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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- The Dick Thornburgh Forum For Law & Public Policy Oct. 5 Preserving Democracy - The Critical Role Of The Media Featuring CNN Senior Reporter Katelyn Polantz 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- AP: PA Makes It Easier To Register To Vote When Drivers Get Or Renew A License

-- Warren Times Editorial: PA Joined 21st Century In Making Voter Registration Easier This Week 

-- TribLive Editorial: Easier Voter Registration Is Better For Everyone

-- Budget 2023

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Lawmakers Trying To Revamp K-12 Education Funding Formula

-- PennLive: PA House Republican Leader: ‘No Movement’ On College Funding As Lawmakers Return

-- TribLive: Pitt Says It’s Willing To Freeze In-State Tuition If It Gets Larger State Subsidy

-- PA Gaming Control Board Reports August Gaming Revenue Increased 7.5% Over Last August

-- TribLive: Gambling Brings In $457 Million For State In August

-- PA House/Senate

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Lobbyist-Paid Trips Benefit Lawmakers, Not Constituents

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Senate Committee Moves Bipartisan Bill Prohibiting State Employees From Lobbying Their Former Agencies For 2 Years

-- WITF: PA Democrat’s Effort To Stop School Book Bans Unlikely To Pass Republican-Controlled Senate

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Harrisburg Politicians Continue To Attack Small Businesses [By Not Legalizing Skill Gambling Games] - By Rep. Aaron Bernstein

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: The Reality Of Legalized Marijuana - An 8-Part Report

-- US Senate/House

-- AP: Republican David McCormick Launches 2nd  US Senate Bid In PA

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Why Is McCormick’s Residence In Connecticut The First Issue In PA US Senate Race?

-- PennLive: Relaxed Dress Code Will Let PA Sen. Fetterman Wear Shorts And Hoodies On U.S. Senate Floor

-- PA Capital-Star: Fetterman Joins Striking UAW Workers On Michigan Picket Line

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Fetterman Owes The People A Decent Outfit

-- WITF/LancasterOnline: Republican PA Cong. Smucker & Ex-Con: Relationship Includes Travel, Nearly $250,000 In Campaign Cash And Donations

-- PA Capital-Star: Conservative Koch Brothers’ PAC Makes PA Congressional Endorsements

-- House Special Election

-- AP: Democrats Retain Narrow Control Of PA House After Special Election

-- Election Reforms

-- AP: PA Makes It Easier To Register To Vote When Drivers Get Or Renew A License

-- Warren Times Editorial: PA Joined 21st Century In Making Voter Registration Easier This Week 

-- TribLive Editorial: Easier Voter Registration Is Better For Everyone

--Spotlight PA: Judge Rules Delaware County Must Accept In-Person Votes From Residents Whose Flawed Mail Ballots Were Rejected

-- AP: PA Senate Wants Earlier 2024 Presidential Primary, Partly To Have A Say On Nominees

-- Inquirer: PA Lawmakers Want To Move Up 2024 Presidential Primary, But Still Can’t Agree On A New Date

-- Warren Times Editorial: Quickly Finalize Primary Election Date

-- PennLive: Five Former PA Governors Call For Open Primaries - Ridge, Schweiker, Rendell Corbett, Wolf

-- TribLive Editorial: Five Former Governors Agree On Open Primary Elections

-- National Politics

-- LancasterOnline: Rep. Cutler Not Backing Ex-President In 2024 Presidential Primary

-- PennLive - John Baer: Shutdowns, Impeachment Talk And Other Distractions Make For Bad Government

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA- $3.94; National- $3.85; Ohio- $3.56

-- Williamsport Sun: Local, State Gasoline Prices Climb Again

-- TribLive: Refinery Issues Could Offset Lower Prices Cheaper Winter Gasoline Typically Brings, Analyst Says

-- Financial Times: Hedge Fund Speculators Add Fuel To Oil Price Rally With Bets On Rise Above $100

-- Reuters: US Oil Output From Top Shale Areas To Fall For 3rd Straight Month In October, EIA Says [Oil, Natural Gas Firms Still Focused On Returning Money To Investors]

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drill Rig Count Remains At 21

-- Bloomberg: Europe’s Natural Gas Hits One-Month High As Russian Risks Rattle Markets

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Slump As Risks Ease In Norway, Australia

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Natural Gas, Commonwealth LNG Reach Agreement To Supply Gas To Louisiana Facility

-- Reuters: Venture Global Says Court Battles Over Not Delivering LNG Natural Gas Cargoes To Companies They Contracted With To Take Advantage Of Spiking Natural Gas Prices Not Slowing The Company’s LNG Projects 

-- The Economist: Why Uranium Prices Are Soaring

-- Train Derailments

-- PA Capital-Star: PennDOT, Norfolk Southern Reach Agreement On Expanded Ambrak Service To Pittsburgh

-- WESA/AP: Biden Says Norfolk Southern Must Be Held Accountable For Ohio Train Derailment, But Won’t Declare Disaster

-- AP: Norfolk Southern Announces Details Of Plan To Pay For Lost Home Values In East Palestine Due To Train Derailment

-- WITF/AP: Railroads Working To Make Sure Firefighters Can Quickly Look Up What Is On A Train After A Derailment

-- Natural Gas Explosions

-- PUC To Seek Public Comment On Proposed $100,000 Penalty Settlement With Mifflin Energy Corp. For Natural Gas Explosion Destroying Home/Business In Greene County  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Responds To NTSB Actions Regarding Reading Factory Natural Gas Explosion

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: NTSB Kicks PUC Out Of Investigation Into Deadly Natural Gas Explosion At A Chocolate Factory In Reading

-- Reading Eagle: West Reading Chocolate Factory Explosion: Feds Demand PUC Hand Over UGI Inspection Reports

-- AP: NTSB Investigators Subpoena PUC Records Related To Reading Factory Natural Gas Explosion

-- PennLive: Lancaster County House Explosion Leaves 1 Man Dead: Police

-- 6ABC News: 100 Residents In Delaware County Evacuated After Natural Gas From A Ruptured Gas Line Leaked, Caused 2 Houses To Explode

-- MCall: Natural Gas Leak In Lehigh Valley Prompts Brief Shelter-In-Place Order Wednesday

-- PA/Harrisburg Political Potpourri

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Senate Committee Moves Bipartisan Bill Prohibiting State Employees From Lobbying Their Former Agencies For 2 Years

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA House Democrats Fire Director Of Campaign Committee Over Money Mismanagement

-- Long Nyquist & Associates Acquires Pugliese Associates Grows To 20 Lobbyists, Nearly 140 Clients

-- Health Care

-- York Dispatch: York County Paid $150,000 For A Health Dept. Study That’s Never Seen Daylight

-- AP: Free At-Home COVID Tests Will Again Be Available From Federal Govt.

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: The Reality Of Legalized Marijuana - An 8-Part Report

-- Education

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Lawmakers Trying To Revamp K-12 Education Funding Formula

-- WESA: PA Republicans, Democrats Like Their Own Schools, But Believe Other Districts Are Failing Kids

-- WITF: PA Democrat’s Effort To Stop School Book Bans Unlikely To Pass Republican-Controlled Senate

-- York Dispatch: Conservative ‘Dark Money’ Groups Pile Into York County School Board Races With Endorsements

-- Citizens Voice: 5 Luzerne County School Districts Evacuated Monday Due To Bomb Threats

-- TribLive: Bomb Threats Prompt Evacuations At Washington County Schools, Close Beaver Valley Mall Early

-- Post-Gazette: Several Pittsburgh-Area School Districts Respond To Fake Bomb Threats

-- WHYY: Philly Students Taught To ‘Counter’ Shooters In New School Shooting Drills

-- PennLive: PA House Republican Leader: ‘No Movement’ On College Funding As Lawmakers Return

-- TribLive: Pitt Says It’s Willing To Freeze In-State Tuition If It Gets Larger State Subsidy

-- WESA: Class Of 2028 Will Be Last To Receive Pittsburgh Promise College Scholarships

-- TribLive Editorial: Pittsburgh Promise College Scholarships Is One Worth Keeping

-- Law Enforcement

-- PennLive: Fines And Fees Trap People In PA’s Criminal Justice System: ‘The Crime Of Being Poor’

-- WITF/AP: 9 Teens Who Escaped From Berks County Detention Center Now Back In Custody

-- PennLive: Capital City Mall Bomb Threats In Harrisburg Likely ‘Swatting:’ Police

-- Post-Gazette: White Supremacist Pleads Guilty To Threatening Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Jurors And Witnesses

-- The Economy

-- Post-Gazette: Amazon To Hire 6,500 In PA For Holiday Shopping Season

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Harrisburg Politicians Continue To Attack Small Businesses [By Not Legalizing Skill Gambling Games] - By Rep. Aaron Bernstein

-- PennLive Guest Essay: We Must Preserve A Strong Steel Industry For Pennsylvania - By Earl Baker, Former Republican State Senator

Other

-- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: A Place Where Young People Actually Go To Church [Plum Boro, Allegheny County]

[Posted: September 24, 2023]