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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- TribLive: As President Cuts Research Money, Gov. Shapiro Pitches $50 Million For Science, Innovation 

-- Gov. Shapiro Highlights Proposed $50 Million Investment In Science To Speed Up PA’s Innovation Economy, Connect Researchers With The Private Sector 

-- Gov. Shapiro Provides Update On The Fight To Lower Energy Prices, Calls On General Assembly To Move His Commonsense Lightning Energy Plan  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Makes State Disaster Funding Available, Secures Federal SBA Low-Interest Loans To Support Flood Victims In Somerset, Bedford, Cambria, Fayette And Westmoreland Counties  [PaEN]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Does Shapiro Have A Secrecy Problem? - By Oliver Bateman

-- Budget 2025

-- Post-Gazette: Legislators, Advocates Warn Of Crisis In Home Care Workforce

-- TribLive Editorial: Pennsylvania Needs A Solution For Senior Care

-- PA House/Senate

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Senators Try To Reboot Marijuana Legalization Push With New Ideas For Oversight

-- MCall Guest Essay: It’s Time To End COVID Penalties By Liquor Control Board On Small Businesses - By Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Bucks)

-- Erie Times: PA Republican Lawmakers Push To Make Ivermectin Drug Available In PA Without A Prescription

-- Warren Times: PA Lawmaker Wants To Overturn Fortune-Telling Ban

-- US Senate/House

-- The Citizens Voice: Demonstrators Protest Outside Republican Cong. Bresnahan’s Office Over Medicaid Concerns

-- PennLive: PA US Senator McCormick Says Senate Will Protect ‘Vulnerable’ Under Medicaid And Target Waste [Democrats Warn Republicans Are Simply Gutting A Major Healthcare Safety Net For Millions]

-- WITF/WVIA: PA Republican Con. Meuser Defends Medicaid Cuts, Tariffs At Schuylkill Chamber Of Commerce Meeting

-- MCall Letter: Republican Cong. Mackenzie Needs To Fight For Federal Clean Energy Tax Credits

-- MCall Guest Essay: Congress Can’t Protect Us Without Protecting Clean Energy - By Tinku Khanwalkar

-- Centre Daily Times - Climate Watch: Why Congress Must Not Pull The Plug On PA’s Clean Energy Progress - By Lisa Richardson,  Citizens’ Climate Lobby, State College Chapter

-- Statewide Offices

-- WITF: PA Officials, Attorney General Demand Congress Remove A.I. Regulation Ban From Republican Federal Budget Bill

-- 2025 Elections

-- PA Capital-Star: ‘Undoubtedly Disappointing’ Voter Turnout In 2025 Pennsylvania Primary: 22% Of Democrats, 18% Of Republicans Voted

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Tallies Up Votes For Poll Workers, Amid Shortage Of Candidates

-- Elections

-- Politics PA: PA Elections Chief: Added Data To Provide More Transparency Into PA Elections

-- Spotlight PA: PA Is Last State To Elect Poll Workers; Local Officials Say They’re Short 1,000s Of Candidates

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs

-- PennLive: International Markets In Central PA Hit Hard By President’s Tariffs

-- TribLive: President Promises To Raise Tariffs On Imported Steel To 50%, Praises US Steel Deal

-- The Center Square: President: No ‘Shoddy Steel From Shanghai’

-- WESA: Will I Get Tariff Refunds? Small Businesses Wonder As Courts Rule On President’s Tariffs 

-- TribLive/AP: Federal Appeals Court Allows President To Continue Collecting Tariffs For Now

-- USA Today: Second Federal Court Blocks President’s Tariffs For Illinois Toy Importers

-- Wall Street Journal Editorial: President Isn’t A Tariff King [Court Ruling An Important Moment For The Rule Of Law]

-- TribLive/AP: Federal Trade Court Blocks President From Imposing Sweeping Tariffs Under Emergency Powers Law [Tariffs Adversely Impacted PA Agriculture, Small Businesses]

-- AP: What Happens To President’s Tariffs Now That A Court Has Knocked Them Down? 

-- AP: Markets Welcome Court Ruling Against President’s Tariffs As Shares, US Dollar And Oil Gain

-- Financial Times: What Are President’s Fallback Options To Rebuild US Tariff Wall Against Trade?

-- Wall Street Journal: Federal Trade Court Strikes Down President’s ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs Blocking One Of The Administration’s Most Audacious Assertions Of Executive Power  

-- Reuters: US Court Blocks President’s Sweeping Tariffs, Citing Overreach Of Authority  

-- AP: US Consumer Confidence Rebounds After 5 Months Of Declines Amid Tariff Anxiety [Rebound Came With Tariff Pullbacks, Pauses]

-- Financial Times - Edward Luce: America’s Rising ‘Moron Premium’ In US Treasury Market

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- WITF: PA Officials, Attorney General Demand Congress Remove A.I. Regulation Ban From Republican Federal Budget Bill

-- TribLive: President Promises To Raise Tariffs On Imported Steel To 50%, Praises US Steel Deal

-- The Center Square: President: No ‘Shoddy Steel From Shanghai’

-- Post-Gazette: ‘The Mon Valley Is Back,’ Renewed Hope In Region; $2.2 Billion From Nippon Steel Set Aside For Mon Valley Facilities 

-- Wall Street Journal: Nippon Steel To Invest $6 Billion To Cut Carbon Emissions In Japan 

-- AP: US Government To Have Control In Nippon Steel- US Steel Deal, President, McCormick Say  

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Here’s What Pittsburgh Needs To Hear From President And Nippon About Steel ‘Partnership’

-- TribLive Editorial: Now It’s On You, Nippon Steel

-- US Dept. Of Labor Pauses Job Corps Workforce Training Centers To Phase Out Their Operations Nationwide

-- The Citizens Voice: 2 Labor Dept. Job Corps Centers To Be Closed In Luzerne County

-- Warren Times: Instead Of ‘Drill, Baby, Drill,’ US Rig Counts Falling, Layoffs Increasing [Due To Falling Oil/Gas Prices]

-- PennLive: PA US Senator McCormick Says Senate Will Protect ‘Vulnerable’ Under Medicaid And Target Waste [Democrats Warn Republicans Are Simply Gutting A Major Healthcare Safety Net For Millions]

-- Bloomberg: President Rolling Out A New Way To Shrink FEMA’s Role In Disaster Recovery Efforts [Denying Hazard Mitigation Funding]

-- AP: Turmoil, Worry Swirl Over Cuts To Key Federal Agencies As Hurricane Season Begins

-- DCNR Reports Termination Of $830,862 Federal Grant To Support City Of Easton Trail, Green Space Land Acquisition Projects [PaEN]  

-- MCall - Anthony Salamone: Easton Loses Nearly $1 Million Federal Grant For Trail Extension, But City Officials Hope Project Will Continue 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh Universities In Wait-And-See Mode As US Pauses International Student Visa Interviews

-- TribLive: CMU, Pitt Students Speak Out As Chinese Student Visas Are Threatened 

-- MCall: Revoking Chinese Student Visas Could Affect Hundreds In Lehigh Valley, Lehigh University Could Be Hit Hard  

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Why President’s Attacks On International Students Hurt Pennsylvania’s Future - By Mark Singel

-- Post-Gazette: At PA’s Largest Detention Center, Immigrant Safety Endangered As Cuts Cripple DHS Oversight Arm

-- PA Capital-Star: Federal ICE Bail Funds In PA Help Undocumented Immigrants Fight Deportations 

-- Inquirer: Adams, Moutour, Clairon Counties On President’s List Of ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ They Say It Has To Be A Mistake 

 -- PennLive: County Commissioner ‘Mystified’ Why Dauphin County Is On President’s ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ List 

-- York Daily Record: York And Gettysburg On President’s List Of ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ 

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley Officials Push Back On ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ Designation: ‘Blatant Distortion Of Fact’ 

-- TribLive: Dept. Of Homeland Security Threatens Federal Funding For Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Over Immigrant Stance 

-- The Center Square: Feds Put 16 Pennsylvania Jurisdictions On ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ List

-- MCall: These Are PA Counties, Cities On President’s List Of ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’

-- WITF/WVIA: PA Republican Con. Meuser Defends Medicaid Cuts, Tariffs At Schuylkill Chamber Of Commerce Meeting

-- Tribune-Democrat: Proposed Food Stamp Cuts Could Impact Resident’s Access To Local Food Options, Advocates Say

-- Reading Eagle: Court Restores $51 Million In Federal Funds Cut From Reading School District

-- PA Capital-Star: Federal Officials Call Coal Miners’ Health A ‘Priority,’ But Are Cutting A PA Team Studying Mine Safety

-- Post-Gazette/AP: President Reverses Planned Closures Of 3 Dozen US Mine Safety Offices

-- WESA: From Classrooms To Farms, AmeriCorps Cuts Hit Pittsburgh

-- PennLive: DOGE Quietly Revises ‘Savings’ From Federal Leases As PA USDA Office Remains Open

-- New Federal Administration

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly: Big Beautiful Bill Would Prohibit Federal Courts From Enforcing Contempt Of Court Injunctions Or Orders; Republicans Just Voted To Crown President King  [PDF of Article] 

-- Reuters: President’s Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill Includes Provision To Prevent Courts From Enforcing Contempt Of Court Orders

-- WPost: For 3rd Time A Federal Judge Declared Unconstitutional A Presidential ‘Order’ Punishing A Law Firm Challenging The President’s ‘Orders’

-- Wall Street Journal Editorial: Big Law Firms 3, President 0

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Now Is The Moment To Pressure Putin, Not Appease Him 

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- Observer-Reporter: Long Branch, Washington County Poised To Elect First Openly Gay Mayor In Western PA 

-- City & State PA: Meet The Elder Stateswomen Of Pennsylvania’s Protest Movement

-- Tribune-Democrat: Political Empathy Lab Tour Returns To Johnstown

-- PennLive: Fmr PA Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin Dies

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.15  Ohio- $2.94   PA- $3.26

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Up 1 to 18 Again

-- Gov. Shapiro Provides Update On The Fight To Lower Energy Prices, Calls On General Assembly To Move His Commonsense Lightning Energy Plan  [PaEN] 

-- Bloomberg: US DOE Orders 760 MW Eddystone Peaking Power Plant In Delaware County To Remain Open Due To The Energy ‘Emergency’ Declared By The President  [PaEN]

-- PA Elected Officials, Consumer, Clean Energy Advocates Demand Electric Grid Operator PJM Act To Hold Down Electricity Costs  [PaEN]

-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA’s Potential Data Center Mirage And Your Electric Bill - By Athan Koutsiouroumbas, Long Nyquist And Associates [Lobbying Firm] 

-- Warren Times: Instead Of ‘Drill, Baby, Drill,’ US Rig Counts Falling, Layoffs Increasing [Due To Falling Oil/Gas Prices]

-- The Center Square Guest Essay: Our Natural Gas Advantage - Built By Rural Hands - By Fmr Republican Rep. Jim Gregory, Conservative Energy Network  [Hydrogen]

-- PennFuture: PJM Interconnection Admits Its Bias For Fossil Fuel Power Plants, Rather Than New, Cheaper Shovel-Ready Clean Energy Projects

-- WSJ: Developers Of Constitution, Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipelines To File FERC Paperwork To Revive The Projects

-- Reuters: Williams Working With Federal, State Regulators To Revive Pennsylvania To NY Natural Gas Pipelines

-- Bloomberg: Williams To Revive Disputed Natural Gas Pipeline Projects In New York

-- Reuters: Natural Gas Flows To Freeport LNG Gas Export Plant Drop Again Wednesday

-- Reuters: US Electricity Generation Capacity Additions To Slow Sharply If Federal Clean Energy Tax Incentives Repealed

-- AP: $14 Billion In Clean Energy Generation Projects Canceled In US This Year Due To Federal Policy Changes

-- Financial Times: US Shale Oil/Gas Companies Cut Spending, Idle Drilling Rigs Due To Falling Prices 

-- Bloomberg: OPEC+ Prepares 3rd Dose Of Oil Shock Therapy, Discuss Large Output Hike Even As Prices Slide

-- Flooding

-- Gov. Shapiro Makes State Disaster Funding Available, Secures Federal SBA Low-Interest Loans To Support Flood Victims In Somerset, Bedford, Cambria, Fayette And Westmoreland Counties  [PaEN] 

-- Daily American: Gov. Shapiro Visits Flood Sites In Somerset County: ‘We Can’t Keep Going Through This’  [Text Version]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Gov. Shapiro Says Help For Flood Victims Available; State Will Help Region Rebuild: ‘As Long As It Takes’

-- WJAC-TV: Gov. Shapiro Tours Flood Areas; Pledges Aid To Somerset County Flood Victims

-- Bloomberg: President Rolling Out A New Way To Shrink FEMA’s Role In Disaster Recovery Efforts [Denying Hazard Mitigation Funding]

-- AP: Turmoil, Worry Swirl Over Cuts To Key Federal Agencies As Hurricane Season Begins

-- DCNR Celebrates Path Of The Flood Trail In Cambria County As PA's 2025 Trail Of The Year  [PaEN] 

-- Tribune-Democrat: Stakeholders Celebrate Path Of The Flood Trail’s Recognition As 2025 Trail Of The Year: A ‘Remarkable Day’ 

-- Altoona Mirror: Path Of Flood Trailed Honored As PA Trail Of The Year

-- Tribune-Democrat: 1889 Johnstown Flood Anniversary Commemorated With Luminaria Event

-- Erie Times: 40 Years Ago Tornadoes Kill 12 In Erie County

-- Beaver Times: Pennsylvania Remembers Outbreak Of Deadly Tornadoes 40 Years Later 

-- Inquirer: 40 Years Ago A Rare And Deadly Tornado Outbreak Struck Pennsylvania; Are More In Our Future?

-- Train Derailments

-- The Allegheny Front Wins Edward R. Murrow Award, Golden Quills For Stories On Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Storm Damage/Power Outages

-- Erie Times: Nearly 15,000 Penelec Customers In Erie, Millcreek Without Power For A Time

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Watt Home System Starts Offering No Combustion Fuel Cell Backup Power Solutions In Peoples Natural Gas Territory

-- Three Mile Island Restart/Data Centers

-- Protect PT June 11 Webinar - Is Pennsylvania Ready For Data Centers?  7:00 p.m.

-- Scranton Times: Jessup Borough To Hold Hearing For Stricter Data Center Rules

-- TribLive: Prospect Of Springdale Data Center On Old Cheswick Power Plant Site Meets Mixed Reactions Among Neighbors In Allegheny County

-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA’s Potential Data Center Mirage And Your Electric Bill - By Athan Koutsiouroumbas, Long Nyquist And Associates [Lobbying Firm] 

-- KYW: Emergency Siren Tests At Limerick, Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plants This Week 

-- Inside Climate News: Alabamians Want Answers About A 4 Million Square Foot A.I. Data Center Coming To Their Backyards

-- AP: States Are Rolling Out Red Carpets For Data Centers, But Some Lawmakers Are Pushing Back  [PA Included]

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: The World Promised By A.I. Isn’t Necessarily A Better One

-- Education

-- Reading Eagle: Court Restores $51 Million In Federal Funds Cut From Reading School District

-- Courier Times: Severe Teacher Shortages Plague Most PA Counties, New Report Finds

-- MCall Guest Essay: Private Cybercharter School Reform Is Unfinished Business In PA  - By PA School Boards Association

-- TribLive: Chancellor Outlines Visit As Penn State New Kensington, Fayette Wind Down Operations

-- TribLive: CMU, Pitt Students Speak Out As Chinese Student Visas Are Threatened 

-- MCall: Revoking Chinese Student Visas Could Affect Hundreds In Lehigh Valley, Lehigh University Could Be Hit Hard  

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Why President’s Attacks On International Students Hurt Pennsylvania’s Future - By Mark Singel

-- Health Care

-- Post-Gazette: Legislators, Advocates Warn Of Crisis In Home Care Workforce

-- TribLive Editorial: Pennsylvania Needs A Solution For Senior Care

-- PennLive: PA US Senator McCormick Says Senate Will Protect ‘Vulnerable’ Under Medicaid And Target Waste [Democrats Warn Republicans Are Simply Gutting A Major Healthcare Safety Net For Millions]

-- The Citizens Voice: Demonstrators Protest Outside Republican Cong. Bresnahan’s Office Over Medicaid Concerns

- PennLive: Rite Aid Closures Create Pharmacy Deserts In Some Parts Of Central PA

-- Erie Times: PA Republican Lawmakers Push To Make Ivermectin Drug Available In PA Without A Prescription

-- Law Enforcement

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Senators Try To Reboot Marijuana Legalization Push With New Ideas For Oversight

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly: Big Beautiful Bill Would Prohibit Federal Courts From Enforcing Contempt Of Court Injunctions Or Orders; Republicans Just Voted To Crown President King  [PDF of Article] 

-- Reuters: President’s Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill Includes Provision To Prevent Courts From Enforcing Contempt Of Court Orders

-- Post-Gazette: At PA’s Largest Detention Center, Immigrant Safety Endangered As Cuts Cripple DHS Oversight Arm

-- PA Capital-Star: Federal ICE Bail Funds In PA Help Undocumented Immigrants Fight Deportations 

-- Inquirer: Adams, Moutour, Clairon Counties On President’s List Of ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ They Say It Has To Be A Mistake 

 -- PennLive: County Commissioner ‘Mystified’ Why Dauphin County Is On President’s ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ List 

-- York Daily Record: York And Gettysburg On President’s List Of ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ 

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley Officials Push Back On ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ Designation: ‘Blatant Distortion Of Fact’ 

-- TribLive: Dept. Of Homeland Security Threatens Federal Funding For Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Over Immigrant Stance 

-- The Center Square: Feds Put 16 Pennsylvania Jurisdictions On ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ List

-- MCall: These Are PA Counties, Cities On President’s List Of ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’

-- The Economy

-- TribLive: As President Cuts Research Money, Gov. Shapiro Pitches $50 Million For Science, Innovation 

-- Gov. Shapiro Highlights Proposed $50 Million Investment In Science To Speed Up PA’s Innovation Economy, Connect Researchers With The Private Sector 

-- Warren Times: Instead Of ‘Drill, Baby, Drill,’ US Rig Counts Falling, Layoffs Increasing [Due To Falling Oil/Gas Prices]

-- MCall Guest Essay: It’s Time To End COVID Penalties By Liquor Control Board On Small Businesses - By Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Bucks)

-- US Dept. Of Labor Pauses Job Corps Workforce Training Centers To Phase Out Their Operations Nationwide

-- The Citizens Voice: 2 Labor Dept. Job Corps Centers To Be Closed In Luzerne County

-- TribLive: President Promises To Raise Tariffs On Imported Steel To 50%, Praises US Steel Deal

-- The Center Square: President: No ‘Shoddy Steel From Shanghai’ 

-- Post-Gazette: ‘The Mon Valley Is Back,’ Renewed Hope In Region; $2.2 Billion From Nippon Steel Set Aside For Mon Valley Facilities 

-- Wall Street Journal: Nippon Steel To Invest $6 Billion To Cut Carbon Emissions In Japan 

-- AP: US Government To Have Control In Nippon Steel- US Steel Deal, President, McCormick Say  

-- TribLive Editorial: Now It’s On You, Nippon Steel

[Posted: June 1, 2025]