👋 Just Another Manic Monday. Bringing down the curtain on July this week.

PA Weather
☀️ Ambridge | Mostly Sunny, 84
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☁️ Souderton | Mostly Cloudy, chance of storms, 85

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (65-40) | Cleveland 3-4 | Mon-Wed vs. NY Yankees
⚾ Pirates (53-52) | Arizona 6-5 | Mon-Wed vs. Houston
⚽ Union (Leagues Cup) | Charlotte 1-0 | Sun vs. Cruz Azul

✅ Reader Poll. Who Will Kamala Harris Select as Her Running Mate? (PoliticsPA)

👂 What We’re Hearing. “In what we know is gonna be a close race, I don’t think anyone wants to see Shapiro on the ticket,” said one high-ranking Republican from Pennsylvania who spoke on condition of anonymity.

🎂 Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. Patty Kim.

🗞️ Pennsylvania 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. Black Women Are Quickly Joining Forces To Support Kamala Harris’ Presidential Bid

“The Zoom call, activists say, was the start of a brewing movement of Black women who are quickly joining forces to help Harris secure a historic win in November. Thousands of Black women organizers across the country are mapping out voter registration efforts and planning conference calls, campaign events and fundraisers. Harris’ sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., announced Monday it was partnering with other Black Greek letter organizations to launch a massive nonpartisan voter mobilization campaign.

These types of collective efforts have helped Democrats win previous elections, and many Black female organizers believe they can do it again.” (Philadelphia Tribune)

Related

Biden to Push Supreme Court Term Limits, Immunity Constitutional Amendment in Monday Speech. “Biden will endorse the proposals during a speech Monday afternoon at the LBJ Presidential Library, where he will also voice support for a binding code of conduct for the justices.” (The Hill)

“It’ll Be Fixed”: Trump Tells Christians They Won’t Have to Vote Again. “Former President Trump urged Christians to vote, adding they “won’t have to vote anymore” if he reclaims the White House in November. Speaking to a conservative Christian crowd at Turning Point Action’s Believers Summit, Trump said, “Four more years, it’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”” (Axios)

Shapiro Avoided VP Speculation After Democratic Leaders Endorsed Him For the Job. “Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday refused to engage in speculation that Vice President Kamala Harris may choose him to be her running mate despite standing alongside a bevy of Democratic leaders from across the region who endorsed him for the job.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Philly Labor Unions Back Shapiro for VP. “In a large show of support, 50 labor leaders from across the Commonwealth have affixed their signatures to a letter in support of Gov. Josh Shapiro to be selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.” (PoliticsPA)

Harris Zeros in on a VP as Trump Calls Her “Crazy” “Video podcast features two titans of PoliticsPA – Larry Ceisler and David Urban – talking about prospects for Josh Shapiro.” (Mark Halperin)

State

2. With Election Less Than 100 Days Away, PA Takes National Spotlight

“With 98 days to go before the election, Pennsylvania is in full battleground state mode with presidential rallies, turn out the vote events and a governor who is among the top contenders as the Democratic vice presidential candidate.

Less than three weeks after an assassination attempt at a Butler County rally, former President Donald Trump is scheduled to return on Wednesday for a rally in Harrisburg. It will also be his first appearance in Pennsylvania since President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid.

Pennsylvania might well be the location for a highly-anticipated debate between Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.” (PennLive)

Related

Why the Thought of Josh Shapiro as Kamala Harris’ VP Nominee is Making the PA GOP Nervous. “As a growing group of Pennsylvania Democrats mount an aggressive campaign for Gov. Josh Shapiro to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Republicans in the state are watching warily.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• A New National Spotlight Shines On Josh Shapiro’s Contested Environmental Record. (Inside Climate News)
• What Kamala Harris Is Looking for in a VP. (NOTUS)
• Anti-Israel activists Organize Against Josh Shapiro For Veepstakes. (Jewish Insider)
• What Happens If Shapiro Joins Harris Ticket, Wins Election? This Man Becomes PA Governor. (Erie Times-News)

Echoes of ’68: How the 2024 Election Cycle Shows History Repeating Itself in Some Ways. “A presidential candidate is shot. A sitting president decides not to run for re-election. The Democrats gather in Chicago to nominate a candidate amid fear that antiwar demonstrators will disrupt the proceedings. And, yes, a Robert F. Kennedy is running for the White House. Welcome to 2024. Or is It just a repeat of 1968?” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

A Half-Million Records and One App: The Group Behind a Massive Effort To ‘Clean’ Voter Rolls. “Election officials across the country have been inundated with dubious complaints about inaccurate voter rolls, which have wasted government resources and sapped taxpayer money spent reviewing lists of registered voters that officials say are already carefully maintained, a CNN investigation has found. One of the main drivers of the fruitless challenges is a conservative Texas-based nonprofit group called True the Vote.” (CNN)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Court Tells Governor’s Office to Reveal More Details About Why It Hired Private Law Firms

“A three-judge Commonwealth Court panel has directed the governor’s office to reveal key details about why it spent tens of thousands in public dollars to hire private law firms.

The ruling stems from a months-long public records fight by Spotlight PA and LNP | LancasterOnline to obtain unredacted copies of legal bills and other financial documents showing the reasons for hiring outside lawyers.” (Spotlight PA)

Related

As ‘Scranton Joe’ Exits, Local Politicos See Region Retaining Influence With Potential Harris Presidency. “Joe Biden has often described his native Scranton as a place that climbs into your heart and never leaves. Now, with the 81-year-old president set to leave office after one term, Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti said she’s simultaneously heartbroken and energized.” (Scranton Times-Tribune)

McCormick Calls For Cooler Rhetoric But Has Stake In Site Hosting Hate Speech, Conspiracies. “Dave McCormick’s calls for toned-down political rhetoric have drawn renewed scrutiny of his investment in a social media platform popular on the right wing, Rumble, which has been criticized for hosting antisemitism, amplifying conspiracy theories and allowing videos with extremist rhetoric to remain available on the site.” (Penn Capital-Star)

HD-117: State Supreme Court Denies Cabell Appeal; State House Race Nearing End. “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to consider an appeal from state Rep. Mike Cabell (R-Luzerne) regarding write-in votes cast in the GOP primary in the district.” (PoliticsPA)

Democratic Candidate Nouri Unveils Congressional Reform Measures. “Preston Nouri proposes that Congress ban stock trading by its members and eliminate “dark money” contributions — donations sent through political action committees that aren’t required to publicly reveal their donors’ identities.” (Meadville Tribune)

Candidate Spotlight Series: Joe D’Orsie. “We reached out to candidates all across the Commonwealth up for election to public office — Democrats and Republicans, incumbents and challengers. Those who responded will have their answers shared on our website.” (Broad + Liberty)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• My Plan to Reform the Supreme Court and Ensure No President Is Above the Law. (President Joe Biden)
• Should Josh Shapiro Even Want To Be Vice President? (Kyle Sammin)
• With Kamala Harris Atop The Ticket, I Feel Pride and Anxiety — Mixed With a Realization: She Can Win. (Solomon Jones)
• ‘The Lord Almighty,’ Divine Intervention, and the Misplaced Role of Religion in Politics. (Jonathan Zimmerman)
• We’re Talking About Secret Service After Trump Shooting. Why Aren’t We Talking About Guns? (Sara Pequeño)
• The Pauline Kael Trap That Could Catch Kamala Harris. (Brandon McGinley)
• Our American Shakespearean Drama is Being Written. (Brian Howey)
• Trump, Harris On Opposite Sides of 2nd Amendment Debate. (Dan McCaleb)
• Now It’s the Democrats Who Are Energized. (Joseph Sabino Mistick)

1 Holiday Thing

5. Summerween

“Halloween is three months away — but retailers are promoting the spooky holiday earlier than ever. Some are calling it “Summerween.”

Why it matters: There’s a race to move holiday merchandise early and push shoppers to spend more money. Home Depot was the first major retailer to push Halloween decor online, including 12-foot skeletons — back in April, months earlier than last year Lowe’s and Target are also selling Halloween merchandise online earlier than in past years. (Axios)

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