|
The annual Spotlight PA Week of Giving 2024 is NOW, and we need your support so our vital journalism can continue. As a special bonus, all gifts will be DOUBLED by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Will you help keep this work going?
Make a gift now at this link » |
|
|
A daily newsletter by  |
|
|
|
| Today: Shapiro revelations, end of the veepstakes, frack attack, second jobs, extra funding, and a profile of a portrait artist. Happy Tuesday. |
|
Kamala Harris' veepstakes is expected to end this morning, and Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro is still a top contender.
He's been the subject of an intense vetting process that has unfurled both behind the scenes in Washington, D.C., and in public.
Much of the public attention has focused on Shapiro’s long political career — in particular, on his evolving position on Israel, his knowledge of a former top aide’s conduct, and his relationships with national figures.
Some of this attention has brought new revelations.
Read Spotlight PA's full report: Everything we learned about Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro during the veepstakes |
|
NOTABLE / QUOTABLE
"I got nothing for you, man. Have a great day."
—Gov. Josh Shapiro at the state Capitol on Monday to an AP reporter when asked about the veepstakes. |
|
Our annual Week of Giving event is underway, and we need to raise $30,000 to keep Spotlight PA's nonprofit budget on track through the third quarter. Put simply: Our essential investigative journalism cannot continue without you.
As a special bonus, every dollar you give will be MATCHED by a generous donor — that means your contribution will be DOUBLED.
You can also give via PayPal or Venmo, or send a check to: Spotlight PA, PO Box 11728, Harrisburg, PA 17108.
Thank you to the 50 people who have given so far, including Keith C., who said, "I believe that Democracy dies in darkness. Keep providing the light!"
Join Keith & give now »
|
|
| Naked ladies (otherwise known as belladonna lily) near Etters, via Kathryn A. Send us your photos by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania. |
|
VOUCHER DEBATE: Join us Thursday, Aug. 8 from 6-7 p.m. on Zoom for a live panel on the fight over school vouchers and their future in Pennsylvania. Register here and submit questions to events@spotlightpa.org.
|
|
   SECOND JOBS: More than half of state lawmakers report having an outside job or alternative form of income, including being a pilot, funeral director, or pastor. The Inquirer (paywall) reports that this is allowable under state law, though good-government advocates say these other jobs create conflicts of interest. |
|
PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST: PA Local spoke with Ellen Cooper, the artist behind official portraits of Pennsylvania’s most powerful people.
DECADE LATER: Apparently, it's been a decade since the "Apparently Kid" went viral after being extremely funny at the Wayne County Fair, per WNEP.
RESCUE EFFORT: Sometimes the headline says it all, like this one from Blair County: "Groundhog rescued from inside claw machine."
GOOD DOG: In other animal news, a Pittsburgh-area golden retriever alerted neighbors after their owner fell 20 feet and was injured.
OLYMPICS UPDATE: Penn State alum "Pommel Horse Guy" won bronze; a Greensburg pole vaulter came up short; and this Lancaster County archer medaled. |
|
Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag. Answers submitted by 5:30 p.m. on issue date will be counted. Please include your first name and last initial. U L R L A Y C J O
Yesterday's answer: Polemical
Congrats to our daily winners: Stacy S., Susan N.-Z., Marc G., Craig E., Bob C., Kimberly D., Don H., Jon W., Barbara F., Timothy A., Richard A., Eric F., Jeff F., Tom M., Barb K., Beth H., Annette I., Bill Z., Louie C., Jeffrey F., Elaine C., Cynthia B., Wendy A., Jane R., and Stanley J.
|
|
|
| |
|
EXTRA CASH: As part of this year's budget, 
LEFT BEHIND: Marc Fogel, an Oakmont teacher currently imprisoned in a Russian penal colony, told family and friends