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👂 What We’re Hearing. “Like a first date, a voter must get “the feels” before they entertain the wonk of inflation reduction or stories about your awkward brother.”

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Top Story

1. Pennsylvania is Slipping Out of Trump’s Reach. Vibes, Not Policy, Will Decide the Race

“David Urban is worried — and he should be. The native Pennsylvanian knows the Keystone State. As a senior advisor to Donald Trump in 2016, he helped deliver Pennsylvania and, thus, the White House to his boss. But the veteran politico, who is now a senior strategist with the BGR Group, can smell the odor of a losing campaign.

Urban senses that Pennsylvania, the nation’s key tipping point state, is slipping away. He fumed to me: “Trump had the big positions, the vibes, and the themes. But with Harris there are no themes except: we are not Trump and abortion.”

Flipping the script, it is Harris who now leads Trump in Pennsylvania and a series of key battleground states. But some knew this before they saw the polls.” (UnHerd)

Elsewhere

Harris Faces Her ‘Toughest’ Battleground Fight Against Trump in Pennsylvania. “The entire presidential election may come down to just one state: Pennsylvania. And it’s setting up to be the trickiest battleground for Vice President Kamala Harris to win.” (NBC News)

Trump Tells Jewish Republicans ‘Israel is Gone’ If Harris Wins. “Former President Donald Trump told a crowd of Jewish Republicans that if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidential election this fall that “Israel is gone” and said Jewish Democrats who support Biden should have their “head examined.”” (POLITICO)

Hurt Pennsylvania’s Workers to Win Pennsylvania’s Votes? “Have populist politics gotten so out of control that politicians believe they need to hurt Pennsylvania’s workers in order to win Pennsylvania’s electoral votes?” (National Review)

Erie Ending: Walz Completes Two-Day Solo Vice Presidential Campaign Swing in Pennsylvania. “Gov. Tim Walz capped his solo two-day barnstorming trip to Pennsylvania with a rally in Erie, managing to hit three of four corners of the state that is of monumental importance to both presidential tickets in November.” (Minnesota Star Tribune)

How Sen. Bob Casey Became Democrats’ Go-To Messenger on ‘Greedflation’ — Among the Biggest Issues For the Party Ahead of November. “Casey’s plan to attack price gouging has been embraced by Kamala Harris and other top Democrats, but it’s also attracted some criticism ahead of his high stakes reelection contest against Dave McCormick.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

McCormick Outlines ‘Playbook in Pennsylvania.’ Can GOP Adopt It Nationally? “Plenty of Republicans say they want to focus on policy, not vibes, complaining that Democrats have gotten an early pass on substance from the moment Harris replaced President Biden as the nominee. Many have struggled all summer to reframe the conversation. But while the GOP has lost ground nationally this summer, McCormick is gaining ground in Pennsylvania.” (RealClear Politics)

State

2. Why PA Voters Without College Degrees Are Souring on Democrats

“In 2020, President Joe Biden won Pennsylvania by improving on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 performance among almost every kind of voter in the state.

But there were exceptions.

More than two in five precincts across the state were worse for Biden than they were for Clinton. And while those precincts ranged from rural to suburban to dense urban areas, nearly all had one thing in common: On average, they had far lower rates of college education than the rest of the state.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Elsewhere

Pennsylvania Voters Can Cast a Provisional Ballot If Their Mail Ballot Is Rejected, Court Says. “A court decided Thursday that voters in the presidential battleground of Pennsylvania can cast provisional ballots in place of mail-in ballots that are rejected for a garden-variety mistake they made when they returned it.” (AP)

Battleground Ballots: How Pennsylvania’s 2020 Problems Could Drag 2024 Counting On For Days. “Pennsylvania is poised to face many of the same challenges in 2024 that it experienced in the 2020 election which led to the state not being called for President Joe Biden until days after Election Day.” (Washington Examiner)

What You Need to Know About Russia’s Alleged Election Scheme Targeting Pennsylvania Voters. “The United States is accusing Russia plotters of meddling with the presidential election again, and Pennsylvania is among the alleged targets.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Questions, Political Finger-Pointing Follow Crash Involving PA Senate Candidate Ruscitto. “A Saturday vehicle crash in Clairton involving Democratic state Senate candidate Nicole Ruscitto has generated questions and finger-pointing after the county’s Republican committee leader asked publicly “why no breathalyzer was administered” following the crash.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Action Unlikely on Relief For Abuse Victims, Other Proposed Constitutional Amendments Before Deadline. “Six far-reaching proposals to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution are unlikely to get the final legislative votes they need to reach voters in the near future.” (Spotlight PA)

Around The Commonwealth

3. Fact Check: Is There Illegal Voting by Noncitizens in Pennsylvania?

“The law in Pennsylvania is specific.

Only registered voters can vote and have it officially counted in Pennsylvania elections.

That said, many unregistered voters go to the polls on Election Day, especially during presidential election cycles. What happens when they do?” (PoliticsPA)

Elsewhere

It’s Not Hype That Pennsylvania Could Decide the 2024 Presidential Election. It’s Math. “And whether Pennsylvania goes red or blue in November — Harris is leading Trump by 3 percentage points, according to the latest Washington Post polling data — could ultimately come down to voting in the Philly suburbs, which proved to be a major reasons the state flipped parties from 2016 to 2020.” (PhillyVoice)

Shapiro Steps Up Negotiations as Biden’s Potential Block of U.S. Steel Deal Jolts Region. “After reports that President Joe Biden would block the $14.9 billion takeover of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, Pennsylvania’s governor says he’s engaged in talks with “workers, the private sector, and the Biden Administration” to save thousands of jobs in the state.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Rating Changes: Seven House Races Shift on Divided Battlefield. “Public and private polling shows Harris is matching or exceeding Biden’s 2020 performance, pulling close in the presidential race and improving Democrats’ chances of gaining the four seats they need.” (Roll Call)

Nouri Pushing Authenticity In Attempt to Unseat Kelly In ‘Gerrymandered’ 16th District. “Preston Nouri knows he’s up against a large challenge in November, but thinks he can tap into the youth vote and those who feel left out in the partisan politics of 2024.” (New Castle News)

School Choice: Vouchers ‘On the Ballot’ For GOP as Election Approaches. “It’s common in political discourse for singular issues to be identified as “on the ballot,” depending on candidate support for those issues. As the 2024 presidential election approaches, school choice is squarely on the ballot.” (CNHI News)

Editorial

4. What’s On Your Mind

• Everything You Know From TV About Pennsylvania and Fracking is Wrong. (Will Bunch)
• The Supreme Court Made It Crucial We Vote For a Candidate’s Character. (Bernard S. Sharfman)
• For Pennsylvania Steelworkers, the Nippon Deal Must Go Through. (Sen. Kim Ward)
• Energy and Labor Are Both Needed to Power Pennsylvania’s Future. (David Callahan and Robert Bair)
• Why Does the Trump-Harris Race Remain So Close? Racism. (Brad Bannon)
• Wanted — A New Way to Moderate a Presidential Debate. (Michael A. Nutter)

1 Thing

5. Why Cuddling a Pig Might Be Good For You

“First there were cafés that allowed pets. Then came cat cafés, where lattes. Now the latest craze in Japan is a cafe where you can have a slice of pig heaven.” (AP)

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