🏌️ Fore. Today, the opening round of the US Women’s Open Golf Championship begins in our backyard.
Weather in Pennsylvania
☀️ Tyrone | Sunny, 68
☀️ Lancaster | Sunny, 72
☀️ Bath | Sunny, 70
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (39-18) | San Francisco 6-1 | Friday-Sunday vs. St. Louis
⚾ Pirates (26-30) | Detroit 0-8, 10-2 | Friday-Sunday vs. Toronto
⚽ Union (4-7-4) | Toronto 0-0 | Saturday vs. Montreal
⛳US Women Open | Thu-Sun in Lancaster
👂 What we hear. The largest donation to a super PAC supporting McCormick Keystone Renewal was $10 million from Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel; $2 million from Paweł Singer, president of Elliott Management; and $1 million from Jeff Yassfounder of Susquehanna International Group.
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The best story
1. “Are you with me?” Biden and Harris launch information campaign for black voters and warn against Trump’s second term
“President Joe Biden on Wednesday, he renewed his election-year pitch to black voters with a sharp attack Donald Trump “MAGA lies” and claims that the winner of this year’s White House race will make key decisions, including Supreme Court nominations, that could impact the country for decades.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harrisduring a joint appearance at a boarding school in Philadelphia, they thanked Black voters in Pennsylvania and beyond for helping them win in 2020 and conveyed that their program had a profound impact on improving the lives of Black voters.” (AP)
Related
Biden is investing heavily in Pennsylvania – but little of it shows. “The campaign opened two dozen field offices and the president and his allies pumped tens of millions into the state, outstripping former President Donald Trump and his supporters by more than 4 to 1. On Wednesday, he spoke at a mostly Black school in the state’s largest city. Biden and Harris took advantage of a rare appearance in a double campaign to launch an organizational push to win over black voters, a key constituency. If he registers, there is little indication of it. (POLICY)
- President Joe Biden has lost the support of black voters. He came to Philadelphia with an appeal for their confidence. (Questioner from Philadelphia)
Pro-McCormick Super PAC Plans $30 Million Advertising Blitz in Pennsylvania. “A major super PAC supporting David McCormick, a Republican running for Senate in Pennsylvania, is booking $30 million in television ads in the state in a major escalation in the campaign to unseat Sen. Bob Casey, the Democratic incumbent.” (New York Times)
U.S. Senate candidate McCormick visits Nazareth with former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. “McCormick, who is challenging three-term U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, talked about his views on education as a whole, including changes to Title IX, school choice and trade job opportunities.” (LehighValleyNews.com)
RFK voters know they will not elect the next president. And so they are with him. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign is the political equivalent of a Rorschach test: it is open to interpretation, intended to represent many different things to many different people, and its meaning and significance are directly related to the eyes of the beholder.” (WQLN)
RFK Jr. vaccine disinformation campaign began after he ignored a doctor from Philadelphia. “After speaking with CHOP pediatrician Paul Offit, “he has since become a real source of misinformation – falsely claiming that vaccines cause autism – since then.” (Questioner from Philadelphia)
Country
2. “You have time to advertise in Pennsylvania.”
“Just a few days later Governor Josh Shapiro unveiled a new tourism slogan for the Keystone State, we have another one for the administration to consider.
“America starts its political advertising here.”
Or “You have time to advertise in Pennsylvania.”
One more thing… “Political ads in Pennsylvania last a lifetime” (PoliticsPA)
Related
GOP AP thinks it can take back the House of Representatives. Places they think are up for grabs. “Conservatives’ influence in Harrisburg was cut in half after the 2022 midterms, when Republicans lost the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Under the leadership of House Speaker Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia, the agenda of the lower house turned sharply to the left. “But Democrats’ slimmest majority in the House — one vote — could be ousted for the second half of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s term if the GOP manages to pull off any turnaround in the Nov. 7 election.” (Erie Times-News)
Luzerne County and Cabell File Appeal Briefs in Commonwealth Court Voting Case. “Luzerne County and State Representative Mike Cabell have filed legal briefs in state Commonwealth Court in connection with Cabell’s appeal of a district court ruling involving two disputed ballots from the April 23 Republican primary in the 117th state House District.” (Voice of Citizens)
Welcome to Pennsylvania, “ground zero” of presidential politics. “Pennsylvania is the most important state in American politics. If you don’t believe this, check out President Joe Biden’s frequent flyer miles.” (DV Journal)
New look of PA.gov websites. “If you logged into the PA.gov URL today, you may have noticed the new look.” (PoliticsPA)
Around the Republic of Poland
3. AP’s mail-in ballot rules face novel challenge in state court
“After a recent defeat in federal court, voting rights groups are once again trying to invalidate Pennsylvania’s requirement that absentee voters date the return envelope of their ballot.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania and the Public Interest Law Center filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court on Tuesday against the Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, this time arguing that the election code’s requirement that voters write the date on the ballot envelope violates the state constitution’s free and equal elections clause.” (Votebeat Pennsylvania)
Related
Introducing the Candidate Spotlight Series. “With so many candidates on the ballot across the Commonwealth, Broad + Liberty will conduct a series of interviews this summer to profile the Pennsylvania State Representative and Senate candidates running in the November general election. Any candidate appearing on the ballot, regardless of political affiliation, can participate in the series. ”(Wide + Freedom)
Leveling the playing field: Why some want the PIAA to separate private and public schools in the playoffs. “The law consists of one sentence: “Private schools, if they meet other criteria, will be eligible to be members of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.” (Penn Capital Star)
Bedford County Republicans await decision on selecting former district attorney as county GOP chairman; Higgins is suing the county board. “The decision as to whether former Bedford County District Attorney William Higgins can be certified as chairman of the Bedford County Republican Committee is now in the hands of the state Republican Party – and potentially the Bedford County courts.” (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)
Scientists make massive discovery of lithium in Pennsylvania. “University of Pittsburgh scientists have discovered large amounts of lithium located in Pennsylvania and say it could ultimately meet more than a third of America’s demand for the mineral.” (Hill)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
- This isn’t the norm, but AP’s top politicians are having a moment. (John Baer)
- How the Supreme Court Could Use Pardon Power to Create an Imperial Presidency. (Kimberly Wehle)
- The American Dream is out of reach for many Pennsylvanians. (Athan Koutsiouroumbas)
- Taxpayer-focused budget negotiations. (Emily Greene)
1 thing with turtleneck
5. The US Women’s Open comes to Lancaster
“This is an incredible time for women’s sports in the United States. Starting Thursday, Lancaster County will once again be at the center of the golf world.
This is an incredible honor well-deserved by Lancaster Country Club staff and management, local and state officials, local volunteers and the tens of thousands of mostly local spectators who gathered in the galleries to support the golfers during the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open.
“The tournament, which was attended by a record 135,000 people, received excellent reviews from both spectators and players.” (LNP)
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