🇺🇲 September 11. It’s Patriots Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Pennsylvania Weather
☀️ Erie | Sunny, 76
☀️ Lewisburg | Sunny, 81
☀️ Scranton | Mostly shining, 82
Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (87-58) | Tampa Bay 9-4 | Wed vs. Tampa Bay
⚾ Pirates (69-76) | Miami 6-4 | Wed vs. Miami
👂 What do we hear“Congressional Leadership Fund, the top Republican super PAC in the House, is launching a slew of new ads in key House races. CLF sharply criticizes Rep. Matt Cartwright on immigration issues. The ads claim that Democrats are “too extreme” to tackle the border crisis.”
👂 What we hear II“You don’t get better and you don’t want to. I often talk about holding on to those memories, that pain. You learn how to move on, but you carry it with you.” – Gordon Felt
🎂 Happy birthday. Cake and candles for a Commonwealth Court judge Ellen Ceisler.
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The most critical story
1. Harris, Trump clash in Philadelphia debate: She threw the punches, he took the bait
“The most anticipated 90 minutes of the presidential campaign are over, and the microphones have been turned off—for good.
The first and potentially only meeting between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump was a Harris offensive from start to finish that often drew angry, nonsensical responses from Trump at a closely watched moment with less than two months left until Election Day.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Elsewhere
Tense debate reveals Trump, Harris’ different visions“The two candidates displayed different styles and spoke to different audiences Tuesday when they faced off at the National Constitution Center in an ABC News debate, and the stakes were high in a race considered dead even with just 55 days left until the historic vote.” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Inside the Spin Room: Surrogates Weigh in on the Presidential Debate“With the nation’s eyes on the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump at the National Constitution Center, surrogates on both sides of the aisle generally agreed on two things. They thought their candidate won, and they hoped for more debates in the future.” (Penn Capital-Star)
Kamala Harris got under Donald Trump’s skin and let him boil“The vice president has repeatedly found ways to frustrate the former president on everything from abortion policy to the size of his rallies. The Trump campaign has been left to blame the debate moderators.” (known)
Taylor Swift Endorses Kamala Harris for President After Debate Ends“I think she is a confident, talented leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm rather than chaos,” Swift wrote slow Tuesday in an Instagram post that included a link to a voter registration website. (AP)
- Handshakes, dog-eating, and appealing to undecided voters: Five takeaways from the Harris-Trump debate in Philadelphia. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
- Five unforgettable moments from the Trump-Harris debate. (Hill)
- Top 5 Trump-Harris Presidential Debate Moments: “I’m Speaking Now” (Fox News)
- First thoughts after the Harris-Trump debate. (PoliticsPA)
- Pennsylvania voters react to Harris-Trump debate. (CBS News)
- Fact check on the first 2024 Kamala Harris-Donald Trump presidential debate (Political facts)
- Did the presidential debate change your vote? (PoliticsPA)
Country
2. McCormick sees opportunity in Pennsylvania Senate debates against Casey
“When the Republican Party’s candidate for Senate Dave McCormick faces Senator Bob Casey will deliver a simple message to undecided voters in Pennsylvania during next month’s debate.
If you want more of the same, vote for Casey — but if you’re ready for change, he’s your candidate.” (Washington Examiner)
Elsewhere
Trump, Harris, With Divided Job Records, Battle for Pennsylvania Union Voters“As presidential candidates battle to win over Pennsylvania’s union bloc, union members will look to their voting records and past support for workers.” (Public source)
Gov. Josh Shapiro spent debate night in Philadelphia, speaking at the Harris Watch Party and stopping by the Spin Room““I’m going to continue to come out and talk about someone I’ve known for almost 20 years, someone who I think is incredibly well-prepared to be the 47th president of the United States, someone who will be great for Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said. (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
RFK Jr. interrupts TV interview with Congresswoman Madeleine Dean on Debate Spin Room. “Democratic U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D., Pa.) had a surprising interaction and conversation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while she was in the middle of a televised interview Tuesday night in the spin room of the presidential debate in Philadelphia.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Harris’ visit puts Wilkes University back in presidential politics spotlight“Wilkes University will once again become the center of presidential politics Friday night when Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris arrives for a campaign rally.” (Scranton Times-Tribune)
Around the Commonwealth of Nations
3. Funding public transit, protecting utilities and more top Pennsylvania legislator’s fall to-do list
“There are only a dozen or so days of voting scheduled before the end of the current two-year legislative session, all in the shadow of the upcoming presidential election.
Bills that are not passed by both chambers by the end of the year will have to start the legislative process over again when the new session begins in January.” (PA reflector)
Elsewhere
Internal polls show Fitzpatrick has a significant lead over Ehasz“The three-term Republican incumbent has a 14-point lead (54-40%) over Ehasz, an Army combat veteran and former Apache helicopter pilot. That figure also includes a 56-33% lead among independents.” (PoliticsPA)
Anti-Bresnahan ad misinforms about abortion“A Democratic television ad shows a narrator saying, “I think” Pennsylvania congressional candidate Rob Bresnahan would support a nationwide abortion ban. Based on Bresnahan’s own recent statements, she guesses wrong.” (Wide + Freedom)
Lawmakers outraged by idea of using former Pennsylvania Central Military School as migrant detention center“The inquiry about using an old school campus in Franklin County as a facility for refugee children has sparked panic, fueled by fearful rhetoric from conservative lawmakers and the media — a response that those involved in the matter have called premature.” (PennLive)
‘Pizza and Politics’: How a Small Liberal Arts College in Delco Keeps Tradition Alive at the Presidential Debate“Unlocking Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes is crucial for any candidate. Reaching college-age adults, a notoriously inactive voting bloc, could be key to winning the Keystone State. Tuesday night in Aston provided a snapshot of the enthusiasm of a critical demographic group.” (WHY)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
1 thing
5. After 23 years, the effects of the 9/11 Flight 93 disaster are still profound
“After two decades, the sadness has not subsided. Gordon Feltit will never go away.
On Monday, under a cloudless blue sky, Mr. Felt stood just a few hundred yards from the spot where 40 passengers and crew members of Flight 93, including his brother Edward, lost their lives after thwarting a planned terrorist attack on the nation’s capital.
Wednesday marks 23 years since that fateful day, when nearly 3,000 people died in a series of terrorist attacks that also targeted the Pentagon and the World Trade Center towers in New York City. Thanks to the quick actions of the passengers and crew, Flight 93 was the only one of the four hijacked planes that did not reach its intended destination. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
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