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Top Story

1. Shapiro Offers a Simple Song of Freedom in Democratic Convention Address

“On the same night he would have accepted the Democratic vice presidential nomination, Gov. Josh Shapiro called the Democrats “the party of real freedom.”

Mr. Shapiro defined freedom as allowing students to attend “a great public school with an awesome teacher,” as funding “the police and community” so that students could come home safely, as allowing Americans to “marry who they love” and start a family when they want to, as providing clean water, clean air, the right to unionize, and the right to worship anyway they want.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Related

Shapiro’s Advice For Harris: ‘Just Keep Moving’ “Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro taunted former President Donald Trump and offered advice for Vice President Kamala Harris during a conversation with POLITICO on Wednesday evening.” (PoliticsPA)

Trump Goes Off The Rails In Midnight Attack On ‘Highly Overrated Jewish Governor’ “Donald Trump fired off an angry middle-of-the-night attack on “highly overrated Jewish Governor” Josh Shapiro after he spoke out against the former president at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.” (HuffPost)

RFK Jr. To Address Future Plans in Friday Address Amid Speculation He Will Leave Race. “In what could be a consolidation of the presidential race, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will address the nation on Friday in Phoenix, Ariz.” (PoliticsPA)

Casey Blasts Streaming Services, But Goes Light on Major Donor Amazon Prime. “U.S. Senator Bob Casey recently aimed his inflation anger at video streaming services, saying major television and movie streamers have been raising prices while paring back their content offerings — something that fits in to Casey’s “greedflation” campaign platform in which he blames corporations rather than government spending for the inflation that has eroded the purchasing power of average Americans for the last three years.” (Broad + Liberty)

State

2. Shapiro Was Everywhere at the DNC, Boosting Harris and His Own Future

“Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro campaigned around the country this week without ever leaving the Windy City.

On Wednesday morning, he got a standing ovation from a group of bleary-eyed New Hampshire delegates, a crowd that’s familiar with vetting potential presidential candidates.

Afterward, he took an elevator up the third floor to speak to delegates from Nevada — another early primary state — and then back down to New Jersey on the second floor. Hours later, he delivered a prime-time address on the main convention stage.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

Perry, Reschenthaler Sign Letter Criticizing Walz and Military Service. “Fifty Republican members of Congress, including Pennsylvania’s Scott Perry (R-10) and Guy Reschenthaler (R-14), signed onto a letter to Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, criticizing the Minnesota governor for his representation of his military service record.” (PoliticsPA)

PA8 Candidates Cartwright, Bresnahan Agree to October Debate. “Democratic U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright’s campaign announced Wednesday that he will debate Republican challenger Rob Bresnahan in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District race in October. The debate, which will take place at Wilkes-Barre’s King’s College Burke Auditorium on either Oct. 22 or 23, will be simulcast live on WVIA-TV and WVIA Radio. WVIA is Northeast Pennsylvania’s PBS and NPR member station.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Dems Pay $3M in Ad Buy For Janelle Stelson As Poll Shows Her Moving Ahead of Scott Perry. “The race for a competitive central Pennsylvania congressional seat is tightening based on a poll showing incumbent Republican Rep. Scott Perry dipping one point below his Democratic challenger, former WGAL news anchor Janelle Stelson.” (York Dispatch)

‘Nobody Wants to Pay’ for Road and Bridge Maintenance. “Long-term funding solutions still elude state lawmakers, leaving maintenance of Pennsylvania’s roads, bridges and public transit systems in peril. In the coming years, the problem will only become more significant.” (The Center Square)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Democrats Get a Third-Party Hopeful Knocked Off PA Ballot, As Cornel West Tries to Get On

“Pennsylvania Democrats have won legal challenges keeping the left-wing Party for Socialism and Liberation off the battleground state’s presidential ballot, at least for now, while a lawyer with deep Republican Party ties is working to help independent candidate Cornel West get on it.

The court cases are among a raft of partisan legal maneuvering around third-party candidates seeking to get on Pennsylvania’s ballot, including a pending challenge by Democrats to the filing in Pennsylvania by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” (AP)

Related

Delegates Embrace ‘Regular Guy’ Tim Walz at DNC, Say He’ll Be Key to Drawing Rural Voters in Battlegrounds Like PA. “A raucous crowd of Democrats on Wednesday night embraced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, believing the former teacher, football coach and veteran can inspire moderates and rural voters to turn out in key battlegrounds like Pennsylvania and send him to the White House alongside Vice President Kamala Harris.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

What Pearlmania500 and Other PA Influencers Are Doing at the DNC. “Alex Pearlman and other Pennsylvania influencers are attending the Democratic National Convention for the first time.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Legislators Langerholc, Burns Spar Over How School Safety Funding Was Acquired. “Personal political tension, election-year drama and a question about who gets credit for delivering some school safety funding were unexpectedly injected into the Cambria Regional Chamber’s annual State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday.” (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Tonight, Kamala Harris (Re-)introduces Herself to America. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• The Selling of Kamala Harris. (Wall Street Journal)
• I Am Cheering the Democratic National Convention, But Not Necessarily Its Platform on Puerto Rico. (Maria Quiñones Sánchez)
• Chicago’s DNC: A Pulsating Rave Where the Ecstasy is a Vision of MAGA-Free America. (Will Bunch)
• Kamala Harris is Beating Donald Trump at Populism. (Martin Schram)
• Project 2025 Would Completely Upend Washington DC, and That’s Just Fine With Many Conservatives. (Joyce Davis)
• Robert P. Casey, Jr.: Myth vs. Fact. (Emily Greene)

1 Thing

5. Wawa Makes Move West on Sheetz

“Wawa has announced its latest Pennsylvania expansion — on Sept. 19, the retailer will officially unveil its first central Pennsylvania location.

The newest store will be located in Middletown, right next to an existing Sheetz store — another Pennsylvania favorite which has more than 300 locations scattered throughout the state.

According to KDKA News, Wawa plans to open additional stores in York, Dover, Williamsport, Hanover and Enola by the end of the year, with the goal of launching 40 stores in the central Pennsylvania market over the next five years.” (CStoreDecisions)

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