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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

Winter Storm Fern

-- Gov. Shapiro Signs Disaster Emergency Proclamation To Prepare For Winter Storm  

-- PEMA Encourages Pennsylvanians To Prepare For Weekend Snowstorm

-- PEMA Winter Storm Fern Webpage  

-- PUC Urges Consumers To Prepare Ahead Of Winter Storm Fern And Prolonged Extreme Cold  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnect Issues Cold Weather Alert For Western Region Jan. 23 Expanding To Entire PJM Area Jan. 24-27; Regional Grid Could Exceed Winter Demand Record on Jan. 27 & 30  [PaEN] 

-- WNEP: PJM Interconnection: Winter Storm Will Cause Historic Power Grid Strain That Has Never Been Experienced Before

-- WPIX:  Washington County Opens Nearly 2 Dozen Warming Shelters During Bitter Cold, Major Winter Storm [The Center Of Shale Gas Fracking, Coal Industry In PA]

-- Aboveground Water Pipelines Feeding Shale Gas Drilling Operations Beginning To Freeze Due To Cold Temperatures; Range Resources Incident Reported In Washington County; Notify DEP Of Pipeline Problems  [PaEN]

-- Reuters: US Energy Sector Braces For Winter Storm As Crude, Natural Gas Output Fall

-- Reuters: US Refineries Brace For Disruptions As Arctic Blast Hits

-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas Prices Soar 75% In 3 Days As Arctic Cold Grips The US

-- The Center Square: Winter Weather To Disrupt US Natural Gas Production, Increase Prices 

-- Bloomberg: Cold Blast Threatens To Cut US Natural Gas Output By Most Since 2021 Over Next 14 Days, Energy Aspects Says

-- Reuters: US Power Grid Faces Stress Test Amid Arctic Chill, A.I. Data Center Demand; PJM Expected To Set Demand Records

-- Utility Dive: US DOE Orders Diesel Generators To Be Ready As Electric Sector Prepares For Winter Storm Fern; Consumer Advocate Warns The Plan Is Unworkable 

-- Bloomberg: US DOE Calls On A.I. Data Centers To Prepare Backup Power Ahead Of Winter Storm

-- DEP Approves Air Quality Permit For Installation Of 53 Emergency Power Generators At The Amazon Data Center In Salem Twp., Luzerne County  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Gov. Shapiro Signs Disaster Emergency Proclamation To Prepare For Winter Storm  

-- Gov. Shapiro: Major Utilities, Power Producers, Tech Companies, Experts Endorse Federal/Northeast PJM Governors’ Plan To Meet Surging A.I. Data Center Energy Demands - Will PJM Listen?  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Shapiro’s ‘Get Stuff Done’ Brand Rings Hollow For Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse - By William Wachob, Former State Representative

-- WHYY: After President’s ICE Agents Kill Another US Citizen In Minneapolis, Shapiro, Philly-Area Democrats Decry ‘Abuses Of Power’

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Pick For Board Of Pardons Vacancy Opposed By Clemency Advocates

-- TribLive/Inquirer: In His New Book, Gov. Shapiro Recalls An ‘Offensive’ Vetting Process To Be Kamala Harris’ Running Mate

-- Race For Governor

-- Post-Gazette: Support Strong For Republican Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity In Bradford County, But National Economic Concerns Loom

-- WESA: Republican Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity’s Attacks On Political Ambition Are Hypocritical, Democrats Say

-- Budget 2026

-- Post-Gazette: PA Lawmakers Have Big 2026 Wish List Despite Tight State Finances

-- WITF: Election Year Budget Fight Looms As PA Lawmakers Brace For Another Clash 

-- PA Gaming Control Board Reports Record Gambling Revenue For 2025

-- Post-Gazette: PA Gambling Industry Brought In Nearly $7 Billion In 2025

-- PA House/Senate

-- Spotlight PA: Lawmakers Move To Close Local Meeting Notice Loophole After Ruling Weakens PA Transparency Law

-- Statewide Offices

-- Attorney General Sunday Provides Video Report On First Year In Office 

-- Special Elections

-- PennLive: Republicans Pick Candidate For Special House Election In Adams, Cumberland Counties

-- Altoona Mirror: Blair County Democrats Tab Newcomer For Special Election To Fill House Seat

-- 2026 Elections

-- PA Capital-Star: Liberal Group Announces Plan To Target PA State Elections In 2026

-- Inquirer: President’s Strong Support In Lehigh Valley And Northeast PA Is Splintering: ‘He Left Nothing For The Working Man’

-- The Guardian: Why The President Is Worried A.I. Data Centers Might Cost His Party An Election  

-- Elections

-- WHYY: Chester County Voter Poll Book Error Was ‘Simple Human Error,’ Investigation Finds

-- Federal Funding Loss

-- Spotlight PA: PA Broadband Expansion On Hold As Feds Miss Self-Imposed Deadline To Review PA’s Spending Plan

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- WITF: President’s Health Secretary Touts New Nutrition Guidelines During Harrisburg Rally; Democrats Push Back Against His Actions Undermining Vaccinations 

-- Morning Call: Lehigh County Exec Evicting ICE Agents From Allentown Office, Citing 3 Years Of Unpaid Rent 

-- York Dispatch: Federal ICE Agents, 100 Vehicles Converge On York County As Part Of Large Operation 

-- The Center Square: PA Senate Republicans Introduce Bill Requiring Support For ICE 

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Hundreds In Western PA Gather To Learn How To Safely Observe President’s  ICE Activity

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Room For Bipartisan ICE Laws Exist In PA

-- PennLive: Lancaster County-Based Mennonite Central Committee Draws Fire For Protesting President’s ICE Actions In Minnesota 

-- Post-Gazette: Tensions Rise In PA Over President’s ICE Tactics, As Trainings And Protests Draw Crowds

-- WHYY: After President’s ICE Agents Kill Another US Citizen In Minneapolis, Shapiro, Philly-Area Democrats Decry ‘Abuses Of Power’

-- Post-Gazette: PA Democrats Denounce President’s ICE After Another Deadly Shooting Of American Citizen In Minnesota

-- Inquirer: Chester County School District Being Investigated By President’s Dept. Of Education Over Its Transgender Policies

-- Inquirer: Slavery Exhibits At Independence National Historic Park President’s House Removed In Philadelphia Following President’s Push To Remove ‘Inappropriately’ Disparaging Exhibits 

-- AP: Philadelphia Sues President’s National Park Service Over Removal Of Slavery Exhibit At Independence National Historical Park

-- Inquirer: University Of Pennsylvania Calls Request For Personal Employee Information By President’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ‘Unconstitutional,’ ‘Disconcerting’ And ‘Unnecessary’

-- New Federal Administration

-- Inquirer: President’s Strong Support In Lehigh Valley And Northeast PA Is Splintering: ‘He Left Nothing For The Working Man’

-- PennLive - John Baer: Where Are We One Year Into President’s ‘Golden Age Of America’

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- LancasterOnline: Why Do Senior Citizens Get Smaller Cost Of Living Raises Than PA Lawmakers, State Officials? 

-- Post-Gazette: PA Republican Leader Voids Washington County Republican Party’s 21-3 No-Confidence Vote Against Sen. Bartolotta For Supporting Legal Immigrants Living In Charleroi  

-- PennLive: PA Republican Chairman Rebukes Washington County Republicans’ No-Confidence Vote For  Sen. Bartolotta Who Defended Legal Haitian Immigrants In Charleroi

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - January 26  [PaEN] 

-- House Energy Committee Meeting To Consider Bill Giving PUC More Authority To Regulate A.I. Data Centers Moved To Feb. 2  [PaEN]  

-- Gov. Shapiro: Major Utilities, Power Producers, Tech Companies, Experts Endorse Federal/Northeast PJM Governors’ Plan To Meet Surging A.I. Data Center Energy Demands - Will PJM Listen?  [PaEN] 

-- PA House Committees Hearing: Witnesses Agree - A.I. Data Centers - Real And Purely Speculative - Are Driving Up The Cost Of Electricity; Without Effective Action Energy Increases Will Not End   [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnect Issues Cold Weather Alert For Western Region Jan. 23 Expanding To Entire PJM Area Jan. 24-27; Regional Grid Could Exceed Winter Demand Record on Jan. 27 & 30  [PaEN] 

-- WNEP: PJM Interconnection: Winter Storm Will Cause Historic Power Grid Strain That Has Never Been Experienced Before

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: NJ Governor Issues State Of Emergency On Energy Costs; Orders State Regulators To Boost Renewables, Battery Storage In Light Of Rising Electricity Prices

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- AAA Average Gasoline Prices: National- $2.86  Ohio- $2.86  PA- $3.01

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs-- 18-- Same As Last 8 Weeks

-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas Prices Soar 75% In 3 Days As Arctic Cold Grips The US

-- The Center Square: Winter Weather To Disrupt US Natural Gas Production, Increase Prices 

-- Reuters: US Energy Sector Braces For Winter Storm As Crude, Natural Gas Output Fall

-- Reuters: US Refineries Brace For Disruptions As Arctic Blast Hits

-- Utility Dive: US DOE Orders Diesel Generators To Be Ready As Electric Sector Prepares For Winter Storm Fern; Consumer Advocate Warns The Plan Is Unworkable 

-- Bloomberg: US DOE Calls On A.I. Data Centers To Prepare Backup Power Ahead Of Winter Storm

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - January 26  [PaEN] 

-- WHYY: As Electricity Rates Soar, PECO Adds $2.5 Million In Aid For Low-Income Customers 

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: Shopping For Energy Has Cost PA Residents $400 Million In Overpayments For Gas, Electric In 2024 Alone [‘We’re Starting To See Customers Not Reap The Benefits That Were Promised’]

-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA Families Have A Powerful Tool Against Rising Energy Costs - Shopping For Gas, Electric Suppliers - By Frank Caliva, Retail Energy Supply Association

-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference -- Our Work, Our Health: Building A Future Beyond Sacrifice To Be Held Feb. 19 In Pittsburgh, Online  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnect Issues Cold Weather Alert For Western Region Jan. 23 Expanding To Entire PJM Area Jan. 24-27; Regional Grid Could Exceed Winter Demand Record on Jan. 27 & 30  [PaEN] 

-- WNEP: PJM Interconnection: Winter Storm Will Cause Historic Power Grid Strain That Has Never Been Experienced Before

-- Aboveground Water Pipelines Feeding Shale Gas Drilling Operations Beginning To Freeze Due To Cold Temperatures; Range Resources Incident Reported In Washington County; Notify DEP Of Pipeline Problems  [PaEN]

-- House Energy Committee Meeting To Consider Bill Giving PUC More Authority To Regulate A.I. Data Centers Moved To Feb. 2  [PaEN]  

-- Gov. Shapiro: Major Utilities, Power Producers, Tech Companies, Experts Endorse Federal/Northeast PJM Governors’ Plan To Meet Surging A.I. Data Center Energy Demands - Will PJM Listen?  [PaEN] 

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: NJ Governor Issues State Of Emergency On Energy Costs; Orders State Regulators To Boost Renewables, Battery Storage In Light Of Rising Electricity Prices

-- PA House Committees Hearing: Witnesses Agree - A.I. Data Centers - Real And Purely Speculative - Are Driving Up The Cost Of Electricity; Without Effective Action Energy Increases Will Not End   [PaEN] 

-- Reuters: US Energy Secretary Calls For Doubling Global Oil Output In Davos

-- Spotlight PA: Utility And A.I. Interests Spending Millions Lobbying Congress, President To Support Data Center Boom

-- Flooding

-- Spotlight PA: State Budget Constraints, Lack Of Options Force Berks County School District To Rebuild Where Flood Destroyed School

-- WNEP: 30th Anniversary Of Deadly Flood of ‘96 In Pennsylvania

-- Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Explosion

-- TribLive - Jack Troy: Congress Funds Agency Investigating Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Blast That Killed 2 Workers 

-- Gas Explosions

-- Courier Times: Victims Struggling After Fatal Nursing Home Natural Gas Explosion

-- Education

-- Post-Gazette: Western PA School Districts Spend Thousands To Maintain Unused Schools Community Members Want To See Revitalized

-- Spotlight PA: State Budget Constraints, Lack Of Options Force Berks County School District To Rebuild Where Flood Destroyed School

-- Inquirer: PA State-Owned Universities Didn’t Get State Funding Increase, Preparing For Tough Enrollment Outlook

-- TribLive: ‘Potential Deals Emerging’ At Some Closing Penn State Campuses, Trustee Says

-- Inquirer: Chester County School District Being Investigated By President’s Dept. Of Education Over Its Transgender Policies

-- Inquirer: University Of Pennsylvania Calls Request For Personal Employee Information By President’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ‘Unconstitutional,’ ‘Disconcerting’ And ‘Unnecessary’

-- Health Care

-- TribLive - Jack Troy: Poor Insurance Reimbursements Place PA Hospitals At Risk Of Closure, Report Says

-- Post-Gazette: Study: A Dozen More Pennsylvania Hospitals Could Face Closure By 2030

-- WITF: President’s Health Secretary Touts New Nutrition Guidelines During Harrisburg Rally; Democrats Push Back Against His Actions Undermining Vaccinations 

-- Law Enforcement

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Shapiro’s ‘Get Stuff Done’ Brand Rings Hollow For Survivors Of Child Sexual Abuse - By William Wachob, Former State Representative

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Pick For Board Of Pardons Vacancy Opposed By Clemency Advocates

-- Spotlight PA: Police Misreporting Hundreds Of Rapes ‘Didn’t Make Any Difference’ To How Cases Were Handled, Oversight Board Says

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Hundreds In Western PA Gather To Learn How To Safely Observe President’s  ICE Activity

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Room For Bipartisan ICE Laws Exist In PA

-- Morning Call: Lehigh County Exec Evicting ICE Agents From Allentown Office, Citing 3 Years Of Unpaid Rent 

-- York Dispatch: Federal ICE Agents, 100 Vehicles Converge On York County As Part Of Large Operation 

-- The Center Square: PA Senate Republicans Introduce Bill Requiring Support For ICE 

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Hundreds In Western PA Gather To Learn How To Safely Observe President’s  ICE Activity

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Room For Bipartisan ICE Laws Exist In PA

-- PennLive: Lancaster County-Based Mennonite Central Committee Draws Fire For Protesting President’s ICE Actions In Minnesota 

-- Post-Gazette: Tensions Rise In PA Over President’s ICE Tactics, As Trainings And Protests Draw Crowds

-- WHYY: After President’s ICE Agents Kill Another US Citizen In Minneapolis, Shapiro, Philly-Area Democrats Decry ‘Abuses Of Power’

-- Post-Gazette: PA Democrats Denounce President’s ICE After Another Deadly Shooting Of American Citizen In Minnesota

-- The Economy

-- Spotlight PA: PA Broadband Expansion On Hold As Feds Miss Self-Imposed Deadline To Review PA’s Spending Plan

-- Post-Gazette: Mass Layoff Announced At Nemacolin Luxury Resort, Casino Destination

-- TribLive - Jack Troy: Nemacolin Resort Confirms Layoffs

-- Other

-- WESA: As Post-Gazette Newsroom Tries To Save The Paper (Or Start A New One), Infighting Ensues

-- WESA: As Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Closure Looms, Local Journalists Ponder A Path Forward

-- Inquirer Editorial: There Is A Viable Path For Pittsburgh To Save Its Newspaper, Here’s How We Did It With The Inquirer

[Posted: January 25, 2026]