Abortion remains legal in Pennsylvania up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy, and in some cases beyond that, after last week's landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and 50 years of legal precedent.

Roughly 15% of Pennsylvania counties had an abortion clinic in 2017, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which advocates for abortion rights, and providers in places like Pittsburgh are expecting an influx of patients from states where new restrictions are suddenly taking effect.

States now have the power to determine how, where, and why someone can get a legal abortion, if at all, and while Republican legislators in Pennsylvania are pushing for tougher rules, term-limited Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has vowed to veto any efforts to further curtail access here.

But November's election could change that dynamic, per Spotlight PA, if Republicans keep control of the General Assembly and the GOP nominee for governor, who supports stringent abortion restrictions, also wins.

THE CONTEXT: The Republican nominee, Doug Mastriano, has said he would sign a bill banning abortion at six weeks with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the pregnant person. His Democratic opponent, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, supports maintaining access to abortion.

There are several proposals pending in the legislature, including a veto-proof state constitutional amendment that abortion rights advocates say could open the door to new restrictions — and not just on abortion. (Track the SB956 amendment here with Spotlight PA's tracker tool.)

Franklin & Marshall polling from May shows 85% of Pennsylvania registered voters support abortion being either completely legal or legal under some circumstances, which were not defined in the poll.

In a national political environment widely seen as favorable to GOP candidates, the extent to which that support, coupled with the Roe decision, will influence Pennsylvania's electorate remains to be seen.

Alongside statewide races for governor and U.S. Senate on the ballot are contests that will decide control of the General Assembly under Pennsylvania's newly redistricted maps. While the new maps still favor Republicans overall, some Democrats see an opening in the state House, especially as abortion access becomes an increasingly potent campaign issue. 

"You know I'm getting married? Are you sure? She said, 'Yes, you have to cancel the wedding.'"

—Michael Martin who is suing UPMC Community Medicine and others over a misread COVID-19 test that led to the cancellation of his wedding
 

LAST CALL: The Six County Firemen's Association, which started in Hazleton 118 years ago, held its last convention over the weekend. The organization is disbanding due to a lack of volunteers, a dearth that has been plaguing fire companies across Pennsylvania, via City Paper.

HOME FRONT: Worried that their U.S. military ties jeopardized their safety after Afghanistan was returned to Taliban control, the Shinwari family fled to the U.S. and resettled in Pittsburgh, but WESA reports their newfound sense of safety has come with "profound economic insecurity."

ENCRYPTED: LNP found 10 Lancaster County elected officials signed up for encrypted messaging apps that officials in other states have used to skirt open records rules. It's not clear that would work here: Under Pennsylvania's open records law, public business is fair game in any forum. 

REDDIT ROUNDS: The r/Pennsylvania subreddit found the following over the weekend: a storm trooper at the Scranton Trolley Museum, the beauty in a tree canopy on the Wissahickon Trail, and a peahen in a yard in Berks County, which I now know are used as farm alarms.

BIG DAY: The Wizard of Oz-themed wedding of Mr. and Mr. Liquorice, officiated by Deepak Chopra at Fayette County's Nemacolin Resort, almost has to be seen to be believed. Luckily, Vogue has the photos.