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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- The Center Square: Shapiro Promotes Violence Prevention Investments In Philadelphia

-- WESA: What’s Causing Pittsburgh’s Drop In Homicides? Violence Prevention Efforts May Be A Factor

-- WHYY: PA, Other States Sue President Saying He’s Intimidating Hospitals Over Gender-Affirming Care For Youth

-- WESA: Shapiro Sues President Seeking To Restore Federal Funds For Planned Parenthood

-- TribLive/PennLive: Will Republican Sen. Mastriano Run For Governor Again? He Says The Decision Will Be Made On His Timeline

-- Budget 2025

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro: ‘It’s Taken Longer Than I Would Like’ As State Budget Stalemate Drags On

-- Post-Gazette: Republican Senate Leader Says Shapiro Trying To Get People ‘Riled Up’ Over Late State Budget

-- Post-Gazette: State Budget Negotiations ‘Inching Along’ With Worries About Funding Delays For Schools, Libraries, Nonprofits

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Leaders Can’t Pass A State Budget On Time - It’s An Annual Embarrassment And An Annual Crisis

-- Inquirer: Philly Schools Paying The Price Of A Late State Budget

-- Spotlight PA: Critical State Payments To Schools, County Child Welfare Agencies Will Be Delayed As State Budget Impasse Continues 

-- PA Capital-Star: Education Advocates Relieved As President’s Administration Releases $230 Million For PA Schools

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports $3 Billion In General Fund Revenue In July

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports $3 Billion In General Tax Revenue Collected In July ,$45 Million More  Than Last Year

-- PA House/Senate

-- Inquirer: Inside The Escalating Feud Between The PA Senate Republicans And A ‘Skill’ Gambling Games Company

-- PA Capital-Star: Republican State Senator Wants To Raise PA’s Minimum Wage To $11 Per Hour

-- WESA/WHYY: PA Lawmakers Say Child Care Is Broken, But Don’t Agree On How To Fix It - Yet

-- LancasterOnline: Rep. Jones Launches 2026 State Senate Bid, Sparking Potential Republican Showdown With County Commissioner Parsons

-- US Senate/House

-- TribLive: Campaign Cash Already Flowing In PA Ahead Of Pivotal 2026 Midterms

-- TribLive: John Fetterman’s Memoir ‘Unfettered’ Is Latest Offering In Library Of Congress 

-- TribLive: Charges Filed In Connection With Vandalism Of Republican Con. Mike Kelley’s Office

-- Statewide Offices

-- Inquirer: PA Democrats Accused Republican State Treasure Stacy Garrity Of Voting For ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Even Though She Isn’t In Congress

-- Post-Gazette: Republican State Treasurer Stacy Garrity And Democrats Trade Jabs On Federal ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

-- The Center Square: Republican State Treasurer Stacy Garrity Other State Treasurers Urge Financial Institutions To Abandon Environmental, Social And Governance Practices

-- 2025 Elections

-- The Derrick: Republican Candidate For Commonwealth Court Matt Wolford Focuses On Deregulation, Noting Many Cases Are Litigation Against DEP: ‘I Think We Are Over-Regulated In Pennsylvania. I defend the… oil and gas companies against a very aggressive DEP.’  [PDF of Article] 

-- Elections

-- MCall Guest Essay: Redistricting Reform Will Make PA A Symbol Of Good Government - Bill White

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs

-- Republican Herald President’s 50% Tariffs On Steel, Aluminum Having Major Impact On One Of Schuylkill County’s Largest Employers - Hydro-Extrusions  

-- Warren Times Editorial: President’s Tariffs/Economic Policies Hurt Main Street  [PDF of Article] 

-- TribLive/AP: US Employers Added 73,000 Jobs Last Month As Labor Market Weakens In Face Of President’s Trade Wars

-- AP: President Removes Official Overseeing Jobs Data After Dismal Employment Report  

-- Financial Times: Exxon Chief Urges US President To Use Trade Talks To Fight ‘Bone-Crushing’ EU Regulation [Climate - Human Rights]

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- PA Capital-Star: Education Advocates Relieved As President’s Administration Releases $230 Million For PA Schools

-- Post-Gazette: At Edgar Thomson Steel Plant’s 150th Birthday Bash, Steelworkers See Hope For Their Future

-- PA Capital-Star: For PA’s National Institute For Occupational Safety & Health Employees, Uncertainty Remains Amid Lawsuits And Mixed Signals

-- TribLive Podcast: How Republican Medicaid Cuts Could Affect Nursing Homes

-- PennLive Editorial: There Are Hidden Costs In President’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’ And Pennsylvanians Will Have To Pay Them

-- TribLive: 500,000 In PA Face Soaring Health Care Premiums As Congress Failed So Far To Extend Premium Tax Credits 

-- Post-Gazette: PA Medical Insurers Seeking Average 19% Rate Hike Due To Failure Of Congress To Extend Premium Tax Credits

-- Pa Capital-Star: Pennsylvania Won’t Share Food Stamps Data With Feds For Now

-- WHYY: President’s Cuts To National Institutes Of Health Took More Than $100 Million Out Of PA Economy, According To Local Researcher

-- TribLive Editorial: Federal National Institutes Of Health Budget Cuts Are Setback For American Science

-- WHYY: PA, Other States Sue President Saying He’s Intimidating Hospitals Over Gender-Affirming Care For Youth

-- WESA: Shapiro Sues President Seeking To Restore Federal Funds For Planned Parenthood

-- The Economist: America Is Remaking Its Disaster-Relief System; President Hopes To Undo Perverse Incentives  [PDF of Article] 

-- Beaver Times Guest Essay: Republican Big Ugly Budget Bill Wages Class Warfare On Hardworking American - By Democratic Member Of Congress Chris Deluzio

-- Republican Herald Editorial: They Came For The Nice Guy At The Pizzeria, Too  [PDF of Article]

-- Post-Gazette: After Federal ICE Arrest Staff At A Mexican Restaurant, Customers Came To Work In Their Place In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Arrests, Federal ICE Detention Of Beaver County Immigrants, Spark Protest 

-- NextPittsburgh: Charleroi Offers A Faithful Welcome For Haitian Immigrants Amid Policy Pressures

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: President’s 1850 Precedent Almost Got A Pittsburgher Kidnapped Into Slavery - By Rudi Batzell, Lake Forest College

-- Inquirer Editorial: President’s Mass Deportation Effort Is A Study In Cruelty

-- New Federal Administration

-- Wall Street Journal: President Sees Emergencies Everywhere, Federal Judges Are Considering Whether To Rein Him In [Energy, Economic/Tariffs, Immigration] 

-- TribLive/AP: US Employers Added 73,000 Jobs Last Month As Labor Market Weakens In Face Of President’s Trade Wars

-- AP: President Removes Official Overseeing Jobs Data After Dismal Employment Report  

-- PennLive: President Used Registered Sex Offender To Announce Return Of Fitness Test For Kids

-- National Politics

-- WITF/LancasterOnline: Mennonite Action Activists From Central PA Recount Trip To West Bank: ‘Hope Has Been Genocided’  

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- PennLive: Dept. Of Human Services To Bring Back Thousands Of Employees To Offices 2  Days A Week Who Now Work From Home

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.15  Ohio- $3.00  PA- $3.25

-- National Fuel Gas Increases Gas Supply Costs 12.2% Starting Aug. 1 Due To Increased Cost Of Natural Gas 

-- WHYY: PECO Offering $500 Grants To Help Customers Pay Off Overdue Bills 

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rig Count 18, Same As Last Week

-- Spotlight PA: PA PUC Developing Model Tariff For A.I. Data Centers To Ensure PA Consumers Don’t Foot The Bill

-- Spotlight PA: Why Pennsylvanians May See Higher  Electric Bills This Summer And Next [PJM Auction, A.I. Data Center Power Demands] 

-- Guest Essay: Three Proposals To Protect Consumers From A.I. Price Increases: Bring Your Own Generation; Data Centers Must Pay Their Fair Share; An 'All Of The Above' Energy Future, Including Renewables - By Kevin Walker, CEO, Duquesne Light  [PaEN]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Who Pays The Price For New A.I. Data Centers? - By Destinie Nock, Carnegie Mellon University Professor, Founder Of Peoples Energy Analytics

-- TribLive Guest Essay: A.I., Cryptocurrency And PA’s War On The Little Guy - By Joe Morinville, Energy Independent Solutions 

-- PJM Electric Auction Impacts: 1 In 5 PA Households Report Problems Now Paying Energy Bills; Electric Utility Shutoffs Up 38.1% So Far This Year  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Electricity Auction: PJM Lost 2.8 Gigawatts Of Power Due To Reduced Reliability Rating Of Natural Gas Power Plants; Could Gain 12.2 Gigawatts By Increasing Reliability From Less Than 75% Now To An Achievable 90%  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnection Again Extends Maximum Generation Alert & Load Management Alert To July 30; Demand Response Programs Implemented On July 28, 29  [PaEN]

-- Financial Times: Exxon Chief Urges US President To Use Trade Talks To Fight ‘Bone-Crushing’ EU Regulation [Climate - Human Rights]

-- Reuters: US LNG Gas Producers Soar As EU Agrees To ‘Demand’ To Buy More US Energy/LNG Gas [To Avoid Threats Of Higher Tariffs, Trade War] 

-- Financial Times: President’s EU Oil & Gas Deal Is ‘Pie In The Sky,’ Energy Experts Warn

-- Bloomberg: EU Energy Purchase Deal With President Looks Hard To Reach Over Such A Short Time [Unless The EU Decided To Buy LNG Gas At Higher Prices To Take It From Other LNG Customers]

-- Reuters Commentary: EU’s Pledge For $250 Billion Of US Energy Imports Is Delusional

-- Flooding

-- PEMA Highlights Upgraded Weather Monitoring And Flood Warning System At Greencastle-Antrim School, Franklin County  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive: PA’s New Monitoring Stations Will Better Alert Residents To Floods, Other Weather Events

-- The Center Square: State Upgrades Flood Warning System

-- Reading Eagle: Thunderstorm Strands Vehicles, Knocks Out Power For 2,000 In Berks

-- Inquirer: Storms Hit Philly Area Bringing Downpours And Flooding

-- TribLive: Avonmore Officials Assess Damage After Night Of Flash Floods In Westmoreland County

-- WTAE: Flash Flooding Causes Damage In South Franklin Twp., Washington County

-- Observer-Reporter: Southern Washington County Communities Hit Hard By Flooding

-- Observer-Reporter: Amwell Twp., Washington County Farm Heavily Damaged In Recent Flooding

-- WTAE: GoFundMe Created After Washington County Teen Loses Barn In Extreme Floods 

-- PennLive: Will A Catastrophic Flood Hit Central PA?  It’s Only A Matter Of Time, Experts Say 

-- Post-Gazette: Emergency Alerts Sounded During Deadline West Virginia Flooding; Here’s How They Work And When They’re Used

-- WPost: Maryland Town, 2 Counties Denied Federal Flood Relief; They Feel Like President Turned His Back On Them

-- The Economist: America Is Remaking Its Disaster-Relief System; President Hopes To Undo Perverse Incentives  [PDF of Article] 

-- Gas Explosions

-- TribLive: 3 Dozen Plum Homeowners Shocked To Be Named Plaintiffs By Erie and Allstate Insurance Companies In Rustic Ridge Natural Gas Explosion Lawsuits Without Their Knowledge  [Wrongful Death Lawsuits Were Filed Last Week]

-- TribLive Editorial: Rustic Ridge Natural Gas Explosion Lawsuits Shouldn’t Be A Surprise To Plaintiffs, But For Some They Are

-- Post-Gazette: Dozens Of Homeowners File Lawsuits Over Property Damage From Plum Natural Gas Explosion In Allegheny County  [Wrongful Death Lawsuits Were Filed Last Week] 

-- TribLive: Fatal Plum Natural Gas Explosion  Spurs Lawsuits From Rustic Ridge Homeowners In Allegheny County

-- Train Derailments

-- WESA: Democratic Cong. Deluzio Continues To Push For Rail Safety As Federal Safety Agency Calls For Deregulation  

-- AP: Union Pacific Announces Takeover Bid For Norfolk Southern To Create Transcontinental Railroad

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- Spotlight PA: PA PUC Developing Model Tariff For A.I. Data Centers To Ensure PA Consumers Don’t Foot The Bill

-- PJM Electric Auction Impacts: 1 In 5 PA Households Report Problems Now Paying Energy Bills; Electric Utility Shutoffs Up 38.1% So Far This Year  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Electricity Auction: PJM Lost 2.8 Gigawatts Of Power Due To Reduced Reliability Rating Of Natural Gas Power Plants; Could Gain 12.2 Gigawatts By Increasing Reliability From Less Than 75% Now To An Achievable 90%  [PaEN] 

-- Spotlight PA: Why Pennsylvanians May See Higher  Electric Bills This Summer And Next [PJM Auction, A.I. Data Center Power Demands] 

-- Penn State Extension: Sept. 9 Webinar On Growth Of A.I. Data Centers, Rising Electricity Prices, Lagging Energy Development  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Three Proposals To Protect Consumers From A.I. Price Increases: Bring Your Own Generation; Data Centers Must Pay Their Fair Share; An 'All Of The Above' Energy Future, Including Renewables - By Kevin Walker, CEO, Duquesne Light  [PaEN]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Who Pays The Price For New A.I. Data Centers? - By Destinie Nock, Carnegie Mellon University Professor, Founder Of Peoples Energy Analytics

-- TribLive Guest Essay: A.I., Cryptocurrency And PA’s War On The Little Guy - By Joe Morinville, Energy Independent Solutions 

-- 42 Organizations Call On DEP For More Transparency On Proposed A.I. Data Centers  [PaEN] 

-- ABC27: Sen. Muth Seeks To Protect Pennsylvanians From A.I. Data Center-Fueled Rate Hikes

-- National Fuel Gas Increases Gas Supply Costs 12.2% Starting Aug. 1 Due To Increased Cost Of Natural Gas 

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: ‘Do It Right, Do It Safe’ Outweighs ‘Don’t Do It’ At Public Meeting On Restarting Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Power A.I. Data Centers 

-- PA Capital-Star: Federal Regulators Hear From The Community About Planned Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Power Data Centers For Microsoft

-- York Daily Record: Restarting Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 Unprecedented? It Just Happened In Michigan

-- The Center Square: Nuclear Power Is Big In Pennsylvania, But So Is Worry 

-- Post-Gazette/The Center Square: Public Meetings Scheduled For Discussion Of Bringing Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Back Online

-- PA Dept. Of Health Distributing Free Potassium Iodide Tablets To Residents Near PA’s 4 Operating Nuclear Power Plants Aug. 14  [PaEN] 

-- TribLive: Springdale Planning Commission To Review Plans For Proposed Massive A.I. Data Center At Site Of Former Cheswick Coal-Fired Power Plant In Allegheny County

-- Post-Gazette: The Promise To Revive The Old Bruce Mansfield Coal Plant Into Natural Gas Power Plant Sparks New Wave Of Optimism 

-- York Dispatch: Local Officials Are Preparing For A Wave Of A.I. Data Centers In York County  [PDF of Article]

-- PennLive: 750,000 Square Foot A.I. Data Center Planned In Fairview Twp., York County

-- WITF/LancasterOnline: Residents Push Back On Feds Over Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant: ‘Feels Like A Charade’

-- Tribune-Democrat: Homer City A.I. Data Center/Power Plant Plans Move Forward In ‘Really Different Arena’ For Region

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: As A.I. Data Centers Multiply In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Water Use Increases Too 

-- Reuters: Exelon Says Potential Data Center Demand Is More Than 30 Gigawatts [including PECO] 

-- MCall: Why PPL Could Be The ‘Big Winner’ In Deal To Boost Power For A.I. Data Centers  

-- Utility Dive: PPL Utilities In Kentucky Reach Agreement On Adding 1.3GW Of Gas-Fired Power, Mainly For Data Centers

-- Post-Gazette: Gov. Shapiro, PA US Sen. McCormick To Headline Sept. 11-12 A.I. Summit In Pittsburgh

-- Post-Gazette: How Josh Shapiro And Dave McCormick Are Forging ‘Pennsylvania’s Destiny’ With Bipartisan Approach [A.I. Energy Summit] 

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh ‘Uniquely Positioned’ To Lead In Physical A.I., Organizers Of Upcoming Sept. 11-12 Summit Say

-- The Center Square: Pittsburgh Pushes To Become The World's A.I. Capital 

-- TribLive Letter: PA Needs Comprehensive Strategy For Energy Dominance - By Kate Harper & Conor Lamb, Energy Future PA

-- Bloomberg Opinion: Coal-Powered A.I. Robots Are A Dirty Fantasy

-- AP: With A.I. Plan, President Keeps Chipping Away At Foundational Environmental Law 

-- Wall Street Journal: Energy-Hungry Tech Companies, Utilities At Odds Over Who Should Pay For Electricity Costs In Unprecedented A.I. Data Center Build-Out [No Policy In PA]  [PDF of Article] 

-- The Economist: How Big Tech Plans To Feed A.I.’s Voracious Appetite For Power  [PDF of Article] 

-- Bloomberg: US And China Are Diverging On Strategies To Power A.I. Boom: President Wants Fossil Fuels, Beijing Wants Renewables

-- Education

-- Inquirer: Philly Schools Paying The Price Of A Late State Budget

-- Spotlight PA: Critical State Payments To Schools, County Child Welfare Agencies Will Be Delayed As State Budget Impasse Continues 

-- WESA/WHYY: PA Lawmakers Say Child Care Is Broken, But Don’t Agree On How To Fix It - Yet

-- PA Capital-Star: Education Advocates Relieved As President’s Administration Releases $230 Million For PA Schools

-- TribLive: Groups Forming To Plan Futures Of Closing Penn State Fayette, New Kensington Campuses

-- TribLive Editorial: What’s Next For Closing Penn State Campuses?

-- Erie Times: As Sports Betting Sweeps Campuses, 2 Carnegie Mellon Professors Will Teach Students Gambling Safety

-- PennLive: President Used Registered Sex Offender To Announce Return Of Fitness Test For Kids

-- Health Care

-- Spotlight PA: A Mother’s Fight To Save Her Son Shows The Tragic Consequences Of PA’s Failure To Build A Better Mental Health System

-- KYW: Court Hearing Set After Prospect Medical Asks Judge To ‘Abandon’ 2 Shuttered Delaware County Hospitals

-- PA Capital-Star: Nonprofit Hospitals In PA, Other States Spend Millions On Stadium Naming Rights [WellSpan, Penn Medicine, UPMC]

-- Inquirer: Pennsylvania’s Wild West Of Unregulated Hemp Stores Booming; Tests Show Products Are Rife With Toxic And Illicit Chemicals

-- Post-Gazette: 40,000+ Pittsburghers To See Medical Debt Cleared Through COVID Rescue Plan Funding

-- TribLive Editorial: Whose Fault Is It When An Unlicensed Nurse Is Hired?

-- TribLive: 500,000 In PA Face Soaring Health Care Premiums As Congress Failed So Far To Extend Premium Tax Credits 

-- Post-Gazette: PA Medical Insurers Seeking Average 19% Rate Hike Due To Failure Of Congress To Extend Premium Tax Credits

-- TribLive Podcast: How Republican Medicaid Cuts Could Affect Nursing Homes

-- TribLive Editorial: Federal National Institutes Of Health Budget Cuts Are Setback For American Science

-- Law Enforcement

-- The Center Square: Shapiro Promotes Violence Prevention Investments In Philadelphia

-- WESA: What’s Causing Pittsburgh’s Drop In Homicides? Violence Prevention Efforts May Be A Factor

-- The Center Square: Data Backs PA State Policy Efforts To Combat Bias In Traffic Stops

-- MCall: Pottstown Questioning Low Bail For Repeat Offenders, The Answer Is Complex And Scary

-- TribLive Editorial: How Do You Test For Religion?

-- Republican Herald Editorial: They Came For The Nice Guy At The Pizzeria, Too  [PDF of Article]

-- Post-Gazette: After Federal ICE Arrest Staff At A Mexican Restaurant, Customers Came To Work In Their Place In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Arrests, Federal ICE Detention Of Beaver County Immigrants, Spark Protest 

-- NextPittsburgh: Charleroi Offers A Faithful Welcome For Haitian Immigrants Amid Policy Pressures

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: President’s 1850 Precedent Almost Got A Pittsburgher Kidnapped Into Slavery - By Rudi Batzell, Lake Forest College

-- Inquirer Editorial: President’s Mass Deportation Effort Is A Study In Cruelty

-- The Economy

-- Republican Herald President’s 50% Tariffs On Steel, Aluminum Having Major Impact On One Of Schuylkill County’s Largest Employers - Hydro-Extrusions  

-- Warren Times Editorial: President’s Tariffs/Economic Policies Hurt Main Street  [PDF of Article] 

-- Post-Gazette: At Edgar Thomson Steel Plant’s 150th Birthday Bash, Steelworkers See Hope For Their Future

-- TribLive: Groups Forming To Plan Futures Of Closing Penn State Fayette, New Kensington Campuses

-- PA Capital-Star: Republican State Senator Wants To Raise PA’s Minimum Wage To $11 Per Hour

-- TribLive/AP: US Employers Added 73,000 Jobs Last Month As Labor Market Weakens In Face Of President’s Trade Wars

-- AP: President Removes Official Overseeing Jobs Data After Dismal Employment Report  

[Posted: August 3, 2025]