Third and State

Hi all, a combination of vacations and the rush to finish the State of Working Pennsylvania 2012 mean our blogging could be a bit spotty over the next week or so. Bygones!

Onto today's Morning Must Reads.

First up, you may have heard that the Spice Girls had their first reunion since 2008 Mitt Romney announced his choice of Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate over the weekend. The good people at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities put together a compendium of detailed analysis of the Ryan Budget. Read up, 'cause I have a feeling you are going to be hearing a lot said about the Ryan budget, and there is nothing quite so endearing at end-of-summer festivities with loved ones and friends as bookish knowledge of the federal budget.

• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Off The Charts — Ryan Roundup: Everything You Need to Know About Chairman Ryan’s Budget

The Scranton Times-Tribune provides a status report on an effort to modify the state program that manages municipalities in fiscal distress.

• Robert Swift, Scranton Times-Tribune — Bipartisan effort shapes action on city distress issues

Finally, a quick reminder that this Thursday state level data on employment and unemployment in July will be released by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia is predicting Pennsylvania's unemployment rate in July will rise by a percentage point to 7.6%.

• Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, State Unemployment Rate Nowcasts: July 2012 (PDF)