Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Governor’s Race

-- TribLive: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano Takes Campaign To Westmoreland County; Stage Flanked By American And Christian Flags [His Opponent Josh Shapiro Is Jewish]

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano Shuts Down His Deposition To U.S. House Panel Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol In Dispute Over Recording, Rules

-- WHYY/AP: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano Cuts Short Interview With U.S. House Panel Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- WITF: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano Used Legal Maneuvering To End His U.S. House Panel Interview Investigating The Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: PA Republican Candidate For Governor Mastriano To Appear For Questioning By U.S. House Panel Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- Inquirer: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano’s Fight With U.S. House Panel Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol May Help His Campaign

-- Politics PA: Republican Florida Governor To Rally For Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano In Pittsburgh Aug. 19

-- Post-Gazette - Julian Routh: Shapiro, Mastriano Race For Governor Puts Partisan Divide In Clear View

-- LancasterOnline: Gubernatorial Candidates Mastriano, Shapiro Pitch To PA County Commissioners

-- PA Capital-Star: Democratic Candidate For Lt. Gov. Davis Campaigns In Allegheny County Touting Education, Economy, Safety

-- U.S. Senate Race

-- Politics PA: Poll: Fetterman Leads Dr. Oz By Double Digits In PA U.S. Senate Race

-- Post-Gazette - Julian Routh: Fetterman ‘Grateful To Be Here’ At Erie Campaign Rally For U.S. Senate

-- Erie Times: Fetterman Revives U.S. Senate Campaign In Erie, 3 Months After Stroke

-- PennLive: Fetterman Returns To Campaign Trail: ‘He’s Still The Same Fighter’

-- Inquirer: ‘I Will Deliver Pennsylvania For Us’: Fetterman Returns To U.S. Senate Campaign

-- Inquirer: Fetterman Keeps Attacking Dr. Oz For Being From New Jersey, It’s Resonating In Parochial PA

-- WHYY: Fetterman’s ‘Real Doctors Against Oz’ Tour Say He’s A Danger To Public Health

-- Bloomberg: Fetterman Tries To ‘Weirdify’ Dr. Oz In PA U.S. Senate Race And Builds Polling Lead

-- Politics PA: Dr. Oz Challenges Fetterman To 5 Debates In U.S. Senate Race

-- WVIA: Making Sense Of Social Media In PA’s Campaigns For Governor, U.S. Senator

-- Courier Times: A Self-Funded Campaign And Sliding Poll Numbers Point To Trouble For Dr. Oz U.S. Senate Race

-- Inquirer: 2 Super PACs Are Pouring Tens Of Millions Into PA U.S. Senate Race Ads

-- TribLive Editorial: Too Much Super PAC Money In PA’s U.S. Senate Race

-- May 2022 Primary Election

-- AP: Commonwealth Court Judge Vows To Move Quickly On Dispute Between State, 3 Counties Over Mail-In Ballots

-- Inquirer: State Elections Officials Said Error On Spreadsheets Led To Mistake In Certifying Some County Election Results

-- Reading Eagle: Berks Republican Committee Questionnaire For Primary Winners To Determine Their ‘Eligibility’ To Be Seated Sparks Backlash

 

-- November 2022 Election

-- PA Capital-Star: Republicans Continue To Erode Democrats’ Voter Edge In Lehigh Valley Congressional District

-- RealClear PA: Republican Establishment Dismisses Party’s PA Voters

-- PA Capital-Star: Poll: Ahead Of Midterm Elections, PA Voters Want Lower Health Insurance Costs

-- PA Capital-Star: Ahead Of Midterm Elections, Casey, Democrats Tout Impact Of U.S. Senate Climate, Energy, Health Care Bill

-- PA Capital-Star: Roe’s Reversal Puts Abortion Access On The November Ballot In PA

-- PA Capital-Star: How Coraopolis Is Becoming A Community Hub For Pittsburgh’s Growing Latino Population

-- PennLive Guest Essay: RINOS Are Coming To The Rescue - By Mark Singel

-- Wilkes-Barre Editorial: Republican Cong. Meuser Casts Brave Vote Supporting Same-Sex Marriage Bill

-- Election Reform/2020 Election Fallout

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Despite The Attacks, Let’s Vote - Mail-In Voting Is Still An Option In PA

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Voters Get A Win In PA Supreme Court Decision Uphold Mail-In Voting

-- TribLive: Western PA Counties Weigh Options With Election Funding Grants

-- Altoona Mirror: Republican Sen. Judy Ward Addresses Election Security “It Is A Huge Concern”

-- TribLive Guest Essay: PA Exhibit A For Why Election Integrity Matters - Rep. Eric Nelson (R-Westmoreland] 

-- WITF: Sen Schwank, Rep. Guzman Call For Meetings About Berks County Election Problems

-- WESA: Allegheny County Preparations For Election Day Going Smoothly, Officials Say

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Election Officials Debate Future Of Ballot Drop Boxes, Satellite Voting Centers

-- Courier Times: Pennridge Group Files Court Petition To Change Election Rules For School Board Members

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: PA Is Home To More Racist Incidents Than Any Other State

-- PA’s Role In Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- York Daily Record: Is Harrisburg Coming Into Increased Focus Of U.S. House Panel Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol?

-- PA Capital-Star: Gunman Who Tried to Breach Cincinnati FBI Office Raised In Perry County 

-- TribLive Editorial: The Dangerous Side Of Social Media [Perry County Man’s Attempted Breach Of Cincinnati FBI Office]

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano Shuts Down His Deposition To U.S. House Panel Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol In Dispute Over Recording, Rules

-- WHYY/AP: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano Cuts Short Interview With U.S. House Panel Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- WITF: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano Used Legal Maneuvering To End His U.S. House Panel Interview Investigating The Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- Inquirer: Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano’s Fight With U.S. House Panel Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol May Help His Campaign

-- PennLive: Jan Murphy/Charles Thompson: FBI Delivers Subpoenas To Several PA Republican Lawmakers

-- LancasterOnline: Republican House Speaker Cutler Says He Won’t Back Alternate Electors’ Scheme If Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mastriano Elected 

-- AP: PA Republican Cong. Scott Perry Says FBI Agents Seized His Cellphone

-- WPost: Who Is PA Republican Cong. Scott Perry, Ally Of Ex-President And Why Was His Phone Seized By The FBI? 

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Republican PA Cong. Scott Perry Says He’s Not A Target Of Federal Probe

-- York Daily Record: Why Is The U.S. House Panel Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol So Interested In Republican PA Cong. Scott Perry?

-- Inquirer: Montgomery County Gym Owner Said His Martial Arts Training Compelled Him To Join Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- Erie Times: PA Republicans React To FBI Search Of Ex-President’s Estate

-- PennLive Guest Essay: RINOS Are Coming To The Rescue - By Mark Singel

-- Inquirer Editorial: After FBI Search Of Ex-President’s Estate, Republicans Dangerously Close Ranks

-- PennLive Editorial: Everyone Must Call For Non-Violence Now To Save Our Nation

-- NPR: This Conservative Group Helped Push Disputed Election Theory In PA, NC

-- State Constitutional Amendments

-- Spotlight PA: Complete Guide To More Than 70 Proposed Amendments To State Constitution

 

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- PUC: 4 Major Electric Utilities Have Double Digit Electric Price Increases Coming Sept. 1 Caused By Spike In Natural Gas, Energy Costs, Hot Weather [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PUC Warns About Rising Electrical Rates Caused By Spike In Natural Gas Cost, Other Commodities, According To West Penn Power

-- Inquirer - Andrew Maykuth: PECO’s Electricity Price Going Up 11%, Met Ed Going Up 18.4% Because Of Spike In Natural Gas Costs

-- PennLive: Electric Utilities Raising The Cost Of Their Electricity Up To 19% Starting Sept. 1

-- WV Metro News: WV Public Service Commission Warns Utility Customers Of 173% Increase In Natural Gas Rates Coming This Fall

-- Reuters: U.S. Natural Gas Jumps 8% On Talk Of Higher Flows To Texas LNG Plant 

-- Baker Hughes PA Natural Gas Drill Rig Count Down 2 From Last Week - 23

-- TribLive: PA Average Gasoline Price Could Fall Below $4 By Late August, Analyst Says [Other Areas At $4.06 Now]

-- Post-Gazette: U.S. Gasoline Prices Dip Below $4; Pittsburgh And PA Averages Remain Near $4.30

-- USA Today: Gasoline Prices Drop Under $4 Nationwide [But Not In PA]

-- Citizens Voice: Gasoline Prices Drop Below $4 At Some Luzerne County Stations

-- Irish Mirror: Dimock, Susquehanna County Man Who Said His Life Was Destroyed By Fracking Traveled To Ireland To Urge The Government To Block Shannon New Fortress Energy LNG Project

-- Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Needs Legislator Gift Reform Now

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Sen. Boscola Wants To Restore Property Tax Relief Funding As Wave Of School District Tax increases Hit Lehigh Valley

-- PA Capital-Star: Republican Lawmaker Floats Constitutional Amendment To Eliminate Property Taxes

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Find Revenue, Then Address Property Tax Burden

-- PennLive -John Baer: Cheers To Audit Finding Liquor Control Board Bigwigs Taking From Top Shelf

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Lawmakers Need To Address The Growing Threat Posed By Illegal Skill Games Gambling

-- The Center Square: About $4.9 Billion In Unemployment Fraud Not Recovered In PA

-- Budget 2022

-- WHYY: New Grant Adds $375 Million In State Funds To Target Repair Of Crumbling Homes

-- COVID Pandemic/Health

-- MCall: PA COVID Update: Less Than Half School-Age Children Fully Vaccinated; 20,626 Cases Reported This Week

-- Centre Daily Times: 10 PA Counties At High COVID Community Spread Levels

-- Citizens Voice Editorial: Hospitalization Numbers Tell COVID Vaccine Tale

-- WHYY: Philly Health Dept. Launches New Lab To Sequence, Track COVID Variants

-- MCall: Widow Of Man Who Died During COVID Pandemic In A Lehigh Valley Nursing Home Sues County

-- USA Today: Flu Coming Back With A Vengeance, Experts Say, And Children May Be At Risk

-- AG Shapiro: 5 Individuals, 2 Nursing Facilities Indicted On Charges Of Conspiracy To Defraud The U.S. And Health Care Fraud

-- TribLive: Brighton Rehab, Mt. Lebanon Nursing Home Officials Accused Of Health Care Fraud In Federal Indictment

-- AP: 2 PA Nursing Homes Accused Of Health Care Fraud

-- TribLive Editorial: Nursing Home Fraud Crimes Aren’t Just About Money

-- WHYY: Sen. Comitta Introduces Bill To Reform Hospital Closure Process To Address Recent Closures

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh-Area Home Health Care Company Ordered To Pay $1.5 Million In Back Wages

-- AP: CDC Issues New COVID Guidance For Schools, Drops Quarantine, Distancing Recommendations

-- COVID - Schools

-- WITF Smart Talk: COVID Caused Students To Struggle, Here’s How They Can Get Back On Track

-- Inquirer: Philly Schools Must Wear Masks For First 10 Days Of Class, Optional After That

-- PennLive: What Can Parents, Students Expect As PA Faces 2nd Full School Year Of COVID

-- TribLive: Western PA Colleges Readying For Round 3 With COVID Mitigation Plans

-- WHYY: Temple Makes Masks Optional For Fall Semester, But Not Everyone Is Happy

-- WHYY: Report Details COVID’s Long-Term Impacts On Philly Students: ‘We’re Just Surviving’

-- AP: CDC Issues New COVID Guidance For Schools, Drops Quarantine, Distancing Recommendations

-- School Districts/Higher Education

-- MCall: Teacher Shortage Has Schools Scrambling, What It Means For Lehigh Valley

-- Inquirer: 700 New Teachers Hired For Philly Schools This Year, They Could Have Worked Anywhere With Ongoing Teacher Shortage

-- Scranton Times: Teacher Shortage Plague Some NE PA Schools; Scranton Needs 40 Teacher, 55 Personal Care Assistants

-- Inquirer: As School Year Looms, Teacher Vacancies Remain, One District May Farm Its Students Out To A Community College

-- WESA: 1 In 12 PA High Schoolers Attempted Suicide Last Year; Advocates Want More Counselors, Social Workers

-- WHYY: Report Details COVID’s Long-Term Impacts On Philly Students: ‘We’re Just Surviving’

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Grief Over Gun Violence Is Weighing Down Philly Students

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Republican Lawmakers Want Rhetoric About Gender Identity Off Dept. Of Education Website

-- WHYY: Central Bucks School District Passes Policy Censoring Class Materials With ‘Sexualized Content’:  ‘It’s just Getting Worse’

-- TribLive: Penn Hills School District To Form Its Own Police Force

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley School District Adopts Code Of Conduct Acknowledging Transgender Students’ Rights

-- WESA: Fmr North Allegheny H.S. Students Release Guide For The Next Generation Of Young Activists

-- TribLive: No Cellphones When Penn Hills School District Students Return Aug. 29

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: To Prevent Shootings, Teachers Need To Be Armed With Information, Not Guns - Fmr Lawrence County DA

-- Post-Gazette: Wolf, CMU President Among Pennsylvanians At Signing Of CHIPS And Science Bill

-- Inquirer: Drexel Offers 50% Tuition Break For Community College Transfers

-- Gun Violence/Law Enforcement

-- NYT: ‘Everybody Is Armed’: As Shootings Soar, Philadelphia Is Awash In Guns

-- PA Capital-Star: Gun Violence Surges In Philadelphia Despite Recent Efforts To Tame It

-- PA Capital-Star: Philadelphia Youth Call For Tighter Firearms Restrictions, Increased Funding To Combat Gun Violence

-- WITF Smart Talk: Philly Students Talk About Ending Gun Violence

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Grief Over Gun Violence Is Weighing Down Philly Students

-- Inquirer: Philly DA Will Not Appeal Ruling On Police Shootings, Use-Of-Force Law

-- WHYY: Can A New Faith-Based Coalition Move The Needle On Philly Gun Violence?

-- Inquirer: Philly Community Festival Goes On Amid Historic Gun Violence

-- Inquirer: Philly Gun Buyback Events Yield 1,000 Guns, None Had Been Used In Crimes

-- TribLive: 1 Dead, 13 Wounded In Weekend Violence Across Allegheny County

-- Inquirer: 2 Dead, 9 Wounded In Philadelphia Shootings Friday

-- WHYY: More Than A Dozen Shot, 3 Dead In Philly Shooting Incidents

-- AP: 1 Dead, 17 Injured As Car Plows Into Bar Filled With People At A Fundraiser For The 10 Victims Of Nescopeck Fire

-- MCall: Bethlehem Musikfest Shut Down After Apparent Shooting Sends Crowd Scrambling

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: I Spent 14 Years In Solitary Confinement, Here’s Why We Should End The Practice

-- TribLive: Penn Hills School District To Form Its Own Police Force

-- PennLive: Child Abuse Registry In PA Unconstitutional, Names Innocent People Lawsuit Claims

-- PA Economy

-- The Center Square: About $4.9 Billion In Unemployment Fraud Not Recovered In PA

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley Employers Offering Stipends, Raises, Flexible Schedules To Fight Inflation

-- York Daily Record: REAL ID Deadline Approaching, Why You Need To Apply Soon

-- Post-Gazette: Wolf, CMU President Among Pennsylvanians At Signing Of CHIPS And Science Bill

-- LancasterOnline: Republican Cong. Smucker Says Democrats’ Climate, Energy Bill Will Make Inflation Worse

-- MCall: Could Outdoor Gambling Solve Impasse Over Smoking At Casinos?

-- Dept. Of Labor & Industry Collected $8.3 Million For Labor Law Non-Compliance Since January 1

-- MCall: Dixie Cup Plant Owner Years Behind In Property Taxes, Owes Hundreds Of Thousands To School District

-- York Daily Record: Hershey Will Have Enough Candy For Halloween, But It Will Cost More

-- MCall: Emergency Rent Aid Is Running Out In Lehigh County, Could That Lead To Surge In Evictions?

-- Inquirer: Where To Find Grants For Small Businesses Owned By People Of Color, Women

-- The Center Square: Broadband Expansion In PA Could Give Rural Economies A Boost

 

Other

-- PennLive: In Memoriam: Peter Thornburgh, Son Of Fmr PA Gov. Thornburgh

[Posted: August 14, 2022]