Good Thursday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
Welcome to this week's installment of "Things Ed Rendell Says About Politics," and in it, we find Pennsylvania's former Democratic governor actually saying something (kinda-sorta) nice about Donald Trump.
During an appearance on SiriusXM's Dean Obeidallah Show, Rendell and the host were chatting about his 2012 memoir "A Nation of Wusses," and how, in it, Rendell had some actual kind words for Trump:
"As my friend Donald Trump points out, the Chinese are pushing us around without fear of reprisal," Rendell wrote at the time, according to Buzzfeed Politics, which reported the story first.
Rendell told the host that "The interesting thing is, I talk about China and the fact that China took advantage of us in trade and cost Pennsylvania some significant jobs, and I quoted Donald Trump in the book."
"You know all that Donald Trump says isn't wrong It's the way he says it — and there are many things he does say that's wrong. But he's right about China. We have for some reason not stood up to China," the two-term former Guv continued. "We've allowed them to manipulate their currency, which gives their businesses tremendous advantage in selling to America. They came in here and tried to dump low-priced, subsidized steel pipe to get rid of the steel pipe industry in the U.S."
He concluded that "... there are some things that Donald Trump talks about that do have a germ of reason or a germ of truth."
Trump, as more astute readers may recall, has taken heat for his comments about China, steel and trade, with some observers pointing out that his plan to slap high tariffs on foreign imports would likely hurt the economy and spark a trade war with some of the nation's biggest economic partners.
As PoliticsPa further notes, Rendell also acknowledged that Trump, who has a habit of throwing his cash around, had donated $32,000 to his campaigns.
Here's the clip:
The countdown to this week's cranky call from the Clinton campaign begins in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ...
The rest of the day's news starts now.
Hang onto your wallets, here's how your taxes are going up under the tax bill signed into law on Wednesday, PennLive's Capitol Bureau reports.
In Pittsburgh, city residents and police officers got together to discuss current events. The Tribune-Review has the story.
State gaming regulators have blocked plans for a new casino in Lawrence County, The Post-Gazette reports.
The Inquirer explains the growing rift that's set the stage for the ouster of Temple University President Neil Theobald.
Families with children continue to desert Philadelphia because of the schools, PhillyMag reports, citing a new Pew study.
In Philly, hundreds rallied in support of city police in two different events. An Instagram snapper caught one such event on Frankford Ave (via BillyPenn).
NewsWorks/WHYY-FM digs into some conflicting Pa. presidential poll results that show both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton beating each other.
Pennsylvania has launched a campaign to crack down on underaged gambling, The Morning Call reports.
Speaking of Allentown, things are getting worse for embattled Mayor Ed Pawlowski. His lawyer tells The Call's Emily Opilo that the feds seized his campaign cash.
Stateline.org looks at what state governments can do to combat manmade earthquakes from drilling.
Ahead of the convention in Cleveland this weekend, the RNC is looking to 'stamp out' the anti-Trump rebellion, Politico reports.
Ted Cruz is saying things about the presidential race. Roll Call has the details.
What Goes On (Nakedly Political Edition).
The Senate Republican Campaign Committee holds a 6 p.m. reception/clay pigeon shoot at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Pittsburgh tonight. Admission runs $2,500/person or $5,000/couple.
WolfWatch
Gov. Tom Wolf has no public schedule this Thursday.
Heavy Rotation.
For those of you who may be feeling a tad Parisian this Thursday morning:
Thursday's Gratuitous Soccer Link.
So how can you tell that a new Premier League season is only weeks away? The transfer gossip starts flying fast and furious. Take French midfielder Paul Pogba, who says he'd fancy a move to Manchester United, The Guardian reports.
And now you're up to date. See you all back here in a bit.