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👂 What do we hearThe presidential debate drew an estimated 67.1 million viewers — a whopping 31% augment over the 51.3 million viewers for the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden. And the actual number of people who watched, when you include those who watched clips on YouTube, social media and other streaming platforms, is likely even higher.
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The most significant story
1. Will the debate bring changes to Battleground Pennsylvania?
“Pennsylvania not only hosted the first debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald TrumpBut there were clear signals to Keystone State voters that made clear how important the state is to both campaigns — from discussions of fracking to remarks about Pennsylvanians of Polish and Ukrainian descent.
“It will matter at the margins, but this is an election where the fight is at the margins.” Alison Dagnes he told the Capital-Star in an interview. “So maybe, maybe push the needle a little bit.” (Penn Capital-Star)
Elsewhere
Night in the spin cycle. “What was it like being in the room where it (almost) happened? My night in the Spin Room after the presidential debate.” (PoliticsPA)
- Photo gallery from the presidential debate (PoliticsPA)
- Did the presidential debate change your vote? (PoliticsPA)
The debate was an eye-opener for the Philadelphia suburbs, and Harris got a closer look“In Bucks County, a key area in a key swing state, the debate is stirring some tough thinking about what to do in November. Millions of Americans elsewhere have already made up their minds, but in purple Pennsylvania, many of the electoral choices are still up in the air.” (AP)
Kamala Harris gave Polish Americans in Pennsylvania a uncommon moment in the spotlight during the anti-Trump debate in Philadelphia“In Pennsylvania, 5 percent of the population, or more than 700,000 people, are of Polish descent.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
In Pennsylvania, reality doesn’t match Trump’s escalating anti-immigration rhetoric“In a place like Pennsylvania, where immigrants make up the bulk of the farm workforce and in many places are filling key jobs as an aging population retires, such rhetoric seems to have little impact.” (PennLive)
What undecided voters think about the debate“A few members of the small group of voters who remain undecided about the 2024 election were moved by Tuesday’s debate — but at the same time, it may take more than a debate to make them fully decide.” (NBC News)
Country
2. Schmidt debunks election disinformation
“As November approaches, top election officials across the country are sharing key information with voters, in part to combat misinformation that may surround the voting process or how votes are counted.
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt knows the personal impact of disinformation all too well. The Republican was personally named and accused by the former president Donald Trump Ignoring baseless allegations of corruption and fraud in Philadelphia’s 2020 election while he was a city commissioner.” (Scripps News)
Elsewhere
Election officials warn widespread problems with US postal system could disrupt voting“In the alarming letter, officials said that for the past year, including the just-concluded primary season, mailed ballots postmarked on time have been reaching local election offices days after the counting deadline.” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Opinions on Harris-Trump debate’s impact on Pennsylvania’s midterm elections depend on who you ask“Wednesday morning, there was a lot of expert commentary and analysis from behind the presidential debate desks, but the more serious assessments came from people with a stake in the Nov. 5 elections for Pennsylvania’s lower house, including the state legislature.” (AP)
Democrats continue to dominate the list of most vulnerable senators“Democrats’ fragile hold on the Senate majority likely will hinge on the fates of a north-central Montana farmer, a Rust Belt populist and three senators from swing states. With less than eight weeks to go before Election Day, Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio lead Roll Call’s list of the most vulnerable senators, followed by Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.” (Appeal)
Advocates Praise Efforts to Reopen Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention“The office is part of the Commonwealth’s Crime and Delinquency Commission, which is building on progress made in the bipartisan 2024-25 budget, which will allocate $56.5 million to prevent gun violence.” (WHY)
Around the Commonwealth of Nations
3. Is the PA in the Midwest? Depends if it’s Youse or Yinz Talking
“Nearly 10% of Pennsylvanians consider themselves to live in the Midwest.
They are 100 percent wrong.
Despite these confusing findings from the Middle West Review and Emerson College Polling, the U.S. Census Bureau tells us that the state is largely a mid-Atlantic state, closely related to New Jersey and New York — and not necessarily to Illinois and Nebraska.
But before we dismiss Keystone’s approximately 1.3 million citizens as having limited cartographic abilities, consider that many other people also consider this state to be part of the Midwest.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Elsewhere
What motivates Asian Americans to go to the polls in Pennsylvania? “In Pennsylvania, the Asian American population grew by 55% between 2010 and 2020. More than one-fifth of Asian Americans live in Philadelphia, followed by Montgomery County and Allegheny County.” (JakAmNews)
Voters from Four Different Pennsylvania Communities React to Trump-Harris Debate. “Here’s what voters from across Pennsylvania told USA TODAY Network reporters after watching Tuesday night’s showdown.” (Erie Times-News)
Lehigh County Executive Election Has Its First Candidate“Rep. Josh Siegel plans to run for Lehigh County executive in 2025, he said Wednesday.” (Morning call from Allentown)
Poll: Pennsylvanians of all stripes support taxing the wealthy to save Social Security“Social Security is one of the few issues that could get Republicans and Democrats to agree on, according to a new poll.” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Young women increasingly identify as liberals, Gallup study finds“Over the past few years, about 4 in 10 young women between the ages of 18 and 29 have identified their political views as liberal, up from about 3 in 10 two decades ago.” (AP)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
- Even a victory in Pennsylvania does not justify this bad move by US Steel. (Washington Post)
- Growth-friendly reforms are a “game-changer” for business competitiveness. (Lukasz Bernstein)
- Watching the Harris-Trump debate makes me want better politics. (Jan Baer)
- From Kamala Harris, A Master Class on How to Beat a Bully. (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
- Why Donald Trump’s praise for Viktor Orbán should matter to you. (Mitchell A. Orenstein)
- Kamala won easily, but who won the debate doesn’t matter. (David Mills)
- The whole world gathered in Pennsylvania to take part in a debate that will go down in history as one of the most significant events in world history.Joyce Davis)
- Despite the 3-on-1 attack, Donald Trump shines during the debate. (Noah Aberegg)
- Trump releases Harris from debate duties. (Wall Street Journal)
- We believe that the process of notifying and correcting irregularities in mail-in votes is a key element of fair elections. (Rabbi Ariana Capptauber and Rabbi Marc Kline)
- How to accept your political enemy. (Natalia Pompilio)
- Donald Trump’s debate performance was ridiculously feeble, but don’t let that fool you. (York Dispatch)
1 thing
5. Get to know your massage robot
“Miami’s newest massage therapist won’t judge your figure or interrupt your conversation—because he’s a robot.
- 😌 The robot simulates the touch techniques used by a masseur, imitating a human thumb, cupped hand, elbow, and other methods.
- Customers wear a special full-body compression suit to help the robot arms — heated to 95 degrees — move more easily across their bodies.” (Axial)
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