🛒 The random item you can buy at Giant Eagle

Finally, a Democratic VP Candidate

Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, and the pair made their first appearance together at Temple University in Philly Tuesday night alongside Gov. Josh Shapiro. [CNN]

• Shapiro was considered a front runner for the job. His statement Tuesday says his “work here in Pennsylvania is far from finished.” [KDKA]
• Republican VP candidate JD Vance was also in Philly for a midday campaign event. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

URA Needs to Spend Its $$

City Controller Rachael Heisler is once again asking the Urban Redevelopment Authority to please just use its $10 million housing fund amid an affordable housing crisis. An audit released last week shows the URA did not even spend several hundred thousand dollars of that million-dollar fund in 2022. [TribLIVE]

Pgh Metro Stocks Dip 3% in Rough Market

An early-week dive on the Dow Jones Industrial Average took a toll on Pittsburgh companies. Values declined at 35 of 38 major local stocks, with a notable exception: Kraft Heinz Co. [Pittsburgh Business Times]

• They can weather a turbulent market, but would you put Heinz on your favorite fries? [City Cast Pittsburgh]
• Remember EZ Squirt? Sales were, ahem, hella poppin. [Hey Pittsburgh]
• Is a 35-foot ketchup bottle art, history, or technically a big ole sign? [90.5 WESA]

Did you know Pennsylvania has passed 92 pieces of legislation this year?

Some of them have pretty hefty contents (for example, the state budget for this fiscal year), while others just tweak a few words or paragraphs of existing state law.

We obviously don’t have space to go over everything that’s been passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor this year. So instead, here’s a quick sampling of a few new Pennsylvania laws that you may not have heard of.

🐾 Pet Insurance Regulations (Act 19)

This legislation — introduced by Rep. Michael Schlossberg (D-Lehigh) and passed unanimously in both chambers of the General Assembly — goes into effect Dec. 7 and creates a framework for regulating pet insurance policies sold in Pennsylvania. Among other things, it requires insurance companies to tell pet owners about lifetime and annual coverage limits, clarify waiting periods, and disclose what coverage is excluded because of pre-existing conditions.

♻️ Allowing Recycled Materials in Stuffed Toys (Act 30)

Apparently, Pennsylvania has some of the most restrictive laws in the country when it comes to the materials that are allowed to be used in stuffed toys. (Who knew?) That will change on Aug. 27, when Act 30 of 2024 goes into effect.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Jason Dawkins (D-Philadelphia), permits manufacturers to use both new and “reclaimed” materials in toys, creates labeling requirements, and bans the use of “child labor, forced labor, or slave labor” in the making of stuffed toys that will be sold in PA.

Does Your Home Have a Racist Past?

If you own an old home around Pittsburgh, there might be discriminatory language in your deed barring Black people from owning the property. It’s called a racial covenant, and even though this language isn’t enforceable anymore, it’s still on the books in a lot of places. We’re explaining why this happened and how a new law could help homeowners address their modern-day deeds.