👷 Happy Labor Day Weekend. We’re off Monday for the holiday. And thank you to everyone that makes the dream work. 

🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. Workin For A Livin. Huey Lewis & The News

PA Weather
☂️  Pittsburgh | Mostly Cloudy, Showers, 86
☀️  Harrisburg | Mostly Sunny, 86
☀️  Philadelphia | Mostly Sunny, 87

PA Sports 
⚾  Phillies (79-61, -4.0 GB, +5.5 GB WC) | Fri-Mon vs. Atlanta
⚾  Pirates (69-72, -5.0 GB WC) | San Francisco 5-2 | Fri-Sun vs. LA Angels
🏈  Penn State (0-0) | Sat vs. Marshall
🏈  Pitt (0-0) | Sat vs. Miami (Ohio)
🏈  Temple (0-0) | Sat vs. Rhode Island
⚽  Union (6W, 6D, 10L) | Sat vs. Montreal

🔈 What We’re Hearing. Reps. Scott Perry and Dan Meuser are attending the GOP Convention in Dallas next week, while Brian Fitzpatrick is not. No word on the other seven Republican congressmen’s intentions.

💬 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. For the web version, click here. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

Top Story

1.   Behind Closed Doors, John Fetterman Shows Little Interest in the Work of a Senator

“With his hoodie-and-shorts wardrobe and working-class appeal, Sen. John Fetterman occupies a unique place in a Democratic Party increasingly populated by leftist insurgents. Fetterman often portrays himself as a “regular Democrat” calling out aspects of his party’s progressive fringe—just the profile that past centrists have leveraged in a divided Senate to cut bipartisan deals and score big wins.

But behind closed doors, the first-term senator shows little interest in doing the job beyond cultivating relationships with conservative media figures and advocating for Israel, according to interviews with more than a dozen former staffers and lawmakers, as well as text messages and other internal records.” | Wall Street Journal

Elsewhere

Shapiro’s Strong Play in Pennsylvania. “Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has a crucial opportunity this November to build his case for a potential 2028 presidential run. At the top of the ticket in one of the most closely watched swing states, Shapiro could use down-ballot success to bolster an argument that he’s the Democrats’ best chance to win the White House.” | Punchbowl News

Elon Musk Is Throwing His Cash Around in PA Again. This Time, In Support of Three GOP Lawmakers in Swing Districts. “Elon Musk is back. The richest man in the world, who was laser-focused on delivering Pennsylvania for President Donald Trump in 2024, is wielding his wallet in the Keystone State once again to support Republicans in three swing congressional districts ahead of the midterms.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

His Model Was Built to Detect Voter Fraud. Now It’s Testing the Limits of Election Trust. “Inside the “perfect storm” that put Walter Mebane Jr.’s work in the hands of a movement to question the 2024 election results in Pennsylvania.” | Votebeat

Swing-State Republicans Are Skipping Trump’s Midterm Convention. “An increasing number of Republicans say they plan to skip President Donald Trump’s midterm convention next week in Dallas, which has been dubbed “Trumpapalooza” by the Republican National Committee.” | NOTUS

Deluzio Calls For Pete Hegseth’s Firing Amid Departures of Top Military Officials. ““Pete Hegseth, who leads the Pentagon, who leads our military, has been a failure in that job,” Rep. Chris Deluzio said in a phone interview with TribLive. “I think Pete Hegseth should have been fired a long time ago.”” | Tribune-Review

State

2.   Josh Shapiro’s Measles Response — And Its Backlash — Reignites COVID-19 Fury

“A contagious airborne disease spreads. The tally of cases climbs higher as a vaccine debate rages among the public and their elected officials. Politicians point fingers at each other, arguing over the release of information and the steps that some consider “draconian.”

The measles outbreak this year represents a far different public health crisis than the COVID-19 pandemic that wreaked havoc across the nation and the rest of the world six years ago.

But with Pennsylvania at the center of a national conversation around a disease once considered eradicated in the U.S. because of widespread vaccination, the ensuing political rhetoric on measles has a familiar ring.” | Philadelphia Inquirer

Elsewhere

We Called Every Coroner’s Office in PA About Measles-Associated Deaths; Here’s What We Found. “Information about the two deaths announced by the state has become a source of contention, sparking controversy that has even drawn in national political figures and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” | LNP

Shapiro, Garrity Agree to Debate Date. “Debate night in the Keystone State is set for Wednesday, October 7, as Gov. Josh Shapiro and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity will meet at the studios of WHTM-TV in Harrisburg at 8 p.m. The two candidates invited to the debate met a set of criteria adopted by Nexstar Media Group.” | PoliticsPA

Playing The Debate Game. “Those were the days. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held seven famous debates in 1858 while running for the U.S. Senate in Illinois. Each debate lasted three hours. In Pennsylvania politics, debates have become shorter and fewer. And the behind-the-scenes drama to get campaigns to agree for their candidate to debate in 2026 is another story.” | PoliticsPA

ICE Is Going Mobile. Here’s How Vans Could Become Detention Centers in PA. “On Aug. 28, ICE publicly posted a solicitation for a contract for a host of services that will be used as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Among those requests, is one for “mobile detention facilities” in multiple states, including Pennsylvania. ICE is looking to add the detention vans in the Philadelphia, York, Dover, Pittsburgh, Williamsport and Pike regions.” | PennLive

Around The Commonwealth

3.   In Allegheny County and Beyond, Officials Prepare For Election As Trump Seeks to Change the Rules

“When Allegheny County’s Board of Elections meets Friday morning, its three members will weigh a problem facing election officials across the country: How do you conduct mail-in voting when President Donald Trump’s administration wants to overhaul the rules, weeks before the ballots go in the mail?

“The chaotic nature in which the federal government is talking about elections is creating fear and doubt and confusion,” said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, who chairs the election board. But, she said, “We are going to make sure that people get their mail-in ballot.”” | WESA

Elsewhere

Trump Commutes Sentence of Convicted Union Leader John ‘Johnny Doc’ Dougherty, Lawyer Says. “Former Philadelphia union leader John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty could soon get out of prison after President Donald Trump signed a commutation ending his six-year sentence Thursday, his attorney, George Bochetto, told NBC10.” | NBC News

What to Know About the 24th Senate District Race in Berks and Montco. “Republican incumbent Tracy Pennycuick faces two midterm challengers: Democrat Christopher Thomas and Green Party candidate Michael Schonewolf Jr.” | WHYY

What Bucks County Voters Should Know About the 6th Senate District Race. “Eileen Hartnett Albillar is challenging Republican incumbent state Sen. Frank Farry in a face-off that could flip the balance of power in the Pennsylvania state Senate.” | WHYY

Trump Administration Notches Another Victory in Case on Slavery Exhibits at Philly President’s House. “Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Hardiman denied a request from the city of Philadelphia’s lawyers to rehear arguments in its case against the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service last month.” | Penn Capital-Star

Editorial

4.  What Do You Think?

• Let’s Make Sure Pennsylvania Republicans Are In the Game on Election Day: Make A Plan to Vote Early | Sen. Greg Rothman
• Measles Mentality Tests Schools’ Immunity | Ed Socha 
• Don’t Let Washington Confuse You About Vaccines. Talk With Your Pediatrician | Andrew D. Racine
• Measles Misfire Weakens Shapiro at Home and Nationally | Guy Ciarrocchi
• This is the Real Point of College | Michael S. Roth
• The Data-Center Dividend for Workers | Wall Street Journal
• America Needs Its Boys to Play Football | Ben Sasse
• PA MAGA Country Doesn’t Want Trump’s Data Center ‘Golden Goose’ | Oliver Bateman

1 Thing

5.   British Police Try to Track Down Theft of 70,000 Pints Worth of Guinness Stout

“British police have a stout task ahead: recovering 70,000 pints worth of stolen Guinness.

Two trailer truckloads of the famously creamy dark beer valued at 115,000 pounds ($155,000) were stolen from a depot near Liverpool in northwest England, the Cheshire Constabulary said Thursday.

The Guinness had been destined for pubs, but was snatched Monday night by two drivers who pulled up to an industrial park in Runcorn and hauled away the trailers containing about 800 barrels of stout.” | AP

Thank you for starting your weekend with us.
Have a safe and enjoyable holiday. We’ll see you Tuesday.