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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- New F&M Poll Results

-- Franklin & Marshall August Poll: Gov. Shapiro Has Highest Rating For Governor At This Point In His Term Since Gov. Ridge

-- Politics PA: F&M Poll: Optimism On Rise; Shapiro, Biden, Casey Approval Ratings Improve

-- LancasterOnline: F&M Poll Has Ex-President As PA Republican’s Top Pick For President, But High Unfavorability A Threat In General Election

-- PennLive - John Baer: New Franklin & Marshall Poll Says Lots About Shapiro And State’s Still Divided Politics

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- NBC News: Gov. Shapiro To Headline New Hampshire Democrats’ Convention

-- Beaver County Times Guest Essay: Let’s Keep Pennsylvania’s Progress Moving Forward - By Lt. Gov. Austin Davis

-- Budget 2023

-- WITF: PA Senate To Return Aug. 30 To Work On State Budget

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Senate To Return To Session For One Day Aug. 30

-- PennLive: PA Senate To Convene Aug. 30 To Deal With Unfinished State Budget

-- Spotlight PA: Funding For Home Repairs, Public Defense On Hold As PA Lawmakers Negotiate Final State Budget Pieces

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Private School Voucher Battle Headed Back To Campaign Trail

-- Inquirer: Republicans Say They Have Deal To Change PA’s Private Charter School Appeal Board, Here’s What To Know

-- TribLive: Court Ruling On PlanCon Education Funding Puts School Infrastructure In Spotlight 

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Could Cash In On ‘Skill” Gambling Games, But Some Just Want Them Gone

-- PA Senate/House

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Fear Mongers Spreading Misinformation About [Gambling] Skill Games In PA - By Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming)

-- Pittsburgh Union Progress: PA Lawmakers Hope To Regulate Artificial Intelligence

-- U.S. Senate/House

-- Post-Gazette: Dr. Oz Lent His Unsuccessful PA US Senate Campaign $27 Million, Now He’s Raising Money To Pay Himself Back

-- Bipartisan Group Of PA Members Of Congress Urge President To Declare Federal Disaster After Severe Flooding, Storms Caused 7 Deaths, Property Damage In Berks, Bucks, Northampton Counties  [PaEN]

-- City & State PA: PA Congressional Elections To Watch In 2024

-- House Special Election

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Voters In Special House Election Will Determine Innamorato’s Successor And Which Party Controls The House

-- November 2023 Election

-- AP: PA Democrats Want To Keep PA Supreme Court Majority, They’re Talking Up Abortion Rights

-- Post-Gazette: PA Republicans Slowly Learning To Embrace Mail-In Ballots

-- National Politics

-- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: Everyone’s Tired Of Politics, Dreading 2024 - Outside The Media-Activist-Pundit Bubble

-- PennLive: PA Political Activist Charlie Gerow Calls For Investigation Into Criminal Charges Against Conservative Political Action Coalition Chair; Steps Down As Vice Chair

-- Election Reforms

-- York Daily Record: How PA Can Prevent Election Disaster Ahead Of Crucial 2024 Races

-- Plum Borough Home Explosion

-- Shapiro Administration Secures Methane Detectors For Neighborhood In Plum Boro, Allegheny County Where Home Exploded  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Olympus Energy Donating 250 Methane Detectors To Plum’s Rustic Ridge Neighborhood

-- Post-Gazette: Olympus Energy Donates Gas Detectors To Plum Boro Families

-- WTAE: DEP Pledges Home Methane Detectors, Fast-Tracked Test Results For Plum Boro Residents

-- TribLive: Like Smoke Alarms, Natural Gas Alarms Can ‘Alert You To A Potential Problem,’ Plum Boro Neighborhood Where Home Exploded May Soon Have Them

-- WTAE: Homeowners Searching For Natural Gas Detectors After Plum House Explosion

-- TribLive: Plum Boro Hosting Multi-Agency Resource Center Event Aug. 24 For Families Impacted By Gas Explosion

-- TribLive: DEP Examining ‘Pinhole Leak’ In A Penneco Natural Gas Gathering Line Behind Homes That Exploded In Plum Boro, Allegheny County  [PUC, DEP Have No Statutory Authority To Regulate Safety Of Gathering Pipelines]

-- WTAE: Plum Boro Homeowner Says Peoples Gas Company Found Gas Leak At His Home

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: DEP Investigators Work Their Piece Of Gas Explosion Puzzle In Plum Boro 

-- TribLive: Neighbor Near Fatal Plum House Explosion Can Get House Fixed, But Mourns Loss Of Friends, Wonders About The Future

-- TribLive: Plum Boro Homeowners Whose Houses Damaged By Explosion Could Get Tax Relief

-- AP: 10 Damaged Homes Remain Uninhabitable A Week After Explosion That Killed 6 In Plum Boro, Allegheny County

-- TribLive Editorial: People Of Plum Deserve Honesty, Transparency In Explosion Investigation

-- TribLive: Plum Boro Community Seeks Will To Push Forward, A Week After Fatal House Explosion

-- TribLive: National Transportation Safety Board Will Not Investigate Fatal Plum Boro Home Explosion For Now

-- Train Derailments

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Don’t Derail Train Safety Bills [Both Congress, PA Legislature Have Bills Pending]

-- AP: Railroads Resist Joining Safety Hotline Program To Protect Whistleblowers Because They Want To Be Able To Discipline Workers

-- The Intercept: Norfolk Southern Spent $1.9 Million In Washington As Congress Weakened Rail Safety Bill

-- Village Of Reno Water System Contamination

-- DEP Finds 2 More Petro Erie, Inc. Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Tanks With A Pipe Leading To A Discharge Area In A Ditch In Sugarcreek Boro, Venango County  [PaEN]

-- Petro Erie, Inc. Appeals DEP’s July Field Order To Clean Up Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill Contaminating Village Of Reno’s Water Supply In Venango County; 2nd Appeal May Be Coming  [PaEN] 

-- The Derrick: No Word Yet On When Do Not Consume Water Advisory Will Be Lifted For The Village Of Reno Water Supply Contaminated By Conventional Oil Well Wastewater In Venango County  [PDF of article]

-- The Derrick - Letter To Editor: Disappointed In Lack Of Involvement In Sen. Hutchinson, Rep. James To Resolve Village Of Reno Water Contamination Issue In Venango County [Polluted By Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill]   [PDF of Article] 

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- Warren Times: Warren County Continues To Lead Region In Highest Gasoline Prices [Center of Conventional Oil Well Drilling In PA]

-- WTAJ: Sheetz Cuts Unleaded 88 Gasoline Price To $2.99 For Rest Of August

-- Reuters Column: US Power Systems Used More Natural Gas, But Didn’t Get Much Cleaner So Far In 2023

-- Wall Street Journal: Europe’s Natural Gas-Guzzling Days Are Fading, Homes, Factories Go Green Faster Than Expected 

-- Financial Times: European Natural Gas Price Tumbles As Fears Of Australian LNG Strike Subside

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Soar On Australia LNG Workers’ Strike Ultimatum

-- Reuters: US Energy Firm Payouts To Oil, Natural Gas Investors Top Exploration Spending For First Time

-- PA/Harrisburg Politics Potpourri

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Could Cash In On ‘Skill” Gambling Games, But Some Just Want Them Gone

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

-- PennLive: Cumberland County Man Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On US Capital Is Big Name In Central PA Business, Political Circles

-- Scranton Times: Lackawanna County Woman Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol Loses Bid To Dismiss Charges

-- Health Care

-- WESA: Allegheny County Health Dept. Reports No Increase In COVID Illness, That Could Change

-- Inquirer: Shapiro Administration To Allow Nurses From 30+ States To Practice In PA

-- Education

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Private School Voucher Battle Headed Back To Campaign Trail

-- Inquirer: Republicans Say They Have Deal To Change PA’s Private Charter School Appeal Board, Here’s What To Know

-- Post-Gazette: Western PA Schools Prepare For End Of Pandemic Stimulus Funds; Impacts Could Be Wide-Ranging

-- TribLive: Court Ruling On PlanCon Education Funding Puts School Infrastructure In Spotlight 

-- Spotlight PA: Penn State Football’s Academics Rank At Bottom Of Big Ten After Worst Score In A Decade

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: The Current Model Of Higher Education Is Failing

-- TribLive Editorial: WVU Walkout Has Lessons For PA Colleges, Leaders

-- Law Enforcement

-- TribLive/AP: PA Court Says State Police Can’t Hide How It Monitors Social Media

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Rich Owner Of Biggest Private House In State Asks For Home Confinement In Biggest Federal Tax Fraud Case; Feds Say He Deserves Prison 

-- The Economy

-- Spotlight PA: Obstacles Abound As PA Plans For Surge Of Federal Broadband Funding

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Could Cash In On ‘Skill” Gambling Games, But Some Just Want Them Gone

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Fear Mongers Spreading Misinformation About [Gambling] Skill Games In PA - By Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming)

-- PennLive: How Does $174,000/Year Sound?  These State Jobs Are Hiring And Paying Well

[Posted: August 27, 2023]