🏖️ I have Friday on my mind. Next week I’ll be off to enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation. Hopefully no large news will come. 😁
Pennsylvania Weather
🌂 Erie | Cloudy, chance of showers, 79
☔ State College | Showers, 83
⛈️ Allentown | Afternoon showers, thunderstorms, 93
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (65-43) | Friday-Sunday vs. Seattle
⚾ Pirates (55-53) | Friday-Sunday vs. Arizona
⚽ Union (League Cup) | Sun vs Cruz Azul
🎙️ Voices of Reason, S1 Ep8: Kamala Harris Rise; Election Predictions. “How do the events of this historically chaotic month in political history affect the outcome of the 2024 election? We asked the experts – and you might be surprised what they have to say.” (PoliticsPA)
🎂 Happy birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (Sun.).
🗞️ 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. Inside Shapiro’s Under-the-radar Campaign to Become the Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee
“Branding on Governor Josh Shapiro Last week, the text of political emails was changed from “Shapiro for Governor” to “Governor Shapiro” and an image of an American flag was added.
It was a subtle but telling change. Shapiro was no longer running for governor.
Shapiro, the favorite to stay Vice President Kamala Harris“the vice president’s running mate has been calm but strategic over the past two weeks as he campaigns for second place on the Democratic ticket in a little-known but very public hearing in November.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Related
Will Shapiro as vice president force Democrats to step up or tear them apart? “Rather than promoting their preferred option, the most liberal Democrats seemed to have settled on a strategy of undermining who they saw as the worst.” (WESA Policy)
- Shapiro’s agility and attractiveness give him an advantage in the Running-Mate race. (Bloomberg)
- Jewish lawmakers groan over ‘Genocide Josh’ campaign. (Axial)
- Pennsylvania First Lady Lori Shapiro, a former White House analyst, could soon find herself in the national spotlight. (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
- The Case for Shapiro: Political insiders weigh the pros and cons of the governor’s run for vice president. (Philadelphia Grandstand)
The most diverse Democratic bench in the country is on the threshold of its moment“There is a select group of Democrats who are younger than most, more diverse than most and mostly far from the national spotlight. They are members of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association — and one of their lives could change next week, depending on who Vice President Kamala Harris chooses as her vice presidential running mate.” (known)
Independent Candidates File to Run for President and U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania“More than a dozen independent candidates for president, the U.S. Senate and three state offices filed paperwork ahead of Thursday’s deadline to appear on the November general election ballot in Pennsylvania, raising the possibility that they could upset the outcome of a high-stakes, close race in this key swing state.” (AP)
Harris raised a whopping $310 million in July in an attempt to reset her November race against Trump“Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign announced Friday that it raised $310 million last month, a staggering total that shows donors who once seemed cowed by the prospects of President Joe Biden in November are now pouring in mountains of cash to support his former No. 2 pick. The haul for Harris, the Democratic National Committee and affiliates far outpaced that of former Republican Donald Trump, whose campaign and various committees said they raised $138.7 million in July.” (AP)
Country
2. Long-running Pennsylvania dispute over absentee voting dates returns to courts
A technical requirement that Pennsylvania voters write right dates on the outer envelope of their absentee ballots was again in court on Thursday, as defense attorneys argued that the order unfairly leads to valid votes being thrown out.
A five-judge panel of the Commonwealth Court heard about two hours of arguments in the case, which was filed in May despite the date requirement being upheld by both the state Supreme Court and the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.AP)
Related
Election officials send clear message to USPS: mail must go through“After weeks of presidential election drama, from candidate withdrawals to assassination attempts, the real fireworks at the National Association of State Election Directors conference in Minneapolis this week came to an end… via snail mail.” (Vote)
Commonwealth Court Rules in Favor of Erie Republicans in Pennsylvania Voter Absentee Ballot Access Case. “The Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas ruled Wednesday that completed absentee and mail-in ballots are public records subject to the state’s freedom to know law.” (Erie Times-News)
Elections 101: How decentralized election administration makes major fraud virtually impossible“For election directors working in the field, claims of a stolen election underscore how little is known about the process.” (PA reflector)
Pennsylvania-born Marc Fogel remains in Russian captivity after prisoner exchange“The landmark U.S.-Russia prisoner swap, which was headlined by the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan, did not include a Pennsylvania man imprisoned for nearly three years.” (CNHI News)
Around the Commonwealth of Nations
3. Divided Neighbors: What Does the Future of Political Polarization Among Young Voters in Erie?
“Joseph Morrischairman of Mercyhurst University’s Political Science Department, worries about political polarization. It’s “the single greatest threat to the future of our experiment in democracy,” he said.
Morris, who teaches several American politics courses, said he has noticed that polarization is a common source of frustration among students. His students have given him some hope for a more harmonious future, he said, but he still has concerns.
“We are really vulnerable to being misled by false information,” he said, and social media only makes that vulnerability worse. (Erie Times-News)
Related
Saporito confirmed as U.S. district judge. “U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Saporito Jr. has a new title. The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Saporito as the next U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.” (Leader of the times)
Casey campaign focuses on fentanyl crisis, criticizes McCormick for investing in drug makers. “Thursday’s event in Hazelwood underscored the contrast between Casey’s efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and those of his Senate opponent, Republican David McCormick.” (Union Progress in Pittsburgh)
Rural Americans for Trump Coalition Forms“In another nod to Pennsylvania’s importance to the 2024 presidential race, former President Donald Trump and his campaign launched the “Rural Americans for Trump” campaign on Thursday. (PoliticsPA)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
1 Summer Thing
5. Here you need to finish the construction work before the serene season begins
“This charming corner cottage in the pedestrian zone on Gretna Mountain feels as if time has stood still.
Time stopped here less than a century ago, when the cottage was built. The clock stopped this summer.
July 15th to be exact.
It’s quiet season in this Mount Gretna neighborhood. Power tools like leaf blowers are illegal until Sept. 1, as are noisy, low-tech jobs like roofing. The regulations create a unique deadline for construction to end in a community where many homes are more than 100 years old. But locals say the sound of silence is worth the inconvenience of a few weeks.” (LNP | Lancaster Online)
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