????  Helloooo Friday. Time to kick back and relax. Have a great weekend.

????  Your Morning Pick-Me-Up. Dancing Queen, ABBA

PA Weather
????️  Avonmore | Mostly Cloudy, 80
????️  York Springs | Mostly Cloudy, 80
????️  Villanova | Mostly Sunny, 83

PA Sports
⚾  Phillies (55-41) | Fri-Sun vs. LA Angels
⚾  Pirates (39-58) | Fri-Sun vs. Chicago White Sox
⚽  Union (14-4-5) | Sat vs. Houston

????  Voices of Reason: Inside the Fight For Truth in Pennsylvania. “What happens when government documents accidentally fall into a reporter’s hands? And why do some explosive stories never make the front page? Award-winning investigative journalist Todd Shepherd from Broad + Liberty joins host Steve Ulrich and takes us inside the world of investigative reporting in Pennsylvania — where exposing the truth means battling bureaucracy, political pressure, and media silence.” (Voices of Reason)

????️  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.   Trump Will Sue the WSJ, Directs Bondi to Unseal Epstein Material

“President Donald Trump said Thursday he would sue the Wall Street Journal and its owner over a new bombshell report about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to begin the process of unsealing grand jury testimony in the disgraced financier’s criminal case.” (POLITICO)

Elsewhere

10 Things I Think I Think. It’s the middle of July … hottest it has been in these parts in some time … and the wettest as well. And here are the 10 things I think I think.” (PoliticsPA)

Political Analyst Says Medicaid, SNAP Cuts Could Haunt PA Republicans in 2026 Midterms. “Republican candidates running in 2026 in Pennsylvania will face trouble responding to Democratic attacks over President Donald Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” according to a new analysis of the legislation’s political impact.” (PennLive)

Pennsylvania Public Media Organizations Brace For Loss of Federal Funding. “Viewers and listeners across Pennsylvania are now seeing and hearing new announcements accompanying their favorite public broadcasting programs.” (Penn Capital-Star)

Trump Lawyer Bove Gets 3rd Circuit Backing As Democrats Walk Out. “Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley characterized Bove as a qualified nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, which hears cases from Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Virgin Islands.” (Roll Call)

$5,000-per-Plate Dinner With McCormick at Carnegie Museum Spurs Backlash. “A private event billed as a dinner and fireside chat featuring U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and his wife at the Carnegie Museum of Art has generated backlash and raised concerns about the propriety of the museum offering space for such a gathering, which cost $5,000 to attend.” (TribLIVE)

State

2.   Pennsylvania’s Budget Is Over 2 Weeks Late. We Still Don’t Know What’s In It

“Pennsylvania’s state budget is more than two weeks late and — with the exception of perhaps a dozen people or fewer in a state of 13 million — almost no one can say what it currently includes. That goes for most of the lawmakers themselves, who are shut out of closed-door negotiations but will be expected to approve a $50 billion plan with little time to study it.” (WESA Politics)

Elsewhere

Key PA Senate Republican Shoots Down Recreational Cannabis Proposals During Late Budget Update. “Senate Appropriations Chairman Scott Martin spoke optimistically as he updated reporters about the late state budget Thursday, despite highlighting lawmakers’ disagreements over Medicaid and education funding in Pennsylvania.” (LNP)

Shapiro Puts Politics Aside to Boost Emerging Technology Jobs. “Gov. Josh Shapiro said that what the world saw at the Energy and Innovation Summit was the “Pennsylvania way.”” (Washington Examiner)

Advocates Say Legalizing Cannabis Opens Doors For Small Business. Do PA’s Latest Proposals Deliver? “By focusing social equity efforts on business opportunities, are lawmakers missing the bigger picture?” (Penn Capital-Star)

How a Bipartisan Push — And Backing From Farmers — Helped End Pennsylvania’s Sunday Hunting Ban. “After years of debate, Pennsylvania’s near-total ban on Sunday hunting is off the books thanks to a bipartisan push, an unlikely political advocate, and a key policy shift from the state’s farm lobby.” (Spotlight PA State College)

Perry Raises Nearly $900k in Latest Quarter; Stelson Tops $500k in 10th District Race. “Both campaigns released statements touting their second-quarter fundraising totals in what could shape up to be a rematch of the 2024 10th Congressional District general election that Perry won by about 5,100 votes.” (PennLive)

Around The Commonwealth

3.  Ripple Effects of Lack of PA State Budget Already Hitting K-12 Schools

““It delays hiring staff. It delays or closes summer programs,” said Sherri Smith, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. And, she said, it crimps the planning process for 500 school districts that will start welcoming students back in about a month.” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Elsewhere

PASSHE Raises Tuition For First Time in 7 Years; Seeks 6.5 Percent Increase in State Funding. “According to a release from PASSHE, the board would consider rolling back the rate if “the state provides sufficient funding as part of the current state budget negotiations.”” (Lock Haven Express)

Is Philly’s DA Race Over? Republicans Are Polling Whether Democrat Pat Dugan Could Beat Larry Krasner As the GOP Nominee. “This year’s Philadelphia district attorney race ended in May, when two-term incumbent Larry Krasner walloped former Municipal Court Judge Patrick Dugan in the Democratic primary. Or did it?” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Data Centers Are Encroaching On This Pennsylvania Town, So Locals Are Taking Action Early. “Data center debates have taken over local discussions in a rural Northeast Pennsylvania community — and no one has even applied to build one yet. ” (Technical.ly)

Erie City Council President Witherspoon Claims He Shot Man in the Head Decades Ago. “Community members spoke to Erie City Council for more than two hours July 16 regarding the death of Erie’s Marchello D. Woodard. Then Erie City Council President Mel Witherspoon spoke.” (Erie Times-News)

Editorial

4.  Speak Your Mind

• Emil Bove and the Trump Judiciary. (Wall Street Journal)
• Let the Spin About Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Begin. (Jonathan D. Salant)
• Energy Summit Aims to Write a New Narrative For Pennsylvania. (Zach Silber)
• Killing Skill Games. (Sen. Gene Yaw)
• AI Data Centers Haven’t Got a Friend in PA. (Ethan Dodd)
• Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump and the Unexpected Consequences of Encouraging Supporters. (Lori Falce)

1 Thing

5.   Pittsburgh Is Only Metro in U.S. Where Buying a Home Is Cheaper Than Renting

“If you’re looking to buy a home in the United States, Pittsburgh may be a good place to start, according to a new report from Realtor.com. 

According to June 2025 data from the real estate listings website, Pittsburgh was the only metropolitan area in the country where buying a starter home is cheaper than renting one.” (City & State)

Thanks for starting your Friday with us.
Enjoy your weekend … I know I will … and see you Monday.