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August 5th Playbook

Former VP Joe Biden adds three more senior staffers to his PA campaign, while Sen. Bob Casey is named a Vice Chairman for the Democratic National Convention. Here is the Playbook.

Biden Adds 3 More Senior Staffers in PA: The Biden campaign announced that Nikkilia Lu will serve as the campaign’s Deputy State Director, Keyva Clark as the state campaign’s Coalitions Director, and Manny Guzman Jr. as the Deputy Coalitions Director for Latino Engagement.

Casey Tapped for DNC Vice Chairman: Sen. Bob Casey, who will be one of eight vice chairs of the Democratic National Convention, has been one of former Vice President Joe Biden’s earliest supporters.

Finello Withdraws From Debate in PA1: WBCB reported that Dem challenger Christina Finello withdrew from the debate due to scheduling issues. Finello fired back saying that the Fitzpatrick campaign was not willing to compromise on a series of other dates to debate.

PA8: Cartwright and Bognet Agree to One Debate: Rep. Matt Cartwright and GOP challenger Jim Bognet will square off in one debate hosted by WVIA-TV in late October.

Harrisburg & DC   
Spotlight PA: Pa. education secretary will step down in October to lead Lancaster technical college
Spotlight PA: Pa. cancels on volunteer coronavirus contact tracers, moves to hire 1,000 paid staff
AP: Wolf ed head takes new job as schools grapple with reopening
AP: Pennsylvania reports 23 new COVID-19 deaths, 854 infections
Inquirer: Trump’s warning that Biden will ‘destroy’ the suburbs is falling flat outside Philly 
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Republican lawmaker calls police after “aggressive and belligerent” call with Democratic colleague over LGBTQ bill
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Pa. Education Secretary Rivera announces departure while schools scramble for fall plans
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Republican senator presses reluctant GOP leadership for billions in state, local aid in next relief deal
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: On anniversary of landmark case, DHS faces allegations it violated law protecting those with disabilities
Patriot News: The 20 largest layoffs in Pa. so far this year: hotels, casinos, hospitals and more
Patriot News: Pa. Education Secretary resigns to become president of Lancaster County college
Patriot News: On the fence: Teachers, excited to get back in the classroom, remain concerned about coronavirus risks
Patriot News: Where are Pennsylvania’s 115,009 coronavirus cases? Aug. 4 map, county-by-county breakdown
Patriot News: Coronavirus in Pa.: 854 new cases, more than 115,000 overall
Patriot News: About 1,000 Kutztown University faculty, others see flaws in reopening plan, press for moving fall classes online
The Caucus: Pennsylvania’s charter school law get poor marks. So why do reform efforts repeatedly fail? [The Caucus archives]
Times-Tribune: Toomey Term-Limits Pledge May/May Not Hint At Future Plans  
KDKA: House Education Committee Hears Concerns About Reopening School
Erie Times-News: Casey, Wolf call for renewal of $600 unemployment payment
PLSReporter: Are government reforms on the horizon in Harrisburg? Here’s why one advocate is optimistic 
PLSReporter: Pa. education secretary will leave administration in October for job at Thaddeus Stevens College 
PLSReporter: School districts say they are ‘picking poison’ with reopening plans
The Times Leader: Casey named a DNC vice chairman
Fox News: Trump campaign makes voter-registration gains in 3 key battleground states
WHYY Newsworks: Pa. coronavirus recovery: Wolf and Casey implore Senate to extend unemployment benefits
Politico: Trump’s losing ground but Democrats should still be careful in Pennsylvania
Politico: ‘Never Trump’ Republicans team with progressives to convert the president’s religious base
Pittsburgh Business Times: Sen. Casey, Gov. Wolf to hold call urging Congress to continue $600 weekly federal unemployment compensation
CNN: Man charged with shooting at an employee after being asked to wear a mask in a Pennsylvania cigar shop, police say
Carlisle Sentinel: New unemployment boost could take ‘several months’ if federal formula gets more complicated, state labor secretary says
National Journal: Quote of the Day

Philadelphia 
WHYY Newsworks: ‘Mad or Nah:’ Philly residents react to delays in trash pickups
WHYY Newsworks: Homeless encampments shored up tents to ride out Tropical Storm Isaias 
Inquirer: Once-homeless Philly families are squatting in city-owned houses. PHA wants them out.
Inquirer: Philly police actions on 52nd Street under investigation, but distrust of cops keeps some witnesses silent
Inquirer: New cases dropping in Philly, but officials not sure why; SEPTA touts robust ventilation system; where cases are rising and falling in Pa.
Inquirer: Rethinking SEPTA’s Regional Rail could benefit Philly’s neighborhoods | Editorial
Inquirer: Trash is piling up, but people aren’t blaming Philly sanitation workers
Philadelphia Tribune: Frustration building inside local, state NAACP over Rodney Muhammad 
Billy Penn: Philly restaurant owners on tropical storm: ‘It’ll only get worse’ as seasons grow cold
Billy Penn: The first census, a stubborn City Council and tossing the ‘horseshoe’: How Philly invented the common street address system

SEPA
Bucks County Courier Times: Finello receives endorsement from Obama in 1st District race
Bucks County Courier Times: Ethics commission: Former Lower Southampton supervisor fined for ‘technical violation’ of conflict of interest rules
Daily Local News: U.S. Rep. Dean: Nation faces 3 simultaneous crises
Delco Daily Times: Chester County Health Department issues school guidance
Philadelphia Magazine: School District Board Says It Can’t Remove Embattled Official Christine Alonso
Bucks Local News: AUGUST 3 BUCKS COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE: Number of cases increase slightly over past week
Montgomery Media: Area school districts work to find coronavirus learning solutions as first day draws near
Pittsburgh 
Post-Gazette: After hydroxychloroquine violations, Rep. Conor Lamb calls for feds to investigate state response to Brighton outbreak
Post-Gazette: Nursing home COVID-19 cases spike in Allegheny County
Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Public Schools wants all teachers, staff back in buildings by early October
Post-Gazette: City, AFSME local reach six-year collective bargaining agreement
Post-Gazette: More than 200 employees of two airlines facing furloughs at Pittsburgh International Airport
Post-Gazette: Allegheny County reports more than 100 new cases of COVID-19
City Paper: Rep. Lamb votes against bill meant to protect legal-cannabis states from federal prosecution
City Paper: Pittsburgh Police have arrested dozens of BLM protesters over the past few months, including prominent organizers, and they don’t seem to be slowing down
City Paper: PHOTOS: “Stop The Station” protest marches through East Liberty
City Paper: A mural honoring Romir Talley in Wilkinsburg has been painted over
WESA: City School District Unveils Creative Remote Learning Plan That Depends On Backordered Computers
WESA: While Investment Dollars Remain Scarce, Mon Valley Communities Test A New Form Of Currency
KDKA: Rep. Conor Lamb Calls For Investigation Into Oversight Of Outbreak At Brighton Rehab And Wellness Center
KDKA: Senator Bob Casey Says Extending $600 Unemployment Benefit Is ‘The Right Thing To Do’
KDKA: Pittsburgh Public Schools Expects Teachers To Return In October
KDKA: Large Group Of Protesters Moves Through East Liberty After Gathering Outside Former Zone 5 Police Station
KDKA: WPIAL ‘Not Prepared’ For Gov. Wolf’s Comment Suggesting Schools Starting Online Should Cancel Fall Sports
KDKA: Allegheny Co. Health Dept. Reports 1 Additional Death And 132 More Coronavirus Cases
Tribune Review: U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb: Investigate state health department over coronavirus oversight at Brighton Rehab
Tribune Review: Restaurants and bars banding together to give Gov. Wolf an ultimatum
Tribune Review: New Allegheny County covid-19 cases top 100 after double-digit stretch
Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh Public Schools lays out plan to return staff to buildings

SWPA 
Beaver County Times: Lamb calls for further investigation into Brighton Rehab
Observer-Reporter: Statewide panel discusses challenges of rural hospitals
Observer-Reporter: Commissioner volunteers for vaccine trial
Observer-Reporter: CARES Act will cover postage for Nov. 3 mail-in ballots
Observer-Reporter: Township officials convention canceled
KDKA: Washington County Commissioner Signs Up For Coronavirus Vaccine Trial
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: Eight new Cambria County COVID-19 cases among 854 statewide
Tribune Review: Westmoreland County has smallest increase in new covid-19 cases since June
Altoona Mirror: City seeking up to $1M in grants
Altoona Mirror: COVID-19 stats show Blair’s surge

NEPA
Citizens Voice: Luzerne County, Pedri get mentions during White House press briefing
Citizens Voice: Months later, some still wait for unemployment money
Citizens Voice: 14 new coronavirus cases reported in Luzerne County
The Times Leader: Obama endorses Cartwright for re-election
The Times Leader: Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri “shocked” to be mentioned in White House media briefing
The Times Leader: Casey named a DNC vice chairman
The Times Leader: $2.65M in CARES Act funding announced for NEPA small businesses
The Times Leader: Toohil takes part in hearing on effect of COVID-19 on mental health
The Times Leader: Luzerne County Cares Commission debuts with moving story from member  
The Times Leader: 14 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Luzerne County; 854 statewide 
Times-Tribune: Cognetti makes personnel moves, plans structural changes in 2021 budget
Times-Tribune: Toomey Term-Limits Pledge May/May Not Hint At Future Plans
Times-Tribune: Scranton parents say no ‘right answer’ exists for return to school
Times-Tribune: Commissioners, pension board meet virtually today
Times-Tribune: Scranton School Board approves preliminary budget with 16% tax increase, vows to cut costs
Times-Tribune: Region sees first COVID-19 deaths in almost a week

South Central 
Patriot News: Three Mile Island decommissioning fight nears end amid lack of local input
Patriot News: Harrisburg School District’s financial management is improving: report
Patriot News: Where are Pennsylvania’s 115,009 coronavirus cases? Aug. 4 map, county-by-county breakdown
LNP | LancasterOnline: Lancaster County will not open police communications for public listening, commissioners decide
LNP | LancasterOnline: School District of Lancaster to start school year fully online, pivoting from original hybrid reopening plan
LNP | LancasterOnline: Ephrata mayor says he’d consider veto of proposed ordinance regarding tax exemptions
LNP | LancasterOnline: Pa. secretary of education to leave post, become Thaddeus Stevens College president
LNP | LancasterOnline: New Holland councilman fined by state for ethics violation; East Earl manager cleared
LNP | LancasterOnline: Tuesday’s COVID-19 updates: Pa. up to 115K cases; Lancaster County has 5.7K
Carlisle Sentinel: DOH: 9 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Cumberland County 
York Dispatch: York County has one new death linked to COVID-19, 15 additional cases
York Dispatch: West York officials say fireworks ordinance wouldn’t make a difference

Lehigh Valley      
Morning Call: About half of Pa. counties took a week to count election results. Lehigh Valley elections officials support proposed changes to fix that.
Morning Call: Resolution withdrawn: Allentown City Council won’t vote Wednesday to censure Siegel, Gerlach
Morning Call: Bethlehem Council fails to pass short-term rental regulations, questions whether they are too restrictive 
Express Times: Bethlehem council decides its plan to regulate Airbnb rentals goes too far
Express Times: Pa. coronavirus update: 854 new cases push total over 115K; 23 more deaths reported | Pa. COVID-19 county case map (08/04/20)
Reading Eagle: The coronavirus positivity rate for Berks County again high at over 8%

North by Northwest
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Jobless rates keep climbing; 4K out of work countywide
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Lawmaker monitoring virus outbreak at federal prison
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Lycoming County commissioners approve grant for election needs
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Transit union contract gets ‘no recommendation’
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Montoursville doles out CDBG, virus relief funds
Williamsport Sun-Gazette: Lycoming County three new COVID-19 cases
Centre Daily Times: Reopening updates: Centre County adds 1 COVID-19 case, and other updates for Aug. 4
Erie Times-News: Erie City Council, police to discuss body cameras
Erie Times-News: Erie County Council approves $24.3 million COVID-19 grant plan

Opinion  
Russ Diamond: No microaggression against Dr. Levine
Scott Perry: Dispatch editorial was partisan, reckless
Mark DiRocco: Pa.’s schools are left with few good options and little help
Katherine Gilmore Richardson: Reducing Philly’s trash requires big change. Here’s how we can start. 
Scranton Times-Tribune Editorial Board: Track bribes before moving nuke deal
Inquirer Editorial Board: Rethinking SEPTA’s Regional Rail could benefit Philly’s neighborhoods
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: No school, no sports
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Restaurants need our help now
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: A dose of hope
Post-Gazette Editorial Board: Define your terms
Ernest Owens: I’m Tired of Black Leaders Being Brought in to Clean Up White People’s Messes
David Axelrod: Federal law enforcement can reduce local crime, but not the way Trump wanted
John L. Micek: Study: Biden can lure Pa., swing state moderates on immigration | Tuesday Morning Coffee
Anna Shaw-Amoah: How can we combat the COVID slide among Pa.’s most vulnerable students?
Diana Nelson Jones: Walkabout: A time like no other
Bruce Katz, Beth Bafford, Jamie Rubin, Michael Saadine and Colin Higgins: The Virus and The City: Next Steps
Jenice Armstrong: Whether we march or not, don’t think we don’t grieve for Zamar Jones, the latest child gun violence victim 
Solomon Jones: I bought my first gun because I no longer feel safe in America 
Dan Simpson: A path toward a second-term victory
Tony Norman: An act of conscience in the midst of ongoing protests for Black lives
Gene Therapy: Books to soothe your pandemic angst. Maybe.
Will Bunch Newsletter: 50 years on the lam for a Delco ‘60s radical 
Nina G. Jablonski and George Chaplin: Why we need to unpack the word ‘race’ and find new language
Alexander Urbelis: Trump’s TikTok worries are grounded in xenophobia and fear 
Signe Wilkinson: Political Cartoon: Shaking down the TikTok deal

2 Responses

  1. Trump will stomp on Biden’s balls whenever the election is held after it is postponed.

  2. I’ve been reading the Trump attack on Biden for his age and I am wondering, “am I missing something here?” Trump is 74 and he is criticizing Biden for being to old when he is older himself. But more importantly when you get into making age an issue you sort of are insulting older voters too and saying, “you are old and a little out of it.” It’s just not smart. It’s not going to win elections especially if the candidate making the old age change is 74. In fact, I had been speaking to one man who is 80 and has a 9 golf handicap which is really impressive. A lot of golfers half his age don’t have that handicap. Old age insults are basically a last ditch “I have no other barbs to hurl at you” sort of dig. They sound pathetic too.

Email:
  • Do you agree that ByteDance should be forced to divest TikTok?


    • Yes. It's a national security risk. (60%)
    • No. It's an app used by millions and poses no threat. (40%)
    • What's ByteDance? (0%)

    Total Voters: 30

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