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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- DEP Secretary Negrin Resigns Effective Dec. 8, On Medical Leave; Jessica Shirley Named Interim Acting Secretary  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Handling Of Sexual Harassment Allegations Poses Big Threat To Shapiro’s Political Identity

-- Post-Gazette: Shapiro Says He And Accuser Have A ‘Responsibility’ To Honor An NDA In Harassment Accusations Against Former Legislative Secretary

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Lawmakers Want Transparency In Deals To Settle Harassment Claims

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Shapiro Must Reset His Legislative Strategy - By Commonwealth Foundation

-- PoliticsPA: F&M Poll: Strong Numbers For Shapiro, Casey And Ex-President

-- Budget 2023

-- Spotlight PA: The History Behind PA’s Flat Income Tax

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Democratic Rep. Matt Bradford Sounds Like Reagan On Taxes - By Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster)

-- WITF: Penn State Sounds The Alarm On State Funding

-- Post-Gazette: University Of Pittsburgh Funding Frozen By Harrisburg Infighting; Ripple Effects Have Blocked $57 Million In Agriculture Assistance

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA University Chiefs Urge Lawmakers ‘In Strongest Possible Terms’ To End Funding Stalemate

-- PA House/Senate

-- Post-Gazette/Capitolwire.com: PA House Judiciary Committee Sets Vote On Death Penalty Repeal Bill

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Lawmakers Want Transparency In Deals To Settle Harassment Claims

-- PA Capital-Star: Rep. Rozzi Endorses Ex-Spouse Jacklyn Rusnock For His Berks County House Seat

-- US Senate/House

-- LancasterOnline: F&M Poll Finds Casey Leads McCormick In US Senate Race

-- PoliticsPA: F&M Poll: Strong Numbers For Shapiro, Casey And Ex-President

-- PennLive: Group Opposing Republican Cong. Scott Perry Says New Poll Shows He Is Vulnerable

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Careful Not To Insult Clowns, PA Democratic Cong. Deluzio Hammers Republicans In DC

-- November 2023 Election

-- City & State PA: A Q/A With PA’s Chief Election Official

-- LancasterOnline: State And Local Election Officials Disagree On How To Fix Ballot Errors Sent To Mail-In Voters

-- TribLive Editorial: Get The Info You Need To Make Good Voting Choices

-- PoliticsPA: 2023 Election: PA Voter Registration Numbers

-- PA Capital-Star: Spending By Jeff Yass-Backed Conservative PAC Tops $4 Million In PA Supreme Court Race

-- TribLive/AP: Turnover Has Plagued County Election Offices Since 2020, Luzerne County Is Trying To Recover

-- WITF: Lawsuit Settlement Requires York County To Expand Language Support For Spanish-Speaking Voters

--WHYY: PA Superior Court Candidate Maria Battista Hospitalized After Car Crash

-- AP: Outcome Of Key Local Races In PA Could Offer Lessons For 2024 Election

-- Election Reforms

-- Spotlight PA: PA’s Election Code Badly Outdated, That Could Have Serious Consequences In 2024

-- TribLive Editorial: Opening Primary Elections Won’t Heal Our Politics, But It Will Help

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Voters’ Personal Info Was Not Shared With Election Research Group, State Officials Say

-- National Politics

-- AP: Outcome Of Key Local Races In PA Could Offer Lessons For 2024 Election

-- PennLive: F&M Poll: Biden, Ex-President Tied In PA Poll As President Works To Overcome ‘Real Issues’ With Voters

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: A Third Party Will Elect Ex-President - By Former Republican Cong. Jim Greenwood and Former Gov. Ed Rendell

-- PennLive - John Baer: Politics In Harrisburg, Washington In A Double-Time Race To Bottom

-- NPR: More Americans Say They Support Political Violence Ahead Of 2024 Election

-- PA’s Role In Assault On US Capitol

-- WITF: Republican PA Cong. Scott Perry ‘Central To Planning Of Jan. 6 [Assault On US Capitol]’ Says Former White House Aide

-- Reading Eagle: Berks Man Pleads Guilty To Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol

-- Inquirer: Bucks County Man Behind The Moment That Allegedly Incited The Assault On US Capitol Takes His Criminal Case To Trial

-- Courier Times: Bucks County Man, Held For Nearly 3 Years, Will Soon Get Trial On Criminal Charges Related To Assault On US Capitol

-- MCall: Meet The Lehigh Valley Millionaire Who Tried To Overturn The 2020 Election

-- Post-Gazette: New US House Speaker Led Push For US Supreme Court To Throw Out PA’s 2020 Election Results

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA Republican Members Of Congress Applaud Choice Of New US House Speaker

-- LancasterOnline: PA Republican Cong. Smucker ‘Feeling Pretty Happy’ About US House Speaker Election

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: In Bridgeville, Mayor Betty Copeland Offers A Model Of Leadership Other Politicians Can Learn From

-- PennLive - John Baer: Politics In Harrisburg, Washington In A Double-Time Race To Bottom

-- City & State PA: Special Report: AI In State Government

-- Inquirer: Fmr Philadelphia City Controller To Announce Bid For State Treasurer

-- Flooding

-- WNEP: Scranton Officials Working With Scranton Community Foundation To Offer Flood Recovery Grants To Victim’s Of Last Month’s Flooding

-- Scranton Times: Application Window Opens Monday For Flood Relief Grants

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Collaborative Emergency Flooding Solution For Spencer Lane Announced, Including ‘Beaver Deceiver’

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AP: Many Families To Get A Break On Winter Heating Costs But Uncertainties Persist

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Pennsylvanians Could Save On Energy Bills This Winter 

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA- $3.70; National- $3.50; Ohio- $3.18

-- Erie Times: Gasoline Prices Fell In Erie For 5 Weeks, Will Trend Continue?

-- Warren Times: Price Of Gasoline Continues To Fall In Region

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Increase By One To 22

-- Reuters: Report: EU On Track To Quit Russian Fossil Fuels; Energy Markets Remain Vulnerable, Gas Infrastructure Needs To Be Protected

-- The Economist: Who Is Sabotaging Underwater Natural Gas Infrastructure In The Baltic Sea?

-- Reuters: IEA Says ‘Unprecedented’ Natural Gas Supply Surge Could Lead To LNG Glut From 2025 

-- AP: Gaza War Has Oil Markets On Edge, That Could Build More Urgency To Shift To Renewables, IEA Head Says

-- Financial Times: IEA Warns Energy Companies Against Banking On Strong Oil Demand, Risks Of Over-Investment In Fossil Fuels  

-- Reuters: World Oil, Natural Gas, Coal Demand To Peak By 2030, IEA Says

-- Reuters: Exxon Posts Sharply Lower $9.1 Billion Profit On Lower Oil, Natural Gas Prices

-- Reuters: Chevron’s 3rd Quarter Profit Slumps, Shares Fall

-- Natural Gas Explosions

-- TribLive: ‘We’re All Coming Together,’ Plum Boro Teachers Revive Festival To Support Victims Of Natural Gas Explosion In Rustic Ridge Community, Allegheny County 

-- The Guardian: Gas Leaks Advocacy Group’s Ad Latest Push To Counter Fossil Fuel Industry Messaging

-- Train Derailments

-- Attorney General Henry Leads Coalition Urging Feds To Mandate Railroads Improve Communications With First Responders Over Hazardous Material Loads

-- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: Soil, Water Cleanup After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Almost Finished, EPA Says

-- AP: Soil Removal From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Site Is Nearly Done, But Cleanup Isn’t Over

-- The Allegheny Front: Churches Provide Vital Services As Town Recovers From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- WITF/AP: Norfolk Southern Ohio/PA Train Derailment Cleanup Costs Grow To $966 Million; But Railroad’s Trains Moving More Smoothly 

-- AP: Norfolk Southern Investing In More Automated Inspection Systems On Its Railroad To Improve Safety

-- Education

-- TribLive: Hempfield Area Schools Considering Search Policy Changes In Wake Of Student Gun Incidents In Westmoreland County

-- Post-Gazette: Gun Confiscated From Student At McKeesport High School

-- WNEP: Another Round Of Threats Reported At Luzerne County Schools Monday Morning

-- PennLive: Middle School Principal In Bethlehm Says Students Are ‘Instigating, Celebrating’ Violence

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Reconsider Automatically Closing Schools For Prank Threats

-- TribLive/PennLive: Putting An Armed Security Officer In Every School Gains PA Senate Panel’s Support

-- TribLive Editorial: Should PA Require Schools To Have Armed Security?

-- The Center Square: Infrastructure Crisis Escalating In Public Schools

-- AP: PA Senate Passes Bill Opponents Worry Targets Books About LGBTQ+ And Marginalized People

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Senate Passes ‘Explicit Content’ Legislation After Heated Debate Over Whether It’s A Book Ban

-- The Center Square: Pittsburgh School Board Mulls Workshops On ‘Racist’ Math Curriculum

-- TribLive: Alumni Group Raises $500,000 In Push Against Admission Of Girls At The Kiski School In Indiana County

-- TribLive Editorial: Is A Coed Kiski School Really That Awful?

-- Post-Gazette: Penn State Suspends ‘Skulls’ Fraternity Over ‘Widespread’ Hazing Violations

-- Post-Gazette: Chatham President Says University Is ‘Through The Worst Of It’ After Reorganization Reduced Deficit

-- WITF: Penn State Sounds The Alarm On State Funding

-- Post-Gazette: University Of Pittsburgh Funding Frozen By Harrisburg Infighting; Ripple Effects Have Blocked $57 Million In Agriculture Assistance

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA University Chiefs Urge Lawmakers ‘In Strongest Possible Terms’ To End Funding Stalemate

-- Citizens Voice: Luzerne County Community College Promoting Diversity, Seeing Surge In Latino Student Population

-- Health Care

-- TribLive: Some Fear Patient Care Threatened As Staffing Shortages Plague Nursing Homes

-- TribLive: Nursing Home Rating System Criticized Over Reliability, Accuracy

-- TribLive: List Of Nursing Homes Cited For Abuse Can Be Incomplete, Arbitrary, Experts Say

-- Post-Gazette: Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ In Pennsylvania Is Hurting Children, Advocates Say

-- Spotlight PA: Bad Tech, Staffing Shortages Hinder PA As It Reassesses Health Care Coverage For Thousands

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Nurses Rally For 31% Hike In Starting Wage

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Residents Turn Out For New COVID Shot Amid Supply Chain Issues

-- WITF: PA Looks To Add Extensive Dental Care To Medicaid, Again

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Pandemic-Era Medicaid And CHIP Enrollments Must Stay

-- Law Enforcement

-- Post-Gazette/Capitolwire.com: PA House Judiciary Committee Sets Vote On Death Penalty Repeal Bill

-- Scranton Times: Reconsider Automatically Closing Schools For Prank Threats

-- Post-Gazette: Gun Confiscated From Student At McKeesport High School

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Joins States Accusing Meta [Facebook] Of Fueling Children’s Social Media Addiction

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: The Tree Of Life Synagogue Massacre Led To Little Action By PA Legislature

-- The Economy

-- The Center Square: Growing Exodus From PA Means Higher Tax Burden For Those Who Remain

-- Spotlight PA: Thousands Miss Out On Low-Income Tax Forgiveness Program Due To Outdated Income Limits

-- City & State PA: Special Report: AI In State Government

-- Other

-- PennLive: McNees, Wallace & Nurick Selling Its Building In Harrisburg

[Posted: October 29, 2023]