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’s Budget Includes Energy Plan; Funding To Make-up Deficit In Oil & Gas Program; New State Park, Trail Initiative; Over $6.2 Billion In Federal Funding At Risk For DEP, DCNR, PennVEST  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Files Lawsuit Challenging President's Unconstitutional Federal Funding Freeze In Order to Protect PA Interests; Mine Reclamation, Conventional Well Plugging, Many Other Funds At Risk  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive: Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday OKs Shapiro Lawsuit On Federal Funding Freeze   

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro’s Prison Closure Plan Draws Mixed Reactions

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro’s Proposed Tax Rate Gets Pushback From ‘Skill’ Gambling Game Operators

-- Budget 2025

-- Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Includes Energy Plan; Funding To Make-up Deficit In Oil & Gas Program; New State Park, Trail Initiative; Over $6.2 Billion In Federal Funding At Risk For DEP, DCNR, PennVEST  [PaEN]

-- City & State PA: Independent Fiscal Office Predicts State Budget Deficit Could Grow To $6 Billion By 2025-26 Fiscal Year

-- The Center Square: Sen. Martin: ‘For The Love Of God’ Close The State’s Structural Budget Deficit - Video

-- DelawareValleyJournal.com: Senate Republican Pro Tempore Blasts Shapiro’s Big-Spending Budget, Mocks His Social Media Entourage

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro’s Proposed Tax Rate Gets Pushback From ‘Skill’ Gambling Game Operators

-- TribLive: Public Schools Embrace Shapiro Plan To Cut $378 Million In Private Cyber School Tuition Costs

-- PA Gaming Control Board Reports Over $100 Million In Super Bowl Waters Placed In PA

-- AP: States Absorb Big Increases In Medicaid For Sicker-Than-Expected Enrollees After COVID

Budget - Federal

-- Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Includes Energy Plan; Funding To Make-up Deficit In Oil & Gas Program; New State Park, Trail Initiative; Over $6.2 Billion In Federal Funding At Risk For DEP, DCNR, PennVEST  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Files Lawsuit Challenging President's Unconstitutional Federal Funding Freeze In Order to Protect PA Interests; Mine Reclamation, Conventional Well Plugging, Many Other Funds At Risk  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive: Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday OKs Shapiro Lawsuit On Federal Funding Freeze   

-- AP: Federal Appeals Court Won’t Halt Judge’s Order Requiring President To Unfreeze All Federal Cash

-- AP: White House Says Federal Judges Going Against President’s Actions Are Provoking A ‘Constitutional Crisis’

-- Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Includes Energy Plan; Funding To Make-up Deficit In Oil & Gas Program; New State Park, Trail Initiative; Over $6.2 Billion In Federal Funding At Risk For DEP, DCNR, PennVEST  [PaEN]

-- PennLive: Federal Freeze Hits Major PA Food Bank, Halts Fresh Milk, Eggs And Meat Program

-- WITF: Church World Service Preparing For Permanent Layoffs After Federal Funding Stripped From Programs To Help Immigrants, Refugees

-- WESA: Penn State Warns Of Impact President’s Health Funding Policy Changes Could Have

-- WESA: Federal Judge Freezes Federal Health Funding Cuts As Pittsburgh Universities Join Legal Challenge

-- PA House/Senate

-- The Center Square: House Democratic Leader Says ‘We Will Meet Republicans Halfway’

-- DelawareValleyJournal.com: Senate Republican Pro Tempore Blasts Shapiro’s Big-Spending Budget, Mocks His Social Media Entourage

-- PA Capital-Star: Kenyatta: President Is “Worst Reverse Robin Hood That We Could Have Imagined’

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley Business Man Loses Bid To State Sen. Rothman For State Republican Chair

-- New Federal Administration

-- Post-Gazette: President’s Executive Orders Sow Confusion, Chaos For Some, Western PA Supporters Who Voted For Him Approve

-- PennLive: Federal Freeze Hits Major PA Food Bank, Halts Fresh Milk, Eggs And Meat Program

-- WITF: Church World Service Preparing For Permanent Layoffs After Federal Funding Stripped From Programs To Help Immigrants, Refugees

-- WESA: Penn State Warns Of Impact President’s Health Funding Policy Changes Could Have

-- WESA: Federal Judge Freezes Federal Health Funding Cuts As Pittsburgh Universities Join Legal Challenge

-- WSJ: US Imposes 10% Tariff On Canadian Oil, Gas, 25% On Other Products  [PDF of Article]  [United Refining In Warren Uses 70,000 Barrels Of Canadian Oil A Day ]  [Tariff Temporarily Suspended]

-- PA Capital-Star: Allentown Adopts Policy Of Noncollaboration With ICE As Part Of Welcoming City Movement

-- Financial Times: President To Halt Enforcement Of Law Banning Bribery Of Foreign Officials; Says It Will ‘Mean A Lot More Business For America’  

-- TribLive: Marc Fogel Freed From Russian Prison: ‘Our Prayers Have Been Answered’

-- Inquirer: Montgomery County Doubling Down On Expanding Its DEI Office

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley Business Man Loses Bid To State Sen. Rothman For State Republican Chair

-- PA Energy Politics

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.16  Ohio- $3.03   PA- $3.37 

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.13  Ohio- $3.03  PA- $3.36

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drill Rigs Same For 9 Weeks: 15

-- Baker Hughes: Number Of PA Natural Gas Drill Rigs Same For 8 Weeks: 15

-- MCall: As Energy Costs Rise, Politicians, Advocates, Utilities Debate Consumer Protections And Unpaid Bills; LNG Gas Exports Driving Consumer Prices Higher 

-- Scranton Times: Scranton Wants PUC To Hold Hearing On 7.5% to 11% UGI Gas Rate Hike Request 

-- Courier Times: Shocked By Your Higher PECO Electric, Natural Gas Bill?  Here’s Why You’re Paying More

-- Reuters: US Inflation Increases At Fastest Pace In Nearly 18 Months In January; Gasoline, Natural Gas Prices Up 1.8%

-- US EIA Natural Gas Price Forecast For 2025 Now 21% Higher Than Last Forecast At $3.80; 2026 Forecast Now $4.20

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Extends Plunge From 2-Year High In Whipsaw Week 

-- Reuters: European Natural Gas, Energy Trading Industry Urges EU Not To Cap Natural Gas Prices 

-- Reuters: European LNG Gas Prices Reaching Levels That Will Hurt Demand, Says Vitol CEO

-- President Forms National Energy Dominance Council To Promote Oil, Natural Gas, Natural Gas Liquids, Refined Petroleum Products, Uranium, Coal, Biofuels, Geothermal Heat, Kinetic Movement Of Flowing Water, Critical Minerals  [PaEN] 

-- Wall Street Journal: US Oil, Gas Frackers And Saudi Officials Tell President They Won’t Drill More No Matter How Many Regulations Are Rolled Back, Prices Are Too Low [PDF of article] 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PJM Power Grid Presents A Math Problem For Pennsylvania To Meet Peak Electricity Demands  ​

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Data Centers Driver Higher Forecasts For Electric Demand In PA, Sparking Climate Worries

-- 30 Stakeholder Comments Received By PUC On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania; Increasing Natural Gas Power Plant Reliability To 90-95% Would Mean No Imminent Capacity Problem  [1.14.25] 

-- TribLive: Keeping The Electric Grid Humming Is Costing Consumers More

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: FERC Approval Of PJM Fast Track Power Plant Plan Favors Natural Gas, Leaves Clean, Abundant Energy Behind For Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette/AP: FERC Approves Fast-Tracking Power Plants By PJM Over Complaints It Favors Natural Gas

-- Bloomberg: PJM Gets FERC Approval To Fast-Track Power Plant Projects Amid A.I. Boom 

-- Utility Dive: FERC Approves PJM’s Fast-Track Power Plant Interconnection Plan; Plan May Not Adequately Address Potential Capacity Shortfalls

-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: Pennsylvania’s New Energy Plan A ‘Betrayal’ To Those On Front Lines, Critics Say 

-- The Center Square Guest Essay: Pennsylvania’s Energy Mandate To Expand Energy Production - By Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition  

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Chinese Tariffs On US Exports Of Natural Gas, Coal, Energy To China Bring Deja Vu To Local Players

-- Bloomberg: Europe Teeters Toward Energy Crisis As Natural Gas Prices Reach 2-Year High

-- Bloomberg: Oil Prices Increase After Weekly Drop As Market Weighs President’s Tariffs

-- Wall Street Journal: US Oil, Gas Frackers And Saudi Officials Tell President They Won’t Drill More No Matter How Many Regulations Are Rolled Back, Prices Are Too Low  [PDF of article] 

-- Three Mile Island Restart

-- WITF: Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Restart Sets Feb. 19 Meeting On Emergency Plans

-- York Dispatch: Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Emergency Plans Posted For Public, Regulatory Review 

-- Reuters: PPL Electric Raises Transmission Infrastructure Plan By Nearly 40% On Data Center, Electrification, Storm Resilience Demands  

-- Train Derailments

-- The Allegheny Front: New Lawsuit Makes First Wrongful Death Claims From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Education

-- TribLive: Public Schools Embrace Shapiro Plan To Cut $378 Million In Private Cyber School Tuition Costs

-- MCall: Northampton School Board Removes Equity Policy In Answer To President’s Orders

-- WESA: Penn State Warns Of Impact President’s Health Funding Policy Changes Could Have

-- WESA: Federal Judge Freezes Federal Health Funding Cuts As Pittsburgh Universities Join Legal Challenge

-- Citizens Voice: Private Colleges In NE PA Prepare For ‘Enrollment Cliff’

-- Health Care

-- AP: States Absorb Big Increases In Medicaid For Sicker-Than-Expected Enrollees After COVID

-- Post-Gazette: Medicaid On Chopping Block: Proposed Federal Cuts Threaten Coverage Of Vulnerable Pennsylvanians

-- Spotlight PA: Child Welfare Agencies Are Buckling Under Staffing Shortages As PA Debates Using Opioid Money To Help

-- Spotlight PA: Error-Filled Directory Leaves Thousands In PA Unable To Find Health Care Providers

-- PennLive: Here’s How Bad Human Flu Numbers Are In PA As Infection Rates Soar Nationwide

-- TribLive: UPMC Walks Back Mask Requirements

-- Beaver Times: UPMC Brings  Back Mandatory Masking At Hospitals, Medical Offices

-- Law Enforcement

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro’s Prison Closure Plan Draws Mixed Reactions

-- PennLive: Shapiro Recommends Closing Rockview Prison, Quehanna Boot Camp

-- PennLive: Online Gaming Operator Slapped With Record Fine For Allowing Barred Gamblers Access

-- PennLive Editorial: Republican Lebanon County DA Deserves Formal Reprimand For Hoping Our Editor ‘Burns’

-- PA Human Relations Commission Discusses 2024 ‘No Hate In Our State’ Report

-- PA Capital-Star: Allentown Adopts Policy Of Noncollaboration With ICE As Part Of Welcoming City Movement

-- PennLive: Dauphin County Jail Among Those That Won’t Hold People For ICE

-- The Economy

-- PennLive: Bird Flu Cases On The Rise In PA As State Expands Testing, Containment Efforts

-- WITF: Here’s How Pennsylvania Is Handling Latest Outbreak Of Bird Flu In Lancaster County 

-- The Allegheny Front: Bird Flu Is Killing Wild Birds And Mammals, Too 

-- KDKA: Charleroi Glass Plant Closing Pushed Back Again; Workers Relieved But Confused

-- Post-Gazette: ‘Nobody Understands’ President’s New Plan For US Steel, Nippon Deal

[Posted: February 16, 2025]