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☀️ Lake Latonka | Sunny, 85
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Sports PA
⚾ Phillies (91-62) | NY Mets 6-10 | Friday-Sunday vs. NY Mets
⚾ Pirates (72-81) | St. Louis 3-2 | Friday-Sunday vs. Cincinnati
🏈 Penn State (2-0) | Saturday vs. Kent State
🏈 Pitt (3-0) | Saturday vs. Youngstown State
🏈 Temple (0-3) | Saturday vs. Utah State
🏈 Eagles (1-1) | Sun vs New Orleans
🏈 Steelers (2-0) | Sun vs. LA Chargers
⚽ Union (8-9-12) | Sun vs DC United
👂 What do we hear“The DCCC raised a staggering $22.3 million in August, leaving the Democratic House campaign arm with more than $87 million heading into the final phase of the election.”
🎂 Happy birthday. Cake and candles for Senator Katie Muth, Senator Christine Tartaglione AND Rep. Steve Samuelson (Saturday) and Rep. Rob Matzie (Sunny.).
🗞️ You asked for PA News. We deliver. Where can you find the latest news on what’s happening in Keystone State politics? Sign up for the PoliticsPA Playbook. We’ll deliver all the latest headlines in an easy-to-read format every weekday at 8 a.m. And it’s free. Add your name to the list and subscribe now.
The most essential story
1. Inflation, Greedflation, Shrinkflation: Casey, McCormick Duel on a Key Election Issue
“Pennsylvania voters this election cycle are hearing ‘greed’ due to corporate price gouging.
They learn about “shrinkflation,” a phenomenon that occurs when a bag of Doritos contains more air and fewer chips than it used to. They even learn about something called “Bobflation” on a website that highlights the rising cost of staples, Wawa Hoagies, and Hersheypark tickets.
All of these terms are intended to appeal to the frustration that Keystone State residents feel about paying exorbitant prices for certain goods and services.USA Today Network)
Elsewhere
Local truck drivers in Pennsylvania and other battleground states back Harris after Teamsters national caucus rejects her. “While the International Brotherhood of Commercial Truckers will not endorse a presidential candidate, Commercial Truckers local unions in several key states, including Pennsylvania, are endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.” (PennLive)
Trump warns Jewish voters they will be partly to blame if he loses. “Former President Donald Trump said Thursday at an event in Washington aimed at combating anti-Semitism that if he loses in November, “the Jewish people will have a lot to do with that defeat.”” (POLITICIAN)
Five takeaways from the latest wave of Harris-Trump polls“More than 20 swing-state polls conducted in their entirety after the September 10 debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump are now in the public domain.” (Hill)
Decoding the Latest Pennsylvania Polls: Harris’ Slight Lead Over Trump Within the Margin of Error“Public opinion polls are astrology for amateur politicians: we are most likely to believe them when they tell us what we want to hear, even if we know they have been wrong before. And yet we can’t stop looking at them.” (WESA Policy)
PolitykaPA Poll Tracker“Here’s the PoliticsPA Poll Tracker, which aggregates the latest poll results from credible sources that survey likely and registered voters in the Keystone State.” (PoliticsPA)
Country
2. Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejects ACLU-backed mail-in voting lawsuit
The state Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by one of the nation’s most prominent civil rights organizations that sought to prevent votes from being invalidated because of plain formatting errors.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Al Schmidt and Philadelphia and Allegheny counties in May, which argued to end the requirement that voters handwrite the date on the envelope containing their ballot. Under current law, ballots with incorrect or missing dates will not be counted.” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Elsewhere
Voters are advised to return their ballots early due to concerns about mail delivery delays.“While the Postal Service says it is working on improvements and has committed to delivering mail on time, it is also recommending that voters who vote by mail take what Louis DeJoy called a ‘common sense measure’ — returning paper voter registration forms, absentee ballot applications and completed ballots at least one week before their state’s deadlines.” (WQLN)
Time is running out to agree on funding for public transportation in Pennsylvania this yearIf no legislative action is taken this fall to raise state funding for Pennsylvania’s public transportation systems, SEPTA will be forced to cut service despite short-term aid, its own cost-cutting measures and a proposed fare raise, Board Chairman Ken Lawrence Jr. warned Thursday.“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
PA begins paying millions to student teachers through scholarship program. “The proverbial check is on its way to more than 2,000 future educators who are seeking support through Pennsylvania’s highly sought-after student-teaching fellowship program. The commonwealth has committed $30 million this year to fund the second round of the Shapiro Administration’s Student Teacher Support Program.” (CNHI News)
Around the Commonwealth of Nations
3. Lawsuits are the last resort when local governments make mistakes. Here’s why one Pennsylvania man is suing
A resident of a miniature, dysfunctional Centre County commune is suing his council, alleging its members illegally filled vacant elected positions and conducted commune business without proper public participation.
Such litigation is one of the few ways Pennsylvanians can force local governments to correct wrongdoing, but it is often a costly and challenging process.” (PA reflector)
Elsewhere
Kamala Harris Doing Better Than Joe Biden Among Philadelphia Voters, But There May Be Warning Signs. “Harris has a 63-point lead over Trump in Philadelphia, according to an Inquirer/New York Times/Siena College poll. But there are some nuances to her support in the city.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
Bob Casey and David McCormick raise concerns over Charleroi glass factory closure“The planned closure of a glass factory in Washington County and the expected loss of hundreds of jobs have attracted the attention of Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat, and his rival for office, Republican David McCormick.” (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Emhoff will come to Bucks County on Sunday to energize volunteers in the purple Philadelphia suburb“Donald Trump won’t be coming to Bucks County on Sunday, but Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, will be there to drum up enthusiasm in the swing county.” (“Philadelphia Inquirer”)
‘We Belong Here Like Everyone Else’: Philadelphia Haitian Leaders Protest Hateful Rhetoric“Pastor Maurice Choizi, pastor of Ebenezer Haitian Baptist Church in North Philadelphia, is a Haitian immigrant who is at a loss to understand why the community he belongs to has been targeted.” (Philadelphia Grandstand)
‘A violation of free speech’ | Penn State removes student newspapers from campus“There were approximately 35 stands throughout campus buildings, including three with Kamala Harris ads and six with voter registration ads in the poster space above the newspapers. All of the stands and newspapers have been removed and their locations remain unknown, it was noted Thursday.” (Daily Collegian)
Editorial
4. What do you mean
- Voter disinformation is a substantial problem. Election officials say it’s getting worse. (Chris Brennan)
- Anti-immigration lies won’t save Charleroi, but immigrants can. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
- I am the governor of Ohio. I do not recognize the Springfield that Trump and Vance describe. (Governor Mike DeWine)
- Trump repeals his own tax reform. (Wall Street Journal)
- Land of opportunity vs. slogan on a car sticker. (Andy Bloom)
- Are We Overthinking Recreational Marijuana? (Malcolm Burnley)
1 thing
5.1 Hip Hippo
“Thailand’s hottest celebrity is Moo Deng, a two-month-old pygmy hippo whose expressive face has made her an internet sensation.
- Several professional sports teams in the US have made memes featuring her, as have the official X account and numerous Thai companies.
😎 She’s so popular in real life that her zoo had to limit visitors to five minutes of babbling and taking pictures. (AP)
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