August 23, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris sealed the deal at the Democratic National Convention this week, becoming the first Black woman to accept a major party nomination for president of the United States. A mere month after President Joe Biden decided to call it quits, Harris consolidated the party and reset the polling averages to a race that is essentially tied. For his part, Biden insists he is happy and that he was not forced out, while Nancy Pelosi just sits and chuckles to herself, “yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Joe.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered a stem-winder of a speech Wednesday night, after his right-hand man, Austin Davis, and Auditor General Candidate Malcom Kenyatta got their turns on stage. Shapiro’s speech must have been a good one, at least in the eyes of one Donald John Trump, who wasted NO TIME tearing into Shapiro on social media. Hey governor, you made the big leagues now!
Meanwhile, RFK Jr. folded his tents and suspended his campaign, but invited his supporters in in swing states to cast their votes for Trump, and voters elsewhere to vote for whomever they want (we are not making this up). You know what they say, Bobby. Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you and dumps your carcass in Central Park. It remains to be seen which candidate benefits from RFK’s departure, although the fact that Democrats are leading the effort to kick him off the ballot should tell y’all something, right?
Harris and Trump will hold (what thus far appears to be) their one and only televised debate, in the beautiful City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection on Sept. 10 at the National Constitution Center. Expect neither love nor affection to be the central theme of the evening.
Around 6,000 state legislative seats will also be up for grabs this November, with Pennsylvania being the only state with its two legislative chambers controlled by different parties. In our fine Commonwealth, a net gain or loss of four seats combined across both chambers could completely change the game in either direction. In January, Shapiro can either A) be planning a huge expansion to his agenda or B) planning to spend more time at home with Lori and kids and a veto pen close by at all times.
The chair of the Federal Reserve signaled today that a rate cut is finally on the horizon, which means those stubbornly high interest rates will be falling right about the time folks start tuning in to the presidential race (cue the conspiracy theories). It seems that either inflation has finally fallen to low enough levels to justify the rate cut, or Jerome Powell finally got bored being a super villain.
For the first time ever, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has been separated from the state form and now is a stand-alone application. This was supposed to make the entire process easier, so of course, it has made it infinitely more difficult, with students all over the country stuck in limbo. The golden rule of federal programs still applies folks. If you are being told that an agency has “streamlined” or “simplified” a process, pack a lunch. You’re gonna be there a while.
After years of speculation, there is finally a plan in place to replace the old Harrisburg State Hospital and utilize those bucolic grounds it sits upon. The Commonwealth will construct a $450 million lab on the property, which we suppose is great and all, but we were kinda hoping for something with a little more pizazz, like a giant amusement/waterpark with Angelina Jolie and Winona Rider on hand to cut the ribbon.
Gaming revenue is now consistently topping $200 million in tax revenue every month, which is eminently good news for folks who are nervous that our state savings account is on its way to being empty in the very near future. Fun fact: when the original gaming act was passed, opponents were confident there was NO WAY this state would ever see any appreciable revenue from gaming, since legalization would be inviting organized crime into Pennsylvania, which up to that point was apparently not present in the state at all.
Of course, now that the governor and lawmakers have agreed in principle to the “transit funding paid for by skill games taxation” plan, attention will have to be paid to the overall effects of yet another massive gaming expansion, potentially the third such expansion since the original law passed in 2004. There are policy makers who are quick to remind all of us that governments cannot tax their way to prosperity. Well, y’all ain’t gonna gamble your way there, either.
Speaking of gaming, let us take you back to the mid-90s. There you are with a bag of Doritos and a cold soda, sitting in front of a giant console television set about to pop your brand-new copy of Sonic the Hedgehog into your Sega console and play until your eyes burn. In a truly heartwarming story, so-called retro-gaming is making a comeback, and we have not been this excited since the release of Pacman. Pennsylvania’s retro-gaming hub is currently out in Pittsburgh, so we know where we are spending our time and money the next time we hit the Steel City.
A HUGE Shameless Client Plug goes out to our friends at Precision Custom Components, who this week hosted none other than Donald Trump for a tour and a rally. Ain’t every day a former president stops by to chat, right? Straight outta York, baby!
In our We Can’t Make This Up segment, off we go to London. Imagine you were sitting and sipping tea at a café on the Thames River, and you see a German warship cruising by, blasting the Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme) from the deck speakers. So that actually happened this week. The German commander maintained there was no hidden meaning to the song choice. Uh huh. As we all know, the German armed forces can definitely be trusted, without question. IT WAS ALL JUST A JOKE, PEOPLE! Now somebody buy some new knickers for those people having tea on the Thames that day.
That’s what passes for news around here, as we careen into another gorgeous summer weekend. You hear that? It is the glorious sound of school buses, getting ready to ship the wee ones off for another year of indoctrination. Warms the heart. Until we see ya, from all your friends at Team Triad, have a great weekend!