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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Administration Urges Preparedness Ahead Of Thousands Of High-Profile Sporting Events And Celebrations 

-- Race For Governor

-- WESA: PA A.I. Data Center Pause? GRID Standards? Garrity, Shapiro Stake Out Positions  

-- WGAL: PA A.I. Data Center Projects Fuel Debate In Governor’s Race

-- PennLive: Scrapple Poll: PA Voters More Dissatisfied, 71% Say President’s Tariffs Hurting Them, 61% Opposed To Jan. 6 Criminals’ Fund; Fetterman, McCormick Drop; Shapiro Leads Garrity 53% to 29% 

-- Budget 2026

-- Erie Times/USA Today: How Shapiro Budget Plan Would Use $4.7 Billion In PA Rainy Day Fund

-- City & State PA: 4 Big Questions Heading In PA Budget Negotiations: On Time? New Revenues?  Using Rainy Day Fund? Policy Wishlist Items Add-Ons?

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA Budget Talks Underway As July 1 Deadline Approaches

-- WESA: Harrisburg Budget Season: Some Lawmakers Seek A Big Tech Tax, Housing Deregulations, Closing Satellite Voting Locations And Ballot Drop Boxes

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports May Tax Collections $65 Million (1.9%) Over Governor’s Estimates; Fiscal-Year-To-Date Up $927.8 Million (2.1%)

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports May Tax Collections $14 Million (0.4%) Over IFO Estimates; Fiscal-Year-To-Date Up $846 Million (1.9%)

-- PA House/Senate

-- PennLive: Scrapple Poll: PA Voters More Dissatisfied, 71% Say President’s Tariffs Hurting Them, 61% Opposed To Jan. 6 Criminals’ Fund; Fetterman, McCormick Drop; Shapiro Leads Garrity 53% to 29% 

-- Inquirer: State Sen. Anthony Williams Is Running For Last Time, Won’t Commit To Fulfilling His Full Term 

-- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: My Opponent In The Primary Election Wasn’t Another Person, It Was A ‘Skill’ Gambling Games Manufacturer - By Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Washington) 

-- York Daily Record: York County Man Accused Of Threatening Philadelphia State Lawmaker Over LGBTQ+ Rights Heads To Trial

-- US Senate/House

-- PennLive: Scrapple Poll: PA Voters More Dissatisfied, 71% Say President’s Tariffs Hurting Them, 61% Opposed To Jan. 6 Criminals’ Fund; Fetterman, McCormick Drop; Shapiro Leads Garrity 53% to 29% 

-- PennLive: PA US Sen. McCormick, Cong. Meuser Defend President’s IRS Lawsuit And $1.8 Billion Fund [Now Defunct] For Criminals Convicted Of Assaulting US Capitol And Other Crimes

-- TribLive: Western PA Retirees, Workers React To Potential Social Security Cuts Of $519/Month

-- 2026 Elections

-- Inquirer: State Sen. Anthony Williams Is Running For Last Time, Won’t Commit To Fulfilling His Full Term 

-- Elections

-- Spotlight PA/Votebeat: New Study Finds Ballot Curing Helps More Mail Ballots Get Counted

-- TribLive: Paper Ballots Cost Westmoreland County Taxpayers $31 Per Vote

-- Spotlight PA: Students Across Pennsylvania Step Up On Election Day To Work At Polls To Keep Democracy Working 

-- President’s War On Iran

-- June 7: PA Average AAA Gasoline Prices Dropped 14 Cents Since Last Sunday, Now $4.35/Gallon - $1.24/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Venango County Average Price Still Highest at $4.74]  

-- June 7 - Now 41 cents difference: My neighborhood Sheetz is still $4.49, a Sheetz over the hill 2 miles away is now $4.08 - Guess they can charge anything they want.

-- June 7: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.17 Ohio- $4.06  PA- $4.35

-- Feb. 27: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $2.98  Ohio- $2.79  PA- $3.11

-- Reuters: US Solar Energy, Storage Build Spurred By Natural Gas Plant Waits  

-- Bloomberg: Iran Energy Shocks Jolts Asia And Europe To Speed Up Transition To Clean, Homegrown Energy 

-- AP: Report: Disruption Of Mideast Energy Supplies Into Next Year Would Slam Global Economy

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs

-- TribLive/AP: President Seeks New Path Forward On Adopting New Tariffs Raising Cost Of Imported Goods  

-- AP: President Plans To Impose Extra Tariffs Of 10 to 12.5% Americans Must Pay On Trading Partners Canada, Taiwan, United Kingdom Dozens Of Others For Allegedly Failing To Enforce Forced Labor Import Ban  

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Voters Signal They’re Don With MAGA Chaos - By Mark Singel

-- PennLive: Scrapple Poll: PA Voters More Dissatisfied, 71% Say President’s Tariffs Hurting Them, 61% Opposed To Jan. 6 Criminals’ Fund; Fetterman, McCormick Drop; Shapiro Leads Garrity 53% to 29% 

-- TribLive: Western PA Retirees, Workers React To Potential Social Security Cuts Of $519/Month

-- PennLive: PA US Sen. McCormick, Cong. Meuser Defend President’s IRS Lawsuit And $1.8 Billion Fund [Now Defunct] For Criminals Convicted Of Assaulting US Capitol And Other Crimes

-- York Daily Record: York County Man Accused Of Threatening Philadelphia State Lawmaker Over LGBTQ+ Rights Heads To Trial

-- Post-Gazette: As Child Vaccination Rates Plunge In PA Schools, Measles Cases Surge In Largest Outbreak In 3 Decades 

-- Spotlight PA: Clearfield County ICE Facility Detainee Who Spoke Out About Conditions Was Punished, Transferred

-- Post-Gazette: Federal ICE Detained Hundreds In PA In ‘Collateral’ Arrests, Most Of Whom Have No Criminal Record

-- The Center Square: PA Constables Hope To Help Find 13,000 Missing Children In Immigration Search Effort In PA

-- TribLive: Charges Stemming From Scuffle At Springdale Anti-ICE Protest Dropped

-- PA Capital-Star: Hunger Strikes Erupt In Clearfield County, Other ICE Immigrant Detention Facilities 

-- PennLive Opinion: Even Legal Immigrants Aren’t Safe From ICE Detention Anymore

-- New Federal Administration

-- PennLive - John Baer: President’s Mega Birthday Bash, And The Nation’s Reflect The Man And Our Times

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Voters Signal They’re Don With MAGA Chaos - By Mark Singel

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - June 8  [PaEN] 

-- The Center Square: Bipartisan Desire To Tap Brakes On A.I. Data Center Development Grows In General Assembly  

-- Scranton Times: Valley View School District Fights 18 A.I. Data Center Campus In Archbald, 4th Challenge To Data Center Proposals [PDF of Article]

-- Morning Call Guest Essay: PA’s Energy Future [A.I. Data Centers] Must Not Leave Working Class Behind - By Chad Quinn, Dollar Energy (Assistance) Fund 

-- The Intercept: Philadelphia Police Admit  They Are Tracking ‘First Amendment Activity’ Critical Of A.I. Data Centers 

-- Lesson For People With Concerns About A.I. Data Centers: Watch This 2010 WQED Report On Shale Gas Industry In PA; We Still Have These Same Impacts Today; Protect Yourself From The Beginning 

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: The Citizen Revolt Against A.I. Data Centers Comes To Columbia; Elected Officials Ought To Take Heed 

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Committee Hears Utility Battery Storage Would Ease Stress On PA’s Power Grid

-- TribLive: Massive Homer City 4.5 GW Data Center Power Plant Project Finishes Major Demolition 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves Constellation Energy Water Withdrawal Requests For Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant Restart; 1 Shale Gas Drilling Withdrawal  [PaEN] 

-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Grants Waiver To Constellation Energy To Allow Faster Grid Connection For Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant By Transferring Eddystone Connection Rights  [Over Objections Of PJM Market Monitor] 

-- Utility Dive: Electric Generators Need More Reliable Natural Gas Supply To Protect Grid Reliability During Extreme Weather Events 

-- PJM Interconnection Issues Hot Weather Alert For June 5-6 In Mid-Atlantic, Southern Regions, 2nd Alert In 16 Days  [PaEN] 

-- Bloomberg: A.I. Data Center Boom Risks Breakup Of PJM Interconnection As Utility Bills Soar, Slow Connections To Grid

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- June 7: PA Average AAA Gasoline Prices Dropped 14 Cents Since Last Sunday, Now $4.35/Gallon - $1.24/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Venango County Average Price Still Highest at $4.74]  

-- June 7 - Now 41 cents difference: My neighborhood Sheetz is still $4.49, a Sheetz over the hill 2 miles away is now $4.08 - Guess they can charge anything they want.

-- June 7: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.17 Ohio- $4.06  PA- $4.35

-- Feb. 27: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $2.98  Ohio- $2.79  PA- $3.11

-- WPXI: Peoples Natural Gas Customers In Western PA Push Back On 13.8% Rate Hike Calling It ‘Blatant Theft’

-- Sen. Lindsey Williams Urges Peoples Gas To Withdraw Proposed 13.8% Natural Gas Rate Increase   

-- PUC Reminds Consumers Of Hearings  In Westmoreland County On Proposed 13.8% Peoples Natural Gas Rate Increase

-- Morning Call Guest Essay: PA’s Energy Future [A.I. Data Centers] Must Not Leave Working Class Behind - By Chad Quinn, Dollar Energy (Assistance) Fund 

-- Baker-Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs-- 17-- Same Last 4 Weeks

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - June 8  [PaEN] 

-- Utility Dive: Electric Generators Need More Reliable Natural Gas Supply To Protect Grid Reliability During Extreme Weather Events 

-- Reuters: US Solar Energy, Storage Build Spurred By Natural Gas Plant Waits  

-- Bloomberg Columnist: A LNG Natural Gas Glut Is On Its Way - By Javier Blas

-- AP: Oil Price Jumps Again After US, Iran Trade Military Strikes

-- Flooding

-- WHYY - Zoe Read: Lessons Learned From Hurricane Ida: Philadelphia Must Brace For Next Big Storm, Penn Researchers Say

-- Gas Explosions

-- FOX43: Natural Gas Leak Causes Explosion At Lancaster County Home, Injures One

-- Morning Call: Natural Gas Leaks Prompts Evacuations In Bethlehem; Residents Allowed To Return After Gas Shut Off

-- The Center Square: House Moves Legislation To Allow PUC To Share Information With Federal NTSB In Cases Like The Fatal Reading Chocolate Factory Natural Gas Explosion  [House Bill 306]

-- Storms/Power Outages

-- WTAE: Thousands Left Without Power After Intense Storms In Western PA Saturday

-- TribLive: High Winds, Possible Brief Tornado Cause Damage South Of Pittsburgh

-- Post-Gazette: Storm Injures Baseball Fans In Morgantown, Possible Tornado Reported In Bentleyville Area

-- Morning Call: Severe Storms Down Trees, Wires Across Lehigh Valley

-- WNEP: PPL Reporting Thousands Without Power Across Northeastern PA Due To Storms

-- Pennsylvania Power Outages: 52,266 Customers Without Power As Of June 7 7:00 a.m.

-- Education

-- Spotlight PA: Students Across Pennsylvania Step Up On Election Day To Work At Polls To Keep Democracy Working 

-- Post-Gazette: As Child Vaccination Rates Plunge In PA Schools, Measles Cases Surge In Largest Outbreak In 3 Decades 

-- TribLive: State-Owned Universities Trying To Close Workforce Development Gap: Too Many Jobs, Not Enough Workers 

-- Erie Times/USA Today: More PA Schools Adopting A.I. Use Guardrails, Here’s What They Say

-- Health Care

-- Post-Gazette: As Child Vaccination Rates Plunge In PA Schools, Measles Cases Surge In Largest Outbreak In 3 Decades 

-- Spotlight PA: Elder Abuse Agencies Reject Cases Experts Say They Should Investigate As State Scales Back Oversight

-- Law Enforcement

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Administration Urges Preparedness Ahead Of Thousands Of High-Profile Sporting Events And Celebrations 

-- Spotlight PA: Half Of Child Deaths Left Unreviewed In PA Since 2020 As Counties Struggle With ‘Unfunded Mandate’

-- PennLive Editorial: Harrisburg Can’t Accept Dead Children As The Price Of Inaction On Guns 

-- York Daily Record: York County Man Accused Of Threatening Philadelphia State Lawmaker Over LGBTQ+ Rights Heads To Trial

-- Spotlight PA: Clearfield County ICE Facility Detainee Who Spoke Out About Conditions Was Punished, Transferred

-- Post-Gazette: Federal ICE Detained Hundreds In PA In ‘Collateral’ Arrests, Most Of Whom Have No Criminal Record

-- The Center Square: PA Constables Hope To Help Find 13,000 Missing Children In Immigration Search Effort In PA

-- TribLive: Charges Stemming From Scuffle At Springdale Anti-ICE Protest Dropped

-- PA Capital-Star: Hunger Strikes Erupt In Clearfield County, Other ICE Immigrant Detention Facilities 

-- PennLive Opinion: Even Legal Immigrants Aren’t Safe From ICE Detention Anymore

-- The Economy

-- TribLive: State-Owned Universities Trying To Close Workforce Development Gap: Too Many Jobs, Not Enough Workers 

-- TribLive: Western PA Retirees, Workers React To Potential Social Security Cuts Of $519/Month

-- TribLive/AP: President Seeks New Path Forward On Adopting New Tariffs Raising Cost Of Imported Goods  

-- AP: President Plans To Impose Extra Tariffs Of 10 to 12.5% Americans Must Pay On Trading Partners Canada, Taiwan, United Kingdom Dozens Of Others For Allegedly Failing To Enforce Forced Labor Import Ban  

[Posted: June 7, 2026]