????  Today’s PoliticsPA Playbook. Will MAGA Forgive Trump’s Iran Plan in November? One Question Gets Trump Endorsement For Garrity. Political Consultant Kept Working As Fraud Claims Piled Up. PennDOT Says No to These Vanity Plate Requests.

????  Your Morning Pick Me Up. War. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

PA Weather
????️  Stoneboro | Decreasing Clouds, 40
????️  Spruce Creek | Gradual Clearing, 36
????️  Montrose | Becoming Sunny, 30

PA Sports 
????  Sixers (33-27) | Boston 98-114 | Tue vs. San Antonio
????  Flyers (27-21-11) | Boston 3-1 | Mon at Toronto
????  Penguins (31-15-13) | NY Rangers 2-3 (SO) | Vegas 5-0 | Tue at Boston

????  Tips. PoliticsPA is Pennsylvania’s premier source for nonpartisan political news and analysis. Tips or press releases can be sent to [email protected].

????  The PoliticsPA Playbook is compiled by Steve Ulrich. To read in your browser, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe for free. 

Top Story

1.   A Potential War In Iran Is A Huge Break from Trump’s Campaign Promises. Will It Matter in November?

“The MAGA base has forgiven President Donald Trump for a lot, but the latest strikes in Iran may prove to be a breaking point.

In the aftermath of the weekend’s launch of “major combat operations,” Trump repeatedly said something many of his supporters would never say: American casualties as part of regime change in a foreign country are necessary and worth the sacrifice.” | NOTUS

Elsewhere

Pennsylvania Responds to Strikes on Iran. “President Donald Trump announced that the United States and Israel launched a major military operation against Iran early Saturday. How are Pennsylvania’s elected leaders reacting to the news?” | PoliticsPA

US Intel Did Not Suggest A Preemptive Strike From Iran Before US-Israeli Attacks, AP Sources Say. “Trump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings Sunday that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the U.S., three people familiar with the briefings said.” | AP

Slavery Exhibits At President’s House On Independence Mall Could Be Permanently Restored Under New Bill From Boyle. “U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle’s bill, called the Protecting American History Act, will restore the President’s House to its original status before the Trump administration dismantled it.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

State

2.  One Question Led To Garrity Winning Trump’s Endorsement For PA Governor

“Talking to a room of Republican insiders in Lancaster County earlier this month, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity revealed how she secured a coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump in this year’s governor’s race.

In her telling, Garrity landed Trump’s support by answering a single question.  

“I was on the phone with some committee people and Scott Perry starts blowing up my phone: ‘Hey, POTUS has a question. Call me,’ ” Garrity said” | WITF

Elsewhere

No Fort Indiantown Gap Protocol Exists For Shapiro’s Safety, Police Commissioner Says After GOP Claims . “Pennsylvania’s acting police commissioner said the state never considered moving Gov. Josh Shapiro to Fort Indiantown Gap, a National Guard base in Lebanon County, after an arson attack at his official residence in Harrisburg last year.” | abc27

PA Has A Way To Cover Lost Federal Healthcare Aid, It Only Needs Dollars — A Lot Of Them. “Pennsylvania has a mechanism that could stop and even reverse the loss of healthcare coverage that has occurred since Congress didn’t renew certain Affordable Care Act tax credits. The only drawback? It would cost $600 million to fully fund, although less money could still have an impact.” | PennLive

Senators Grill PA DEP Head On Efforts To Speed Up New Power Plant Permitting. “Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee asked Thursday about the administration’s plans to ensure Pennsylvanians’ lights stay on as the commonwealth courts tech companies to build their energy-intensive artificial intelligence infrastructure here.” | Penn Capital-Star

Around The Commonwealth

3.   From Florida to Philly, A Political Consultant Kept Working As Fraud Claims Piled Up Against Her

“Philadelphia congressional candidate Chris Rabb is one of many people who say Yolanda Brown owes him money.

But none of them have been able to find her. And the allegations of impropriety against the political consultant are piling up.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

Elsewhere

‘Least Worst Option’: Carbon County Community Faces Data Center Challenges. “Penn Forest Twp. reviewed a final draft of a curative amendment to its zoning ordinance to allow data centers in an area that many residents say is not suitable for the industry. If approved, the amendment will add a zoning overlay to around 500 acres of land in a residential area of the township where Mele Brothers Realty plans to build a data center campus.” | WVIA

Pittsburgh Cannabis Advocates Say Legalization Talks Have A ‘Weird Vibe’ Amid Calls From City Council, Gov. Shapiro. “While legalization efforts are supported by state and local leaders from both sides of the political aisle, Pittsburgh cannabis advocates are concerned that little progress is actually being made.” | NEXTPittsburgh

Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• A Tyrant Falls. Dangerous Uncertainty Begins | New York Times
• How to Think About Trump’s War With Iran | Thomas L. Friedman
• The Democrats’ View of ICE May Determine The Midterms | Jonathan D. Salant
• Sen. McCormick Throws Voters, Election Workers Under The Bus | Kadida Kenner
• No Presidential Administration Should Be Allowed To Whitewash African American History | Kenyatta Johnson
• The Two Parties Have Broken With America’s Two Principles | Peter Kalis
• The Elitists Who Want To Rule The Populists — and America | Adrian Wooldridge
• Pennsylvania Deserves Better – And It’s Finally Getting It | Sen. Greg Rothman
• AI’s Growing Appetite For Power Is Putting Pennsylvania’s Aging Electricity Grid To The Test | Shixiang Zhu

1 Thing

5.   PennDOT Said ‘No’ To These Pennsylvania Vanity Plate Requests in 2025

“Some Pennsylvania motorists who applied for a personalized license plate in 2025 had “0 FOX” to give and decided they would “FAFO” if the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation would approve their risqué requests.

Pennsylvania’s 2025 list of rejected vanity plates includes old classics, like the Seinfeld-inspired “ASSMAN,” “OMFG,” and “EF CNCR” to variations of the newest words and phrases in the American lexicon, such as “GYATTT” and “HAWK2 UH.”

Others tried to slip past PennDOT’s crack team of clever codebreakers by using foreign languages. See the Italian-American slang word “FONGOOL” or the Russian “ZAEBIS,” for example.” | Erie Times-News

Thank you for starting your Monday with us.
Say hello to the new month. See you tomorrow.