🐫 Middle of the Week. A fall feel outside today, wouldn’t you agree?

PA Weather
🌤️ Bradford | Mostly Sunny, 66
☀️ Shiremanstown | Sunny, 73
🌤️ Lake Harmony | Mostly Sunny, 61

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (73-52) | Atlanta 1-3 | Wed-Thu vs. Atlanta
⚾ Pirates (59-66) | Texas 4-0 | Wed vs. Texas
⚾ Newtown (Little League World Series) | Wailuku, Hawaii 1-3
⚽ Union (Leagues Cup Semifinal) | Wed vs. Columbus

👂 What We’re Hearing. August FEC numbers show a tale of two campaigns. Harris For President raised $204 million and has $219M in hand, while Donald J. Trump For President 2024 raised $47 million and has $151M in the bank.

🗞️ You Asked for PA News. We Deliver. Where can you find all 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 AM. And it’s free. Add your name to the list and subscribe now.

Top Story

1. Shapiro Says Perry Is “Full Of S**t” For 2020 Election Challenge

“Suffice it to say that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will not be inviting U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-10) to Shabbat dinner anytime soon.

“This is a guy who literally went to the floor of the United States House of Representatives on January 6 after the mob that he encouraged left the floor, and he rose to his feet and lied about Pennsylvania. And said that the ballot that returned him to Congress was lawful, but the ballot that sent Joe Biden to the White House was not.

“He is absolutely, fundamentally full of shit,” he continued. “The people of Pennsylvania know that, and I’m going to do everything in my power to defeat that guy.” (PoliticsPA)

Related

5 Takeaways From Trump’s York Visit. “Former President Donald Trump made his first visit to south-central Pennsylvania during the 2024 campaign, visiting York on Monday. Here are five takeaways from the event.” (PoliticsPA)

Are Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan Now The Weak Link in the Blue Wall? “Is the “Blue Wall” of states that usually vote Democratic still strong? NPR’s Steve Inskeep asks senior editor at “The Atlantic,” Ron Brownstein, the writer who coined the term.” (WQLN)

Commonwealth Court Judge Hears Arguments in PA Challenge to RFK Jr.’s New York Residence. “Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was not allowed to testify Tuesday in a challenge to his appearance on Pennsyvania’s ballot when he arrived nearly two hours late for a state court hearing after his flight to Harrisburg was canceled.” (Penn Capital-Star)

RFK Jr. Running Mate Shanahan: Decision on Joining Forces With Trump Not ‘Easy.’ “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate gave new insight into the precarious position their long-shot bid for the White House faces just three months out from the election, saying in an interview that deciding whether to stay in the race isn’t easy.” (The Hill)

GOP Megadonor Drops Another $50M Into Pro-Trump Super PAC. “A reclusive Republican megadonor gave $50 million to a pro-Trump super PAC in July, following two other massive donations to boost the former president this cycle. Timothy Mellon, a longtime GOP donor and heir to the Mellon banking fortune, has now given $115 million to the group, Make America Great Again Inc., since the start of 2023.” (POLITICO)

State

2. Kamala Harris’ Nomination Roll Call May Be Ceremonial, But It’s Momentous For Black Women and Asian Americans In PA Delegation

“The roll call meant nothing. It also meant a whole lot.

So when Pennsylvania’s delegation cast its 178 votes Tuesday evening to nominate Kamala Harris to become the first Black woman and first Asian American nominated by a major political party, it was simply ceremonial.

But to Pennsylvanians on the floor at the convention whose political careers have also been marked by being the first or the only, or among a small group, the moment felt significant.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

Meet the 23-Year-Old Law Student Who Keeps PA’s Delegation Moving Smoothly Behind the Scenes of the DNC. “Aidan Levinson is one of the three whips in Pennsylvania’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention, is one important cog in the machine.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

New FAFSA Complicates Process For College Students Applying For PA State Grants. “College students will be arriving on campuses across Pennsylvania in the coming days but some will come with one thing missing — confidence in knowing they have the money to pay their tuition.” (PennLive)

Republican Ryan Mackenzie Lands Trump Endorsement in PA-07 Congressional Race. “Former President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Ryan Mackenzie on social media Monday night in the state lawmaker’s bid to oust U.S. Rep. Susan Wild from Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Pittsburgh Struggling to Regain Economic Footing After Pandemic

“Though Pittsburgh lags behind comparable cities, it does have some bright spots.

The negative economic effects of the pandemic are almost gone, but not quite — meaning that Pennsylvania’s second-largest city is falling behind much of the rest of the country.

To catch up, the conference, along with the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, released a revitalization plan in June to turn “various challenges … into opportunities.”” (The Center Square)

Related

Invalid Signatures For PA City’s Anti-Israel Referendum Sinks Effort. “A proposed referendum for the November ballot to keep Pittsburgh from doing business with companies that have financial ties to Israel came to an end on Monday.” (PennLive)

Appalachia’s Young Voters Could Impact The 2024 Election. “Voters between the ages of 18 and 29 have high potential to influence U.S. House races in two districts: Pennsylvania’s 17th and New York’s 19th.” (Public Source)

DeMarco Introduces Legislation Requiring County Elections Office to Check Citizenship Status of Voters. “Republican Allegheny County Councilman Sam DeMarco has introduced legislation that would require the county’s elections office to submit its voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security in order to check the citizenship status of registered voters.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Mayor Cherelle Parker, Speaking at DNC, Says PA Voters Can ‘Deliver Under Immense Pressure.’ “Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker turned Tuesday morning’s Pennsylvania delegation breakfast at the Democratic National Convention into a pep rally for Vice President Kamala Harris and other members of the party on the November ballot.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Philly State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta Rips Project 2025 at DNC: ‘A Radical Plan to Drag Us Backward’ “North Philadelphia State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta was one of the only Pennsylvania natives to land a coveted speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention, spending his two minutes on stage ripping the conservative “Project 2025″ as a “a radical plan to drag us backward.”” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• We Must Regain Our Respect For Truth In Political Discourse. (John Sigle) 
• Democrats and Democratic Norms. (Wall Street Journal)
• Harris Is Sailing, Trump Is Flailing, and the Right Is Bailing. Wow. (Michael Tomasky)
• Fracking Bans Are Dangerous and Harmful. (Guy Ciarrocchi)
• Tim Walz Is a Leader Shaped By Integrity and Service. I Would Know. I Was His Roommate. (Patrick Murphy)
• Independents Will Decide The Election. What Do We Know About Them? (Tyler Fisher and Carlo Macomber)

1 Gaming Thing

5. Backyard Sports Is Back

“The “Backyard Sports” video game franchise, including the iconic “Pablo Sanchez,” will be making its return in the near future. Playground Productions announced that the video game will be relaunching, while the series will also be appearing in film and television in the future.

“‘Backyard Sports’ is more than just a game; it’s a cherished part of childhood for millions of people,” Backyard Sports creator and Playground Productions founder Lindsay Barnett said in a statement.” (CBS Sports)

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