🏈 Good Morning. So tell me, are you ready for some football?

PA Weather
☀️ Karns City | Sunny, 79
☀️ Smethport | Sunny, 75
☀️ Royersford | Sunny, 78

PA Sports
⚾ Phillies (83-56) | Toronto 4-2 | Thu-Sun vs. Miami
⚾ Pirates (65-74) | Cubs 0-12 | Thu-Sun vs. Washington
🏈 Eagles (0-0) | Fri vs. Green Bay

👂 What We’re Hearing. “When you look at Pennsylvania and what determines our 19 electoral votes, it’s going to be the middle of the state; it’s the margins that will determine it,” James Heckman, treasurer of Demstock, said. “And it’s the connections made around this fire that help get that done.”

👂 What We’re Hearing II. Gov. Josh Shapiro will canvass with PA-10 candidate Janelle Stelson on Thursday.

🎯 Prediction. Allan Lichtman has made his prediction for who his Keys to the White House indicate will win the White House. We’ll let you watch the video.

🗞️ You Asked for PA News. We Deliver. 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. Harris, Trump Have Agreed to Rules For Philly Presidential Debate

“The rules for next week’s presidential debate in Philadelphia are officially set after Vice President Kamala Harris’ and former President Donald Trump’s campaigns agreed to a list of guidelines that include muting candidates’ microphones when they are not speaking, debate host ABC News said Wednesday.

The battle between the campaigns over the muted microphones at the debate at the National Constitution Center had grown increasingly contentious.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

Fox News Town Hall in Harrisburg Equals Nationally Televised Lovefest For Trump. “For former President Donald J. Trump, Wednesday’s town hall in Harrisburg was more like batting practice. Fox News broadcaster Sean Hannity — with help from pre-selected audience members — teed up all of Trump’s favorite whipping boys from Democrats to undocumented immigrants to the “fake news media,” and then sat back as the former president tried to smash them out of the park.” (PennLive)

• Donald Trump Speaks To His Base In Sean Hannity’s ‘Town Hall’ in Harrisburg. (WITF)

Harris to Call Pittsburgh Home As She Prepares For Tuesday’s Debate. “Vice President Kamala Harris will spend the next few days in Pittsburgh to prepare for Tuesday’s debate against former President Donald Trump.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Walz Returns to Pittsburgh As Part of Two-Day Swing Through Crucial Battleground State of PA. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• VP Nominee Tim Walz Talks Little Policy, Accepts No Questions in Lancaster County ‘Volunteer Appreciation’ Visit. (LNP | Lancaster Online)

Pennsylvania Emerges As Pivotal Harris-Trump Battleground. “Pennsylvania is shaping up as a challenge for Vice President Harris in the presidential race, as a new CNN poll shows her tied with former President Trump in the state and badly trailing him among male voters.” (The Hill)

State

2. Casey, McCormick Agree to October Debate

“Sen. Bob Casey Jr. and Dave McCormick have agreed to debate on October 3 in Harrisburg.

The candidates will square off at the studios of WHTM-TV (abc27) with political editor Dennis Owens serving as the moderator.

A release from the Casey campaign stated that the three-term Democratic incumbent has also agreed to debate his Republican challenger on October 9 and 15 in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, respectively.

The McCormick campaign said that the campaign has yet to agree to those additional debates, although she said the Republican did agree to a debate with Pittsburgh NBC station WPXI that Casey has not responded to.” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

GOP Appeals Date Ruling On Mail-In Ballots to PA Supreme Court. “The Republican National Committee and Republican Party of Pennsylvania are appealing a Commonwealth Court ruling that mail-in ballots with incorrect or missing dates on their outer envelopes should be counted.” (Greensburg Tribune-Review)

Erie County (N.Y.) Political Volunteers Are Heading to Pennsylvania. “Political volunteers in Western New York aren’t taking anything for granted but recognize it’s been 40 years since a Republican presidential candidate last carried the state. However, just about two hours away, in Erie, Pennsylvania, it’s a different story.” (Spectrum News)

Podcast: Why the Candidates Are Investing So Much Time and Energy Into Pennsylvania. “NPR tracked where the candidates are investing the most travel time and money. Unsurprisingly, the most competitive states are receiving the most attention — especially Pennsylvania, which is essential to both candidates’ path to the White House.” (NPR)

Commonwealth Foundation Names Former GOP Lawmaker Andrew Lewis as Incoming CEO. “Lewis will take over on Sept. 19 from outgoing CEO Charles Mitchell, who announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down to pursue other work in conservative policy.” (PennLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Fireworks, Moonshine and Strategizing: Camping Out With Rural Democrats Who May Swing Pennsylvania

“Vice President Kamala Harris won’t come close to winning in Jefferson County, a rural area tucked in the middle of Pennsylvania that has only voted for a Democratic presidential candidate once in its history.

Yet the hundreds of Democrats who descended on the county fairgrounds recently couldn’t feel more at home.

They gathered for Demstock, the annual part-therapy, part-campout, part-strategy session over two days at the end of August. County and regional leaders made connections and traded suggestions for getting out the vote in places where they say it’s not only isolating to be a Democrat but dangerous.” (NOTUS)

Elsewhere

Biden Reportedly Preparing to Block Sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon. “President Joe Biden is preparing to block the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, the Washington Post reported Wednesday, and the company cast doubt on its future in Pittsburgh should the deal not go through.” (PoliticsPA)

• U.S. Steel Says It Could Leave Pittsburgh If Nippon Deal Falls Through As Biden Plans to Block Takeover. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Fetterman, Casey Blast U.S. Steel Warning That Blocked Sale Could Trigger Closings, Company Move. (PennLive)

On Prices, Production and Employment, Campaigns Offer Wildly Different Takes. Here Are the Facts For the Pittsburgh Area. “The Pittsburgh area is a swing region in an up-for-grabs state. Perceptions of the regional economy could decide the White House. The numbers say the region has done well, but has weaknesses.” (Public Source)

Gaughan: County Can’t Cut Its Way Out of Structural Deficit. “Lackawanna County will move quickly to act on the recommendations of a management audit of county operations but won’t be able to simply cut its way out of a structural deficit that could balloon to about $25 million next year, Commissioner Bill Gaughan said.” (Scranton Times-Tribune)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• These 12 Pennsylvania Voters Could Decide The Election. They Aren’t Thrilled About It. (Patrick Healy, Kristen Soltis Anderson and Adrian J. Rivera)
• Trust the Math With Election Integrity. (Greensburg Tribune-Review)
• Here’s How the Harris-Trump Debate Could Sound With Open Mics. (John Baer)
• The High Cost of Police Misconduct. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• City Data Proves Heisler Right: Pittsburgh’s Finances Are a Disaster. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Open Borders Are Anti-Worker. (Kyle Sammin)

1 Thing

5. Party of One

“You know what’s better than splitting a delicious dessert with a loved one? Not splitting it. And US diners seem to agree — solo dining reservations have climbed 29% over the past two years, according to data from restaurant reservation site OpenTable via AP News.

Solo dining is particularly popular with travelers, and 69% of American baby boomers say they choose to dine solo mainly when traveling alone.

But how often are people jetting off by themselves?” (AP)

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