dull, chance of thunderstorms, 85
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (65-40) | Cleveland 3-4 | Monday-Wednesday vs. NY Yankees
⚾ Pirates (53-52) | Arizona 6-5 | Mon-Wed vs. Houston
⚽ Union (League Cup) | Charlotte 1-0 | Sun vs Cruz Azul
✅ Reader Survey. Who will Kamala Harris choose as her vice presidential candidate? (PoliticsPA)
👂 What do we hear“In a race that we know is going to be tight, I don’t think anyone wants to see Shapiro on the ticket,” said one senior Pennsylvania Republican, who asked not to be identified.
🎂 Happy birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. Patty Kim.
🗞️ Pennsylvania Headlines >> Your InboxWhere 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 8am. And it’s free. Add your name to the list and subscribe now.
The best story
1. Black women are quickly coming together to support Kamala Harris’ presidential bid
“Activists say the Zoom call was the beginning of a growing movement of Black women quickly joining forces to help Harris secure a historic victory in November. Thousands of Black organizers across the country are developing voter registration plans and scheduling conference calls, campaign events and fundraisers. Harris’ sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., announced Monday that it is partnering with other Black Greek-letter organizations to launch a massive, nonpartisan voter mobilization campaign.
These types of collaborative efforts helped Democrats win previous elections, and many black women activists believe they can do it again.” (Philadelphia Grandstand)
Related
Biden to push for Supreme Court term limits and constitutional immunity amendment in Monday’s speech“Biden will endorse these proposals during a speech Monday afternoon at the LBJ Presidential Library, where he will also express support for a binding code of conduct for judges.” (Hill)
‘It Will Be Fixed’: Trump Tells Christians They Won’t Have to Vote Again. “Former President Trump urged Christians to vote, adding that they “won’t have to vote anymore” if he reclaims the White House in November. Speaking to the conservative Christian group Turning Point Action at the Turning Point Action summit, Trump said, “Four more years, everything will be fixed, everything will be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.” (Axial)
Shapiro avoids speculation about vice president after Democratic leaders endorse him for the job“Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday declined to weigh in on speculation that Vice President Kamala Harris might choose him as her running mate, despite standing with a group of Democratic leaders from across the region who have endorsed him for the job.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Philadelphia unions back Shapiro for vice president“In a show of overwhelming support, 50 union leaders from across the Commonwealth have signed a letter endorsing Gov. Josh Shapiro to be Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate.” (PoliticsPA)
Harris focuses on VP as Trump calls her ‘crazy’ “The video podcast features two PoliticsPA titans – Larry Ceisler and David Urban – discussing the prospects for Josh Shapiro.” (Mark Halperin)
Country
2. With the election less than 100 days away, Pennsylvania is in the national spotlight
“With 98 days until the election, Pennsylvania finds itself in a full-blown battleground state, with presidential rallies, turnout events and a governor who is a major contender for the Democratic vice presidential nomination.
Less than three weeks after the attempted bombing at a rally in Butler County, former President Donald Trump is set to return to a rally in Harrisburg on Wednesday. It will also be his first appearance in Pennsylvania since President Joe Biden withdrew from running for re-election.
Pennsylvania could be site of long-awaited debate between Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.” (PennLive)
Related
Why the Thought of Josh Shapiro as Kamala Harris’ Vice Presidential Runner Is Making Pennsylvania’s Republican Party Nervous“As a growing group of Pennsylvania Democrats begin aggressively campaigning for Gov. Josh Shapiro to become Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate, Republicans in the state are watching with concern.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
- New national attention is focused on Josh Shapiro’s disputed environmental record. (Climate News)
- What Kamala Harris expects from her vice president. (known)
- Anti-Israel activists rally against Josh Shapiro to win vice presidential election. (Jewish Insider)
- What happens if Shapiro joins the Harris Ticket, wins the election? This man will become governor of Pennsylvania. (Erie Times-News)
Echoes of ’68: How the 2024 Election Cycle Shows History Is, in a Way, Repeating Itself. “A presidential candidate is shot. The incumbent decides not to seek reelection. Democrats gather in Chicago to nominate a candidate amid fears that anti-war protesters will disrupt the election. And so, Robert F. Kennedy runs for the White House. Welcome to 2024. Is this just a repeat of 1968?” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Half a Million Records, One App: The Group Behind a Massive Effort to ‘Clean Up’ Voter Rolls“Election officials across the country have been inundated with questionable complaints about inaccurate voter registrations that have wasted government resources and drained taxpayer dollars spent reviewing lists of registered voters that officials already say are carefully maintained, a CNN investigation has found. One of the main drivers of the fruitless challenges is a conservative nonprofit based in Texas called True the Vote.” (CNN)
Around the Commonwealth of Nations
3. Court Orders Governor’s Office to Release More Details on Reasons for Hiring Private Law Firms
“A three-judge panel of the Commonwealth Court ordered the governor’s office to disclose key details about why tens of thousands of public dollars were spent hiring private law firms.
The ruling is the result of a months-long public records fight by Spotlight PA and LNP | LancasterOnline to obtain uncensored copies of court accounts and other financial records that outline the reasons for hiring outside attorneys.PA reflector)
Related
As ‘Scranton Joe’ Departs, Local Politicians See Region Retains Influence with Potential Harris Presidency. “Joe Biden has often described his hometown of Scranton as a place that climbs into your heart and never leaves. Now, as the 81-year-old president is set to leave office after one term, Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti said she is both heartbroken and energized.” (Scranton Times-Tribune)
McCormick calls for cooler rhetoric, but complicit in hosting hate speech, conspiracy theory sites“Dave McCormick’s calls for a tone-down political rhetoric have drawn renewed attention to his investment in the right-wing social media platform Rumble, which has been criticized for spreading anti-Semitism, amplifying conspiracy theories and hosting videos of extremist rhetoric on the site.” (Penn Capital-Star)
HD-117: State Supreme Court rejects Cabell’s appeal; State House race nears conclusion“The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by state Rep. Mike Cabell (R-Luzerne) of write-in votes in the district’s GOP primary.” (PoliticsPA)
Democratic candidate Nouri unveils congressional reform measures. “Preston Nouri proposes that Congress ban its members from trading stocks and eliminate “dark money” contributions — donations made through political action committees that are not required to publicly disclose the identities of their donors.” (Meadville Grandstand)
Candidates Series Spotlight: Joe D’Orsie“We contacted candidates across the Commonwealth who are running for public office — Democrats and Republicans, incumbents and challengers. The responses of those who responded will be made available on our website.” (Wide + Freedom)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
- My plan to reform the Supreme Court and ensure that no president is above the law. (President Joe Biden)
- Should Josh Shapiro even want to be vice president? (Kyle Sammin)
- With Kamala Harris leading the pack, I feel pride and trepidation — mixed with the knowledge that she could win. (Solomon Jones)
- “The Lord Almighty,” Divine Intervention, and the Misplaced Role of Religion in Politics. (Jonathan Zimmerman)
- We’re Talking About the Secret Service After Trump Shooting. Why Aren’t We Talking About Guns? (Sarah Little)
- The Pauline Kael trap that Kamala Harris could fall into. (Brandon McGinley)
- Our American Shakespearean drama is in the process of being written. (Brian Howey)
- Trump, Harris on opposing sides of Second Amendment debate. (Dan McCaleb)
- Now it’s the Democrats who are full of energy. (Joseph Sabino Mistick)
1 Christmas thing
5. Summer weekend
“Halloween is three months away — but retailers are promoting the spooky holiday earlier than ever. Some are calling it ‘Summerween.’
Why is this important?: The race is on to sell holiday goods earlier and get shoppers to spend more money. Home Depot was the first major retailer to put Halloween decorations online — including 12-foot skeletons — in April, months earlier than last year. Lowe’s and Target are also selling Halloween goods online earlier than in previous years. (Axial)
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