🙏 Welcome to Wednesday. Bruuuuce is back in Philly tonight and Friday. Anybody got an extra ticket?

PA Weather
☁️ Oakdale | Mostly Cloudy, 77
☀️ Hummelstown | Mostly Sunny, 84
☀️ Media | Mostly Sunny, 86

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (65-55) | Toronto 1-2 | Wed vs. Toronto
⚾ Pirates (54-66) | NY Mets 7-4 | Wed vs. Mets
⚾ Media Little League | Wed vs. Needville TX, 7 p.m.
⚽ Union | Inter Miami 1-4 (Leagues Cup Semifinal)

What We’re Hearing
“We hear all the time from lawmakers, ‘Gifts don’t affect the way I vote, nobody could ever influence me.’ It’s fascinating that the first human beings in history who have no capacity for corruption all work together in the same building.” – Rabbi Michael Pollack, MarchOnHarrisburg

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Top Story

1. Trump’s Georgia Codefendants Played Significant Roles In Seeking To Overturn PA’s 2020 Vote

“Among the 18 lawyers, aides, and allies who were charged Monday alongside Donald Trump for their alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia, there are several who played key roles in the former president’s similar push in Pennsylvania.

Here’s a breakdown of some of Trump’s key codefendants, what they’re charged with in Georgia, and the roles they allegedly played in undermining confidence in the election in the Keystone State.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

Trump Indictment In Georgia Details Pressure Campaign To Change PA’s Electoral Votes. “The indictment alleges Trump and his allies pressured Pennsylvania elected officials to appoint a fake set of Trump electors or hold a special session of the General Assembly.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Who Is Jeffrey Clark, The Philly Native And Ex-Justice Department Official Charged In Trump’s Indictment? (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Trump Coming To Philadelphia For Fundraiser Next Month. (PennLive)

State

2. Election 2023: A Look At The Supreme Court Race

“We are just 84 days away from the 2023 general election. And the biggest statewide prize is the open seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Democrat Dan McCaffery and Republican Carolyn Carluccio will vie for the spot, vacated by the passing of former Chief Justice Max Baer.

The winner of the contest will not change the majority makeup of the seven-member court, as Democrats currently hold four of the six seats.” (PoliticsPA)

Related

PA-17: Mercuri Joins Race For Western PA Seat. “State Rep. Rob Mercuri announced Tuesday that he would seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. House seat held by Chris Deluzio in what is one of the Keystone State’s most competitive races.” (PoliticsPA)

Republican Rob Mercuri Enters Race For PA’s 17th Congressional District. “Republican state Rep. Rob Mercuri announced Tuesday he’ll run against first-term Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio in what may be the state’s most competitive U.S. House race — Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district.” (WESA)

• GOP Gets Top Candidate In Western PA’s Only Competitive House Race. (Washington Examiner)

Want To Earn $100K Per Year For 50 Days of Work? Get Elected to PA’s Legislature. “Pennsylvania has the largest full-time legislature in the country, and lawmakers are the third highest paid in the nation despite only being in session for about 50 days per year.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Providers Warn That Abortion May Not Always Be Legal In PA. “Abortion remains a safe and legal procedure in Pennsylvania — but that may not always be the case, panelists warned during a discussion on reproductive freedom Tuesday in McCandless.” (WESA)

Langerholc Seeks Support For Chemical Castration of Sex Offenders. “State Sen. Wayne Langerholc circulated a legislative memo ahead of the planned introduction of a bill seeking to institute chemical castration as a term of parole for repeat offenders along with those convicted of committing sexual crimes against children younger than 13.” (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)

Around The Commonwealth

3. A PA Study Suggests Links Between Fracking And Asthma, Lymphoma In Children

“Children who lived closer to natural gas wells in heavily drilled western Pennsylvania were more likely to develop a relatively rare form of cancer, and nearby residents of all ages had an increased chance of severe asthma reactions, researchers said in reports released Tuesday evening.

The taxpayer-funded research by the University of Pittsburgh adds to a body of evidence suggesting links between the gas industry and certain health problems.

In the reports, the researchers found what they called significant associations between gas industry activity and two ailments: asthma, and lymphoma in children, who are relatively rarely diagnosed with this type of cancer.” (AP)

Related

‘Is It Safe To Live Here?’: Questions Loom At Presentation Of Reports On Fracking And Health In Southwestern PA. “After a three-year effort drawing on the medical histories of thousands of people in southwestern Pennsylvania who live near oil and gas infrastructure, University of Pittsburgh researchers found links between the industry’s activities and some forms of childhood cancer, poor birth outcomes, and asthma in children and adults.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Joint Pitt, State Studies Find Link Between Proximity To Fracking And Increased Cancer Rates, Asthma Attacks, Low Birth Weight. (Public Source)

Farm Bill Timeline In Flux As A Messy September For Congress Nears. “The 2018 version expires Sept. 30, just as many urgent priorities compete for floor time in Congress — namely the government funding bills that, if not passed by Oct. 1, could mean a partial government shutdown.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

Spotlight PA Seeks To Unseal Key Document In DuBois Official’s Corruption Case. “Four news organizations have petitioned a county judge to release a key document in the widely publicized corruption case against a suspended City of DuBois official accused of stealing more than $600,000 in taxpayer and nonprofit funds.” (Spotlight PA)

PA PUC Investigators Interviewing Witnesses, Monitoring Evidence Collection In Plum House Explosion. “Investigators from the state Public Utility Commission have been interviewing witnesses, coordinating the collection of evidence and monitoring tests of natural gas lines following a fatal house explosion in Plum on Saturday.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Contractor Allegedly Used A Shell Company To Thwart Philly’s Rules For Hiring Black-Owned Businesses. “General Asphalt Paving, run by the Meehan family of former Philadelphia GOP leaders, has so far escaped punishment in what auditors say was a scheme to land city contracts.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Bucks County Election Director Departs Job, Speaks Of Experience. “Thomas Freitag, the director of the Bucks County Board of Elections, left his job last Friday. He started at the Bucks County Board of Elections in 2014 and took on the top job in 2019.” (New Hope Free Press)

PA’s Democratic-Controlled House Passed 2 Gun Safety Laws. Now It’s In The Senate’s Hands. “Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Matthew Bradford visited his alma mater at Villanova University Monday night to lay out legislative solutions to the gun violence crisis.” (WHYY)

Not Dead Yet: Northampton Co. GOP Can Slide Back Into DA’s Race Amid Houck’s Abrupt Exit. “After failing to find a candidate to carry the party’s mantle in the May primary, Northampton County conservatives have an unexpected opportunity to place a Republican on the November ballot for district attorney.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Editorial

4. What They’re Saying

• In a Fourth Indictment, The Depths of Trump’s Arrogance, Recklessness Come Into Clearer View. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Gov. Shapiro’s Defunding Pregnancy Help Centers Sacrifices Women’s Safety. (Amy Scheuring)
• The Fall of a Great American City: The Societal and Political Decay That Has Upended Pittsburgh. (Salena Zito)
• Sydney Hovis Should Have Dropped Out Before Primary Election. (Tribune-Review)
• Ban ‘Skill Games’ That Threaten Public Safety and PA’s Gaming Integrity. (Chris Soriano)

1 Thing

5. PA’s Little League World Series Team

“Media Little League has gotten to experience the full pageantry of Williamsport this week.

From Monday night’s parade through town past admiring throngs of fans to the anticipation of Wednesday’s opening ceremony, “it’s awesome to be a part of,” Media coach Tom Bradley said Tuesday.

What they’re most looking forward to at this point, though, is what got them there: Playing baseball.” (Delco Times)

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