🎆 Happy birthday, America. Tomorrow we’re going to celebrate. I wish you a peaceful and cheerful 250th birthday. See you on Monday
Headlines. The budget is slow for the fifth year in a row. Shapiro takes center stage in America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Faced with shortages, teachers’ pensions cite private equity as the biggest obstacle. How Hershey shaped Christian Pulisic
🎶 Your morning, pick me up. God bless America. Kate Smith
Weather in Pennsylvania
☀️ Pittsburg | Sunny, heated, 97
☀️Harriburg | Sunny, heated, 104
☀️ Philadelphia | Sunny, heated, 103
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (49-38) | Pittsburgh 10-6 | Thu vs. Pittsburgh
⚾ Pirates (43-44) | Philadelphia 6-10 | Thu in Philadelphia
⚽ USMNT | Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 | Mon. vs. Belgium
What we hear. Ex Senator Joe Manchinthe Democrat who won independence from West Virginia recommends it Senator John Fetterman follow his path and I will leave the Democratic Party.
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 critical story
1. Pennsylvania’s budget is slow for the fifth year in a row
“Pennsylvania’s budget is slow for the fifth year in a row.
Republicans who control the state Senate sent their members home without an agreement on Tuesday, and in a statement said the weeks of talks gave them “needed clarity on many of the outstanding issues that are delaying the completion of this year’s budget.”
They estimated an agreement would be close “in the days following July 4” and said they would return to session once final language was ready. | PA reflector
Elsewhere
America’s Birthday on July 2, Philadelphia style. “As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, Congress embarks on a journey back to where it all began – Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Members, led by Pennsylvania Democratic Senator Brendan F. Boyle, will gather for a celebratory event Thursday in his hometown, an endeavor that Boyle said has been two years in the making. ” | Roll call
Bipartisan support of the U.S. House of Representatives Panel to Study Private Capital in Youth Sports. “Some Democrats have promoted a bill sponsored by Pennsylvania Republican Chris DeLuzio that would ban private equity in youth sports.” | Penn Capital Star
‘Dark Money’ Group Paid Democrat Janelle Stelson to Disappear Podcast. “Janelle Stelson, the former local news anchor who Democrats hope will unseat Republican Rep. Scott Perry in November in one of the nation’s hottest House races, was paid by a ‘gloomy money’ group to produce a podcast that federal records show no longer exists on the Internet.” | known
The forgotten (un)signatory of the Declaration: John Dickinson’s lost 1776 signature haunts his legacy. “For a quarter of a century, Jane Calvert pursued a mission shared by few scholars of the Revolutionary War era. She supported a founder who is remembered mainly, if at all, as the man who would not have signed the Declaration of Independence – the lawyer and statesman John Dickinson.” | AP
Country
2. Congress arrives in Philadelphia and Shapiro takes center stage at the America 250 celebration
“Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has a message for members of Congress as they gather at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on Thursday:
It is the birthplace of democracy, and with it the responsibilities left by America’s founders.
“The Founders made clear that our true responsibility is to do the work of continually improving our union,” Shapiro said in an interview this week ahead of his speech before a ceremonial meeting of Congress commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in the same building. “And that the United States Congress has the unique responsibility of exercising control over the executive branch.” | Questioner from Philadelphia
Elsewhere
AP Legislature grapples with data center expansion. “Lawmakers have largely resisted any comprehensive regulation, instead focusing on piecemeal, largely bipartisan efforts.” | Penn Capital Star
With data centers in mind, Pennsylvania House votes to close Sunshine Act loophole following court ruling. “It’s 10 p.m. Do you know where the city officials are? Maybe they’re voting on something you don’t know about? They could be.” | PennLive
House passes college funding, but has problems with the School Choice Act. “The state started the new fiscal year without a budget on Wednesday, and events in the House — a thorny confrontation over one education-related bill but bipartisan passage of another — made it unclear whether an agreement would be reached any time soon.” | Central Square
What does the PA House gaming chair see in terms of arcade games. “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s ruling in June that arcade games meet the state’s definition of a slot machine and are therefore operating illegally in dozens of storefronts across the state does not mean we have seen the last of them.” | USA Today Network
Mastriano supports Garrity, claims he did not reach an agreement regarding the ambassador. “Just a week before the election, President Donald Trump nominated state Sen. Doug Mastriano to be U.S. ambassador to the Slovak Republic. Some wondered if his nomination was a reward for avoiding a bitter primary fight with Treasurer Stacy Garrity.” | abc27
Around the Republic of Poland
3. Facing a $41 Billion Shortage, Teachers’ Pension Lists Private Equity as Biggest Obstacle
“Pennsylvania’s public school employees’ pension fund is $41 billion short of what it needs to pay promised benefits. It fell short of officials’ investment grade last year, a result they said was due “primarily to private equity performance.”
The $41 billion shortfall is more than the accounting figure.’ | Central Square
Elsewhere
Lehigh County Commissioner Jon Irons announces his resignation. “The first-term Democrat will step down after the July 8 meeting. He and his family plan to move to Atlanta.” | Lehigh Valley Public Media
Police remove anyone questioned in Amazon data center case. “Police removed former state Rep. Todd Eachus from a public hearing on a proposed data center Tuesday night at McAdoo-Kelayres Elementary/Middle School.” | Standard loudspeaker
The future of artificial intelligence in Pittsburgh depends on who controls the changing nature of work. “Two hundred and fifty years ago, a new country was founded with the idea that ordinary people could shape their future. Now new technology raises questions about how much control people will have in making a living for the next 250 years. ” | Public source
A $50 million downtown revitalization plan raises questions about where the money is going. “A plan to borrow tens of millions of dollars to spur downtown redevelopment projects has drawn skepticism from some city officials and residents over a lack of details on how the money will be spent.” | Pittsburgh Postal Newspaper
Editorial
4. What do you think about it?
1 item
5. From Chocolate Alley to the World Cup: How Hershey Shaped Christian Pulisic
“Hershey may be known as the “sweetest place on earth” due to its chocolate-soaked origins, but the Pennsylvania community is also home to Christian Pulisic — the most renowned and most successful player of the American national team, which has massive dreams of co-hosting the World Cup.
The team advanced on Wednesday, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina and preparing for a round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday.
“Hershey is everything to me – this is where my family is from, this is where I grew up,” Pulisic recently said on his Instagram account, promoting Hershey Company’s limited-edition Pulisic milk chocolate bars, which feature custom packaging with his signature. “This is where I learned to play. It’s just home.” | AP
Thank you for starting your Thursday with us.
Happy birthday America! See you on Monday.
