I’m just going to pretend that it hasn’t been chilly and rainy the last 48 hours in the Philadelphia area—which prompted me to put the heat on for the first time in many weeks—and focus on the fact that the unofficial start of summer is nearly upon us.

With summer just around the bend, I’d like to highlight some fun stuff to do outside when the weather is nice, like dining. 

Across the state, you’ll find restaurants ranging from casual, to fine dining, to those specializing in farm-to-table fare that offer spectacular views from rooftop patios, riverside decks, mountaintop treehouses, and more.

Our Kalena Thomhave is highlighting Pennsylvania restaurants that pair stunning vistas with great meals, whether you’re looking for a view of the mountains, the water, the rolling countryside, or a city skyline.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ signature short yardage play known as the tush push isn’t going anywhere.

Despite efforts led by the Green Bay Packers to ban the play where a teammate pushes the backside of the quarterback for extra power behind the offensive line, league owners failed to pass a proposal to ban the polarizing strategy on Wednesday.

Immediately after the vote, the Eagles posted a picture on social media of quarterback Jalen Hurts on the verge of a short-yardage attempt against the Packers with the caption, “Push on.” They followed that with some more trolling, posting to their YouTube page a 26-minute tush push highlight montage.

The Milky Way is seen clearly at Cherry Springs State Park in Coudersport. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Tops on my Pennsylvania bucket list: spending a night stargazing at Cherry Springs State Park in Potter County. Those who have been will tell you that it’s the best place to stargaze in Pennsylvania. And it’s likely the best place to stargaze in the entire Northeast. This is because the state park is a certified International Dark Sky Park, meaning that it is an ideal place to escape light pollution and view the sea of stars that is typically hidden from city dwellers.

Summer is an ideal time to take advantage of free tours there when you can join other stargazers in the park’s night sky public viewing area to learn about the constellations above. You can also pay $25 to enjoy a private telescope “tour” for a more personalized experience. 

While Cherry Springs State Park is the spot for stargazing in the state, you don’t have to trek to North-Central Pa. to take in the majesty of the night sky. Ohiopyle State Park in Southwestern Pa. and Cook Forest in Northwestern Pa. are ideal spots for stargazing, given the lack of light pollution. You can even stargaze indoors at observatories like Ryan Observatory at Muddy Run Park in Holtwood, just south of Lancaster, the Fels Planetarium at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, and the Naylor Observatory outside Harrisburg in Lewisberry.

• All nine of Pennsylvania’s congressional Republicans on Thursday voted for President Donald Trump’s budget bill that would slash nearly $700 billion from the Medicaid program that supports 2 million adults and 1.4 million children throughout the state. Find out more here.

• Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has requested that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) make disaster loans available to individuals, families, and businesses affected by the May 13 flooding in Somerset County. Get the details here.

• Bucks County Commissioners voted along party lines Wednesday to formalize opposition to county Sheriff Fred Harran’s plan to train about a dozen of his 75 deputies to act as federal ICE officers and assist in enforcing immigration law. Get the story here.

Marvin Diesel? (Photo: Lily Cope)

My fiancée and I just adopted a dog. That’s him above. We got him last weekend from Home at Last Dog Rescue in Montgomery County, the same organization from where my fiancée adopted our other dog, Wade, a few years back.

This new dog is quite possibly the friendliest, most loving, and well-mannered animal I’ve ever met. We took to him—and him to us—instantly. His default positions are head-in-lap or “rub my belly.” He’s great on a leash and great in the car. He’s respectful of the cat’s boundaries (so far). He gives Wade his space. 

There is but one problem: he needs a name. They were calling him Vin Diesel at the shelter, which we’re not fond of. Completely unrelated, we just learned that a friend thought the “Vin” in Vin Diesel was short for Marvin, so we’ve been calling the new pup Marvin Diesel, kind of as a joke. This is where you come in.

We need help naming this dog. If you have any suggestions, send them my way. If we end up using your suggestion, you’ll get a shoutout and some Keystone merch. And maybe even a video greeting from Marvin Diesel. He thanks you in advance!

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