News & Brews July 31, 2024
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Shapiro’s skill and betrayal mark his rise
The Inquirer writes that Gov. Josh Shapiro’s rise to a top contender for the Democrat vice-presidential nomination is no accident. It’s the result of decades of careful calculation by Shapiro—including strategically betraying his friends to advance his own political career. As one person put it, “I would never want him in a foxhole with me.” And another said, “You don’t want to turn your back on him. Loyalty is not his strong suit.”
Harris, VP pick to tour battleground states next week
Well, the great question mark will soon be resolved. VP Kamala Harris plans to visit seven battleground states next week—including Pennsylvania—with her running-mate, whom she plans to pick before then. Other states on the schedule are Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.
How the border crisis is straining Pa. schools
According to the law, children are entitled to an education regardless of their immigration status. That doesn’t mean that the recent influx of undocumented immigrants hasn’t put pressure on Pa. schools. The Center Square reports, “As of Fiscal Year 2022-2023, the most current data available from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, there were 87,717 English Learners, or ELs, enrolled in the state’s public schools — up 22% from FY 2020-2021. The growing numbers require additional bilingual teachers and staff capable of communicating with students and their parents.”
Is Erie County key to the White House?
Per NBC News, the presidential election doesn’t hinge simply on swing states. It hinges on swing counties. And here in Pa., Erie County makes the list. NBC’s Steve Kornacki takes us on a short video tour of how—based on 2020 election results and VP Kamala Harris becoming the substitute for President Biden—Erie County and Gwinnett County, GA could impact this year’s results.
Pa. #s on interstate migration are not great
The IRS has released interstate migration data for 2022. The CATO Institute explains that this data “include the domestic movements of households into and out of each state broken down by income level and age group.” For every one household that LEFT Pa., only 0.89 households moved TO Pa. For every household age 65 and older that left Pa., 0.83 moved here. And for every household earning $200,000 or more that left Pa., 0.78 moved here. (For comparison, for every household that left Florida, 1.46 households moved there.)