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✅ Reader Poll. Our readers say that VP Kamala Harris will select Sen. Mark Kelly (Ariz.) as her running mate. He received 43% of votes in our survey, while Gov. Josh Shapiro was second at 34%. Thanks for participating.

🎂 Happy Birthday. Cake and candles for Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

🗞️ 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. Biden Unveils Plan For Supreme Court Changes as Public Confidence In Its Decisions Sink

“President Joe Biden is unveiling a long-awaited proposal for changes at the U.S. Supreme Court, calling on Congress to establish term limits and an ethics code for the court’s nine justices. He also is pressing lawmakers to ratify a constitutional amendment that would limit presidential immunity.

The White House on Monday detailed the contours of Biden’s court proposal, one that appears to have little chance of being approved by a closely divided Congress with just 99 days to go before Election Day.” (AP)

Related

Casey is Beating McCormick in PA’s Senate Race. But the GOP Thinks Kamala Harris Will Drag Casey Down. “Despite turnover at the top of the ticket, Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. has maintained a substantial lead over Republican challenger Dave McCormick in recent polls in Pennsylvania’s nationally watched Senate race.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Trump Set to Return to Pennsylvania For Indoor Rally Wednesday in Harrisburg. “Less than three weeks after an attempt was made on his life in Butler County, former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to return to Pennsylvania for a rally Wednesday evening inside the state Farm Show complex in Harrisburg.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Text Messages Show SWAT Officers Flagged Trump Rally Shooter Long Before the Attack. “Local officers spotted Crooks nearly two hours before he opened fire — but didn’t confront him until the final minutes.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Three From PA Named to Bipartisan Task Force to Investigate Assassination Attempt. “Rep. Mike Kelly (R-16), who represents Butler, the district in which the shooting occurred, introduced the resolution and will serve as the chair. Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-04) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-06) are the other Keystone State legislators on the committee.” (PoliticsPA)

State

2. How a Sexual Harassment Scandal Involving a Shapiro Aide Could Affect the PA Governor’s VP Chances

“With Gov. Josh Shapiro emerging as a potential front-runner to become Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, one of the only scandals to mark his two decades in Pennsylvania politics has resurfaced.

Shapiro’s administration has largely avoided discussing top aide Mike Vereb in the year since, describing his departure as a private personnel matter while maintaining it “takes allegations of discrimination and harassment seriously.” His silence has drawn criticism from female state lawmakers in both parties, who have called for a more transparent accounting of what Shapiro knew about his aide’s conduct and when.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Related

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis Is Ready If His Boss Gets a New Job. “If Gov. Josh Shapiro becomes vice president, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis would become Pennsylvania’s youngest and first-ever Black governor.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Commonwealth Foundation: Harris 47, Trump 46; Casey 51, McCormick 40. “The latest Commonwealth Foundation “swing state” poll of Pennsylvania found the presidential race “too close to call” in the state, while the U.S. Senate race gap is widening.” (PoliticsPA)

Pirates, Phillies Economic Impact Reports Inform Future Public Stadium Financing. “With leases for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies coming to an end in the next seven years, political positioning has already begun on how the state will handle costs associated with a new stadium.” (The Center Square)

NRCC Lists Mackenzie, Bresnahan, Mercuri on ‘Young Guns’ List. “The National Republican Congressional Committee announced its initial list of 26 candidates for the 2024 Young Guns program, including three GOP challengers in Pennsylvania – state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan and state Rep. Rob Mercuri.” (PoliticsPA)

• National GOP to Spend $1 Million Toward Ryan Mackenzie in Race vs. Susan Wild. (Allentown Morning Call)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Shapiro, Whitmer Rally For Harris During Montgomery County Visit

“Gov. Josh Shapiro returned to his native Montgomery County on Monday with a purpose: to campaign on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris.

He wasn’t alone. A fellow Democratic heavyweight on the national stage, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, joined him at the Lower Gywnedd Township school with less than a month until the Democratic National Convention and 99 days until the 2024 general election.” (Lansdale Reporter)

Related

We Went to Pennsylvania to Ask Voters How They’re Feeling. Here’s What We Learned. “A Morning Edition team visited Pittsburgh and some of its suburbs to hear from voters in Pennsylvania about how they’re feeling about the revamped race. We knocked on doors, visited local parks and attractions and even attended a family dinner.” (NPR)

Shapiro Battle-Tested Winner Against Trump-Endorsed MAGA Candidate. Why It Matters. “As Democrats consider a replacement for the 2024 Presidential Election, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s victory over a far-right state senator two years ago could show him to be a battle-tested option for vice president.” (Bucks County Courier Times)

Shapiro Was Ready to Endorse Harris For President in 2019. Will She Want Him On Her Ticket Now? “When Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president last week, it wasn’t the first time.” (PennLive)

• Josh Shapiro Makes His Pitch to Be Vice President — Without Saying It. (NOTUS)
• How Kamala Harris’ Running Mate Could Undercut the Central Theme of Her Campaign. (Slate)
• Shapiro Could Help Harris Win Pennsylvania But Hurt Her Elsewhere. (Washington Examiner)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Josh Shapiro is a Seasoned Political Pro Who Should Be Harris’ VP. (Mary Ellen Klas)
• Gov. Shapiro’s Promises Aren’t Worth the Paper They Are Printed On. (Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill)
• Why Kamala Harris Should Choose a Republican as Her Running Mate. (Jonathan Zimmerman)
• Democrats May Have a Real Chance to Reform the Supreme Court. (Ankush Khardori)
• On VP Pick, Time For Trump to Take a Mulligan. (Bill Press)
• Harris Gives Voters a Fresh Chance to Move Forward — Instead of Reliving Trump’s Years of Chaos. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Have the 2024 Fundamentals Changed? (Stuart Rothenberg)
• PA Has a Mind-Boggling Loophole in its Gun Laws That Must Be Addressed. (Dana Bazelon)
• PA Public Transit Needs a Dedicated State Funding Stream. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Election Security is National Security — Congress Should Treat It That Way. (Carol Aichele)
• PA Needs State-Level Review of Trump Assassination Attempt. (Rep. Bryan Cutler)
• Ensuring the Future of Social Security and Medicare for Northeast Pennsylvania. (Rob Bresnahan)

1 Olympic Thing

5. Penn State’s Nedoroscik Waited His Whole Life For One Routine – Then Nailed It

“Sam Mikulak pulled Stephen Nedoroscik close and tasked the American pommel horse specialist with the impossible.

The U.S. men’s gymnastics team’s first Olympic medal in 16 years a solitary routine away, Mikulak told the pommel horse specialist that he didn’t need to go all out. That 80% would be good enough, even though Mikulak knew full well that Nedoroscik never does anything — from his sport to solving a Rubik’s Cube — at 80%.

By the time Nedoroscik neared his dismount, he knew his job was complete. The celebration began before his feet even hit the mat.” (AP)

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