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🎤 Today at the RNCPennsylvania delegation to hear Eric Trumpformer British Prime Minister Liz TrussAND Rep. Mike Kelly during morning breakfast. Today’s theme is “Make America Strong Again.”
👂 What do we hearThe Commonwealth Foundation produced a full-page print ad calling for Governor Josh Shapiro saying there is “nothing to be done,” which will happen this week in Milwaukee and also in Chicago during the Democratic convention.
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The best story
1. Vance adds little to Trump’s Pennsylvania ticket, some political pundits say
“The new senator from Ohio is now on the Republican Party’s ticket for Donald Trump. But JD Vance is a relative newcomer to politics, and some analysts are unsure whether he is the best candidate for vice president — or whether this choice will even affect the outcome of the race.
“If you are attracted to Trump’s policies or find them repugnant, Vance supports them,” he said. Chris Borickinterviewer at Muhlenberg College.” (WITF)
- What does Vance’s election as vice president mean for Pennsylvania politics? (DV Journal)
- ‘They’re counting on Pennsylvania’: Smucker says VP candidate Vance will lend a hand GOP win Pennsylvania. (LNP)
- Why Vice Presidential Elections Matter: Important Moments in History and Power Transitions. (Tribune Review)
Related
Wildness Among Democrats Seeking to Stop Biden’s Virtual Nomination at DNC“As the Democratic National Committee (DNC) prepares a virtual roll call to solidify Biden’s nomination as the party’s nominee, some Democratic members of Congress are voicing their objections and considering putting them in writing.” (PoliticsPA)
Biden plans to propose Supreme Court reforms, including term limits“President Joe Biden plans to unveil proposals that could radically change the Supreme Court, including term limits for justices who currently serve for life on the court, according to a person familiar with the deliberations.” (Bloomberg)
McCormick says election is a choice between RNC’s ‘strength and weakness’. “Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick cast the November election as a choice between “the greatness of this country and its sad, shameful decline,” speaking on stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
- Casey and McCormick have about $8 million in cash; McCormick is seeking a loan for another $2 million. (PennLive)
Democratic National Committee invests $15 million in 7 undecided states, including Pennsylvania“Democrats are trying to offer political counterprogramming to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, announcing $15 million in campaign funding in seven key battleground states — even as some in the party urged President Joe Biden to drop out of the November election.” (AP)
Country
2. Bullock, Kinsey resign from state House. Special election scheduled for Sept. 17
“In the endless game of chairs in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Donna Bullock Representatives (D-Philadelphia) and Stephen Kinsey (D-Philadelphia) announced their resignation from the chamber.
Bullock, who represented the 195th Congressional District, and Kinsey, who represented the 201st, resigned on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, leaving the Democratic caucus with 100 representatives.” (PoliticsPA)
Related
Trump Rally Shooting Puts Pennsylvania Governor in Spotlight“The attempted assassination of former President Trump at a Pennsylvania rally put Gov. Josh Shapiro in the spotlight as he took on a comforting and unifying role in the aftermath of the incident.” (Hill)
Shapiro administration tells Pennsylvania court it won’t defend state’s ban on Medicaid-funded abortions“Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday that his administration will not defend in court a state law that bars the use of state Medicaid funds for abortions.” (Penn Capital-Star)
Get to know your Pennsylvania Republican Party delegates“67 delegates and 67 alternates from the Commonwealth represent Pennsylvania at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.” (PoliticsPA)
Cartwright Re-Heads Pennsylvania’s U.S. House Delegation, Raising $1.68 Million in Q2. “Rep. Matt Cartwright’s campaign raised $1.68 million from April 4 through the end of June, according to the latest campaign finance data.” (Penn Capital-Star)
Stelson Doubles Perry in Central PA District Fundraiser. “Democratic candidate Janelle Stelson filed statement, sharing second-quarter fundraising numbers.” (PoliticsPA)
Around the Commonwealth of Nations
3. Federal Funding for I-83 South Bridge in Harrisburg
“As the Biden-Harris Administration kicks off its investment tour of America, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the awarding of more than $5 billion in Major Bridge Projects under the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) competitive Bridge Investment Program, which is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will receive $500 million for the I-83 South Bridge Replacement Project in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to replace a bridge originally built in 1960 and widened in 1982 that carries more than 125,000 vehicles per day across the Susquehanna River. The bridge is a major river connection in downtown Harrisburg and is key to intermodal connectivity — ultimately connecting Pennsylvania’s capital region with Baltimore.” (FHWA)
- Buttigieg to announce $500 million for I-83/southbound bridge replacement project. (PennLive)
- The federal government awards a $500 million grant to build a novel toll-bearing bridge in Harrisburg. (Union Progress in Pittsburgh)
Related
Donald Trump’s shooter used the most popular rifle in America. The AR-15 and Pennsylvania, explained“The AR-15 has become a symbol of the gun rights debate and the weapon of choice for Pennsylvania’s mass shooters.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Heightened security at Butler Trump rally over unrelated Iranian threat still failed to stop shooter“20-year-old was able to scale building and shoot former president even though SWAT team was inside, Secret Service chief says.” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
How does Pennsylvania’s new school funding work and how much will your district receive? “Funding Pennsylvania’s K-12 public education system is a key component of the 2024-2025 budget approved last week — both in terms of the monetary value itself and the legal issues surrounding it.” (PennLive)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
- Trump’s shooting has led to a political blame game. If we continue to play this game, we are doomed. (Jonathan Zimmerman)
- Rednecks don’t need elegy, and the US doesn’t need JD Vance.Susan Campbell)
- It’s still the same game, with the same stakes. (Gene Collier)
- This is not your father’s (or grandfather’s or great-grandfather’s) Republican Party.Stuart Rothenberg)
- Let’s get this straight about politics and Parkinson’s disease. (Ed Rendell)
1 thing
5. Where did the name “Hoagie” come from?
“There are few foods more synonymous with Philadelphia than the hoagie. The sacred sandwich can be found throughout the city and in the hearts of many Philadelphians—yet the origin of the sandwich’s name is controversial and oddly mysterious.
Have you ever wondered why we call it a “hoagie”? Where did the name come from? Does anyone else besides Philadelphians call it a hoagie?” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
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