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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- AP: Punxsutawney Phil Prepares To Issue His Groundhog Day Weather Verdict From Gobbler’s Knob 

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Post-Gazette: Shapiro Plans ‘Fiscally Responsible’ 2026 Budget Proposal After Rough Process Of 2025

-- Morning Call: Eli Lilly To Build $3.5 Billion Lehigh Valley Complex, Largest Single Project In Lehigh Valley History

-- DEP Eliminates Longstanding Permitting Backlog In 2025, Launches New Bureau of Permitting Coordination  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Renews Call On PJM To Extend Electricity Capacity Auction Price Collar Protection To Consumers, Build Lasting Grid Reform  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer: Gov. Josh Shapiro - President’s Goal, From Minneapolis To Venezuela, Is To ‘Dictate’ In A ‘Facade Of Strength;’ Shapiro Has Plan In Place If President Attempts A Surge Of Federal Agents In PA

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Campaigned On Getting Justice For Child Sexual Abuse Survivors, Some Say He Hasn’t Done Enough As Governor

-- Spotlight PA: Cost Of Housing In PA Is Too High, Here’s What Shapiro Will Need To Overcome To Fix It

-- PennLive: Shapiro Endorses Statewide Ban On Phones During School Day

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Accuses President Of Attempting To ‘Whitewash History’ By Removing Slavery Displays At Independence Park In Philadelphia; US Sen. McCormick Also Voiced His Disagreement

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Joins Philadelphia Lawsuit Fighting Slavery Memorial’s Removal

-- Inquirer: Federal Judge Chastises President’s Administration At Hearing Over Dismantled Independence Mall Slavery Exhibits; Judge: ‘That’s Horrifying To Listen To,’ ‘That’s Not What We Elected Anybody For’ 

-- Race For Governor

-- PennLive: What Are The Top Issues In PA Governor’s Race?  Find Out Here

-- Post-Gazette: PA Democrats Line Up To Defend Shapiro Amid Criticism Tied To Book, Ambition 

-- Washington Post- Salena Zito: What I Discovered About Josh Shapiro At The Pennsylvania Farm Show - His 67 County Reelection Strategy

-- TribLive: President Endorses Republican Stacy Garrity In Race For PA Governor

-- PennLive: President Gives Republican Garrity His ‘Complete And Total’ Endorsement In PA Governor’s Race

-- Inquirer: Republican Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity Has To Convince Top Republicans She’s Worth Investing In

-- Tribune-Democrat: Garrity Backs Allegheny County Republican Chair For PA Lt. Gov 

-- WESA: Garrity Backs Allegheny County Republican Chair For Lt. Governor

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Republican Chair Jason Richey To Run For Lt. Gov.

-- Budget 2026

-- PennLive: Governor’s Budget Address Feb. 3 - PA Gears Up For New Budget Less Than 3 Months After Shapiro Signed Last One

-- Post-Gazette: Shapiro Plans ‘Fiscally Responsible’ 2026 Budget Proposal After Rough Process Of 2025

-- Independent Fiscal Office Mid-Year Revenue Update: Energy Costs Up 10.6%

-- PA House/Senate

-- Inquirer: PA House Speaker McClinton Carefully Wielded Her Power, Now She’s Speaking Out For Home Care Workers

-- PennLive: PA Latino Lawmakers Want More Protection For Immigrants, Urge Shapiro To End Collaboration With President’s ICE

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA Democrats Pursue Legislative Action To Counter President’s Approach To Immigration Enforcement

-- WESA/PA Capital-Star: What Is The Fate Of Some 2 Dozen ICE Bills Before PA State Lawmakers?

-- Spotlight PA: Republican Rep. Seth Grove Resigning From PA House Jan. 31

-- US Senate/House

-- Post-Gazette: Fetterman Asks President To Fire Federal Homeland Security Secretary As Protesters Demand More

-- Post-Gazette: Fetterman Says President’s ICE Should Leave Minneapolis, But Won’t Vote Against ICE Budget

-- TribLive Editorial: Fetterman, McCormick And Why President’s ICE Matters In PA

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: America Must Acquire Greenland - By PA Republican Con. Mike Kelly

-- City & State PA: First Look At PA Midterm Congressional Races

-- Statewide Offices

-- Attorney General Sunday Co-Leads Letter To X-A.I. Demanding Change To Grok’s Unchecked Creation Of Nonconsensual Sexual Content 

-- Special Elections

-- TribLive Editorial: PA House Special Elections Matter

-- 2026 Elections

-- City & State PA: First Look At PA Midterm Congressional Races

-- Elections

-- WITF: PA’s Independent Voters Surge, Despite Being Locked Out Of Primaries

-- Inquirer Editorial: President’s Assault On Free And Fair Elections Continues

-- Protesting The President

-- Post-Gazette: Shapiro Cabinet Members Call President’s ICE Actions In Minnesota An ‘Abuse Of Power’

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA Democrats Pursue Legislative Action To Counter President’s Approach To Immigration Enforcement

-- WHYY: Philadelphia DA Launches National District Attorney Coalition To Prosecute President’s ICE Misconduct

-- City & State PA: To Deal With Surging Detention Of Immigrants, Philly Defender Assn. Launches New Legal Unit

-- Erie Times: Erie’s Mayor Says City Needs Plan To Deal With President’s ICE Operations; Protect Citizens During Peaceful Protests

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Gov. Shapiro’s Cabinet Declares President’s ICE Tactics ‘Clear Abuse Of Power’ As Pennsylvania Prepares Its Defense - By Mark Singel

-- Republican Herald: Commissioners Hear Concerns Over Proposed Federal ICE Detention/Processing Facility In Tremont Twp.  

-- Observer-Reporter: PA Human Relations Commission To Hold Virtual Town Hall TODAY At 6:00 p.m. On Immigrant Community In Charleroi, Washington County

-- Observer-Reporter: ‘What Fear Does To A Small Town:’ Town Hall Addresses Immigrant Intimidation In Charleroi, Washington County 

-- WITF: What Pennsylvanians Can Do When President’s ICE Claims To Redefine Constitutional Rights

-- PennLive: PA Latino Lawmakers Want More Protection For Immigrants, Urge Shapiro To End Collaboration With President’s ICE

-- Post-Gazette: Fetterman Says President’s ICE Should Leave Minneapolis, But Won’t Vote Against ICE Budget

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Our Out-Of-Control Mistreatment Of Immigrants Must End - By Rev. Sandra Strauss

-- Inquirer Editorial: Another Senseless Killing In President’s War Against Americans

-- Federal Funding Loss

-- Spotlight PA: $2.6 Million In Federal Disaster Recovery Funds For PA Being Held Up By President’s Dept. Of Homeland Security

-- Reversing Course

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: NY, PA To See More Than $200 Million In Federal Funds For Electric Vehicle Chargers In Court Win Over President’s Administration ​​

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- Inquirer Editorial: President’s Assault On Free And Fair Elections Continues

-- Spotlight PA: $2.6 Million In Federal Disaster Recovery Funds For PA Being Held Up By President’s Dept. Of Homeland Security 

-- WESA/PA Capital-Star: What Is The Fate Of Some 2 Dozen ICE Bills Before PA State Lawmakers?

-- PennLive: Berks County’s Tight-Knit Haitian Community Braces For End Of Federal Immigration Protections

-- York Daily Record: York County Haitians Face Crisis As Immigration Status Suddenly Ends

-- Observer-Reporter: Meadow Lands Church Loses Members To Raids By President’s ICE In Washington County

-- TribLive: Springdale’s Agreement With President’s ICE Brings Fear Closer To Home For Some Local Immigrants 

-- Inquirer Editorial: Officials Should Be Ready To Protect Philadelphia From President’s Immigration Overreach

-- New Federal Administration

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: President’s Administration’s Lies Are Tearing The Country Apart

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: America Must Acquire Greenland - By PA Republican Con. Mike Kelly

-- PennLive Guest Essay: When Nobody Believes The President Anymore - By Mark Singel

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - February 2  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Renews Call On PJM To Extend Electricity Capacity Auction Price Collar Protection To Consumers, Build Lasting Grid Reform  [PaEN]

-- North American Electric Reliability Corp Report: Electric Power Resource Adequacy Risks Intensify Across North America As Data Center-Driven Demand Surges 24% In 10 Years  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Public Source: Could Pennsylvania Run Out Of Electricity Due To A.I. Data Center Demands? PJM Won’t Meet Required Power Reserves Starting June 2027 

-- Utility Dive: Ratepayers, Don’t Expect Electric Bill Relief In 2026: ‘The Cake Is Baked’ 

-- Industrial Energy Consumers Of America Urge President To Suspend Spot LNG Gas Exports To Reduce Natural Gas, Electricity Prices And Ensure Grid Reliability 

-- Bloomberg: PJM Gets US DOE OK To Divert Data Center Power To Households 

-- Utility Dive: PJM Does Not Expect To Call On Data Centers To Go To Backup Generation To Get Thru Current Cold Weather Conditions

-- PA Capital-Star: Communities Must Prepare If They Want Any Say Over A.I. Data Centers, Lessons Of Springdale, Allegheny County 

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: On A.I. Data Centers, Officials Need To Read The Room [PDF of Article]

-- Lancaster Farming: A.I. Data Center Developers Offered Farmer $60,000/Acre; He Preserved The Land Instead In Cumberland County

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- You Need To Read This: Highlights Of Shale Gas, Conventional Oil & Gas Compliance Actions During 2025  [PaEN]   

-- Major Challenges Faced By DEP’s Oil And Gas Enforcement Program In 2026  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Renews Call On PJM To Extend Electricity Capacity Auction Price Collar Protection To Consumers, Build Lasting Grid Reform  [PaEN]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - February 2  [PaEN] 

-- AAA Average Gasoline Price: National- $2.87  Ohio- $2.72  PA- $3.07

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs-- 19-- First Increase In 8 Weeks

-- UGI Gas Seeks 8.7% Increase To Base Delivery Rate 

-- Scranton Times: UGI Gas Seeks Another Gas Rate Hike In March

-- Erie Times: National Fuel Gas Requests 7.4% Hike To Base Delivery Rate

-- National Fuel Gas Requests 7.4% Increase To Base Delivery Rate  

-- National Fuel Gas Increases Default Natural Gas Cost 6.55% Starting Feb. 1

-- WFMJ: National Fuel Gas Increases Natural Gas Cost 6.55% On Feb. 1 

-- Independent Fiscal Office Mid-Year Revenue Update: Energy Costs Up 10.6%

-- Bloomberg: US Natural Gas Prices Hit Three-Year High After Powerful Winter Storm Disrupts Production, Boosts Heating Demand 

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Winter Storm Fern Stops Nearly All Natural Gas Going To Maryland’s Cove Point, Elba Island, Georgia  LNG Gas Export Facilities Fed By Appalachian States Shale Gas [PDF of Article]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Cove Point, MD, Elba Island, Georgia, Other US LNG Gas Export Facilities IMPORTED Natural Gas From Trinidad And Tobago Due To High Prices During Cold Weather [PDF of Article]

-- Reuters: US LNG Gas Export Plants IMPORTED Cargoes During Winter Storm As Natural Gas Prices Hit Records In US

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Winter Storm Fern Freeze-Off Leads To 10-12% Drop In Shale Gas Supply  [PDF of Article]

-- PJM Interconnection Cold Weather Operations To Continue Thru Feb. 2; Electricity Demands Now Projected To Be Below Record Winter Peak  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Continues Cold Weather Operations, Projects Breaking Winter Peak Demand Record Jan. 28, 29, 30  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Issues Maximum Generation Alert For Jan. 27, Low Voltage Alert Thru Jan. 31 And Asked Data Centers To Go To Backup Generation Across Its Entire Footprint To Ensure Delivery Of Enough Electricity  [PaEN]  

-- Reuters: PJM Suffers 21 GW Of Power Plant Outages Representing 16% Of Demand Amid Restricted Natural Gas Supplies, Frigid Weather 

-- Bloomberg: Winter Storm Tests US Power Grids As Natural Gas Price Breaks $6 For First Time Since Russia Invaded Ukraine In 2020 - 90% Increase In Last Week

-- Reuters Commentary: When The US Freezes, LNG Natural Gas Market Prices Spike Over 70%

-- Reuters: US Energy Sector Reels After Winter Storm Knocks Out 2 Million BPD Of Crude Output

-- Reuters: Oil Prices Rise As Harsh Winter Disrupts US Output

-- Flooding

-- Observer-Reporter: Officials Monitoring Ice Build-Up On Western PA Rivers, No Threat For Ice Jams Just Yet ​​

-- Post-Gazette: As Ice Forces Restrictions On Allegheny River Traffic, Businesses Stuck Waiting

-- Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Explosion

-- TribLive: Pollution Control Equipment At US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Fails Resulting In Elevated Hydrogen Sulfide Levels

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Equipment Failure Leads To Elevated Air Pollution Readings

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Warns Of Limited Pollution From US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Pollution Controls Failure

-- Train Derailments

-- The Allegheny Front: Research Projects Look At Health Of Humans And Dogs 3 Years After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Post-Gazette: East Palestine, OH Trying To Reclaim Its Future 3 Years After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Gas Explosions

-- Republican Herald: House Passes Legislation To Address Natural Gas Safety After Fatal Reading Chocolate Factory Blast Killed 7 People [PDF of Article]

-- AP: Natural Gas Smell At Bucks County Nursing Home Was Reported Hours Before Deadly Explosion, Report Says 

-- WNEP: Homes Evacuated After Natural Gas Pipeline Hit In Scranton

-- Education

-- PennLive: Shapiro Endorses Statewide Ban On Phones During School Day

-- Centre Daily Times: Penn State Sues Insulin Makers, Health Care Companies Over Medication Prices

-- Reading Eagle: Penn State Berks Campus To Hold A.I. In Manufacturing Summit

-- Health Care

-- Inquirer: PA House Speaker McClinton Carefully Wielded Her Power, Now She’s Speaking Out For Home Care Workers

-- Post-Gazette: PA Again Receives Failing Grades For Tobacco Control Efforts

-- WESA: McKeesport Residents Scramble Amid Pharmacy Closures

-- Centre Daily Times: Penn State Sues Insulin Makers, Health Care Companies Over Medication Prices

-- Law Enforcement

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Campaigned On Getting Justice For Child Sexual Abuse Survivors, Some Say He Hasn’t Done Enough As Governor

-- PA Capital-Star: ‘Armed Queers Don’t Get Bashed:’ Pink Pistols Pittsburgh Marks Year As 2nd Amendment Community 

-- Spotlight PA: New PA Law To Keep Unregulated Vapes Out Of Hands Of Kids May Not Actually Work

-- Republican Herald: Commissioners Hear Concerns Over Proposed Federal ICE Detention/Processing Facility In Tremont Twp.  

-- WHYY: Philadelphia DA Launches National District Attorney Coalition To Prosecute President’s ICE Misconduct

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA Democrats Pursue Legislative Action To Counter President’s Approach To Immigration Enforcement

-- Observer-Reporter: PA Human Relations Commission To Hold Virtual Town Hall TODAY At 6:00 p.m. On Immigrant Community In Charleroi, Washington County

-- Observer-Reporter: ‘What Fear Does To A Small Town:’ Town Hall Addresses Immigrant Intimidation In Charleroi, Washington County 

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Our Out-Of-Control Mistreatment Of Immigrants Must End - By Rev. Sandra Strauss

-- Inquirer Editorial: Another Senseless Killing In President’s War Against Americans

-- The Economy

-- Morning Call: Eli Lilly To Build $3.5 Billion Lehigh Valley Complex, Largest Single Project In Lehigh Valley History

-- DEP Eliminates Longstanding Permitting Backlog In 2025, Launches New Bureau of Permitting Coordination  [PaEN] 

-- Spotlight PA: Cost Of Housing In PA Is Too High, Here’s What Shapiro Will Need To Overcome To Fix It

-- Reading Eagle: Penn State Berks Campus To Hold A.I. In Manufacturing Summit

-- Other

-- WESA: Union Workers Launch Initiative To Research Options For Soon-To-Be Closed Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Defunding Public Media Makes Communities Worse Off

[Posted: February 1, 2026]