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| Editor's Note: This is a resend of this morning's PA Post, which has been updated to correct the link to the story "Inside Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's support for private school vouchers." |
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A daily newsletter by  |
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| Today: Voucher scrutiny, security investigation, Shapiro critics, rifle clubs, booth free and grass wars. Thanks for checking in. |
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s heightened national attention for being a potential Democratic vice president nominee has brought intense scrutiny of his support for a traditionally conservative idea: taxpayer-funded private school vouchers, Spotlight PA reports.
Last summer, Shapiro backed a controversial Republican voucher proposal but ultimately vetoed the language after pushback from fellow Democrats. Shapiro did not publicly back creating a voucher program until his run for governor in 2022, according to a review of news articles and his public statements.
Proponents say vouchers give kids attending struggling public schools options but opponents say they weaken public schools by diverting funding from them and do not help students.
Read Spotlight PA’s full report: Inside Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s support for private school vouchers |
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NOTABLE / QUOTABLE
“I’m glad Pennsylvania is a swing state, much more interesting than if it was one way or the other. It’s a whole lot more fun.”
—Moon Township’s elected Republican tax collector John Wink on how Pennsylvania receiving national attention for its swing state status makes living there more exciting. |
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| Waves of grain in North Londonderry Township, via Jean W. Send us your photos by email, use #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania. |
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 RALLY REVIEW: The U.S. House passed a resolution on Wednesday to establish a task force to investigate the security failures at the Butler County Trump rally, the AP reports. The vote follows news of Butler County’s District Attorney disputing a congressional testimony that two Butler County officers left their post to look for the suspected gunman at the rally.
 BOOTH FREE: The Pennsylvania Turnpike is shifting to open road tolling on the turnpike east of Reading and the Northeast Extension beginning Jan. 5, 2025, CBS News Philadelphia reports. Drivers will go under a collecting gantry instead of stopping at toll booths. The remainder of the turnpike will eliminate toll booths by 2027. Officials say this is to keep traffic moving and the highway safer. |
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DERAILMENT FINDINGS: Norfolk Southern Railroad said the Bethlehem train derailment that occurred on July 5 was the result of human error, not a track issue, Lehigh Valley News reports. NAME CHANGE: The Philadelphia sports area Wells Fargo will have a new name after the bank confirms it will remove its name in 2025 after not renewing its naming rights contract, NBC10 reports. MOVIE NIGHTMARE: Netflix’s Worst Roommate Ever’s episode on a Philadelphia tenant’s story of living with a serial squatter is being eyed for a movie adaptation, via The Inquirer (paywall). |
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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. A L P N Y I M O
Yesterday's answer: Dithering
Congrats to our daily winners: Becky C., Stacy S., Timothy A., Barbara F., Jane R., Don H., Jon W., Karthik B., Kimberly D., Beth P., Elaine C., Susan N., Richard A., Annette I., Perry H., Marie B., Daniel M., Jeffrey F., Karen K., Wendy A., and Tom M.
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IFLE CLUBS: In the wake of multiple reports saying suspected gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks tried out for a high school rifle team, PublicSource