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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Wall Street Journal: Josh Shapiro Is No-Drama, But Is That What Democrats Want In 2028?

-- The Center Square: Gov. Shapiro Talks Tariffs And Canadian Sovereignty In Trip To Ontario

-- The Allegheny Front: Gov. Shapiro Courted New A.I. Data Centers, Then Public Opinion Shifted 

-- The Center Square: Lt. Gov. Davis Says Shapiro Administration Will ‘Halt’ Federal ICE Plans For Warehouse Detention Centers

-- Bloomberg - Fola Akinnibi: ICE Wants To Use A Warehouse As An Immigrant Detention Center In Tremont, Schuylkill County - Can Anyone Say No To ICE? 

-- PA Capital-Star: Attorney General Sunday Signs Off On State Funding For Gov. Shapiro’s Home Security Upgrades

-- Race For Governor

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Republican Candidate For Governor Garrity Breaks With Shapiro As She Calls For Pause In A.I. Data Center Development 

-- The Allegheny Front: Gov. Shapiro Courted New A.I. Data Centers, Then Public Opinion Shifted 

-- PA Capital-Star: Republican Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity Lays Out Plan To ‘Unleash’ Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas Industry 

-- PoliticsPA: Republican Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity Plans To Unleash Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas 

-- Budget 2026

-- TribLive: PA Lawmakers Optimistic About Passing State Budget On Time As Deadline Looms 

-- ABC27: PA Senate Republicans Have Yet To Propose A Budget Plan, Would Rather Negotiate A Deal And Pass An Agreed-To Budget Like Last Year  [Last Year’s Budget Was 134 Days Late]

-- PennLive: PA House OKs Bill To Tax Big Tech’s Digital Ads To Help Seniors With Property Taxes

-- TribLive: PA Senate Votes Down Proposal To Create Independent Marijuana Regulatory Board

-- PA House/Senate

-- PA Capital-Star: Bill Requiring Owners To Lock Up Guns Advances To PA House Over Republican Objections

-- WITF/PA Capital-Star: PA House Education Committee Passes Cyber Student Safety Bill After Heated Debate Over Making Online Private Charter School Responsible For Student Wellbeing

-- TribLive: Sen. Williams To Introduce Bill Forbidding A.I. From Replacing Human Teachers In Classrooms

-- TribLive: PA Senate Votes Down Proposal To Create Independent Marijuana Regulatory Board

-- US Senate/House

-- PennLive: PA Republican Group Backs Democrat Stelson Over ‘Extremist’ Perry In Congressional Race, Releases New Digital Ad

-- Statewide Offices

-- PA Capital-Star: Attorney General Sunday Signs Off On State Funding For Gov. Shapiro’s Home Security Upgrades

-- President’s War On Iran

--  June 14: PA Average AAA Gasoline Prices Dropped 13 Cents From Last Sunday, Now $4.22/Gallon - $1.11/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Potter County Average Price Now Highest at $4.67] 

-- June 14: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.07 Ohio- $4.07  PA- $4.22

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

-- TribLive: Rising Airfare, Gasoline Prices Prompt Western Pennsylvanians To Rethink Travel 

-- Financial Times: Survey Of Almost 2,000 Business Executives In 18 Countries Found 91% Believe Switch From Fossil Fuels To Electric Would Improve Their Energy Security  [PDF of Article]

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs - 17 - Same As Last 5 Weeks

-- WPost: Oil Executives Warn White House That Gasoline Prices Will Get Worse

-- AP: President Threatens To Take Control Of Iran’s Oil Industry

-- Protesting The President

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Pennsylvanians Are Paying The Price For President’s Chaos And We Can End It In November - By Eugene DePasquale, Chair, PA Democratic Party

-- TribLive: LGBTQ+ Groups Host Protest Rally In Greensburg

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs

-- The Center Square: Gov. Shapiro Talks Tariffs And Canadian Sovereignty In Trip To Ontario

-- PA Capital-Star: Refunds Of The President’s Illegal Tariffs For Small Business Past Due, US Senate Dems Say

-- AP: Federal Appeals Court Says President Can Keep Collecting New 10% Worldwide Tariffs While Legal Challenges Make Their Way Thru Courts 

-- Reversing Course

-- Southern Environmental Law Center: Federal Court Rules President’s Termination Of $2.8 Billion Environmental And Climate Justice Block Grants Was Illegal

-- TribLive/AP: Federal Judge Orders President’s National Parks To Reinstall Displays Removed As Part Of Crackdown On Diversity, Equity And Inclusion And Climate Change 

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Health Insurance Enrollment Drops By 160,000 After Congress Fails To Restore Federal Subsidies 

-- Post-Gazette: As Health Insurance Premiums Due To Failure Of Congress To Act, Catastrophic Coverage Is Having A Moment

-- LancasterOnline: 16 More Measles Cases Report In Lancaster County In Past Week; 36 Cases This Year

-- Post-Gazette: Amid A Measles Resurgence, PA Leaders Say Plunging Vaccination Rates In Thousands Of Schools Will Be Made Public

-- Beaver Times: Chronic Homelessness Is A Growing Problem In PA, Federal Data Show

-- TribLive: Death Of Haitian Woman Released From ICE Custody In Pittsburgh Ruled Homicide 

-- PennLive: Women Claim Sexual Abuse By Chaplain At Clearfield County ICE Immigrant Detention Facility 

-- TribLive: Consumers Resigned To Higher Prices As Cost Of Living Jumps 

-- Post-Gazette: Groceries Are About To Cost More, Here’s How Stores And Farmers Are Preparing

-- AP: President Has New, Surprising Take On Higher Cost Of Living: ‘I Love The Inflation’

-- AP: Inflation Rises 4.2% In May On Spiking Gasoline Prices, Highlighting Affordability Challenges 

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- Morning Call - Bill White Opinion: Local News Organizations Help Keep Democracy Alive

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - June 15  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Republican Candidate For Governor Garrity Breaks With Shapiro As She Calls For Pause In A.I. Data Center Development 

-- The Allegheny Front: Gov. Shapiro Courted New A.I. Data Centers, Then Public Opinion Shifted 

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: Archbald Gets Its Turn At Being A Star With A Staggering 51 A.I. Data Centers Poised To Erase The Borough  [PDF of Article] 

-- PUC Releases Summer Readiness Overview Reports By PA Electric Utilities [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnection Issues 3rd Hot Weather Alert For June 11-12 In Mid-Atlantic, Southern Regions [PaEN] 

-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Approves PJM Fast-Track Review For 10 Large ‘Shovel-Ready’ Power Projects A Year 

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: Behind-The-Meter A.I. Data Center Natural Gas Power Plants Will Raise The Cost Of Natural Gas, Electric For Homes, Businesses - By Jeffrey Rissman & Eric Gimon of Energy Innovation 

-- Financial Times: Survey Of Almost 2,000 Business Executives In 18 Countries Found 91% Believe Switch From Fossil Fuels To Electric Would Improve Their Energy Security  [PDF of Article]

-- Spotlight PA: As PA Cracks Down On A.I., Multiple Chatbots Continue To Pose As Doctors

-- TribLive Editorial: Dr. A.I. Chatbot Will See You Now

-- TribLive: Sen. Williams To Introduce Bill Forbidding A.I. From Replacing Human Teachers In Classrooms

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

--  June 14: PA Average AAA Gasoline Prices Dropped 13 Cents From Last Sunday, Now $4.22/Gallon - $1.11/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Potter County Average Price Now Highest at $4.67] 

-- June 14: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.07 Ohio- $4.07  PA- $4.22

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

-- TribLive: Rising Airfare, Gasoline Prices Prompt Western Pennsylvanians To Rethink Travel 

-- Financial Times: Survey Of Almost 2,000 Business Executives In 18 Countries Found 91% Believe Switch From Fossil Fuels To Electric Would Improve Their Energy Security  [PDF of Article]

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs - 17 - Same As Last 5 Weeks

-- PA Capital-Star: Republican Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity Lays Out Plan To ‘Unleash’ Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas Industry 

-- PoliticsPA: Republican Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity Plans To Unleash Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas 

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - June 15  [PaEN] 

-- WPost: Oil Executives Warn White House That Gasoline Prices Will Get Worse

-- AP: President Threatens To Take Control Of Iran’s Oil Industry

-- Bloomberg: US LNG Gas Exporters Find Few Takers In Europe For New Supply As Buyers Are Wary Of Becoming Too Reliant On US LNG

-- The Street: New Fortress Energy LNG Gas Bankruptcy Splits Company Into 2 Different Entities -CoreCo And BrazilCo, Records Show It Never Generated A Cent Of Positive Cash Flow [Planned PA Facilities] 

-- Institute For Energy Economics & Financial Analysis: New Fortress Energy LNG Gas Company Bankruptcy Reveals Financial Misstatements, Systemic Mismanagement, Operational Failures [Planned PA Facilities] 

-- Flooding

-- PA Organization For Watersheds & Rivers Hosts June 25 Online Conversation Café - Flood Risk Communication  [PaEN] 

-- Gas Explosions

-- WNEP: Neighbors In  Disbelief After Propane Explosion Injures 3, Destroys Multiple Homes In Wayne County

-- Storms/Power Outages

-- TribLive: Another Round Of Storms In Western PA Leave 11,000 Customers Without Power 

-- TribLive: 6 Tornadoes Confirmed In Westmoreland, Fayette, Washington Counties 

-- TribLive: Volunteers, Fayette County Workers Clear 62 Trees Along Great Allegheny Passage Trail Following Tornadoes

-- WTAE: PA American Water Issues Boil Water Advisory For Clairton, Allegheny County After Power Loss

-- Pennsylvania Power Outages: 

-- Education

-- WITF/PA Capital-Star: PA House Education Committee Passes Cyber Student Safety Bill After Heated Debate Over Making Online Private Charter School Responsible For Student Wellbeing

-- TribLive: Sen. Williams To Introduce Bill Forbidding A.I. From Replacing Human Teachers In Classrooms

-- Health Care

-- LancasterOnline: 16 More Measles Cases Report In Lancaster County In Past Week; 36 Cases This Year

-- Post-Gazette: Amid A Measles Resurgence, PA Leaders Say Plunging Vaccination Rates In Thousands Of Schools Will Be Made Public

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Health Insurance Enrollment Drops By 160,000 After Congress Fails To Restore Federal Subsidies 

-- Post-Gazette: As Health Insurance Premiums Due To Failure Of Congress To Act, Catastrophic Coverage Is Having A Moment

-- Spotlight PA: As PA Cracks Down On A.I., Multiple Chatbots Continue To Pose As Doctors

-- TribLive Editorial: Dr. A.I. Chatbot Will See You Now

-- Law Enforcement

-- PA Capital-Star: Bill Requiring Owners To Lock Up Guns Advances To PA House Over Republican Objections

-- TribLive: PA Senate Votes Down Proposal To Create Independent Marijuana Regulatory Board

-- Spotlight PA: As PA Cracks Down On A.I., Multiple Chatbots Continue To Pose As Doctors

-- TribLive: Death Of Haitian Woman Released From ICE Custody In Pittsburgh Ruled Homicide 

-- PennLive: Women Claim Sexual Abuse By Chaplain At Clearfield County ICE Immigrant Detention Facility 

-- The Economy

-- Beaver Times: Chronic Homelessness Is A Growing Problem In PA, Federal Data Show

-- TribLive: US Commerce Secretary Touts Nippon Steel Investments In Mon Valley Works

-- TribLive: Report Projects Job, Tax Boon From Nippon Investments In Mon Valley Works

-- TribLive: Consumers Resigned To Higher Prices As Cost Of Living Jumps 

-- Post-Gazette: Groceries Are About To Cost More, Here’s How Stores And Farmers Are Preparing

-- AP: President Has New, Surprising Take On Higher Cost Of Living: ‘I Love The Inflation’

-- AP: Inflation Rises 4.2% In May On Spiking Gasoline Prices, Highlighting Affordability Challenges 

-- PA Capital-Star: Refunds Of The President’s Illegal Tariffs For Small Business Past Due, US Senate Dems Say

-- AP: Federal Appeals Court Says President Can Keep Collecting New 10% Worldwide Tariffs While Legal Challenges Make Their Way Thru Courts 

[Posted: June 14, 2026]