First Read – July 24, 2024

WEATHER: Philadelphia: showers likely, then chance of thunderstorms, high of 87; Harrisburg: scattered thunderstorms, high of 88; Pittsburgh: patchy fog, chance of thunderstorms, high of 87.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* ICYMI: The political world is already speculating about a Kamala Harris-Josh Shapiro presidential ticket – here are four things to know about Josh Shapiro and the veepstakes.

NEW THIS MORNING:

* Yesterday, Gov. Josh Shapiro denied repeatedly that any paperwork had been submitted to the Harris campaign so that it could vet him as a potential running mate, PennLive reports.

* Pennsylvania’s top police officer faced questions yesterday from lawmakers who wanted details on how the U.S. Secret Service and state and local law enforcement communicated during the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports.

* Shapiro said he allowed an incomplete bill to pass without his signature that replaces the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material” in existing state law, citing issues with clarity, The Center Square reports.

* Pennsylvania is ahead of all other states in political ad spending during this election year, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

* Local chambers of commerce say that tax credits alone fail to address the structural issues that plague the child care industry, Spotlight PA reports.

* Pennsylvania higher ed will go through a leadership change in the fall as PASSHE Chancellor Dan Greenstein announced he will resign in October to “work nationally,” The Bradford Era reports.

* Pharmacy participation in a program designed to provide cancer patients with free or reduced-cost cancer treatment drugs has grown by 900% statewide since March, but it's been poorly utilized due to state regulations, Citizens’ Voice reports. 

* Allentown City Council is looking to hire a lawyer for a proposed lawsuit against Mayor Matt Tuerk over disagreements about the hire of independent investigator Scott Curtis, The Morning Call reports.

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* Broad + Liberty has an op-ed by Salena Zito, who writes that there was a saying in western Pennsylvania when trying to assess which party will hold the majority in the state House every two years that goes, “as goes PA-17, so goes the majority.”

* The Inquirer has an op-ed by Elizabeth Wellington, who writes that through the memes and endorsements of Kamala Harris, what matters is that the people – all people – vote.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* Kamala Harris has seven options for a VP pick. Here they are, broken down into who each of them are, and what they would – and wouldn’t – bring to the ticket, The Washington Post reports. 

* The director of the Secret Service, Kimberly A. Cheatle, resigned yesterday after security failures surrounding the attempted assassination of Trump,  The New York Times reports. 

TODAY’S SKED

9:30 a.m. – The Pittsburgh City Council Standing Committee meets, Council Chambers, City-County Building, Pittsburgh. Watch here. 

9:30 a.m. – The Pittsburgh City Council Committee on Hearings and Policy meets, Council Chambers, City-County Building, Pittsburgh. Watch here. 

KICKER: 

“I was not asked and I have not submitted paperwork.” – Shapiro on submitting vetting papers to the Harris presidential campaign via PennLive