☀️ Hello Wednesday. President Trump arrives in Carlisle today.
Headlines. Trump will speak at a meeting devoted to defense technology. Judge Says PA Legislature Ignored Reforms Money-Saving Accounting Tricks That Balanced PA Budget. Twitter was created 20 years ago.
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. Peace Frog. Door
Weather in Pennsylvania
☀️ Evans City | Mostly clear, 96
☀️Carlisle | Sunny, 99
☀️Tobyhanna | Mostly clear, smoky, 90
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (54-43, 2GB) | All-Star break
⚾ Pirates (50-47, 9.5 GB, 2 GB WC) | All-Star break
What’s happening today. The Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summitwhich is hosted by Senator Dave McCormickis finishing his two-day course at the US Army War College in Carlisle. President Donald Trump will speak at 3:15 p.m.
Voices of reason. Voices of Reason will host this episode Steve Ulrich and his guests discuss democratic socialism. Who are democratic socialists? What does this term mean? What does this mean for the Democratic Party establishment? How does this impact the 2026 elections? Pennsylvania State Representative Chris Rabbself-described democratic socialist and candidate for the 3rd Congressional District and associate professor of political science at Dickinson College, Sarah Niebler answer these and other questions.
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 crucial story
1. Trump will focus on stockpiling defense technology because the war in Iran has reduced US weapons stockpiles
“President Donald Trump is headlining Wednesday’s defense summit at the U.S. Army War College, planning to tout ponderous investment in battlefield technology at a time when the war in Iran has confined U.S. deliveries of Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot and THAAD interceptors.
The meeting in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is organized by a Republican Senator David McCormick.
Trump carried Pennsylvania in 2016 and 2024, and McCormick is unlikely to be re-elected this cycle, but Republicans are increasingly concerned about the war and the persistently high cost of living, as well as the president’s low approval rating, as they look to maintain control of Congress in the November midterm elections.’ | AP
Elsewhere
The summit highlights Pennsylvania’s critical role in the nation’s defense industrial base. “During Tuesday’s opening day of the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit in Carlisle, Senator Dave McCormick highlighted the importance of the Commonwealth to the nation’s defense industrial base.” | PoliticsPA
Pennsylvania Republicans won by cutting costs. Then came the war in Iran. “Tow Republicans, who unseated Democrats in the House in 2024 after promising to lower the cost of living, are fighting to keep their seats in the face of rising prices.” | Washington Post Office
The race to become the next power company of the democratic left. “Behind a string of recent left-wing victories in the Democratic primaries across the country is a growing ecosystem of progressive consulting firms and media strategists preparing for the sweeping 2028 presidential cycle. One of these firms, Middle Seat, has quietly scored a string of victories by working with some of the biggest names to emerge from this year’s primaries.” | known
House supports making daylight saving time enduring. “The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation backed by President Trump to make daylight saving time permanent year-round, advancing long-term efforts to end twice-yearly time changes across the country.” | Wall Street Journal
Country
2. ‘Fuck You, Taxpayers’: Judge Says PA Legislature Ignored Money-Saving Reforms
“After one of Pennsylvania’s largest corruption scandals broke in the behind schedule 21st century, a grand jury interviewed more than 100 Capitol Hill staffers and lawmakers and released a scathing report.
Most damning observation? The Pennsylvania General Assembly would “interfere with, obfuscate, ignore, or kill every recommendation,” and if the Legislature “were left to its own devices, it would be completely incapable of reforming itself.”
The grand jury was wrong.” | PennLive
Elsewhere
Inside the AP Legislature’s extraordinary spending: Portraits, flowers and a speeding ticket. “$75 speeding ticket for employee. Flowers for family members and friends of lawmakers. ‘Portrait fund’ for pictures of leaders.” These are just some of the Pennsylvania Legislature’s more unusual taxpayer-funded expenses.” | PennLive
DeSantis is testing political power in Shapiro’s backyard with a fundraiser for Stacy Garrity. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis traveled to Philadelphia on Tuesday to campaign with Pennsylvania Republican Party gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity, bringing one of the nation’s most important Republican governors to the political base of Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat widely seen as a 2028 presidential candidate.” | The PA budget gives 60,000 state retirees their first pension augment since 2001. “More than two decades have passed since some of the longest-retired teachers and other public officials, including some firefighters and police officers, received a boost to their pensions even as inflation cut their purchasing power in half.” | Erie Times-News
PA Human Relations Commission Welcomes 7 New Members, Including a Former State Representative. “The commission can determine whether an act of hate violates the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and enforce state laws that prohibit discrimination and promote equal opportunity. Commissioners serve as public liaisons, set policies, and resolve certain matters that are not resolved voluntarily. ” | abc27
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Accounting tricks that balanced the AP budget – but only on paper
“When Pennsylvania lawmakers passed the state budget on Sunday, leaders praised it for a fiscally responsible $50.8 billion product that doesn’t go into the state’s rainy day fund.
This is a misleading picture. To reach this number, they had to operate some accounting tricks. | PA reflector
Elsewhere
The county council is abandoning its plan to ask voters to raise the spending limit. “In a quick response to community criticism, the Allegheny County Council repealed a bill approved just weeks ago that would have required voters to eliminate their own spending cap.” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
Allegheny County Executive Innamorato announces pregnancy and pushes for paid parental leave. “Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announced Tuesday that she is pregnant, renewing her request for paid parental leave.” | WESA
Route 15 north of Williamsport will have a fresh name on July 30: PennDOT. “A 62-mile section of Route 15 north between Interstate 180 in Williamsport and the New York state line will be designated Interstate 99 effective July 30.” | PennLive
The end of property taxes in schools? Pennsylvania’s proposed bill will change how education is financed. “Pennsylvania’s elected school boards may soon lose their authority to levy property taxes. Senate Bill 962, introduced by Sen. Dawn Keefer (R-York/Cumberland), would eliminate school property taxes and replace them with higher state income and sales taxes to fund public education. ” | Wide + Freedom
Lackawanna Democrats elect Valonis as first woman party chair in Lackawanna County. “Larissa Cleary Valonis, a school counselor with decades of experience in political campaigns, was elected Tuesday as the new chairwoman of the Lackawanna County Democratic Party.” | WVIA
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
1 item
5. This day in history: the launch of Twitter
“On July 15, 2006, San Francisco-based podcasting company Odeo officially launches Twttr—later changed to Twitter—a brief messaging service (SMS) for groups to the public.
Created as a side project alongside the main Odeo podcast platform, this free app allowed users to share brief status updates with groups of friends by sending one text message to one number (“40404”). Over the next few years, as Twttr became Twitter, the popularity of this straightforward “microblogging” skyrocketed, becoming one of the world’s leading social media platforms.” | History.com
Thank you for starting Wednesday with us.
Keep placid. See you tomorrow.
