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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Gov. Shapiro Highlights Environmental Protection, Climate Change, Clean Energy, Public Lands, Recreation Accomplishments In First 2 Years  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square: Shapiro Challenged To Back US Steel Lawsuit Or Lose To Ohio

-- The Center Square: Allegiance: A Tale Of 2 Threatened PA Steel Companies

-- TribLive: New Republican Administration Might Still Have Sway In US Steel-Nippon Deal

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Says ‘Broken’ PJM Power Auction Process Could Lead To Higher Electricity Costs; Here’s What To Know  

-- WHYY/BillyPenn: Why Gov. Shapiro Sued To Limit Future Electric Bill Hikes

-- Inquirer: Shapiro Ready To Work With New Republican Administration As Long As It Doesn’t Compromise ‘Fundamental Freedoms’

-- Gov. Wolf

-- Spotlight PA: Fmr Wolf Administration Forced To Reveal Why It Spent $386,000 On Private Law Firms

-- Budget 2025

-- February 4-- Governor’s Budget Address

-- WESA: PA Literacy Coalition Calls For $100 Million To Boost Student Reading In State Budget

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Should Expand Income Tax Relief For Poorest Families

-- PA House/Senate

-- TribLive/AP: Democrat Elected Speaker Of Tied PA House After Republican Leader Bows Out

-- TribLive Editorial: Surprising Grace Of Politically Divided PA House

- PA Capital-Star: Republican PA Senate Leader Kim Ward Broadly Outlines Republican Agenda

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA Senate President Eyes Energy, School Choice In New Session

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: New Federal Administration A Factor As Sens. Ward, Costa Ponder New Legislative Session

-- The Center Square: Sen. Muth Discusses Why PA Senate Operating Rules Need More Transparency

-- The Center Square: PA Senate Welcomes 4 New Members

-- House Democrats Create New House Energy Committee, House Environmental Resources & Protection Committee; Chairs Named  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square: House Republican Leader Jesse Topper Talks ‘Calling’ Of State Government

-- Spotlight PA: New PA Legislative Session Starts Today, Here’s What You Need To Know

-- Post-Gazette- Ford Turner: PA Lawmakers Ready For Jan. 7 Swearing-In- Day: ‘Compromise Or We Get Nothing Done’

-- Post-Gazette: Republican Lawmakers Says Hospitalization Of Mon Valley House Democrat Won’t Erase Democratic Majority

-- LancasterOnline: State Senate Special Election Set For March 25 In Lancaster County

-- US Senate/House

-- Post-Gazette: Fetterman, McCormick Eye Bipartisanship As ‘Shotgun Marriage’ US Senate Duo

-- TribLive: Fetterman Lone Democratic Co-Sponsor Of Republican Immigration Bill

-- TribLive/AP: Fetterman To Meet With President-Elect At Mar-a-Lago

-- TribLive Editorial: What’s Up With Fetterman, President-Elect Meeting?

-- Inquirer Editorial: Enabling President-Elect Is A Bad Look For Fetterman

-- Post-Gazette: PA Leads Effort Against Congressional Stock Trading

-- WNEP: Republican Cong. Meuser Puts Christian School Students On Phone With President-Elect

-- Statewide Offices

-- Post-Gazette: PA State Treasurer Among 15 States Urging To Divest Pension Funds From China

-- Elections

-- WITF: Lebanon County Elections Director Shares His Story: Overtime, Chaotic Early Voting, Preparing For Municipal Elections

-- Inquirer: Federal Judge Blasts Philly Landlord Who Committed Voter Fraud, Saying He Showed ‘Disrespect’ For Democracy

-- TribLive/AP: Feds’ Lawsuit Claims Hazelton’s ‘At-Large’ Election System Is Biased Against Hispanic Voters

-- The Feds - New Administration

-- Post-Gazette: President-Elect’s Opposition To Sale Of US Steel Remains Key Focus

-- TribLive: New Republican Administration Might Still Have Sway In US Steel-Nippon Deal

-- TribLive/Bloomberg: Republican Administration Weighs Clemency For Those Charged With Crimes For Assaulting US Capitol

-- PA’s Role In Assault On US Capitol

-- York Dispatch: York County Man To Got To Trial For Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol

-- Citizens Voice: Scavo Reflects On Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol: ‘No Regrets’

-- Erie Times: New Administration Could Pardon These 95 Pennsylvanians Charged With Crimes In Assault On US Capitol 

-- TribLive/Bloomberg: Republican Administration Weighs Clemency For Those Charged With Crimes For Assaulting US Capitol

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- PA Capital-Star: Kenyatta Wants To Get Democrats ‘Back To Basics’ As DNC Vice Chair

-- PennLive - John Baer: A Free Press Needs To Press Freely Against Power, Presidents, Profit 

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: We Can’t Let PA Legislators Choose Their Voters - By Fair Districts PA

-- Erie Times: AI Deepfakes Of Minors Ban, Adding Pets To PFAs: 5 New Laws In Effect In PA

-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill County Democratic DA Switches Party

-- PA Energy Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.06  Ohio- $2.98  PA- $3.26

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Same Again As Last Week- 15; 21 On Aug. 23

-- WESA: Could Locally Drilled Natural Gas Get More Expensive With New Republican Administration’s Push To Increase LNG Gas Exports?  [Spoiler - Yes]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: US Natural Gas Markets (And Prices) Now Linked With Rest Of World  [PDF of Article]

-- Bloomberg: Shale Gas Executives Raising Price Bar Needed To Boost Gas Drilling Survey Says 

-- Stars & Stripes Guest Essay: Don’t Allow Our LNG Gas Resources To Empower Our Rivals While We Shoulder The Burdens - By Steve Anderson, US. Army Brigadier General, Retired 

-- Inside Climate News: Why The Argument LNG Gas Exports Are Essential To Energy Transition Is ‘Nonsense’

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Says ‘Broken’ PJM Power Auction Process Could Lead To Higher Electricity Costs; Here’s What To Know  

-- WHYY/BillyPenn: Why Gov. Shapiro Sued To Limit Future Electric Bill Hikes

-- Utility Dive: PJM ‘Shovel-Ready’ Interconnection Plan Draws Mixed Reviews At FERC 

-- Utility Dive: New York Utilities Urge FERC To Adopt Natural Gas Pipeline Reliability Requirements 

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas-Fired Power Emissions Top 1 Billion Tons Of Carbon Dioxide, 40% Jump In Pollution Since 2015; Coal-Fired Emissions At 620 Million Tons, Lowest Level On Record

-- Reuters: New Administration Promised Swift Action On LNG Gas Exports, But Advisers Preaching Patience

-- E&ENews/Politico: New Republican Administration’s LNG Gas Export Plans Rely On 1970s Safety Rules

-- Reuters: Europe’s December LNG Gas Imports Surge, But Not At Asia’s Expense

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Storage Sites Deplete At Fastest Pace Since 2018

-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas More Expensive than Oil Sets Stage For Asian Fuel Switching

-- Reuters: Oil Prices Hold At 3-Month High On Stronger Demand

-- Gas Explosions

-- PUC Approves $700,000 Penalty For Columbia Gas Plastic Pipeline Explosion In Clarion County  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Approves Settlement In 2019 Philadelphia Gas Works Explosion That Killed 2, Displaced 60 Residents [PaEN]

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Gas Works To Offer Free Methane Detectors To All Customers As Part Of ‘Landmark’ Settlement Of 2019 Home Gas Explosion

-- Inquirer: PUC Settles Case With PGW Over Deadly 2019 Gas Explosion In South Philly

-- WHYY: Philly Neighborhood Residents Sue PGW, PECO, City  And Neighbors Over Massive 2023 Gas Explosion That Leveled Homes 

-- Three Mile Island Restart

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets Jan. 14 On Data Centers, Three Mile Island Unit 2 Nuclear Plant Decommissioning, Abandoned Mine Land Reforestation  [PaEN]

-- ABC27: Three Mile Island ‘No-Restart’ Group Calls On Dauphin County Commissioners To Not Cooperate In Restart

-- Reuters: Constellation Mega-Deal Delicately Orbits AI Sun

-- Reuters: Constellation Energy To Buy Calpine In $26.6 Billion Deal

-- Bloomberg: Constellation’s $30 Billion Calpine Talks Are Fueled By AI And Natural Gas

-- Bloomberg: Constellation Energy Nears $30 Billion Deal For Calpine

-- Education

-- WESA: PA Literacy Coalition Calls For $100 Million To Boost Student Reading In State Budget

-- Health Care

-- Post-Gazette: Despite Medicaid Uncertainties, PA Kids Largely Stay Covered By Health Insurance

-- PennLive: 700,000 PA Residents To See Medical Debt Barred From Credit Scores Under Biden Rule

-- Post-Gazette: Mercer County Hospital Closes: ‘Just An Awful Time’

-- WHYY: PA Program Helps Overturn 50% Of Health Insurance Denials In First Year, New Data Shows

-- WHYY: Dr. Rachel Levine Focused On Her Job AT HHS, Still Anti-Trans Politics Followed Her 

-- Financial Times: The Rising Threat Of Deadly Diseases Jumping From Animals To Humans

-- Law Enforcement

-- TribLive: Homicides, Shootings Down In 2024 In Pittsburgh, Reflecting Nationwide Trends

-- PennLive: Investment In Prevention Programs Has Curbed Gun Violence In PA: Advocacy Group

-- The Center Square: PA State Police Seek To Improve, But Wary Of Suggestions

-- The Economy

-- The Center Square: Shapiro Challenged To Back US Steel Lawsuit Or Lose To Ohio

-- The Center Square: Allegiance: A Tale Of 2 Threatened PA Steel Companies

-- Post-Gazette: President-Elect’s Opposition To Sale Of US Steel Remains Key Focus

-- TribLive: New Republican Administration Might Still Have Sway In US Steel-Nippon Deal

-- WSJ: Nippon Steel, US Steel Say They Are Suing US Government

-- TribLive: Nippon, US Steel File 2 Lawsuits After Biden Blocks $15 Billion Deal

-- The Center Square: US Steel Alleges Union Corruptions Over Blocked Overseas Sale

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: US Steel Isn’t The First To Threaten A Corporate Exist From Pittsburgh

-- Other

-- The Center Square: Railway Improvements Promise High Price Tag, Huge Benefits For PA

-- WESA: Allegheny County Executive Reflects On First Year, Maps Out Year Ahead

[Posted: January 12, 2025]