😎 Hello Tuesday. It’s heating up out there. Where’s the Mister Softee truck?

PA Weather
☀️ Connellsville | Sunny, 93
☀️ Sayre | Sunny, 89
☀️ Exton | Sunny, 86

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (77-54) | Houston 3-2 | Tue-Wed vs. Houston
⚾ Pirates (62-69) | Cubs 8-18 | Tue-Wed vs. Cubs
⚽ Union (6-9-10) | Wed vs. Columbus

👂 What We’re Hearing. “Who’s ultimately responsible? Who’s in charge? I want to know who makes the decisions. If the Secret Service says ‘do x’ and the campaign says ‘do not do that,’ who decides and who is ultimately responsible for the outcome?” – Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.)

🎂 Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Sen. Lindsey Williams and Rep. Rob Kauffman

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Top Story

1. The GOP Senate Candidate Betting On the Jewish Vote to Win Pennsylvania

“Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick, running in the politically pivotal battleground of Pennsylvania, is focused on winning over Jewish voters who have become disillusioned with the Democratic Party as part of his campaign against Sen. Bob Casey.

McCormick has regularly highlighted his stalwart support for Israel as it defends itself against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran — and been a leading voice in condemning rising antisemitism, especially against the anti-Israel activism taking place at universities, including at the University of Pennsylvania.

As he battles against Casey, he’s also been trying to contrast Sen. John Fetterman’s outspoken, unapologetic praise for Israel in contrast to his Democratic colleague’s lower-key displays of support for the Jewish state.” (Jewish Insider)

Elsewhere

Bucks County Will Determine Control of the Senate and House, Shapiro Says In Stumping For Casey. “Gov. Josh Shapiro campaigned for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in Lower Bucks County on Monday, telling supporters gathered at Neshaminy Brewing in Croydon that Casey “understands what you’re dealing with in your community.”” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Johnstown Next Stop For Trump’s PA Campaign. “Reinforcing the importance of the Keystone State to the presidential hopes of his campaign, former President Donald Trump will hold a rally on Friday afternoon in Johnstown.” (PoliticsPA)

Will Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Pennsylvania Voters Follow Him to Trump? “In interviews with a dozen people across Pennsylvania who were Kennedy volunteers or had identified themselves in polls as Kennedy supporters, two-thirds said “the path forward,” as Kennedy put it in his withdrawal speech Friday, has them voting for or leaning towards Trump.” (PoliticsPA)

Harris Campaign Releases New Ad To Highlight Plans To Build 3 Million Homes And Reduce Inflation. “The Harris campaign plans to hold housing affordability events in the Pennsylvania cities of Lancaster, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as well as the Arizona cities of Phoenix and Tucson.” (AP)

State

2. Voter Registration by Congressional District

“Here are the latest voter registration numbers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by congressional district.

Scroll over your district to see the total number of registrations by party, the respective percentages, as well as the advantage for one of the two major parties.” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

How Pennsylvania’s Young Voters Feel About the Political Landscape Now That Kamala Harris Is On the Ballot. “It’s been a month since President Joe Biden announced he wasn’t seeking re-election and Vice President Kamala Harris would be the Democratic candidate for president, and Pennsylvanians are already noticing a shift in the climate. Especially the younger generation.” (The Keystone)

The Lawmaker Leading the Investigation Into the Trump Assassination Attempt Says He Warned Campaign Staff About the Venue. “Rep. Mike Kelly has been a loud Trump ally for years. But as he begins the official investigation into the assassination attempt against the former president, he sees Donald Trump’s team as part of the problem.” (NOTUS)

Shapiro Plots a Course for His Political Future. “Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro spent four days working the room at the Democratic National Convention last week, signaling ambitions to establish himself as a national party leader and lay the foundation for a future White House bid.” (The Dispatch)

As Pennsylvania Eyes More Money For School Vouchers, Other States Offer Sobering Lessons. “Giving students the choice to switch from a public school to a private school by offering them taxpayer-funded vouchers does not guarantee they’ll fare better academically. In fact, some studies show the opposite, including analyses of voucher programs in Ohio, Indiana and Louisiana.” (Erie Times-News)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Washington County Says Voters Must Be Told of Mail Ballot Errors

“In a ruling that could impact the presidential election results across the state, election officials in a western Pennsylvania county must tell voters if their mail ballots cannot be counted and record that information in a statewide voter system.

The Washington County Court of Common Pleas ruled that the Pennsylvania Constitution requires the county board of elections to inform mail-in voters of any disqualifying errors on their mail-ballot packets when those errors are detected by the board. This finding says the constitution requires the board to provide that notice before the voter irretrievably loses the right to vote.” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

Women in Philly’s Suburbs Are Key to Determining the 2024 Election. And Democrats Have An Advantage. “Women in the collar counties are poised to play a potentially decisive role in determining the next president after helping power President Joe Biden to victory in 2020. They could potentially make Vice President Kamala Harris the first female president if they turn out for her in similar or greater numbers against former President Donald Trump.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

GOP VP Nominee JD Vance to Discuss Economy, Energy in Erie. “Vance, who will be making his first appearance in Erie since becoming former President Donald Trump’s running mate in July, is scheduled to begin his remarks at 3 p.m. at Team Hardinger, a transportation and warehousing company.” (Erie Times-News)

Victim Recovering From I-70 Collision With Sen. John Fetterman Speaks Out. “Jennifer Campbell, 62, chose to come forward publicly and recount the collision through an attorney, Andrew Thomas, who was hired to handle her personal injury insurance claim.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Lehigh County Officials Warn of Voter Registration Text Scam. “County officials said they learned that local voters are being targeted through “smishing” attacks, the board sad in a news release Monday. Smishing is a technique in which bad actors try to extract someone’s personal data by texting them a malicious link.” (LehighValleyNews.com)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Trump Shooting Cannot Stop Political Process. (Greensburg Tribune-Review)
• Pennsylvania Lawmakers Must Protect Free Speech in Elections. (David Keating)
• Don’t Fear: Immigrants Love America and Want to Make It Better. (Adriana E. Ramírez)
• The Real Choice in November: Prosperity or Socialistic Ruin. (Lowman Henry)
• Lies, Damn Lies, and Biden/Harris Statistics. (Guy Ciarrocchi)
• Are Voters Ready For a “Politics of Joy?” (Kevin Sunday)
• Shapiro Needs to Step Up His Environmental Game. (Tom Pike)

1 Thing

5. Say It Ain’t So, Mister Softee!

“It’s never been harder to be Mister Softee.

Once, there were more than 2,000 Mister Softee trucks in 38 states during the company’s peak in the 1960s. Now, there are only around 630 Mister Softee trucks looping around neighborhoods and parks in 21 states.

Competition and rising costs are hurting sales. Counter-intuitive factors like increasingly hot weather are also denting business. And broader social trends – like the shrinking sizes of American families and even the advance of technology – play a role, too.” (CNN)

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