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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Inquirer: Gov. Shapiro Voted Early But Wouldn’t Reveal His Pick For Attorney General

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Governor’s Campaign Slogans Won’t Fix PA - By Commonwealth Foundation

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Enough With “Words, Words, Words” Gov. Shapiro: Show Me! - By Conservative Commonwealth Partners Chamber Of Entrepreneurs

-- Gov. Shapiro Joins Workers In Butler County Following Successful Effort To Save 1,300 Cleveland-Cliffs Butler Works Jobs

-- Marcellus Drilling News: PA Fracking Industry Has Opportunity To Defeat Biden In 2024 

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Study: Mixed Record On Permitting Reform Offers Some Hope [DEP]

-- PA House/Senate

-- WITF: Big Hike In Minimum Wage Sought By PA Democrats

-- PA Capital-Star: Tougher Distracted Driving Law Passes PA House

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Senate Bill Would Require Law Enforcement To Notify Federal Authorities Of Undocumented Immigrant Arrests

-- Post-Gazette/PennLive: PA Senate Republicans Pass Bills On Hot-Button Immigration, Bail Cases

-- AP: Consumers Would Be Notified Of AI-generated Content Under PA Legislation

-- US Senate/House

-- TribLive Editorial: Is Lee-Patel Congressional Race Bellwether For PA In Presidential Year?

-- Inside Climate News: Climate Advocates Rally Around Professive Fracking Opponent PA Cong. Summer Lee

-- TribLive: Filings Show Top Conservative Donor Jeffrey Yass Gave $800,000 To PAC Attacking PA Cong. Summer Lee

-- Primary Election

-- AP: In Politically Riven PA, Primary Voters Will Pick Candidates In Presidential Contest Year

-- Courier Times: 1 In 10 PA Voters Choosing Mail-In Ballots For April Primary; Still Time To Apply

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Commonwealth Foundation Poll Shows Democrats Have Narrow Edge In PA

-- Spotlight PA: Why Independents Can’t Vote In PA Primary, And The Slow-Moving Push To Change That

-- Observer-Reporters: Washington County Won’t Allow Voters Fix Defective Mail-In Ballots

-- Post-Gazette: Advocates, Jails Ramp Up Efforts To Ensure Eligible Voters In PA Prisons Can Cast Ballots

-- Marcellus Drilling News: PA Fracking Industry Has Opportunity To Defeat Biden In 2024 

-- Inquirer Editorial: DePasquale For Attorney General

-- November Election

-- Post-Gazette: Green Party Gathers Signatures To Get On PA Ballot In November

-- Election Reforms

-- Spotlight PA: Voting Rights Groups Appeal Ruling That Directs PA To Reject Undated Mail-In Ballots

-- Post-Gazette: Democratic Committee Seeks To Win Control Of PA Legislature For Redistricting In 2032

-- National Politics

-- PennLive - John Baer: PA Voters’ Thoughts About Biden v. Ex-President Matter More Than National Polls

-- WSJ: Inside The Messy Battle For The Biggest Swing State Of 2024 - Pennsylvania  [Video]

-- PennLive: Muslims, Arab-Americans Vow To Abstain From Voting Against Biden In PA Primary

-- Inquirer: What The Race For PA Attorney General Has To Do With National Politics

-- AP: Biden Heads To Scranton To Talk About Taxes

-- Post-Gazette: Biden To Return To Pittsburgh As Part Of 3-Day Swing Through PA

-- AP: Ex-President To Host Rally On Biden’s Home Turf In NE PA, Before His Trial Begins

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

 -- AAA Gasoline Prices:  PA- $3.70   National- $3.63   Ohio- $3.44

-- Warren Times: Regional Gasoline Prices Spikes 10 Cents

-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Official Joins Pittsburgh-based EQT In Saying We Have A 'Duty’ To Provide LNG Gas To China, Our Economic, Military Competitor  [PaEN]

-- The Energy Age Blog: Gas Profiteers: It’s Our ‘Duty’ To Provide Gas To China

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: Regulators: Don’t Panic And Rush To Gas Amid Cries We’re Out Of Power

-- Baker Hughes: PA Gas Drilling Rigs No Change From Last Week- 22

-- WITF: House Republican Lawmakers Rail Against Biden’s Pause On New LNG Gas Export Facilities [Export Facilities Will Double In Capacity During Pause and EQT Says We Have A ‘Duty’ To Send Gas To China ]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA House Republicans: Federal Pause On Permits For New LNG Gas Export Facilities May Spark ‘Electricity Crisis’ [If We Don’t Ship More PA Gas Out Of The Country? And to China like EQT Wants?]

-- PA Capital-Star: Biden ‘Moratorium’ On LNG Gas Exports Could Hurt PA’s Energy Future, House Republican Panel Hears [There Is No Moratorium, It’s A Pause On New LNG Export Facilities, Export Facility Capacity Will Double In Capacity ]

-- OilPrice.com: Gas Glut? Not For Long As LNG Gas Demand Grows [Watch For Price Spikes]

-- Institute For Energy Economics & Financial Analysis: US-Japan-Philippines Summit Offers Opportunity To Address False LNG Gas Narratives

-- Bloomberg: PetroChina To Build Up Its LNG Gas Fleet, Expand Global Trade

-- AP: Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General Sues Natural Gas Companies Over Price Spikes During 2021 Winter Storm 

-- Bloomberg: Russia Attacks Ukraine Gas Storage Sites, Driving Prices Higher

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Rise Thru Next Year On Persistent War Risks

-- Reuters: Oil Funds Turn Bullish As Mideast Conflict Intensifies

-- Fortune: Supply Shocks Are Threatening To Push Oil To $100/Barrel Ahead Of US Summer Driving Season 

-- Reuters: Despite $90 Crude Oil, US Oil Output Capped By Weak Natural Gas Prices

-- Train Derailments

-- Beaver County Times: Lessons From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Program April 13 In Beaver Falls

-- Post-Gazette: Attorneys In Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Settlement Clarify Some Details Of Payout

-- Post-Gazette: Norfolk Southern’s $600 Million Payout In Train Derailment Leaves Many Uncertain, Unsatisfied

-- AP: Norfolk Southern Agrees To Pay $600 Million In Settlement Of Claims Within 20-Mile Radius Related To Ohio Train Derailment 

-- AP: Freight Railroads Ask Courts To Throw Out New Rule Requiring 2-Person Crews On Trains

-- Flooding

-- TribLive: New Round Of Flooding Hits Western PA; State Road Closings, Reopenings Updated

-- Post-Gazette: Record Rainfall Leads To Major Flooding As Allegheny County Communities Start Cleaning Up

-- Observer-Reporter: Canton Twp. Businesses, Residents Lament Repeated Flooding Along Chartiers Creek, Washington County

-- AP: Flash Flooding Sweeps Into Pittsburgh Area Spurring Numerous Water Rescues

-- TribLive: Flooding Closes Allegheny County Roads, Triggers Warnings Throughout Region

-- Post-Gazette: Torrential Rain Triggers Dangerous Flash Flooding In Allegheny County

-- WTAE: Flash Flooding Emergency Leads To Water Rescues

-- WTAE: PennDOT, Local Emergency Services Monitoring Landslides, Road Closures As They Brace For More Rain In Western PA

-- WESA: Pittsburgh Off To Wettest April Ever, On Pace For Wettest Year In History 

-- WNEP: Flood Recovery Assistance Center Open In Scranton

-- Education

-- Post-Gazette: Westmoreland Education Leaders, Residents Explore Impact Of Book Bans As Challenges Rock Western PA

-- TribLive/PennLive: PA Republican Lawmakers Offer Alternative To Shapiro’s Higher Ed Plan

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Republican Lawmakers Shut Shapiro’s Higher Ed Plan, Pitch Their Own

-- TribLive Guest Essay: The Obscene Cost Of Higher Education - By Professor, Grove City College

-- Scranton Times: College Accreditor Requires Keystone College To Prepare For Potential Closure

-- Spotlight PA: Penn State Increases Transparency Into Misconduct Reports: Here’s What The Data Say

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Proposed State-Owned University Faculty Contract Gives Raises Of At Least 20% Over 4 Years

-- Health Care

-- Spotlight PA: Opioid Settlement Cash A Boon To PA Prosecutors But Public Defenders Are Being Turned Away

-- WITF/WESA: As PA’s Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Hits A Year, Thousands Have Lost Coverage But Many Haven’t

-- Law Enforcement

-- TribLive: PA Supreme Court Hears Debate On Gun Industry Immunity In Lawsuit Over Mt. Pleasant Boy’s Death

-- AP: Lawsuit Settled: 2 Top US Gun Parts Makers Agree To Temporarily Halt Sales In Philadelphia

-- The Economy

-- WITF: Big Hike In Minimum Wage Sought By PA Democrats

-- Gov. Shapiro Joins Workers In Butler County Following Successful Effort To Save 1,300 Cleveland-Cliffs Butler Works Jobs

-- AP: US Steel Shareholders Approve Takeover By Japan’s Nippon Steel

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Area Activists Ask For Voice In US Steel Sale Talks

-- Other

-- TribLive Editorial: What Will You Learn From The Eclipse?

-- TribLive Editorial: Anonymous Donations To Government Create Questions, And Silence Them

[Posted: April 14, 2024]