Exclusive: Welch to Enter Senate Race. Chester County businessman and former congressional candidate Steven Welch will enter the race for U.S. Senate. Some are already calling him the establishment candidate.

GOP Win NYC: Pennsylvania Republicans rejoice as GOPer Bob Turner won yesterday’s special election to replace Rep. Anthony Weiner. Republican Mark Amodei won another special out in rural Nevada.

State Takeover? Harrisburg City Council voted down Mayor Thompson’s recovery plan again last night, setting up a showdown between city officials and the state government.

Constitution Center Poll: A new Constitution Center/AP poll finds that Americans have a severe lack of faith in government. The health care mandate is especially unpopular.

Flooding responses: 19 PA counties earned a federal disaster declaration, VP Biden is coming to NEPA to tour the damage, and PoliticsPA takes a look at how our statewide elected officials handled the crisis.

Redistricting: Check PoliticsPA later today for updates on two redistricting stories: developments on the GOP proposal to split the state’s electoral votes, and the commission meeting today in Pittsburgh.

National
Politico: A Keystone State Divided?
National Review: What Happened to Joe Miller? Look In Pa.
Government Executive Magazine: Rep. Fitzpatrick Introduces Legislation That Would Pay Military Personnel and Federal Law Enforcement If There Were A Government Shutdown
New York Times: Rep. Schwartz Would Like To See Obamacare Take Root Before Congress Makes Additional Changes
McClatchy Newspapers: Rep. Shuster Comments On The Future of Amtrak
Bloomberg: Rep. Doyle Asks Fellow Congressman For ‘Definitive Timeline’ In EPA Cement Regulation
State College: DHS: New airport security policy for kids under 12
Erie Times- News: Census: U.S poverty rate soars to a 17 year high

Statewide
Patriot-News: Harrisburg, Daupin County get Pa. National Guard to Help Pump Water From Shipoke Residents’ Basements
Tribune-Review: Pennsylvania Counties to Receive Federal Disaster Aid
Post Gazette: State Poised to Regulate Marcellus Shale Drilling
Post Gazette: State Backs Out of Buying City’s Courts Building
Tribune-Review: Senate Republicans Detail Scope of Bonus Investigation
Tribune-Review: GOP Plan Could Jeopardize Pennsylvania’s Political Clout
Intelligencer: Fitzpatrick Bill Would Ensure Military Pay
Sun Gazette: 12 charged with looting during Pa.  floods
WITF: FEMA Urges People to Register For Disaster Aid
PA Senate Republicans: Senator Pileggi Unveils Proposal to More Fairly Allocate Electoral College Votes
Capitol Ideas: White House Issues Major Disaster Declaration For Declaration For Flood Zone
WHYY Newsworks: Taxpayers send $12 million to lawyers in bonusgate probe
Capitol Ideas: Metcalfe Goes to Michigan
Capitol Ideas: Max Who Gov. Corbett Gets An Early Challenger
witf: Could Pennsylvania’s State Forests Handle Additional Drilling?
witf: Links: PA Gets Federal Flood Aid, State Lawmakers Eager to Pass Drilling Bill and More
PA Independent: Republican Plan Would Change Presidential Electoral Process in Pennsylvania
State Impact: In First Web Ad, DePasquale Talks Drilling
State Impact: Conoco Tries to Spur Greater Use of Natural Gas
State Impact: Toxic Flood Residue Is Still Dangerous
State Impact: Wind Power Coming to Lycoming County
State Impact: Pipeline Comapny Won’t Seek Public Utility Status, After All
State Impact: Drilling Foes Take Their Case to the Ballot Box
State Impact: Proposed Shell Refinery Could Create 17,000 Jobs
State Impact: Drill Bits: No Love For the EPA; Roads Closed In North Central PA
Phillynow.com: Fact-checking Rick Santorum’s depressing new ad, line-by-line
AP, Fox Philadelphia: Pa. Federal judge rules against insurance mandate
KYW Newsradio: Pa. reports thousands of flood-damaged buildings, Philadelphia receives federal aid for hurricane Irene

Philly
Philadelphia Inquirer: Fate of new Philadelphia zoning code is uncertain
Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. Supreme Court in Phila. for video debut
PhillyClout: District Council 33 gives Karen Brown the boot from HQ
Philly.com: Conservative and Liberal, living together in harmony
Heard in the Hall: Philadelphia to get FEMA money
PhillyClout: Veto overrides coming in Council on Thursday
Phillynow.com: ‘Contagion: Not just a movie’ begins new front in earned sick days fight
AP, ABC Philadelphia: Pa. Supreme court hears cases at historic site

Philly Burbs
PhillyBurbs: Council Hears From Woodwinds Residents Over Flooding
Philadelphia Inquirer: Vote Thursday on West Chester courthouse parcel
Philadelphia Inquirer: 27 Pennsylvania counties cleared for U.S. disaster aid
WHYY Newsworks: In first web ad, DePasquale talks drilling
Pottstown Mercury: Drivers invited to forum tonight on 422 tolls

Pittsburgh
Early Returns: Fed judge in PA rules against insurance mandate
Early Returns: Meet Vernon for U.S. Senate
Early Returns: Dems in trouble? Tomblin goes negative
Early Returns: Welch to enter US Senate Race
KDKA: Fitzgerald kicks off county executive fall campaign
KDKA: State Senators meet over UPMC, highmark feud
Post-Gazette: State poised to regulate Marcellus Shale drilling
Post-Gazette: White house invitation gets message across
Post-Gazette: Fitzgerald backs senior tax breaks, blasts assessments
Tribune Review: Allegheny County seeks bids to revise air pollution codes
Tribune Review: State won’t buy courts building from Pittsburgh

Southwest
Observer-Reporter: Lawmaker granted exception to present judge with information
Indiana Gazette: Boockvar sets sights on state judicial seat

South Central
Public Opinion: Chambersburg Borough Council to Buy Cheaper Electricity
Carlisle Sentinel: Superior Court To Convene at Penn State
Patriot News: Flood Victims Should Seek Federal Aid
Lancaster Online: Nothing Fair About Denver Flood
Lebanon Daily News: Health Dept Warns Of Long Term Flood Damage

NEPA
Times Tribune: Biden To Visit Wyoming Valley This Week
Times Leader: Small Cities Have Trouble Paying for 9/11 Memorials
Citizen’s Voice: Corbett – $5.7 Million Needed In PA Counties
Standard Speaker: ACLU Surveyor Found Not Guilty
Pocono Record: Former Judge Candidate Charged With Falsifying Petition

North by Northwest
Erie Times-News: Millcreek officer reprimanded for getting signatures for government study question
Courier Express: DuBois residents object to rezoning suggestions
Centre Daily: Obama issues flood disaster declaration for Pa.
Sun Gazette: Looting reported
Sun Gazette: Cleanups are being scheduled

Opinion
John Baer, Daily News: GOP: Get other people
Public Opinion: PA To Try To Skew 2012 Playing Field
Patriot News: There Is A Way Forward For The US Postal Service
Sun Gazette: Fine them
Philadelphia Inquirer: Obama’s Plan Can Work
Daily News: How to Find Excitement in the Zoning Code
Philadelphia Inquirer: School Violence Needs a New Approach
Philadelphia Inquirer: The Good Corporate Citizen
Daily News: Help Fallen Heroes
Tribune-Review: 5 Myths About Cheney
Tribune-Review: Obama Still Doesn’t Get It
Post-Gazette: A town hall meeting confronts religion and politics
Indiana Gazette: Terry Anderson: A new Democrat?
Philadelphia Daily News: How to find excitement in the Zoning Code
Pottstown Mercury: More partisan malarky distorts public debate

Blogs
Young Philly Politics: Six months after the end of adultBasic
Lehigh Valley Ramblings: Why private management will fail at Gracedale
John Hanger: Climate study underlines paradox of replacing coal with gas or anything
2 Political Junkies: Sally Kern’s at it again
PA Water cooler: Ten years after 9/11, Ground Zero shows America’s weakness
NEPArtisan: News that makes us lose
Penn Patriot: Stalling our economy one company at a time
Keystone Politics: Harrisburg in danger of being taken over by the state
Oil & Gas Journal: Rep. Shuster Involved In Passing Pipeline Safety Reauthorization
American Center For Law & Justice: Rep. Shuster & Rep. Pitts Signs Letter Asking U.S. Supreme Court To Consider Arizona Immigration Law