☕ Monday, Monday. What a weekend.

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⚾ Phillies (62-34) | Oakland 3-18 | All-Star break
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⚽ Union (4-9-10) | Toronto 1-2 | Wed vs. New England

Today at the RNC
🎤 The Pennsylvania Delegation will hear from Rep. Dan Meuser (R-09), State Treasurer Stacey Garrity, and PAGOP Chairman Lawrence Tabas at a 9 AM CT breakfast. The opening session begins at 1:45 pm CT.

👂 What We’re Hearing. “He came out on the stage and invited me up — introduced me and invited me up on the stage and then said no, no why don’t we wait and have you up a little bit later,” Dave McCormick said during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “And just a minute or two after that, the shots were fired. And so I would have been on stage.”

🗞️ Today’s Headlines >> Your Inbox. 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. Biden Says Country Must Not Go Down Road of Political Violence

“President Joe Biden warned Sunday of the risks of political violence in the U.S. after Saturday’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, saying, “It’s time to cool it down.”

In a prime-time national address from the Oval Office, Biden said political passions can run high but “we must never descend into violence.” The president acknowledged the passions of an election year, and that he and Republicans offer different policy visions, but implored Americans to “recommit” to resolving their differences peacefully.” (AP)

Related

Officials: Bomb-Making Materials Found In Would-Be Trump Assassin’s Car, Home. “The man who officials say tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump was a 20-year-old from a Pittsburgh suburb not far from the campaign rally where one attendee was killed.” (Butler Eagle)

• Read More About the Assassination Attempt from Sunday’s special edition of the PoliticsPA Playbook

Inside Ziklag, the Secret Organization of Wealthy Christians Trying to Sway the Election and Change the Country. “A network of ultrawealthy Christian donors is spending nearly $12 million to mobilize Republican-leaning voters and purge more than a million people from the rolls in key swing states, aiming to tilt the 2024 election in favor of former President Donald Trump.” (ProPublica)

PA Independents Could Sway The Presidential Election; Here’s What They Have To Say About It. “The skyrocketing concern among Pennsylvania voters over the two major party choices for president after the first debate was no surprise to independent voter Jennifer Bullock.” (PennLive)

6 Democrats Who Could Be VP Picks for Harris. “Vice President Harris is the most obvious successor to President Biden should he withdraw from the Democratic ticket amid mounting pressure, a situation that would immediately raise the question of who would be Harris’s running mate.” (The Hill)

• Burgum, Scott, Vance Top Picks for Vice President by PA GOP Delegates. (Lincoln Institute)

State

2. McCormick: ‘We Have To Dial It Down’

“Just try to stay calm. That was one of the first thoughts running through David McCormick’s mind in the chaotic moments unfolding Saturday in Butler that wound up being an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

Just a few minutes earlier, Trump had said the Republican businessman and U.S. Senate candidate should join him on stage in front of the thousands gathered for the rally. After McCormick stood up to make his way toward the stage, Trump seemed to change his mind and suggested he should wait a bit.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Sen. Bob Casey On ‘Horrific’ Trump Assassination Attempt. (CNN)

Related

Western PA Congressman Wants To Know If a Security Failure Led To Shooting at Trump Rally in Butler. “How was Thomas Matthew Crooks able to shoot Donald Trump at the former president’s Butler rally Saturday? U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly wants to know.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Joyce Calls For Homeland Security Review After Attempted Trump Assassination. (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)
• Scialabba Shaken After Assassination Attempt at Butler Trump Rally. (Butler Eagle)

For Western PA Delegates All In For Trump, A Republican National Convention Unlike Any In Recent Memory. “Republican National Conventions of years past have simmered with intrigue, speculation and pivotal moments, but this year could shape up to have one singular focus: Trump.” (Tribune-Review)

College Students, SEPTA, and Legal Weed: The Winners and Losers Of PA’s New $47.6 Billion Budget. “Like any time a state needs to divide its finite resources, there are the haves and the have-nots. Here are some of them.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Legal Marijuana, Big Tax Cuts, And Minimum Wage: This Year’s Budget Losers. “Though no one filled their bingo card, plenty made it into the final plan, which passed nearly two weeks after the June 30 deadline.” (Spotlight PA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. ‘Why Butler?’: Community Grapples With Aftermath of Trump Rally Shooting

“The small, rural city of Butler woke up Sunday morning in disbelief, grappling with the aftermath of an attempted assassination of a presidential candidate that took place too close to home.

This isn’t the kind of history the typically quiet city of about 13,000 people and its surrounding communities want to be part of: The site of the first such assassination attempt in decades, with police saying that 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park fired shots at Donald Trump just minutes into his speech.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Related

Blue-Collar Steel Town Tries To Dig Out From Day Of Infamy After Trump Shooting. “Now, Butler is in the history books for its own day of infamy.” (Erie Times-News)

Shapiro Identifies Man Killed at Trump Rally and Denounces Extreme Political Rhetoric. “Gov. Josh Shapiro called for a cooling of political rhetoric and paid tribute to Corey Comperatore, who was killed Saturday in the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Former Fire Chief Who Died At Trump Rally Used His Body To Shield Family From Gunfire. “Corey Comperatore’s quick decision to use his body as a shield against the bullets flying toward his wife and daughter rang true to the close friends and neighbors who loved and respected the proud 50-year-old Trump supporter, noting that the Butler County resident was a “man of conviction.”” (AP)

Plum Man In Medically Induced Coma After Being Shot at Trump Rally. “David Dutch, 57, was shot in the liver and chest during a rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds, according to a post by the Marine Corps League, where he is a member.” (Tribune-Review)

‘Thankful It’s Over:’ Jamie Walsh Declares Victory in 117th District. “Republican challenger Jamie Walsh declared victory in the tumultuous 117th House District race. The Luzerne County Bureau of Elections counted the votes for 12 provisional ballots on July 12. Walsh now has a five vote lead on Michael Cabell, with 4,735 votes to 4,730 votes, according to the county’s unofficial count.” (WVIA)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Democracy Must Stand Up to Violence. (Tribune-Review)
• The Trump Rally Shooting Is Yet Another Opportunity To Change The Nation’s Deadly Gun Culture. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Enough. Enough! (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• America Was an Inch From Catastrophe, and I Was There. (Dave McCormick)
• In ‘Eerie’ Milwaukee, the Trump Shooting Isn’t Bringing America Any Closer Together. (Will Bunch)
• Can Politics Be Mended After Trump Assassination Attempt? It Won’t Be Easy. (Chris Potter)
• Journalists Shouldn’t Just Repeat The Lies Politicians Tell Them. (Chisom Okorafor)
• Voters Should Carefully Educate Themselves About The Candidates, and About Proposals Such as Project 2025. (LNP)
• Get a Grip, Democrats. You Can Still Win This. (Bill Scher)

1 Thing

5. Angry Birds Play Game of Drones

“A fleet of drones patrolling New York City’s beaches for signs of sharks and struggling swimmers is drawing backlash from an aggressive group of seaside residents: local shorebirds.

Since the drones began flying in May, flocks of birds have repeatedly swarmed the devices, forcing the police department and other city agencies to adjust their flight plans. While the attacks have slowed, they have not stopped completely, fueling concern from wildlife experts about the impact on threatened species nesting along the coast.” (AP)

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