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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- AP: As Antisemitism Rises And Strife Over Israel Continues, Josh Shapiro Turns Toward His Jewish Faith 

-- AP: Josh Shapiro, In His Own Words, On Political Violence And Antisemitism 

-- WNEP: Gov. Shapiro Visits Mosque In Pike County After It Was Shot At Multiple Times 

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Joins Democratic AGs Suing President’s CDC Over Change In Childhood Vaccine Recommendation  

-- Gov. Shapiro: Meets With Local Leaders From Berks, Schuylkill Counties To Discuss Harm Caused By ICE Warehouse Detention Facilities On Communities

-- PennLive: PA Senate Budget Hearings Dig Into $40 Million Post-Arson Work At Governor’s Residence, Shapiro Home

-- Post-Gazette: Shapiro Calls Republican State Senator's Criticism About Arson Attack Aftermath ‘Shameful’

-- Gov. Shapiro: Launching New A.I. Literacy Toolkit, A.I. Enforcement Task Force On Safe Use Of A.I., Protect Pennsylvanians From Bad Actors

-- Post-Gazette: Gov. Shapiro Announces Safeguards From Predatory A.I. Practices

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Vows To Block ICE Warehouse Detention Centers, Warns Of Devastating Impact On Local Communities 

-- Tribune-Democrat: Shapiro Vows To ‘Use Every Tool’ To Thwart Planned ICE Warehouse Detention Centers In PA

-- PennLive: President’s ICE Is A ‘Failed Mission,’ Shapiro Says, Vowing To Block Warehouse Detention Centers In PA

-- Inquirer: An Angry Josh Shapiro Pledges To Block President’s Warehouse ICE Detention Centers In PA

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Promises To Fight Proposed ICE Warehouse Detention Centers In PA; Declined To Provide Details On Legal Strategy, Regulatory Levers

-- Spotlight PA: President’s ICE Planning Warehouse Detention Facilities For PA, Will The Shapiro Administration Sue To Stop Them?

-- Race For Governor

-- PennLive: Quinnipiac University Poll: Shapiro Has Nearly 20 Point Lead Over Garrity In Governor’s Race 

-- Inquirer: Quinnipiac University Poll: Shapiro’s Presidential Prospects; Fetterman’s Eye-Popping Numbers: Highlights Of New PA Poll

-- Quinnipiac University Poll: 68% Of Pennsylvanians Oppose Building An A.I. Data Center In Their Community

-- WITF: Answer To One Question Led To Garrity’s Endorsement By President For PA Governor’s Race; She Won’t Disclose The Question Or Her Answer

-- Inquirer: PA Republican Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity Will Be President’s Guest At State Of Union Address; Here’s Who Else Is Going From PA

-- Budget 2026

-- Inquirer: PA Leaders Want To Avoid Another State Budget Impasse, But With $4.3 Billion Budget Shortfall Can They?

-- Senate DEP Budget Hearing: Kudos To DEP For Improving Permit Review Times; A.I. Data Centers; Due Process For ICE Warehouse Detention Centers; How Energy Storage Can Add Capacity To The Grid; Chesapeake Bay Cleanup  [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline: As New PA Taxes Are Weighed, Democrats Say Tax On Wealthy Should Still Be Considered

-- The Center Square: Cyber Charter Schools ‘Left Out Of’ PA Reform Conversations

-- Spotlight PA: Rape Crisis Centers Say Shapiro’s Budget Bill Worsen Staffing, Service Challenges

-- Spotlight PA: False Claims Laws In Other States Have Brought In Millions, Why Hasn’t It Passed In PA?

-- PennLive: PA Senate Budget Hearings Dig Into $40 Million Post-Arson Work At Governor’s Residence, Shapiro Home

-- Post-Gazette: Shapiro Calls Republican State Senator's Criticism About Arson Attack Aftermath ‘Shameful’

-- PA House/Senate

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Republicans Don’t Want Justice For Clergy Child Sexual Abuse Survivors - By Mary McHale and Diana Vojtasek, Survivor Advocates

-- Spotlight PA: False Claims Laws In Other States Have Brought In Millions, Why Hasn’t It Passed In PA?

-- US Senate/House

-- TribLive: PA Member Of Congress Summer Lee Delivers Working Families Party’s Response To President’s State Of The Union

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Guess Essay: In 2025 The President Set The Policies, In 2026 Those Policies Will Deliver The Payoff - By Republican Con. Dan Meuser

-- York Daily Record: National Democrats Go All-In On Janelle Stelson To Challenge Republican Con. Scott Perry

-- Statewide Offices

-- Attorney General Sunday Embraces Collaboration In Combatting Harmful Tech, A.I. Use

-- Gov. Shapiro: Launching New A.I. Literacy Toolkit, A.I. Enforcement Task Force On Safe Use Of A.I., Protect Pennsylvanians From Bad Actors

-- Post-Gazette: Gov. Shapiro Announces Safeguards From Predatory A.I. Practices

-- Special Elections

-- PA Capital-Star: Democrats Maintain House Majority Winning Allegheny, Lehigh County Special Elections; 3 More Special Elections For Seats Vacated By Republicans Up Next 

-- TribLive: Democrat A Landslide Winner In Special House Election In Allegheny County

-- Morning Call: Democrat Wins Special House Election In Lehigh Valley

-- Spotlight PA: Pennsylvania Holds Tons Of Special Elections That Cost Taxpayers Millions

-- Elections

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: We Don’t Need Voter ID Because Voter Fraud Isn’t A Problem - By Bruce Ledewitz, Duquesne Law Schools

-- TribLive/NYT: President’s Push For Power Over Elections Raises Fears He Will ‘Subvert’ Midterms

-- Protesting The President

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Vows To Block ICE Warehouse Detention Centers, Warns Of Devastating Impact On Local Communities 

-- Tribune-Democrat: Shapiro Vows To ‘Use Every Tool’ To Thwart Planned ICE Warehouse Detention Centers In PA

-- PennLive: President’s ICE Is A ‘Failed Mission,’ Shapiro Says, Vowing To Block Warehouse Detention Centers In PA

-- Inquirer: An Angry Josh Shapiro Pledges To Block President’s Warehouse ICE Detention Centers In PA

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Promises To Fight Proposed ICE Warehouse Detention Centers In PA; Declined To Provide Details On Legal Strategy, Regulatory Levers

-- Gov. Shapiro: Meets With Local Leaders From Berks, Schuylkill Counties To Discuss Harm Caused By ICE Warehouse Detention Facilities On Communities

-- Spotlight PA: Crowd Rallies At First Protest Against Planned ICE Warehouse Detention Facility In Upper Bern, Berks County

-- Post-Gazette: Community, Lawmakers Rally In Support Of Sewickley Father Arrested By President’s ICE As Daughter Undergoes Cancer Treatment

-- Post-Gazette: Erie County To End Agreement To Allow President’s ICE To House Immigrant Detainees In County Prison

-- TribLive: Plum Boro Council To Discuss Resolution Not To Cooperate With President’s ICE At March 2 Meeting In Allegheny County

-- WESA: McCandless Approves Resolution To Keep Local Police From Working With President’s ICE

-- WESA: Pittsburgh Somali Bantu Leaders Say President’s Rhetoric, ICE Crackdown Has Residents Fearful

-- AP: Residents Question Police Response To Quakertown H.S. Protests Of President’s ICE Policies After Juveniles Arrested

-- Inquirer: Quakertown H.S. ICE Protest Brings Scrutiny To Police Chief’s Unusual Dual Role, Social Media Posts Describing The Democratic Party As A ‘Domestic Terrorist Organization’

-- WHYY: ACLU Of PA Accuses Quakertown Police Chief Of Acting As ‘Counter-Protester’ During Student Protest Of President’s ICE Policies

-- AP: Lawyers Say Quakertown H.S. Student Protestors Did Not Know A Man Who Joined ICE Protest Was The Quakertown Police Chief

-- Inquirer Editorial: Quakertown Police Mimic President’s ICE Brutality In High School Protest Arrests 

-- PennLive Editorial: Church-Going Pennsylvanians Are Marching On Washington For Immigrant Families 

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs

-- PennLive: President’s Tariffs Cost PA Residents $4 Billion Last Year, Report

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Small Businesses Cheer US Supreme Court Tariff Decision, But Still Face Uncertainty; Tariffs Cost Pennsylvanians $4 Billion

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Editorial: US Supreme Court’s Tariff Ruling Welcome, But It Doesn’t Undo The Damage Tariffs Did, Doesn’t Prevent Worse To Come 

-- TribLive Editorial: US Supreme Court Tariff Ruling Spotlights Local Government Limbo

-- Republican Herald Guest Essay: Tariffs Fostered The Anthracite Coal Industry, Now They Must Protect It - By William Rich, Reading Anthracite Company

-- Wall Street Journal Editorial: The President’s Unending Tariff Mess

-- Federal Funding Loss

-- Post-Gazette: Federal Funding Freeze Stalls Growth For Western PA Small Businesses

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- Morning Call/AP: President’s Portrayal Of ‘Golden Age’ Is Out Of Sync With What Americans See In The Economy Every Day

-- Beaver Times: 59,000 Pennsylvanians Have Lost Food Stamp Benefits In Past 6 Months Due To Republicans’ ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

-- Inquirer: Immigrants Are The ‘Only Reason’ Philly’s Population Is Growing, Analysis Says

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Vows To Block ICE Warehouse Detention Centers, Warns Of Devastating Impact On Local Communities 

-- Senate DEP Budget Hearing: Kudos To DEP For Improving Permit Review Times; A.I. Data Centers; Due Process For ICE Warehouse Detention Centers; How Energy Storage Can Add Capacity To The Grid; Chesapeake Bay Cleanup  [PaEN]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Shapiro Vows To ‘Use Every Tool’ To Thwart Planned ICE Warehouse Detention Centers In PA

-- PennLive: President’s ICE Is A ‘Failed Mission,’ Shapiro Says, Vowing To Block Warehouse Detention Centers In PA

-- Inquirer: An Angry Josh Shapiro Pledges To Block President’s Warehouse ICE Detention Centers In PA

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Promises To Fight Proposed ICE Warehouse Detention Centers In PA; Declined To Provide Details On Legal Strategy, Regulatory Levers

-- Gov. Shapiro: Meets With Local Leaders From Berks, Schuylkill Counties To Discuss Harm Caused By ICE Warehouse Detention Facilities On Communities

-- TribLive: Debate Over Contract For President’s ICE Detention Center Heats Up As Vote Approaches In Clearfield County

-- Spotlight PA: Crowd Rallies At First Protest Against Planned ICE Warehouse Detention Facility In Upper Bern, Berks County

-- Spotlight PA: President’s ICE Planning Warehouse Detention Facilities For PA, Will The Shapiro Administration Sue To Stop Them?

-- WESA: Pittsburgh Somali Bantu Leaders Say President’s Rhetoric, ICE Crackdown Has Residents Fearful

-- Inquirer: After 5 Quakertown Teens Bloodied, Arrested During Protest Of President’s ICE, Petitioners Call For Police Chief To Resign

-- AP: Lawyers Say Quakertown H.S. Student Protestors Did Not Know A Man Who Joined ICE Protest Was The Quakertown Police Chief

-- Inquirer Editorial: Quakertown Police Mimic President’s ICE Brutality In High School Protest Arrests 

-- PA Capital-Star: Governors Say President Told Them He Won’t Force Immigration Enforcement Surges On States Where It’s Not Wanted 

-- New Federal Administration

-- Post-Gazette - Adriana Ramirez Column: The Lying President And The Truth-Telling Member Of Congress

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Deserves Better And It’s Finally Getting It From The President - By Greg Rothman, Chair PA Republican Party

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - March 2  [PaEN] 

-- House Energy Committee Meets March 2 On A.I. Data Center Disclosure, Model Ordinance Bills; Sets Hearings On Net Metering; Virtual Power Plants; Geothermal Energy; Transmission Line Tech [PaEN]  

-- Senate DEP Budget Hearing: Kudos To DEP For Improving Permit Review Times; A.I. Data Centers; Due Process For ICE Warehouse Detention Centers; How Energy Storage Can Add Capacity To The Grid; Chesapeake Bay Cleanup  [PaEN]

-- DEP Budget Testimony: Our Mission Is To Protect Our Air, Land And Water, It Takes Capacity And Resources, And This Budget Proposal Supports That Mission [PaEN] 

-- Quinnipiac University Poll: 68% Of Pennsylvanians Oppose Building An A.I. Data Center In Their Community

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: It’s The Same Old Story For This Area-- People Come In Promising Things And People Are Desperate Enough To Believe Them And It Becomes A Race To The Bottom; PA Is Designed To Be Exploited And Harrisburg Does Nothing  [A.I. Data Centers]  [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: NE PA Lawmakers Target A.I. Data Centers, Back Moratoriums [PDF of Article] 

-- PennLive Guest Essay: An A.I. Data Center Isn’t Just Another Factory - It Is A City That Never Sleeps Drawing Power 24/7 Impacting Grid Operations, Imposing Costs- By Rod Williamson, Industrial Energy Consumers Of PA

-- PJM Interconnection: PJM Stakeholders Begin Work On Board’s Plan To Reliably Integrate A.I. Data Centers, Large Loads Into Grid

-- Observer-Reporter: Smithfield Town Hall Details NextEra 107.5 Mile Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link Transmission Line Proposal In Fayette, Greene Counties   [PDF of Article]

-- Wall Street Journal: A New Threat To Power Grids - Data Centers Dropping Off The Grid To Backup Power All At Once  [Dozens Of Centers Did That In Virginia Twice Forcing PJM To Take Emergency Action] [PDF of Articles]

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports 2025 PA Natural Gas Production Up 5.1% Over 2024; Average Natural Gas Prices Up 70.9% From 2024  [PaEN] 

-- TribLive - Jack Troy: 71% Natural Gas Price Increase In PA Could Mean Higher Utility Bills 

-- E&E News/Politico: Why The Cost For Powering A.I. Data Centers Will Keep Rising, Despite President’s Pledge

-- Canary Media: Pittsburgh Region Form Energy To Power Google A.I. Data Center In Minnesota  [Why Don’t We Do This In PA?]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Form Energy To Supply Batteries For World’s Largest Energy Storage Project

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $2.98  Ohio- $2.79  PA- $3.11

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs-- 20-- Same As Last Week

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports 2025 PA Natural Gas Production Up 5.1% Over 2024; Average Natural Gas Prices Up 70.9% From 2024  [PaEN] 

-- TribLive - Jack Troy: 71% Natural Gas Price Increase In PA Could Mean Higher Utility Bills 

-- Reuters: Hundreds Of Crude Oil, LNG Gas Ships Drop Anchor In Middle East Due To US/Israeli Strikes On Iran Showing Supply Line Vulnerabilities [Again] 

-- Bloomberg: Iran Strikes Threaten Worst Natural Gas Market Disruption Since Russian Invasion Of Ukraine 

-- The Economist: War In Iran Could Cause The Biggest Oil Price Shock In Years  [PDF of Article]

-- E&E News/Politico: Why The Cost For Powering A.I. Data Centers Will Keep Rising, Despite President’s Pledge

-- TribLive Guest Essay: 10 Years Of US LNG Gas Exports - Why Pennsylvania Matters More Than Ever - By Jim Welty, Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition  [To Keep Prices High] 

-- Reuters: US EIA: US Oil Output Fell In December To Lowest Since June 2025

-- Quinnipiac University Poll: 68% Of Pennsylvanians Oppose Building An A.I. Data Center In Their Community

-- House Energy Committee Meets March 2 On A.I. Data Center Disclosure, Model Ordinance Bills; Sets Hearings On Net Metering; Virtual Power Plants; Geothermal Energy; Transmission Line Tech [PaEN]  

-- Senate DEP Budget Hearing: Kudos To DEP For Improving Permit Review Times; A.I. Data Centers; Due Process For ICE Warehouse Detention Centers; How Energy Storage Can Add Capacity To The Grid; Chesapeake Bay Cleanup  [PaEN]

-- DEP Budget Testimony: Our Mission Is To Protect Our Air, Land And Water, It Takes Capacity And Resources, And This Budget Proposal Supports That Mission [PaEN] 

-- PA Capital-Star: State Senators Grill PA DEP Head On Efforts To Speed New Power Plant Permitting; Energy Affordability Key Concern Of Secretary

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: It’s The Same Old Story For This Area-- People Come In Promising Things And People Are Desperate Enough To Believe Them And It Becomes A Race To The Bottom; PA Is Designed To Be Exploited And Harrisburg Does Nothing  [A.I. Data Centers]  [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: NE PA Lawmakers Target A.I. Data Centers, Back Moratoriums [PDF of Article] 

-- PJM Interconnection: PJM Stakeholders Begin Work On Board’s Plan To Reliably Integrate A.I. Data Centers, Large Loads Into Grid

-- Observer-Reporter: Smithfield Town Hall Details NextEra 107.5 Mile Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link Transmission Line Proposal In Fayette, Greene Counties   [PDF of Article]

-- Wall Street Journal: Viral Doomsday Report Lays Bare Wall Street’s Deep Anxiety About A.I. Future [PDF of Article]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - March 2  [PaEN] 

-- Flooding

-- US Army Corps Pittsburgh District, Southwestern PA Commission Launch Chartiers Creek Flood Risk Study In Allegheny, Washington Counties  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Hempfield Seeks More Information On Easements For Northmont Flood Control Project In Westmoreland

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Rename The Highland Park Bridge For The Seneca Nation Whose Destruction Made Modern Pittsburgh Possible

-- Bloomberg: How President’s FEMA Secretly Dismantled Program To Prepare Americans For Disasters

-- Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Explosion

-- TribLive: 2nd Lawsuit Filed By Family Of Westmoreland County Man Killed In US Steel/Nippon Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Explosion

-- Train Derailments

-- The Center Square: Development Of New Railroad Safety Rules Gets Nod From PUC Using Lessons Learned From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment 

-- Education

-- The Center Square: Cyber Charter Schools ‘Left Out Of’ PA Reform Conversations

-- Beaver Times: PA Has A Skilled Worker Shortage, What’s The Plan For Filling It?

-- Inquirer: After 5 Quakertown Teens Bloodied, Arrested During Protest Of President’s ICE, Petitioners Call For Police Chief To Resign

-- AP: Residents Question Police Response To Quakertown H.S. Protests Of President’s ICE Policies After Juveniles Arrested

-- Inquirer: Quakertown H.S. ICE Protest Brings Scrutiny To Police Chief’s Unusual Dual Role, Social Media Posts Describing The Democratic Party As A ‘Domestic Terrorist Organization’

-- WHYY: ACLU Of PA Accuses Quakertown Police Chief Of Acting As ‘Counter-Protester’ During Student Protest Of President’s ICE Policies

-- Health Care

-- WITF: Hospital Closures, Fraud, Federal Health Cuts Spotlighted In PA Senate Budget Hearing

-- The Center Square: Medical Debt, Charity Care Costs Loom Large Over PA Health Insurance Rates 

-- Beaver Times: 59,000 Pennsylvanians Have Lost Food Stamp Benefits In Past 6 Months Due To Republicans’ ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Joins Democratic AGs Suing President’s CDC Over Change In Childhood Vaccine Recommendation  

-- Spotlight PA: Rape Crisis Centers Say Shapiro’s Budget Bill Worsen Staffing, Service Challenges

-- PA Capital-Star: Warnings That Guardrails Are Needed In PA For A.I. Counseling,  Health Care

-- Law Enforcement

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Republicans Don’t Want Justice For Clergy Child Sexual Abuse Survivors - By Mary McHale and Diana Vojtasek, Survivor Advocates

-- Gov. Shapiro: Launching New A.I. Literacy Toolkit, A.I. Enforcement Task Force On Safe Use Of A.I., Protect Pennsylvanians From Bad Actors

-- Post-Gazette: Gov. Shapiro Announces Safeguards From Predatory A.I. Practices

-- Attorney General Sunday Embraces Collaboration In Combatting Harmful Tech, A.I. Use

-- Inquirer: After 5 Quakertown Teens Bloodied, Arrested During Protest Of President’s ICE, Petitioners Call For Police Chief To Resign

-- AP: Residents Question Police Response To Quakertown H.S. Protests Of President’s ICE Policies After Juveniles Arrested

-- WHYY: ACLU Of PA Accuses Quakertown Police Chief Of Acting As ‘Counter-Protester’ During Student Protest Of President’s ICE Policies

-- Inquirer: Quakertown H.S. ICE Protest Brings Scrutiny To Police Chief’s Unusual Dual Role, Social Media Posts Describing The Democratic Party As A ‘Domestic Terrorist Organization’

-- WESA: McCandless Approves Resolution To Keep Local Police From Working With President’s ICE

-- TribLive: Debate Over Contract For President’s ICE Detention Center Heats Up As Vote Approaches In Clearfield County

-- The Economy

-- PennLive: President’s Tariffs Cost PA Residents $4 Billion Last Year, Report

-- Morning Call/AP: President’s Portrayal Of ‘Golden Age’ Is Out Of Sync With What Americans See In The Economy Every Day

-- Beaver Times: 59,000 Pennsylvanians Have Lost Food Stamp Benefits In Past 6 Months Due To Republicans’ ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

-- Inquirer: Immigrants Are The ‘Only Reason’ Philly’s Population Is Growing, Analysis Says

-- Quinnipiac University Poll: 68% Of Pennsylvanians Oppose Building An A.I. Data Center In Their Community

-- Beaver Times: PA Has A Skilled Worker Shortage, What’s The Plan For Filling It?

-- Post-Gazette: Federal Funding Freeze Stalls Growth For Western PA Small Businesses

[Posted: March 1, 2026]