First Read – Aug. 5, 2024

WEATHER: Philadelphia: patchy fog, then sunny, high of 93; Harrisburg: patchy fog, then sunny, high of 94; Pittsburgh: hot, high of 92.

FROM CITY & STATE:

* ICYMI: A vibrant Main Street can be the lifeblood of a community, particularly in rural parts of the commonwealth, where residents often seek that third place outside the home and workplace where people can converge and converse without a social or financial barrier.  

From breweries and boutiques to bike shops and brunch spots, the commonwealth’s downtowns are striving to provide those third places – and the economic growth essential for the success of the surrounding community. 

* Pennsylvania law allows lawmakers and public officials to accept trips, travel, and lodging from various sources – as long as they don’t accept such things in exchange for official government actions. City & State sifted through ethics disclosures for 2023 to see where lawmakers traveled to – and why.

NEW THIS MORNING:

* Democrats have unified with remarkable speed behind Vice President Kamala Harris. It may be another story when it comes to a running mate – especially if her pick is Gov. Josh Shapiro, the Associated Press reports.

* More than a week after Harris’ debut as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, the buzz around her candidacy – and JD Vance’s on the GOP ticket – is still fresh in the collar counties, The Washington Post reports.

* Sen. John Fetterman is concerned about the possibility that Harris might choose Shapiro as her running mate, and his advisers have privately relayed those worries to Harris’ team, Politico reports.

* Harris’ presidential campaign is unveiling a “Republicans for Harris” coalition whose Pennsylvania co-chairs are a former congressman and a one-time Lancaster County GOP leader, PennLive reports.

* State lawmakers have spent more than $4.2 million on legal bills as they fight over the commonwealth’s participation in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the multistate effort to combat climate change, Spotlight PA reports.

*  A video posted by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker promoting Shapiro as Harris’ vice president nominee left many confused, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

* After a federal investigation, officials concluded a hostile environment towards Jewish students has been in place at Drexel for about a year and a half, The Times of Israel reports.

* Sen. Bob Casey delivered a hopeful message regarding the national fight against fentanyl trafficking in a Saturday visit to Lancaster city, LancasterOnline reports.

EDITORIAL PAGES:

* The Inquirer has an op-ed by Michael Mellon, who writes that there are over 150 content channels dedicated to the issues in Kensington, Philadelphia, many of them filled with videos of human suffering that are monetized online. It is a microcosm of a much larger privacy issue.

NATIONAL POLITICS:

* In the space of three days last week, the Sept. 11 court case was rocked by two decisions that stunned victims’ families and jolted a political debate, The New York Times reports.

* President Joe Biden’s withdrawal and Harris’ selection as the presumptive Democratic nominee have reset the electoral map in the race for the White House, The Washington Post reports.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: to former U.S. Rep. Michael F. Doyle … to Roy Wells, principal at Triad Strategies … and to Jeff Moyer, retired CEO, Rodale Institute … Want to wish someone a happy birthday in our newsletter? Email their name, job title and upcoming birthday to editor@cityandstatepa.com.

TODAY’S SKED:

No events scheduled today.

KICKER: 

“I recognize that at this moment, in probably every moment in my life, folks are judging me from the outside. And that’s fine.” – Shapiro, via Politico