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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro’s Office Pitches $49.9 Billion Compromise Budget In Bid To End 2-Month Impasse 

-- WITF: Gov. Shapiro: Republicans Are Stalling PA Budget Talks For ‘Political Advantage’ Next Year 

-- Shapiro Administration: FAQs On State Budget Impasse

--Spotlight PA: Shapiro Open To Using Special Transit Funding To Combat SEPTA Cuts As Part Of Broader Package

-- Spotlight PA: Whistleblower Says Shapiro Administration Retaliated After He Raised Alarms About Elder Abuse System Failures

-- PA Capital-Star: Preliminary Hearing Waived For Man Suspected Of Firebombing The Governor’s Residence Last April 

-- Race For Governor

-- Spotlight PA: Republican Garrity Has Snagged Democratic Donors In The Past, That Won’t Happen If She Faces Shapiro In 2026

-- ABC27: PA Senate, House Republican Leaders Endorse State Treasurer Stacy Garrity For Governor

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Accountability Important In Governor’s Race  [PDF of Article]

-- Inquirer Editorial: Underneath Republican Stacy Garrity’s Veneer Of Apolitical Moderation Is A Far-Right Operative 

-- WITF: Republican Sen. Mastriano Says He Has ‘Grassroots’ Support As Party Lines Up Behind Garrity

-- Budget 2025

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro’s Office Pitches $49.9 Billion Compromise Budget In Bid To End 2-Month Impasse 

-- WITF: Gov. Shapiro: Republicans Are Stalling PA Budget Talks For ‘Political Advantage’ Next Year 

-- Shapiro Administration: FAQs On State Budget Impasse

-- Post-Gazette: Chronic PA Budget Failures Prompt Talk Of Smaller Legislature, Pay Suspensions, 2-Year Budget

-- WITF: Bills That Could Prevent Pennsylvania Budget Delays Are Going Nowhere

-- TribLive: As Back-To-School Costs Rise, Educators Rely Upon Donations To Bolster Classroom Supplies

--Spotlight PA: Shapiro Open To Using Special Transit Funding To Combat SEPTA Cuts As Part Of Broader Package

-- Inquirer: SEPTA Mass Transit Cuts Go Into Effect, Here’s What To Know

-- PA Capital-Star: 50,000 Students In Philadelphia Rely On SEPTA For Transportation

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Failure To Strike A Transit Funding State Budget Deal Will Devastate Pittsburgh And All Of PA

-- Post-Gazette: PA Library Services, Counties, Schools Feel Pinch As State Budget Standoff Hits 9th Week

-- WHYY: PA Budget Impasse Halts Millions In State Funding To Chester County

-- Post-Gazette: 10 PA Lawmakers Refuse Pay During State Budget Standoff

-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA Senate Republicans Betraying Small Businesses With Proposed Crushing ‘Skills’ Gambling Tax - By Cliff Maloney, Citizens Alliance

-- Inquirer - Will Bunch: The State That Canceled Your Bus Is Wasting $1.6 Billion On Shell Petrochemical Plant Polluting Boondoggle In Beaver County

-- PA House/Senate

-- WITF: Gov. Shapiro: Republicans Are Stalling PA Budget Talks For ‘Political Advantage’ Next Year 

-- WITF: Bills That Could Prevent Pennsylvania Budget Delays Are Going Nowhere

-- Post-Gazette: 10 PA Lawmakers Refuse Pay During State Budget Standoff

-- PA Capital-Star: Sen. Street To Step Down As PA Democratic Party Chairman To Run For Congress

-- US Senate/House

-- WITF: Republican Sen. Mastriano Says He Has ‘Grassroots’ Support As Party Lines Up Behind Garrity

-- TribLive: US Member Of Congress Summer Lee Denied Access To Federal ICE Detention Center In Clearfield County

-- PA Capital-Star: Sen. Street To Step Down As PA Democratic Party Chairman To Run For Congress

-- Inquirer: Firefighter Running For Congress In The Lehigh Valley Has Backing From Shapiro, Berne Sanders

-- Citizens Voice: Republican Con. Bresnahan Disputes Ethics Allegation Over Helicopter Ownership, Use

-- Statewide Offices

-- Spotlight PA: Republican Garrity Has Snagged Democratic Donors In The Past, That Won’t Happen If She Faces Shapiro In 2026

-- ABC27: PA Senate, House Republican Leaders Endorse State Treasurer Stacy Garrity For Governor

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Accountability Important In Governor’s Race  [PDF of Article]

-- Inquirer Editorial: Underneath Republican Stacy Garrity’s Veneer Of Apolitical Moderation Is A Far-Right Operative 

-- Attorney General Sunday Joins Bipartisan Coalition In Putting Meta, Google And Other A.I. Companies On Notice For Hams Caused By A.I. Chatbots

-- Attorney General Sunday Provides Update On Disruption To Website, Email, Telephones

-- 2025 Elections

-- Spotlight PA: Tax Collectors, Auditors, Other Key Local Finance Positions On PA’s November Ballot

-- WESA: PA Democrats Say They’re Confident Despite Republican Registration Trends

-- PennLive - John Baer: New Voter Stats Show Challenges For PA Democrats

-- Elections

-- ABC27: Federal Court Orders Pennsylvania To Stop Throwing Out Mail-In Ballots Over The Handwritten Date

-- TribLive Editorial: Again With The Mail-In Ballot Envelopes?

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Officials Are Right To Thwart DOJ’s Fishing Expedition

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: To Redistrict Fairly, Let Each Party Make Up Their Districts - By Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie)

-- WITF: PA Election Conspiracy Activist Appointed To Federal Election Integrity Role At Homeland Security  

-- WITF: Experts Say Federal Agency Undermines Credibility In Hiring PA Elections Activist Who Worked To Erode Confidence In Elections

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs

-- Wall Street Journal: Federal Court Rejects President’s Global Tariffs Delivering A Blow To Central Prong Of His Economic Agenda

-- Financial Times: President’s Tariffs Ruled Illegal By US Appeals Court, But Stay In Place

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

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- WITF: PA Election Conspiracy Activist Appointed To Federal Election Integrity Role At Homeland Security  

-- WITF: Experts Say Federal Agency Undermines Credibility In Hiring PA Elections Activist Who Worked To Erode Confidence In Elections

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Officials Are Right To Thwart DOJ’s Fishing Expedition

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Coal Mining Mustn’t Be A Death Sentence  

-- PA Capital-Star: President Agrees To Release Remainder Of Frozen Education Funds To PA, Other States

-- Inquirer: Delaware County, Philly Residents Feel ‘Abandoned’ As President Cuts Grants Meant To Protect Area From Flooding 

-- The Allegheny Front/WV Public Broadcasting: President Moves To Strip Union Rights Of National Institute For Occupational Safety & Health Employees  [Black Lung Screenings]  

-- Erie Times: Federal Judge Approves Dismissal Of Criminal Charges Against Erie Coke [Coal] Plant Defendant Who Pleaded Guilty To Charges Of Violating Federal Clean Air Act  [Requested By President’s Justice Dept.]

-- Erie Times: Public Officials: Environmental Cleanup Of Erie Coke [Coal] Plant Site Will Be Long, Expensive Process 

-- PA Capital-Star: US Dept. Of Health & Human Services Orders States To Strip Gender From Sex Education 

-- WHYY: Philly DA Defends Cashless Bail As President’s Order Threatens States, Cities That Implement It

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: President’s War On ‘Cashless Bail’ Will Make The Streets Less Safe

-- TribLive: US Member Of Congress Summer Lee Denied Access To Federal ICE Detention Center In Clearfield County

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Guest Essay: Immigration Enforcement Needs Oversight, Federal ICE Can’t Just Ban Lawmakers {Los Angeles Times]

-- Post-Gazette: Federal ICE Arrests Continue To Rise Across Western PA As Feds Get Help From Local Police

-- Centre Daily Times: ‘Shut It Down:’ Philipsburg Protest Against Nearby Federal ICE Detention Facility Draws Hundreds  

-- Beaver Times: PA Domestic Violence Providers Worry President’s Anti- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Rules Could Threaten Their Funding

-- Observer-Reporter: Fayette County Residents Protest President’s Administration

-- WPost: 150 FEMA Employees Send Congress Letter Saying Current Agency Leadership Has Eroded And Hindered The Ability To Effectively Manage Emergencies 

-- TribLive/AP: President Suggests More US Cities Need National Guard, But Crime Stats Tell A Different Story

-- New Federal Administration

-- Morning Call Guest Essay: Welcoming Diversity Is An American Value [Not The President’s ‘Vicious Will’ He’s Trying To Impose On Every Aspect Of Our Society]- By Bill White  [PDF of Article]  

-- Wilkes-Barre Guest Essay: My Father Told America - ‘I Have A Dream’ - Today, The Dream Needs Us - By Martin Luther King III 

-- Post-Gazette - Adriana Ramirez: What Happened To Republicans?  Before The President It Meant Something To Be A Republican 

-- Financial Times: Pray For The US Treasury Market 

-- Wall Street Journal Editorial: Country Will Regret President Taking Over Federal Reserve

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- PA Capital-Star: Sen. Street To Step Down As PA Democratic Party Chairman To Run For Congress

-- WESA: Eugene DePasquale’s Plans For PA Democratic Party (If Elected Chair)

-- Post-Gazette: Eugene DePasquale Seeks To Lead PA Democratic Party As Interim Chair

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Restoring Trust In The Heart Of PA’s Political Realignment - Sean Trende, RealClearPolitics

-- LancasterOnline: How Local Government Agencies Spend Millions To Lobby State Government

-- TribLive: PA Democrats Celebrate Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce’s Engagement - Then Ask For Donations

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.19  Ohio- $3.21  PA- $3.30

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs 18 - Same As Last 5 Weeks

-- Freeport Township Declares Disaster Emergency After Residents Impacted By A Gas Related Water Contamination Event Have Been Without Permanent Water Supplies For 3 Years-- We’re Not Blaming Anybody, We Just Want Good, Clean Drinking Water  [PaEN] 

-- Inside Climate News: Pennsylvania Towns Push Back To Stop Proposed LNG Gas Export Terminals, As President Pushes LNG Exports

-- PUC Approves 33.3% Increase In Natural Gas Rates From Pike County Light & Power And 5.7% Increase For Pike County Light & Power Electric  [PaEN] 

-- Independent Fiscal Office: Residential Electricity Bills ‘Begin Surge:’ Natural Gas Prices Up 71%, PJM  Prices Up Due To A.I. Data Center Demand  [PaEN]  

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Signs 20-Year LNG Gas Purchase Deal With Sempra, Expanding Global Reach

-- Utility Dive: EIA Projects Record Residential, Commercial Natural Gas Consumption To Offset Decreases In Power Generation [Underappreciated Risks To Gas Use By A.I. Data Center Customers] 

-- Bloomberg: Key US Energy Data Delayed Or Suspended After Federal Cuts

-- Bloomberg: New York Pipelines Back From Dead Signal Natural Gas Revival Under President

-- Flooding

-- Inquirer: Delaware County, Philly Residents Feel ‘Abandoned’ As President Cuts Grants Meant To Protect Area From Flooding 

-- WPost: 150 FEMA Employees Send Congress Letter Saying Current Agency Leadership Has Eroded And Hindered The Ability To Effectively Manage Emergencies 

-- Altoona Mirror: Intergovernmental Stormwater Committee Awards Brush Run Streambank Restoration Project Contract

-- US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Explosion

-- TribLive: US Steel Restarts 2 Batteries Involved In Deadly Blast At Clairton Coke [Coal] Works To ‘Hot Idle’ Mode  

-- WESA: US Steel  Beings Work To Salvage Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Batteries After Explosion

-- TribLive: US Steel To Begin Coke Removal Process In Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Ovens That Exploded Killing 2, Injuring Others

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: US Steel To Remove Coke From Blast-Damaged Clairton Coke [Coal] Plant, Assess Repair Options

--  WTAE: Clairton Community Unites With Concert Fundraiser For Victims Of US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Plant Explosion 

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It -- A.I./Data Center Articles & NewClips From Last Week - August 31  [PaEN]  

-- Education

-- Post-Gazette: PA Library Services, Counties, Schools Feel Pinch As State Budget Standoff Hits 9th Week

-- TribLive: As Back-To-School Costs Rise, Educators Rely Upon Donations To Bolster Classroom Supplies

-- TribLive Editorial: Back To School Means Back To Violence

-- Inquirer: SEPTA Mass Transit Cuts Go Into Effect, Here’s What To Know

-- PA Capital-Star: 50,000 Students In Philadelphia Rely On SEPTA For Transportation

-- WESA: Allegheny County Judges Call Fines A ‘Last Resort,’ But Youth Were Still Fined Almost $100,000 Last Year

-- PA Capital-Star: President Agrees To Release Remainder Of Frozen Education Funds To PA, Other States

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Community College Sees Enrollment Increase After years Of Decline

-- TribLive: Penn State New Kensington, Fayette Welcome Final 2-Year Class Before Closing

-- Inquirer: Another False Emergency Report Involving A Weapon Prompts A Police Search At Villanova University

-- Inquirer: Anti-Extremism Researchers Say They’ve Identified Group Claiming Responsibility For Villanova Shooter Hoax, Provide Audio Of Bucknell Incident 

-- TribLive Editorial: Indiana University of PA Should Clearly Spell Out Hazing Penalties

-- PA Capital-Star: US Dept. Of Health & Human Services Orders States To Strip Gender From Sex Education 

-- Health Care

-- Spotlight PA: Whistleblower Says Shapiro Administration Retaliated After He Raised Alarms About Elder Abuse System Failures

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Guest Essay: Stop The Middlemen: Congress Must Act On Pharmacy Benefits Manager Reform Now - By Matt Espenshade, PA State Grange 

-- Law Enforcement

-- PA Capital-Star: Preliminary Hearing Waived For Man Suspected Of Firebombing The Governor’s Residence Last April 

-- Inquirer: Another False Emergency Report Involving A Weapon Prompts A Police Search At Villanova University

-- Inquirer: Anti-Extremism Researchers Say They’ve Identified Group Claiming Responsibility For Villanova Shooter Hoax, Provide Audio Of Bucknell Incident 

-- WHYY: Philly DA Defends Cashless Bail As President’s Order Threatens States, Cities That Implement It

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: President’s War On ‘Cashless Bail’ Will Make The Streets Less Safe

-- TribLive: US Member Of Congress Summer Lee Denied Access To Federal ICE Detention Center In Clearfield County

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Guest Essay: Immigration Enforcement Needs Oversight, Federal ICE Can’t Just Ban Lawmakers {Los Angeles Times]

-- Post-Gazette: Federal ICE Arrests Continue To Rise Across Western PA As Feds Get Help From Local Police

-- Centre Daily Times: ‘Shut It Down:’ Philipsburg Protest Against Nearby Federal ICE Detention Facility Draws Hundreds  

-- Beaver Times: PA Domestic Violence Providers Worry President’s Anti- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Rules Could Threaten Their Funding

-- TribLive/AP: President Suggests More US Cities Need National Guard, But Crime Stats Tell A Different Story

-- The Economy

-- PennLive: Labor Researchers Say Trouble Is Brewing In PA’s Economy As Tariffs, Cuts Take Effect

-- Wall Street Journal Editorial: Country Will Regret President Taking Over Federal Reserve

-- Financial Times: Pray For The US Treasury Market 

-- Other

-- AP: Highlights From Little League World Series In Williamsport

-- DEP: An Estimated 16,000 Gallons Of 'Black Goop' Spills From Closed Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Plant In Williamsport, Reaching Susquehanna River  [PaEN]

[Posted: August 31, 2025]