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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Shapiro Administration Plan To Drive Out More Than $711 Million To Connect Every Pennsylvanian To High-Speed Internet

-- WVIA: Fast Track No More: State Kicks Project Gravity 7 Building A.I. Data Center Project In Archbald Out Of Fast Track Permitting Program

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: I Overcame A Life Without Parole Sentence, Now More Than 1,000 More Are Poised To Join Me, If The PA General Assembly, Governor Act - By Robert Saleem Holbrook 

-- TribLive: Former PA Governors Call On State Leaders To Make Shapiro’s Security A Priority; Republican Candidate For Governor, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity Repeats She Won’t Pay For Upgrades At Private Home [She Fails To Suggest Solution] 

-- The Center Square: Debate Rages On Use Of Taxpayer Money For Security At Shapiro’s Private Home

-- Gov. Shapiro: Statement From All Former PA Governors On Ensuring The First Family’s Safety Remain Nonpartisan [Response To Republican State Treasurer, Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity Refusing To Pay For Security Upgrades At Private Home]

-- PennLive - John Baer: PA’s 5 Former Governors Show Current Leaders How Bipartisanship Should Work

-- TribLive Editorial: Security For Public Officials Should Not Be Political

-- WITF: ‘ICE Out’ Protest At PA Capital Calls On Shapiro To Cut State Ties With Federal Immigration Enforcement

-- Race For Governor

-- Spotlight PA: Where Garrity And Shapiro Stand On Broadband, Federal Cuts, Other Key Rural Issues

-- Budget 2026

-- WESA: Advocates Push For Tax On ‘Skill’ Gaming Games As State Lottery Losses Hit Programs For PA Seniors

-- PA Dept. Of Revenue Reports April State Tax Revenue $519 Million (8.4%) Above Estimates; Year To Date $992.8 Million (2.4%) Above Estimate

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports April State Tax Revenue $466 Million (7.5%) Above IFO Estimates; Year To Date $831 Million (2%) Above Estimate

-- PA House/Senate

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Panel Approves Bill That Would Abolish PA’s Death Penalty

-- TribLive/PennLive: Ending The Death Penalty Gains Support From Both Parties In PA House

-- Inquirer:  Can One Of These Democrats Flip A Republican State Senate Seat In Upper Bucks, Lehigh?

-- Observer-Reporter: Washington County Removes Republican Buchtan From Voter Rolls Because He’s A Resident Of Greene County; Can’t Vote For Himself In His Challenge To Sen. Bartolotta In Republican Primary

-- Reading Eagle: Protesters March From Reading To Harrisburg In Support Of Banning Gifts To State Lawmakers

-- US Senate/House

-- PennLive: Fetterman Stock Purchase Draws Scrutiny Over Timing And US Senate Committee Role

-- Post-Gazette - Adriana Ramirez Column: John Fetterman, The White House Ballroom, And His Divorce From Reality

-- Morning Call Guest Essay: PA US. Sen. John Fetterman Could Learn Something From Former Lehigh Valley Republican Congressman Charlie Dent - By Bill White

-- Statewide Offices

-- TribLive: Former PA Governors Call On State Leaders To Make Shapiro’s Security A Priority; Republican Candidate For Governor, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity Repeats She Won’t Pay For Upgrades At Private Home [She Fails To Suggest Solution] 

-- The Center Square: Debate Rages On Use Of Taxpayer Money For Security At Shapiro’s Private Home

-- Gov. Shapiro: Statement From All Former PA Governors On Ensuring The First Family’s Safety Remain Nonpartisan [Response To Republican State Treasurer, Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity Refusing To Pay For Security Upgrades At Private Home]

-- PennLive - John Baer: PA’s 5 Former Governors Show Current Leaders How Bipartisanship Should Work

-- TribLive Editorial: Security For Public Officials Should Not Be Political

-- AP: Man Gets Month In Jail For Pennsylvania Voter Registration Drive In 2024 Presidential Election 

-- City & State PA: Conversation With Attorney General Dave Sunday On How A.I. Tools Are Affecting Children, Teens And Vulnerable Populations

-- Maybe Folks Should Read This Article Again:  The Guardian: Anthropic’s Claude A.I. Agent’s Confession After Deleting A Firm’s Entire Database: ‘I Violated Every Principle I Was Given’ 

-- 2026 Elections

-- Spotlight PA: Complete Guide To PA Primary Election On May 19

-- Spotlight PA: Meet 2 Of The 1 Million Independent PA Voters Shut Out Of May Primary Election

-- Observer-Reporter: Washington County Removes Republican Buchtan From Voter Rolls Because He’s A Resident Of Greene County; Can’t Vote For Himself In His Challenge To Sen. Bartolotta In Republican Primary

-- AP: Latino Leaders Surge Into Local Offices As Presidents Attacks Fuel New Urgency [PA Highlighted]

-- Elections

-- WESA: PA Election Officials Warn County Election Officials To Be Wary Of Efforts To Access, Undermine Voting Systems

-- Spotlight PA: PA Spent $1.4 Million Updating Its Voter Registration System, But Won’t Provide Progress Reports

-- AP: Man Gets Month In Jail For Pennsylvania Voter Registration Drive In 2024 Presidential Election 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader/AP: PA Supreme Court Grants Public Access To Voting Data In Dispute From 2020 Election Aftermath 

-- President’s War On Iran

-- May 3: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Up Another 2 Cents A Gallon From Yesterday, Now $1.41/Gallon Higher To $4.52 Since Feb. 27  [PA Average Price Spikes 37 cents since last Saturday; Forest County, PA Average Price Highest at $4.69] 

-- May 3: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.44 Ohio- $4.88  PA- $4.52

-- Feb. 27: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $2.98  Ohio- $2.79  PA- $3.11

-- PennEnvironment: New Tool Shows Pennsylvania's Higher-Mileage Drivers Can Save $3,000 A Year By Switching To Electric Vehicles [PaEN]

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Futures Hit 3-Week High As Output Falls And Companies Like EQT Cut Production Due To Low Spot Prices 

-- PennLive:  Gasoline Prices Climb Again In Pennsylvania Amid Oil Surge And Iran Tensions

-- WTAE: City Of Pittsburgh Budget Taking A Hit Due To Soaring Gasoline, Diesel Prices

-- US Dept. Of Energy Cyber Threat Center Issues Another Warning To Oil & Gas Industry About Automatic Tank Gauge Manipulation By Malicious Cyber Threat Actors  [PaEN]

-- Bloomberg: US Has More Natural Gas Than It Can Use As Iran War Chokes Global Supply 

-- Financial Times: Oil Could Trade At Nearly $120 If War Drags On, Goldman Sachs Warns

-- Financial Times: Total Profits Jump 29% As Iran War Drives Oil, Natural Gas Price Surge And Trading Gains

-- Wall Street Journal: Iran War Is Breaking Down Global Energy Order Accelerating Shift From Oil Market And Economic Efficiency To One Shaped By Politics And Conflict

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs

-- AP: President Pursues New Import Taxes Americans Will Pay To Replace Tariffs Declared Illegal By US Supreme Court

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Residents Describe Strain Of Rising Costs: ‘No Margin For Error’

-- PennLive Guest Essay: While President Builds Ballrooms, An Arc de Triomphe, PA Families Lose Healthcare, Food Assistance - By PA Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny)

-- WITF: ‘ICE Out’ Protest At PA Capital Calls On Shapiro To Cut State Ties With Federal Immigration Enforcement

-- Post-Gazette: Federal ICE Has Quietly Expanded In Pittsburgh, Acquiring 2nd Office For Operations

-- TribLive: Springdale Police Charge Resident For Incident At Federal ICE Protest, Accuse Him Of Threatening Officials

-- Pittsburgh’s Public Source: 2nd Critic Of Springdale Federal ICE Pact Arrested On Threat, Assault Charges In Allegheny County 

-- Pittsburgh’s Public Source: Emails Between Federal ICE And Local PA Police Show Cash Incentives And Voter Loss Fears By Politicians

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: Controversial Luzerne County Ordinance Prohibiting County Involvement With Federal Immigration Enforcement Unless Expressly Required By Law Off The Table

-- Altoona Mirror: Clearfield County Commissioners Hear Criticism Of Moshannon Valley Immigrant Detention Center Contract

-- AP: Key Inflation Gauge Jumps To Highest Level In 3 Years As Iran War Spikes Gasoline Prices

-- New Federal Administration

-- AP: Latino Leaders Surge Into Local Offices As Presidents Attacks Fuel New Urgency [PA Highlighted]

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - May 4  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Adopts Voluntary Large Load, Data Center Tariff Framework To Help Protect Ratepayers   [PaEN] 

-- Environmental Defense Fund: PA Public Utility Commission Moves To Protect Consumers From A.I. Data Center Grid Costs: ‘The Stakes Are High Given The Scale And Speed Of Data Center-Driven Growth’ [PaEN] 

-- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Approves Extension Of PJM Capacity Auction Price Cap, Floor For Next 2 Auctions  [PaEN] 

-- AP: Building Trades Unions Emerge As Key Political Allies Of Tech Giants In Push For A.I. Data Centers [PA Highlighted]

-- The Center Square: Labor Union Back PA US Sen. McCormick’s Plan To Reform Federal Energy Infrastructure Permitting

-- Concerned Citizens Of Montour County: Data Center Developer Wants To Make It Harder For Citizens To Appeal Zoning, Permits; DCED Secretary Explains More On How They Want New GRID Principles To Work  [PaEN] 

-- Montour County: What A.I. Data Center Developers Don’t Like In Zoning Ordinances: Decommissioning Safeguards For When Their Tech Becomes Obsolete; No Noise Limits On Diesel Generators; No Property Value Impact Studies  [PaEN]  

-- Reading Eagle: Threats Of Violence Against Both Sides Dogging A.I. Data Center Projects In Limerick Twp., Montgomery County  [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times Chris Kelly Opinion: Archbald Is The Canary In The A.I. Data Center ‘Coal Mine;’  90 Data Center Buildings Proposed In Lackawanna County  [PDF of Article]

-- WVIA: Governor’s Office Removes Project Gravity 7 Building A.I. Data Center Project In Luzerne County From Fast Track Permitting Program  Due To Lack Of Transparency  [PaEN]  

-- Tri-County Regional Planning Commission Publishes Model A.I. Data Center Ordinance; Links To Other Model Ordinances  [PaEN] 

-- PA House Energy Committee Sets May 4 Meeting To Act On More Bills To Address Electric Grid Reliability, Affordability Issues: Authorize Virtual Power Plants, More  [PaEN] 

-- PA House Passes Bill To Require A.I. Data Centers To Report Water Use, Discharges To DEP  [PaEN]

-- PA Senate Committee Hears Electric Grid Issues Getting Worse; PJM Has Attracted 220 GW Of New Generation Proposals; PJM ‘Backstop’ Procurement Critical To Making Data Centers Pay For New Generation [PaEN]

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: Gov. Shapiro Says Regulated Electric, Natural Gas, Water Utility System In PA Is ‘Broken’ In Letter To 24 Companies Laying Out New System To Rein In Corporate Profits 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak & Laura Legere: A.I. Data Center Power Demand May Extend Conemaugh, Keystone Coal-Fired Power Plant Operations, Jobs For Years - But At A Cost

-- Maybe Folks Should Read This Article Again:  The Guardian: Anthropic’s Claude A.I. Agent’s Confession After Deleting A Firm’s Entire Database: ‘I Violated Every Principle I Was Given’ 

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- May 3: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Up Another 2 Cents A Gallon From Yesterday, Now $1.41/Gallon Higher To $4.52 Since Feb. 27  [PA Average Price Spikes 37 cents since last Saturday; Forest County, PA Average Price Highest at $4.69] 

-- May 3: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.44 Ohio- $4.88  PA- $4.52

-- TribLive: Pressure At The Pump Builds As Gasoline Prices Reach 4-Year High

-- PennLive:  Gasoline Prices Climb Again In Pennsylvania Amid Oil Surge And Iran Tensions

-- WTAE: City Of Pittsburgh Budget Taking A Hit Due To Soaring Gasoline, Diesel Prices

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

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Futures Hit 3-Week High As Output Falls And Companies Like EQT Cut Production Due To Low Spot Prices 

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: Gov. Shapiro Says Regulated Electric, Natural Gas, Water Utility System In PA Is ‘Broken’ In Letter To 24 Companies Laying Out New System To Rein In Corporate Profits 

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - May 4  [PaEN] 

-- PA Senate Committee Hears Electric Grid Issues Getting Worse; PJM Has Attracted 220 GW Of New Generation Proposals; PJM ‘Backstop’ Procurement Critical To Making Data Centers Pay For New Generation [PaEN]

-- Environmental Defense Fund: PA Public Utility Commission Moves To Protect Consumers From A.I. Data Center Grid Costs: ‘The Stakes Are High Given The Scale And Speed Of Data Center-Driven Growth’ [PaEN] 

-- Utility Dive: FirstEnergy Opposes PJM Backstop Procurement Plan Critical To Making A.I. Data Centers Pay The Cost Of Expensive New Electric Generation 

-- Utility Dive: 106 GW Of Natural Gas-Fired Generation Leads PJM’s Newly Reopened Interconnection Queue; A.I.-Enabled Google Tapestry Will Be Used To Review The Applications

-- PJM Interconnection: 220 GW Of New Power Generation Project Proposals Submitted To Connect To The Grid Under New Process 

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: In 2025, PJM Energy Capacity Costs Were Up 300%, Congestion Costs Up Almost 80%, Total System Costs Up Over 50% - Massive Demand Shock Is Here - By Shahid Mahdi, EnerKnol

-- Reuters: US Consumers Face Rising Electricity Prices Pushed By A.I. Data Center Demand, Rising Natural Gas Prices, Tariffs On Steel/Aluminum, While Benefits From Low-Cost Clean Power Capacity Emerge 

-- Reuters: While Asia, Europe Scramble For Natural Gas, US Glut Has No Where To Go; US Prices Hit 17 Month Low Due To Over Supply; US LNG Exporters Benefit From Soaring Prices Abroad 

-- Bloomberg: US Has More Natural Gas Than It Can Use As Iran War Chokes Global Supply 

-- Financial Times: Oil Could Trade At Nearly $120 If War Drags On, Goldman Sachs Warns

-- Financial Times: Shell Buys Canadian Shale Oil/Natural Gas Producer ARC Resources For $16 Billion

-- Financial Times: Exxon, Chevron Defy US President’s Pressure To Boost Oil Production; Stick To Prewar Strategies Despite White House Plea For More Drilling To Curb Soaring Petrol Prices 

-- Bloomberg: Chevron CEO Warns Global Energy System Under ‘Extreme Stress;’ Global Oil Supplies Are Running Dry Due To War With Iran

-- The Economist: The Crisis In Oil Markets Will Get Bigger Before It Goes Away; Nothing In The Tank

-- Wall Street Journal: Iran War Is Breaking Down Global Energy Order Accelerating Shift From Oil Market And Economic Efficiency To One Shaped By Politics And Conflict

-- Financial Times: BP Warns Against Windfall Taxes As Iran War Helps Profits Hit 3-Year High

-- Financial Times: Total Profits Jump 29% As Iran War Drives Oil, Natural Gas Price Surge And Trading Gains

-- Flooding

 -- Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Bay Host May 7 Webinar On Faith And Flood Resilience In Our Communities  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette: A Year After Pittsburgh’s Massive, Deadly Derecho Storm, Structural Damage And Personal Trauma Linger

-- Wall Street Journal: Natural Disasters Are Rewriting Home Insurance Costs; See How It Impacts You

-- Erie Times/USA Today: Pennsylvania Winters Are Shorter; The Change Shows Up In Every County 

-- Education

-- TribLive: University Of Pittsburgh Regional Campuses To Offer Free Tuition For Students Of Families Making $75,000 Or Less

-- TribLive: Affordability Talks Ripple Across Western PA Colleges As Pitt Slashes Tuition For Families Making Under $75,000

-- City & State PA: Conversation With Attorney General Dave Sunday On How A.I. Tools Are Affecting Children, Teens And Vulnerable Populations

-- Maybe Folks Should Read This Article Again:  The Guardian: Anthropic’s Claude A.I. Agent’s Confession After Deleting A Firm’s Entire Database: ‘I Violated Every Principle I Was Given’ 

-- Health Care

-- PA Capital-Star: Survey: Pennsylvanians’ Dissatisfaction With Healthcare On The Rise; 1 In 4 Households Struggle To Get Access To Care

-- Post-Gazette: Private Equity Bankruptcies Leave PA, OH Communities Trying To Resuscitate Hospitals

-- PennLive Guest Essay: While President Builds Ballrooms, An Arc de Triomphe, PA Families Lose Healthcare, Food Assistance - By PA Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny)

-- Law Enforcement

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Panel Approves Bill That Would Abolish PA’s Death Penalty

-- TribLive/PennLive: Ending The Death Penalty Gains Support From Both Parties In PA House

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: I Overcame A Life Without Parole Sentence, Now More Than 1,000 More Are Poised To Join Me, If The PA General Assembly, Governor Act - By Robert Saleem Holbrook 

-- WITF: ‘ICE Out’ Protest At PA Capital Calls On Shapiro To Cut State Ties With Federal Immigration Enforcement

-- Post-Gazette: Federal ICE Has Quietly Expanded In Pittsburgh, Acquiring 2nd Office For Operations

-- TribLive: Springdale Police Charge Resident For Incident At Federal ICE Protest, Accuse Him Of Threatening Officials

-- Pittsburgh’s Public Source: 2nd Critic Of Springdale Federal ICE Pact Arrested On Threat, Assault Charges In Allegheny County 

-- Pittsburgh’s Public Source: Emails Between Federal ICE And Local PA Police Show Cash Incentives And Voter Loss Fears By Politicians

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: Controversial Luzerne County Ordinance Prohibiting County Involvement With Federal Immigration Enforcement Unless Expressly Required By Law Off The Table

-- Altoona Mirror: Clearfield County Commissioners Hear Criticism Of Moshannon Valley Immigrant Detention Center Contract

-- The Economy

-- Shapiro Administration Plan To Drive Out More Than $711 Million To Connect Every Pennsylvanian To High-Speed Internet

-- PA Dept. Of Labor & Industry Reports March Unemployment Remained At 4.2%, Below National Average

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Residents Describe Strain Of Rising Costs: ‘No Margin For Error’

-- AP: President Pursues New Import Taxes Americans Will Pay To Replace Tariffs Declared Illegal By US Supreme Court

-- AP: Key Inflation Gauge Jumps To Highest Level In 3 Years As Iran War Spikes Gasoline Prices

-- Other

-- Post-Gazette Final Editorial: Goodbye, Pittsburgh [New Owners Do Not Support Or Oppose Public Policies Or Candidates For Public Office]

-- TribLive: ‘Severe’ Staff Cuts Begin At Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Union Says

-- WESA: New Owners Of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Plan To Recognize Newsroom Labor Union

[Posted: May 3, 2026]